A little concerning we seem to be coming up 2nd or 3rd in recruiting

[scrappy2.0]

JC used to get guys in bunches and while he didnt always get the guy he wanted--was able to come up with the right guys his whole career. I wonder if the tighter stance the University is taking with recruiting is going to hurt us. Something is just not the same.

 

[Peacefrog]

2nd or 3rd except for Hamilton and Purvis, right?

 

[CAHUSKY]

Something is just not the same.

Something like the greatest coach this generation not being here? Even without him we have received a commitment from a 5 star high schooler and an ex 5 star transfer. In addition we have visits set up with a handful of other 4 and 5 star studs. I think we're ok.

 

[Gurleyman]

JC used to get guys in bunches and while he didnt always get the guy he wanted--was able to come up with the right guys his whole career. I wonder if the tighter stance the University is taking with recruiting is going to hurt us. Something is just not the same.

We lost guys all the time with JC. Our last three Final Four teams were filled with guys who were Plan Bs after the Plan As went elsewhere. There was a short window when we brought in CV, Marcus, Rudy and AJ where it felt like we were landing our top targets, but it didn't last - we lost a lot of our top targets in 2006 (Ellington, Durant, Lawson, Thompson, Henderson).

Perhaps losing to VCU is something a little new, but that's just one guy we recruited late.

 

[Jluc]

People expect to bring a 5 star recruit in every week on this board. It does not happen like that. We already have two great guys in for next year. We've missed out on a few since but you're going to miss out on 95% of the guys you recruit. We are still in the mix for some more good players. Not too worried.

 

[Matrim55]

If we add Robinson to Purvis and Hamilton, the next three signings could be me and my cats and this would still be a great class.

If we end up with Newberry and Colson in addition to the three mentioned above, then this class will be better than great.

Remember, this isn't Kentucky. Ollie is actually building something that matters, not running a conveyor belt.

 

[mauconnfan]

Many have talked about the fact our staff couldn't get out until July while everyone else was way ahead of our schedule. Emails, texts, tweets and letters aside this is huge.

It really could be that simple.........while a phone call can mean a lot to a kid talking to KO on the cell vs a high five and a smile and a high five from Shaka can be downright unfair can't it?

 

[HuskyBballFan]

If we add Robinson to Purvis and Hamilton, the next three signings could be me and my cats and this would still be a great class.

Exactly. It's frustrating to see a new guy fall off the table every other day, but Robinson has always seemed to be the 3/4 that we had the best shot with. Unfortunately his timetable for deciding is a bit more spread out than these other guys and it's making it seem as if we have a dire situation on our hands. But if Ollie does find a way to land him, all of a sudden we have the foundation of a class that rivals the majority of the groups that Calhoun brought to Storrs.

There is a flip side of course - Robinson could go elsewhere and Hamilton could decide that he loves his grandmother as much as his brother does. But I'm going to wait until these things happen before going into panic mode.

 

[Husky1964]

The sky is falling!!!

 

[djct1999]

2nd or 3rd except for Hamilton and Purvis, right?

Technically, we were 2nd for Purvis. He did choose NC State over us. Unlike most, I do find what has happened the past month plus somewhat concerning. Its not that highly touted recruits are going elsewhere, but more where they are going. In the past 2 weeks, we lost a New England kid who grew up watching UConn choose NC STate and yesterday we lost a kid from the Bronx pick VCU. NC State and VCU over UConn. That is very concerning. As for this year, the verdict is still very much up in the air. It could be a great class with two top 20 kids in Robinson and Hamiltion, plus Purvis and probably Newberry. Or, Robinson can go elsewhere and Hamilton can decide he wants to be closer to his sick grandmother and UConn comes up completely empty. That is very concerning. It essentially gives Ollie and the staff one more year to turn it around or UConn as we knew it in the Calhoun era can be gone for quite some time. While most on this board will dismiss that, I am concerned that this is a realistic threat.

 

[Danzz]

http://www.nhregister.com/sports/20130916/uconns-misses-on-recruits-a-bit-misleading
This register article gives a pretty good explanation.

 

[aceboon]

I guess that article explains why the blog got pulled if he's now referring to the Team Scan coach as a source and not by name.

 

[Rico444]

Well, now we know why the blog post was deleted yesterday. It has the quotes from Larrier's AAU coach, except he's quoted as "a New York based AAU coach" and not named.

 

[Kitaman]

Wow a 2nd year coach has recruited two highly ranked, potential AAs making up 40% of "his first" starting five. Find me another fresh minted coach with the same success.

We have a brand new coach (i.e. no collegiate record to market) everybody. I'd say he's doing quite well. The glass is half full my friend, and he's just getting started.

 

[Stinger92860]

Ryan Boatright, who played a handful of games in the Nike league in Chicago this summer, thinks the extra time would be more beneficial to a younger team, but expects Kevin Ollie to make good use of the new rules. “He knows what he’s doing,” Boatright said. “And he’ll have a plan. He’ll take care of us.”

THIS

 

[WestHartHusk]

Ryan Boatright, who played a handful of games in the Nike league in Chicago this summer, thinks the extra time would be more beneficial to a younger team, but expects Kevin Ollie to make good use of the new rules. “He knows what he’s doing,” Boatright said. “And he’ll have a plan. He’ll take care of us.”

