Is it just me or is UConn recruiting at a higher level right now?

[Husky25]

We always recruit at a high level but we seem to be in play with more highly rated recruits latter in the process. We just need to land a few.
JC and his staff landed some great players but JC's coaching style didn't appeal to everybody. Ollie has less of a tough love personality and that may appeal to more players but he is recruiting to a crap conference. We'll have to see how it all works out.

Again...I comes down to can the coach get the recruit to the NBAwithin the next 4 years. This sentiment was expressed directly by Jim Calhoun himself.

 

[CAHUSKY]

I think you missed the forrest for the trees...by a wide margin.

I think you missed the smiley face...by a wide margin

 

[James]

Yes Ollie's career was that of a journey men. But in the realm of college basketball/recruiting who can even say that? What other coaches can sell that their friends with Sam presti? it's often forgotten Ollie would have been working in the league if it wasn't for his undying loyalty. 95% of college coaches can't say that.

 

[Bryan Lord]

KO was in the NBA alot longer than JC and he did pretty good with recruiting.

It's not the only thing that matters but it does matter. The fact that he was a journey man doesn't really matter.

 

[Husky25]

I think you missed the smiley face...by a wide margin

No, I got it. I just wanted to cut the piling on off at the pass...

 

[Duncan Idaho]

What Ollie can sell to recruits is the fact that he maximized his NBA potential. A guy of his talent level playing twelve years in the association? Whether or not these kids think they're the next Lebron, Ollie can tell them, "I got the most out of my basketball career. Come to UConn, and I'll help you do the same."

...and that he was brought to Cleveland in order to mentor Lebron James and Kevin Durant at OKC into being pros.

 

[Waquoit]

It's the journeyman types that make the best coaches. Stars like Isaiah and Drexler were busts.

 

[Husky25]

It's the journeyman types that make the best coaches. Stars like Isaiah and Drexler were busts.

All Isiah could do was play basketball. Except for his philanthropic ventures, he is percieved as a failure at virtually every other venture he attempted.

 

[sdhusky]

KO was in the NBA alot longer than JC and he did pretty good with recruiting.

It's not the only thing that matters but it does matter. The fact that he was a journey man doesn't really matter.

The only reason Ollie was in the NBA so long was that he has 11 toes.

Its true.

Well, it's one more committed, isn't it? It's not ten. You see, most guys, you know, will be playing with ten. You're on ten here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you've got all ten in. Where can you go from there? Where?

Ollie could go to 11.

 

[upstater]

Probably easier to sell a 28 year old on that story than a teenager. Every 18 year old thinks they have they handle of Bob Clousy or the the shot of James Worthy. Get me there. I'll do the rest.

A guy that started from nowhere and figured out what it took to stay in the league and earn millions is worth his weight in gold.

 

[Kitaman]

A guy that started from nowhere and figured out what it took to stay in the league and earn millions is worth his weight in gold.

Good point. Ollie is a walking book, ready to unload knowledge to all that sit under him. The key is that Ollie knows hard work very well, its those pampered high school stars that really could use his teachings. Ollie has no fear and is not intimidated by other coaches.Ollie is about 3-4 years away from being one of the top 10 coaches in the country. We've got a great one, getting better and better with experience. Remember too that a HOF coach is' actively' in the background and availible at any time for consultation. How can he fail?

 

[Dove]

I'm not really following recruiting on a daily basis, just glancing at topics and names, but it feels like we're in play at a higher level than in recent history.

Ollie's first home visit as an interim was with the #1 kid in the country. Kind of tough to elevate to a higher lever when UConn is already elite.

 

[CAHUSKY]

You just described Fred Hoiberg. "

Just a guess, but Im pretty sure KO has a little more street cred recruiting inner city kids than they Mayor.

 

[Husky25]

A guy that started from nowhere and figured out what it took to stay in the league and earn millions is worth his weight in gold.

Absolutely no doubt about that. Now it is on Ollie to convince recruits that this acquired knowledge will translate into said recruit's passage into the Association.

These are Calhoun's words. IIRC, the question from Michael Kay was how do you convince a kid to spend the prime of his youth in the woods of Northeast Connecticut? Calhoun answered that at the beginning of his UConn career, the reason was the League and the associated competition. Later he said if [Kay] would ask a kid why they go to a certain school, their answer is they believe the coach will get them to the NBA.

There is really no debate, I've seen the interview twice.

 

[tcf15]

Just want to point something out from a Scout article on Daniel Hamilton's commitment:

"Daniel was comfortable with Los Angeles native Kevin Ollie and the freedom he gives his perimeter players," Trigonis told Scout.com. "Ollie's NBA experience and connections were a plus too."​

His 14 years in the NBA is no joke. That will definitely help with the recruits.

 

[aceboon]

Just want to point something out from a Scout article on Daniel Hamilton's commitment:

His 14 years in the NBA is no joke. That will definitely help with the recruits.

Yep, and Purvis pretty much said the same things, NBA experience + freedom, as his reasons for coming here as well.

 

[Huskyforlife]

Its just you.... DHams a Husky!

 

[Tenspro2002]

OK, OP, now it's no longer just you.

 

[willie99]

Id rather chase 9,000 kids and miss on 8,996, than chase 5 and strike out on all of them!

like we did in 2010? when everyone here hated our freshman class because we missed out on all the big names?

 

[Brochacho]

In regards to Ollie's NBA experience, there are what, 345 D-1 basketball teams? At 13 kids per squad you get 4,485 student athletes. Those 14 lottery kids per year represent the top 0.003% of the talent any given season. They may be thinking lottery when they come here, and they should be. UConn has been very successful lottery-wise in its history. However not every Husky ends up in the lottery. Ollie's experience is not what they want, but what they need.