2026 Recruiting: Colben Landrew interview (commit)

[upstater]

No, it’s dumb. Take a look around college basketball and tell me how many freshmen are sticking around when they don't play their freshman year. Or look how many more are even decommitting in the spring when minutes aren't available.

Under Calhoun Darius Adams would have come here and played minimal minutes this year before having a bigger role as a sophomore. Instead he transferred somewhere to get minutes immediately and if I had to guess will portal again to a better spot this year.

Corey Floyd Jr came here with an agreement to redshirt and then have a role as a redshirt freshman. He practiced the whole year and then got lured into the portal. There's dozens of other examples just like that all over college basketball

#1. I'm saying the opposite of what you're saying about playing time. I'm advocating that a freshman GETS playing time and learns while playing. This isn't about sticking a freshman on the bench. Freshman who are stuck to the bench will leave. So I'm saying the OPPOSITE of what you're saying. Examples like Corey Floyd are useless in this comparison.

#2. Take a player like Tahaad Pettiford. He started 1 game all last year and played 22 minutes. He was on the floor at the same time as the starting PG but also took over when the starter was out (starter averaged 28 minutes). He came back as a sophomore and was ready to be the lead guard.

 

[KingAG]

I think you have to compare UConn to the best programs not Marquette who had to gamble their season on a frosh. Top programs can’t take gambles they have to have a sure thing and a backup plan. Let’s see:
Duke- Foster (top 25 recruit)
Zona- Bradley (transfer)
UM- Cadeau (transfer)
UF- Lee (transfer)
Houston- Uzan (transfer)
UConn- Demary (transfer)

You’re naming starters. That’s not what anyone is asking County to do. I agree we shouldn’t start a freshman pg unless they’re special. My point was there are many freshman pgs who are producing. It’s not unattainable

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Silas is a combo guard who is used on and off ball. So was Tristen. He was recruited to play that role eventually. Hes not a score first guy.

Hurley doesn’t really play “pure pgs”

Malachi is a pure PG. Hass was a pure PG. But that’s not really the point. I think County’s future is as a lead guard. I just don’t think that precludes Hurley recruiting another PG for next year and still getting County minutes and development running the point as a secondary ball handler. Aside from this season, he’s pretty much always run a lot of lineups with a secondary ball handler than ran point duties at times.

 

[Kemba15]

Then stop wasting scholarships on hs pgs. Hurley hasn’t relied on transfers on purpose. He’s relied on transfers because he hasn’t recruited one worthy of manning that position.

I agree. Unless it’s a surefire stud Pg, just hit the portal for that position

 

[upstater]

Does it have to change though? Maybe Hurley and his staff are better at identifying transfer PGs with college experience than HS players. RJ Cole, Newtown and Silas. We could just keep doing the thing we’re good at

The problem I see is that it takes almost a full season for these guys to become acclimated to the offense.

 

[KingAG]

Malachi is a pure PG. Hass was a pure PG. But that’s not really the point. I think County’s future is as a lead guard. I just don’t think that precludes Hurley recruiting another PG for next year and still getting County minutes and development running the point as a secondary ball handler. Aside from this season, he’s pretty much always run a lot of lineups with a secondary ball handler than ran point duties a lot.

Yea we don’t disagree. I just don’t want County glued to the bench or recruited over like Diggins, Adams or Nowell. Those guys literally almost never even got a chance. It’s probably because they weren’t good enough. But that’s also an issue lol.

 

[KingAG]

I agree. Unless it’s a surefire stud Pg, just hit the portal for that position

Dangerous game. But maybe he has the formula. I hope so. He’s hit on 2 out of 3 so far

 

[Kemba15]

Dangerous game. But maybe he has the formula. I hope so. He’s hit on 2 out of 3 so far

RJ Cole is a hit too

 

[KingAG]

RJ Cole is a hit too

Definitely

 

[bendm]

You’re naming starters. That’s not what anyone is asking County to do. I agree we shouldn’t start a freshman pg unless they’re special. My point was there are many freshman pgs who are producing. It’s not unattainable

But aren’t you saying you want county to play and be groomed and start eventually? that was my point, none of the top teams are starting a PG they recruited as a frosh except Duke and foster was a top 25 recruit.

