2025 Recruiting Targets?
- Thread starter Mooch82
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UConn’s Danny Hurley, Wake Forest’s Steve Forbes, Alabama’s Nate Oats, along with assistants from UCLA, Arizona, and others are watching four-star Dwayne Aristode.
www.on3.com
So that's Aristode, Maleek Thomas, and Abdou Toure today.
EYBL Indianapolis Coaches Watch Live Blog
On3's Joe Tipton is tracking which players head coaches are watching at the 1st live period in Indianapolis for EYBL.
So that's Aristode, Maleek Thomas, and Abdou Toure today.
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12:48pm — UConn’s Danny Hurley, Kentucky’s Mark Pope, USC’s Eric Musselman, Baylor’s Scott Drew, Arkansas’ John Calipari, Alabama’s Nate Oats and Auburn’s Bruce Pearl are watching five-stars AJ Dybantsa and Tyran Stokes.
www.on3.com
EYBL Indianapolis Coaches Watch Live Blog
On3's Joe Tipton is tracking which players head coaches are watching at the 1st live period in Indianapolis for EYBL.
Huskyforlife
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Seems like we’re back in on Dybantsa. Part of me thinks we shouldn’t waste energy chasing the unicorns, but guess it doesn’t hurt to try?
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Is Tom officially now GM?
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it can hurt to try because staff could be recruiting other guys instead, but i think you have to try one more time. if we cant get the flaggs and dybantsas after coming off back to backs then the staff should adjust and focus on the next tier of players i.e. the castles and mcneeleys.
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When all of your recruiting targets are all at one tournament it definitely doesn't hurt to try. Would be great if they somehow pull it off
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Big fan of Acuff. Solid jumper, physical, can finish through contact, decent size. Could definitely see him as the next great PG in Storrs.
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Huskyforlife
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We also aren’t playing a huge game of catch up against another blue blood. So maybe we like those odds?
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Loving Aristode on court #4, smooth with the ball, defensive effort, ... Need to find out who #3 is on Expressions. A widebody large guard with great outside touch and adequate handle. Rosters aren't showing up for me so need to figure him out later.
Probably Jaylen Harrell.
Jaylen Harrell, Cambridge Arts, Technology and Science , Small Forward
Jaylen Harrell is a 6-5, 208-pound Small Forward from BRAINTREE, MA.
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Thanks. Rated #90 247. I like Harrell, Thomas, and Aristode so far, as players that move the needle. Fowler & Jamison are quality players but my early impression is that they aren't the alpha dogs themselves. Harrell would be a tough player to defend and I love to have a guy on the team that is a tough physical mismatch for most teams.Probably Jaylen Harrell.
Jaylen Harrell, Cambridge Arts, Technology and Science , Small Forward
Jaylen Harrell is a 6-5, 208-pound Small Forward from BRAINTREE, MA.
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No mention of a UConn visit from Kiyan Anthony.
247sports.com
Kiyan Anthony talks potential visits after summer | Zagsblog
By CHARLIE PARENT INDIANAPOLIS — Kiyan Anthony, […]
www.zagsblog.com
Finkelstein's EYBL notes: Team Takeover, Kiyan Anthony, Isaiah Denis and Darius Acuff shine
247Sports director of scouting Adam Finkelstein was tracking four storylines Saturday during the Nike EYBL's Indianapolis area stop.
247sports.com
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There might not be any player in Indianapolis scoring the ball more consistently than Darius Acuff Jr., which should come as a surprise to absolutely no one. He had 22 against the Oakland Solider, 29 and 5 assists in a win over NW Rotary Rebels, and then 27 in Saturday's nightcap against Mac Irvin Fire.
Acuff was aggressively looking for his jumper, converting 3-9 from behind the arc, and while that percentage was marginal by his standards, it set up the rest of his attack. Defenders were forced to pick their poison and Acuff's deliberate pace and the progression of his change of pace games were extremely notable.
He's always had a lethal second move off the dribble, but his ability to mix multiple moves together, and to do so with variety was very clear. One possession it might be a hesi-go. The next it might be a killer-cross into a second cross-over if the defender wasn't there, and the fact that he could create space for his pull-up or get downhill to the rim just complicated things that much more for opposing defenders.
There were a slew of head coaches watching Acuff on Saturday including the likes of Dan Hurley, John Calipari, and Mark Pope, while Bill Self was in the day prior.
Finkelstein's EYBL notes: Team Takeover, Kiyan Anthony, Isaiah Denis and Darius Acuff shine
247Sports director of scouting Adam Finkelstein was tracking four storylines Saturday during the Nike EYBL's Indianapolis area stop.
247sports.com
UConnSwag11
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UConnSwag11
Storrs, CT The Mecca
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got the Karaban form going. It's ugly, but fast release and it goes in, so....
Mr. French
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Re: Mullins - dad played D1 at IUPUI and he’s got some good offers particularly over the last 6 months, including Missouri today. 6’5 shooter.
