A lot of prospect decisions in the coming weeks...

[selles]

I will say that the effort put into Clarke/Jones/Mack, if it proves to be fruitless, was effort that could have been used for a head start on a 2016 wing instead. So in that sense, it could turn out that we put a lot of our eggs in the wrong basket if they all go elsewhere.

Good post, well stated. Agree with everything in it except the above. I don't think the Clarke/Jones/Mack recruiting has impacted our recruitment of 2016 wings at all - see Battle, V.J. King, etc. KO has cast a very wide net over multiple classes.

 

[ctchamps]

can't reason with em, seems like the board has been going through the same thing every year. get highly rated prospects, silence, miss on highly rated prospects and you get the same shouts of doom and gloom and how you can't lose prospects to this school and that school...and the program still turns out fine in the short term and in the long term.

This is as much a given as death and taxes! Another given is the first WTF loss and a Boneyard meltdown. I'm not complaining of the Boneyared "givens" They provide me with a feeling of stability in a world filled with so many unknowns.

 

[Fishy]

Adams was the biggest need in the class and that was handled. SE was a nice addition as well - UConn defended its home turf with both.

But it's not a great class.

They've replaced Boatright, but Purvis is likely gone after this season and you imagine Hamilton is gone after next.

Their replacements are in high school right now and ideally, they'd be at UConn next September - one of Briscoe/Mack/Clark/Jones would move the ball way forward. (I find it hard to believe that 2016 will be that much easier when UConn is coming off of a title and opening a new facility right now...as it is, you can already cross off Battle. That's not happening.)

 

[superjohn]

Adams was the biggest need in the class and that was handled. SE was a nice addition as well - UConn defended its home turf with both.

But it's not a great class.

They've replaced Boatright, but Purvis is likely gone after this season and you imagine Hamilton is gone after next.

Their replacements are in high school right now and ideally, they'd be at UConn next September - one of Briscoe/Mack/Clark/Jones would move the ball way forward. (I find it hard to believe that 2016 will be that much easier when UConn is coming off of a title and opening a new facility right now...as it is, you can already cross off Battle. That's not happening.)

A lot of Purvis is gone after this year talk, that would really surprise me.

 

[8893]

Seems to me that we've done okay with classes less impressive as recruits than the "not a great class" we've got lined up already for next season. I'll take the results and leave the angsturbation to you guys.

I'll stay busy with the food threads until we have games to talk about; this recruiting stuff has proven to be a less productive waste of time than Facebook is. At least with the food threads you get useful information. Fretting about recruits is about as useless as it gets.

 

[intlzncster]

can't reason with em, seems like the board has been going through the same thing every year. get highly rated prospects, silence, miss on highly rated prospects and you get the same shouts of doom and gloom and how you can't lose prospects to this school and that school...and the program still turns out fine in the short term and in the long term.

Also, most schools (not named UK and Duke) miss out on most highly rated prospects....because there isn't all that many of them. That's the funny bit.

 

[GemParty]

That's just it though, we've already closed two sales.

Very true, & the two we landed are very high level talent. I just want to see Ollie, round out the class.

 

[sawxfan23]

Honestly I think that we miss on all of them. I think that Mack is going to end up at UGA, Stone at Wisconsin, and Clarke at Va Tech.

 

[superjohn]

What's with all the pissing and moaning about recruiting the past 2 days?

 

[Walker11]

We should be a top 20 this year and absolutely loaded next year, even if we go 0-5. The recruiting misses could rear their head the following year when we have Adams, Cassell JR, Enoch, Samuel, Facey and Lubin but even this core may be great.

I won't panic about recruiting because so much can go right in that time frame, from player development, to hidden gems, to landing an elite '16 kid. But I do understand some concern and I believe this stems from a desire to take the leap from having championship quality teams every several years to every single year. We can't expect these unbelievable championship runs and I think everyone would like to make the jump to being a perennial top 5 team. Recruiting for these next 2-3 years will have a lot to say about which direction we head in.

 

[BearJWS]

Their replacements are in high school right now and ideally, they'd be at UConn next September - one of Briscoe/Mack/Clark/Jones would move the ball way forward. (I find it hard to believe that 2016 will be that much easier when UConn is coming off of a title and opening a new facility right now...as it is, you can already cross off Battle. That's not happening.)

