Talent

[Huskybass]

Look at Akok and Bouk. NBA guys. Studs. We haven't had anyone on their level since Shabazz graduated. Wow, UConn basketball is absolutely fun to watch again.

In one year, Coach Hurley outrecruited KO's entire stretch at UConn in terms of getting guys who will actually perform and don't have huge holes in their game.

I always said that Coach Hurley was facing a 2 to 3 year rebuild. Talent like Akok and Bouk put the program right on track, if not a little ahead of expectations.

It's great to be a Huskies fan again. THIS is that feeling we have been missing for a long time.

 

[Lefty2one]

Jalen was in that territory in terms of talent, if he had Hurley for four years I think he'd be on an NBA roster. Unfortunately he was allowed to drift on a rudderless ship for three years and his development stagnated.

On top of their obvious gifts, I love that Akok and Bouk don't really force things. They let the game come to them. That's impressive for talented freshmen, who are usually eager to make their mark, especially in comparison to our starting senior backcourt who still force things with regularity.

It's going to be weird to return to the place as a fanbase where we're worried about guys leaving early.

 

[Marbles90]

All the talk about Bouk here on the BY made me nervous because we tend to blow everything out of proportion especially building with the extra suspension suspense. How much Div 1 talent does this kid really have when all most of us have seen are HS/AAU highlight reels? I couldn't wait for him to step on the court last night and after a few minutes, I started nodding and chuckling to myself "Yep. He's for real!!" Very excited to watch him and the other Hurley recruits progress...

 

[UCbcm]

The most staggering difference between these freshman and previous years' recruits is their basketball IQ. They understand the game at a much higher level. Pair that with their superior talent, and the potential of this group is off the charts.

 

[McLovin]

I was going to start a very similar thread because I wanted to ask... when was the last time we had a team with this much natural (albeit raw at this time) athleticism?

There was a time last night when Akok, Bouk and Gaffney were on the court with BA and Sid. The speed and quickness that unit had was something I can't remember seeing in a looooooong time.

Edit - it may have been Carlton and Polly, but regardless the 3 freshman were on the court together and were the quickest players out there, on either team.

 

[Vancat]

I remember thinking at one point in the game that there were mostly (or all) Hurley guys on the floor and we were kickin' butt. Breath of fresh air!

 

[warbler1055]

what if we beat Xavier tonight, dream about what that would do for our confidence going forward!!! Could this be the light at the end of the tunnel after the dark seasons for UConn FB and BB? I am really hoping a bit a sunshine!!!

 

[Huskybass]

All the talk about Bouk here on the BY made me nervous because we tend to blow everything out of proportion especially building with the extra suspension suspense. How much Div 1 talent does this kid really have when all most of us have seen are HS/AAU highlight reels? I couldn't wait for him to step on the court last night and after a few minutes, I started nodding and chuckling to myself "Yep. He's for real!!" Very excited to watch him and the other Hurley recruits progress...

Great post. Bouk seemed like a surefire star, but after years of dysfunction it's natural to be wary. Talent like Akok and Bouk shine quickly though. They are a joy to watch and we are fortunate to have a great staff and high level talent again. This winter will be more fun than the last several, of that I am certain.

 

[ZenConn]

what if we beat Xavier tonight, dream about what that would do for our confidence going forward!!! Could this be the light at the end of the tunnel after the dark seasons for UConn FB and BB? I am really hoping a bit a sunshine!!!

Don't mess with the BY mojo.

 

[upstater]

Why do we need to compare Bouk and Akok to Hamilton and Jalen Adams? We don't need to do this to talk about UConn and talent recruiting.

 

[GoDAWGS]

All the talk about Bouk here on the BY made me nervous because we tend to blow everything out of proportion especially building with the extra suspension suspense. How much Div 1 talent does this kid really have when all most of us have seen are HS/AAU highlight reels? I couldn't wait for him to step on the court last night and after a few minutes, I started nodding and chuckling to myself "Yep. He's for real!!" Very excited to watch him and the other Hurley recruits progress...

I felt nervous when I saw him checking in for the first time, then i watched him play and also chuckled while thinking to myself "holy ****, hes the real deal"

 

[Cuse Socks]

I remember thinking at one point in the game that there were mostly (or all) Hurley guys on the floor and we were kickin' butt. Breath of fresh air!

Great way to put it, I also felt a breath of fresh air. I know it is just one game against a tough mid major but it seemed like a new cast of players started to take the helm, and a new chapter in our program

 

[intlzncster]

Look at Akok and Bouk. NBA guys. Studs. We haven't had anyone on their level since Shabazz graduated. Wow, UConn basketball is absolutely fun to watch again.

In one year, Coach Hurley outrecruited KO's entire stretch at UConn in terms of getting guys who will actually perform and don't have huge holes in their game.

I always said that Coach Hurley was facing a 2 to 3 year rebuild. Talent like Akok and Bouk put the program right on track, if not a little ahead of expectations.

It's great to be a Huskies fan again. THIS is that feeling we have been missing for a long time.

