Hamidou Diallo Graduates

[TitleTown]

Every time you say "Hami" I basically implode from cringing so hard.

I get chills when I hear that as well.

 

[Mr. French]

Hamidou deserves his ranking let's be clear about that. This recruitment is important let's not beat around the bush. We have had an inside track on Hami for 3 years now and he has lived at our campus last 2 years and been to numerous games. Seriously Washington keeps getting a top 10 recruit almost every year now and they never make the NCAA tournament. We should be able to get 1 with our history and pedigree. We need to beat Kentucky out for Hami for 3 reasons. :
1.) to put a NBA 1st rounder out of UCONN
2.) to say to other recruits that UCONN is a destination for top talent like Hami like Drummond etc.
3.) for national and media perception to say that UCONN goes toe to toe with the Kentucky and Dukes of the world in recruiting

Ya know, I stopped reading admittedly, but that's because you make a great point...

There are a few programs, Washington being one that really sticks out, that seems to get a good chunk of relatively local, elite national talent every year despite their lack of on court success.

A guy like Fultz, Hawes, Ross, etc. gives less credence to the point of view that Ollie can't be faulted for missing on these guys ... In some scenarios, he does need to figure a way to keep these types of guys, if guys like Romar can somehow do it...I think Adams was one of those, and i think Diallo is another.

I'll be crushed and in turn more pessimistic than I've ever been a out our future if we lose out to him, given the circumstances.

I'm not there yet, and i think Ollie has what it takes for us to make noise with the roster NEXT YEAR...but I must admit that the thought is there, if Diallo ends up going elsewhere...

For the record, I still think he comes here...but the most recent developments are definitely scaring me...

 

[UCweCONN]

I suggest we call him HamD. We had a DHam so it makes perfect sense. Don't like Hami either.

 

[August_West]

I get chills when I hear that as well.

I pulled my Hami drop kicking my iPad after reading the rest of this thread

 

[King Husky]

I still think it's a done deal that he comes to UConn. For a player who stayed a little longer in prep school, why go to a team for one semester with Fox and Monk in the backcourt? Could be a very risky move. Unless he's just considering 2017 now...

 

[UconnAlum04]

I thought I read somewhere that Kentucky has no scholarships available for 2nd semester, so if Hami wanted to play this year then Kentucky would not work....

Only UConn and Arizona have scholarships available for 2nd semester this year.

Is that accurate?

 

[David 76]

If KO can't get this top 10 recruit then I question his ability to get any....I get the KY appeal but a sad day if we lose this kid.

Because we look so good?

 

[King Husky]

What evidence do you have that kids even care about what conference they play in to any significant degree?

Based on this it appears to be important... for football at least:

Jeremy Crabtree RecruitingNation
Ninety recruits surveyed at the Under Armour All-America Game were asked if a school's conference affiliation has a major impact on their decision, and 60 percent said it does. The results in the 2017 class are consistent with polling from past classes as conference affiliation has always been an import factor in a recruit's decision.

 

[BUConn10]

Based on this it appears to be important... for football at least:

Jeremy Crabtree RecruitingNation
Ninety recruits surveyed at the Under Armour All-America Game were asked if a school's conference affiliation has a major impact on their decision, and 60 percent said it does. The results in the 2017 class are consistent with polling from past classes as conference affiliation has always been an import factor in a recruit's decision.

Don't even bother. 7774 will just ignore this quote and repeat the same contrived post next time someone mentions conference affiliation. We have seen this same exact interaction dozens of times on here. Only a fool would think conference has zero impact on a recruits decision (as evidenced by asking for evidence in his signature snark). I guess sticking you head in the sand makes something not true.

 

[Hungryhusky99]

Based on this it appears to be important... for football at least:

Jeremy Crabtree RecruitingNation
Ninety recruits surveyed at the Under Armour All-America Game were asked if a school's conference affiliation has a major impact on their decision, and 60 percent said it does. The results in the 2017 class are consistent with polling from past classes as conference affiliation has always been an import factor in a recruit's decision.

Football is different you have to be power five to even have a chance .

 

[BUConn10]

Football is different you have to be power five to even have a chance .

It applies to both money sports, football and basketball.

 

[Hungryhusky99]

It applies to both money sports, football and basketball.

In football you need to be a power five to make the playoff. In basketball that is most definitely not the case.

 

[BUConn10]

In football you need to be a power five to make the playoff. In basketball that is most definitely not the case.

Are you guys so dense that you can't see why a basketball player would want to play in one conference over another? Seriously the fact that all teams are eligible for the tournament is the only research you need to look into before committing? What a massive oversimplification.

 

[7774]

Don't even bother. 7774 will just ignore this quote and repeat the same contrived post next time someone mentions conference affiliation. We have seen this same exact interaction dozens of times on here. Only a fool would think conference has zero impact on a recruits decision (as evidenced by asking for evidence in his signature snark). I guess sticking you head in the sand makes something not true.

