The Sterling Gibbs watch has ended. The graduate transfer from Seton Hall concluded his search for a new school with a high degree of predictability late Saturday afternoon, announcing his commitment to UConn on his Twitter account.
What does it mean for the Huskies?
Well, at least on paper, UConn now has the talent to be considered a front-runner in the American Athletic Conference and the Huskies should start to garner some attention as a possible preseason Top 25 pick. After winning the NCAA championship in 2014 and then not reaching the tournament in 2015, that had not been the case so far.
Gibbs becomes the latest graduate transfer to join UConn under coach Kevin Ollie. He led Seton Hall in scoring and assists last season, averaging 16.3 points and 3.8 assists. He earned his degree at Seton Hall this spring, making him eligible immediately with one season of eligibility at UConn. The Scotch Plains, N.J., native was a second-team All-Big East selection as a junior. He played at Texas as a freshman in 2011-12, then sat out 2012-13 as a transfer to Seton Hall. His 43.6 shooting from 3-point range last season was second-highest in Seton Hall history.
Earlier in the week, Gibbs visited the UConn campus in Storrs. He had visited Pittsburgh and Ohio State. He had been expected to visit North Carolina State next but apparently he found what he was looking for at UConn. Notre Dame, Temple, Baylor and VCU had also been mentioned as possibilities. There had been Twitter reports in the past week that Gibbs had settled on UConn, but he defused those before visiting the campus.
At 5:12 p.m. Saturday, Gibbs tweeted out “3rd times a charm.. UCONN! #BeyondBlessed”
Gibbs is a natural point guard who developed into Seton Hall’s top scorer. His scoring average went up from 13.2 in 2013-14 and he increased his made 3-pointers from 31 to 75 while playing three more minutes a game and starting 28 of 29.
The recent decision by sophomore Terrence Samuel was an indication that Gibbs might be headed to UConn. Gibbs figures to be a major component in a backcourt that has lost senior Ryan Boatright. Jalen Adams will arrive as a highly ranked freshman point guard but the presence of Gibbs gives Ollie the luxury of bringing Adams along at a more comfortable pace. They will join Rodney Purvis and Sam Cassell Jr. in the backcourt.
Ollie could start Adams, Gibbs, and Purvis in the backcourt, along with Daniel Hamilton and Amida Brimah up front. Ollie is hoping to get production from another grad transfer, Shonn Miller from Cornell. Gibbs and Miller become the third and fouth grad transfer to join the Huskies under Ollie. R.J. Adams (Holy Cross) and Lasan Kromah (George Washington) were key reserves in their one-year stints.
Adams and Gibbs seemed eager to build chemistry Saturday.
Gibbs figures to be more than that, but he does come with some baggage. Gibbs received national attention in February when he was given a two-game suspension after hitting Villanova guard Ryan Arcidiacono with a forearm to the face during a loose-ball scramble. Gibbs apologized immediately and Arcidiacono accepted, both through Twitter, and the situation cooled. There were other reports of locker room friction between Gibbs and freshman Isaiah Whitehead as a Top 25 start for Seton Hall fizzled and the Pirates missed the NCAA Tournament.
Gibbs originally told reporters he would return to Seton Hall for his senior season, but in late April he changed his mind.
“We appreciate everything Sterling has done for our program over the last three years and wish him all the best as he pursues a Master’s degree at another university,” Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard said in a statement on April 28.
UConn has two scholarships still available for next season.
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