2020 Recruiting: Fatts Russell

[the Q]

I try to stay away from statements bordering on hyperbole as there’s enough of that here, but I’ll go out on a limb. If this happens, we’re a top 10 preseason team next year.

This kid is that special. Landing him would take us from a 20-25 ranked team that likely should be shooting for a top 5 finish in the Big East to, well, something bigger than that.

between this improvement and akok being out so you’d have a lot of underclasen bigs (akok springs and jbj) getting a grad transfer big (if we are recruiting for 2) might be a better fit.

 

[Rico444]

I noted the last 5 though didn't I? Those were key games for URI down the stretch for a team that was on Lunardi's "last 4 in" "last 4 out" lists at the time. That's crunch time right and 17-70 ain't pretty. I'm just noting a 5'9" at best PG who shoots 39% and shoots a lot isn't exactly what I'm throwing it all in for but I also know I could be wrong. The games he's good he does some special stuff but will that fit in with what we saw late 2020 Huskies?

Obviously he struggled down the stretch, I won't dispute that. If he played like that all year I wouldn't be clamoring for him, but if you look at his overall numbers he was damn good. In addition to that 39% he shot 35% from 3, averaged 5 assists per game, and 3 steals per game, which is fantastic.

I'm willing to bet that his efficiency improves when he's not "the guy" as he had to be at URI. Like you said, I trust Hurley to make the decision on whether or not he'd be a good fit here, since he coached him for a year. I'd be willing to bet Hurley would take him back with open arms though; he doesn't seem to recruit "me-first" recruits that demand the ball.

EDIT: I just checked, and Kemba only shot 43% his All-American junior year here. Not saying that Fatts is Kemba, not by a long shot, but big-time scorers usually have somewhat depressed efficiency, and he can help us in so many other ways that I think he'd be a net positive for this program.

 

[JimHurley]

Would Gaffney and Cole be pissed off about another PG in the mix? I'd love to take him but our shooting and defense may be compromised by asking Cole and Gaffney to guard bigger guards. We'd probably ask Gaffney to be more of an off ball shooter than he is used to which is risky.

I trust Hurley knows exactly what he's doing. I'd predict a lot of 4 guard lineups.

If bringing in more talent pisses you off, you're playing for the wrong program. This is a rebuild. You bring in the best talent you can. Heck, if Hurley can recruit over Bouknight, Cole, or Whaley then DO IT.

 

[Huskybass]

If bringing in more talent pisses you off, you're playing for the wrong program. This is a rebuild. You bring in the best talent you can. Heck, if Hurley can recruit over Bouknight, Cole, or Whaley then DO IT.

I agree. Talent shines, even in reduced minutes. Look back to Bouk in November and December. Even in limited minutes, it was easy to see that he would become a star. If Hurley can recruit over Bouk (ha ha very funny), then Bouk and the other guy can cut down a few nets and both make the NBA. Talent plus Teamwork plus Leadership wins lots of games. We forget the importance of talent sometimes, because our cupboard has been relatively bare.

 

[Kenny11]

I’m not saying Hurley can do no wrong but I really really trust him when it comes to managing players and their personalities, mentalities, etc. he is great at getting everyone to buy in and work together as a team/family because what he is establishing comes from a very genuine place.

 

[UConn_Top_Dog]

Fatts, RJ, Bouk, Springs, Whaley? OMG. Jackson, Gaffney, Carlton, Polley, Adams off the bench? SHESH.

It’s definitely “COMING”

 

[superjohn]

I noted the last 5 though didn't I? Those were key games for URI down the stretch for a team that was on Lunardi's "last 4 in" "last 4 out" lists at the time. That's crunch time right and 17-70 ain't pretty. I'm just noting a 5'9" at best PG who shoots 39% and shoots a lot isn't exactly what I'm throwing it all in for but I also know I could be wrong. The games he's good he does some special stuff but will that fit in with what we saw late 2020 Huskies?

