2026 Recruiting: Abdou Toure update from aaron torres

[BFieldHusky]

Maybe right on Sanogo, didn’t check but this is an article from Hawkins on his rise from 67 to 52.

Handful of players rise in updated Top 150 for 2021

The updated Top150 for the class of 2021 features known commodities at the top in Jon Kuminga and Chet Holmgren. The rest of the list comes with less fanfare, especially in a

247sports.com

Kenya Hunter recruited Hawkins.

 

[FriarJ]

Zach Brown is great. I’ve seen him a few times. I can see Zach entertaining college kids. He can play whatever they want to hear with his own twist on it. Just a great band and a cool guy.

I’ve also seen Carrie Underwood twice (at the CMA Festival). I’m kind of done with the whole Carrie Underwood thing. There was just too much of her for too long and now she’s entered the aging icon phase. I just don’t see too many people dying to see her at this point, especially college kids. I’m not even sure the parents care much either.

Regardless, pretty big time get for PC. Kudos.

Zac Brown is a cool dude. I built a home on a hillside in Homer, Alaska a few years ago and he built a home right above mine. We used the same builder actually.

Anyway, a good friends of mine have a really cool bakery/restaurant in town that serves beer and wine as well. Zac called them and rented the place out for an event with his family and a bunch of friends/fans. She was like these are good old boys, I need to get a liquor license, so she gets this license and buys a bunch of whiskey and other liquor. The next day her husband comes up to my house to give me a couple bottles of nice whiskey.

I’m like what is this about? He said they only drank White Zinfandel and they had to run to local liquor store to buy up all their stock to keep them happy.

Too funny.

 

[Eric K]

Can always transfer. The doors of Gampel are open in 2026 for him when things tank in Arkansas. One and done is not just the pros with Cal any more. See Boogie Fland.

 

[BGesus4]

Frankly that was more likely to happen at PC. Cal made it to the sweet 16 last year. For the 1st year I would say that was successful.

Not ranked all year and in the sweet 16 is not nearly enough to feed cals ego…especially after being run out of town at uk for not being able to have success in this new paradigm

 

[jibsey]

And the Torre thread goes…….boom. It was nice while it lasted but it never was Diamond Stone.

 

[alexd]

And the Torre thread goes…….boom. It was nice while it lasted but it never was Diamond Stone.

Diamond Stone...that really was 11 years ago??
I just wiki'd him - he's played for 21 different pro teams.

 

[BGesus4]

Diamond Stone...that really was 11 years ago??
I just wiki'd him - he's played for 21 different pro teams.

That diamond stone Malik Newman package appeared very tantalizing at the time

 

[RuffRuff]

That diamond stone Malik Newman package appeared very tantalizing at the time

For UConn or to cut tile?

 

[jibsey]

Diamond Stone...that really was 11 years ago??
I just wiki'd him - he's played for 21 different pro teams.

UConn fans drooled over Diamond Stone for a long time and the pain when he chose Maryland was real but the thread had to set a record for a recruit.

 

[REB1094]

That’s a big payday. Congrats to Abdou, I wanted him here but seems that for a couple of reasons it wasn’t meant to be and sounds like a good decision to go elsewhere. He’s a CT kid so I’ll be rooting for him

If the pay is similar but the two options are John Calipari in the SEC or Kim English and Providence….feels like a pretty easy choice

 

[KingAG]

“These past 2 years…..I didn’t see myself playing there” sure lines up with my timeline and what I was told last year.

 

[superjohn]

“These past 2 years…..I didn’t see myself playing there” sure lines up with my timeline and what I was told last year.

You said the entire time, growing up he was never a UConn fan and people in New Haven basketball circles don't care about UConn.

This was about money.

 

[cellocgg]

“These past 2 years…..I didn’t see myself playing there” sure lines up with my timeline and what I was told last year.

I don't know how you can look at UConn the past two years, see the B2B natties, the pipeline of players in the NBA, and then think up a quote like this

 

[KingAG]

You said the entire time, growing up he was never a UConn fan and people in New Haven basketball circles don't care about UConn.

This was about money.

I did not say that about him specifically. I said that was a trend in the area. Which is true. They claim the program when they win, and don’t really care otherwise. I had and have no idea if he grew up a UConn fan. I knew for a fact he wasn’t coming to UConn. Because I knew he didn’t really want to come to UConn. The reasoning given was his desire to go to school further from home. How accurate the reason is, I don’t know. But the person who told me would be the one who would know.

You’re partly correct. UConn was on the table if the money made it impossible to turn down. But this wasn’t a kid who approached this recruitment as a “UConn fan”.

 

[FightOnCT]

I generally respect when kids give their reasons for going somewhere and that not everyone will be sold on our culture/program, but that is an odd thing to mention. Implies that something turned him off from going here, but how was that his conclusion given the past 2 years for UConn specifically?

We all figured a while back he wasn’t coming over here, but the reasoning is what’s throwing me off.

 

[superjohn]

I generally respect when kids give their reasons for going somewhere and that not everyone will be sold on our culture/program, but that is an odd thing to mention. Implies that something turned him off from going here, but how was that his conclusion given the past 2 years for UConn specifically?

We all figured a while back he wasn’t coming over here, but the reasoning is what’s throwing me off.

I read it as he grew up a UConn fan and it was his dream to go there but the money wasn't right.

He didn't want to say it was about money but what he chose to say certainly is a poor choice of words.

 

[Dove]

NEXT!!

 

[FightOnCT]

I read it as he grew up a UConn fan and it was his dream to go there but the money wasn't right.

He didn't want to say it was about money but what he chose to say certainly is a poor choice of words.