 

[gtcam]

Just not an accurate one. Adrian was an undersized physical 4 who had no outside game. And Dyson was a physical 2G who was a streaky jump shooter. More attack the rim type of guard.

Other than being a physical specimen I don't see any comparison between those two players and him.

Caron is the comp!

Jeff had a nice midrange game

 

[HooperScooper]

We’ll see. Regardless of the plan, I’m sure the staff was up front with County during the recruitment. And again, bringing in another PG doesn’t mean County doesn’t play and it doesn’t mean they can’t develop him as a PG. The ‘24 team had Newton, Castle, Spencer, and Diarra all running the point at times.

County isn’t even listed as a PG pretty much anywhere. He’s a SG in most places, CG in some, and is definitely more score-first at this point. This discussion would make more sense to me if we were talking about a pure PG.

This scouting report from Adam Finkelstein makes him sound like a secondary ball handler who can play the point but he isn't a pure point guard.




Fwiw, On3/Rivals lists him as a PG.

 

[KingAG]

But aren’t you saying you want county to be groomed and start eventually? that’s my point none if the top teams are starting a PG they recruited as a frosh except Duke and foster was a top 25 recruit.

You’re using just this year. But what about Purdue(Braden smith), or mich st(fears), Iowa state(lipsey), Houston almost always does

 

[KingAG]

This scouting report from Adam Finkelstein makes him sound like a secondary ball handler who can play the point but he isn't a pure point guard.

A Hurley PG

 

[bendm]

You’re using just this year. But what about Purdue(Braden smith), or mich st(fears), Iowa state(lipsey), Houston almost always does

I was using the 6 best teams I don’t think its a coincidence

 

[KingAG]

I was using the 6 best teams I don’t think its a coincidence

Why stop at 6 lol? That’s a convenient number to stop your data at. What about the 10 best. You’d then have to add Iowa State, Michigan state, Purdue and Houston

 

[HW611]

You’re using just this year. But what about Purdue(Braden smith), or mich st(fears), Iowa state(lipsey), Houston almost always does

You just named almost all the best PGs in the country this year.

 

[navery12]

#1. I'm saying the opposite of what you're saying about playing time. I'm advocating that a freshman GETS playing time and learns while playing. This isn't about sticking a freshman on the bench. Freshman who are stuck to the bench will leave. So I'm saying the OPPOSITE of what you're saying. Examples like Corey Floyd are useless in this comparison.

#2. Take a player like Tahaad Pettiford. He started 1 game all last year and played 22 minutes. He was on the floor at the same time as the starting PG but also took over when the starter was out (starter averaged 28 minutes). He came back as a sophomore and was ready to be the lead guard.

Got it, I see what you're saying. Though I'm not sure Pettiford is a great example as a guy who's pretty much in the portal already before he's even an upperclassmen

 

[navery12]

If we didn’t recruit Smith and made a commitment to giving those minutes to Adams he probably stays.

Bringing in Smith signaled we didn’t plan on playing him much and he made his decision accordingly.

With our program being at the very top of the college basketball food chain, we don’t have the issue of players we want to stay with us leaving when we are fully investing in them.

And based on everything we've seen from Adams that was the right call

 

[bendm]

Why stop at 6 lol? That’s a convenient number to stop your data at. What about the 10 best. You’d then have to add Iowa State, Michigan state, Purdue and Houston

I did include Houston and those are the 6 schools I consider championship contenders, which is the goal. If you want a bigger sample size then Let’s look at last years top 4 teams too:
Florida- Clayton (transfer)
Houston- Uzan (transfer)
Duke- Proctor (top 25 recruit)
Auburn- Jones (transfer)

The trend seems obvious to me

 

[FightOnCT]

I’m in the camp of giving County the experience, but I also think the bigger thing is getting a secondary ball handler who can start. Then having a frosh backup PG is less daunting.