Akok Akok

[GemParty]

With Akok attending games at a Hami rate, do you think Hurley’s personality is giving him space after our games or always trying to close him? Either way, Hope his style works. Today completes the early signing period.

 

[BackAftaThis]

With Akok attending games at a Hami rate, do you think Hurley’s personality is giving him space after our games or always trying to close him? Either way, Hope his style works. Today completes the early signing period.

Really don’t think the early signing period matters. He can verbal at any time and even if he signed a NLI it means nothing if he declares for NBA. School would also release him if he wanted to go somewhere else. No school would want that PR nightmare.

 

[NJHoops]

With Akok attending games at a Hami rate, do you think Hurley’s personality is giving him space after our games or always trying to close him? Either way, Hope his style works. Today completes the early signing period.

Not sure what you mean by “Hurley’s personality,” but Akok knows they want him and what the program is and provides. As the kids say, what’s understood doesn’t need to be explained.

 

[GemParty]

Not sure what you mean by “Hurley’s personality,” but Akok knows they want him and what the program is and provides. As the kids say, what’s understood doesn’t need to be explained.

I worded that poorly. I was wondering everyone’s thoughts on his sales acumen. The player keeps visiting campus.

 

[navery12]

Really don’t think the early signing period matters. He can verbal at any time and even if he signed a NLI it means nothing if he declares for NBA. School would also release him if he wanted to go somewhere else. No school would want that PR nightmare.

Yeah this is my feeling, the recruitment doesn't end even if he signed a NLI so doesn't concern me too much with today's deadline

 

[Towney007]

Kofi is a monster but he’s a 3-4 year player that needs a lot of development and conditioning. Akok is more skilled, more of a scorer and rim protector and he’s the guy we really want.

Let’s get both just to be sure.

1,000% - sorry if what I was saying was misconstrued. All I was saying if I *had* choose one or the other, it'd probably be Kofi, but alas - both is what the team needs right now.

 

[NJHoops]

I worded that poorly. I was wondering everyone’s thoughts on his sales acumen. The player keeps visiting campus.

Got it, I understand now. These are some of the things I think Hurley does best, along with his staff, with recruiting:

He recruits high quality guys and is tremendous at forming his teams into a tight unit. They have each others’ backs and generally get along well. Recruits see and feel that on visits.

Their preparation for visits is meticulous- the visits are personalized, especially when critiquing a player’s game and showing exactly how that recruit’s game fits in and will develop.

Parents and guardians seem to like him- he’s honest and sincere with his approach, and it’s consistent.

He has connections in the game that go back decades, and former players- even as far back as his St. Benedict’s days- vouche for him in that they trust him... what he promises, he often delivers.

At the same time, you can encourage a player’s time-frame, but you can’t dictate it, short of moving on for good. Of course we’d love to have a completed class, but I don’t mind players seeing how this program continues to (re)develop and hearing from current guys as they get to know their coach even better. There’s nothing like going through a season together to solidify everything.

 

[kris1]

He's by far their best prospect.

Akok certainly has the potential to be the best prospect. He has the biggest upside. There's still a lot of room for growth in terms of physical development and skill. To me, Tyson Etienne (PG/Wichita St commit) is PSA's best all-around player and the most college-ready. I really like Demarr Langford's game and was glad to see he received a UConn offer.

 

[Vuce]

I was hoping we would have a surprise commitment from Akok today since he was at the game last night and signing period winding down. Gotta wait it out now and still hope we can get him

 

[upstater]

Really don’t think the early signing period matters. He can verbal at any time and even if he signed a NLI it means nothing if he declares for NBA. School would also release him if he wanted to go somewhere else. No school would want that PR nightmare.

While all this is true, schools cannot contact him if he signs. That's significant.

 

[BFieldHusky]

While all this is true, schools cannot contact him if he signs. That's significant.

They find a way to talk to these kids all the time. Look at providence with MAL at the time.

 

[gtcam]

Got it, I understand now. These are some of the things I think Hurley does best, along with his staff, with recruiting:

He recruits high quality guys and is tremendous at forming his teams into a tight unit. They have each others’ backs and generally get along well. Recruits see and feel that on visits.

Their preparation for visits is meticulous- the visits are personalized, especially when critiquing a player’s game and showing exactly how that recruit’s game fits in and will develop.

Parents and guardians seem to like him- he’s honest and sincere with his approach, and it’s consistent.

He has connections in the game that go back decades, and former players- even as far back as his St. Benedict’s days- vouche for him in that they trust him... what he promises, he often delivers.

At the same time, you can encourage a player’s time-frame, but you can’t dictate it, short of moving on for good. Of course we’d love to have a completed class, but I don’t mind players seeing how this program continues to (re)develop and hearing from current guys as they get to know their coach even better. There’s nothing like going through a season together to solidify everything.