That’s what I’m getting, it was just weird in context

 

[AfgHusky15]

This is just not true. I get you kept claiming that he was not interested in staying in CT, but that’s not true. UConn was his dream school. UConn was slow to offer him. Toure made 3 unofficial visits to UConn which is telling of his interest in UConn. Toure was just never a top priority for UConn. I like Toure and I think he has great potential and ability. I hope he does really well in college and hopefully in the NBA.

Like I said several days ago, UConn was Toure’s dream school. The claim he was not interested in staying in CT was never true. Also, the claim he was asking for more money from UConn than Arkansas is silly. The opposite is true. UConn’s coaching staff is pretty honest with their recruits, while Cal is telling all of his that they will be one and done…I hope Toure does really well and I hope UConn reconnects with him if he ever ends up in the transfer portal in the future.

 

[RuffRuff]

NEXT!!

Yup! No one should give a cr@p anymore

 

[HooperScooper]

“These past 2 years…..I didn’t see myself playing there” sure lines up with my timeline and what I was told last year.

That is a strange quote but we can't tell exactly what he meant.

Does anyone need the alternate access? Some interesting stuff in that article. What I got out of it is Hurley was truthful with Toure and Calipari told him what he wanted to hear. Which I guess is part of recruiting. Although with the portal now it's also kind of dangerous.

 

[Kitaman]

That is a strange quote but we can't tell exactly what he meant.

Does anyone need the alternate access? Some interesting stuff in that article. What I got out of it is Hurley was truthful with Toure and Calipari told him what he wanted to hear. Which I guess is part of recruiting. Although with the portal now it's also kind of dangerous.

I choose to ignore it. Its a young kid speaking having high/mixed emotions. His words are just words parentally speaking, having no real meaning, impact or rhyme. Just saying sounds more like a kid speaking without thinking.

Anyway its good to see a CT kid become a prize National recruit for 'another' HOF coach, will inspire others here.

 

[KingAG]

Like I said several days ago, UConn was Toure’s dream school. The claim he was not interested in staying in CT was never true. Also, the claim he was asking for more money from UConn than Arkansas is silly. The opposite is true. UConn’s coaching staff is pretty honest with their recruits, while Cal is telling all of his that they will be one and done…I hope Toure does really well and I hope UConn reconnects with him if he ever ends up in the transfer portal in the future.

Saying it was his dream school when he was “younger” is like saying I was a Vikings fan at 8 because I liked Randy Moss. It’s irrelevant to how he feels about the program in the more recent past. Again, not sure who you spoke to, but the person who said he didn’t want to stay in state is VERY reliable. Also never claimed he wasn’t interested, just that it’d take a handsome sum of money because going out of state was a desire of his. Not a deal breaker, but a factor.

In full transparency I don’t think anyone thought he’d get the number he got.


We all hope Abdou does well. Especially in this part of the state. He’s a good kid.

 

[auror]

I think Cal and Hurley can both be truthful while saying different things.

It can be true that he wouldn't be a starter at UConn while simultaneously also having the ability to become a one and done at Arkansas.

He has the raw athleticism that jumps literally out of the gym, but that might not translate to actual college basketball wins in his freshman season. But the NBA doesn't draft on how well you contributed to winning in college, and Cal just throws his most talented guys out there and says figure it out (and then go get drafted so I can recruit the next stud on your reputation).

 

[KingAG]

I think Cal and Hurley can both be truthful while saying different things.

It can be true that he wouldn't be a starter at UConn while simultaneously also having the ability to become a one and done at Arkansas.

He has the raw athleticism that jumps literally out of the gym, but that might not translate to actual college basketball wins in his freshman season. But the NBA doesn't draft on how well you contributed to winning in college, and Cal just throws his most talented guys out there and says figure it out (and then go get drafted so I can recruit the next stud on your reputation).

Cal is a good fit for him in my opinion .

 

[bendm]

It can be true that he wouldn't be a starter at UConn while simultaneously also having the ability to become a one and done at Arkansas.

This year yes but next year? A starter to replace Mullins is our biggest need as of right now. If Toure is good enough to be a OAD then he coulda been that guy. Not sure he is that guy or if he’s better than Landrew tho.

 

[BGesus4]

To the extent these are one year commitments at this point, Cal is going to pay him the most and play him the most and this prob also increase his offseason value after his freshman year the most. He can always go to a program that’s actually interested in winning after he’s definitely ready to contribute to a team like that and command a higher nil than having played sparingly somewhere

 

[kansashusky]

over under the minutes logged at Arkansas?

I’d put the over at around 100

 

[That Guy]

“These past 2 years…..I didn’t see myself playing there” sure lines up with my timeline and what I was told last year.

Then why the hell were we even in his top 3? 😂

 

[auror]

This year yes but next year? A starter to replace Mullins is our biggest need as of right now. If Toure is good enough to be a OAD then he coulda been that guy. Not sure he is that guy or if he’s better than Landrew tho.

That's my point. He's both not good enough to be that guy, likely worse than our other options, and still a potential OAD. It is possible, though probably not the most likely option, but still reasonable enough that Calipari can tell him that while actually believing it.

Drake Powell was a OAD. 13% usage rate. Similar level of athlete without a productive game for college. Will Riley didn't help his team win anything. He had a decent season. He was worse than Liam. Bub Carrington's team didn't make the tournament, 109 ORTG. Cody Williams is another good recent example. He would've been our 8th best player last year on our #8 seed team. KyShawn George. Lots of examples of OAD's who aren't actually good enough to start as a freshman on a team with championship aspirations.