I hear this a lot, but just think about how many Plan-A recruits UConn has on its roster each year. Like most programs, it is made up of play B, C and D recruits. That's just the way it is at most top programs or may most programs in general. Even the Dooks and UKs of the world, don't get the ones they want most, though their plan B, C and Ds are often most programs plan As. JC had a knack for finding under-the-radar and under-ranked recruits, some of which were his plan-A. He seemed to drop out of the arms race when he noticed a recruit was being coveted by a number of blue chip programs. When a recruit would have the likes of some combination of Dook, UK, UNC, Zona and a handful of others recruiting them, JC would focus on other more attainable ones. KO seems to be more willing to go up against the big boys and unfortunately ending up on the wrong side of the decision.
One great example of who I think was a Plan-A under-the-radar recruit was Jeremy Lamb. JC had radar lock on him before most realized how good he was. Ben Gordon is another, though many knew he was good, but his skipping AAU ball after his junior season worked in UConn favor. I'm not saying JC didn't land his share of big time recruits that were also coveted by the big boys, but most of our great to very good players weren't JC's first choices, such as Emeka, Boone, Hilton, Bazz, Boatright and even Kemba. I can remember JC going hard after PG after PG having to settle for the likes of Kemba, Bazz and Boat. Few realized how good Kemba was till he blew up big time mid to late summer. UConn jump on him and he picked UConn just before his meteoric rise up the rankings and Burger AA stature.
I sort of blew off topic in DM fashion...sorry. I've tried to be better lately. My point was that most recruits if they're smart, don't take it personally if they're not the plan-A recruit for a given program. The smart ones simply whittle their list to 3 to 5 programs they're interested most in, and then try to chose the one that fits them best. there have been many happy recruits that chose the program that didn't have them as their top guy and ended up in great situations that suited them well. With that said, with all things equal or close, it doesn't hurt to make it clear to a recruit that they are your top choice. The risk though is if you're too overt about it, you could turn away your B, C and D recruits, so it's best to cast an impression that you're all over the recruit, while casting a wide enough net to make sure you get one of the handful of ones you hope to land. I don't know what is a net cast too wide or a line to thin. Some believe that KO missed out on so many 2015 recruits because he cast too wide a net, but I think our conference situation (not being a P5 one) had more to do with it than the width of his net. JC use to cast a wide net, maybe not as wide as KO, but he was masterful at zeroing in on the ones he wanted that he felt were attainable. Even the likes of UK, Dook and UNC don't get all their top choices and even sometime have to pick low in the barrel to fill some needed spots on the roster. UK didn't clean up as most had thought with the 2015 class. I must admit, I like JC's MO where he'd get a few blue chip and under-ranked kids he really likes, got lucky with a few left-overs (Emeka is the poster child for that). Remember Sampson and Fox? Most have forgotten them. I might have the wrong year and players, but I think those are the two that the Boneyard lost their minds when we missed out on them, and ones that Emeka helped all of us forget who those other two were.
Just seems a lot of folks are getting really excited about the Stones, Jones, Kings, Keglers, etc, most of which will never wear a UConn uniform. Like most seasons, the future Huskies we will root for might not be names we're even talking about now and through even July. Now I think KO just mind land a few though since the 2016 and 17 were of an impressionable age when UConn won NC #4 and are kids he's followed for two or more years now as UConn's head coach. Landing a Gilbert or a Diallo or one or two of the other 2016 and/or 2017 kids we're talking a lot about lately, especially the one in the NE region would not be that huge of a surprise. I'd love to see us land a couple top 10...15 players like King and Kegler, but the likelihood based on UConn's track record even in the Big Bad Big East is just not that great. I try to be realistic but open to be pleasantly surprised when we land the Rudy Gay's, Rip Hamilton's, KEA's, Caron's, and Donyell's, but set my heart more on the Gordon's, Lamb's, Emeka's, Boone's, and Bazz's that have formed the backbone of our 5 time National Champion UConn Husky program. I like that we're a blend of skill and blue collar, outwork your opponent type program.
