Drummond Becomes Third Husky To Exit Connecticut

The implosion of the Connecticut Huskies men's basketball program is effectively complete.

Freshman center Andre Drummond is going to the NBA on the "one and done" plan. Though no official announcement has been made, multiple sources indicate it will follow soon.

He will be the third Husky player with remaining eligibility to depart since the end of tournament season. His departure is particularly harmful because it leaves the team undersized and largely inexperienced in the front court -- and without a true shot blocker, which has been a staple of UConn teams under head coach Jim Calhoun.

As the Hartford Courant reported:

Drummond joins Jeremy Lamb, who announced he was entering the NBA Draft on Tuesday, and Alex Oriakhi, who stated his intention to transfer on April 21, in leaving the program after a 20-14 season. The Drummond and Lamb departures were no surprise.

But the coaches must now put a team back together. UConn's front court now includes Enosch Wolf, 7-foot-1, who has rarely played, and Michael Bradley, 6-9, who has never played in a game. Roscoe Smith, 6-8, and Tyler Olander, 6-9, who have played regularly for two years, remain on the team.

The only recruit currently on board is Omar Calhoun, a 6-4 combo guard from Christ The King High in New York, the state's Gatorade Player of the Year. He could pick up some of the scoring void left by Lamb. UConn figures to have at least one scholarship available and has an obvious need to add a big man. One thing the Huskies can offer, to a player who is not a "one-and-done" type, is immediate playing time as a freshman and the chance to develop over two or more years.

The NCAA has declared UConn ineligible for postseason play in 2013 due to deficient APR scores in past seasons.