Class Rankings (Updated 11/12)

[tcf15]

247: 3 [Previous: 4]

ESPN: 3 [Previous: 5]

10/5/15: Connecticut has a tradition of pairing dynamic guards together in their backcourt and with ESPN 100 PG Alterique Gilbert set to join current freshmen Jalen Adams, they have the makings of one of their best tandems since Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright. They also have an imposing frontcourt tandem set to arrive next year with two more ESPN 100 products in Juwan Durham and Mamadou Diarra. Durham is a long and athletic four-man with budding skill, while Diarra is a power player in the lane who is slightly undersized for a true five but able to compensate with force and explosiveness alike.

10/19/15: After a strong spring that saw Kevin Ollie land three impact transfers, he's kept it rolling on the recruiting trail. The jewel of the class is five-star point guard Alterique Gilbert (No. 28), one of the premier playmakers in the country. Gilbert has the potential to be a game-changer in the backcourt, alongside freshman Jalen Adams. The Huskies also put an emphasis on the frontcourt in the 2016 class, and landed two four-star power forwards in Juwan Durham (No. 37) and Mamadou Diarra (No. 88). Durham is a high-upside prospect who sat out most of the past several months with an ACL injury, while Diarra brings more power to the post. Capping off the group is scoring forward Vance Jackson (No. 49). Jackson has great range on his outside jumper and creates matchup problems with his ability to shoot the ball from the perimeter.​

Rivals: 5 [Previous: 6]

10/5/15: Durham is a little bit of a wild card after the big man missed the last summer due to injury, but he's long and has skill. Gilbert is one of the best leaders in the country while Diarra is a slightly undersized big man with a non-stop motor.

11/12/15: Durham is a little bit of a wild card after the big man missed the last summer due to injury and he'll have to battle back from another knee injury but he's long and has skill. Gilbert is one of the best leaders in the country, Jackson is a big bodied wing shooter while Diarra is a slightly undersized big man with a non stop motor. ​

Scout: 5 [Previous: 6]

10/5/15: Kevin Ollie has had success with guards as of late and Alterique Gilbert will be the next in line at Uconn. A fast, tough and gritty guard, Gilbert can run a team, is equipped to score when needed and is a scrappy on the ball defender. Juwan Duwham gives them terrific size, length & mobility, Mamadou Diarra gives them a tough, hard playing post prospect.

11/12/15: After the No. 21 recruiting class last year, Kevin Ollie and his staff have secured a class that ranks in the top five in 2015. Juwan Durham, Alterique Gilbert and Vance Jackson are top 100 players that will help boost the talent level in Storrs. Gilbert is a perfect fit for Ollie and will be the next in a long line of gifted, tough and winning point guards at Connecticut.​

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Feels like just yesterday that this board was losing their collective minds over Ollie's inability to land a couple of recruits.

 

[Matrim55]

Wonder where we'd be if they considered Larrier to be part of the class, since he'll be eligible at the same time (2016-17 season) as those guys.

 

[ctchamps]

247: 4

ESPN: 5

Connecticut has a tradition of pairing dynamic guards together in their backcourt and with ESPN 100 PG Alterique Gilbert set to join current freshmen Jalen Adams, they have the makings of one of their best tandems since Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright. They also have an imposing frontcourt tandem set to arrive next year with two more ESPN 100 products in Juwan Durham and Mamadou Diarra. Durham is a long and athletic four-man with budding skill, while Diarra is a power player in the lane who is slightly undersized for a true five but able to compensate with force and explosiveness alike.​

Rivals: 6

Durham is a little bit of a wild card after the big man missed the last summer due to injury, but he's long and has skill. Gilbert is one of the best leaders in the country while Diarra is a slightly undersized big man with a non-stop motor.​

Scout: 6

Kevin Ollie has had success with guards as of late and Alterique Gilbert will be the next in line at Uconn. A fast, tough and gritty guard, Gilbert can run a team, is equipped to score when needed and is a scrappy on the ball defender. Juwan Duwham gives them terrific size, length & mobility, Mamadou Diarra gives them a tough, hard playing post prospect.​

I would have been happier if Scout described Gilbert as both gritty and plucky. I'll just have to settle for an incomplete player.

