Isaiah Briscoe (Committed to Kentucky)

[CAHUSKY]

I don't know how true that is. Show me facts how you know we put conditions on our scholarship offers. I want your source. For 2015 we're going after Stone, Newman (some disagree), Briscoe, Jones, Clarke, and Mack. You know we're telling a kid like Mack he can only come here if (fill in the blank) doesn't commit? I don't believe that. I think it's first to say YES.

That logic means UK is prioritizing Charles Matthews ahead of Briscoe. They'll let him accept their offer but put conditions on the consensus #1 point guard in the country? I don't think so.

Sometimes it's the first to say yes and sometimes players are prioritized and the offer is indeed conditional. Depends on the kid and the situation.

 

[CTBasketball]

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to get Briscoe. But I think the team does significantly better with a freshmen Adams, and juniors Terrence and Cassell. Throw in a sophomore star Hamilton and a senior Omar Calhoun at the 3 and we're looking good.

Having a logjam at a position can really do more harm than good. We've never really done well when we've stocked up many legit players at the same position ...

 

[CGarr]

Sometimes it's the first to say yes and sometimes players are prioritized and the offer is indeed conditional. Depends on the kid and the situation.

Can I have an example of these prioritized/conditional offers? I can't find anything on google. A coach may want one PG for his recruiting class and say to potential PG recruits the first to says 'yes' get's the scholarship. Sure that happens but telling a kid you can only accept this scholarship if (fill in the blank) doesn't is something much different.
The timing of the scholarship can be an indication of the coaches priority (not always) but once it's officially offered I find it hard to believe there any conditions attached. I could be wrong but just need evidence to prove me wrong. It's always been my understanding it's simply the first to say yes.

 

[J-dog]

Can I have an example of these prioritized/conditional offers? I can't find anything on google. A coach may want one PG for his recruiting class and say to potential PG recruits the first to says 'yes' get's the scholarship. Sure that happens but telling a kid you can only accept this scholarship if (fill in the blank) doesn't is something much different.
The timing of the scholarship can be an indication of the coaches priority (not always) but once it's officially offered I find it hard to believe there any conditions attached. I could be wrong but just need evidence to prove me wrong. It's always been my understanding it's simply the first to say yes.

I can't imagine that the Offer is sitting there forever just waiting for the recruit to say yes… I would have to assume that if the recruit does not say yes to the initial Offer, there would have to be some type of counter-agreement from the school if the recruit were to come back & say that they were now going to accept the Scholarship Offer.

Similar to a contract that requires a counter-signature to become an official agreement.

 

[aceboon]

where is the spin coming from that UK doesn't really want Briscoe? Have the UK insiders stated this or is this boneyard spin to keep it business as usual and malign our recruiting when he eventually goes to St Johns?

 

[CGarr]

I can't imagine that the Offer is sitting there forever just waiting for the recruit to say yes… I would have to assume that if the recruit does not say yes to the initial Offer, there would have to be some type of counter-agreement from the school if the recruit were to come back & say that they were now going to accept the Scholarship Offer.

Similar to a contract that requires a counter-signature to become an official agreement.

Unless the coach pulls the offer, I believe it stands as long as there is an open spot. Some of these kids are offered in 9th and 10th grade and wait to senior year to decide.

I just don't think Ollie is telling Mack, "hey we like you but I'm only giving you a scholarship if Clarke says no."
I especially don't think Calipari or any other coach is giving Briscoe a similar ultimatum. It all comes down to how many spots remain and who says yes first!

 

[Rocktheworld]

where is the spin coming from that UK doesn't really want Briscoe? Have the UK insiders stated this or is this boneyard spin to keep it business as usual and malign our recruiting when he eventually goes to St Johns?

They apparently just have other priorities.

 

[CGarr]

They apparently just have other priorities.

Link to a legitimate source that supports this? Boneyard insiders don't count.

 

[aceboon]

They apparently just have other priorities.

*shrugs*, hey if someone has proof saying as such I'd like to see it. When it was obvious that Diamond Stone had no "real" offer from UK, the UK guys had no problem stating as such on twitter and on their boards, if I missed them do the same with Briscoe, I'd like to see it. It just seems weird that when Calipari went full staff to meet with Briscoe, the boneyard consensus was "he's going to UK". When Briscoe visited UK, the boneyard consensus was "he's going to UK". When Calipari had his Dick Tracy era henchmen Slice Rohrssen visit Briscoe shortly after the visit, the boneyard consensus was "he's going to UK"....and "KO needs a recruiter like that on his staff to bolster his recruiting efforts". Now that it seems that things have shifted in St John's favor, and it appears that Briscoe is going to do what many figured he would do all along and go to one of the bum local schools and be the face of their program and play as many minutes and get as many shots as he wants(I'm not knocking it), the boneyard consensus is "well UK never really wanted him". What???

