Corey Evans on Bouknight & Akok | Page 4 | The Boneyard

Corey Evans on Bouknight & Akok

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

you may not think I meant what I said but usually I mean what I say. just saying.
1 or 2 top 20 players a year, along with a couple of 50-125 players, and were good to go.
 
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 walker? Was he a walk on
 
you may not think I meant what I said but usually I mean what I say. just saying.
1 or 2 top 20 players a year, along with a couple of 50-125 players, and were good to go.

When did JC get 1or 2 top 20 players a year? May have happened but that would be pretty rare.
 
When did JC get 1or 2 top 20 players a year? May have happened but that would be pretty rare.

Yes, definitely was rare. Were drummond and daniels in the same class? They were both highly ranked but I'm not sure if Daniels was top 20. AJ Price and Rudy Gay were both highly ranked too and that was back in 2004
 
Yes, definitely was rare. Were drummond and daniels in the same class? They were both highly ranked but I'm not sure if Daniels was top 20. AJ Price and Rudy Gay were both highly ranked too and that was back in 2004

Daniels was top 10 earlier, not sure where he ended up.
 
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When did JC get 1or 2 top 20 players a year? May have happened but that would be pretty rare.
According to 247 consensus rankings....
'03 - CV
'04 - Rudy
'05 - Bynum (technically he committed)
'06 - Stanley
'07 - None
'08 - Kemba, Majok
'09 - Oriakhi
'10 - None
'11 - DeAndre Daniels, Drummond (with his '12 rank, most sites didn't update to include him)

So 9 in 9 years.
 
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According to 247 consensus rankings....
'03 - CV
'04 - Rudy
'05 - Bynum (technically he committed)
'06 - Stanley
'07 - None
'08 - Kemba, Majok
'09 - Oriakhi
'10 - None
'11 - DeAndre Daniels, Drummond (with his '12 rank, most sites didn't update to include him)

So 9 in 9 years.

The most important thing that this list should tell you is that UConn had at a number of candidates for First Team All American (and in some cases national player of the year) -- Rip, Ray, Donyell and Shabazz -- who were not top 20 recruits. That's not to call rankings meaningless. It is to point out that the difference between the 15th best player and the 45th best player is a guess. An educated guess, but a guess.
 
The most important thing that this list should tell you is that UConn had at a number of candidates for First Team All American (and in some cases national player of the year) -- Rip, Ray, Donyell and Shabazz -- who were not top 20 recruits. That's not to call rankings meaningless. It is to point out that the difference between the 15th best player and the 45th best player is a guess. An educated guess, but a guess.
Rip and Donyell were both top 20 recruits.
 
According to 247 consensus rankings....
'03 - CV
'04 - Rudy
'05 - Bynum (technically he committed)
'06 - Stanley
'07 - None
'08 - Kemba, Majok
'09 - Oriakhi
'10 - None
'11 - DeAndre Daniels, Drummond (with his '12 rank, most sites didn't update to include him)

So 9 in 9 years.

The consensus can lie a little bit if one of the services does a bad job.

AJ Price was a top 20 for instance.
 
And Caron Butler would likely have been Top 20 if he wasn't a post grad (unranked).
 
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The most important thing that this list should tell you is that UConn had at a number of candidates for First Team All American (and in some cases national player of the year) -- Rip, Ray, Donyell and Shabazz -- who were not top 20 recruits. That's not to call rankings meaningless. It is to point out that the difference between the 15th best player and the 45th best player is a guess. An educated guess, but a guess.

The main thing the list tells you is its easier to handicap size and athleticism than how a smaller player will develop. Every year, guards contribute more and big men less to college teams than you'd expect from recruiting rankings.

But, as a school and a coach, you've arrived when you can compete with the big-name schools for big men. Because everyone is after them.
 
The most important thing that this list should tell you is that UConn had at a number of candidates for First Team All American (and in some cases national player of the year) -- Rip, Ray, Donyell and Shabazz -- who were not top 20 recruits. That's not to call rankings meaningless. It is to point out that the difference between the 15th best player and the 45th best player is a guess. An educated guess, but a guess.

I started at '03 because that's when 247 data starts and ended with Calhoun's last year.
 
The most important thing that this list should tell you is that UConn had at a number of candidates for First Team All American (and in some cases national player of the year) -- Rip, Ray, Donyell and Shabazz -- who were not top 20 recruits. That's not to call rankings meaningless. It is to point out that the difference between the 15th best player and the 45th best player is a guess. An educated guess, but a guess.
Also shows what kind of player development JC could bring out. "NBA ready"
 
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