Born to Lead and the Past Few Days of Recruiting

[ScottBonz]

So I'm watching Born to Lead for the 2nd time and I thought occurred to me that has something to do with why recruits may or may not choose us.

Coming to UCONN to become great isn't easy, its tough work....really tough. Not every recruit wants to be great. Yeah they want to be a good basketball player and go to the NBA but do they really want to put in the work to be a great player, teammate, family, man, etc? There may be players out there that don't choose us because sometimes we me might the hard choice. The choice to work as hard and as long as it takes.

We all have co-workers and we know the smart, talented guys that still take the easy way out. It doesn't mean they aren't smart or talented they just might not be willing to put the work in. Just be was because they are talented players, doesn't mean they are ready to be great. We want the kid at 17 who is ready to be great and there is no false pretenses about what it takes to be successful at UCONN. Maybe a Top 25 recruit just doesn't want that or isn't prepared for it...there have been a bunch over the years that haven't been.

Just my dumb thoughts. @Fishy , this wasn't supposed to be a soothing or woe is me thread. Just a different perspective.

 

[intlzncster]

A lot of kids likely didn't want to play for JC because he was such an SOB. KO totally different in that regard though.

 

[Silk31]

A lot of kids likely didn't want to play for JC because he was such an SOB. KO totally different in that regard though.

Yea it took a special kind of player to be able to handle JC, but when that perfect match between JC and player was found it was certainly magical.

I am also very upset that I have yet to be able to see the JC documentary - it's only getting aired in CT, I figured NYC might pick it up as well but no luck...hopefully I can catch it if it ever goes to DVD

 

[Bezzz]

Yea it took a special kind of player to be able to handle JC, but when that perfect match between JC and player was found it was certainly magical.

I am also very upset that I have yet to be able to see the JC documentary - it's only getting aired in CT, I figured NYC might pick it up as well but no luck...hopefully I can catch it if it ever goes to DVD

Here it is...you're welcome!
Born To Lead

 

[Gringo]

So I'm watching Born to Lead for the 2nd time and I thought occurred to me that has something to do with why recruits may or may not choose us.

Coming to UCONN to become great isn't easy, its tough work....really tough. Not every recruit wants to be great. Yeah they want to be a good basketball player and go to the NBA but do they really want to put in the work to be a great player, teammate, family, man, etc? There may be players out there that don't choose us because sometimes we me might the hard choice. The choice to work as hard and as long as it takes.

We all have co-workers and we know the smart, talented guys that still take the easy way out. It doesn't mean they aren't smart or talented they just might not be willing to put the work in. Just be was because they are talented players, doesn't mean they are ready to be great. We want the kid at 17 who is ready to be great and there is no false pretenses about what it takes to be successful at UCONN. Maybe a Top 25 recruit just doesn't want that or isn't prepared for it...there have been a bunch over the years that haven't been.

Just my dumb thoughts. @Fishy , this wasn't supposed to be a soothing or woe is me thread. Just a different perspective.

I don't agree with most of this. To make a generalization that a top 25 recruit doesn't want to be great isn't accurate. There is a reason why they got to be top 25 in the first place. A big reason is that they worked hard to get there.

I agree that it takes a certain personality to play for someone like Calhoun, but just because a recruit chooses to go elsewhere doesn't mean they aren't willing to work to be a great player.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

A lot of kids likely didn't want to play for JC because he was such an SOB. KO totally different in that regard though.

You missed the point.

I've had this in the back of my mind for awhile for a different reason, namely, why do so many UConn players overachieve?

Jim Calhoun and Kevin Ollie are not different in demanding hard work, which is the true hallmark of the program. You can count on one hand how many other programs demand the same work ethic as UConn. I talked to a player who happened to be a next door neighbor of mine about it, and he said JC told him when he recruited him there were no shortcuts. I can paste quote after quote from JC, Ray Allen, Kemba, media folks who attend practice, etc., all with the same theme - no one works harder than the Huskies. That hasn't changed.

It's not for everyone. It makes it tough to recruit, but it also forges champions.

 

[Kembacity]

A lot of kids likely didn't want to play for JC because he was such an SOB. KO totally different in that regard though.

