Biggest recruiting job is

[huskymagic]

We can't actually just be content with Enoch and Carlton at the 5 for next year, can we? Not unless makes a jump this year with his extended minutes. Hopefully he does. But I think another big is needed. One that is less of a project. Juco, grad transfer?

As for Adams, he's going to declare and test the waters. Lucky for us this draft is being regarded as one of the deepest in recent years. My guess is they'll tell him "yeah you may go late first round but if you go back one more year you'll be a lottery pick come 2018."

I thought we were doing great on the recruiting front according to the experts. If we strike out on Bamba which is highly likely, we should be looking for a white big man similar to what Wisconsin typically gets either from the states or abroad. We need a big guy with some skills, passing abilities, and basketball IQ other than Durham. We already have athletic or nonathletic raw big men who are 2 years from being 2 years away. Thank goodness we have Juwan who already has the requisite skills for next year and maybe Enoch can improve his basketball decision making.

 

[champs99and04]

Two of the most stupid moves made in UConn BB history. Leave early to get drafted in the second round and sentenced to the developmental league. Both should have stayed for another year . . . Hamilton for two more years. No wonder UConn hoops has fallen so far, so fast. Is anyone in the UConn athletic department, counseling them against leaving early or is that passé . . . to self serving.

Daniels was a 22-year-old junior who was fresh off the best stretch of basketball in his life, just having reached the pinnacle of college basketball. It 100% made sense for him to leave.

Hamilton was a kid who wanted to play professional basketball more than he wanted to be a student at UConn. It's difficult to criticize a decision that is simply consistent with what a person wants. Maybe he'll regret it, but it isn't like he didn't know what he was doing.

 

[JSM1970]

MAL is big time, the challenge is if AG is out this year it would basically be him and MAL in the backcourt next year as freshmen.

The team will have depth especially if SE and Durham get big minutes this year.

And if they can get any contributions from Polley, Diarra, Carlton.

And no quality big commit for 2017

 

[champs99and04]

I'd like to see Ollie finally recruit some players with high basketball IQ. This is something we've been severely lacking since Niels and Shabazz left. Some smart players will make his coaching look a hell of a lot better too.

All of our five best players on the 2014 team - the two you mentioned, in addition to Boat, DeAndre, and Kromah - were smart players. Nolan and Samuel might have been, too, they just weren't particularly talented.

But I think the point you raised is an important one, and it might suggest why Ollie was so successful in coaching up Calhoun's kids but hasn't had the same luck with his own guys:

Calhoun, I think, more than maybe any other coach in the sport, had a knack for seeing things in players - intangible things, like smarts and toughness - that were ultimately conducive to building great teams. The talent was there, obviously, but with a lot of his greatest players, there was something else...maybe even something of an unhealthy passion for winning.

Purvis and Brimah and Hamilton are great kids who try hard and would do whatever was asked of them for the school/program. But guys like Napier, Adrien, Boat, Price...they seemed like the type of kids who were willing to be disliked at times if it meant it would help the team.

This is all purely speculation, of course, and by no means am I suggesting that Calhoun didn't try to recruit the same players Ollie is targeting, but for as much similarity as there is between Ollie and Calhoun, there are differences, too. Calhoun was an and he wasn't afraid to recruit players who were s. Look around the country now and most of the great coaches - Pitino, Boeheim, Izzo, K, Cal - are s.

This doesn't mean Ollie is too much of a players coach. Nothing like that. I just wonder if Calhoun would watch players who were willing to kick you in the crotch to win a game and develop a deranged affection for them.

 

[JSM1970]

Biggest issue last 3 years has been just how bad the 4-5 positions have been. It will be nice to move on from Facey and AB.

 

[dennismenace]

Daniels is playing professional basketball. He was playing in Australia. If I had the opportunity to do that I would in a heartbeat. Hamilton wanted to leave and make money. Good for him. Kind of hypocritical when you want a kid to stay for your own self serving interests

If they were only shooting for a paycheck including overseas which in itself can be lucrative ( say $250 K + per year) then fine. But if they expected to be first round picks or thought they had the "stuff" to make the NBA then they missed the boat. As was said above, KO and JC were all for helping kids
get feedback on what the pro's thought of them. I have no doubt they were armed with that information before making their decision. But they have to make the decision (and also weigh the possibility of injury in another year of college). In any event that is water under the bridge. It's ultimately in their hands as it should be. Agree that we have nothing to say nor is it any of our business as fans what they choose to do.

 

[lange10]

Biggest issue last 3 years has been just how bad the 4-5 positions have been. It will be nice to move on from Facey and AB.

Had this debate with some student writer for theuconnblog. He wouldn't admit that front court development is a clear issue. Since Miller (our bigs coach) came here in '10-11 not one big who wasn't a top 40 recruit has developed one iota.

 

[zyron]

Please tell us you're kidding.

He isn't, all you have to do is read his posts in the Cesspool to see.

 

[UConnSwag11]

Biggest issue last 3 years has been just how bad the 4-5 positions have been. It will be nice to move on from Facey and AB.

agreed... ollie has shown he can get the guards. adams, gilbert, MAL... this years class is extremely solid and next years is off to a good start. As for big bodies for the front court enoch is a good start. He shows he's confident going up strong on the offensive end but defensively he's lost and a bit slow... I don't know much about Carlton or have seen much tape but what i think they've been saying is he's going to be a big asset and moving up in the rankings... We need solid big men to come in who aren't projects. I think that facey and brimah were chosen not only due to how they've preformed in high school but because of what ollie inherited with the NCAA