Corey Evans says UCONN with lots of momentum heading into the fall...

[TheChamps990411]

Recruiting is so fluid you just never know and even when a recruit signs a LOI it isn't the end. So many recruits over the years go someplace else at the last minute or decommitt. I try very hard to ignore optimistic reports like Evan's in an effort to temper optimism. It never really works and like most fans I get sucked in.

I stopped being obsessed over recruiting years ago. Sure i check in to get an idea whats going on but i start to care about a recruit when hes signed and on campus.

 

[husky429]

Yea...they are going to murder every team they play.

It's super unfair. East, West, Sacred Heart etc. Have nepsac level squads but dont want to pay the membership fees.

 

[UofCT]

"Three months from now, UConn could have a top 10 class nationally. That's something Huskies fans have not been able to say since their Big East days."

False.

We had a top 10 class in 2016.

 

[TitleTown]

Im obviously UConn biased but its hard for me to see how Hurley can fail. Seeing the progression of the players, like with Cobb, thats a big transformation. That along with these hard practices and the players that were recruiting for 2019?!? Yeah were UConn and we have that brand but hes doing a tremendous job for a program that has seen its only losing seasons since I dont even know when.

Maybe we should wait until we actually sign a 2019 player?

 

[Kemba429]

Maybe we should wait until we actually sign a 2019 player?

Im pretty damn confident in us getting at least one top 100 player. Which is better than we did the past two years. Cold take me if im wrong.

 

[Scrutineer]

I stopped being obsessed over recruiting years ago. Sure i check in to get an idea whats going on but i start to care about a recruit when hes signed and on campus.

Can you give the rest of us advice on how to do it?
I quit smoking over 30 years ago and the first couple weeks were tough when out for drinks but then I got over it. Is it the same for recruiting info?

 

[UConnTrumbull]

Im pretty damn confident in us getting at least one top 100 player. Which is better than we did the past two years. Cold take me if im wrong.

Agreed but we need to aim higher than that. Real goal should be one top 20 player and 1-2 in the 50-100 range. I trust Hurley to fill in the 100+ well like he did at URI.

 

[HuskyHawk]

How is USC not #1? Their class is already amazing and it's not a school with any history of basketball success.

I hope we pull off the kind of class Evans thinks we can.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Most people would love to have Kentucky's year to year record, , and championships. The tough thing to swallow if I were a Kentucky fan is the number of years they underperform in the tournament. Winning when you are supposed to win, is nice. Very nice. But losing when you are supposed to win, sucks.

It's kind of like being a Red Sox fan.

I'd love to see a list ranking teams and coaches by the number of times they've under performed in the tournament.

Experience is underrated. Kentucky is going to struggle to win any titles until they get a few key players to stay through Junior year.

Nova this year was a veteran team. So was UNC in 2017, and Nova in 2016. UConn in 2014 obviously. Duke was very young in 2015, but even they started Quinn Cook as a Sr. guard.

It's a reason why I think UConn will surprise some people. This is a veteran team.

 

[HuskyHawk]

We’re in the top 5-6 for 6 top recruits
I’d say a little premature for class predictions.
We have to have a PG to replace Adams.
Everyone else is bonus
With carrying over Wilson , Carlton, Polley, Whaley, AdamsII , Diarra, maybe even Vital & with Gilbert iffy I see PG as the hole.
We need a Freshman and a Post grad ball handler unless AdamsII and Vital make a big leap in ball skills . Vital might be wise staying and working on those skills if he wants to make money. 6’1” shooting guard doesn’t sound as promising as 6’1” PG who can shoot.
Dyson and RB are making money because they were able to make the switch.

I don't understand why people keep saying this. Gilbert is a PG. Brendan Adams is a PG. Meanwhile, our only SG will be a senior. We need a SG most of all.

 

[pj]

Experience is underrated. Kentucky is going to struggle to win any titles until they get a few key players to stay through Junior year.

Nova this year was a veteran team. So was UNC in 2017, and Nova in 2016. UConn in 2014 obviously. Duke was very young in 2015, but even they started Quinn Cook as a Sr. guard.

It's a reason why I think UConn will surprise some people. This is a veteran team.

Jalen Adams and Christian Vital are veterans. Tarin Smith and Kassoum Yakwe are, but not at UConn and not under Hurley. Eric Cobb, not sure what you count from his experience. Everyone else has one year experience (Williams, Whaley, Carlton, Polley, Diarra) or less (Sid Wilson, Brendan Adams, Alterique Gilbert). Everyone is new to the coaching staff.

