2018 Recruiting: All 3 of our recruits got a bump up; Kisunas in particular

[champs99and04]

If people like this recruiting class, then fine. It's more then feasible to envision these guys becoming good players.

But we can't have it both ways where all these kids are diamonds in the rough and then we lose our minds when the team is 7-3 and not good enough to hang with Michigan State. Super john is right and I can assure you that all of the same things that are being said about these kids were at one time said, probably by the same posters, about the kids on the current team. (And then some of them call for the coach to be fired).

We have had studs on the roster. Adams, Facey, Larrier, Purvis, Gilbert, Hamilton...guys we were supposed to win the conference with and then didn't. Sure you can explain them all away for one reason or another, but if we can't win with those guys and then we're going to turn around and expect big things out of teams consisting of Whaley, Polley, Matthews, Kisunas, Carlton, Diarra, and Akinjo...all I'm saying is I hope you're happy with the result.

 

[HuskiesAllDay]

All of the people crapping on our recruiting because their rankings aren't higher. Do you have a brain?

One person said something bad when I posted that. Try to catch up

 

[pj]

This post failed right out of the gate and then kept accelerating until it went off a cliff and landed in a volcano.

UConn became a national name with all manner of big-name recruits. Chris Smith was about the least of them - Jake Voskuhl was on the court with two McD’s All-Americans and a gaggle of top 30/40 recruits.

The idea that UConn somehow became UConn by recruiting 13 kids with lunch pails and boot straps is just fiction.

On the other hand, Jim Calhoun became Jim Calhoun by recruiting 12 kids with lunch pails and boot straps, plus Reggie Lewis.

 

[upstater]

If people like this recruiting class, then fine. It's more then feasible to envision these guys becoming good players.

But we can't have it both ways where all these kids are diamonds in the rough and then we lose our minds when the team is 7-3 and not good enough to hang with Michigan State. Super john is right and I can assure you that all of the same things that are being said about these kids were at one time said, probably by the same posters, about the kids on the current team. (And then some of them call for the coach to be fired).

We have had studs on the roster. Adams, Facey, Larrier, Purvis, Gilbert, Hamilton...guys we were supposed to win the conference with and then didn't. Sure you can explain them all away for one reason or another, but if we can't win with those guys and then we're going to turn around and expect big things out of teams consisting of Whaley, Polley, Matthews, Kisunas, Carlton, Diarra, and Akinjo...all I'm saying is I hope you're happy with the result.

I think we were fooled by the 2014 senior class. When they came in, the Boneyard was on fire at how poor of a class it was. Nolan, Olander, Giffey were reviled. Daniels and Napier were good gets of course, but I'm sure you remember that the huge drop in recruiting was an issue in 2011, 2012, 2013. Much discussed.

That 2014 team was the first team in ages to win it all with only one future NBAer on the team.

 

[champs99and04]

I think we were fooled by the 2014 senior class. When they came in, the Boneyard was on fire at how poor of a class it was. Nolan, Olander, Giffey were reviled. Daniels and Napier were good gets of course, but I'm sure you remember that the huge drop in recruiting was an issue in 2011, 2012, 2013. Much discussed.

That 2014 team was the first team in ages to win it all with only one future NBAer on the team.

Nolan and Olander about played to script, in my opinion, which is fine. But that title was won by players - Daniels, Napier, Boat - that were, if not blue chip recruits, then close to it. The fact that we used to consider kids like Bazz and Lamb lightweights underscores how far we've fallen.

The only real diamond in the rough was Giffey. He continues to be underrated despite the fact that everybody calls him underrated.

Guys like Bazz, Boat, and Daniels don't come around every time, but I think many had hoped that Adams, Gilbert, and Larrier could be to these next couple teams what those guys were to those teams. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, it doesn't look like that is going to happen...and that makes life without them all the more scary.

 

[upstater]

Nolan and Olander about played to script, in my opinion, which is fine. But that title was won by players - Daniels, Napier, Boat - that were, if not blue chip recruits, then close to it. The fact that we used to consider kids like Bazz and Lamb lightweights underscores how far we've fallen.

