Fall Recruiting Speculation

[Edward Sargent]

Your thoughts or hopes and reasoning

Cliff Omoruyi & Niels Lane play together at Roselle Catholic, there has been social media posts indicating friendship connections to current team members (Gaffney at least), and they have both visited in close succession, but, both were unofficial visits. Omoruyi has gushed about Kentucky and Lane has been reported as a strong Florida lean. My guess is that they have some interest in continuing to play together in college and that UConn is mutually high enough on each player's list to be the program they are considering. I am guessing that they have hurried to visit now while we still have 2 scholarships open, and have made them unofficials because their travel costs are low and they can keep their individual official options unused. My speculation is that we get both or neither, with neither having the greatest odds since we are not the reported dream school of either.

Geronimo has been getting crystal ball picks that aren't UConn plus our interest seems recent.

Cam Thomas now has an L$U pick and the competition seems significant despite strong interest in UConn being reported by our posters in the know. I'm routing for us but I just get the gut feeling this is drifting away.

For me, it seems to come down to Richmond & Cardwell and tough sledding if that doesn't happen. I would be very happy with that pair. Cardwell gives us a center with upside, and Richmond gives us added depth at 1-3 with ball skills that should be valued a 6'5. Both players are likely 4 year type players to build on. With our current players this should be a team to reckon with. We have crystal ball picks for Richmond plus a wink or two. Cardwell has the visit scheduled. I'm crossing my fingers we close on both. I think they really plug in missing pieces.

In my mind we will then have a roster just waiting for a 5* to lead us over the top if another scholly opens. A person who could fill the role of a bonafide star could even be on the team already between Alterique, Akok, Bouknight, etc

HS pairs do not work out more often than not

 

[HuskyHawk]

I trust the staff to be working very hard and identifying the kids they want to come in and contribute. I’m not all that enamored with instant starting freshmen. And while Cardwell isn’t likely to start, neither is Cliff. Senior Carlton isn’t going to be on the pine. I assume Cam would likely start, but who knows. I like Richmond’s versatility if this is a 3 man class. Not so much if it’s a two person class.

Given Carlton’s development under this staff I’m surprised centers aren’t lining up to come here.

I think we’re going to be good. And that’s going to help with any kids who wait until the season starts.

 

[HuskylnSC]

It's not just the ranking of the recruits. The potential of the recruit matters to me. For example, I would not mind taking a big kid over 150 who appeared to be clumsy, but had a good frame to build on. If he has quick feet, but doesn't know what to do with them, I'll take him. If he isn't catching the ball, but has strong hands, I want him. I'll take guys who don't have a chance to be all conference until their junior year and expect them to dominate as seniors. I'll take 4 guys with the physical potential and the character to work every year. I'd build a pipeline of excellence like I believe Dan Hurley is doing. One and done has not been the UConn way.

 

[Chief00]

I trust the staff to be working very hard and identifying the kids they want to come in and contribute. I’m not all that enamored with instant starting freshmen. And while Cardwell isn’t likely to start, neither is Cliff. Senior Carlton isn’t going to be on the pine. I assume Cam would likely start, but who knows. I like Richmond’s versatility if this is a 3 man class. Not so much if it’s a two person class.

Given Carlton’s development under this staff I’m surprised centers aren’t lining up to come here.

I think we’re going to be good. And that’s going to help with any kids who wait until the season starts.

As a team we must get much physically stronger and Sal needs to start producing more tangible eye test evidence of that soon.

 

[gtcam]

As a team we must get much physically stronger and Sal needs to start producing more tangible eye test evidence of that soon.

this has been a skipping record for so long.........................
sorry all millennial for the analogy

 

[Chief00]

this has been a skipping record for so long.....
sorry all millennial for the analogy

True, and with the noticeable difference Matt King has made in football in a short amount of time, it’s a fair question to ask?

 

[Chief00]

Who do we lead for on 2020
Kids?

Chief has always taken the position that the only time we “lead” on a kid is when he commits.

 

[husky429]

As a team we must get much physically stronger and Sal needs to start producing more tangible eye test evidence of that soon.

You don't think our team is strong? Brendan Adams is a tank. Carlton and Whaley gained 30lbs a piece.

Sometimes it just comes down to who you recruit. Akok and Sid aren't turning into linebackers. They will take years to bulk up because of how they're built.

 

[superjohn]

You don't think our team is strong? Brendan Adams is a tank. Carlton and Whaley gained 30lbs a piece.

Sometimes it just comes down to who you recruit. Akok and Sid aren't turning into linebackers. They will take years to bulk up because of how they're built.

No, our team is physically weak and has been for several years.

 

[husky429]

No, our team is physically weak and has been for several years.

Some are, some aren't. Sid, Polley, and Akok are physically weak. I'd call everyone else average or better excluding the freshman.

The idea that Sal isn't doing a good job, as Chief manages to decide for the staff once again, is absurd. Everyone who has been with him for a year or better looks great except Sid. And from what I've gathered from people in the know is that that's his own fault.