I think we'll surprise on the upside, but not because we have a veteran team

 

[HuskyHawk]

Jalen Adams and Christian Vital are veterans. Tarin Smith and Kassoum Yakwe are, but not at UConn and not under Hurley. Eric Cobb, not sure what you count from his experience. Everyone else has one year experience (Williams, Whaley, Carlton, Polley, Diarra) or less (Sid Wilson, Brendan Adams, Alterique Gilbert). Everyone is new to the coaching staff.

I think we'll surprise on the upside, but not because we have a veteran team

Bah. Smith and Yawke are 5th year players. Adams, Cobb are seniors. Williams is a Junior (out of eligibility). Vital is a Junior. Gilbert is a physical Junior. Wilson physically a sophomore. Diarra is physically a Junior. I don't think it matters whether they played for Hurley or at UConn or at all. None of these guys played for this staff. The reality is that there is a vast difference between 17-18 year olds and 20-22 year olds. This team is going to be older than almost any team they face. That matters.

 

[pj]

Bah. Smith and Yawke are 5th year players. Adams, Cobb are seniors. Williams is a Junior (out of eligibility). Vital is a Junior. Gilbert is a physical Junior. Wilson physically a sophomore. Diarra is physically a Junior. I don't think it matters whether they played for Hurley or at UConn or at all. None of these guys played for this staff. The reality is that there is a vast difference between 17-18 year olds and 20-22 year olds. This team is going to be older than almost any team they face. That matters.

Age, maybe. But experience together & chemistry, no.

 

[Waquoit]

Is it the same for recruiting info?

Cold turkey's the way to go. Just let me know when it's over.

 

[auror]

Age, maybe. But experience together & chemistry, no.

Yes. We expect to be a more veteran team this year, but we were quite young last year so we may get to average experience. But our continuity still stinks.
Continuity is more important than experience.

We have:
0 players who have played under Hurley.
5 players we expect to be solidly in the 10-12 man rotation (Gilbert, Wilson, Adams, TaSmith, Yakwe) who played less than 7 games with the team last year.
2-3 new starters.
1 4-year senior who played at UConn his whole career.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Carlto

I don't understand why people keep saying this. Gilbert is a PG. Brendan Adams is a PG. Meanwhile, our only SG will be a senior. We need a SG most of all.

SG is much more easily filled. Brendan Adams is listed as a combo guard which is code for a shooting guard with a decent handle. UConn has never won without a top lead guard

Yes. We expect to be a more veteran team this year, but we were quite young last year so we may get to average experience. But our continuity still stinks.
Continuity is more important than experience.

We have:
0 players who have played under Hurley.
5 players we expect to be solidly in the 10-12 man rotation (Gilbert, Wilson, Adams, TaSmith, Yakwe) who played less than 7 games with the team last year.
2-3 new starters.
1 4-year senior who played at UConn his whole career.

Pretty good negative spin .
However if your talking continuity
Even leaving Gilbert out of the mix whose played as bunch of games with Adams in two seasons..
You have 9 returning players . That’s amazing in this day
A four year starter and leading scorer and assist guy from last year and legimate player of the year candidate.
His partner the second leading scorer and leading rebounder in his third year together.
Carlton was an 18 year old kid last year who had a couple of double digit games as the five
Polley also 18 last year who showed signs of a good shooting touch
Whaley showed some shot ability
Diarra a Banger
Plus
Cobb
Williams
Who either started against some of the best teams in the country or played substantial minutes
You have two Post Grad transfers who will essentially be situational players coming with as good or better credentials than last years post grads who had to be much more heavily utilized. Plus Wilson a very highly regarded recruit who although he didn’t play practiced with the team all year . Plus a ADamsII who suppose to have a great jumper and is 6’4”
Who can stretch the D.
So your glass is half empty mine half full whose argument for precious continuity is better.
I agree continuity is critical but last years team had 10 new players plus a brutal schedule.
That not once tempered expectations.
Gilbert’s defense made them somewhat competitive. This years team is miles ahead of last year.
I don’t think adding Hurley LOL is that detrimental to continuity , that was embarrassing even to a fellow spinmeister.But a fine effort.

 

[UconnU]

How is USC not #1? Their class is already amazing and it's not a school with any history of basketball success.

I hope we pull off the kind of class Evans thinks we can.

The fact that we have only offered 12 kids would lead me to believe that the staff is confident. If you see a slew of new offers to like 3 star kids then it's time to panic. Kentucky has offered more kids than we have. A coach who shall not be named would have 30 offers out by this time in the process.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

The fact that we have only offered 12 kids would lead me to believe that the staff is confident. If you see a slew of new offers to like 3 star kids then it's time to panic. Kentucky has offered more kids than we have. A coach who shall not be named would have 30 offers out by this time in the process.

