Is this the beginning of something new?

[HailUConn]

What do yardigans think of Hurley’s quote?
I’d like to see Hurley can not only snatch away top recruits from duke and Kentucky and send them to NBA, but more importantly keep hanging up banners at the capital world of college basketball.

 

[Luna]

You give Dan Hurley a program like uconn…and watch out..i have no doubt he’s going to keep out recruiting 99% of the schools

 

[Umami Zen]

Natural progression of success.. Banner #5 and Fab Five.. Trying to make UConn a place where serious BB dudes and alphas want to come to tweak their skills on the way to the NBA.. Makes perfect recruiting sense to me..

Just a Jersey City guy calling recruits out.. Are you in or out?? If you're out.. Next!

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

I think he's right to take this approach. This team does not have a glaring gap of talent next year. They need a reliable knockdown shooter, that's basically it. If one or both of Andre/Tristen don't return they need some extra ballhandling.

Both of these things can be found in the portal late spring among players who aren't going to command starting minutes. The staff's formula of using the portal to supplement your core, instead of using it to build your core, is absolutely the right way to go.

 

[Punkbo]

If there’s one thing we shouldn’t question, it’s Danny Hurley’s ability to recruit. He’s a master.

 

[formerlurker]

Danny Hurley doesn't recruit. He cruits.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Sounds like the portal was Timberlake or bust -- not unreasonable, honestly, given what we have coming in.

With the championship in hand, there's less "win now" urgency and Hurley can develop his young guys.

 

[CL82]

Sounds like the portal was Timberlake or bust -- not unreasonable, honestly, given what we have coming in.

With the championship in hand, there's less "win now" urgency and Hurley can develop his young guys.

Or alternatively, the guys coming in are so good that a mid-level portal guy doesn’t really help us.

 

[80shusky]

I like it. The team is likely to be young next year, and probably the following year. He needs to stack incoming classes with talent to reload. If neither Jackson or Newton come back though he will need to find a couple of experienced guys to come in if he wants to have a solid season. You can do both while still having an emphasis on bringing in great recruiting classes.. He just did.

 

[ctchamps]

What do yardigans think of Hurley’s quote?
I’d like to see Hurley can not only snatch away top recruits from duke and Kentucky and send them to NBA, but more importantly keep hanging up banners at the capital world of college basketball.

A like for calling us yardigans. And a second for the post.

 

[Fishy]

What do yardigans think of Hurley’s quote?
I’d like to see Hurley can not only snatch away top recruits from duke and Kentucky and send them to NBA, but more importantly keep hanging up banners at the capital world of college basketball.

I think it is just a statement of the obvious.

Interesting that they are not really interested in the portal.

Reading between the lines, (aka making crap up), I am guessing they think one or both of Andre and Tristen will return.

 

[Scot-e]

I think it is just a statement of the obvious.

Interesting that they are not really interested in the portal.

Reading between the lines, (aka making crap up), I am guessing they think one or both of Andre and Tristen will return.

That would be fantastic!

 

[Huskyforlife]

I think it is just a statement of the obvious.

Interesting that they are not really interested in the portal.

Reading between the lines, (aka making crap up), I am guessing they think one or both of Andre and Tristen will return.

This has been my takeaway as well. He has 3 spots open right now, and his only veteran perimeter player is Diarra. He must think/know they’re very likely coming back.

 

[HooperScooper]

“We’ve won a national championship, we’ve put guys in the NBA. We want to recruit the top players,” Hurley said. “We’ll always have the balance on the roster. We want to recruit the best players in the northeast, and recruit the best players nationally to keep our program at a championship level. But also, it’s got to be a culture fit. The culture fit is big. We want to develop players. They’ve got to have the right mentality about how we go about things.”

UConn men's basketball team's latest 'Victory Tour' stop is State Capitol: 'This is an important one'

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UConn men's basketball team's latest 'Victory Tour' stop is State Capitol: 'This is an important one'​

 

[willie99]

I do like being on top again. I love being the target. I love being hated. And I can't wait to see a new banner in GP

 

[Chin Diesel]

Danny Hurley doesn't recruit. He cruits.

When you try too hard.

 

[formerlurker]

When you try too hard.

Guilty

 

[gsmooth]

I do like being on top again. I love being the target. I love being hated. And I can't wait to see a new banner in GP

I am with you. If you like being hated, just read the Devil Den (Duke's forum), Friar Talk, or Villanova SB Nation. Your heart will be so content reading those forums.

