Cole Swider, Portsmouth RI

[tomtom80]

And Rutgers media guide can start a feature of kids UCONN did not offer

 

[huskypantz]

Sounds like he wants a smaller school and likes the Bball-centric Big East (I am sure that will get a few folks on this board going). Looking at Nova and Creighton, Duke apparently is trying to convince him he can come in and start. No mention of UConn.

 

[Husky4lyfeAHO]

Sounds like he wants a smaller school and likes the Bball-centric Big East (I am sure that will get a few folks on this board going). Looking at Nova and Creighton, Duke apparently is trying to convince him he can come in and start. No mention of UConn.

Will be interesting to see if any of our coaches start showing up to see this kid in the coming weeks

 

[Husky4lyfeAHO]

Have not seen this listed anywhere, but Glen Miller was in to see this kid in December during a prep event held at St Andrews.

 

[gtcam]

Congrats to your family huskypantz
Your relative looks like a dynamite prospect
Nice touch and good athlete
Best of luck to him in the future

 

[Durks07]

Don't worry, I donate $5 a year to the BC AD fund. They get the violation.

You may as well just light the money on fire. The 10 seconds of warmth that provides is more valuable than anything that BC athletic department does.

 

[mauconnfan]

Need a shooter - take this kid in a second has that release that says "money"....the hell with "smaller" schools be a piece of a big program and turn in to Redick.

 

[huskypantz]

Looks like he's a Nova lean. He also likes Creighton, but for now Nova is the odds-on fav.

 

[Paesano]

Hmmm. Wonder why we weren't this kid all along.

 

[UConnStats]

Hmmm. Wonder why we weren't this kid all along.

I was just thinking about how this board could really use some white guys crying "racism".

 

[Sonofabeach]

Looks like this kid is blowing up now lots of offers. ESPN has him at 4 stars.
Cole Swider - Basketball Recruiting - Player Profiles - ESPN

 

[mauconnfan]

Looks like this kid is blowing up now lots of offers. ESPN has him at 4 stars.
Cole Swider - Basketball Recruiting - Player Profiles - ESPN

I am amazed and disappointed we are not on that list with shooters being a priority.

 

[UConnStats]

I am amazed and disappointed we are not on that list with shooters being a priority.

We have Polley in 17, who is similar in stature to Swider, and is also a shooter. He and Vance are both 4 year college players and SFs.

Given that UConn will probably only have a 2 or 3 available scholarships in 18, I'm not too shocked that we aren't hard after Swider.

 

[scotty0330]

That is true he comes here and Vance is a junior with solid experience and polley has a lead on him too with a year under his belt. Would not mind another long range bomber to replace a larrier who if he has any success - based on his age only I would think look at going pro.

Assuming Jalen comes back for junior year they will need another versatile guard should he decide to declare as well after 2018 season.

 

[mauconnfan]

We have Polley in 17, who is similar in stature to Swider, and is also a shooter. He and Vance are both 4 year college players and SFs.

Given that UConn will probably only have a 2 or 3 available scholarships in 18, I'm not too shocked that we aren't hard after Swider.

I see and get that but never enough quality shooters with size. The kid can flat out shoot it and from deep too, and he's athletic as well as growing. A Bobby Sura/Rashad Anderson rolled into 1? Polley seems like he can shoot it, mostly a mid ranger and Vance can be deemed a 3/4 with his size. There's room for this kid

 

[Matrim55]

I see and get that but never enough quality shooters with size. The kid can flat out shoot it and from deep too, and he's athletic as well as growing. A Bobby Sura/Rashad Anderson rolled into 1? Polley seems like he can shoot it, mostly a mid ranger and Vance can be deemed a 3/4 with his size. There's room for this kid

Is there? Let's say we get a postgrad big for next year, leave one scholarship open, and then have a great season with both Jalen & Larrier declaring for the draft. That makes our 2018/19 depth chart this:

PG: Alterique (RS-So), MAL (So)
SG: Vital (Jr)
SF: Vance (Jr), Polley (So)
PF: Juwan (Jr), Diarra (RS-So)
C: Enoch (Sr), Carlton (So)

To me, that screams "combo guard, shooting guard and two bigs (one polished & one project with upside)" with the 4 scholarships we have open. I wouldn't be at all against getting Swider, of course, but I can definitely understand why the staff seems to have its priorities elsewhere.

 

[BFieldHusky]

Is there? Let's say we get a postgrad big for next year, leave one scholarship open, and then have a great season with both Jalen & Larrier declaring for the draft. That makes our 2018/19 depth chart this:

PG: Alterique (RS-So), MAL (So)
SG: Vital (Jr)
SF: Vance (Jr), Polley (So)
PF: Juwan (Jr), Diarra (RS-So)
C: Enoch (Sr), Carlton (So)

To me, that screams "combo guard, shooting guard and two bigs (one polished & one project with upside)" with the 4 scholarships we have open. I wouldn't be at all against getting Swider, of course, but I can definitely understand why the staff seems to have its priorities elsewhere.

Good chance we only have 2-3 ships open that year. And I think Larrier coming off a major injury and redshirt year will be rusty to start the year. He may very well come back senior year so we may only have 2 ships open assuming Adam's leaves.

 

[Matrim55]

Good chance we only have 2-3 ships open that year. And I think Larrier coming off a major injury and redshirt year will be rusty to start the year. He may very well come back senior year so we may only have 2 ships open assuming Adam's leaves.

Agree 100%. Let's assume we land Cobb (JuCo big man) and that Larrier doesn't leave after next year but Jalen does:

PG: Alterique (RS-So), MAL (So)
SG: Vital (Jr)
SF: Larrier (Sr), Vance (Jr), Polley (So)
PF: Juwan (Jr), Diarra (RS-So)
C: Enoch (Sr), Cobb (Sr) Carlton (So)

If that's our roster, we absolutely need to spend the two spots on a combo guard (or pure SG) and a big man for our class of '18 recruiting.

