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

[diggerfoot]

I agree and I have said countless times the sky hasn't fallen yet. I would be thrilled with that class. I do find , however, this simple complacent trust that things will be fine infuriating. Haven't we learned our lesson? We all shared that same attitude in thinking we were a lock for the next invite to the ACC. We all know how that ended so if we can continue to think like this.....well, you know.

Please don't take this personally, because this can be said about many posters in regards to many topics. You've acknowledged both causes for concern and hope over matters we cannot affect, which means the debate is not whether one or the other only applies, or what we should do about it. Your assertion, similar to many on the Boneyard and Internet in general, is that we should choose concern when there is a choice in the matter. Perhaps you think it is better to be in a negative frame of mind ahead of time to lessen the shock of disappointment later on. The trouble with that strategy is that disappointment still comes as hard, perhaps even harder, to those who have prepared themselves negatively rather than positively in advance. Thus in reality you ... and many others on the Boneyard/Internet ... find it "infuriating" that others choose a route better for overall mental health.

 

[caw]

He committed to another school and our main competition backed off. Don't get me wrong, it's an awesome get and great piece of recruiting. But the circumstances to me make it a bit of a one-off. Now I know JC got some great gets in a similar fashion. But he was coaching a top team in the top league when he did so. KO is doing a great job. We can't hope for anyone better. But losing straight-up battles to who we are losing to is disheartening.

I will echo the huh?

Hamilton never verballed anywhere. As for main competition. It was UTEP before Isaac decommitted, Daniel verballed to UConn before then. UTEP never backed off, they kept recruiting him after his verbal to UConn and at least up until Isaac decommitted. USC and UCLA are still after him also. Now he may deserve an asterisk if you think he may switch to UCLA, but I'm pretty sure he won't.

 

[Waquoit]

I think he's saying some school backed off dham, therefore it doesn't really count that Ollie signed him... Haha. anyway, it wasn't easy for purvis to leave nc and come here, I'm sure it had to do with the effort Ollie put in back when he was in hs. honestly the fact that people are complaining is kind of insane. They're also the same people who think our freshman aren't d1 caliber.

It's not complaining and of course it counts and the guy looks great. And now I remember that while Hamilton did not commit, other schools assumed he would and backed off, giving us the opportunity. What I think is insane is the feeling that "all is well" and "and this is the same as when JC was the coach". It's not and it isn't. What good is posting these feelings? I don't know. What good is posting anything, why do we even have a board if not to give and respond to opinions?

 

[James]

It's not complaining and of course it counts and the guy looks great. And now I remember that while Hamilton did not commit, other schools assumed he would and backed off, giving us the opportunity. What I think is insane is the feeling that "all is well" and "and this is the same as when JC was the coach". It's not and it isn't. What good is posting these feelings? I don't know. What good is posting anything, why do we even have a board if not to give and respond to opinions?

Don't you think youre being a little impatient? this isn't the JC era of recruiting you can't compare the two. we have an overload of information and updates that weren't available before.

 

[HuskyBballFan]

What I think is insane is the feeling that "all is well" and "and this is the same as when JC was the coach". It's not and it isn't. What good is posting these feelings? I don't know. What good is posting anything, why do we even have a board if not to give and respond to opinions?

Again, we are one player away from a class that pretty much looks exactly "the same as when JC was coach." And Ollie will be in his living room later today.

 

[Gurleyman]

It's not complaining and of course it counts and the guy looks great. And now I remember that while Hamilton did not commit, other schools assumed he would and backed off, giving us the opportunity. What I think is insane is the feeling that "all is well" and "and this is the same as when JC was the coach". It's not and it isn't. What good is posting these feelings? I don't know. What good is posting anything, why do we even have a board if not to give and respond to opinions?

