BGesus4
Running everywhere
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Were those chairs in-game?
Donovan Clingan
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YearoftheHusky
Three in Four.
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Are we really just go to breeze over the fact that someone actually just said that Shaq, Dream and Kareem would merely be run runners in today’s game?!
Even for the ‘yard that may be one of the most insane things I’ve ever read.
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Name 1 top big in the NBA that doesn’t have the ability to shoot.
Teams don’t dump the ball down low anymore, even bigs who dictate the offense usually initiate it from outside the paint.
Shaq is prob the biggest example of what I was trying to get across, more so than the others I mentioned. Kofi & Garza would have been top 10 guys in 2010. Giannis & Embid both are physically dominant, but have had to become shooters.
I think all the greats of the game could succeed in other eras, as I believe their dedication to craft would have made them expand their game. But it seems the “traditional” center role has changed with the game.
HuskyHawk
The triumphant return of the Blues Brothers.
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Sure. And there is no center in the NBA that could hope to stop Kareem or even Kevin McHale for that matter. They gained skill in outside shooting, but the back to the basket skills are now rare, and the understanding of how to defend it is also lost. I feel like NBA teams are reluctant to buck the trend. In the NFL, if a team loads up on DBs, you go with a power running game. Shaq, Dream and Kareem would be unstoppable, because nobody has a team defense designed to stop them. Olajuwon would own the paint on the defensive end in an era where teams can actually play zone.
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To add to this Jerry Meyer of 247sports.com answered this question about Clingan in his weekly Mailbag.
Donovan Clingan to UConn now? Or maybe later?
A Dime Back @ADimeBack
Based on Donovan Clingan’s most recent interview with 247Sports Director of Basketball Recruiting Eric Bossi, I would go with “maybe later.” The 2022 7-1 center out of Bristol (Conn.) Central High School is working with a list of eight schools - Connecticut, Michigan, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Providence, Rutgers and Syracuse. Connecticut is perceived as the leader, but according to Clingan in his interview with Bossi, Connecticut is not a for sure thing.
Here is his quote on UConn:
“People think that UConn is already my decision because they are close to home but that doesn’t mean they are. Coach Hurley and his staff have done a really good job of building the program back up and recruiting me.”
Presently there are no Crystal Ball predictions for Clingan.
Meyer's Mailbag: Thompson twins and other top defenders, Micah Shrewsberry and more
In this edition of Meyer's Mailbag I name a couple of the best defenders I have scouted, opine on Penn State head coach Micah Shrewsberry, discuss a few 2022 prospects, and
247sports.com
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He made the All Big-East rookie team. Among NCAA leaders in blocks as a rookie. Changed the team’s defense. He was good. As a frosh. If Clingan was half as good as a rookie I’d be stoked.
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Honestly the way this kid talks about UConn I think it's time for some tough love on the recruiting trail. "Listen Don, we don't want you here because we are close to home we want you here IF you want to be a Husky, if you want to be part of this culture, and if you will come in ready to help us achieve our goals. Don't let us waste your time if that's not something you want." Honestly the way this kid has been quoted about UConn, (don't take this the wrong way I want his talent), it's almost like he is only considering us because we are close but it's just the easy choice. Maybe we should make him feel like less of a priority has he has clearly made UConn. We don't need to beg. You either want to be here and just haven't decided yet or we can be fine w out you. There are 100 DC's and only a few UConn caliber programs. That simple. I'm almost off this kid, every time it's the same shit and he is a very talented project not a plug and play guy. Maybe I'm the only one but if Dan Hurley came out and said "We want Don but we aren't a priority to him if we are he'll let us know and we 100% will continue to make him a priority. If not we look forward to watching him succeed somewhere else." I think I would have a lot of respect for Dan Hurley for that. Maybe I'm reading too much between the lines.
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He's responding to fans, not the coaches. You're reading between lines that the coaches aren't even writing. Tom Moore isn't calling Donovan and saying "hey, you're close to UConn, so I guess you'll enroll here, right?"
I do agree he makes it a point practically every interview to mention how UConn isn’t an automatic. He’s not even asked he just goes out of his way to make that known. Why can’t you just leave it at what you like about Hurley and the program?
