Howard transfer R.J. Cole visits Alabama, UConn is next scheduled visit

[husky429]

This has to be the most confusing/quiet recruiting season ever for UConn basketball. How many scholarships do we have? It seems we are on like 6 different guys for one spot and the number keeps growing.

We are recruiting for 2 scholarships.

 

[kansashusky]

You claim to know how recruiting works, but think Hurley is trying to get Cole to come here to walk-on...

Hurley backed off of Mitchell (for reasons that are now obvious and justified) and clearly didn't recruit Wahab all that hard until Kofi moved on. As to your point about how a transfer and 2019 recruit are two different scenarios, my best guess is that Hurley is more concerned about guard depth in 20-21 and beyond than next year. As of right now, we have Gilbert, Vital, Gaffney, Bouknight, and Adams for next year; I doubt any guard we brought in would play all that much anyway as a freshman. The following season Vital leaves and Gilbert may very well be gone as he graduates, so we'll need help that season.

I was suggesting a financial aid package much like the one Akok has because he is currently a walk on, yet still came here.

We had Wahab here for an official before we did Kofi.

 

[Hurleyman216]

We clearly need a backup center, but honestly once you get out of the top 50 for HS rankings bigs are just a total crapshoot. Doesn’t matter if a guy is 2,3 or 4 star, the recruiting gurus just get it wrong more times than not. The reality is it’s hard to project how some of these raw guys will develop and it also depends a lot on having a good big man coach which I think we have now. I’m fine with us taking a bit of a flyer on a 7’ 1” guy with a good frame who is athletic and and catch the ball. Until our program gets rolling we may have a harder time getting a top 25-50 big. We’ve already proven that you can win championships with a Chuck Okwandu level center. Carlton is going to be really good, we just need fouls to give behind him.

 

[McLovin]

I was suggesting a financial aid package much like the one Akok has because he is currently a walk on, yet still came here.

I am wondering the same thing. I don't think this would be "disrespectful" to Cole. I'm sure he understands the scholarship situation here and if we can bring him on as a "walk on" then we can bring in at least one more player this year. He can't play next year anyways so don't think it would matter to him what type of scholarship he is on, as along as he would be able to participate with the team in practice.

Not sure if this is possible, but if anyone knows the answer that would be helpful

 

[GHSWolverines]

We are recruiting for 2 scholarships.

Where is the 2nd one coming from? Where is that verified?

 

[husky429]

Where is the 2nd one coming from? Where is that verified?

Borges verified.

Ask in PM if you want

 

[crazyUCfan23]

Where is the 2nd one coming from? Where is that verified?

not sure it's been "verified" but Amore or Borges, forget who, mentioned that they were recruiting for 2 spots in an article a couple weeks ago

 

[Kenny11]

Where is the 2nd one coming from? Where is that verified?

None of us know. Maybe someone is on the fence and will likely transfer if we get a commit at his position, opening up a second scholarship?? But this is all just wild guesses

 

[navery12]

I am wondering the same thing. I don't think this would be "disrespectful" to Cole. I'm sure he understands the scholarship situation here and if we can bring him on as a "walk on" then we can bring in at least one more player this year. He can't play next year anyways so don't think it would matter to him what type of scholarship he is on, as along as he would be able to participate with the team in practice.

Not sure if this is possible, but if anyone knows the answer that would be helpful

I don't think it's possible. Akok did it because he wasn't eligible to play. My guess is if Cole did it he'd still have to sit a year on scholarship. Otherwise nobody would waste a scholarship on a transfer, they'd just skirt the rules

 

[superjohn]

Where is the 2nd one coming from? Where is that verified?

Staff doesn't think basketball is in Diarra's future. He's a great kid and they want him to still be a part of things just on a different scholarship than basketball.

 

[Rico444]

I was suggesting a financial aid package much like the one Akok has because he is currently a walk on, yet still came here.

I get that he would get some financial aid, but he would still have to pay money to come to school here for a year. Akok was already paying to go to PSA and decided that instead of doing that, he would pay UConn instead for a semester until they had a scholarship ready. Even though it was only one semester it's still a very unique circumstance, which is why you almost never see it happen. I wouldn't start banking on it moving forward. Not to mention not very many schools have a scholarship available in the middle of the current season.

We had Wahab here for an official before we did Kofi.

I know that, but we clearly weren't recruiting him as hard as Kofi. By the time we lost Kofi it was too late, we couldn't just throw all our resources into Wahab because he knew at that point that he was our backup plan.

 

[UConnNick]

I think based on the history of R.J. with the Hurley family, his ties to the northeast, his only two visits and we are last, the quote from Danny, "we really need you here", it all points to R.J. coming here. He's solid and a proven scorer with a higher ceiling than he is showing against Howard class competition.

I think he commits on his visit or soon after. I'm sure Hurley Sr. will be in attendance at some point too and I'm sure that is relevant.

