2020 Recruiting: Etienne considering reclass

[Mooch82]

One year of Bruner versus four years of Etienne? You’d get a lot more “lifetime value” out of Etienne.

Don't think it's necessarily an "either/or". Not sure if Etienne reclassifies if he doesn't come here; the alternative would be to take Bruner this year and Etienne next year.

 

[the Q]

Don't think it's necessarily an "either/or". Not sure if Etienne reclassifies if he doesn't come here; the alternative would be to take Bruner this year and Etienne next year.

I would rather the latter tbh.

next year is huge for the program. Really needs an NCAA berth and Bruner probably helps More with that. Etienne also extracts more value from college with whaley, Carlton and Bruner all gone from day 1 of his career.

 

[UconnU]

I like the Josh Boone comparison. Happy if this is true and commits to good guys!

opposing teams are going to HATE this kid.

 

[gtcam]

The only way Bruner enters the discussion is if there is absolutely no chance that Akok comes back next year. If so, I'd rather have him than anyone else. That way if Etienne doesn't reclass - he can be in the hopper for 2021.

 

[HooperScooper]

I wonder if this is related to Akok injury

Based on the New Haven Register article the other day, they were looking to go this route even before the Akok injury.

Akok Akok’s season-ending injury has not only had a major effect on UConn’s 2019-20 season. It has also thrown the Huskies’ recruiting for next season out of whack.

Prior to Akok’s torn Achilles tendon he suffered in a Feb. 16 win over Memphis, Dan Hurley and his staff were concentrating on a big guard who can shoot and a center and/or power forward to close out the recruiting class for next year’s team.

Now, finding a power forward climbs straight to the top of the Huskies’ needs. And UConn will likely go the grad transfer or junior college route to do so.

Akok Akok’s injury has thrown UConn’s recruiting into chaos

With Akok Akok’s status for next season up in the air, UConn is looking for grad...

www.ctinsider.com

 

[Fatroony5]

The only way Bruner enters the discussion is if there is absolutely no chance that Akok comes back next year. If so, I'd rather have him than anyone else. That way if Etienne doesn't reclass - he can be in the hopper for 2021.

I don’t think you can count on Akok being back next season. There’s not much historical precedent to go on with him at his age and size with that injury. The closest I can come up with in recent years is KD. He’s at 9 months currently and there’s no timetable of true return to action and he’s sitting out the whole year. If Akok comes back in say 12 months, that means you’re trying to ease him in while playing brutal conference games down the stretch. That’s a tough ask and spot to put him in. His youth should help and maybe he’ll be ready for that, but idk if you can bank on that....

what we know is that this program has struggled finding impact front court players. If you have a chance to get a top 50ish player in the front court that can have a huge impact on your program for years to come, you take him and figure the rest out after.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

lol this is literally one of the many games he’s played. Also, who cares if a gym is boring? He’s putting in work.

Lol it wasn’t an insult to his game man, just an observation of the gym looking like a middle school gym. Take it eeeeeasy

 

[Lefty2one]

I’m probably in the minority but I don’t like Bruner. He plays too stiff, he’s not as good of a shooter as people give him credit for.

You are not watching if you think Bruner isn't a fantastic player. He averaged 11/12/3 and 2 blocks. 42% from deep 46% from the field vs high major competition this season. That's no joke.

He'd be the best rebounder and far and away the best frontcourt passer on our team this year.

It's not about giving credit. He's shot 33% from deep on 4 attempts per game. That's better than any frontcourt.player we have and around our team average. Only Boul and Polley shot better. AG and CV are right around 33% too. The season is almost over. Ball don't lie. If it goes in you're a shooter.

Yale is a darn could team this year. Currently we have 0 power forward recruits on the radar--we desperately need a tall shotblocking big that is comfortable on the perimeter. Etienne, Sanogo, Cliff, or Santos aren't filling that role as good as they are.

Bruner and Swain are the absolute leaders of that team. He is a professional in his practice habits. We would be lucky to have him. As well as the 50 other d1 programs that are going to give him a call this April

On the flip side, he hasn't been good in Ivy League play.

In conference play this year he's averaging:

9.8 / 8.4 / 4.1 on .386 / .297 / .920 splits

He hasn't been good outside of his triple-double against Cornell.

