I don't know if this has been mentioned, but don't be surprised if a top 2015 kid reclassifies to 2014 (like Shabazz). We have several 2015 studs on campus for Midnight Madness so lets see what happens. There are rumors the staff is feeling really good about a recruit no one is talking about on here.
As I posted in the Melvin Swift thread the other night,these are the things he wrote me on Twitter. When I joked and asked if I can send him a direct message after he commits to UConn, he wrote "yeah you can do that".
Then after I said I thought he'd be a great fit with Purvis and Hamilton, he said "I know that is going to be great with the three of us together" He could be just placating fans from various schools but he could have been a little more noncommittal with his comments. He confirmed that we offered him and is looking forward to his visit. Hopefully there's fire with the smoke.
The idea that the staff thinks one of the 2015 recruits they're high on is going to reclassify is intriguing, but that seems like a longshot. Who knows?
I'm just as perplexed with the Robinson news as the rest of you, but it could be that the rumors from a while ago that UConn was backing off may have been bogus at that time, but might be dead on now because of Swift. It might be a case of taking the bird-in-the-hand if Swift has already told KO that he wants that ship as FLaHusky has proposed. Add that to the rumor that Robinson might have been looking for a promise that whoever takes him would play him at the 3 and not the 4, might have forced KO to go all in with Swift.
Another possibility might just be that KO sees more than enough overlapping talent for 2014, that he feels they're better off keeping more ships for the 2015 class than to add another player that would carve up the minutes into too many slices. It's good to try to balance off each class where you are always bringing in 4 to 5 recruits each year. There's 13 ships each year. If you're an elite program, you can expect about 2 players jumping early to the NBA each season and a transfer every couple years. Right now we have only 2 juniors (Boatright & Daniels) and both might leave after this season. That means
we only have 2 ships to offer the talented 2015 class unless there's a combination of not filling all our 2014 ships, someone leaves early in 2014 and/or someone transfers between now and then. Looking at the current roster and the incoming 2014 class, the only one I can see possibly jumping early into the 2015 NBA draft would be DHam. I don't think Omar is enough of an athlete to jump early, but I'm just guessing. Although Purvis was a Burger AA, I think he's going to need more than 2014-15 season to develop his PG skills to make that jump.
I'd be shocked if DD doesn't move on early. All he has to do is continue what he did at the end of last season consistently throughout this season and he's going to be a lottery pick. As for Bazz, who knows. I think he needs all 3 years, but then again, no one expected Kemba to blow up his junior season.
If I were to take a stab at this, I'd say that KO might be in fact done with the 2014 class. What that means for Swift? I don't know. Maybe they want to see what he can do scrimmaging with the current team and if he seems like a real sleeper, they'll take him. Maybe he's an option if they think that Facey is declared completely ineligible. I hope not.