 

[CGarr]

*shrugs*, hey if someone has proof saying as such I'd like to see it. When it was obvious that Diamond Stone had no "real" offer from UK, the UK guys had no problem stating as such on twitter and on their boards, if I missed them do the same with Briscoe, I'd like to see it. It just seems weird that when Calipari went full staff to meet with Briscoe, the boneyard consensus was "he's going to UK". When Briscoe visited UK, the boneyard consensus was "he's going to UK". When Calipari had his Dick Tracy era henchmen Slice Rohrssen visit Briscoe shortly after the visit, the boneyard consensus was "he's going to UK"....and "KO needs a recruiter like that on his staff to bolster his recruiting efforts". Now that it seems that things have shifted in St John's favor, and it appears that Briscoe is going to do what many figured he would do all along and go to one of the bum local schools and be the face of their program and play as many minutes and get as many shots as he wants(I'm not knocking it), the boneyard consensus is "well UK never really wanted him". What???

Summed up perfectly!

I still wouldn't count us out. We make A LOT of sense for Briscoe. All these "journalists" predicting St. John's are still just guessing. The 2 main guys covering Briscoe for the post and ledger predicted at final 3 of UK, St Johns & Mizzou.

 

[Rocktheworld]

*shrugs*, hey if someone has proof saying as such I'd like to see it.

I guess all I really got is them waiting so long to offer.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Unless the coach pulls the offer, I believe it stands as long as there is an open spot.

That's not how the process works at all. I'm not going to do your research for you, but you can inform yourself if you want. But no, it is not the case that all 20 open offers (or whatever the # is) can be accepted at any time as soon as they're made.

 

[GemParty]

Can I have an example of these prioritized/conditional offers? I can't find anything on google. A coach may want one PG for his recruiting class and say to potential PG recruits the first to says 'yes' get's the scholarship. Sure that happens but telling a kid you can only accept this scholarship if (fill in the blank) doesn't is something much different.
The timing of the scholarship can be an indication of the coaches priority (not always) but once it's officially offered I find it hard to believe there any conditions attached. I could be wrong but just need evidence to prove me wrong. It's always been my understanding it's simply the first to say yes.

Take a look at the thread. "Twitter exchange with Corey Evans". I believe a lot has to do with the school, (accepting) a commit & timeframes. There's been talk that Mack/Clarke are tethered in their decision, yet only school on both lists is UConn.

 

[Huskyforlife]

Fcck this thread and the profanity filter

 

[Dynasty]

Fcck this thread and the profanity filter

FHRITP.

 

[CGarr]

That's not how the process works at all. I'm not going to do your research for you, but you can inform yourself if you want. But no, it is not the case that all 20 open offers (or whatever the # is) can be accepted at any time as soon as they're made.

So if a coach offers a player a scholarship some can't accept it? Help me do the research please. I can't find anything to support this. Enlighten me with your vast recruiting knowledge. Give me an example of this happening to a specific player.

Take a look at the thread. "Twitter exchange with Corey Evans". I believe a lot has to do with the school, (accepting) a commit & timeframes. There's been talk that Mack/Clarke are tethered in their decision, yet only school on both lists is UConn.

I believe in the Mack/Clarke situation is whoever accepts first gets the scholarship and the other's offer gets pulled. Ollie doesn't want 2 SF's and wants to save a spot for Diamond or someone else. They wouldn't want to compete against each other for PT anyway.

Regardless, I find it hard to believe Briscoe can't accept his UK scholarship b/c they're waiting on a higher priority player.

 

[Johnny]

Ok you guys need to understand something. NO ONE is saying St. John's is as good as UConn. Not in the past, not in the current. Not ever. So stop with the St. John's vs. UConn thing. I'm talking strictly about UConn. Only an idiot would actually say SJ can hold a candle to UConn hoops in terms of success. Not many teams can even argue they are more successful. I have no problem admitting the truth.