Why do you think this is different than the JC era? We never had more than two McD's guys at the same time in those 25 years. We won title 1 with an unrated center and a point guard who decommitted from Minnesota that we signed last minute. We won title 2 with a low rated spring signing at center after we lost guys to Arizona and Cal in the fall, and a 2-guard who was our Plan B after the higher rated Kelvin Torbert went to Michigan State (and if Duke had offered Gordon, we don't get him). Plus CV was a spring signing from out of the blue after he decommitted from Illinois. Title 3 was won with a group of freshmen that was considered a disastrous class, led by a point guard who was our Plan B (and a back up point guard who reclassified after we whiffed on all of our top targets).

Larrier is probably the first time we lost someone to a mid-major, but we recruited him so late that it is hard to put much weight on that. Larrier stayed loyal to the program he favored all along - some kids do that. Even so, Hamilton and Purvis is an outstanding nucleus of two top-20 guys. If we don't get a couple other guys rated lower around #50, meh - we move on. Like we always have.

I do agree there is some uncertainty moving forward - Ollie is still relatively new to this and our league is a bit of a handicap. Had we not gotten two top 20 guys already, there would be cause for concern, and we will probably need a blue-chipper or two in 2015 (especially if Facey has lingering issues). But I like our team right now for the next two years.

 

[upstater]

Larrier is probably the first time we lost someone to a mid-major, but we recruited him so late that it is hard to put much weight on that. Larrier stayed loyal to the program he favored all along - some kids do that. Even so, Hamilton and Purvis is an outstanding nucleus of two top-20 guys. If we don't get a couple other guys rated lower around #50, meh - we move on. Like we always have.

Larrier had other major offers as well. It's not like UConn was his only offer, and judging by his interview, UConn was nowhere even close to landing him. He wanted VCU over all others.

 

[aceboon]

Larrier had other major offers as well. It's not like UConn was his only offer, and judging by his interview, UConn was nowhere even close to landing him. He wanted VCU over all others.

Had Florida after him as well, they have 2 high commits for '14 just like us and have swung on and missed on a number of kids because they have a wide net just like UConn. Larrier, Abu, Black, and there are probably more I'm not aware of, yet no one is signaling the demise of their basketball program.

 

[Palatine]

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.

That's a little disingenuous, I mean, he just took over a program that has won 3 of the last 13 NC's. Shouldn't we expect to do a little better than a half full glass?

 

[IMind]

Everything old is new again... I had to sit through years of posts about how Calhoun should retire and he couldn't recruit anymore... all while pulling in better recruiting classes than he ever did when he was younger... now I have to listen to whining about Ollie not recruiting well when he's got two 5 stars already in the class... (Purvis counted. He couldn't have transfered anywhere. He chose UConn.) all while being at a recruiting disadvantage due to NCAA sactions.

Of course if you point out that Ollie is at a disadvantage, or that he's pulled in some good kids, or that we've never had kids this good this early, or there's a log jam at a position... then you're told that you're not a realist or you're a homer.

Some people are just never happy.

 

[Gurleyman]

Trying to remember the era between our first two titles. If you recall, we missed on pretty much every quality big we went after. Brandon Bass went to LSU, Ike Diogu to Arizona State, Jamal Sampson to Cal, Isaiah Fox to Arizona. A couple more Im probably forgetting. We ended up bringing in two JuCos (Selvie, Hayes), a low-rated Marcus White, an unrated Hilton Armstrong (who decommitted from La Salle), a low-rated late bloomer in Josh Boone, and two spring signings we lucked out on (Okafor in the sense that we were lucky a totally underrated guy like that was still available, CV we were lucky that he decommitted). If you went by recruiting rankings, those classes were disasters (at least until CV came on board).