He averaged close to 25 ppg over a 7 game stretch this season with 3 of those games against Bama, LSU, and West Virginia. Against Bama (22pts,5rebs,5 assists, 4 steals) LSU (26pts,4rebs,8assists,3steals) West Virginia (32pts,1reb,5assists,5steals)

 

[Jluc]

He averaged close to 25 ppg over a 7 game stretch this season with 3 of those games against Bama, LSU, and West Virginia. Against Bama (22pts,5rebs,5 assists, 4 steals) LSU (26pts,4rebs,8assists,3steals) West Virginia (32pts,1reb,5assists,5steals)

Yup. He really is a stud and would be a huge get. He’d be a pretty big upgrade if Al did decide to leave.

 

[Jluc]

Yup. He really is a stud and would be a huge get. He’d be a pretty big upgrade if Al did decide to leave.

And I meant this as no slight to Al, I just think fatts is a different animal.

 

[ctchamps]

Didn't watch it that closely I apologize but they nipped a team they should've hammered my bad. Point is his decision making down the stretch wasn't good at all. He was dreadful for the last 5 games in which they took themselves off the bubble and he was instrumental. But maybe you enjoy watching a guy go on a 5 game streak, end of the year when needed, at a 17 for 70 clip from the court and 7 for 27 from 3? Good for you 7774. Imagine how many would've treated AG or CV if that had happened?

Having said I trust Danny then I'm a fan if it goes in that direction.

Hope we get the kid. Hope he plays well down the stretch in the UConn uniform. Hope we don't have to read the same guys here wanting him badly reaming Fatts and Hurley if he ends the season the way he did at URI. You and I know they will.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I noted the last 5 though didn't I? Those were key games for URI down the stretch for a team that was on Lunardi's "last 4 in" "last 4 out" lists at the time. That's crunch time right and 17-70 ain't pretty. I'm just noting a 5'9" at best PG who shoots 39% and shoots a lot isn't exactly what I'm throwing it all in for but I also know I could be wrong. The games he's good he does some special stuff but will that fit in with what we saw late 2020 Huskies?

The only real downside is that we can’t play 3 guards, let alone 4, if two of them are under 6 feet. The system we are trying to play relies on multi-skilled guys with some size. A center with 4 guys 6’3” - 6’8” who can handle, pass, shoot etc. We aren’t there yet obviously.

in other words, Bouknight is not a small forward. Jackson is not a PF.

If we didn’t have Cole, Fatts would be ideal. I trust that Hurley knows what he’s doing. But Cole and Fatts can’t really be on the court at the same time.

 

[Huskybass]

The only real downside is that we can’t play 3 guards, let alone 4, if two of them are under 6 feet. The system we are trying to play relies on multi-skilled guys with some size. A center with 4 guys 6’3” - 6’8” who can handle, pass, shoot etc. We aren’t there yet obviously.

in other words, Bouknight is not a small forward. Jackson is not a PF.

If we didn’t have Cole, Fatts would be ideal. I trust that Hurley knows what he’s doing. But Cole and Fatts can’t really be on the court at the same time.

I think Cole would play off the ball quite a bit. You can't have too many ballhandlers and guys that knock down 82% of their free throws. Hurley's task would be to blend the talents and minutes, which may take some time, but winning breeds happiness and the talent would/will certainly be there.

 

[lange10]

hopefully we get both

how many times are you going to ask this?

Lol when else did I ask this? NCAA still hasn’t passed the rule that allows transfers to play right away. My apologies for not following his academic progress at URI and not knowing if he’s eligible to graduate.

Sheesh.

 

[UconnU]

The only real downside is that we can’t play 3 guards, let alone 4, if two of them are under 6 feet. The system we are trying to play relies on multi-skilled guys with some size. A center with 4 guys 6’3” - 6’8” who can handle, pass, shoot etc. We aren’t there yet obviously.

in other words, Bouknight is not a small forward. Jackson is not a PF.

If we didn’t have Cole, Fatts would be ideal. I trust that Hurley knows what he’s doing. But Cole and Fatts can’t really be on the court at the same time.