But now that I established that, you need to understand that UConn is not just UConn. There are two UConn's. UConn(A) is the old Big East version of UConn with a HOF coach in Calhoun and all of those championships come from this era or from something Calhoun touched. This was while you were in the best hoops conference on earth. Yes you won the first year in the AAC. But Calhoun still had his fingerprints on the team because he recruited them. You honestly don't think that helped at all? You really think Kevin Ollie is so amazing in his own right and owes nothing to Calhoun setting him up beautifully? Right now UConn is not UConn(A)…it's UConn(B). UConn(B) is the AAC UConn playing Tulane, ECU, Tulsa, Houston, SMU (irrelevant 99% of the time Brown is not there), etc. UConn(A) and UConn(B) are not the same. A was a legacy in the best conference ever with a HOF coach. B guarantees NOTHING. No one cares you won 4 championships in the future. My point is that none of the football conferences want UConn. You guys are betting against the odds by putting football first. There is a VERY good chance UConn ends up in the AAC and the UConn(A) era fades off. Then the recruiting slows, the conference affiliation starts to hurt, and Ollie has to do things on his own without Calhoun's fingerprints. Is there a chance UConn ends up in a football conference? Yes, albeit a small one. The football program there is absolutely atrocious and no one wants to touch it. You put football first and now you are already paying dearly for it getting the punishment called the AAC which you may be in for the next 20 years. If you don't think being in the AAC for a long time won't change the perception of UConn hoops eventually, then you are in denial.

So when I argue I am talking about UConn(B) aka the AAC UConn. Not the one with old Big East and Calhoun fingerprints (including the one from last year). UConn(A) was great but it's over. End of an era. Ollie got the keys to a Ferrari and now you think it's all his doing that you won a championship. There's a difference between turning a Civic into a Ferrari and inheriting a Ferrari. All I'm saying is that the future does not care about your 4 rings. The future looks bleak for UConn staying in the AAC. So have all the fun now celebrating your recent championships, because once the UConn(A) aura wears off (which it will), you may not see another for an entire lifetime if ever again. You are essentially the same as Patriots fans who think they will keep winning SB's when Tom Brady is gone. Once Brady is gone the Patriots turn human again. And once the old Big East/Calhoun influenced UConn era wears off, so will UConn hoops. UConn is now in a transition from best conference ever to a legitimate mid major conference. Yet you act like you are joining the ACC tomorrow. If UConn does not get that invite (and it's likely they won't), UConn will slowly fade into the abyss.

The Roman Empire fell, the Yankees dynasty is over, and UConn's dynasty can easily end too in the AAC. Part of the reason empires fall is due to a lack of foresight and the belief that you will always be on top no matter what. UConn is demonstrating that right now. You made a stupid decision to prioritize football and the empire may now collapse if you don't get the invite.

 

[RMoore1999]

 

[RMoore1999]

Ok you guys need to understand something. NO ONE is saying St. John's is as good as UConn. Not in the past, not in the current. Not ever. So stop with the St. John's vs. UConn thing. I'm talking strictly about UConn. Only an idiot would actually say SJ can hold a candle to UConn hoops in terms of success. Not many teams can even argue they are more successful. I have no problem admitting the truth.

But now that I established that, you need to understand that UConn is not just UConn. There are two UConn's. UConn(A) is the old Big East version of UConn with a HOF coach in Calhoun and all of those championships come from this era or from something Calhoun touched. This was while you were in the best hoops conference on earth. Yes you won the first year in the AAC. But Calhoun still had his fingerprints on the team because he recruited them. You honestly don't think that helped at all? You really think Kevin Ollie is so amazing in his own right and owes nothing to Calhoun setting him up beautifully? Right now UConn is not UConn(A)…it's UConn(B). UConn(B) is the AAC UConn playing Tulane, ECU, Tulsa, Houston, SMU (irrelevant 99% of the time Brown is not there), etc. UConn(A) and UConn(B) are not the same. A was a legacy in the best conference ever with a HOF coach. B guarantees NOTHING. No one cares you won 4 championships in the future. My point is that none of the football conferences want UConn. You guys are betting against the odds by putting football first. There is a VERY good chance UConn ends up in the AAC and the UConn(A) era fades off. Then the recruiting slows, the conference affiliation starts to hurt, and Ollie has to do things on his own without Calhoun's fingerprints. Is there a chance UConn ends up in a football conference? Yes, albeit a small one. The football program there is absolutely atrocious and no one wants to touch it. You put football first and now you are already paying dearly for it getting the punishment called the AAC which you may be in for the next 20 years. If you don't think being in the AAC for a long time won't change the perception of UConn hoops eventually, then you are in denial.