FWIW, I'm also guessing there's a half-decent chance Polley redshirts next year. If Larrier, Diarra and Gilbert are all healthy by August, it would make a bunch of sense to give the kid the redshirt since 1) he'd be third on the SF depth chart, 2) he'd be third at best on the PF depth chart, and 3) we'll be playing a lot of 3-guard sets.

Since we're finally close to having a full roster and the flexibility that comes with it, Polley will potentially get to benefit from that in the way that we all wish Kentan & Enoch had. That would effectively make him a 2018 recruit.

 

[BFieldHusky]

What happens if Olden commits here for next year? Then you have him as your 5th guard for two years? Then I think you absolutely fill 13th spot with postgrad.

Agree on Polley redshirting. Kid needs to put on some weight.

 

[Matrim55]

What happens if Olden commits here for next year? Then you have him as your 5th guard for two years? Then I think you absolutely fill 13th spot with postgrad.

Agree, though I'm not 100% convinced we've offered Olden. I do think we've shown interest.

Agree on Polley redshirting. Kid needs to put on some weight.

It'd be a good situation for us if we were finally deep enough to think strategically about the roster like that rather than just frantically trying to plug holes.

 

[BFieldHusky]

Agree, though I'm not 100% convinced we've offered Olden. I do think we've shown interest.


It'd be a good situation for us if we were finally deep enough to think strategically about the roster like that rather than just frantically trying to plug holes.

Reeves for 2018 would be perfect, but seems to be some momentum for him to Nova/Providence. We were on him early so I still hold out hope.

 

[Matrim55]

Reeves for 2018 would be perfect, but seems to be some momentum for him to Nova/Providence. We were on him early so I still hold out hope.

I think we're still favorites no matter how hard those guys go after him (I'll throw Syracuse in that group as well).

Worth noting, though, that while Reeves has been slowly sinking in the rankings, Duke has been rising like he was shot out of a cannon. I think I'd still prefer Reeves, but if the staff decides Duke is the guy they want, I can get with that.

Hopefully both, though! And Simi Shittu.

 

[King Husky]

I was just thinking about how this board could really use some white guys crying "racism".

I was just going to reply to the comment that said Duke is interested in him... Coach K always likes to go after white guys that are around top 100, and can shoot.

 

[husky429]

I think we're still favorites no matter how hard those guys go after him (I'll throw Syracuse in that group as well).

Worth noting, though, that while Reeves has been slowly sinking in the rankings, Duke has been rising like he was shot out of a cannon. I think I'd still prefer Reeves, but if the staff decides Duke is the guy they want, I can get with that.

Hopefully both, though! And Simi Shittu.

What are our chances with shittu?. Seems like we've been on him a ton for a while.

He seems like a better version of Abdul Malik-abu to me in that he is a PF but on the small side for NBA chances. That could be nice if he's more of a 3 year guy because of size. I watched one of his games and I loved his hustle, rebounding, and passing in particular.

Also, with only two schollies available most likely, what do you think our priorities will be?

I'm thinking combo guard and some kind of big either PF or C. But I haven't really looked, been too busy coaching my own team

 

[Matrim55]

What are our chances with shittu?. Seems like we've been on him a ton for a while.

He seems like a better version of Abdul Malik-abu to me in that he is a PF but on the small side for NBA chances. That could be nice if he's more of a 3 year guy because of size. I watched one of his games and I loved his hustle, rebounding, and passing in particular.

Body-wise he's like Abu, but his game is much more well-rounded (as you noted). I think he's a guy who we'll be on until the very end, but he did just follow a bunch of UK accounts on twitter. So you go ahead and do the math (and maybe take a stiff drink).

Dude's a top 10 player. Gonna be a tough pull.

Also, with only two schollies available most likely, what do you think our priorities will be?

I'm thinking combo guard and some kind of big either PF or C. But I haven't really looked, been too busy coaching my own team

Judging from where Ollie has spent his time/resources, our priorities are Reeves, Sidney Wilson, Louis King & Shittu. We've also shown a lot of interest in a number of combo guards (Jalen Carey, Eric Ayala, David Duke, Luther Muhammad).

If we really do end up with only two scholarships available, I think we'd target a SG (or CG) and a true big man (I've bolded guys we haven't signed but are targeting):

PG: Alterique (RS-So), MAL (So)
SG: Vital (Jr), Reeves (Fr)
SF: Larrier (Sr), Vance (Jr), Polley (RS-FR)
PF: Juwan (Jr), Diarra (RS-So)
C: Enoch (Sr), Cobb (Sr) Carlton (So), Emmanuel Dowuona (Fr)

Let's then say that we lose the 3 seniors (tho Larrier could certainly apply for a 6th year of eligibility, and might get one), and Juwan declares for the draft. This would be our 2019/20 roster:

PG: Alterique (RS-JR), MAL (Jr)
SG: Vital (Jr), Reeves (So)
SF: Vance (Sr), Polley (RS-So)
PF: Diarra (RS-Jr)
C: Carlton (Jr), Dowuona (So)

So we'd end up needing four recruits for 2019. Right now we're strong with Taelon Martin, a top 40 PG from Springfield, and we've offered virtually every 5-star big man on the board, including Chol Marial, the 7-foot-3 Sudanese version of Kristaps who plays at Cheshire Academy.

My personal opinion is that we just need to hold the line with 2018 recruiting, while 2019 is the year that could potentially get us back to "undeniably elite" status. But obviously a lot can change between now and then, and the most important thing is to develop the talent that's already in the room.