 

[Chief00]

Some are, some aren't. Sid, Polley, and Akok are physically weak. I'd call everyone else average or better excluding the freshman.

The idea that Sal isn't doing a good job, as Chief manages to decide for the staff once again, is absurd. Everyone who has been with him for a year or better looks great except Sid. And from what I've gathered from people in the know is that that's his own fault.

You need to read more carefully before you comment. Chief did not take a subjective view on whether or not Sal does a “good job”. Rather, I stated he needs to start showing meaningful results. True some guys have put on some muscle but you have not seen the transformation you see at a lot of D1 schools. The pictures someone posted a month or so ago of the PC team demonstrates that. Guys with both arm and leg muscle and very defined Abs. We are also talking about conditioning. Thus far, we have demonstrated some improvement but not nearly enough. Sal need to turn it up a couple notches to keep his job after this season.

 

[Chief00]

I didn't say they aren't working hard but we have like 2 or 3 players over 200 lbs. We are one of the physically weaker teams you'll see, it is what it is.

Exactly right, and if someone doesn’t think Benedict sees that - they are likely kidding themselves. Matt King has also shown it can get done.

 

[pj]

A lot of the instant results come with performance-enhancing drugs. As far as is visible from the outside, Sal is doing everything right. True strength takes time and intense effort. I think on the effort side, that comes from recruiting the right guys. Calhoun was great at that, Ollie not so much, Hurley I trust to get high-effort players.

It's really only fair to assess Alosi on Hurley's guys. That's Brendan Adams one year in the program, Akok six months, Springs/Gaffney/Bouknight 0-2 months. Not much room for a negative assessment.

 

[Chief00]

A lot of the instant results come with performance-enhancing drugs. As far as is visible from the outside, Sal is doing everything right. True strength takes time and intense effort. I think on the effort side, that comes from recruiting the right guys. Calhoun was great at that, Ollie not so much, Hurley I trust to get high-effort players.

Is that doing everything right comment, hoped based or observation/result based?

 

[imno1]

we won’t know how much they’ve improved from a s&c standpoint until we see them in action. I’m not going to make a judgement based on a photo taken 4 months before the season begins. But I will be surprised if our guys are not better conditioned and more physical then they’ve been the past few years. Also just being chiseled doesn’t make a good player as we all remember with D. O.

 

[pj]

Is that doing everything right comment, hoped based or observation/result based?

I'm not an insider, I have no direct observations. It's just based on news stories and Instagram videos. I haven't seen any negatives from Sal of the kind that sometimes pop up with other S&C coaches, e.g. Travis. I am assuming that no bad news is good news.

In regard to your question, with Hurley's players (B Adams excepted) it's too early for result-based analysis, and with Ollie's players you have to wonder if negative results are due to Sal's methods or the player's implementation. So hope, or dour pessimism, is all we have to choose from at this stage, unless you are inside and know how the work is being done.

I'll just add that hypertrophy and extreme leanness, although they look impressive in pictures, are not the athletic optimum. Many tactics that lead to a sculpted body, including PEDs, increase injury risk. Damaged muscles become larger, workouts have to inflict damage to trigger muscle growth, but a consequence is that extreme size can indicate damaged muscle as well as strength. An enlarged heart is a damaged heart - that is the most important muscle in the body, and it illustrates a core principle.

A sculpted body may look impressive in a picture, but bodybuilders don't win Olympic weight-lifting championships. Khalid El-Amin has a national championship. As imno1 says, optimizing for performance on the court is different than optimizing for photographs. I think Sal knows that, and is aiming at the right target.

 

[Mazhude]

I didn't say they aren't working hard but we have like 2 or 3 players over 200 lbs. We are one of the physically weaker teams you'll see, it is what it is.

I understand your larger (ha, a pun) point, but there is no one on this team that is physically weak. They may not be as strong as other players or other teams, but I assure you that any D1 athlete is an honest-to-goodness athlete. I wish we'd stop demeaning these kids (and they are kids). Just because they are not yet strong enough doesn't make them weak. I suspect any one of them would run any one of us right into the ground... the language we use matters. Dan Hurley knows what he's doing. The kids are buying into it. Muscle takes time, depending on the kid in question. So, again, the UConn student athletes who we've been blessed to have with us are not weak, they are strong, and working on getting stronger.

 

[Chief00]

I understand your larger (ha, a pun) point, but there is no one on this team that is physically weak. They may not be as strong as other players or other teams, but I assure you that any D1 athlete is an honest-to-goodness athlete. I wish we'd stop demeaning these kids (and they are kids). Just because they are not yet strong enough doesn't make them weak. I suspect any one of them would run any one of us right into the ground... the language we use matters. Dan Hurley knows what he's doing. The kids are buying into it. Muscle takes time, depending on the kid in question. So, again, the UConn student athletes who we've been blessed to have with us are not weak, they are strong, and working on getting stronger.

The problem is we have to beat guys on other teams and when they are significantly stronger as a team, it makes it more challenging to do that.

 

[imno1]

The problem is we have to beat guys on other teams and when they are significantly stronger as a team, it makes it more challenging to do that.

