2026 Recruiting: Abdou Toure update from aaron torres

[auror]

Plus, Kim English really, really, needs a win to sell to the fanbase so he will probably open up the bank to Toure. FWIW, I think English is a solid coach, but was absolutely snake bitten by the Bryce Hopkins situation.

What evidence is there that English is a solid coach?

 

[FfldCntyFan]

PC is willing to overpay for a kid because it will boost the credibility of their program. We are not overpaying for anyone.

It would boost credibility and it would create a tremendous amount of goodwill from their fanbase by allowing them to say they went head to head with us for a kid in our state and won the recruiting battle.

 

[djct1999]

It would boost credibility and it would create a tremendous amount of goodwill from their fanbase by allowing them to say they went head to head with us for a kid in our state and won the recruiting battle.

Seems like something you care about far more than our staff does.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Seems like something you care about far more than our staff does.

Don't care about it one iota, just making an observation.

 

[REB1094]

What evidence is there that English is a solid coach?

His head coaching record is 34-29 at George Mason and 33-34 at Providence. He has a 9th place and 5th place finish on the A10, and a 6th place and 8th place finish in the BE. 1 NIT appearance (0-1)

Coming up on year 3 in Providence. He HAS to show improvement. Maybe getting a top 2026 recruit can extend his shelf life if he doesn’t have a good year this year. I’d assume his ceiling in the BE this year is 5th place

 

[gsmooth]

What evidence is there that English is a solid coach?

I would say his 2024 season was good and PC would have made the NCAAT and should've despite some of the bid stealers in the conference tournaments such as NC State and others. Navigating that season the way he did with the Bryce Hopkins injury was difficult stuff and he did a good job. I also like some of his Xs and Os game planning with the 2025 game at Gampel coming to mind (even though he lost) and the 2024 BET game against Creighton (which PC won). Last year, wasn't his best stuff because of the constant injury bug and because his roster lacked depth, which is his fault. He depended too much on former George Mason players that he coached.

Having said all of that, I know his time at George Mason wasn't great and PC hired him as the "break the glass in case of emergency" choice. This year is put up or shut up for him and I think he will sell out to get Toure for this reason.

 

[RuffRuff]

It would boost credibility and it would create a tremendous amount of goodwill from their fanbase by allowing them to say they went head to head with us for a kid in our state and won the recruiting battle.

We aren't going head to head. They are prioritizing and willing to pay up for a 35thish ranked recruit, we are not. I don't think the Friar fans even think that they have a leg to stand on other than $$. I'm not sure this would be a storyline if he wasn't in-state.

Some here like him because he's a great athlete - could put his name in the draft on potential alone before he can contribute at the college level.

It really feels like the pool is pretty small this year right now.

Hard targets:
Mingo
Cloer
County

Secondary targets:
Howard
Samuels
Landrew
Toure

Not a super big group. Anyone missing?

 

[auror]

We aren't going head to head. They are prioritizing and willing to pay up for a 35thish ranked recruit, we are not. I don't think the Friar fans even think that they have a leg to stand on other than $$. I'm not sure this would be a storyline if he wasn't in-state.

Some here like him because he's a great athlete - could put his name in the draft on potential alone before he can contribute at the college level.

It really feels like the pool is pretty small this year right now.

Hard targets:
Mingo
Cloer
County

Secondary targets:
Howard
Samuels
Landrew
Toure

Not a super big group. Anyone missing?

Nobody missing, but you can cross out Howard.

 

[gsmooth]

We aren't going head to head. They are prioritizing and willing to pay up for a 35thish ranked recruit, we are not. I don't think the Friar fans even think that they have a leg to stand on other than $$. I'm not sure this would be a storyline if he wasn't in-state.

Some here like him because he's a great athlete - could put his name in the draft on potential alone before he can contribute at the college level.

It really feels like the pool is pretty small this year right now.

Hard targets:
Mingo
Cloer
County

Secondary targets:
Howard
Samuels
Landrew
Toure

Not a super big group. Anyone missing?

That's true UConn isn't going head to head with PC for Toure per se and Dan Hurley won't care all that much if he does go to PC if PC pays an exorbitant amount for him that is well beyond what Hurley and staff are willing to pay Toure. I think it's more a perception thing where PC fans can feel like they beat out the big brother Big East school in New England for Toure and English can sell that to the PC admin which might buy him another year of employment beyond this year.

