2026 Recruiting: Abdou Toure update from aaron torres

[kansashusky]

Last week the talk has been all Providence.

I think English needs to make the tournament this year. Providence is willing to spend on a new coach.

Have you heard anything on Mingo?

 

[HooperScooper]

I don't know the actual number, but the Providence offer appears to be pretty substantial, at least relative to where Toure is ranked.

A hypothetical which can make the Toure situation make sense.

If you have 5x million to spend on freshmen, and you're a school who is not traditionally able to recruit a 5*, then you have like 3x to spend on a high 4* and maybe 1x+1x on two others in your class for a 3 man class.

And then let's say another school with a higher budget (say 6x) is able to actually get a 5* to commit, but they potentially need to spend 4x on that 5*. That leaves them with only 2x for another player, which is less than 3x. So even though they have a higher budget, if the player isn't their top priority, they can be outbid by schools with slightly less but still healthy budgets.

 

[knicksin7]

It’s the new revenue sharing model and the school is committed from the top to the bottom in a commitment to compete at the highest level. Of course the donors are on board too. Pressure in on KE. It’s on him now, everything else is in place. I know we are the little brother but the little brother is giving it everything it has. PC has set records for themselves every year in fundraising in athletics. I’m proud of them.

I think it’s also that we are just completely tired of being also rans and afterthoughts and the new rules allow for schools with a level of commitment like PC to change that perception if it’s important to them and frankly nothing is more important to the school, the donors, and the fans.

But who are the donors? Like are there random billionaire PC grads?

 

[BGesus4]

Getting liberal with the collection plate money

 

[HooperScooper]

From the Courant. Similar to the Borges article.

Expecting to retain a number of players from this year’s roster, UConn couldn’t honestly offer Toure the same immediate role as a freshman that figures to be available for him at a school like Providence, which reportedly made him an in-home visit on Monday and has received a “crystal ball” prediction from 247Sports. With the amount of resources available for John Calipari at Arkansas, the Razorbacks have also presumably had a greater ability to prioritize the Connecticut product.

UConn plans to designate a chunk of its money for high school players who will make an impact right away, and therefore can’t afford to pay high six-figures or even seven for a player who may not see much time on the court in his first year. The Huskies also have to keep in mind the transfer portal in addition to the retention of their own players; both of which figure to make up a good portion of the revenue share dollars in building the 2026-27 roster.

https://www.courant.com/2025/09/30/uconn-mens-basketball-recruiting-update-cts-top-prospect-abdou-toure-to-make-decision-friday/

The RuffRuff Alternate Access™:
Why top recruit, CT native may not choose UConn men when he makes decision Friday

 

[Excalibur]

When English is inevitably fired at the end of this year or next he can always come home

Or he can play for 2 years at PC and then transfer in.

 

[bendm]

And then let's say another school with a higher budget (say 6x) is able to actually get a 5* to commit, but they potentially need to spend 4x on that 5*. That leaves them with only 2x for another player,

6x on Mingo whatever it takes

 

[boog204]

From the Courant. Similar to the Borges article.

Expecting to retain a number of players from this year’s roster, UConn couldn’t honestly offer Toure the same immediate role as a freshman that figures to be available for him at a school like Providence, which reportedly made him an in-home visit on Monday and has received a “crystal ball” prediction from 247Sports. With the amount of resources available for John Calipari at Arkansas, the Razorbacks have also presumably had a greater ability to prioritize the Connecticut product.

UConn plans to designate a chunk of its money for high school players who will make an impact right away, and therefore can’t afford to pay high six-figures or even seven for a player who may not see much time on the court in his first year. The Huskies also have to keep in mind the transfer portal in addition to the retention of their own players; both of which figure to make up a good portion of the revenue share dollars in building the 2026-27 roster.

https://www.courant.com/2025/09/30/uconn-mens-basketball-recruiting-update-cts-top-prospect-abdou-toure-to-make-decision-friday/

The RuffRuff Alternate Access™:
Why top recruit, CT native may not choose UConn men when he makes decision Friday

This is the new way of recruiting. Unless you are a top, top guy, there is not really much purpose in recruiting HS kids. Even as a top 30ish player, there will be portal guys who are superior. So there's no point in bringing an HS guy who will sit on the bench and likely portal out.

 

[superjohn]

This is the new way of recruiting. Unless you are a top, top guy, there is not really much purpose in recruiting HS kids. Even as a top 30ish player, there will be portal guys who are superior. So there's no point in bringing an HS guy who will sit on the bench and likely portal out.

Yet we're bringing in Junior County.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

So...if this isn't for Toure, who is it for?!?!?!?

 

[superjohn]

So...if this isn't for Toure, who is it for?!?!?!?

Junior County

 

[HW611]

This is the new way of recruiting. Unless you are a top, top guy, there is not really much purpose in recruiting HS kids. Even as a top 30ish player, there will be portal guys who are superior. So there's no point in bringing an HS guy who will sit on the bench and likely portal out.

Nobody who we decide to play and invest in here will portal out.

Kids want to be here.

