Full Rundown On Today's Recruiting

[3uconn]

Coach Ollie watched center Diamond Stone, who is a top 10 player in 2015, and then conducted an in-home visit with him today. Not much is publicly known about his recruitment because he and the people around him don't say much about it.

Coach Hobbs was out watching center Udoka Azubuike, a top 15 player in 2016, today. He's very new to basketball and has been exploding on to the scene.

UConn also watched center Georgios Papagiannis, top 50 player in 2015, today. He just came over to the United States this past year for basketball and is also bursting on to the recruiting scene.

 

[UconnU]

Wait hold up... im on my cell right now but youtube udoka azubuike. Whats up with the competition hes playing against? These kids are like your local boys and girls club pick up squad.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Obviously the staff is prioritizing getting a 5 for the 2015 class. It'll be key to get someone to back up and ultimately replace Brimah.

We should also be looking at stud forwards to replace DD.

 

[UConn17]

Obviously the staff is prioritizing getting a 5 for the 2015 class. It'll be key to get someone to back up and ultimately replace Brimah.

We should also be looking at stud forwards to replace DD.

Kentan Facey

 

[3uconn]

Tweet from one of Stone's HS teammates that he just retweeted:

@Swaggy_R5: I had a chance to meet Kevin Ollie again and MAN he is the coolest person ever!! And a GREAT coach I so happy they won the Championship!!!

 

[Jluc]

If we ever somehow pulled off getting Stone and Maker........I don't even know.

 

[superjohn]

Phil Nolan is buddy's with Diamond Stone I'm guessing.

 

[boog204]

Wait hold up... im on my cell right now but youtube udoka azubuike. Whats up with the competition hes playing against? These kids are like your local boys and girls club pick up squad.

Look's like there is a couple of 9 year old kids getting dunked on...

 

[Huskyforlife]

Um can he please commit so I can root for a kid named diamond stone? But seriously this kid is legit, 250 with decent athleticism, sign him up

 

[GoUconn7961]

Rakim Lubin? Anything??

 

[tcf15]

Rakim Lubin? Anything??

William Paxton ‏@wspaxton 51m
Lubin to sign LOI with UConn this week http://blog.ctnews.com/uconnbasketball/2014/04/21/lubin-to-sign-at-uconn-this-week/… #UConn

 

[nym410]

I admittedly know little about Lubin aside from his comparatively low recruiting rankings. Is he a high-major contributor? Or more a bench rotation ceiling guy?

I know rankings aren't the end all but typically UR guys don't contribute at a UConn level..

 

[pj]

I admittedly know little about Lubin aside from his comparatively low recruiting rankings. Is he a high-major contributor? Or more a bench rotation ceiling guy?

I know rankings aren't the end all but typically UR guys don't contribute at a UConn level..

We'll see but (a) they needed a 10th player to have two 5-man practice squads in case Boat and Deandre both go pro, and there wasn't anyone better available; (b) Lubin is under-rated because he was injured in the summer and didn't play AAU; and (c) he is physically bigger in girth than anyone on the roster, so he adds a capability/versatility we wouldn't have without him. So he adds value to the team, you can't fault the recruiting decision. How much value, we'll have to wait and see.

 

[boog204]

I admittedly know little about Lubin aside from his comparatively low recruiting rankings. Is he a high-major contributor? Or more a bench rotation ceiling guy?

I know rankings aren't the end all but typically UR guys don't contribute at a UConn level..

At one point he was rated in the top 50 pre Junior year and then with injuries, etc. he fell off. There are some videos of him that are moderately impressive but the one game that was broadcasted online several BYs (including myself) were not overly impressed. He does have some strength and some athleticism but there's no way that he's 6-8 and I find it very puzzling that there is still is little to no scouting reports from any of the experts. Really all we have to go on are a couple of local articles and a glowing review by his coach. I see him as more of a program guy than anything else. Not a bad thing.

 

[David 76]

Don't we still have 1 scholarship for 2014? We need a big. Especially if DD goes. If our centers get in foul trouble and DD is gone, Lubin & Facey have a lot of question marks.

 

[bleeny72]

At one point he was rated in the top 50 pre Junior year and then with injuries, etc. he fell off. There are some videos of him that are moderately impressive but the one game that was broadcasted online several BYs (including myself) were not overly impressed. He does have some strength and some athleticism but there's no way that he's 6-8 and I find it very puzzling that there is still is little to no scouting reports from any of the experts. Really all we have to go on are a couple of local articles and a glowing review by his coach. I see him as more of a program guy than anything else. Not a bad thing.

I am very excited about Lubin's potential for the long term. We already know he is strong as an ox, but what has been mentioned about him very often are great hands (something our bigs have lacked). With rebounding fundamentals taught by our coaches, he could be a guy that really matures into a Jeff Adrien-type.

In his first year or two, he may be a big body for rebounding and tiring opponents' bigs behind Nolan and Brimah, but in reality, is that any different than most young bigs who are not one-and-dones? Over time without NBA-height, he will probably be a 4 year player that can develop into a great college player. I know Patric Young was a top 15 recruit, but his build is pretty similar to Lubin. As good as Young was, he never really developed into much more than an incredible hustle player and fundamental rebounder; his offensive arsenal was not much beyond put backs and a baby hook. If we want to think back longer to an opponent of similar build, DeJuan Blair is the same size.