So nice to get some young talent in the cupboard. We need to keep pulling it in regularly. These 2 have a good chance of being 2 and done. Next year's crop is a good start.

 

[intlzncster]

There was a time last night when Akok, Bouk and Gaffney were on the court with BA and Sid. The speed and quickness that unit had was something I can't remember seeing in a looooooong time.

Let's not put AB in the same sentence as speed and quickness. Strength, absolutely.

Too many of our key guys aren't athletic enough atm, but the future is very bright in that regard.

 

[coachn]

This young team is so exciting. Looking forward to a great season. The sky is the limit with these young guys.

 

[Huskybass]

Jalen was in that territory in terms of talent, if he had Hurley for four years I think he'd be on an NBA roster. Unfortunately he was allowed to drift on a rudderless ship for three years and his development stagnated.

On top of their obvious gifts, I love that Akok and Bouk don't really force things. They let the game come to them. That's impressive for talented freshmen, who are usually eager to make their mark, especially in comparison to our starting senior backcourt who still force things with regularity.

It's going to be weird to return to the place as a fanbase where we're worried about guys leaving early.

Let's be honest. Jalen Adams had talent, but someone like James Bouknight is on a whole different level. The kid scored 8 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and had an assist in only 11 minutes in his debut. Given his size, basketball IQ, ability to create his own shot and athleticism, he simply has a much higher ceiling than Adams. In other words, barring injury James Bouknight is a surefire NBA prospect whereas Jalen Adams was always kind of a marginal NBA prospect and I'm not surprised that he is in the G League, albeit doing very well there.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Akok has played almost 30 mpg through 5 games. He has 3 TO's for the season. Very definition of a player knowing his role and his skills.

 

[Giddyup5]

Let's be honest. Jalen Adams had talent, but someone like James Bouknight is on a whole different level. The kid scored 8 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and had an assist in only 11 minutes in his debut. Given his size, basketball IQ, ability to create his own shot and athleticism, he simply has a much higher ceiling than Adams. In other words, barring injury James Bouknight is a surefire NBA prospect whereas Jalen Adams was always kind of a marginal NBA prospect and I'm not surprised that he is in the G League, albeit doing very well there.

Well at this similar time in their respective career Jalen Adams was rated higher then Donovan Mitchell.

I agree Bouknight is an amazing prospect, but so was Jalen 1 month into his college career.

 

[rcarj]

Look at Akok and Bouk. NBA guys. Studs. We haven't had anyone on their level since Shabazz graduated. Wow, UConn basketball is absolutely fun to watch again.

In one year, Coach Hurley outrecruited KO's entire stretch at UConn in terms of getting guys who will actually perform and don't have huge holes in their game.

I always said that Coach Hurley was facing a 2 to 3 year rebuild. Talent like Akok and Bouk put the program right on track, if not a little ahead of expectations.

It's great to be a Huskies fan again. THIS is that feeling we have been missing for a long time.

KO was a bad coach, but recruited some decent talent that just didn’t fit. These guys seem to fit...

 

[ctchamps]

All the talk about Bouk here on the BY made me nervous because we tend to blow everything out of proportion especially building with the extra suspension suspense. How much Div 1 talent does this kid really have when all most of us have seen are HS/AAU highlight reels? I couldn't wait for him to step on the court last night and after a few minutes, I started nodding and chuckling to myself "Yep. He's for real!!" Very excited to watch him and the other Hurley recruits progress...

He was only playing in first and second gear. He has two additional gears that I observed in the high school game I watched.

I’m going to enjoy this year. But I’m excited about next year with the addition of Cole, Springs and Jackson. Javonte Brown Ferguson still needs some maturation both physically and emotionally.

Andre will be the most athletic player we’ve had in a long time. The fast break with him and Bouknight will be high light material in many games.

Springs has better reflexes and is a much better passer than Josh. A lot to look forward in the future.

 

[Mister P]

Akok has played almost 30 mpg through 5 games. He has 3 TO's for the season. Very definition of a player knowing his role and his skills.

Yep. Perfect post.

The more I see the more I like about him. I isolated on him a lot last night whe he was away from the ball on both ends of the court. He always was in the right position and helping out when needed. He was always the first to get into his defensive stance and his hands were always where they needed to be to defend,catch or whatever. I also love his energy when I runs on the court after the buzzer sounds when he is subbed in.

 

[RichCTBB]

I think at one point, we had JG, JB, AA, and BA on the floor with a much improved JC...Hurley's kind of guys. ....it was a nice window into the future of UConn MBB.

 

[Palatine]

KO was a bad coach, but recruited some decent talent that just didn’t fit. These guys seem to fit...

KO won the NC, put his feet up on the dashboard and went to sleep. It came too easy.

 

[TheChamps990411]

I agree Bouknight is an amazing prospect, but so was Jalen 1 month into his college career.

I was never that impressed with JA and the difference in level of athleticism is like night and day.

 

[KodiacKemba]

It’s good seeing previous commits doing good for other programs... akinjo doing his thing early against duke against one the top pg in the nation . Mathews is doing good for West Virginia, so it’s good to know Ollie wasn’t a total bust at recruiting good players