The only real diamond in the rough was Giffey. He continues to be underrated despite the fact that everybody calls him underrated.

Guys like Bazz, Boat, and Daniels don't come around every time, but I think many had hoped that Adams, Gilbert, and Larrier could be to these next couple teams what those guys were to those teams. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, it doesn't look like that is going to happen...and that makes life without them all the more scary.

Bazz and Boat's rating was 50-100 so not that far off from Akinjo.

But those are also 3 different classes we're talking about. These players were not in the same class.

Regardless, there was a lot of grousing about the lack of stud recruits in that class.

 

[Stainmaster]

How does this respond to my post? I was writing about the recruiting drop-off.

But, Boatright had one year under Calhoun. Daniels barely played. I think you're revising history.

Of course he's revising history.

 

[champs99and04]

Bazz and Boat's rating was 50-100 so not that far off from Akinjo.

But those are also 3 different classes we're talking about. These players were not in the same class.

Regardless, there was a lot of grousing about the lack of stud recruits in that class.

Boat was the 55th ranked recruit. I'll grant you that drawing the line between "blue chip recruit" and something less than that gets pretty blurry, but I think you'd have to define that as a different tier than 100-150.

Daniels was the 18th ranked composite recruit. I can't find the composite rank for Bazz because he re-classified, but he may have in fact been closer to 100 than 50 which would help your argument.

Still, people were only complaining about the 2010 class because we graduated three seniors from the 2010 team and had been in the mix for elite recruits like Knight, Selby, Joseph, Leslie, etc. Remember, the 2010 class also included Roscoe Smith who was a top 40 recruit. Even if we are going to call Akinjo a top 100 guy, that's still three top 100 guys for that class to one for this class, and we added that class to Kemba, Oriakhi, Coombs-McDaniel, and (at the time) Majok.

The Boat/Drummond/Daniels class was unanimously fawned upon by the fan base. That was the last great class at UConn before we started to slip. But the bottom line is Calhoun used to get tier 2 recruits and the occasional tier 1 guy. Ollie seems to be mining for tier 3's and that's a big problem if we want to get back to national relevance (which might not be realistic).

 

[Matrim55]

Even if we are going to call Akinjo a top 100 guy, that's still three top 100 guys for that class to one for this class, and we added that class to Kemba, Oriakhi, Coombs-McDaniel, and (at the time) Majok.

I'm not defending KO at all here, but I think it's probably closer to fair to consider Wilson – a top 60 recruit – a part of the 2018 class rather than the 2017 class.

Effectively we're bringing in two top 100 guys and two 150-200 guys next year. It's not good enough (unless KO somehow learns how to both coach game situations and develop players long-term), but it's also not a disaster.

Just as nobody would look at next year's likely roster and think "this team's winning 30 games," no real coach would look at it and say "yeah, about 15 or 16 is the ceiling."

 

[upstater]

Boat was the 55th ranked recruit. I'll grant you that drawing the line between "blue chip recruit" and something less than that gets pretty blurry, but I think you'd have to define that as a different tier than 100-150.

Daniels was the 18th ranked composite recruit. I can't find the composite rank for Bazz because he re-classified, but he may have in fact been closer to 100 than 50 which would help your argument.

Still, people were only complaining about the 2010 class because we graduated three seniors from the 2010 team and had been in the mix for elite recruits like Knight, Selby, Joseph, Leslie, etc. Remember, the 2010 class also included Roscoe Smith who was a top 40 recruit. Even if we are going to call Akinjo a top 100 guy, that's still three top 100 guys for that class to one for this class, and we added that class to Kemba, Oriakhi, Coombs-McDaniel, and (at the time) Majok.

The Boat/Drummond/Daniels class was unanimously fawned upon by the fan base. That was the last great class at UConn before we started to slip. But the bottom line is Calhoun used to get tier 2 recruits and the occasional tier 1 guy. Ollie seems to be mining for tier 3's and that's a big problem if we want to get back to national relevance (which might not be realistic).