Obviously those are best case scenarios, but with coaching and experience, I don't see why in 2018 he couldn't offer something of incredible value.

 

[aceboon]

At one point he was rated in the top 50 pre Junior year and then with injuries, etc. he fell off. There are some videos of him that are moderately impressive but the one game that was broadcasted online several BYs (including myself) were not overly impressed. He does have some strength and some athleticism but there's no way that he's 6-8 and I find it very puzzling that there is still is little to no scouting reports from any of the experts. Really all we have to go on are a couple of local articles and a glowing review by his coach. I see him as more of a program guy than anything else. Not a bad thing.

In regards to the lack of scouting reports from the national "experts", unless your team is taking part in some kind of national tourney or matched up with another elite HS squad in a one off, those guys aren't hitting the road to scout you. Lubin's team participated in some local tourneys featuring top GA teams, but that's about it. Those guys aren't going to take in random HS games just to write a report on you, besides the national tourneys during the course of the season they do much of their scouting during the spring/summer evaluation periods. There are reports from guys like Justin Young who used to work for Rivals who now focuses mainly on GA prospects and Dan McDonald of Rivals who is mainly in the GA/Southeast region.

 

[huskyblooz]

Rivals has Lubin as 6'6"250 while ESPN has him listed at 6'8" 210.
Anybody have an accurate read on this kid?

 

[tcf15]

Rivals has Lubin as 6'6"250 while ESPN has him listed at 6'8" 210.
Anybody have an accurate read on this kid?

A little bit of South Tampa Bill with a dash of some HUs.

In all honesty, I think Rivals is closer to accurate than ESPN.

 

[boog204]

Rivals has Lubin as 6'6"250 while ESPN has him listed at 6'8" 210.
Anybody have an accurate read on this kid?

He doesn't appear to be 6-8. 6-6 seems much more accurate.

 

[Matrim55]

Lubin has the size and game of guys like Jai Lewis and Dametri Hill - the short but beefy bigs who've always managed to kill us in the past. He won't be rated high by NBA scouts because he doesn't project as a player in that league, but he's the type of guy who can (will!) tun into a real weapon in college ball.

I love having a guy like that on our team. I'm hoping that he turns into our own Paul Millsap, and plays his way into the league half a decade from now.

 

[nomar]

Lubin has the size and game of guys like Jai Lewis and Dametri Hill - the short but beefy bigs who've always managed to kill us in the past. He won't be rated high by NBA scouts because he doesn't project as a player in that league, but he's the type of guy who can (will!) tun into a real weapon in college ball.

I love having a guy like that on our team. I'm hoping that he turns into our own Paul Millsap, and plays his way into the league half a decade from now.

It's getting THESE kinds of guys that has won us 4 titles. (That's due to both great scouting/recruiting and a heap of luck.) We get 3- and 4-year players who maximize their skills. Would I take 1 year of Cliff Alexander over 4 years of Lubin? Maybe, maybe not. OK, I probably would. But Drummond didn't win us a title.

 

[Greathusky]

"Diamond Stone"?

The name belongs on a character in "Boogie Nights".

 

[PAHusky]

It's getting THESE kinds of guys that has won us 4 titles. (That's due to both great scouting/recruiting and a heap of luck.) We get 3- and 4-year players who maximize their skills. Would I take 1 year of Cliff Alexander over 4 years of Lubin? Maybe, maybe not. OK, I probably would. But Drummond didn't win us a title.

Drummond not winning us a title shouldn't reflect on him or the efficacy of one and done players at all, no one short of lebron could have taken that 2012 team anywhere. That season is a hilarious footnote now that we've won two titles in the last four years but think about the ridiculousness of it - bazz not yet ready to be a leader and losing his mind a bit, lamb essentially checked out and ready for the nba, Calhoun in and out, Oriakhi running around like a clown calling people mumus.....that season was a trainwreck.

I don't understand this board's aversion to one and done players though. Yes, I think it's a horrible idea to try to assemble a team out of all one and done players and yes, I love the fact that our success has come often on the backs of kids who stay for a few years. I'm not advocating that we go full Coach Cal in terms of recruiting, but the boneyard seems oddly averse to adding top ten/fifteen talent if it means they're gone after a year. I think the combination of Ollie's strong personality and coaching style coupled with the fact that we do recruit four year players and thus usually have strong veteran leadership actually makes UConn an ideal environment to add a few one and dones (if only it were that easy - write about it on a message board and one or two sign up. looking at you thon maker). Even when things don't go well, as in the case of Drummond, it means that a kid like that, a future perennial all star, will always be repping UConn, which is never a bad thing. Sorry for the long rant and in no way was this directed at you Nomar, it's just something that's been on my mind for awhile.

 

[Sportsman5]

Rivals has Lubin as 6'6"250 while ESPN has him listed at 6'8" 210.
Anybody have an accurate read on this kid?

from all the articles I have read I think it's pretty official that he is about 250 lbs. the height and wingspan are very up in the air. His highlights show all types of plays from dunks, hook shots, to 3 pointers. He's the most mysterious player to come to UConn in quite a few years. He could literally be someone that barely contributes for his first few years or be a stud freshman. We will see soon enough.