I've never said it has no impact, just that it's minimal because many, many other things are more important to recruits, and the idea that today we would be getting Kentucky/Duke classes if we were in a better conference is comical.

 

[ctchamps]

Are you guys so dense that you can't see why a basketball player would want to play in one conference over another? Seriously the fact that all teams are eligible for the tournament is the only research you need to look into before committing? What a massive oversimplification.

The SEC is a perennially weak bb conference. Explain why Kentucky hasn't suffered. And interestingly even with football being more dependent on a P5 conference to give players exposure, 40% of the best football players weren't concerned about conference affiliation. That means that a lot of players are looking at coaches, playing time, style of play and so on.

And there is significantly less need in basketball because of the structural differences in playoffs between the two sports. The best players want to showcase their talents to get to the next level whatever their sport happens to be. The same way kids chose a university for academic reasons.

 

[Hungryhusky99]

Are you guys so dense that you can't see why a basketball player would want to play in one conference over another? Seriously the fact that all teams are eligible for the tournament is the only research you need to look into before committing? What a massive oversimplification.

I'm just saying it's not nearly as important in basketball.

 

[7774]

Based on this it appears to be important... for football at least:

Jeremy Crabtree RecruitingNation
Ninety recruits surveyed at the Under Armour All-America Game were asked if a school's conference affiliation has a major impact on their decision, and 60 percent said it does. The results in the 2017 class are consistent with polling from past classes as conference affiliation has always been an import factor in a recruit's decision.

I don't think kids saying they care about conference is evidence that it's one of the top factors in determing where they go to school, but maybe in football it is

Here is an article from Dave Telep that talks about how basketball recruits don't really care.

Telep: League allegiance no longer matters

 

[gtcam]

It applies to both money sports, football and basketball.

They surveyed players ONLY and football players to boot
Players want a chance to play in THE BIG GAME
The only way they play in that game in football is to play at a P5 school
The last I looked, UConn in 2014 and Nova in 2016 were not P5 schools but won NCs in basketball
Now if you want to talk money and survey the admins - it would be 100% that conference affiliation makes a difference
I'm not dense and neither is Hungry Husky or 80% of others on this blog

 

[David 76]

We suck! Our players and our coaches suck. The conference sucks. Our athletics program is falling down around us.

But hey. If Ollie can't land Hami, he's a joke.

 

[Storrs South]

 

[James]

didn't the ncaa clear him well over a week ago? according to borges? It sounds like he really wants to play next semester.

 

[Storrs South]

didn't the ncaa clear him well over a week ago? according to borges? It sounds like he really wants to play next semester.

 

[BUConn10]

The SEC is a perennially weak bb conference. Explain why Kentucky hasn't suffered. And interestingly even with football being more dependent on a P5 conference to give players exposure, 40% of the best football players weren't concerned about conference affiliation. That means that a lot of players are looking at coaches, playing time, style of play and so on.

And there is significantly less need in basketball because of the structural differences in playoffs between the two sports. The best players want to showcase their talents to get to the next level whatever their sport happens to be. The same way kids chose a university for academic reasons.

Kentucky doesn't need the SEC to showcase its players. They are the premier program in the sport, have the biggest fan base, get the most media coverage, and play the best OOC conference schedule every year and they only play elite P5's OOC, not against Loyola Marymount's of the world. They don't really follow most logical rules of the game.

As for all the other programs, they are in the P5 and are reaping P5 rewards, how can we sit here and say it's not important when almost all the sports current leaders are in the P5. Our very program was BUILT on being part of a power conference. Without the Big East JC had no leverage to bring in the talent he needed. UConns ability to showcase you and give you a chance to beat the best in the game makes every recruit consider you despite having no historical success at that point in history.

In college sports, the fact is you are only as good as who you beat. With 351 teams competing on the same level, it becomes increasingly true. I really can't trust anyone's opinion on college sports if they don't grasp the concept and importance of conferences. Repeatedly citing exceptions does not make it the rule. 40% of football players can come from the G5 (which id need to see figures on because I'm skeptical of that number), and it still wouldn't come close to making the G5 the premier place for football talent. It's multi variable and can't be boiled down to "guys can get drafted and make the dance from any school in basketball"

 

[James]

Anyone know the scholly breakdown for UK and zona? I'm counting both of them as having 12 but maybe i'm missing something, I thought someone said uk doesn't have any space for spring 2017?

 

[UconnAlum04]

I thought I read somewhere that Kentucky has no scholarships available for 2nd semester, so if Hami wanted to play this year then Kentucky would not work....

Only UConn and Arizona have scholarships available for 2nd semester this year.

Is that accurate?

Anyone? Bueller?