2026 Recruiting: Abdou Toure update from aaron torres

[superjohn]

Yeah, I am going to trust the staff here. Have you ever seen him live? He does not fit the profile of a Danny recruit and it doesn’t take long to realize he wouldn’t have seen the floor anywhere near the time Toure himself would have expected. If he wasn’t local, he would never have been on this staff’s radar.

I've watched a bunch of his high school and AAU games over several years.

I don't believe there is a particular profile of a Hurley recruit.

 

[RuffRuff]

Yeah, I am going to trust the staff here. Have you ever seen him live? He does not fit the profile of a Danny recruit and it doesn’t take long to realize he wouldn’t have seen the floor anywhere near the time Toure himself would have expected. If he wasn’t local, he would never have been on this staff’s radar.

Well said, perfectly put. It’s like some posters think they have a better eye for talent than Hurley and staff.

 

[superjohn]

Well said, perfectly put. It’s like some posters think they have a better eye for talent than Hurley and staff.

Not at all but they aren't right about every kid and fit. You've probably posted over one hundred times about how they got it all wrong with Mahaney, how they were starting the wrong guys etc.

This idea that there is only one profile who can play in this system or that we need clones of the 2024 team is silly.

 

[Mike Honcho]

Well said, perfectly put. It’s like some posters think they have a better eye for talent than Hurley and staff.

Y'all out here acting like Hurley and Kimani weren't in to see Toure at his high school gym three weeks ago.

 

[Huskyforlife]

Y'all out here acting like Hurley and Kimani weren't in to see Toure at his high school gym three weeks ago.

this is the part of the conversation confusing me the most. It’s not like we lost interest or backed off, we literally just went to see him as you posted. It’s also strange people keep saying he wasn’t interested, we made his top 3 and he visited us multiple times.

If he goes elsewhere, so be it. But I’m not buying any of these rumors or narratives people are throwing out. It’s probably just NIL.

 

[KingAG]

this is the part of the conversation confusing me the most. It’s not like we lost interest or backed off, we literally just went to see him as you posted. It’s also strange people keep saying he wasn’t interested, we made his top 3 and he visited us multiple times.

If he goes elsewhere, so be it. But I’m not buying any of these rumors or narratives people are throwing out. It’s probably just NIL.

He was interested. Just not as interested as some were led to believe. What I was told matches the staff still being interested. Both might be true. Neither side was each others number one choice.

 

[navery12]

Since when is mid 30s not good enough lol

I think the point is that passing up on a mid 30s recruit for Samuels or Landrew who are also top 30 recruits isn't crazy. Nothing wrong with preferring Toure, but also don't think it's crazy if the staff preferred a different top 30 wing

 

[HW611]

I think the point is that passing up on a mid 30s recruit for Samuels or Landrew who are also top 30 recruits isn't crazy. Nothing wrong with preferring Toure, but also don't think it's crazy if the staff preferred a different top 30 wing

I agree it’s not a huge deal (even though Toure is probably my favorite of the group).

I’m not sure if the staff preferred someone else or if it’s one of those value for what you’re spending situations that Hurley talked about in his press conference.

Like huskyforlife said they just went and saw him 3 weeks ago so it’s not like we weren’t in hot pursuit. If Toure is (hypothetically) asking for 1M but the other two are asking for 750k and they’re in similar ranges talent wise , I could see the staff prioritizing others. Not because of talent or on the court reasons though.

 

[david]

Yeah, I am going to trust the staff here. Have you ever seen him live? He does not fit the profile of a Danny recruit and it doesn’t take long to realize he wouldn’t have seen the floor anywhere near the time Toure himself would have expected. If he wasn’t local, he would never have been on this staff’s radar.

College basketball is about stars and roleplayers and Toure could be an incredible defensive wing. Even with no development offensively, he could still contribute to a winning team just based on his defensive potential.