Panic is overrated.

 

[SoFla Steve]

I stopped being obsessed over recruiting years ago. Sure i check in to get an idea whats going on but i start to care about a recruit when hes signed and on campus.

That used to be my philosophy. Now I'm hanging on every tidbit of recruiting info.

 

[auror]

Pretty good negative spin .
However if your talking continuity
Even leaving Gilbert out of the mix whose played as bunch of games with Adams in two seasons..
You have 9 returning players . That’s amazing in this day
A four year starter and leading scorer and assist guy from last year and legimate player of the year candidate.
His partner the second leading scorer and leading rebounder in his third year together.
Carlton was an 18 year old kid last year who had a couple of double digit games as the five
Polley also 18 last year who showed signs of a good shooting touch
Whaley showed some shot ability
Diarra a Banger
Plus
Cobb
Williams
Who either started against some of the best teams in the country or played substantial minutes
You have two Post Grad transfers who will essentially be situational players coming with as good or better credentials than last years post grads who had to be much more heavily utilized. Plus Wilson a very highly regarded recruit who although he didn’t play practiced with the team all year . Plus a ADamsII who suppose to have a great jumper and is 6’4”
Who can stretch the D.
So your glass is half empty mine half full whose argument for precious continuity is better.
I agree continuity is critical but last years team had 10 new players plus a brutal schedule.
That not once tempered expectations.
Gilbert’s defense made them somewhat competitive. This years team is miles ahead of last year.
I don’t think adding Hurley LOL is that detrimental to continuity , that was embarrassing even to a fellow spinmeister.But a fine effort.

9 returning players is only amazing stability relative to what we've had the last few years (retention being Ollie's greatest failure as a HC). A balanced class (the pros and cons of which is for another post) would be 10 returning after all, and 9 is probably around NCAA average with transfers/NBA departures considered. NCAA average is about 50% returning minutes continuity according to KenPom, I calculated an estimate for us around 48%. Definitely better than recent years, definitely not amazing.

Continuity is specifically about returning minutes. Players getting reps on the court (not just in practice), especially together with the same teammates. Sitting on the bench learning the last coach's offense is better than being on another team entirely, but not much benefit all considered for Wilson and Gilbert.

Absolutely true that Hurley is an upgrade... except to our continuity. Certainly a trade-off we're willing to take, but that is part of the deal with signing a new coach (learning curve and continuity hit).

 

[HuskyHawk]

9 returning players is only amazing stability relative to what we've had the last few years (retention being Ollie's greatest failure as a HC). A balanced class (the pros and cons of which is for another post) would be 10 returning after all, and 9 is probably around NCAA average with transfers/NBA departures considered. NCAA average is about 50% returning minutes continuity according to KenPom, I calculated an estimate for us around 48%. Definitely better than recent years, definitely not amazing.

Continuity is specifically about returning minutes. Players getting reps on the court (not just in practice), especially together with the same teammates. Sitting on the bench learning the last coach's offense is better than being on another team entirely, but not much benefit all considered for Wilson and Gilbert.

Absolutely true that Hurley is an upgrade... except to our continuity. Certainly a trade-off we're willing to take, but that is part of the deal with signing a new coach (learning curve and continuity hit).

Guess what. Duke has no continuity. UK has no continuity. KU has no continuity. Hell, even Nova lost 2/3 of the team. They will all be pretty good.

Continuity is great, but it no longer exists except once in awhile and is almost never combined with elite talent. Cinci had it last year. And WSU. Now they don't. URI had it, and it was one reason they were good. In the absence of continuity, I'll take guys who aren't freshmen, and who have matured a little bit, physically and mentally. Because not many teams have that either.

 

[auror]

Guess what. Duke has no continuity. UK has no continuity. KU has no continuity. Hell, even Nova lost 2/3 of the team. They will all be pretty good.

Continuity is great, but it no longer exists except once in awhile and is almost never combined with elite talent. Cinci had it last year. And WSU. Now they don't. URI had it, and it was one reason they were good. In the absence of continuity, I'll take guys who aren't freshmen, and who have matured a little bit, physically and mentally. Because not many teams have that either.

The article I posted touches upon both of your points.

Talent can trump continuity. But talent is harder to come by and except at the highest, highest levels is NOT mutually exclusive with continuity. You can have a bit of talent yourself and good continuity, like in 2014. We should strive for both, and we're only average (at best) in the latter this year.

The piece agrees that age is better than youth, talent being even. But minutes played continuity (not just roster continuity) has been found to be much more correlative to winning than age, straight up. I'll take older guys, but don't expect that alone to be enough to make a significant jump, especially without the continuity part.