UConn EYBL 2024 Recruits

[BGesus4]

Why are players from Hartford area not UConn fans?

Prob cuz of where the program was most of their youth

 

[TheHorde]

Slater called this a couple months back. Unfortunately we don’t have the resources to compete with Duke on a recruiting battle unless there is a really specific tie to UConn. Unfortunately he is a priority for them.

A specific tie like it being his home state school with an easy drive for family and friends to see him and watch him play?

 

[kansashusky]

A specific tie like it being his home state school with an easy drive for family and friends to see him and watch him play?

Yeah we thought the same thing with Nick Timberlake too. NIL money can buy a lot of plane tickets.

 

[UCfor3]

Wish I could tell you. But it’s a thing from what I’ve seen and experienced. A lot of people just want to leave CT and experience new things too unless they have ties that keep them here.

Like I said before, NIL will probably definitely be a thing in this recruitment. And rightfully so because why would someone not want to cash in on their talent?

If he’s picking between us and other talented schools and a school like Kansas is giving Timerblake offers while we’re talking about development and championships. That’s not going to win it.

I agree to an extent. NIL is gonna be a steep mountain to climb. But it did win it enough to land the #3 rated class. Castle could have decommitted or asked out of his letter of intent anytime he wanted. The connections were made with him just like they were with Andre(Hurley talked about that recently). Same with Solo, Jaylin, etc..I'm sure other programs could have given them more NIL. Money usually talks but I wouldn't compare Timberlake's situation to recruiting high school players. Timberlake is looking for a 1 year cash in with probably not much of an NBA future. The transfer portal is like speed dating. Recruiting high school is most of the time a long process where relationships and trust can be eatablished with the players and their families. Many will go for the short money still, nothong wrong with that, but some players will value other things. In a year Castle will most likely be making a lot more money than NIL. He can now go play for a coach and program he believes in and trusts. Best of both worlds.

 

[TheHorde]

Yeah we thought the same thing with Nick Timberlake too. NIL money can buy a lot of plane tickets.

Timberlake is from right outside of Boston. Betsey lives maybe a 10-15 minute drive from the XL Center. It’s not like UConn has nothing to offer. Remember 10 kids on Dook, Kentucky, and UNC will all have their hands out.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

A specific tie like it being his home state school with an easy drive for family and friends to see him and watch him play?

Maybe - stick with me for a second - he doesn't want that. Not all kids are in love with the idea of playing for their hometown team.

 

[TheHorde]

Maybe - stick with me for a second - he doesn't want that. Not all kids are in love with the idea of playing for their hometown team.

That is true. And stick with me a second…maybe Scheyer is not Coach K.

 

[Matt1010]

Maybe - stick with me for a second - he doesn't want that. Not all kids are in love with the idea of playing for their hometown team.

Yup - see Gavin Griffiths

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

I agree to an extent. NIL is gonna be a steep mountain to climb. But it did win it enough to land the #3 rated class. Castle could have decommitted or asked out of his letter of intent anytime he wanted. The connections were made with him just like they were with Andre(Hurley talked about that recently). Same with Solo, Jaylin, etc..I'm sure other programs could have given them more NIL. Money usually talks but I wouldn't compare Timberlake's situation to recruiting high school players. Timberlake is looking for a 1 year cash in with probably not much of an NBA future. The transfer portal is like speed dating. Recruiting high school is most of the time a long process where relationships and trust can be eatablished with the players and their families. Many will go for the short money still, nothong wrong with that, but some players will value other things. In a year Castle will most likely be making a lot more money than NIL. He can now go play for a coach and program he believes in and trusts. Best of both worlds.

Oh I’m not saying there’s other recruitments we can’t win without playing NIL the same. There’s going to be plenty of big time kids interested just like last year’s class.

I’m just not sure Betsey will be one of them when it comes down to it. Would love to be wrong. And again, there would be nothing wrong with thinking he can get the same things he would at UConn while also cashing in on his value to go with it.

 

[Kenny11]

Why are players from Hartford area not UConn fans?

Historically, Most are. Of course there are always some kids that aren’t. Honestly most kids don’t even watch basketball games much anymore. They watch nba highlights on YouTube and tiktok

 

[caw]

I don't think UConn is completely out of it with Betsey but it's pretty clear UConn is not his defacto first choice.

Duke may not have him as their first choice though (pretty clear he hasn't been so far actually). Already have a commit from Harris at SF and are in on a few other SF/SGs in the class. If Betsey had a committable offer from them, I think he would have pounced already.

 

[TheHorde]

It seems like some of the fan base wants to wave the white flag the minute Dook, UNC, Kentucky, or Kansas offers a recruit we are interested in. I’m glad Hurley doesn’t feel the same way.

 

[HooperScooper]

Prob cuz of where the program was most of their youth

Wasn't there only a 3 year period where UConn was bad? 2016-2017, 2017-2018, 2018-2019.