Seems to fit their type: size, shooting, basketball family…
Seems to fit their type: size, shooting, basketball family…
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I'd have to imagine it will be tough to get him out of Indiana -- but I suspect he is smart enough to know how good he would look in the UConn offense.
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Admittedly, I haven't spent much time yet looking at 2025 players. Yesterday I watched New Heights with Meleek Thomas, Preston Fowler, and Badara Diakite, and also watched Expressions with Dwayne Aristode, London Jamison, and a player that I now know to be Jaylen Harrell. I spent about another hour+ flipping between courts to try to find impact centers to dream about.
Guards:
With Mahaney & Nowell I assume we will have primary ball handling, and Ball is the athlete. In the back court my bias is to add at least 1 big guard shooter 6'4 to 6'6. Meleek Thomas is a home run impact player like McNeeley will be this year. At 6'4, long and rangy, he justifies his top 10 rating by being great with the ball and an excellent shooter. Jaylen Harrell at #90 is a 6'5 sweet shooting power guard who I saw make his own space with the dribble to get off a 3 pointer. His body makes space (like a John Bagley for early big east fans). My first impression of Brayon Mullins from the clips only, is that he is a Mahaney clone at 6'5.
Acuff and Traore I haven't seen. Both are great lead guards rather than the 6'5 type. Traore I haven't seen mentioned with UConn but from highlights, I think he is an impact player in waiting.
Forwards:
We have been mentioned with Dwayne Aristode and I have no doubt he is a player that could help keep us at the top. In the last minute of a 1 possession game, Expressions went to him twice to successfully tie the score by taking the ball in the lane. (This was just after Harrell tied the score with a 3 when they were 3 down). Aristode handles the ball very well, gives defensive effort, blocked a couple shots at 6'7, has a strong body, and is a plus athlete (but not an Andre Jackson). My first impressions of Jamison, and Fowler, is that they are very similar to Ross in terms of potential and how they could contribute, (ie pieces vs team leaders).
Centers:
I have yet to spot anybody that I would consider an impact 5. No Kofi, Hunter, Zack, Wahab, Mobley, Donovan, or similar players with impact size. After watching Singare in AAU, I didn't happen to see anybody better yesterday protecting the rim. In fact, I never noticed anybody block a shot over the rim at the basket. This caused me to look at 24/7 list of centers in the top 200 players and there is only a handful of 7' players, with virtually no players also carrying any weight. If we find an impact center this year, I bet it is from overseas. (Diakite is too slight to help us in the post)
Pre Peach Jam Players So Far to Impact UConn Chasing Championships:
Covet Thomas & Aristode. The other players are good depth/role pieces.
A top shelf rebounder/post player may need to come from next year's portal
(Expect I would covet Traore/Acuff but it may be less of a 2025-2026 team need)
Guards:
With Mahaney & Nowell I assume we will have primary ball handling, and Ball is the athlete. In the back court my bias is to add at least 1 big guard shooter 6'4 to 6'6. Meleek Thomas is a home run impact player like McNeeley will be this year. At 6'4, long and rangy, he justifies his top 10 rating by being great with the ball and an excellent shooter. Jaylen Harrell at #90 is a 6'5 sweet shooting power guard who I saw make his own space with the dribble to get off a 3 pointer. His body makes space (like a John Bagley for early big east fans). My first impression of Brayon Mullins from the clips only, is that he is a Mahaney clone at 6'5.
Acuff and Traore I haven't seen. Both are great lead guards rather than the 6'5 type. Traore I haven't seen mentioned with UConn but from highlights, I think he is an impact player in waiting.
Forwards:
We have been mentioned with Dwayne Aristode and I have no doubt he is a player that could help keep us at the top. In the last minute of a 1 possession game, Expressions went to him twice to successfully tie the score by taking the ball in the lane. (This was just after Harrell tied the score with a 3 when they were 3 down). Aristode handles the ball very well, gives defensive effort, blocked a couple shots at 6'7, has a strong body, and is a plus athlete (but not an Andre Jackson). My first impressions of Jamison, and Fowler, is that they are very similar to Ross in terms of potential and how they could contribute, (ie pieces vs team leaders).
Centers:
I have yet to spot anybody that I would consider an impact 5. No Kofi, Hunter, Zack, Wahab, Mobley, Donovan, or similar players with impact size. After watching Singare in AAU, I didn't happen to see anybody better yesterday protecting the rim. In fact, I never noticed anybody block a shot over the rim at the basket. This caused me to look at 24/7 list of centers in the top 200 players and there is only a handful of 7' players, with virtually no players also carrying any weight. If we find an impact center this year, I bet it is from overseas. (Diakite is too slight to help us in the post)
Pre Peach Jam Players So Far to Impact UConn Chasing Championships:
Covet Thomas & Aristode. The other players are good depth/role pieces.
A top shelf rebounder/post player may need to come from next year's portal
(Expect I would covet Traore/Acuff but it may be less of a 2025-2026 team need)