Worth noting that the people around the program seem to be confident in Springs.

Lol when else did I ask this? NCAA still hasn’t passed the rule that allows transfers to play right away. My apologies for not following his academic progress at URI and not knowing if he’s eligible to graduate.

Sheesh.

the way they schedule classes for Basketball players it makes it much easier to graduate in 3 years with some summer classes. In all likelyhood he can grad transfer.

 

[metsfan2323]

What power forward is going to stop Jackson from blowing past him on the way to the rim?

Boat and Bazz were smaller.

Exactly everyone says it can't be done until someone does it. Khalid and Ricky Moore were vertically challenged too.

Cole, Fats and Bouk would be the best perimeter in college basketball. Start the Dr J. like Andre Jackson at the 4 and Whaley at 5 and its showtime in Storrs. Best team in the country.

BTW Hurley needs to be all in on winning the championship next season, we aren't building for 2022 as Whaley, Bouk and yes even Jackson will probably all be moving on after next season. Final Four or bust in 2021.

 

[bendm]

NCAA still hasn’t passed the rule that allows transfers to play right away.

when discussing transfers being immediately eligible, everyone has/will be operating under the assumption the rule is getting passed, until further notice

 

[McLovin]

When the options change from the recruits leftover in April to a guy who would be the best player on your team it's easy to flip.

Regarding Mac, Hurley has said he wants a guard and a big so should be 2 separate decisions

Not personal to you, but I’ve been saying for months on here that we should move on from AG and worst case scenario we bring in a 1 year grad transfer who can match his production we’d expect as a back up / 3rd string PG. Best case we get a massive upgrade.

People called me stupid... now I can only laugh as those same people are ready to feed him to the wolves.

Good to know we are still actively pursuing Mac.

 

[HuskyHawk]

What power forward is going to stop Jackson from blowing past him on the way to the rim?

Boat and Bazz were smaller.

Boat and Bazz were not smaller. And both were good defenders (not just one). And we were not playing a 6’4” skinny guard at small forward on those teams. Bouknight is our best player. He needs to play a lot, and play as a guard not a forward.

You want Jackson defending guys who are 6’8” 235 in the paint?

You can play small in stretches. But not all the time. I’m sure Hurley likes Fatts. I’m simply saying that a short guard is not exactly a great fit on a team that has Cole already and that needs minutes for JB at the SG spot.

 

[Fatroony5]

Boat and Bazz were not smaller. And both were good defenders (not just one). And we were not playing a 6’4” skinny guard at small forward on those teams. Bouknight is our best player. He needs to play a lot, and play as a guard not a forward.

You want Jackson defending guys who are 6’8” 235 in the paint?

You can play small in stretches. But not all the time. I’m sure Hurley likes Fatts. I’m simply saying that a short guard is not exactly a great fit on a team that has Cole already and that needs minutes for JB at the SG spot.

Just curious, how were Bazz and Boat not “smaller” as a back court? Bazz as a senior was about 6 feet 180 and Boat 5’11’’ 175. RJ is the same size as Bazz and Fatts is a bit smaller than Boat, but they’d be fine. They can play Fatts and RJ together, they’d prolly just not play him, RJ, and JG together for long periods. By all measures, Fatts is a really good defender so that shouldn’t an issue....

As far as Bouk, I get the concern and needing to have him add strength and improve his defense to defend bigger wing players more effectively, especially without fouling. But they can manage that. In this situation, they’d have such a plethora of talent at the guard spot, they’d make the defense work. And remember this, teams would have to match what UConn would be doing. I’d love to see this.

Edit: I meant that Bazz and Boat were a small backcourt and Fatts/RJ is a little smaller but not by much. They’d be fine if that’s the direction they wanna go.

 

[metsfan2323]

Boat and Bazz were not smaller. And both were good defenders (not just one). And we were not playing a 6’4” skinny guard at small forward on those teams. Bouknight is our best player. He needs to play a lot, and play as a guard not a forward.

Why can't Bouknight play the three like Hamilton? Especially with his rebounding ability.