 

[elmcityboy]

Are we in on Cooper Flagg or is he Duke/UK bound at this point

went down a rabbit hole on this kid trying to figure out if his mom and donovan clingan's mom were college teammates at maine. they were both there in the late nineties.

 

[HooperScooper]

Guys from the Hartford area in CT typically aren’t UConn fans and don’t like the idea of staying in state.

I'm not sure where you're getting that from. Although Betsey has said he wasn't a UConn fan growing up so that's one.

 

[Hurleyman216]

I don’t really care if Duke and UK and UNC snag a whole team of 5 star recruits. They don’t have the coaches to put together a championship team. Sheyer is unproven but not impressed with his first year with the talent he had. Cal gets a top 1-2 class full of 5 stars every year and every year he does nothing with it. UNC went to a final four 2 years ago but have been awful since. Give us the 2nd tier 20-75 rated guys and let Hurley steamroll everyone.

 

[kansashusky]

Timberlake is from right outside of Boston. Betsey lives maybe a 10-15 minute drive from the XL Center. It’s not like UConn has nothing to offer. Remember 10 kids on Dook, Kentucky, and UNC will all have their hands out.

Yes that’s true but he’s one of if not their biggest priority, so it’s not like he’s number ten on the outside looking in. Scheyer has visited him more than any other 24’ prospect.

 

[TheHorde]

Wasn't there only a 3 year period where UConn was bad? 2016-2017, 2017-2018, 2018-2019.

Exactly. Many of these kids are old enough to remember 2014, and they certainly all have 2023 fresh in their minds.

 

[navery12]

went down a rabbit hole on this kid trying to figure out if his mom and donovan clingan's mom were college teammates at maine. they were both there in the late nineties.

Believe they overlapped for 2 years at Maine

 

[superjohn]

I'm not sure where you're getting that from. Although Betsey has said he wasn't a UConn fan growing up so that's one.

He says he wasn't a basketball fan growing up. Clingan was a Michigan fan growing up, he seems to be a pretty big UConn fan now.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

I'm not sure where you're getting that from. Although Betsey has said he wasn't a UConn fan growing up so that's one.

Just from experience of being around a lot of those guys athlete/player wise. Most are pretty much Duke and UNC fans. Very few hoopers in the area grew up UConn fans. No idea why. And this isn’t a recent thing that has anything to do when we had a bad stretch.

Hell even the big time coaches in CT aren’t UConn fans. Lol

 

[Skies17]

EYBL Session Recap:

2024s
PG Boogie Fland (PSA)
12.8 PPG
2.8 Reb
3.5 Ast
50 / 33 / 82 shooting
Had one big game (31 pts on 5-9 from 3) and 3 not great games (combined 1-9 from 3)

G Ahmad Nowell (Team Final)
15.5 PPG
4.3 Reb
5.0 Ast
67 / 53 / 63 shooting
Going to have everyone involved after this weekend's performance

W Tyler Betsey (NY Rens)
13.5 PPG
2.5 Reb
3.0 Ast
43 / 36 / 88 shooting
Takes a lot of 3s, hit at a decent clip this weekend. Duck Fuke

W Isaiah Abraham (Team Takeover)
6.8 PPG
1.3 Reb
0.5 Ast
50 / 0 / 60 shooting
Missed all 6 threes taken this weekend. Explosive dunker, potential to be great defender.

F Jacob Cofie (Rotary)
13.5 PPG
3.8 Reb
1.0 Ast
51 / 27 / 61 shooting
Some good breakdowns elsewhere in this thread. Curious to see how involved we get here.


2025s
G Maleek Thomas (New Heights Lightning)
14.5 PPG
4.0 Reb
2.0 Ast
54 / 36 / 50 shooting
We haven't been heavily in on many consensus 5 starts early, want to see this one play out.

G Joson Sanon (Expressions)
12.8 PPG
2.8 Reb
2.5 Ast
46 / 38 / 86 shooting
Up and down performances, but flashes of high level play

C Badara Diakite (New Heights Lightning)
7.3 PPG
5.8 Reb
0.5 Ast
41 / 0 / 78 shooting
Keep the local big men coming. Free throw shooting percentage is encouraging (albeit on low volume)


2026
W AJ Dybansta (Expressions)
19.8 PPG
6.3 Reb
3.3 Ast
52 / 29 / 88
Looks good playing 2 years up. I think a better outside shooter than he showed this weekend, which is scary

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

That is true. And stick with me a second…maybe Scheyer is not Coach K.

Sure. That has zero to do with what I said. Some of you think it’s a given that a Connecticut kid is automatically going to want to play at UConn.

 

[TheHorde]

Sure. That has zero to do with what I said. Some of you think it’s a given that a Connecticut kid is automatically going to want to play at UConn.

I agreed with part of your reasoning. Not everyone does. But it can be a plus. And I disagree with those that say but Duke is Duke. Are they really though, after Coach K retired? I guess we shall see.

 

[auror]

No, I meant he might be who UConn wants, but UConn is not what he wants.

Bummer.