Abdou Toure update from aaron torres

[Storrs South]

If we lose a bidding war for a Top 30 to 40 recruit, how're we getting Top 5 or Top 10 recruits in the current landscape? I see this as a matter of which school values him the highest. I think he's very undervalued, but kids always want to go where they're promised the world. Ego massaging is still a thing....with some NIL $$$ thrown in.

What UConn and specifically the coaching staff is willing to invest financially is going to vary wildly from player to player based on their perceived skill level, fit with the program skill wise and mentally, what the staff is looking for and what the player is looking for (when I say looking for I mean in terms of skill development, what they believe to be their length of time at the level, and how they view their game).

Not securing a top 40 player has nothing to do with going for a top 10 player and vice versa. They may like a kid more than the rest of marketplace does (Cloer) and like another kid less than the marketplace is showing (number of examples here). It's how they made is such a competitive fight for Flagg. It's been clear for awhile there is a mismatch in terms of what UConn values him to be and how he perceives himself. Time will tell who is correct on that bet.

UConn is throwing a lot of cash around, I am sure, but they have never really gone after the guys solely focused on money as the top criteria. Guys are getting paid well here but generally if that is 1a and 1b what a recruit is focused on during their pitch they won't be a priority of this staff. And to be clear there is nothing wrong with a player looking to get max compensation but that is not something this staff looks for in terms of mental makeup and fitting the program's goals to get kids to the league (which brings way more money than any NCAA NIL rate) and doing so in such a way that it brings more national titles to UConn.

 

[HooperScooper]

UConn is throwing a lot of cash around, I am sure, but they have never really gone after the guys solely focused on money as the top criteria. Guys are getting paid well here but generally if that is 1a and 1b what a recruit is focused on during their pitch they won't be a priority of this staff. And to be clear there is nothing wrong with a player looking to get max compensation but that is not something this staff looks for in terms of mental makeup and fitting the program's goals to get kids to the league (which brings way more money than any NCAA NIL rate) and doing so in such a way that it brings more national titles to UConn.

Agreed. Hurley has mentioned this a few times so it's not like anyone should be guessing what the staff is doing. I think it's a good strategy and I trust they are doing the right thing and going after the right kids.

 

[RuffRuff]

If we lose a bidding war for a Top 30 to 40 recruit, how're we getting Top 5 or Top 10 recruits in the current landscape? I see this as a matter of which school values him the highest. I think he's very undervalued, but kids always want to go where they're promised the world. Ego massaging is still a thing....with some NIL $$$ thrown in.

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.

 

[superjohn]

If we lose a bidding war for a Top 30 to 40 recruit, how're we getting Top 5 or Top 10 recruits in the current landscape? I see this as a matter of which school values him the highest. I think he's very undervalued, but kids always want to go where they're promised the world. Ego massaging is still a thing....with some NIL $$$ thrown in.

If we lose him it means we didn't have any interest in getting into a bidding war, it doesn't mean we aren't capable of getting in and winning a bidding war.

This staff is very selective in who they truly go after and if it's all about money there's very little chance they will go down that road. They felt Flagg was worth it, we didn't lose that recruitment over money.

I want Toure because I think he's a diamond that just needs polishing and we have the best staff to do it. The force he plays with and his athleticism is something the program could really use an infusion of but we aren't going to overextend ourselves for him.

 

[gsmooth]

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

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.

 

[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

 

[AntG168]

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.