Thoughts on Wiggins, transfers, etc.

As reported in today's story and Tuesday's blog post, Doug Wiggins asked to be released from his scholarship and will transfer from UConn. It's not surprising. Less than a week after the season, Calhoun sat down with the media and said he expected four to five new players to come in, meaning two to three would have to leave. It appears Wiggins is only the first. As mentioned here before, other candidates for transfer include Curtis Kelly, Donnell Beverly and possibly Stanley Robinson.

For Wiggins, the last two years have been nothing short of turbulent. Starting with his decision to opt out of his oral commitment to St. John's, the East Hartford native always seemed to struggle playing under Calhoun. Whether it was nerves or self-imposed pressure or what have you, Wiggins always proved to be a great energy guy but would second-guess himself on shots and decisions and more than anyone, limited his own ability to score when next to Jerome Dyson, he was the best pure scorer the Huskies had the last two years.

His relationship with Calhoun reflects this much. Suspended at the start of the season for reportedly failing a drug test, Wiggins played himself back into good favor with the coach, prompting him to declare after a win over Florida A&M that he was "Dougie crazy."

Then, in early January, Wiggins and Dyson were suspended after they were caught with alcohol by campus police and then drug-tested under probable cause when it was determined marijuana was found under their car. Wiggins, who passed his test, was back with the team after two games, but struggled to find himself for the first few weeks. By the time he scored 20 points at South Florida, however, he looked like the old Wiggins, the kind this team needed at that point in the season.

Yet, once Dyson returned after a 30-day (nine-game) absence, Wiggins again appeared uncomfortable, his minutes slashed and his rhythm broken. With Craig Austrie's emergence and the impending arrival of Kemba Walker and Scottie Haralson, it suddenly began to materialize that maybe Wiggins didn't have a place here anymore. Once Calhoun refused to speak directly about the sophomore guard in a sit-down with the media the Thursday after the NCAA tournament loss to San Diego, Wiggins' fate seemed set.

Several reports have named Fordham and UMass as possible transfer destinations for Wiggins. Under coach Travis Ford, UMass has brought in a slew of transfers in recent years, including two I covered (Etienne Brower, Tony Gaffney) while I was at Boston U. Plus, it wouldn't be too far away from home or the people Wiggins knows at UConn.

(UPDATE: Travis Ford has taken the job at Oklahoma State, which is surprising because of reports last week that he had signed an extension with UMass.)

As a result of the situation, UConn now has an open scholarship that could go to any one of the Huskies' recent recruits: Chukwuma “Charles” Okwandu, Jamie Vanderbeken or the coup of the crop, Ater Majok, who is expected to make a Storrs visit on April 24. The thinking is another scholarship will open up, which could be used the second of those three or Nate Miles, if he ever does come to UConn. That situation, however, appears to be as unsettled as it was in January.

Check back here later today for a recap of an interview with Scottie Haralson, who is signing his letter of intent today at Provine High in Jackson, Miss. Today is the first official day of the signing period, which runs through May 21.