 

[JustbrewitMan]

Can we get the minutes distribution too please? This feels incomplete.

I swear at this point, bendm has retired from the yard and his account is now ChatGPT Bot-run. He comes by occassionally to see whether it's functioning correctly. That post may have been a glitch. ;-)

 

[RuffRuff]

I swear at this point, bendm has retired from the yard and his account is now ChatGPT Bot-run. He comes by occassionally to see whether it's functioning correctly. That post may have been a glitch. ;-)

I'm still waiting on the hypothetical roster and minutes for the 2028 team. It should be dropping in the next 24 hours.

 

[JustbrewitMan]

From the Courant. Similar to the Borges article.

Expecting to retain a number of players from this year’s roster, UConn couldn’t honestly offer Toure the same immediate role as a freshman that figures to be available for him at a school like Providence, which reportedly made him an in-home visit on Monday and has received a “crystal ball” prediction from 247Sports. With the amount of resources available for John Calipari at Arkansas, the Razorbacks have also presumably had a greater ability to prioritize the Connecticut product.

UConn plans to designate a chunk of its money for high school players who will make an impact right away, and therefore can’t afford to pay high six-figures or even seven for a player who may not see much time on the court in his first year. The Huskies also have to keep in mind the transfer portal in addition to the retention of their own players; both of which figure to make up a good portion of the revenue share dollars in building the 2026-27 roster.

https://www.courant.com/2025/09/30/uconn-mens-basketball-recruiting-update-cts-top-prospect-abdou-toure-to-make-decision-friday/

The RuffRuff Alternate Access™:
Why top recruit, CT native may not choose UConn men when he makes decision Friday

In the current NIL environment, we are never going to de-prioritize winning and competing for championships just so we can throw a ton of money at an unproven 20-40 ranked local player (from a generally finite NIL $ pool). I'm pretty comfortable with that philosophy.

 

[RuffRuff]

In the current NIL environment, we are never going to de-prioritize winning and competing for championships just so we can throw a ton of money at an unproven 20-40 ranked local player (from a generally finite pool). I'm pretty comfortable with that philosophy.

Half of which will likely show up in the portal after their freshmen year .

This basically where Uconn is - either find a kid that contributes meaningfully ASAP, or find the right lower ranked kid that is ok parking it freshman year for a possible big role year 2.

 

[JustbrewitMan]

Bored during lunch, not my best work, but OK for a quick turnarond

 

[UCTitleTown]

Bored during lunch, not my best work, but OK for a quick turnarond

View attachment 111842

BF can mean a couple different things. Just sayin'

 

[CL82]

Dan Hurley and the UConn coaches like Toure, a high-flying 6-foot-6, 185-pound wing with good upside ranked No. 31 nationally by ESPN and No. 34 by 247Sports. But even though they spent time with him as he grew as a prospect this summer, he wasn’t among the six players who were invited to Storrs for an official visit this cycle.

 

[FriarJ]

But who are the donors? Like are there random billionaire PC grads?

There a lot that you just don't hear about. The President of NBC Sports who is in charge of all of NBC Sports including Peacock and the Golf channel, Olympics etc. Rick Cordella was a walk-on on Rick Barnes teams at PC. That's why you see them going after BE games and hiring Fanta. He posts on our board from time to time and he said he checks it daily.

Here is a random one for you. The billionaire that just got caught with his HR President at the Coldplay concert is PC' all-time leader in innings pitched and strikeout.

The Farrelly brothers, there are lots of wealthy people who are PC grads and care about the program. Wild for such a small school but there are many. It takes the school being committed 100% to the sports programs but when it is the donors come through.

PC just started men's and woman's golf teams all from donor funding.

Rob Gronkowki weirdly enough grew attached to the program when he was living in Providence. He donates. There are also video's of him playing beer pong with students, because it's Gronk.

 

[knicksin7]

There a lot that you just don't hear about. The President of NBC Sports who is in charge of all of NBC Sports including Peacock and the Golf channel, Olympics etc. Rick Cordella was a walk-on on Rick Barnes teams at PC. That's why you see them going after BE games and hiring Fanta. He posts on our board from time to time and he said he checks it daily.

Here is a random one for you. The billionaire that just got caught with his HR President at the Coldplay concert is PC' all-time leader in innings pitched and strikeout.

The Farrelly brothers, there are lots of wealthy people who are PC grads and care about the program. Wild for such a small school but there are many. It takes the school being committed 100% to the sports programs but when it is the donors come through.

PC just started men's and woman's golf teams all from donor funding.

Rob Gronkowki weirdly enough grew attached to the program when he was living in Providence. He donates. There are also video's of him playing beer pong with students, because it's Gronk.

i think that astronomer guy at the coldplay concert is just a random small company CEO, definitely not a billionaire. i can't even think of any billionaire UCONN alums. St John's has that billionaire bodyarmour or vitamin water guy

 

[ec33]

Yet we're bringing in Junior County.

I think the difference is that County is okay with the PT, the money, and the vision for his development being offered by UConn and somewhere in that mix Toure is not in alignment with what UConn is offering.