 

[uconngb]

I would have been happier if Scout described Gilbert as both gritty and plucky. I'll just have to settle for an incomplete player.

But wouldn't he have been a lock for Syracuse if he was both gritty AND plucky?

 

[ctchamps]

But wouldn't he have been a lock for Syracuse if he was both gritty AND plucky?

Now that's another fine mess you got me into.

 

[tcf15]

 

[Huskyforlife]

We're now third on 247 composite

 

[tcf15]

Vance gives us at least a top 10 class for this year when it's all said and done.

 

[UConnSwag11]

@JonRothstein: 2016 SF Vance Jackson has committed to UConn, per his twitter page. Top-50 player in class. Huskies are killing it in recruiting.

 

[ctchamps]

Vance gives us at least a top 10 class for this year when it's all said and done.

Someone has some editing to do in pinned thread. Love that Vance's picture is at the top.

 

[UconnFanDC]

Vance gives us at least a top 10 class for this year when it's all said and done.

True but we'll drop some when they revisit the recruiting class since Durham will not be playing this year. Hopefully the other three recruits would have worked their way to 5 star status.

 

[Blue Blood]

Vance gives us at least a top 10 class for this year when it's all said and done.

Hard to see anyone other than duke michigan st ky and kansas topping us I could be forgetting someone but I think we have a good chance to stay top 5

 

[Matrim55]

Hard to see anyone other than duke michigan st ky and kansas topping us I could be forgetting someone but I think we have a good chance to stay top 5

Virginia's up there, and NC State (!!!) can crash the party if they get Alkins & Adebayo. UCLA will officially top us when Leaf commits to them (which he will) next month.

 

[UconnFanDC]

Hard to see anyone other than duke michigan st ky and kansas topping us I could be forgetting someone but I think we have a good chance to stay top 5

For some odd reason UNC still in the picture of a few top 25 recruits and they have already hooked one. But UCLA can creep. All the typical BlueBloods

 

[Waquoit]

Feels like just yesterday that this board was losing their collective minds over Ollie's inability to land a couple of recruits.

Back when he was losing recruits to inferior programs there was concern. Now that he is landing recruits there is happiness. That sounds right to me.

 

[selles]

Back when he was losing recruits to inferior programs there was concern. Now that he is landing recruits there is happiness. That sounds right to me.

"Concern" is a pretty gentle term, but I guess that's one way to view it. Another way to view it is that there was a confusing lack of faith in a guy who'd already pulled the program back from the precipice and won a title.

There were also a lot of broad assertions about fundamental recruiting flaws - the conference would kill us, we needed to bring in an outside ace recruiter, etc., etc. Those assertions were wrong.

KO had earned a little more faith than we gave him, and I hope that's remembered the next time there's something to freak out about.

 

[mauconnfan]

All UConn, KO and staff needs is consistent Top 10-20 classes and we know what our program does with that. The other schools can have all the Top 3 recruiting classes they want, they won't win titles as much as UConn and Duke period. The bar has been set by K, JC and KO.

 

[tcf15]

Updated ESPN blurb:

Who they have: After a strong spring that saw Kevin Ollie land three impact transfers, he's kept it rolling on the recruiting trail. The jewel of the class is five-star point guard Alterique Gilbert (No. 28), one of the premier playmakers in the country. Gilbert has the potential to be a game-changer in the backcourt, alongside freshman Jalen Adams. The Huskies also put an emphasis on the frontcourt in the 2016 class, and landed two four-star power forwards in Juwan Durham (No. 37) and Mamadou Diarra (No. 88). Durham is a high-upside prospect who sat out most of the past several months with an ACL injury, while Diarra brings more power to the post. Capping off the group is scoring forward Vance Jackson (No. 49). Jackson has great range on his outside jumper and creates matchup problems with his ability to shoot the ball from the perimeter.