But can we wait until they see the court to decide whether we are being outmanned. I have complete faith in the staff and from the beginning I thought Hurley needed 3 years to get us back to relevancy.

 

[nomar]

Recruiting is a grind and fluid. We signed Richard Springs and RJ Cole late for this season. So Chief is keeping the faith in The Grind. We should hear some good news in September for the Casual Fans to latch onto.

It's September.

 

[mauconnfan]

I didn't say they aren't working hard but we have like 2 or 3 players over 200 lbs. We are one of the physically weaker teams you'll see, it is what it is.

But he is correct in the bodies of the many recruits no doubt. Going back to Daniels, Brimah and now the likes of Polley, Wilson and Whaley the narrow shoulders, very little girth and sticks for legs it's very hard to bulk them up in a year or 2 for sure. It took Facey 4 years to become a man and kudos to him as he obviously wanted it more than the others. With KO's team of coaches and S& C there wasn't much movement or passion it would seem but even with the Polley's, Whaley's, Akok's and Carlton under the Sal tutelage they are noticeably stronger for their body types. Now Dan Hurley needs to bring in some natural sized kids and watch them become behemoths like other teams have. I believe they are getting there but unfortunatley were behind.

 

[nomar]

I didn't say they aren't working hard but we have like 2 or 3 players over 200 lbs. We are one of the physically weaker teams you'll see, it is what it is.

You should post this in the HARDO thread

 

[Mazhude]

The problem is we have to beat guys on other teams and when they are significantly stronger as a team, it makes it more challenging to do that.

I don't disagree. But you don't motivate someone by calling them weak. You motivate them by helping to make them stronger.

 

[superjohn]

I understand your larger (ha, a pun) point, but there is no one on this team that is physically weak. They may not be as strong as other players or other teams, but I assure you that any D1 athlete is an honest-to-goodness athlete. I wish we'd stop demeaning these kids (and they are kids). Just because they are not yet strong enough doesn't make them weak. I suspect any one of them would run any one of us right into the ground... the language we use matters. Dan Hurley knows what he's doing. The kids are buying into it. Muscle takes time, depending on the kid in question. So, again, the UConn student athletes who we've been blessed to have with us are not weak, they are strong, and working on getting stronger.

I'm only saying they are physically weak compared to the other teams we'll play. They have gotten stronger but as the previous seasons have shown us, they have a long way to go. That's not controversial it's just the truth...

All our guy's are athletes and would run circles around us message boarders I would assume but we're comparing them to other 21 year olds they will play against. Just take a look at the rosters on these other teams, look at old UConn rosters from the early 2000's and compare it to now...

Since you brought "us" up, I'm no athlete and I'm old so I have many more years working out than all of them but I'm confident I'm significantly stronger than anyone on the team and I'm sure there are other posters here who are as well.

 

[husky429]

I'm only saying they are physically weak compared to the other teams we'll play. They have gotten stronger but as the previous seasons have shown us, they have a long way to go. That's not controversial it's just the truth...

All our guy's are athletes and would run circles around us message boarders I would assume but we're comparing them to other 21 year olds they will play against. Just take a look at the rosters on these other teams, look at old UConn rosters from the early 2000's and compare it to now...

Since you brought "us" up, I'm no athlete and I'm old so I have many more years working out than all of them but I'm confident I'm significantly stronger than anyone on the team and I'm sure there are other posters here who are as well.

Back to brag about your old man strength again, I see.

 

[superjohn]

Back to brag about your old man strength again, I see.

The poster made it out that all the players would run circles around us, that's just not the case for people who work out...The only thing that matters is how they stack up physically to the teams we're going to play and if you're going to be honest you know we don't stack up well physically. I think we could be good this year but It's not any mystery that physical strength isn't the strength of this team.

 

[navery12]

I'm just happy that we're competing in the basketball competition this year and not AAC's Strongest Man

 

[superjohn]

I'm just happy that we're competing in the basketball competition this year and not AAC's Strongest Man

It matters though, why are we pretending it doesn't? We've gotten tossed around the court the past few years.

 

[navery12]

It matters though, why are we pretending it doesn't? We've gotten tossed around the court the past few years.

It matters, but not nearly as much as you're making it seem. If we had skinny players with talent (like we do now), this conversation isn't happening. We're only talking about being overpowered by opponents because we've been significantly less talented and coached as well

 

[Chief00]

I'm only saying they are physically weak compared to the other teams we'll play. They have gotten stronger but as the previous seasons have shown us, they have a long way to go. That's not controversial it's just the truth...

All our guy's are athletes and would run circles around us message boarders I would assume but we're comparing them to other 21 year olds they will play against. Just take a look at the rosters on these other teams, look at old UConn rosters from the early 2000's and compare it to now...

Since you brought "us" up, I'm no athlete and I'm old so I have many more years working out than all of them but I'm confident I'm significantly stronger than anyone on the team and I'm sure there are other posters here who are as well.

We also led the country in rebounding during many of Calhoun’s years. The correlation is real.