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I agree. Also, I don't think he's leading UConn on. I think he's a teenager trying to make an enormous decision. We've heard stories about kids not getting widely recruited because it's clear they are going to a certain school. There's a danger of coaches shying away from Donovan because he is local to UConn and because it's known that he has stayed local for HS, possibly to the detriment of his development. If I were Donovan (or his dad), I'd be making it clear that I haven't made my decision until I announce. It's the only way to get the right information to make the best decision.
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You must have an awesome dating life.
“I want her but I’m not a priority to her if I am she’ll let me know and i 100% will continue to make her a priority. If not i look forward to watching her succeed somewhere else, with someone else”.
okaaay.
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You're reading way too much between the lines, and reading it entirely wrong on all sides. Don't know what else you want from Donovan, he mentions UConn in every article in a positive light while keeping the door open for other schools. Which makes sense, because he's not committed to UConn and is still deciding.
What you're asking Hurley to do is crazy, that's a good way to make sure you never get a commit again. Internally have that conversation about what you do if he commits elsewhere, but publicly trashing a kid for not committing on your timeline in the middle of Covid would be an unimaginable disaster
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Thank goodness you have nothing to do with recruiting.
CL82
James Breeding sucks
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Connecticut: “People think that UConn is already my decision because they are close to home but that doesn’t mean they are. Coach Hurley and his staff have done a really good job of building the program back up and recruiting me.” [Sounds positive to me. He's just acknowledging it's not a done deal.]
Georgetown: “I mean it is Patrick Ewing, he’s a Hall of Fame big man. It is also a good school and I can’t wait to go visit.” [Given how they have struggle. I doubt GT is a leader.]
Michigan: “Juwan Howard was a great big man and Michigan is a great school and a great program that is doing really good things. Also, look at what they are doing with Hunter Dickinson.” [Worrisome he's seriously considering them.]
Notre Dame: “Mike Brey and and his staff are great. I’ve stayed in decent contact with them through all of this traveling. Hopefully I’ll get out there and visit.” [Strictly a tourism opportunity.]
Ohio State: “Coach Holtmann and Coach Diebler I talk to them a lot. They are a real good school. I mean it’s Ohio State and the Big Ten.” [?]
Providence: “Coach Cooley, he was one of the first coaches to offer me, trust me and believe in me from the beginning. He’s a real cool coach, really an even better person than he is a coach. They have a really nice staff over there.” [No commentary about quality of program or looking forward to visit.]
Rutgers: “Coach Pikiell has done a lot for that program. He’s brought them from the dirt into the NCAA Tournament this year. He can coach, he produces good players and I like the school.” [Surprisingly positive.]
Syracuse: “They were the first school to offer so that is always going to mean something. They believed in me and trusted me from the beginning, they have a Hall of Fame coach and they produce good players.” [Always going to mean something? Faint praise. The Fruit is already out.]
“Visiting all eight is the goal. It is just going to be what feels right," said Clingan. "I want to step on the campus and just feel like I want to go here. Also, the coaching staff and who is around me and all of that stuff.”
[I like our chances.]
Georgetown: “I mean it is Patrick Ewing, he’s a Hall of Fame big man. It is also a good school and I can’t wait to go visit.” [Given how they have struggle. I doubt GT is a leader.]
Michigan: “Juwan Howard was a great big man and Michigan is a great school and a great program that is doing really good things. Also, look at what they are doing with Hunter Dickinson.” [Worrisome he's seriously considering them.]
Notre Dame: “Mike Brey and and his staff are great. I’ve stayed in decent contact with them through all of this traveling. Hopefully I’ll get out there and visit.” [Strictly a tourism opportunity.]
Ohio State: “Coach Holtmann and Coach Diebler I talk to them a lot. They are a real good school. I mean it’s Ohio State and the Big Ten.” [?]
Providence: “Coach Cooley, he was one of the first coaches to offer me, trust me and believe in me from the beginning. He’s a real cool coach, really an even better person than he is a coach. They have a really nice staff over there.” [No commentary about quality of program or looking forward to visit.]
Rutgers: “Coach Pikiell has done a lot for that program. He’s brought them from the dirt into the NCAA Tournament this year. He can coach, he produces good players and I like the school.” [Surprisingly positive.]
Syracuse: “They were the first school to offer so that is always going to mean something. They believed in me and trusted me from the beginning, they have a Hall of Fame coach and they produce good players.” [Always going to mean something? Faint praise. The Fruit is already out.]