To be clear, my original post here refers to the fact that recruiting fell off long before the last couple of years. It fell off around the time of the national championship, and it wasn't even to UConn standards before that.

This has been a multiple year run. Only Shabazz has made it to the NBA after the Drummond/Lamb year.

 

[Huskybass]

To be clear, my original post here refers to the fact that recruiting fell off long before the last couple of years. It fell off around the time of the national championship, and it wasn't even to UConn standards before that.

This has been a multiple year run. Only Shabazz has made it to the NBA after the Drummond/Lamb year.

I think Daniel Hamilton is currently on an NBA roster as well but the point remains that we haven't been putting too many guys into the pros in recent years.

 

[upstater]

I think Daniel Hamilton is currently on an NBA roster as well but the point remains that we haven't been putting too many guys into the pros in recent years.

Is he? Good for him--I was not aware of that.

 

[StunningSteve]

We had a top ten recruiting class in the country last year in the same conference.

Please explain.

Exactly. Spot on.

Context is everything. There weren't a lot of large recruiting classes in the AAC this year.
Wichita was the exception. They had an unusually large class this year, and beat out Butler for Montverde's Udeze and Sunrise's Moore.
UConn beat out a lot of solid programs for Akinko, Kisunas, and Matthews.
SMU is on their last year of sanctions. They did well with Hunt and his HS teammate. Don't forget their transfers, Isaiah Mike and McMurray.
The AAC is landing a lot of talent on thr transfer market. A lot of people forget that Houston's class is bolstered by 2 Top 150 talents from Louisiana, via UMass.
The AAC has a lot of young rosters and new coaches. These coaches took on transfers to stabilize the rosters, which had been depleted from attrition in earlier classes. So, recruiting ranking placement is somewhat skewed.
It just made no sense for Dunleavy, Smith, and Gregory to go heavy on Freshmen.
Its an exciting time. The talent level is definitely shooting up but the results on the court for many programs will outpace freshmen recruiting rankings until the rosters start supporting full freshmen classes.

 

[Scrutineer]

This post failed right out of the gate and then kept accelerating until it went off a cliff and landed in a volcano.

UConn became a national name with all manner of big-name recruits. Chris Smith was about the least of them - Jake Voskuhl was on the court with two McD’s All-Americans and a gaggle of top 30/40 recruits.

The idea that UConn somehow became UConn by recruiting 13 kids with lunch pails and boot straps is just fiction.

Nice try at the humiliation game, but UConn became a big name in 1990 with the likes of Rod Sellers, Dan Cyrulik, Tate George, etc.

To use your insult, they were "kids with lunch pails" except for Scott Burrell and Smith, and it was far from the rosters with Ray Allen or Donyell Marshall. Those top level recruits came after that 1990 team put UConn on the map. Maybe you're not old enough to know that, or maybe you're just trying to show off with insults thrown at others, but either way you're wrong.

And, where we can find a cliff above a volcano. Under the water in Hawaii maybe?

 

[David 76]

So let me ask you this. I assume that you watched the Arkansas, Columbia and Monmouth games. As you know, we were completely blown out by Arkansas by 35 points. UConn also had to go to overtime against Columbia and Monmouth, despite a huge advantage in terms of talent. You would have to agree that all of that is true.
Given that, how can you possibly conclude that this is a well-coached, well-prepared team? Columbia's record is something like 1- 10 and we had to go to overtime to beat them. Shouldn't that tell you something?

I don't think they are well coached. I like Ollie, wanted him to succeed (he did for a bit). But I have come to believe he can't coach offense. Recently, defense has slipped too. I am of the opinion that unless he can turn it around , we will need to part ways. I just don't like boorish behavior.
You guys have been asked to not invade every thread. You keep doing it. I don't get it. You must think the decision will hinge on how many Vineyard threads show something negative toward Ollie..