As for the small group of high school recruits you listed, that looks complete AFAIK. This is the new normal and the mantra P6 schools have and tell recruits ranked 50-100, you need not apply and we ain't coming after you, go to the mid majors and get your experience and training and after that will recruit you in the transfer portal. Mid majors are the "minor league" farm teams for the P6 as many on here have said. Rick Pitino has outright said it-he is not interested in high school recruits.

 

[bendm]

Hard targets:
Mingo
Cloer
County

Secondary targets:
Howard
Samuels
Landrew
Toure

So going after a PG and a Wing:

PG
1. Mingo
2. County

Wing
1. Cloer
2. Landrew
3. Toure/Samuels

 

[KingAG]

So going after a PG and a Wing:

PG
1. Mingo
2. County

Wing
1. Cloer
2. Landrew
3. Toure/Samuels

I think we’d take 2 wings. Ball, Karaban, and Mullins are all possible departures

 

[RuffRuff]

Yeah really think this if we go get two higher rated recruits? Silly. At this point PC is so beneath us there is nothing going on.

That's true UConn isn't going head to head with PC for Toure per se and Dan Hurley won't care all that much if he does go to PC if PC pays an exorbitant amount for him that is well beyond what Hurley and staff are willing to pay Toure. I think it's more a perception thing where PC fans can feel like they beat out the big brother Big East school in New England for Toure and English can sell that to the PC admin which might buy him another year of employment beyond this year.

As for the small group of high school recruits you listed, that looks complete AFAIK. This is the new normal and the mantra P6 schools have and tell recruits ranked 50-100, you need not apply and we ain't coming after you, go to the mid majors and get your experience and training and after that will recruit you in the transfer portal. Mid majors are the "minor league" farm teams for the P6 as many on here have said. Rick Pitino has outright said it-he is not interested in high school recruits.

t

 

[HW611]

Who was the last New Haven County kid that went to UConn? There is a real disconnect to the program in that part of the state. I've lived there my whole life. Up until the back to back titles you'd be hard pressed to find a handful of people even talking about UConn basketball. Kids that grow up there aren't' in love with the program. He was never coming here unless we over paid.

It’s the whole state (or Hartford area) too. I talked about it in the other Toure thread.

 

[RuffRuff]

It’s the whole state (or Hartford area) too. I talked about it in the other Toure thread.

Program is bigger than keeping in state kids at this point. Who is the last CT player to get to a final 4 non UConn?

 

[HW611]

Program is bigger than keeping in state kids at this point. Who is the last CT player to get to a final 4 non UConn?

I don’t know why this has to continue to be the response. It’s been acknowledged by everyone that our program doesn’t need in state kids multiple times.

It’s just an observation of how in state kids weirdly view our program it seems.

 

[Northbound]

What New Haven kids are we even talking about? What kids out of New Haven went to high major after Earl Kelley? Scott Burrell? Are we really only talking about Tremont Waters here?

My man Earl, the bedt!

 

[bendm]

I think we’d take 2 wings. Ball, Karaban, and Mullins are all possible departures

If it’s landrew sure otherwise Id prefer to see how the season goes and if we lose Mullins and Ball then we go after a transfer:
Demary / Mingo / Transfer / Stew / Transfer
Transfer / Furphy / Ross / Cloer / Reibe

 

[ec33]

So going after a PG and a Wing:

PG
1. Mingo
2. County

Wing
1. Cloer
2. Landrew
3. Toure/Samuels

Very possible. The 3 talk goes back to a potential center to replace Reed.

But I'm in the "they will be flexible for the right guy" camp.

 

[TheHorde]

The word on the street is exactly the opposite - that he think his value is far more than the Uconn staff sees. Not sure why any of us get raptured by a kid we've never seen live, just because he's local. They're going to put their budget where they think they'll get the most value back. If 3 years from now, he's leading Arkansas to an NC, then we can question it. Until then, I'm 100% trusting the staff.

Cal win 6 games in the tourney? Pfffft

 

[navery12]

Very possible. The 3 talk goes back to a potential center to replace Reed.

But I'm in the "they will be flexible for the right guy" camp.