We already have 5 guards for next year, R.J. will have a year in the program and be on deck when Vital leaves after the season. An experienced point guard to go along with Gaffney and insurance towards AG maybe leaving also. Depends what kind of year he has.

DOOMED!

 

[mauconnfan]

DOOMED!

Hearing good things from my people on RJ.



Of course they're all in this thread

 

[UConnNick]

Hearing good things from my people on RJ.

Of course their all in this thread

Even more reason to feel the anvil of impending doom.

Seriously, between UCONN and Alabama, you have to decide if you'd rather spend a year at a football school, where BB is an after thought, or at a BB school, where football is an after thought.

 

[auror]

I know that, but we clearly weren't recruiting him as hard as Kofi. By the time we lost Kofi it was too late, we couldn't just throw all our resources into Wahab because he knew at that point that he was our backup plan.

Why is this clear?

If you had put a gun to the staff's head and made them choose, they'd have chosen Kofi.

But they recruited Wahab hard.

Does a kid see they're also recruiting a higher ranked big? Maybe. Do coaches negative recruit with that info? Maybe. But we put in a ton of effort on both. These guys put in the time. The way it was phrased to me is that the staff recruited them all hard and essentially told them "first to commit gets the spot." It likely wasn't that explicit, but that's the message we were communicating.

 

[NJHoops]

You claim to know how recruiting works, but think Hurley is trying to get Cole to come here to walk-on...

Hurley backed off of Mitchell (for reasons that are now obvious and justified) and clearly didn't recruit Wahab all that hard until Kofi moved on.

This is an inaccurate summary of the Wahab recruitment. In the end, he wanted to play for Ewing, which is certainly reasonable.

 

[NJHoops]

Cole is not a certainty at all for UConn, and I believe a third team could become involved. This is pretty much a business decision for him (for further options, not at all implying something improper). He’s been through the bells and whistles of recruitment. Now, he just wants a solid plan to get to the professional ranks.

 

[kansashusky]

Good coaches recruit multiple players at the same time knowing they won't all come here.

I know that, but we clearly weren't recruiting him as hard as Kofi. By the time we lost Kofi it was too late, we couldn't just throw all our resources into Wahab because he knew at that point that he was our backup plan.

So by your logic here, Hurley is not a good coach.

 

[superjohn]

Cole is not a certainty at all for UConn, and I believe a third team could become involved. This is pretty much a business decision for him (for further options, not at all implying something improper). He’s been through the bells and whistles of recruitment. Now, he just wants a solid plan to get to the professional ranks.

Professional ranks? Europe?

 

[Huskyforlife]

Cole is not a certainty at all for UConn, and I believe a third team could become involved. This is pretty much a business decision for him (for further options, not at all implying something improper). He’s been through the bells and whistles of recruitment. Now, he just wants a solid plan to get to the professional ranks.

He basically said its between us and Alabama.

 

[NJHoops]

He basically said its between us and Alabama.

I know what’s in the article. I’m also saying, because of the schools that are still reaching out to R.J. and his family, that a third team could become involved.

 

[UConn Esq]

Give me this kid over just about anyone we are looking at. Averaging 21/4/6+ a game in both his seasons. Averaged 23 ppg as a freshman?! There is no one we are looking at that is going to average 23 ppg for any D1 team. Period. And definitely not as a freshman.

 

[polycom]

Where is the 2nd one coming from? Where is that verified?

Borges verified.

Ask in PM if you want

Diarra can't play basketball but they aren't going to kick him off. The rumor is they are working on a plan to keep him around the team via medical hardship or something of the like.

 

[Rico444]

Why is this clear?

If you had put a gun to the staff's head and made them choose, they'd have chosen Kofi.

But they recruited Wahab hard.

Does a kid see they're also recruiting a higher ranked big? Maybe. Do coaches negative recruit with that info? Maybe. But we put in a ton of effort on both. These guys put in the time. The way it was phrased to me is that the staff recruited them all hard and essentially told them "first to commit gets the spot." It likely wasn't that explicit, but that's the message we were communicating.

From following both recruitments closely it certainly seemed like we were going harder after Kofi. I can only go by what we read from recruiting experts and insiders on this board; it certainly seemed like we were gearing up for a Kofi commitment when he popped for Illinois. There is a ton that goes on behind the scenes and out of the public eye, so I'll defer to you @auror if you were told something from someone in the know.

This is an inaccurate summary of the Wahab recruitment. In the end, he wanted to play for Ewing, which is certainly reasonable.

From following both recruitments closely it seemed like we went harder after Kofi, expected a commitment, then shifted to Wahab when we lost Kofi. Again, I can only go by what I read from recruiting experts and insiders.

So by your logic here, Hurley is not a good coach.

Come on man, I was responding to your questioning why we were recruiting multiple players for one spot.

 

[NJHoops]

He and his family have told additional schools that they’re not entertaining further offers at this point. Hopefully the staff has a productive talk with R.J. today!