 

[SixRings]

We are vulnerable and have a small sense of inferiority because of many outside influences. The fact that we are living in the AAC is foremost and is much more our own psychological problem on this board than it is to KO recruiting. The second influence is the failure aka as Pasqualoni (I say things to myself like “I just wiped my Pasqualoni”). Most likely we will be 0-3 Saturday night and that hurts. But probably doesn’t hurt KO on the recruiting trail, but certainly doesn’t help like it could if there was some excitement around the FB program. Losing Larrier to VCU isn’t a negative like losing to a normal mid-major. SS is a good, proven coach and he will get some top recruits and VCU has some history. If anything it emphasizes that conference affiliation means little to players. It seems that every year is a pivotal year that could either bring us back to the top with Duke, UNC, etc. or send us rocketing down to oblivion. This is a solid team this year on the court and they are going to be fun to watch. I believe in KO long-term and am confident he can win a NC here. But outside of injuries or arrests it’s too late for anything to screw this season up. They will be good and probably very good. That’s all KO needs is this year to be a success and he is on his way. Kids will want to play for KO. Now, he must really be a good coach this year.

 

[upstater]

Trying to remember the era between our first two titles. If you recall, we missed on pretty much every quality big we went after. Brandon Bass went to LSU, Ike Diogu to Arizona State, Jamal Sampson to Cal, Isaiah Fox to Arizona. A couple more Im probably forgetting. We ended up bringing in two JuCos (Selvie, Hayes), a low-rated Marcus White, an unrated Hilton Armstrong (who decommitted from La Salle), a low-rated late bloomer in Josh Boone, and two spring signings we lucked out on (Okafor in the sense that we were lucky a totally underrated guy like that was still available, CV we were lucky that he decommitted). If you went by recruiting rankings, those classes were disasters (at least until CV came on board).

The same thing happened between the second and third titles as well. Deon Thompson, Alex Stepheson, Greg Monroe, Samardo Samuels, Ed Davis, Erik Murphy were all recruiting losses. The three who manned the fort because of these losses were Jeff Adrien, Hasheem Thabeet and Alex Oriakhi (with help from Okwandu).

 

[HooperScooper]

UConn's recruiting has always been like this. It's a tough thing to follow since there are way more disappointments than players landed. And there are always twists and turns. We'll be fine. Trust me.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

For some reason the normally rational members here really don't get it. A large majority of the sports world views Connecticut as a one coach team. I know this isn't true as I pedate JC.
Connecticut was a huge opportunity for him as well as a Godsend for us. He wouldn't have taken the job if it wasn't.
The fact that were are no longer in a super conference doesn't help.The post season ban and JC retirement have put KO at a disadvantage. We have also lost some access to NYC.
This perception will go away with a very successful 2013-2014 season. As last year we were under the radar.
Using our reputation will not work for us until this happens.
Its a Rep. easily countered by our competition.
We have the exposure and a good if not deep team.
If we can stay healthy this negative will become a positive.
A little Huskie Mania will seal the deal.

 

[pj]

Some people on this thread should be evaluated for schizophrenia and depression. A few months without a commit and they fall into despair. We're on track for a terrific recruiting class -- just DHam and Purvis is an excellent class. Even if you only fill out the rest of the class with practice players, we'll have an outstanding starting lineup. If Devin Robinson joins them, we'll have one of the best classes in UConn history.

We also have a very promising team this year, a team that can go deep in the NCAAs and win 30 games. Boat, Bazz, Calhoun, Giffey, Daniels -- that's an awesome five guys for the 1 through 4 spots. As long as Nolan, Facey, Brimah develop, and they'll have plenty of playing time and coaching to find their roles, this will be an excellent team.

Finally, we're in good with a number of 2015 recruits. If the roster ends up with a few holes after this class, that's OK; with no recruiting restrictions Ollie will be recruiting on equal terms for the first time, as recruits see as having a breakout year -- and they will see us, we're on national TV 16 times, probably the most in UConn history -- we're going to have a fantastic class in 2015.

I'm more optimistic about UConn basketball than I have been since the mid-2000s, when Jim Calhoun started looking tired, sick, and crotchety. Just watch everyone. Basketball is going to be fun, fun, fun!

 

[upstater]

I just want to see the team win a lot of games this year. I hope Facey can play. Make a deal for 3 years, start your career this year. For heaven's sake.