I just want to enjoy the Vineyard without posters being too entitled

 

[Huskybass]

I don't think they are well coached. I like Ollie, wanted him to succeed (he did for a bit). But I have come to believe he can't coach offense. Recently, defense has slipped too. I am of the opinion that unless he can turn it around , we will need to part ways. I just don't like boorish behavior.
You guys have been asked to not invade every thread. You keep doing it. I don't get it. You must think the decision will hinge on how many Vineyard threads show something negative toward Ollie..

I just want to enjoy the Vineyard without posters being too entitled

Fair enough. What gets guys like me riled up is the relative handful who act like everything is fine. But I will do my best to not respond to their lunacy any more.

 

[Huskybass]

Nice try at the humiliation game, but UConn became a big name in 1990 with the likes of Rod Sellers, Dan Cyrulik, Tate George, etc.

To use your insult, they were "kids with lunch pails" except for Scott Burrell and Smith, and it was far from the rosters with Ray Allen or Donyell Marshall. Those top level recruits came after that 1990 team put UConn on the map. Maybe you're not old enough to know that, or maybe you're just trying to show off with insults thrown at others, but either way you're wrong.

And, where we can find a cliff above a volcano. Under the water in Hawaii maybe?

You don't become a big name by reaching the Elite Eight once.

 

[pj]

You don't become a big name by reaching the Elite Eight once.

Every coach who ever became a big name, started by reaching the Elite Eight for the first time.

 

[David 76]

Fair enough. What gets guys like me riled up is the relative handful who act like everything is fine. But I will do my best to not respond to their lunacy any more.

Respond when they are talking about Ollie's coaching. Just not everything else.
And thanks.

 

[80shusky]

Nolan and Olander about played to script, in my opinion, which is fine. But that title was won by players - Daniels, Napier, Boat - that were, if not blue chip recruits, then close to it. The fact that we used to consider kids like Bazz and Lamb lightweights underscores how far we've fallen.

The only real diamond in the rough was Giffey. He continues to be underrated despite the fact that everybody calls him underrated.

Guys like Bazz, Boat, and Daniels don't come around every time, but I think many had hoped that Adams, Gilbert, and Larrier could be to these next couple teams what those guys were to those teams. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, it doesn't look like that is going to happen...and that makes life without them all the more scary.

Think of this, if Brimah doesn't get his and 1 against St Joe's are Bazz. Boat and Daniels still Bazz, Boat and Daniels?

 

[Huskybass]

Every coach who ever became a big name, started by reaching the Elite Eight for the first time.

UConn did not become a "big name" in 1990 by reaching the Elite Eight. It was a decade of superior performance culminating with the first national championship in 99. Once season does not make a "big name".

 

[Matrim55]

Think of this, if Brimah doesn't get his and 1 against St Joe's are Bazz. Boat and Daniels still Bazz, Boat and Daniels?

I'd respectfully offer that that doesn't matter. Fact is he did get his and-1, and KO did go on to outcoach Jay Wright, Fred Hoiberg, Tom Izzo, Billy Donovan and John Calipari one after the other. Nothing that's happened in the last four years can/will/should change that, and counterfactuals are useless here.

 

[80shusky]

I'd respectfully offer that that doesn't matter. Fact is he did get his and-1, and KO did go on to outcoach Jay Wright, Fred Hoiberg, Tom Izzo, Billy Donovan and John Calipari one after the other. Nothing that's happened in the last four years can/will/should change that, and counterfactuals are useless here.

Oh please don't get me wrong, I agree with you 100%. My point was only are they the same players in our mind if that doesn't happen? If UConn gets knocked out in that game of course we wouldn't look at that run in the same way.

 

[David 76]

No

 

[uconnbill]

Please stop repeating this lie that Bob Hurley hated Calhoun, it couldn't be further from the truth.

Dan Hurley took over a dumpster fire at URI and turned them around. It's the second program he has turned around. The whole family can coach, it's in their blood.

Your point about recruiting is really strange, what kind of recruiting do you expect at URI?

So how many players from Bob Hurley's St. Anthony come to UConn? None. So maybe not hatred, but he never steered one of his players this way, not ever