1)All that stuff is wonderful and could be said about many coaches and programs
2) He has never recruited at this level involving top tier players
3) He is handicapped by needing P5 type players without P5 conference affiliation and money

Not raining on anyone's parade and believe me, I want the best players at UConn and think that Coach Hurley can attract some nice players to come to Storrs. However, he needs to win and make the dance consistently with some success while there before most of the high caliber players will make Storrs their home. Will it happen? The chances are more favorable than they were in the past 3-4 years. He has a really nice staff - that's a great start.

 

[NJHoops]

1)All that stuff is wonderful and could be said about many coaches and programs
2) He has never recruited at this level involving top tier players
3) He is handicapped by needing P5 type players without P5 conference affiliation and money

Not raining on anyone's parade and believe me, I want the best players at UConn and think that Coach Hurley can attract some nice players to come to Storrs. However, he needs to win and make the dance consistently with some success while there before most of the high caliber players will make Storrs their home. Will it happen? The chances are more favorable than they were in the past 3-4 years. He has a really nice staff - that's a great start.

Cool. I was just answering a question. He beat out teams from the top 6 conferences for players while at URI. I’m not concerned about the quality of players this staff will draw. If you think he has to make the tournament and win consistently before he gets great players, then you might as well check out of recruiting talk and return in a few years.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Not raining on anyone's parade

That's not really for you to decide.

 

[Scrutiner]

Gonzaga seems to kill the argument that you need to be P5 to get the players you need to have a great team.

 

[Minicoop69]

Gonzaga seems to kill the argument that you need to be P5 to get the players you need to have a great team.

Gonzaga doesn't get very highly rated players. Few does his homework and recruits guys who fit the system that will be there multiple years. He always recruits very well overseas. That being said, he wouldn't turn away a highly rated prospect, but he doesn't get involved with them because he knows they aren't going to choose to go to Gonzaga anyways.

 

[Walker11]

Gonzaga doesn't get very highly rated players. Few does his homework and recruits guys who fit the system that will be there multiple years. He always recruits very well overseas. That being said, he wouldn't turn away a highly rated prospect, but he doesn't get involved with them because he knows they aren't going to choose to go to Gonzaga anyways.

They have an amazing balance of talent, even though they don't have the depth this year that they sometimes do. They have 2 very highly regarded recruits in Perkins and Norvell in the backcourt and the front court is dependent on high impact foreigners and transfers. Clarke is a great transfer but Tillie (who didn't even play tonight) and Hachimura are the best players on the team, and they were 3 star international kids. The job their staff has done recruiting international players is just unreal. Everyone wanted Sabonis but Hachimuri, Tillie, Karnowski, Olynyk etc were all under recruited and are all monster at the college level.

 

[Towney007]

I mean - there are so many ways to skin the cat. One and dones are in vogue and they work to an extent - but you'll find just as many examples of programs that recruit more precisely and keep 3-4 year players in stock that you will with teams that got top line recruiting.

You need premium talent to win. All of our great teams had that. But you don't need relentlessly premium talent to win.

 

[amsterdamjade]

Memphis seems to be doing all right recruiting top-tier talent with an unproven coach in a non P5 conference.

 

[UConnRock]

Gonzaga also has a geographical advantage as they are really only competing against a few PAC-12 teams for top talent that wants to stay on the west coast. UConn’s recruiting battles encompass the BE, ACC, and to some extent the B1G.

 

[mauconnfan]

Memphis seems to be doing all right recruiting top-tier talent with an unproven coach in a non P5 conference.

To be fair most of these guys Penny is getting played AAU for him. I mean good for him he still had to outwork UK, Duke, UNC etc but he was the favorite to get a group of kids for these obvious reasons. He and Miller will always be though out there on the road recruiting these kids, good for the AAC.

 

[intlzncster]

To be fair most of these guys Penny is getting played AAU for him. I mean good for him he still had to outwork UK, Duke, UNC etc but he was the favorite to get a group of kids for these obvious reasons.

I'm still very impressed with what he's done. He had to be good enough and appealing enough for all these guys (who had prior experience with him) to want to play for him rather than K and Cal.

He and Miller will always be though out there on the road recruiting these kids, good for the AAC.

And they'll have deep recruiting roots with Miller's family/friends running an AAU program, and simply being in the center of a hotbed like Memphis.

His reach will stretch as he has success on the floor (likely).

 

[JimHurley]

Following up to my previous post. I asked for any updates and got nothing new. He says he wouldn’t be surprised to get a commitment within a few days but also said timing is irrelevant. Reaffirmed the only outside threat to us is the lure of the NBA. This guy doesn’t often give me recruiting info, but he also correctly predicted Bouknight’s commitment.

 

[InKembaITrust]

Following up to my previous post. I asked for any updates and got nothing new. He says he wouldn’t be surprised to get a commitment within a few days but also said timing is irrelevant. Reaffirmed the only outside threat to us is the lure of the NBA. This guy doesn’t often give me recruiting info, but he also correctly predicted Bouknight’s commitment.

Dude you gotta change your avatar name

 

[Waquoit]

That's not really for you to decide.

I think the guy is thrilled UConn didn't sign a big.