How many 5-Star recruits is enough? Too many?

[Teddie1056]

There is no right answer to this. It’s about culture and fit more than ranking. Steph Castle is a 5 star, but I would take 13 of him. I wouldn’t pass on someone just because they are a 5 star. I would pass on someone because they aren’t a program fit. It’s always great to have talent, but it has to make sense for what our identity is.

13 Steph Castles would be a pretty damn good team.

 

[Husky68]

Problem with lot of 5* recruits is it gets you lot of freshman and lot of transfers in with little continuity (unless get multi year transfers and or lot of 5* guys not being one and done or feeling being recruited over). See Duke where coach brags about lack of transfers out just before a mass exodus.
UConn with one 5*, and 2 solid 4* (8th PG and 18th SF), 4 returning freshman, 2 returning upper class guys and 2 transfers (both with 2 years remaining) is about as good a mix as can get.
How Hurley and guys pulled this off when entire starting team left for NBA draft is something. And all 11 guys can play and will be fighting for minutes (I put Singare and Ross in the mix for playing time).

 

[jibsey]

When Tristen Newton came out of high school was he a 3 star recruit or less? Here were his college choices.

“When it came time to choose a college program, he chose East Carolina over Delaware State, Evansville, Northeastern and Rio Grande.”

My opinion is that it’s important to have players like this mixed in with highly talented 5 stars like Castle. Andre Jackson not a 5 star, AK not a 5 star but basketball smarts, can that be rated in stars? The desire and intensity to win.

 

[awy]

part of their ability to keep continuity is the way they run practice, but having a bunch of veterans leading the culture is also pretty important. but there's a natural limit on top recruits by position and minutes constraints so you'll probably always have a bunch of veterans around anyway. 2 5 stars in a class is prob the realistic upper limit.

the hard to replace things you can get from uber elite 5 stars is individual creation and athleticism. the creation part is not relied upon but can be a good backup option in case of offense disruptions, but mostly it's a shiny new toy in the hands of LUKE and co, so it's just fun to have a guy like AJ in the system and see what they can come up with.

in terms of raising the team's ceiling against the other top teams, I think having elite rim protection and point of attack defense are pretty important.

 

[Robrio89]

Assuming almost all 5*'s are one-and-done, in your opinion is there a correct number to have on the roster? One, Stephon Castle was just right this year, and Kentucky has shown that too many are not good. In addition to talent, it seems that continuity, chemistry, and humilty are also valued assets to Hurley. What's your thoughts?

I think it is more important to recruit players who fit your program, first and foremost. The order in which recruits find themselves isn’t an indictment on their abilities, as the outcome of their success isn’t in line with that order. It is never a surprise when the 75th best player out performs the 20th. Sometimes you get a guy like Steph Castle who as a top 10 recruit performed very well. Look at Elliot Cadeau of UNC. He was ranked right below Castle and was straight garbage. He shot 18% from the 3 and under 70% from the free throw line, as an undersized guard.

I think the goal shouldn’t be how many 5 stars, but rather making sure everyone you do recruit is in the top 100. If they don’t make the top 100 they go to a smaller school and if they then prove themselves, we nab them in the portal when that time comes. I think teams that focus on just the top recruits fail to build teams that perform well together. As you said, chemistry continuity and humility matter. You won’t find those in a stat line or at the combine.

 

[B1GEast]

I don't care about stars. I'd much rather have a top rated upper class man transfer than a 5 star any day.

Transfer players are proven.

 

[bendm]

Between 1-5. I hate when 5*s commit somewhere they are guaranteed to come off the bench like they used to at UK and now do at Duke. Go somewhere else and start there are plenty of schools.

 

[Kembacity]

My personal formula would be no more than 1 who is expected to be 1 and done, but 2 would be manageable too. Beyond that fine with however many they think can work in but in the era of transfer portal roster stability from year to year isn’t as much a necessity. You want to keep a core for sure because I think it would help with the continuity and toughness you want to maintain, but when a team knows they need 4 new starters next year and the recruiting class doesn’t have them, they can hit the ground running and find those guys in the portal when a clean out happens at the end of a season

 

[mauconnfan]

It’s important for a mix for so many reasons. With 5 stars they need to fit the culture more than they need to be studs. But think overall even in regards to practice. Having kids like Jaylin, Ross, Andre Johnson even make it competitive in practice while they wait their turn. These guys don’t need to work on their skeleton D and O they need people to work against. And while the “back ups” practice they are doing so against the best and working their turn. Heck Ross may not get his even this year, who knows. But staying here and learning, waiting is important to him and the program.

Just keep doing what they’re doing, 5 stars or wherever I’m good!

 

[August_West]

I don't care about stars. I'd much rather have a top rated upper class man transfer than a 5 star any day.

Transfer players are proven.

No they arent. You still are rolling the dice. Just ask Villanova.