I've been biting my tongue on Battle. His father (Gary) worked for my company for a # of years. I had to work with him on certain customers, on numerous occasions in the past. He was the ultimate salesman. Yes, he was actually a salesman, but not a bad guy in the grand scheme of things. But Gary could talk, talk , talk! He's all about the sale. I wish some of the Tyus stories incorporated some of Tyus's input, but it's all Gary speaking from what I've read (over protective father?). That said, Gary knows basketball. He was a Division II All American at UNH (New Haven) in the late 80's/early 90's. He was in training camp with the Pistons back in the day & has done some basketball camps, so he knows his Sh'it. I just get the feeling he's trying to fulfill his NBA aspirations on his son. If Tyus doesn't end up at KenSucky or Puke, I'd be highly surprised.

Now Tyus is a great prospect, in his own right. I'm sure he's learned a lot from his father. His rating is definitely justified (shot, size & athleticism). Tyus can definitely shoot the ball at an elite level... but he ain't coming to UConn.

 

[David 76]

I thought one of our top needs was a center.

You can't judge our recruiting until it is over. We could still have our best year ever.
I have some thoughts on how it looks if we "only' get Adams & Enoch. But I'll wait until we see what happens before chiming in because everything could still be under control.

 

[champs99and04]

While it would be unfortunate to miss out on the trio of wings we've been after for a while now, I'm not so sure it amounts to anything other than a temporary inconvenience. In light of the national title run, the apprehensions we've heard from recruits are mostly the sort of circumstantial variables (location, playing time, who was on them first, etc.) that all elite programs have to deal with. It's certainly not an indictment on the program as a whole to lose out to lesser schools when a recruit is more comfortable there for whatever reason. Moreover, while we're already bracing for the departures of D-Ham and Purvis (I'm skeptical that both are gone come 2017), kids like Clarke and Mack view them as long-term barriers to playing time. It may just be that we're better off rolling with Enoch, Adams, and whoever else in 2015 and pushing our chips to the center for a wing in 2016.

 

[intlzncster]

Honestly I think that we miss on all of them. I think that Mack is going to end up at UGA, Stone at Wisconsin, and Clarke at Va Tech.

That's the spirit.

And where are Jones and Briscoe going?

 

[Fishy]

That's the spirit.

And where are Jones and Briscoe going?

I think Briscoe is going to St. John's - he was there again today.

Kentucky is not quite all in on him for some reason.

 

[chapwilvaug72]

purv has mucho work to do

he could very well do the bazz & get degree before advancing to next level whatever next level encompasses for him

bone rattling about him jumping after this yr-pipe dream

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Seems to me that we've done okay with classes less impressive as recruits than the "not a great class" we've got lined up already for next season. I'll take the results and leave the angsturbation to you guys.

I'll stay busy with the food threads until we have games to talk about; this recruiting stuff has proven to be a less productive waste of time than Facebook is. At least with the food threads you get useful information. Fretting about recruits is about as useless as it gets.

I followed my curiosity to Mike's Apizza in West Haven last week and liked my sausage & broccoli rabe test pie enough to go back on Sunday to soak in the bar crowd bemoaning the Giants in the 4th quarter at Dallas. Bacon wasn't the right topping, but I liked the crust again. It might be my reigning favorite west of the West River, and maybe next time I'll try a white.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

I thought one of our top needs was a center.

You can't judge our recruiting until it is over. We could still have our best year ever.
I have some thoughts on how it looks if we "only' get Adams & Enoch. But I'll wait until we see what happens before chiming in because everything could still be under control.

Enoch is a growing boy ,he just might grow enough to replace ,Brimah.

 

[David 76]

Do you think Enoch wants to grow up to be a center? I don't know but I think not.

 

[Jay-Bone]

Good post, well stated. Agree with everything in it except the above. I don't think the Clarke/Jones/Mack recruiting has impacted our recruitment of 2016 wings at all - see Battle, V.J. King, etc. KO has cast a very wide net over multiple classes.

Yeah, I wouldn't worry about '16 yet. See Mario Kegler, Vance Jackson as well.

 

[Dmike]

End of the day, If Stone does his visit, KO will have gotten officials from Adams, Enoch, Clarke, and Briscoe. Jones has done an unofficial visit. We are still in this with all of the above recruits and landed Adams and Enoch. Let's not cry "doomed" for this year on these recruiting battles until we've actually lost them. I for one am feeling pretty good right now and will be exstatic if we land any more of the above recruits.