Can Dan Hurley attract potential pros to the Huskies?

[HooperScooper]

Nothing really new. An article from ESPN.com about the recruiting challenges for the high profile coaching hires this offseason.

Can Chris Mack tackle Louisville's recruiting challenges?

Connecticut: Can Dan Hurley attract potential pros to the Huskies?

After Kevin Ollie took over for Jim Calhoun, the recruiting transition was fairly seamless. There were a few bumps after the change, but the Huskies won the national title in 2014 and continued to land ESPN 100 prospects. It peaked in 2016, when Ollie brought in four ESPN 100 prospects, including high-level point guard Alterique Gilbert. Since then, the Huskies haven't landed a single top-100 player and have relied on transfers and under-recruited players. It didn't exactly work out for Ollie. So what's next for Hurley? Does UConn still have the brand name to attract elite prospects? There are the recent struggles, the move to the American Athletic Conference and the location. Hurley did put together a terrific staff, bringing Tom Moore with him from Rhode Island and adding Kimani Young and Kenya Hunter. Hurley should be able to recruit up and down the mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

 

[WrenchFan69]

Kind of disingenuous to say we haven't had a top 100 guy when Ollie landed Wilson after 3 days at St. John's and Akinjo signed an NLI

 

[Scrutiner]

Notice also the comment about "the location" as if Storrs never saw a great recruit in the past.

 

[Walker11]

Kind of disingenuous to say we haven't had a top 100 guy when Ollie landed Wilson after 3 days at St. John's and Akinjo signed an NLI

ESPN does not have either player in the top 100.

 

[intlzncster]

I don't get why people in general are making this out like it's some kind of herculean task.

If you prove you can develop guys, and you win, you can recruit NBA talent. It's more about the program and the coach than it is about the league. Look at Cal pre UK. Look at the Zags etc etc.

It's not like Hurley has to get classes of one and dones.

 

[Danzz]

Hurley hasn't landed top recruits but that was pretty hard to do with the Wagner and URI brands. This is a different world now. UConn has higher recruiting expectations and it is up to Hurley to step up and elevate his recruiting. I think he will be fine.

 

[Dove]

Remembering James Akinjo...



who?

 

[Hoophound]

And the stupid “location” comment just never stops. Location? 2+ hours to NYC, 1.25 hours to Boston and right in the heart of the best prep school league in the country. Wtf? That narrative is so ridiculous and irresponsible.

 

[WrenchFan69]

Hurley hasn't landed top recruits but that was pretty hard to do with the Wagner and URI brands. This is a different world now. UConn has higher recruiting expectations and it is up to Hurley to step up and elevate his recruiting. I think he will be fine.

Jared Terrell was top 50/75, EC Matthews top 100, Kuran Iverson and Stanford Robinson were transfers but top 75 guys, plus some top 150 guys in Hassan Martin and Brendan Adams and the like. Certainly not a bad haul for 5 seasons at URI especially based on where they were when he took over.

 

[freescooter]

That is old style thinking anyway. Landing multiple future pros gets you to the second weekend. Winning titles requires good players and good college guards who can shot the 3 and who buy into the system. Saying 4 years helps a lot too

 

[gtcam]

Jared Terrell was top 50/75, EC Matthews top 100, Kuran Iverson and Stanford Robinson were transfers but top 75 guys, plus some top 150 guys in Hassan Martin and Brendan Adams and the like. Certainly not a bad haul for 5 seasons at URI especially based on where they were when he took over.

And what are their NBA stats?
Listen - Coach Hurley has never been in a position where he is expected to recruit NBA talent
So it is ridiculous to say "he'll be fine" and it is way too early to say he can't
Let's wait and see...............................

 

[WrenchFan69]

And what are their NBA stats?
Listen - Coach Hurley has never been in a position where he is expected to recruit NBA talent
So it is ridiculous to say "he'll be fine" and it is way too early to say he can't
Let's wait and see......

The quote was that Hurley hadn't landed any top recruits. I was pointing out he had landed a handful of top recruits. To speak to the NBA part, Xavier Munford had a few cups of coffee in the league, EC Matthews pre-injury would have absolutely been an NBA pick, and he and Terrell have workouts with NBA teams this offseason.

 

[jibsey]

He needs a couple of top 25 recruits. Then he can fill in the holes around them. Duke just got 5 new freshman 1,2,3,17, and 39. I don’t expect that but if we are going to be back in the mix it can’t be faked or wished talent wise.

 

[intlzncster]

He needs a couple of top 25 recruits. Then he can fill in the holes around them. Duke just got 5 new freshman 1,2,3,17, and 39. I don’t expect that but if we are going to be back in the mix it can’t be faked or wished talent wise.

Don't remotely need that of course. I post this all the time, but it's instructive, and quite frankly, eye opening.