I'm not saying I don't want him, because we need the depth after Akok's injury, but he's had an up and down season and I wouldn't be all that excited if he came here next year.

I went to the Yale/Harvard game a couple of weeks back and was thoroughly unimpressed, to the point where I asked my buddy if Bruner was battling an injury. Maybe he is and it hasn't been made public. The Aktinson kid was much, much better. Bruner had 3 points in 34 minutes on 1-8 FG. His athleticism didn't stand out at the Ivy League level. He played extremely soft, especially down the stretch. Atkinson dominated the same Harvard frontcourt that Bruner couldn't get going against.

Their last game vs Columbia he had 2 points in 27 minutes on 0-5.
He had 2 points in 31 minutes against Brown in late January.

He floats around a lot. Maybe Hurley can light a fire in him if he does come here.

I'm going tonight vs Penn. Hopefully he has a better game. It's been a small sample size but from what I've seen I don't know if this kid would get more than 15 MPG as a backup to Whaley and Carlton next year. Sure, we need depth with Akok's injury so I'll take him but I would keep my expectations in check. I certainly wouldn't call him a "fantastic" player.

 

[tuvent08]

Great shape here.

Cuse fans who love to lurk here...not happening for you guys. Again. Thank you for Jim Boeheim.

Can Jim Boeheim sign a 50-year contract extension, please?

 

[UconnU]

Can Jim Boeheim sign a 50-year contract extension, please?

If we land Etienne we will have beat them out for one of their top prospects in the classes of 19, 20, and 21; And all indications are that we lead with DC for 22. Lol

 

[Austin316]

Lol it wasn’t an insult to his game man, just an observation of the gym looking like a middle school gym. Take it eeeeeasy

take it easy? TAKE IT EASY!? (Kidding) Yeah I figured. I just believe the gym is irrelevant to the player or his game. That being said ur right, place looks like average joes gymnasium.

 

[bfs3]

Based on the New Haven Register article the other day, they were looking to go this route even before the Akok injury.

Akok Akok’s season-ending injury has not only had a major effect on UConn’s 2019-20 season. It has also thrown the Huskies’ recruiting for next season out of whack.

Prior to Akok’s torn Achilles tendon he suffered in a Feb. 16 win over Memphis, Dan Hurley and his staff were concentrating on a big guard who can shoot and a center and/or power forward to close out the recruiting class for next year’s team.

Now, finding a power forward climbs straight to the top of the Huskies’ needs. And UConn will likely go the grad transfer or junior college route to do so.

Akok Akok’s injury has thrown UConn’s recruiting into chaos

With Akok Akok’s status for next season up in the air, UConn is looking for grad...

www.ctinsider.com

If we're looking good for Etienne and Clingan in 2022, where does Sanogo fit in this recruitment? Are we looking to take whoever is the first to re-classify? Javonte is a project, but I don't think he's looking to sit behind 3 successive top 60 Center recruits in Etienne, Clingan and maybe even Sanogo if you believe what we're reading on the board.

Does Javonte stay if we land both Etienne and Sanogo? Does Clingan come to UConn when we have 3 centers and Akok on the roster? The only way I see this working is if we get Sanogo or Etienne and recruit Clingan in 2022. Does either Sanogo or Etienne project as a power forward in college?

More than likely we're just going to take whoever commits first and then wait and see down the road.

 

[BFieldHusky]

If we land Etienne we will have beat them out for one of their top prospects in the classes of 19, 20, and 21; And all indications are that we lead with DC for 22. Lol

It must be all that competition at center. I mean they are loaded there

 

[bendm]

This can’t be a coincidence. le Big Mac! Just one question- if he reclasses that leaves us with 4 centers (Mac, Whaley, Carlton, brown) versus 1 PF (springs)

That can be rectified if either Mac can play PF (?) orrr if One of the aforementioned four centers transfers thereby making room for a PF

PS-i believe mac can play PF defensively i'm wondering about offensively

 

[Bonk]

If neither Etienne or Sanogo reclassify UConn will have at a minimum - Whaley, Springs, and Javonte Brown Ferguson as bigs next year which is an improvement in depth and hopefully skills over just Whaley and Carlton this year. If Carlton stays that is even more depth. Also could get Akok back toward the end of the season.