 

[Umami Zen]

If you take Hurley literally on some of his recent quotes re: Andre.. He has said that he sees him coming back if he's projected as a second rounder but not if he's projected as a first rounder after NBA feedback in May.. That may have been a discussion/understanding between the two of them for roster considerations..

So stacking future classes is the priority right now.. EYBL showcase has a great pool of talented guys playing to target and focus on. Would be great to get Swartz and Philon on campus to show them around.. Are you payin' attention Boogie??

 

[HuskyHawk]

It's marketing. It's Dan simply saying UConn is there with Duke, UNC, Kansas, Kentucky. Announce it as if it's a fact, confidently. The Kids react to perceived status, and he's leveraging the recent Championship to boost ours. It's smart. He gets how media works and influences these young players.

 

[jibsey]

Our success last year was highly linked to our second unit coming in and extending or creating leads. There was no drop off, we actually welcomed it. I think the guard situation will work itself out but Clingan made that go for us with whoever was out there. I’m more concerned that when Clingan sits down we will not have that next year. Of course I haven’t seen a these new guys in action yet and I include Johnson in that with as little play as he got.

 

[Hurleyman216]

Until someone wins a championship with mostly portal guys, the path to take is still bringing in young studs and getting them into your system. If we recruit guys with the right mindset like Karaban and Clingan the playing time works itself out. Yes we had a couple key portal pieces this past year, but the core of our team was home grown. Having a team full of 4th/5th year experienced transfers sounds nice, but you don’t have much time to build a culture and get a team to gel. Also, most of the kids in the portal are in the portal to benefit themselves, not take the unselfish team first approach.

Our staff has used the portal to our advantage both in filling in gaps and giving guys without enough talent the ability to move on. One positive is you don’t get “stuck” with a guy for 4 years who doesn’t have enough talent to get on the court. We’re always gonna have 2-3 guys on scholarship that can’t get court time. Someday one of those guys will be a late bloomer and breakout into a bigger roll. Most times they’ll stay 1-2 years and hit the portal. Richie Springs was kind of the exception to this, but the guy just loved UConn and wanted to contribute even if it was only during practice.

To make a long story short, you still need to grab your stars straight out of high school and get guys with the right attitude. If I’m Hurley with some of these top guys I tell them “If you want to go play 30 minutes a game and lose in the first round of the tournament, go play for Duke, UNC or Kentucky. If you want to play 10-15 minutes a game and earn a role on a championship team and improve your NBA stock, come to UConn”

 

[Jaydumo20]

Another obvious statement coming: I hope we start 14-0 but-
With such a young team we may have to wait till February for '23-24 to reach full speed. Karaban said how he was a 180° different player after 3 months of play. Waiting for a team to ripen may be the new thing with all of the turnover and upheaval.

 

[Palatine]

Hurley's can sell an attractive style of offense. It not just all isolations. It's fast paced, based on cutting, screening and ball movement. Everyone gets touches. He can also promise that players will learn individual defense. Hurley makes you better. Individual player development isn't just promised, it happens. Players leave UConn more skilled than when they came.

Calhoun was a genius at getting his team to peak in March. Hurley did it this year. If DH has cracked the code. UConn will reload every summer. He will stack up talent like cord wood.

 

[REB1094]

Obviously most of these guys haven't played out their UConn careers yet, but according to 247 Stephon Castle is UConn's 2nd highest rated recruit ever. Solo Ball is #11. Andre #14, Hawkins #16, Clingan #17, Samson #18, Rahsool #19 (lol)

7 of the top 20 are from Hurley's tenure. Castle will be the first test of how we deal with a 5 star who has 1-and-done aspirations, and how we can gameplan around them to meet that goal while also developing the rest of our guys to maintain a stable winning program. Our core of this year's team (Andre/Adama/Hawkins) were all 4 star recruits that significantly developed their games at UConn

If Hurley can do that, UConn is officially a place which has proven in the last 3 years that it can:

• Develop bench players into great players (Whaley benchwarmer to BE DPOY to G League)
• Develop transfers into NBA players (Tyrese Martin, Newton TBD)
• Develop 4 stars into first round picks (Bouknight, Hawkins, maybe Andre)
• Send 5 stars to the league immediately (hopefully Castle)

Maybe we don't have the best NIL situation, but the results speak for themselves both individually and collectively. Dan Hurley has completely turned this program around and UConn should be a prime target for recruits