2025 Updated Recruiting Targets

[auror]

We've gotten some clarity on recruiting following this first big July evaluation weekend. Whereas some schools apparently are taking freshmen less seriously, we're swinging for the fences. This is a list of every recruit we've both offered (or has an official visit set) and then watched this past evaluation period (shout out Cue_the_Music and StorrsCentral). All the targets are in the On3 industry rankings top 40 and the lower end guys are likely rising.

Player, Team - #On3 industry composite rank (Visits completed or scheduled)

• Meleek Thomas, NH Lightning, CG - #6 (official)
• Braylon Mullins, Indiana Elite 2025, WG - #26 (official 8/1)
• Nate Ament, Team Loaded VA, S-PF - #7
• Acaden Lewis, Team Durant, PG - #40 (unofficial)
• Darius Adams, PSA Cardinals, SG - #18 (unofficial)
• Dwayne Aristode, Expressions Elite, WF - #20 (stated a while back he wants to visit UConn, no date set)
• Chris Cenac, Young Game Changers (YGC), C - #14
• Brayden Burries, Strive for Greatness (SFG), CG - #15
• Tounde Yessoufou, WhyNot, WF - #19 (official potentially in September).
• Hudson Greer, JL3, WG - #22 (official 10/11) - Don't actually think he has an offer, but he has a visit set and we watched him.

We didn't watch these two because they were playing in Europe, but they have offers and official visits scheduled.

• Nikola Bundalo, Wildcat Select, S-PF - #24 (official 8/30) - Serbian U18 team
• Eric Reibe, Team Museum, C - #38 (official 9/6) - German U18 team

 

[AllHusky]

So how many do we lose/need this year?
AK, SJ HD Liam any of the young uns got a shot? I’m thinking Stewart a lonnngggg shot,

 

[navery12]

So how many do we lose/need this year?
AK, SJ HD Liam any of the young uns got a shot? I’m thinking Stewart a lonnngggg shot,

Johnson and Diarra are out of eligibility. Karaban you can probably pencil in as gone given this year's trip to test the waters. McNeeley and Stewart are pretty routinely mocked as 1st rounders, granted it's early

So I'd conservatively say 5 because even if there's a surprise returner, there's usually a surprise departure too

 

[AllHusky]

Johnson and Diarra are out of eligibility. Karaban you can probably pencil in as gone given this year's trip to test the waters. McNeeley and Stewart are pretty routinely mocked as 1st rounders, granted it's early

So I'd conservatively say 5 because even if there's a surprise returner, there's usually a surprise departure too

So Stewart is that well thought of already?! In my mind that means we are going to be even better than I thought, wow.

 

[auror]

Johnson and Diarra are out of eligibility. Karaban you can probably pencil in as gone given this year's trip to test the waters. McNeeley and Stewart are pretty routinely mocked as 1st rounders, granted it's early

So I'd conservatively say 5 because even if there's a surprise returner, there's usually a surprise departure too

Yeah I think that's the right number. Not likely less than 3, most likely between 4-6 needed scholarships, median 5. Likely a couple transfers will come in, so 3 or so freshmen seems reasonable.

We have the most depth at the wing this season, but may lose 2-3 of those guys. A pretty standard class of guard, bigger wing guard, and stretch 4/5 seems good.

Thomas/Mullins/Ament probably the dream. Lewis/Thomas/Bundalo would be nice. Hard to have a bad combination with this stacked list tbh

 

[CardiacAndre7]

So Stewart is that well thought of already?! In my mind that means we are going to be even better than I thought, wow.

He’s the prototypical breakout candidate. Came on strong to end the year and has a deeeeep bag on offense. I think he is right there with McNeely as our out-and-out most talented player.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

12 guys in the top-40 who we seem to have strong mutual interest. Life is good.

 

[gsmooth]

12 guys in the top-40 who we seem to have strong mutual interest. Life is good.

It's great to be a UConn fan that's for sure. You realize this even more when you read the forums of other teams during both NCAAT runs the last 2 years and the envy and the resignation in the tone of their posts knowing UConn was going to win the title.

Now it seems like UConn will always be competitive in getting the 5-star recruits.

 

[bendm]

Surprised staff watched aristode

 

[auror]

Surprised staff watched aristode

Not all watching is the same and we'll never really know what is meaningful watching until the proof is in the pudding. But it's a part of the recipe nonetheless.

Hurley+Kimani watched Expressions on Saturday, and then Tom watched them on Sunday. Neither opponent had anyone of note to watch in those games that I am aware of. You could reasonably offer an explanation of the staff wanting to watch Aristode and/or Jemison, but of the 2 we've only offered Aristode.

There were other options to watch for Tom at the same time (Thomas with Hurley+Kimani, Nightrydaz with Luke), so it at least means something that he watched Expressions instead. But also relevant is Hurley/Kimani watching Thomas again instead of Expressions on the 2nd day and no visit for him yet being scheduled. Why they watched could be as irrelevant to our tea leaf reading as "wanting to stay very friendly with Expressions and/or Brewster." But Kimani and Hurley did watch on Saturday when they could have watched Dybantsa, Fears, or Yessoufou instead.