He is an asset to many, many college programs out there, including UConn. If I was on the coaching staff I'd say he's worth 250-300k as a developmental piece and would try to develop him similarly to Ajax. Seems like the free market has spoken and Arkansas thinks he's worth well north of that.

 

[Huskyforlife]

The funniest outcome ever would be if he decides to commit here at the last second,

 

[husky429]

The funniest outcome ever would be if he decides to commit here at the last second,

I will pull a 611 and bring receipts

 

[StllH8L8ner]

The boneyard source off!

ND of WH students arriving to give intel on another 17 year-old’s recruiting leans…

 

[Kitaman]

Y'all out here acting like Hurley and Kimani weren't in to see Toure at his high school gym three weeks ago.

Nah they actin like Hurley don't want him.

 

[RuffRuff]

College basketball is about stars and roleplayers and Toure could be an incredible defensive wing. Even with no development offensively, he could still contribute to a winning team just based on his defensive potential.

He is an asset to many, many college programs out there, including UConn. If I was on the coaching staff I'd say he's worth 250-300k as a developmental piece and would try to develop him similarly to Ajax. Seems like the free market has spoken and Arkansas thinks he's worth well north of that.

Sure but there are also 35 guys rated higher than him that could be great pieces, why are we so wed to him?

Everyone here has always said that if you’re a Cal kinda kid, you’re likely not a UConn kinda kid. Same should apply here.

 

[boog204]

Sure but there are also 35 guys rated higher than him that could be great pieces, why are we so wed to him?

Everyone here has always said that if you’re a Cal kinda kid, you’re likely not a UConn kinda kid. Same should apply here.

Your second line is one of the issues with this board and fanbase. We would've gladly taken literally any of the players Cal beat us for over the years. Was Meleek Thomas "not a UConn kinda kid"? He was far and away the board's #1 want last year. Hamadou? Brandon Knight? The list goes on and on.

Suppose Toure chooses Arkansas, good for him. It's not a slight on his character or that he's not an example of a "UConn" player. I hate it when posters go there when we lose out on a player. Believe it or not, other schools in the country can provide as good, if not a better, experience as UConn. And with today's CBB, $$ is pretty much the #1 thing that matters.

 

[gtcam]

If the young man is trying to decide between Cal and his staff vs Dan Hurley and his, the only issue on the table in consideration is money, period.
If that's the case, good riddance.
There are other 4s available.
Local kid or not, economics/budget has to be a concern.

 

[RuffRuff]

Your second line is one of the issues with this board and fanbase. We would've gladly taken literally any of the players Cal beat us for over the years. Was Meleek Thomas "not a UConn kinda kid"? He was far and away the board's #1 want last year. Hamadou? Brandon Knight? The list goes on and on.

Suppose Toure chooses Arkansas, good for him. It's not a slight on his character or that he's not an example of a "UConn" player. I hate it when posters go there when we lose out on a player. Believe it or not, other schools in the country can provide as good, if not a better, experience as UConn. And with today's CBB, $$ is pretty much the #1 thing that matters.

Was he? I felt like the board pivoted off Thomas quick once it was clear the staff prioritized to Mullins. He did his OT elite thing and just never felt like the staff put any energy into him after his visit.

Difference between Toure and the usual Cal recruit is that he’s not a high end top 10 blue chipper like Cal always feasted on and hoarded, he’s the 35th ranked kid in a weak class. And this UConn staff can pretty much pick who they want and have a decent chance of landing - the program has never had this kinda clout. I’m sure he’s going to be a nice player, but not losing any sleep over it.

 

[Drame]

IF, if we're not as high on Toure perhaps it is because by going to ND WH he plays the AAA #1 role there and doesnt demonstrate as much connectivity or other Uconn type traits, RIGHT now. I still think he would be great for our program.

 

[RuffRuff]

If the young man is trying to decide between Cal and his staff vs Dan Hurley and his, the only issue on the table in consideration is money, period.
If that's the case, good riddance.
There are other 4s available.
Local kid or not, economics/budget has to be a concern.