For every Dalton Knecht or Cam Spencer, you could end up with a Lance Ware or Nick Timberlake (and we almost ended up with that last one, thank god the Rug Doctor dropped a bag on him!)

Not to mention what metric are you using for your "top rated"? The rankings of transfer portal players is all over the frickin' map and mostly LOL funny. Spencer wasnt even top 100 last year.

 

[boog204]

I'd take 13 of the "right" ones. But our history has shown that 1-2 surrounded by veteran talent is a really nice recipe for world domination.

 

[B1GEast]

No they arent. You still are rolling the dice. Just ask Villanova.

For every Dalton Knecht or Cam Spencer, you could end up with a Lance Ware or Nick Timberlake (and we almost ended up with that last one, thank god the Rug Doctor dropped a bag on him!)

Not to mention what metric are you using for your "top rated"? The rankings of transfer portal players is all over the frickin' map and mostly LOL funny. Spencer wasnt even top 100 last year.

You still take a chance, but the probability of knowing what type of player you'll get is much higher.

Timberlake in Hurley's system might have been just a good as Cam.

 

[superjohn]

Timberlake in Hurley's system might have been just a good as Cam.

No chance, Cam is a much better player than him.

 

[husky429]

Haven't read the thread to avoid bias. Let's see if others agree with me.

There's no such thing as too many, or too few. It's 100% about complimentary skillsets and culture. If we have a roster of 13 dudes with Steph Castle's attitude, we'd be an amazing team.

That attitude tends to be rare in 5*s, which is why Calhoun and now Hurley were pretty particular about who they went after.

 

[cwh20]

The right mix of players is key as others have said. There is no way Hurley and the staff just start stockpiling random 5*s after having dominated college basketball the last two seasons with only one. But the recruiting net is bigger now with that many more high level recruits, HS and portal transfers taking an interest in UConn. Hurley can absolutely choose the guys that will fit into the kind of team he wants to have. He absolutely knows what he wants a UConn player to be about. If he is able to get players with the same character and outlook of the last two teams but who also are more gifted then get ready for more titles.

 

[Umami Zen]

Haven't read the thread to avoid bias. Let's see if others agree with me.

There's no such thing as too many, or too few. It's 100% about complimentary skillsets and culture. If we have a roster of 13 dudes with Steph Castle's attitude, we'd be an amazing team.

That attitude tends to be rare in 5*s, which is why Calhoun and now Hurley were pretty particular about who they went after.

Nailed it

 

[TheChamps990411]

I'm getting the sense we may get a chance to find out in the near future

I think if Dybantsa and Thomas were to come here itd open the floodgates for DH where you would regularly start seeing classes with multiple 5* one and dones.

 

[Huskyforlife]

This is what excites me about McNeeley.

He must've committed with the understanding that he'll be taking a back seat to Alex(?), Diarra, Mahaney, and maybe even Ball/Stewart. But that means he understands that playing off all those threats will be beneficial to his efficiency and shot IQ development.

Being that elite connective piece could get him drafted in the lottery next season, while chucking shots at an Indiana or other school could lower his stock. But also like Castle, he'll be given opportunities to playmake within our structure that'll excite scouts for his potential.

The success of Castle and presumably Liam will hopefully convince guys like McKenney, Thomas, Acuff, etc. That you can be a lottery pick and a winner, you don't have to sacrifice winning at this level for 15 shots per game.

 

[Waquoit]

Timberlake in Hurley's system might have been just a good as Cam.

The question is moot. UConn has the title but Nick still has his sweet ride.. A win-win.

 

[awy]

the current arms race amongst top programs seems to be shooting and positional size. if there's a supremely effective rim protector out there that'd be a super premium get as well. 5 star is really not that informative considering it's biased towards on-ball creator types who project to be able to play that role in the league athletically, but may not be efficient right now. if they are recruiting shooters and good decisionmakers and game understanders, this is actually synergistic with each threat and linkage making everyone better.

 

[uconnbill]

I think from now on you will next a mixture of 5 stars, 4 stars, and transfers. I trust Hurley to make these decisions

 

[SoCalCanine]

When you have a 5 star SYSTEM, you don't NEED 5 star players, though 1 or 2 with the right attitude certainly would be helpful.

 

[TheChamps990411]

When Tristen Newton came out of high school was he a 3 star recruit or less? Here were his college choices.

“When it came time to choose a college program, he chose East Carolina over Delaware State, Evansville, Northeastern and Rio Grande.”

My opinion is that it’s important to have players like this mixed in with highly talented 5 stars like Castle. Andre Jackson not a 5 star, AK not a 5 star but basketball smarts, can that be rated in stars? The desire and intensity to win.

Agree with everything but just because i think itd be a lot of fun and its never happened here before id like to see just one season where Hurley brings in five 5* kids including the top player in the class. It will happen. I mean come on we just went back to back so anything is possible. Lets goooo!!!