Corey Evans on Bouknight & Akok

[2Infinity]

Pride goeth before a fall ... they must be very, very confident if they are letting this out to the media. Presumably trying to build momentum for the class with the other recruits. Akok our first commit?

Think you're exactly right PJ. There would be no other reason to let this out publicly. They must feel that one or more of their other targets needs to know that AA, or players of that caliber, will be joining the program...so this is a good sign overall!

 

[SoFla Steve]

A number of these guys might wait til spring to commit, so you may want to pop an alka seltzer and loosen your belt a bit. pro tip.

I appreciate the advice.

 

[SoFla Steve]

Precious Bouknight and Kofi commit I am 100% buying season tickets, no question

I already bought mine and I live in South Florida.

 

[Cuse Socks]

Bouknight wearing UConn shorts in his Instagram story. Obviously doesn’t mean anything concrete but def a good sign

 

[auror]

Pride goeth before a fall ... they must be very, very confident if they are letting this out to the media. Presumably trying to build momentum for the class with the other recruits. Akok our first commit?

I think you're exactly right on the momentum aspect. They've been cultivating this narrative of the monster building 2019 class. But they have no commitments yet. Tough to maintain the narrative in perpetuity, unless you start some perception manipulation.

Equivalent of the "That Funke guy everyone's talking about".

 

[AntG168]

View attachment 33762
Bouknight wearing UConn shorts in his Instagram story. Obviously doesn’t mean anything concrete but def a good sign

!!!!

 

[AntG168]

View attachment 33762
Bouknight wearing UConn shorts in his Instagram story. Obviously doesn’t mean anything concrete but def a good sign

!!!!

 

[HooperScooper]

View attachment 33762
Bouknight wearing UConn shorts in his Instagram story. Obviously doesn’t mean anything concrete but def a good sign

I'll tell you a story about Brandon Jennings. Wore UConn gear everywhere. Was friends with Marcus Williams and played for Marcus's father in AAU. Was considered a huge UConn lean. And then committed to Arizona.

Of course then he never went to college and we got some guy named Kemba Walker instead. So worked out in the end.

 

[CL82]

View attachment 33762
Bouknight wearing UConn shorts in his Instagram story. Obviously doesn’t mean anything concrete but def a good sign

Conspiracy Kitty says: [Nothing. She just purrs contentedly.]

 

[superjohn]

Bouknight is coming here. I also always heard we we're really strong with Akok, some boneyard insiders told me they heard differently but I think we have a very good shot. He is tight with Tom Moore and Hurley.

Achiuwa and Kofi I am nervous about.

Gaffney looks good.

 

[Cuse Socks]

I'll tell you a story about Brandon Jennings. Wore UConn gear everywhere. Was friends with Marcus Williams and played for Marcus's father in AAU. Was considered a huge UConn lean. And then committed to Arizona.

Of course then he never went to college and we got some guy named Kemba Walker instead. So worked out in the end.

Yeah I remember seeing Hamidou wear Syracuse shorts a bunch and then Lester Quinones the other day was wearing an Illinois shirt. Happens all the time. But again it's definitely not a bad thing that he's wearing our gear

 

[Guapo]

I'll tell you a story about Brandon Jennings. Wore UConn gear everywhere. Was friends with Marcus Williams and played for Marcus's father in AAU. Was considered a huge UConn lean. And then committed to Arizona.

Of course then he never went to college and we got some guy named Kemba Walker instead. So worked out in the end.

Kemba was a heavy lean towards Cincinnati till UConn got involved

 

[methodology]

I'll tell you a story about Brandon Jennings. Wore UConn gear everywhere. Was friends with Marcus Williams and played for Marcus's father in AAU. Was considered a huge UConn lean. And then committed to Arizona.

Of course then he never went to college and we got some guy named Kemba Walker instead. So worked out in the end.

Kemba was a heavy lean towards Cincinnati till UConn got involved

Had this exact conversation with Tom Moore over weekend. Said they got involved late when other things didn't work out and were lucky that UConn was Kemba dream school. As he said everything worked out pretty well in the end

 

[Guapo]

Had this exact conversation with Tom Moore over weekend. Said they got involved late when other things didn't work out and were lucky that UConn was Kemba dream school. As he said everything worked out pretty well in the end

I'm sure this fact doesn't keep @kobe and other UC fans up at night

 

[TitleTown]

Recruiting isn’t a done deal until that recruit takes his first class , apparently even if it’s a summer class.
It’s hard to get excited about future kids when so much is unknown.
We’re talking 2019 kids
We don’t even have commit one yet and the date is still a year away.
My concerns revolve around not 2019 recruiting but the 2018 teams success.
Future recruiting success will be largely determined by that outcome and to a degree the fans response to it.
The atomspere which has been lost is an obstacle that needs to be addressed.