Would think they need to save the pot for the lot of potential returners, and the portal. It’s probably why they don’t want to blow their kitty on an early HS signing that don’t feel is worth the ask. Leave that to a desperate PC and Cal, not two programs we want to follow. At that point in the NIL/portal era where you have to simply trust the staff given there is so much to consider. This isn’t 10 years ago where it’s just about being an attractive program.

I tend to think these days top HS players will be distributed more evenly than ever as well, given they all want instant PT, and schools need to balance their NIL.

 

[HW611]

I will pull a 611 and bring receipts

 

[superjohn]

The staff didn’t even know Mullins was available until April after the season because he was an Indiana commit.

You're making this up.

 

[husky429]

IF, if we're not as high on Toure perhaps it is because by going to ND WH he plays the AAA #1 role there and doesnt demonstrate as much connectivity or other Uconn type traits, RIGHT now. I still think he would be great for our program.

We aren't shy about pulling players.from lower-level hs programs (see: Donovan and Braylon).

 

[HW611]

You're making this up.

Went back and checked and yeah we had him early. Don’t know what I was thinking about. Was it McNeeley who decided to come here super late?

Edit: it was McNeeley who was also an Indiana commit hence the confusion lol

My bad.

But also, I don’t think it was between Thomas and Mullins. Think once we backed off Thomas it was Adams who was next at that position.

 

[Son of Robert]

Went back and checked and yeah we had him early. Don’t know what I was thinking about. Was it McNeeley who decided to come here super late?

Yes

 

[boog204]

Was he? I felt like the board pivoted off Thomas quick once it was clear the staff prioritized to Mullins. He did his OT elite thing and just never felt like the staff put any energy into him after his visit.

Difference between Toure and the usual Cal recruit is that he’s not a high end top 10 blue chipper like Cal always feasted on and hoarded, he’s the 35th ranked kid in a weak class. And this UConn staff can pretty much pick who they want and have a decent chance of landing - the program has never had this kinda clout. I’m sure he’s going to be a nice player, but not losing any sleep over it.

We pivoted because it was clear that it was going to be more of a drawn-out recruitment, there was going to be serious $$ considerations, and we needed to move quickly on Adams, Lewis, and Mullins. If Thomas had decided to still commit (obviously hypothetical), we would've been ecstatic. Many on this board still held out hope (since Thomas still had us in his top three) for quite a while that he would come here.

My point is that this board very frequently trashes prospective recruits and their characters when they don't commit here. And I think it's just lame. In Toure's case, I think we probably prefer other players, whether that's "right" or not, who knows, and it sounds like $$ is a factor. That doesn't mean Toure is "not a UConn kid."

And someone posted above that Toure could be a "developmental" piece. That's not happening. He's a top 30ish recruit. 99% of D1 teams will promise the kid major minutes or a starting role from day one. He's not coming here to sit and develop.

 

[RuffRuff]

We pivoted because it was clear that it was going to be more of a drawn-out recruitment, there was going to be serious $$ considerations, and we needed to move quickly on Adams, Lewis, and Mullins. If Thomas had decided to still commit (obviously hypothetical), we would've been ecstatic. Many on this board still held out hope (since Thomas still had us in his top three) for quite a while that he would come here.

My point is that this board very frequently trashes prospective recruits and their characters when they don't commit here. And I think it's just lame. In Toure's case, I think we probably prefer other players, whether that's "right" or not, who knows, and it sounds like $$ is a factor. That doesn't mean Toure is "not a UConn kid."

And someone posted above that Toure could be a "developmental" piece. That's not happening. He's a top 30ish recruit. 99% of D1 teams will promise the kid major minutes or a starting role from day one. He's not coming here to sit and develop.

Hear yeah - but you can only feed so many freshmen mouths and be successful. In most cases I’d be hard pressed to think it’s more than 1.5 if you want to be any good. So you have to choose and spend wisely. I def don’t think he’s not a UConn kinda kid, but if he’s going with Cal l, probably means his priorities are a tad askew to the Hurley principles. Could not think of two more different coaching styles.