The short in stature, 2 point guard lineup has been a big part of the secret sauce for 3 of our 4 championships. Khalid/Ricky, Kemba/Shabazz, Shabazz/Boat.

Jackson appears to have the type of body that will add muscle quickly, he'll be a 6'6" physical beast from day 1. Not the proto type 4 but he could be Giffey.

 

[Mooch82]

Just curious, how were Bazz and Boat not “smaller” as a back court? Bazz as a senior was about 6 feet 180 and Boat 5’11’’ 175. RJ is the same size as Bazz and Fatts is a bit smaller than Boat, but they’d be fine. They can play Fatts and RJ together, they’d prolly just not play him, RJ, and JG together for long periods. By all measures, Fatts is a really good defender so that shouldn’t an issue....

As far as Bouk, I get the concern and needing to have him add strength and improve his defense to defend bigger wing players more effectively, especially without fouling. But they can manage that. In this situation, they’d have such a plethora of talent at the guard spot, they’d make the defense work. And remember this, teams would have to match what UConn would be doing. I’d love to see this.

You just answered your own question when you listed sizes. If Bazz and Cole are equal, and Fatts is smaller than Boat, then Bazz and Boat are bigger. Not that hard.

 

[navery12]

Why can't Bouknight play the three like Hamilton? Especially with his rebounding ability.

The short in stature, 2 point guard lineup has been a big part of the secret sauce for 3 of our 4 championships. Khalid/Ricky, Kemba/Shabazz, Shabazz/Boat.

Jackson appears to have the type of body that will add muscle quickly, he'll be a 6'6" physical beast from day 1. Not the proto type 4 but he could be Giffey.

Yeah I expect Bouk to get at least half his minutes at the 3 next year. Even if it's not Fatts there's going to be a ton of Cole and Gaffney on the floor together

 

[Fatroony5]

You just answered your own question when you listed sizes. If Bazz and Cole are equal, and Fatts is smaller than Boat, then Bazz and Boat are bigger. Not that hard.

Sorry, I see what you’re saying. I didn’t mean that Bazz and Boat were literally smaller than RJ and Fatts, what I meant was they were considered a small backcourt size wise and it worked out just fine. It can definitely work if that’s the direction they wanna go with it.

 

[Huskybass]

Boat and Bazz were not smaller. And both were good defenders (not just one). And we were not playing a 6’4” skinny guard at small forward on those teams. Bouknight is our best player. He needs to play a lot, and play as a guard not a forward.

You want Jackson defending guys who are 6’8” 235 in the paint?

You can play small in stretches. But not all the time. I’m sure Hurley likes Fatts. I’m simply saying that a short guard is not exactly a great fit on a team that has Cole already and that needs minutes for JB at the SG spot.

If AG leaves, there is certainly room for Fatts. The kid is a talent. There is always room for talent like his. That would give us Cole, Gaffney, Fatts, Bouk, Adams, and Jackson at the 1-3 spots.

I don't think the frontcourt is established yet though, and I do expect a little shake up there. If things play out the way I suspect they will, there will be a spot open to add a strong "4" for depth.

 

[dennismenace]

The only real downside is that we can’t play 3 guards, let alone 4, if two of them are under 6 feet. The system we are trying to play relies on multi-skilled guys with some size. A center with 4 guys 6’3” - 6’8” who can handle, pass, shoot etc. We aren’t there yet obviously.

in other words, Bouknight is not a small forward. Jackson is not a PF.

If we didn’t have Cole, Fatts would be ideal. I trust that Hurley knows what he’s doing. But Cole and Fatts can’t really be on the court at the same time.

I think the real question is just how good are Cole and Fatts defensively. Steals are one measure but can be misleading if too much gambling and breaking down your own defense. AJ Price had that surprising comment about Dyson. Bazz and Boat were exceptionally good defensive guards (as well as rebounders!). What they gave up in height was more than offset by their other attributes including real leadership. Agree with you on not wanting to go back to Hobbs and Giscombe size pair of guards.