 

[tcf15]

http://hoopseen.com/index.php/news/headlines/item/3838-national-signing-day-american

The American Athletic Conference is still trying to find it’s way and identity as a basketball conference. One program isn’t waiting for everyone to catch-up to the status of a high-major program.

In fact, Connecticut has reeled in a class that is a good as any group the program has seen over the last 15 years.

The Huskies are reeling in talent from coast-to-coast, just like the days of Jim Calhoun. Kevin Ollie and staff have stayed the course for UConn recruiting standards. After a so-so season last year, this class should have Huskie fans excited.

The Huskies have four solid commitments and addressed several needs. Alterique Gilbert and Juwan Durham are among the top players at their respective position nationally. Vance Jackson is the No. 51 overall player in the composite rankings and big man Mahadou Diarra, a top 120 player, is a perfect four-year piece to a championship level team.

This UConn class is the best class (and probably better than) the 2006 group that was considered the No. 4 overall class. That group had Hasheem Thabeet, Stanley Robinson, Curtis Kelly, Jerome Dyson and others.

The class of 2010 (Jeremy Lamb, Shabazz Napier and Roscoe Smith were the headliners) played a big role in the team’s National Championship run.

Just how good is this 2015 class? Potentially better than all of them from a top-to-bottom talent grade. National Championship good? Who knows. No one would have guessed the 2010 class would have won a title as this stage of their careers.

If you are a UConn fan, there’s justifiable excitement for next season and year’s beyond. This class could write a new chapter in an already storied history in Storrs.

 

[Scot-e]

I might cry.

 

[MexicoHusky]

http://hoopseen.com/index.php/news/headlines/item/3838-national-signing-day-american

The American Athletic Conference is still trying to find it’s way and identity as a basketball conference. One program isn’t waiting for everyone to catch-up to the status of a high-major program.

In fact, Connecticut has reeled in a class that is a good as any group the program has seen over the last 15 years.

The Huskies are reeling in talent from coast-to-coast, just like the days of Jim Calhoun. Kevin Ollie and staff have stayed the course for UConn recruiting standards. After a so-so season last year, this class should have Huskie fans excited.

The Huskies have four solid commitments and addressed several needs. Alterique Gilbert and Juwan Durham are among the top players at their respective position nationally. Vance Jackson is the No. 51 overall player in the composite rankings and big man Mahadou Diarra, a top 120 player, is a perfect four-year piece to a championship level team.

This UConn class is the best class (and probably better than) the 2006 group that was considered the No. 4 overall class. That group had Hasheem Thabeet, Stanley Robinson, Curtis Kelly, Jerome Dyson and others.

The class of 2010 (Jeremy Lamb, Shabazz Napier and Roscoe Smith were the headliners) played a big role in the team’s National Championship run.

Just how good is this 2015 class? Potentially better than all of them from a top-to-bottom talent grade. National Championship good? Who knows. No one would have guessed the 2010 class would have won a title as this stage of their careers.

If you are a UConn fan, there’s justifiable excitement for next season and year’s beyond. This class could write a new chapter in an already storied history in Storrs.

The 2010 class won two titles. I'm not even sure if the media realizes that.

 

[RipCity]

The 2010 class won two titles. I'm not even sure if the media realizes that.

Shabazz did, the rest of them didn't.

 

[MexicoHusky]

Shabazz did, the rest of them didn't.

Giffey? Olander?

Anyways, that just shows how good the 2010 class was. Two of them left. One of the four years they were prevented from playing in the tournament. And they still won 2 championships.

 

[RipCity]

Giffey? Olander?

Anyways, that just shows how good the 2010 class was. Two of them left. One of the four years they were prevented from playing in the tournament. And they still won 2 championships.

For some reason I was thinking they were the year after, but now that I actually give it thought, yeah I was totally off there.