I'll enjoy watching Napier and Daniels especially get back on the court on November 8th against the team I hate fourth most (1. Syracuse, 2. Kentucky, 3. Duke) in college basketball.

 

[ZenConn]

History shows we only need 2 McD AA to win a championship. We'll have it in Purvis and likely Hamilton next year.

We'll be just fine.

 

[ctchamps]

I'm not bothered by two or three nervous posters and the recent recruiting misses. I'm optimistic about the future because KO has validated my initial opinion of him as being the next great UConn men's bb coach both on the court with game management, how players developed over the season, and now with recruiting.

Getting Purvis and DHam early was a bonus for the staff. It allowed them to swing for the fences. They could have taken a safer approach and targeted less highly ranked kids. But why. That option was/is always available.

The fact that UConn was in the discussion with so many recruits is a net positive in my opinion even with the misses. It keeps UConn relevant. The name UConn means nothing if the coaches can't deliver. Just look at UConn's football program and how quickly it fell from a BCS bowl bid. Or Indiana after BK. The AAU coaches are aware of KO and what he has done in his short tenure as coach. Otherwise they would not have even considered UConn. They would lose credibility with current players on their rosters.

KO is way ahead in making a case for UConn being a program and not a one coach sport. With a little luck, no injuries, and some further development of a few key players, this year will be a wonderful ride and things will remain bright for many years to come.

One additional point. On the football forum freescooter readily admitted he was wrong about PP and KO. Of course that was before the Shaka coup of TL, but I thought it was interesting.

 

[caw]

I'm not bothered by two or three nervous posters and the recent recruiting misses. I'm optimistic about the future because KO has validated my initial opinion of him as being the next great UConn men's bb coach both on the court with game management, how players developed over the season, and now with recruiting.

Getting Purvis and DHam early was a bonus for the staff. It allowed them to swing for the fences. They could have taken a safer approach and targeted less highly ranked kids. But why. That option was/is always available.

The fact that UConn was in the discussion with so many recruits is a net positive in my opinion even with the misses. It keeps UConn relevant. The name UConn means nothing if the coaches can't deliver. Just look at UConn's football program and how quickly it fell from a BCS bowl bid. Or Indiana after BK. The AAU coaches are aware of KO and what he has done in his short tenure as coach. Otherwise they would not have even considered UConn. They would lose credibility with current players on their rosters.

KO is way ahead in making a case for UConn being a program and not a one coach sport. With a little luck, no injuries, and some further development of a few key players, this year will be a wonderful ride and things will remain bright for many years to come.

One additional point. On the football forum freescooter readily admitted he was wrong about PP and KO. Of course that was before the Shaka coup of TL, but I thought it was interesting.

Yes, but I think KO would have swung for the fences anyway. I mean Hamilton and Purvis were home run swings.

 

[Waquoit]

Yes, but I think KO would have swung for the fences anyway. I mean Hamilton and Purvis were home run swings.

They certainly were. That's why I can't wrap my head around the fact that these other guys aren't interested in being part of what could be a Top 10 team.

 

[ctchamps]

They certainly were. That's why I can't wrap my head around the fact that these other guys aren't interested in being part of what could be a Top 10 team.

Just a set of odd circumstances that didn't go UConn's way.

Chuckwa was guided to a Catholic school.
Terry wanted to leave the tristate area and UConn was late to his recruiting.
Snider saw a potential logjam at his position. Why leave Ville for the same thing?

UConn threw in its hat very late with White.

The only head scratcher was Abu. And it could have been a combo of things from an AAU coach who could be less than above board to Abu felt NCS ran a system that would feature him better than UConn would particularly with Purvis, OC and DHam in the fold.

 

[mauconnfan]

Jim Calhoun signed only one top 20 recruit as early as this in his entire career*. Think about that.

*Alex Oriakhi.

And look how that turned out!! .....or shall I say "turned on him"!!