Jay Wright and Nova recruiting class rankings:

From 247

2016 - 45
2015 - 29
2014 - 48
2013 - 36
2012 - 27​

From ESPN

2016 - 33
2015 - 24
2014 - 37
2013 - 31
2012 - >25​

Those classes led to TWO national championships. Pretty much ZERO top 25 classes.

That is how you recruit and coach basketball.

 

[MattMang23]

When did we "move to the American?" As I recall, all we've wanted to do was move to a different conference. I must have missed us accomplishing this goal.

 

[amsterdamjade]

He needs a couple of top 25 recruits. Then he can fill in the holes around them. Duke just got 5 new freshman 1,2,3,17, and 39. I don’t expect that but if we are going to be back in the mix it can’t be faked or wished talent wise.

this thinking that just because you recruit a bunch of 5 star players it equates to winning. The stats are out there. Its proven that a bunch of 5 stars do not produce championships. They end up only staying a year and it disrupts team chemistry and building a winning culture.

 

[jibsey]

Don't remotely need that of course. I post this all the time, but it's instructive, and quite frankly, eye opening.

Jay Wright and Nova recruiting class rankings:

From 247

2016 - 45
2015 - 29
2014 - 48
2013 - 36
2012 - 27​

From ESPN

2016 - 33
2015 - 24
2014 - 37
2013 - 31
2012 - >25​

Those classes led to TWO national championships. Pretty much ZERO top 25 classes.

That is how you recruit and coach basketball.

I think a couple of top 25 players is what I said, and I don’t know what ranking that would give a class. At this point don’t we have a talent deficit? Especially shooting wise? The one thing Jay Wright does is get players who can shoot regardless of their ranking. Hurley is working with what he has so no criticism at all but he’s not going to get Duke type talent so he has to find diamonds in the rough.

 

[intlzncster]

I think a couple of top 25 players is what I said, and I don’t know what ranking that would give a class. At this point don’t we have a talent deficit? Especially shooting wise? The one thing Jay Wright does is get players who can shoot regardless of their ranking. Hurley is working with what he has so no criticism at all but he’s not going to get Duke type talent so he has to find diamonds in the rough.

For comparative purposes, Nova had only 2 guys ranked between 20-25 during that 5 year period (Brunson and Spellman). They just got the right mix.

Their class next year is a monster. Top 10 I think.

 

[Tenspro2002]

That is old style thinking anyway. Landing multiple future pros gets you to the second weekend. Winning titles requires good players and good college guards who can shot the 3 and who buy into the system. Saying 4 years helps a lot too

Quite frankly, let's get back to regularly making the second weekend, then we can worry about how to fine-tune the recruiting strategy to put us over the top.

 

[uconngb]

Quite frankly, let's get back to regularly making the tournament, then we can worry about how to fine-tune the recruiting strategy to put us over the top.

FIFY

 

[jibsey]

This is not going to be easy and one of the mysteries that still bothers me is how after the 2014 championship there wasn't a line of blue chippers outside KO's door for 2015. Our performance should have supercharged recruiting. Now Hurley has to get some results first to make that happen.

 

[len0322]

If we win, they will come.... Might have saw this movie about 25-27 years ago....

 

[Travelman6]

And the stupid “location” comment just never stops. Location? 2+ hours to NYC, 1.25 hours to Boston and right in the heart of the best prep school league in the country. Wtf? That narrative is so ridiculous and irresponsible.

Haha, it is not 1970 anymore, not sure why people make location comments. It is so much easier to get from one place to another in the states in 2018, even Storrs. While I do wish there was better public transit in the general region and a culture in place to support public transit (to build a culture like that takes time), which would make going between places even easier, it is not that hard to go from Storrs to somewhere else. Granted you probably need a friend with a car.

 

[intlzncster]

Haha, it is not 1970 anymore, not sure why people make location comments. It is so much easier to get from one place to another in the states in 2018, even Storrs. While I do wish there was better public transit in the general region and a culture in place to support public transit (to build a culture like that takes time), which would make going between places even easier, it is not that hard to go from Storrs to somewhere else. Granted you probably need a friend with a car.

Location matters for a couple reasons. As @Hoophound said, they are right smack dab in one of the best recruiting hotbeds in America. For the coaches, it's a hell of a lot easier to see, get face time with, schedule officials/unofficials and keep tabs on recruits. Makes it easier to develop and maintain relationships with those running the local circuit.

And from a recruit's perspective, families being able to get to games is a big deal. Most of these kids don't come from means, so a short car or bus ride is a god send. Allows them to see their kids more often too.

 

[mussels]

And the stupid “location” comment just never stops. Location? 2+ hours to NYC, 1.25 hours to Boston and right in the heart of the best prep school league in the country. Wtf? That narrative is so ridiculous and irresponsible.

Exactly. Does anyone think recruits flock to Durham because of the location ?