I agree, that is why I prefaced my statement with "If". I also believe that Hurley has to win on the court before he can win on the recruiting front. This program has gone through some very tough times on and off the court lately, the best way to remedy that is by winning basketball games.

 

[Uconnfanatic]

I agree, that is why I prefaced my statement with "If". I also believe that Hurley has to win on the court before he can win on the recruiting front. This program has gone through some very tough times on and off the court lately, the best way to remedy that is by winning basketball games.

I don't believe we have to win on the court before we can win on the recruiting front. Hurley appears to be a good salesman and there is a lot to sell. Four NCAA championships in the last twenty years, far more than anyone else, a first class training facility, along with a strong new coaching staff that commands respect and has good contacts throughout the northeast. Plus we are top two for a number of elite 2019 players who seem to really connect with this staff. Yes, we have been down for a few years, but players are smart enough to see that there is a strong new regime in place, brought in to return us to those lofty levels of just a few years ago and that they have the opportunity to be a big part of that. I hope and I think Hurley is recruiting this core on their potential as a group, kind of like Michigan's Fab Five. It gives them a chance to imagine what it might be like to be the group to bring UConn its next NCAA championship. If we can get 3 to 5 of those top ten recruits we are recruiting, we'll be on our way back. I know it's far from a done deal but I have faith in Danny and his ability to execute this plan. I also think this year's team is going to surpass expectations as long as we don't suffer major injuries. I expect them to get back to playing a UConn brand of basketball where we play tough man to man defense, we at least hold our own on the boards, we look to run and we outwork and out-will other teams and actually have a half court offense. I am hopeful, even optimistic that this team can earn a NCAA bid. Maybe our comeback will take longer, but I think there is reason to believe that it won't. I hope September brings some good news and gets us started on this comeback.

 

[Ewekon]

The dam will break when Chief says the dam will break, damn it!

....and he will say so a day after it has obviously broken

 

[MuchoDogYears]

People saying they’ll be happy if we “only” get 3 of them...!
Reality check.
In the JC days, once he got the program rolling (1990 on), we’d get 1 or 2 top recruits a year.
That should be the goal, 1 or 2 of these guys this year, and every year.

 

[JMick]

People saying they’ll be happy if we “only” get 3 of them...!
Reality check.
In the JC days, once he got the program rolling (1990 on), we’d get 1 or 2 top recruits a year.
That should be the goal, 1 or 2 of these guys this year, and every year.

One top 100 recruit every year would be a failure. Hurley said it himself that he wanted to come here to land 4* and 5* guys.

 

[intlzncster]

One top 100 recruit every year would be a failure. Hurley said it himself that he wanted to come here to land 4* and 5* guys.

I think he meant one 5* Top 20 guy. Which was the norm for JC. Pad that out with 2-3 20-50s and you've got really, really nice classes.

 

[JMick]

I think he meant one 5* Top 20 guy. Which was the norm for JC. Pad that out with 2-3 20-50s and you've got really, really nice classes.

I don't think that's what he meant but I agree with what you're saying.

 

[pj]

You want to have 8-10 quality rotation players on your roster which means 2/3 to 3/4 of the roster should be top 100 caliber. In a year with 5 recruits, that means to be a top 25 program, 3 of 5 recruits should be top 100. Hurley seems to be recruiting at the level of a top 25 program. Of course he'd like to get to the Duke-Kentucky level ... If he can pull in all 5, he's on his way.

 

[Matrim55]

Of course he'd like to get to the Duke-Kentucky level ... If he can pull in all 5, he's on his way.

I'd rather have Villanova/UNC-style recruiting tbh.

 

[the Q]

I'm sure this fact doesn't keep @kobe and other UC fans up at night

Probably wakes up....32 times a night because of this.

 

[kobe]

Probably wakes up....32 times a night because of this.

gonna punch you 32 times in the face