Just to show you how starkly different the two programs are, can you imagine Chandler Whitmer with a quote like that regarding PP?

 

[djct1999]

Wow a 2nd year coach has recruited two highly ranked, potential AAs making up 40% of "his first" starting five. Find me another fresh minted coach with the same success.

We have a brand new coach (i.e. no collegiate record to market) everybody. I'd say he's doing quite well. The glass is half full my friend, and he's just getting started.

Steve Alford, Andy Enfield, Larry Brown, John Groce, Richard Pitino.................there are plenty of new guys making it happen just as well as Ollie. and please stop saying we won the recruiting war for Purvis. we did not.

 

[phillionaire]

Steve Alford, Andy Enfield, Larry Brown, John Groce, Richard Pitino.................there are plenty of new guys making it happen just as well as Ollie. and please stop saying we won the recruiting war for Purvis. we did not.

Negative nancy over here

 

[Kitaman]

Steve Alford, Andy Enfield, Larry Brown, John Groce, Richard Pitino.................there are plenty of new guys making it happen just as well as Ollie. and please stop saying we won the recruiting war for Purvis. we did not.

Are you certain these coaches took over an elite program with no coaching experience?

 

[WestHartHusk]

Steve Alford, Andy Enfield, Larry Brown, John Groce, Richard Pitino.................there are plenty of new guys making it happen just as well as Ollie. and please stop saying we won the recruiting war for Purvis. we did not.

Kevin Ollie has had two seasons as an assistant, and one as a head-coach (without coaching in any post-season tournaments). Each of the below has a far more significant track record to work off as a coach than you are giving them credit for. And your comment about Purvis is incredibly ignorant - are you suggesting that no other school wanted a 5-star AA to transfer and that we were all that was left?

Steve Alford - Head coach at Iowa and New Mexico.
Andy Enfield - coached in the NBA with Milwaukee and the Celtics, then to FSU for a few years. And of course just had a high-profile NCAA run of exciting basketball with what can only be described as a trade-school.
Larry Brown - I am not even going to bother.
John Groce - Coached at NC State, Butler, Xavier and Ohio State.
Richard Pitino - Coached at Northeastern, Duquesne, Louisville, Florida then head coach at FIU.

 

[HuskyBballFan]

Steve Alford, Andy Enfield, Larry Brown, John Groce, Richard Pitino.................there are plenty of new guys making it happen just as well as Ollie. and please stop saying we won the recruiting war for Purvis. we did not.

Will Rodney Purvis be wearing a Uconn jersey next year or won't he? Ultimately, that is all that matters.

And LOL at Larry Brown being a "new guy."

 

[upstater]

If we add Robinson to Purvis and Hamilton, the next three signings could be me and my cats and this would still be a great class.

If we end up with Newberry and Colson in addition to the three mentioned above, then this class will be better than great.

Remember, this isn't Kentucky. Ollie is actually building something that matters, not running a conveyor belt.

Nice metaphor there at the end.

 

[djct1999]

Are you certain these coaches took over an elite program with no coaching experience?

Taking over an elite program with a head coach having a 10+ year nba pedigree should help in recruiting not hurt it. UConn and its elite status should be an asset not a liability. In terms of overall experience, both Larry Brown and Steve Alford trump Ollie's coaching resume, Groce slightly ahead, the the others do not. If we truly are elite, we dont rebuild, we reload. To say that Ollie is only in his second year and needs time to build out his resume is not the type of transition elite schools look for. It is this mentality, coupled with where we stand in realignment, that is extremely concerning. To be clear, I do not think that Ollie has failed and we can potentially land a great class. I do worry though, particularly if Robinson goes elsewhere and Hamilton renegs, that this is the start of a very troubling trend. The fact that we lost local kids to VCU and NC State and Providence should not happen to UCONN. If you want to be honest with yourself, look at the history of other elite schools and they all tend to get those kids. Honestly, Kitaman, you know basketball, the last few weeks has to at least have you at the edge of your seat for the next few.

 

[djct1999]

Will Rodney Purvis be wearing a Uconn jersey next year or won't he? Ultimately, that is all that matters.

And LOL at Larry Brown being a "new guy."

Larry Brown, in his second year, at a school called SMU went out and got the second best player in the class. This board, me included, would want a statue of Ollie right next to Calhoun's if he had done that. I am not suggesting Larry Brown is new, but he is rebuilding at a new place. Agreed on Purvis in real terms. But we are discussing recruiting. In terms of recruiting, Purvis chose NC State over us.

 

[upstater]

Steve Alford, Andy Enfield, Larry Brown, John Groce, Richard Pitino.................there are plenty of new guys making it happen just as well as Ollie. and please stop saying we won the recruiting war for Purvis. we did not.

I'm behind the times I guess. Who did Steve Alford grab? I know Enfield got local kid McGlaughlin. Larry Brown is NOT a "new" coach, please. For that matter, Alford isn't either. If Brown were just getting started now at SMU, that never would have happened. Groce seems to me your top example.Not sure at all what Spaghetti legs junior has accomplished.