If Carlton stays would Hurley try to sell Etienne on the benefits of redshirting and developing his body and skills for significant PT with the graduation of Whaley and Carlton in 2021?

Just my opinion but I don't think Etienne reclassifies if he would just redshirt or if Carlton is still here eating up backup minutes to Whaley. Etienne can contribute next year too, he fits Hurley's type of big man so much better than Josh.

I'd rather get Etienne in the door for 2020 than take the chance of him going elsewhere in 2021. He'd back up Whaley and play 15-20 mpg, then take the reigns in year 2.

Ik Hurley isn't big on pushing guys out but Etienne is a guy you have to make room for. CT kid ranked in the top 60 and is exactly what we need going forward.

 

[Waterbury]

To everyone saying they'd rather have Bruner than Etienne for next season: I gotta say I disagree. I get you wanna be competitive next season, but I think rebuilding the right way would be to sign a top prospect that will be here up to 4 years and molded and shaped by Hurley during that time. If we can get him for next season, no question we do this over someone like Bruner.

 

[lange10]

If a top 50/60 player in his class whose an in state player wants to come to play for you, you find a way to make it work, especially given the reports of the team recruiting for 2 spots.

Absolutely. My question was only for the the hypothetical that 1 ends up being the # of scholarships available. I’d imagine they’d do whatever it took to make it work if they’re in solid with another player that would fill a need for next year.

One year of Bruner versus four years of Etienne? You’d get a lot more “lifetime value” out of Etienne.

Agreed. I was thinking more short-term when posing the question. Etienne reclassifying also gives us a nice 2 year gap between his recruitment and Clingan. I believe it was Borges that reported a week or so ago that recruiting a 2021 big could have an impact on Clingan in 2022. This would alleviate that.

 

[McLovin]

Al is very valuable when he dishes or plays off the ball for open shots. He is brutal most times when trying to create his own shot. Our guys are getting to open spots which helped Al against UCF. Next up get Josh to pass the ball.

agreed!

 

[mauconnfan]

Al is very valuable when he dishes or plays off the ball for open shots. He is brutal most times when trying to create his own shot. Our guys are getting to open spots which helped Al against UCF. Next up get Josh to pass the ball.

Yeah the reason there were open spots though is because he gets past his defenders to spots and defenders converge. When he does play like that we're better but he didn't enough unfortunately. Took it too far in too many cases trying to create for himself which rarely worked out.

 

[awfuldan]

This can’t be a coincidence. le Big Mac! Just one question- if he reclasses that leaves us with 4 centers (Mac, Whaley, Carlton, brown) versus 1 PF (springs)

That can be rectified if either Mac can play PF (?) orrr if One of the aforementioned four centers transfers thereby making room for a PF

PS-i believe whaley and mac can play PF defensively i'm wondering about offensively

Polley can play 4 and will likely be back by the start of the season. Sid is an option too - it's really do or die time for him at this point.

Would love to see Whaley come back as a senior with some new offensive skills. Obviously he is a hard worker and a dedicated kid. If he came back as a senior and could hit the occasional three, that would be big for us. Think with how he's played to end this year he deserves to start at the 4 next year.

If we can get Etienne for next year, that'd be awesome. A little worried about how our offense will function with so many non-shooting big men on the roster, but I'm sure Hurley will make it work. Will be a talented team either way.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

I'm going tonight vs Penn. Hopefully he has a better game.

Report back on this, please. I'm thinking of going to Princeton game tomorrow.

 

[bendm]

Polley can play 4 and will likely be back by the start of the season. Sid is an option too

yeah in theory if we can successfully play a 4 guard lineup with adams as the big guard we should be able to do it with polley too...didnt work out earlier this season tho idk why. the problem with wilson playing PF is that he's undersized but can't stretch the floor with his shooting either (same boat as AJ in that regard).

 

[MDHuskFan]

Based on his growth, we won’t need a PF when Whaley comes back playing like Al Horford next year.

Edit: I may be underestimating The Goat

 

[Vancat]

Gimme dat Mac.