 

[HW611]

I’m really curious about the thoughts around recruits wanting to play for Cal.

If you had NBA aspirations and wanted to make generational wealth for your family and a guy comes into your living room and says.

“Look at these guys who I’ve coached and received max contracts, became All-NBA, Olympic teams, MVPs, All Stars, you name it. You can be next and you should play for me.”

Who wouldn’t be interested in that kind of pitch? Competing for championships are cool, but they aren’t going to pay bills 10 years later. And there’s not even a guarantee you win because only 1 team wins each year. It’s probably a smarter choice to prioritize your NBA and future earnings that you have way more control over than to take a risk to give yourself a better shot at a championship that can be lost on a lucky bounce. Kids who play for Cal may actually be some of the most logical kids recruiting wise.

 

[alexd]

I’m really curious about the thoughts around recruits wanting to play for Cal.

If you had NBA aspirations and wanted to make generational wealth for your family and a guy comes into your living room and says.

“Look at these guys who I’ve coached and received max contracts, became All-NBA, Olympic teams, MVPs, All Stars, you name it. You can be next and you should play for me.”

Who wouldn’t be interested in that kind of pitch? Competing for championships are cool, but they aren’t going to pay bills 10 years later. And there’s not even a guarantee you win because only 1 team wins each year. It’s probably a smarter choice to prioritize your NBA and future earnings that you have way more control over than to take a risk to give yourself a better shot at a championship that can be lost on a lucky bounce. Kids who play for Cal may actually be some of the most logical kids recruiting wise.

Its true about Cal players in the NBA. But he really doesn't develop players either. For one year he babysits the top kids from each class he gets and tries not to screw them up before the NBA draft the following year.

 

[RuffRuff]

I’m really curious about the thoughts around recruits wanting to play for Cal.

If you had NBA aspirations and wanted to make generational wealth for your family and a guy comes into your living room and says.

“Look at these guys who I’ve coached and received max contracts, became All-NBA, Olympic teams, MVPs, All Stars, you name it. You can be next and you should play for me.”

Who wouldn’t be interested in that kind of pitch? Competing for championships are cool, but they aren’t going to pay bills 10 years later. And there’s not even a guarantee you win because only 1 team wins each year. It’s probably a smarter choice to prioritize your NBA and future earnings that you have way more control over than to take a risk to give yourself a better shot at a championship that can be lost on a lucky bounce. Kids who play for Cal may actually be some of the most logical kids recruiting wise.

lol. You can do all those things while playing in a disciplined system with structure, being more of a role player in year one. Focus on winning. Ask Castle.

Most of Cal’s lottery picks would have been lottery picks anywhere they went. He’s just a salesman. He teaches kids how to carry themself in the NBA more than he does about winning at the college level. Ask UK fans.

Cal started Fland as a frosh when he had an AA caliber F4 senior transfer on his bench and didn’t start winning until Fland got hurt.

 

[HW611]

lol. You can do all those things while playing in a disciplined system with structure, being more of a role player in year one. Focus on winning. Ask Castle.

Most of Cal’s lottery picks would have been lottery picks anywhere they went. He’s just a salesman. He teaches kids how to carry themself in the NBA more than he does about winning at the college level. Ask UK fans.

Cal started Fland as a frosh when he had an AA caliber F4 senior transfer on his bench and didn’t start winning until Fland got hurt.

You don’t think Castle wouldn’t have been a lottery pick anywhere he went? The kid who had to sacrifice more than anyone else on that 2024 team?

And to the point, Cal starting Fland goes back to the preparing for the NBA/getting generational wealth over winning. Cal wanted to make sure Fland got his opportunity to showcase his talent and grow to prepare. That’s what these kids want. Knowing how to win at the college level isn’t going to make you $80 million a year later.

I’m looking at this from a prospective recruit perspective, not a fan perspective only concerned about their team winning and not actually caring as much about how the kids life would be after leaving their program.