I see what you're saying, but at the core of it I think they are also very very similar. The 'tough love' isnt nearly as tough as it was 4 years back, but kids are still going to get it. If there's one thing that KO is up front about in interviews its that kids who come here are coming here to work their behinds off from day 1 if they want to earn PT on the court. So I feel like the delivery of the message has absolutely taken a 180 from the calhoun days, but its still there. There just isn't a 3" leash on players like there was, but KO makes sure these kids know that if they expect to suit up in a UCONN uni, they are going to go through some tough tough days to earn it

 

[8893]

A lot of kids likely didn't want to play for JC because he was such an SOB. KO totally different in that regard though.

JC and KO use different means to the same ends imo. KO still preaches the hard way, not the easy way, because that's who he is and that's what he knows. And he wants to train them to be men first, players second. I think a lot of kids would prefer to hear about the easy way and not be challenged.

I don't agree with most of this. To make a generalization that a top 25 recruit doesn't want to be great isn't accurate. There is a reason why they got to be top 25 in the first place. A big reason is that they worked hard to get there.

I agree that it takes a certain personality to play for someone like Calhoun, but just because a recruit chooses to go elsewhere doesn't mean they aren't willing to work to be a great player.

I think there is truth to the notion that UConn is generally selling a different product than most others. Fishy is right that we are selling to the same types of kids as the other top programs and we would be tickled to get most of those who didn't pick us; but I think there is usually a difference in the types of kids who do pick us (and especially the ones who stay).

We are selling something different in the sense that we are selling a program built upon hard work, team work and earning your time. At the end of the day, I think it frequently results in a difference in terms of the kids who are willing to buy what we are selling. We don't promise starting positions or playing time (as even Ben explained in the special, no matter how good you think you are, JC was going to recruit someone else for your position the following year to push you).

Yes, we have an incredible NBA pipeline to sell--and I'm sure we sell the cr@p out of that in several different ways. But to my ears we seem to talk more about competing as a team for championships than we do about individual accomplishments or about how easy it is to coast along here without being challenged academically, physically, mentally, constitutionally or otherwise.

Sure, I'm a homer and I know all this stuff sounds preachy, etc., but when you hear the comments about JC from former players and opposing coaches, and you hear the consistent comments about KO from every coach for whom he has played and players the likes of LeBron and KD saying how KO taught them how to be a man and a true professional, I think there is a substantial body of evidence to back up these claims; and our results to date really do speak for themselves.

 

[ScottBonz]

I don't agree with most of this. To make a generalization that a top 25 recruit doesn't want to be great isn't accurate. There is a reason why they got to be top 25 in the first place. A big reason is that they worked hard to get there.

I agree that it takes a certain personality to play for someone like Calhoun, but just because a recruit chooses to go elsewhere doesn't mean they aren't willing to work to be a great player.

So I made a generalization when I said that A Top 25 or even A top 50 player may not want to work to be great? I don't think that's a generalization. A generalization would be if I said only 1 or 2 recruits out of 25 want to work to be great. I didn't say they don't want to be great but not all are willing to put in the massive amount of work that is demanded of them at Uconn. That's not putting them down but like the posts above...its a certain type of person who wants to come here.

 

[intlzncster]

You missed the point.

I've had this in the back of my mind for awhile for a different reason, namely, why do so many UConn players overachieve?

Jim Calhoun and Kevin Ollie are not different in demanding hard work, which is the true hallmark of the program. You can count on one hand how many other programs demand the same work ethic as UConn. I talked to a player who happened to be a next door neighbor of mine about it, and he said JC told him when he recruited him there were no shortcuts. I can paste quote after quote from JC, Ray Allen, Kemba, media folks who attend practice, etc., all with the same theme - no one works harder than the Huskies. That hasn't changed.

It's not for everyone. It makes it tough to recruit, but it also forges champions.

Nah, I totally got your point. I just added a little tangential side point that is also true. Wasn't a rebuttal.

Was a comment on JC cursing guys out, yanking them out of games for stepping to the right incorrectly, and having the coldest doghouse I've ever seen.