“Visiting all eight is the goal. It is just going to be what feels right," said Clingan. "I want to step on the campus and just feel like I want to go here. Also, the coaching staff and who is around me and all of that stuff.”
[I like our chances.]
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Pikiell is a Bristol guy like Donovan so the positivity makes sense
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"...brought them from the dirt..." LOL!
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This is meaningless.
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Ironically you hit my dating life on the head here.....and I think I was supposed to be upset about it? LMAO
Loved all the different takes from my post. I also have to disagree with the take that being "hard to get" doesn't work. When I was recruited this is actually the EXACT strat that worked on me, not basketball or UConn. Coach for a school I was 'interested in" showed up unannounced, told me how interested they were but wanted to make sure "they weren't wasting my time." It's all about how you say things. I'm not suggesting we tell him he's wasting our time but you can word it to make it aggressively intriguing. "I'm reading too much into it" could very easily be true but it does seem his lone comment about UConn every time is they are in the running but he's VERY concerned about peoples perception that he's going there. IMO based on what I know, next to nothing, we need to change the story here and take a shot. Probably just as importantly for other recruits that see his comments. Always cracks me up how aggressive everyone gets on here at everyone else.
Back to dating, because I do think on some levels it works as a comp for recruiting. Big difference between being aggressive and demanding priority and being passive "as you see them be successful somewhere else." My meaning of that 'being successful somewhere else' is the delivery, prioritize me because I deserve it or move on is the message but saying that directly is suicide.
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As someone who has followed recruiting for over 20 years, my suggestion is don't take what recruits say in these interviews literally and don't try to read between the lines since none of us are privy to the discussions a recruit has with the coaches. Obviously he's not ready to commit to a school, including UConn, since he hasn't yet. UConn is on his list so they have a chance and we'll just have see how things develop.
HuskyHawk
The triumphant return of the Blues Brothers.
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Agreed. He said he wants to visit in person. So let him do that. It's not that hard.
We have seen guys who seemed like they had UConn near the top, and the staff deprioritizes and moves in a different direction. The staff will find out from Donovan whether we're in the game or not, with plenty of time to move on if not.
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Pgh2Storrs
In Hurley We Trust
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My read on his comments are that there’s definitely some frustration there, which is unfortunate, but one would hope he separates the recruiting madness from the factors that actually matter in regards to his development and education. As a high profile CT kid, I can’t imagine the pressure he feels from people around him to stay home, not to mention fans and idiots like us on a message board.
There’s certainly a negative side to it which is awful and it’s unfortunate he has to deal with it, but I think a big part of our focus on this recruit is that the UConn fan base is dying to embrace this kid into the family. He’s got a compelling backstory that draws people in and, by all accounts, is just a really great kid. In an age where, even at the HS level, high end kids jump around and play hopscotch from one elite basketball factory to another, he’s content to stay at his relatively small local HS so that he can honor his family and community. Arguments about development aside, that’s an incredibly cool and selfless action in this day and age.
Whether he picks us or not, hopefully people settle down a bit and give the kid space to make the best decision for him. If he does pick us, it hopefully will be coming from a place of comfort with his decision, as I think our fan base is going to be over the moon to finally be able to embrace him
There’s certainly a negative side to it which is awful and it’s unfortunate he has to deal with it, but I think a big part of our focus on this recruit is that the UConn fan base is dying to embrace this kid into the family. He’s got a compelling backstory that draws people in and, by all accounts, is just a really great kid. In an age where, even at the HS level, high end kids jump around and play hopscotch from one elite basketball factory to another, he’s content to stay at his relatively small local HS so that he can honor his family and community. Arguments about development aside, that’s an incredibly cool and selfless action in this day and age.
Whether he picks us or not, hopefully people settle down a bit and give the kid space to make the best decision for him. If he does pick us, it hopefully will be coming from a place of comfort with his decision, as I think our fan base is going to be over the moon to finally be able to embrace him
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Wish I could like your post 10 times. Great job
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Because he is asked essentially the same question every day by a different person (and likely sometimes by the same person). I would have the stock answer after a while too.
The question was basically what’s going on with Connecticut what do you like about them. Nothing remotely about us being in the lead. You don’t think every recruit gets asked those questions by hometown people? He’s the only one that I’ve seen mention it specifically almost every time when not being asked by a reporter.
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Sounds like we are his “safety school”.
CL82
James Breeding sucks
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How so?
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