A transfer always made more sense to replace Reed, right now we don't know if we need a starter in front of Reibe or a backup behind him

 

[lateralous]

If it’s landrew sure otherwise Id prefer to see how the season goes and if we lose Mullins and Ball then we go after a transfer:
Demary / Mingo / Transfer / Stew / Transfer
Transfer / Furphy / Ross / Cloer / Reibe

I would hope Reibe is ready to start his sophomore year

 

[bendm]

I would hope Reibe is ready to start his sophomore year

Doesn’t matter to me if he starts as a sophomore or junior. Samson and Reed didn’t start until they were seniors.

 

[RuffRuff]

I would hope Reibe is ready to start his sophomore year

You'd have to think it's a shoe-in. You don't bring in a McD AA 5 not to start by sophomore year.

 

[ec33]

A transfer always made more sense to replace Reed, right now we don't know if we need a starter in front of Reibe or a backup behind him

The point was that there has been talk of accepting 3 incoming freshman to match the 3 exits. I think people are missing that one of the exits is Reed so that 3rd commitment was a center. No center, no 3rd freshman. Just two -- with Mingo and Cloer being Option A.

 

[bendm]

You'd have to think it's a shoe-in. You don't bring in a McD AA 5 not to start by sophomore year.

He was a 4* in the 247 rankings and in the composite, but bringing in another C via the transfer portal provides flexibility whether Reibe lives up to the projections or not.

 

[navery12]

The point was that there has been talk of accepting 3 incoming freshman to match the 3 exits. I think people are missing that one of the exits is Reed so that 3rd commitment was a center. No center, no 3rd freshman. Just two -- with Mingo and Cloer being Option A.

Except if you look at who we're recruiting and watching it doesn't match that logic. We're not recruiting any big men at this point other than Keita, and even that's a quiet recruitment. Even ignoring Reed we'll likely have more than 3 exits with Karaban, Smith, Ball, Mullins

 

[ec33]

Except if you look at who we're recruiting and watching it doesn't match that logic. We're not recruiting any big men at this point other than Keita, and even that's a quiet recruitment. Even ignoring Reed we'll likely have more than 3 exits with Karaban, Smith, Ball, Mullins

At the point of the "taking 3" idea was first noted (early in the summer), UConn still had center prospects they were interested in.

And the taking 3 was based on Smith, AK, and Reed leaving so there are 3 rotation spots open. If Dan Hurley knows he is filling one rotation spot with a transfer, he now only has two opening in the rotation.

 

[navery12]

At the point of the "taking 3" idea was first noted (early in the summer), UConn still had center prospects they were interested in.

And the taking 3 was based on Smith, AK, and Reed leaving so there are 3 rotation spots open. If Dan Hurley knows he is filling one rotation spot with a transfer, he now only has two opening in the rotation.

That's just not how it works, at all. Besides the fact that there's going to be more than 3 rotation spots opening up

 

[ec33]

That's just not how it works, at all. Besides the fact that there's going to be more than 3 rotation spots opening up

The goal at the beginning that they did not want to repeat of Adams situation. So that would be how it works to meet that goal (the comings must match the goings).

It is possible that Hurley has a high level of confidence that either Mullins or Ball is going pro (or that there is a transfer that will be coming from a "rotational" player because they aren't actually fit for the role of being a "rotational player" on the next roster).

Either that or Dan Hurley no longer cares about meeting that goal and is willing to force players out.

 

[navery12]

The goal at the beginning that they did not want to repeat of Adams situation. So that would be how it works to meet that goal (the comings must match the goings).

It is possible that Hurley has a high level of confidence that either Mullins or Ball is going pro (or that there is a transfer that will be coming from a "rotational" player because they aren't actually fit for the role of being a "rotational player" on the next roster).

Either that or Dan Hurley no longer cares about meeting that goal and is willing to force players out.

Or maybe that Dan Hurley has been talking about Braylon Mullins being one and done since before he even committed here.

The Adams situation you reference is exactly why I'm saying they weren't ever just targeting a blanket big man to replace Reed no matter what. They got into the Adams situation because none of the PGs on the roster were good enough and they had to hit the portal for day 1 contributors. The parallel would be bringing in a big man like Tristan Reed, finding out Reibe isn't ready to start as a sophomore and then needing to hit the portal for a starter in the spring