So when I argue I am talking about UConn(B) aka the AAC UConn. Not the one with old Big East and Calhoun fingerprints (including the one from last year). UConn(A) was great but it's over. End of an era. Ollie got the keys to a Ferrari and now you think it's all his doing that you won a championship. There's a difference between turning a Civic into a Ferrari and inheriting a Ferrari. All I'm saying is that the future does not care about your 4 rings. The future looks bleak for UConn staying in the AAC. So have all the fun now celebrating your recent championships, because once the UConn(A) aura wears off (which it will), you may not see another for an entire lifetime if ever again. You are essentially the same as Patriots fans who think they will keep winning SB's when Tom Brady is gone. Once Brady is gone the Patriots turn human again. And once the old Big East/Calhoun influenced UConn era wears off, so will UConn hoops. UConn is now in a transition from best conference ever to a legitimate mid major conference. Yet you act like you are joining the ACC tomorrow. If UConn does not get that invite (and it's likely they won't), UConn will slowly fade into the abyss.

The Roman Empire fell, the Yankees dynasty is over, and UConn's dynasty can easily end too in the AAC. Part of the reason empires fall is due to a lack of foresight and the belief that you will always be on top no matter what. UConn is demonstrating that right now. You made a stupid decision to prioritize football and the empire may now collapse if you don't get the invite.

 

[Walker11]

Please! No one try to counter with a logical rebuttal. Lets just laugh at him.

 

[CGarr]

No crap the AAC sucks bro but you have no idea what the future holds for conference realignment. The way things are going the NCAA is not for long. Who knows what the landscape of college sports will be in 5 years?
Bottom line is we'll always be relevant in basketball because of our history of championships and NBA players. You'll always be a commuter school full of kids that couldn't get into NYU.

 

[SixRings]

Ok you guys need to understand something. NO ONE is saying St. John's is as good as UConn. Not in the past, not in the current. Not ever. So stop with the St. John's vs. UConn thing. I'm talking strictly about UConn. Only an idiot would actually say SJ can hold a candle to UConn hoops in terms of success. Not many teams can even argue they are more successful. I have no problem admitting the truth.

But now that I established that, you need to understand that UConn is not just UConn. There are two UConn's. UConn(A) is the old Big East version of UConn with a HOF coach in Calhoun and all of those championships come from this era or from something Calhoun touched. This was while you were in the best hoops conference on earth. Yes you won the first year in the AAC. But Calhoun still had his fingerprints on the team because he recruited them. You honestly don't think that helped at all? You really think Kevin Ollie is so amazing in his own right and owes nothing to Calhoun setting him up beautifully? Right now UConn is not UConn(A)…it's UConn(B). UConn(B) is the AAC UConn playing Tulane, ECU, Tulsa, Houston, SMU (irrelevant 99% of the time Brown is not there), etc. UConn(A) and UConn(B) are not the same. A was a legacy in the best conference ever with a HOF coach. B guarantees NOTHING. No one cares you won 4 championships in the future. My point is that none of the football conferences want UConn. You guys are betting against the odds by putting football first. There is a VERY good chance UConn ends up in the AAC and the UConn(A) era fades off. Then the recruiting slows, the conference affiliation starts to hurt, and Ollie has to do things on his own without Calhoun's fingerprints. Is there a chance UConn ends up in a football conference? Yes, albeit a small one. The football program there is absolutely atrocious and no one wants to touch it. You put football first and now you are already paying dearly for it getting the punishment called the AAC which you may be in for the next 20 years. If you don't think being in the AAC for a long time won't change the perception of UConn hoops eventually, then you are in denial.

So when I argue I am talking about UConn(B) aka the AAC UConn. Not the one with old Big East and Calhoun fingerprints (including the one from last year). UConn(A) was great but it's over. End of an era. Ollie got the keys to a Ferrari and now you think it's all his doing that you won a championship. There's a difference between turning a Civic into a Ferrari and inheriting a Ferrari. All I'm saying is that the future does not care about your 4 rings. The future looks bleak for UConn staying in the AAC. So have all the fun now celebrating your recent championships, because once the UConn(A) aura wears off (which it will), you may not see another for an entire lifetime if ever again. You are essentially the same as Patriots fans who think they will keep winning SB's when Tom Brady is gone. Once Brady is gone the Patriots turn human again. And once the old Big East/Calhoun influenced UConn era wears off, so will UConn hoops. UConn is now in a transition from best conference ever to a legitimate mid major conference. Yet you act like you are joining the ACC tomorrow. If UConn does not get that invite (and it's likely they won't), UConn will slowly fade into the abyss.

The Roman Empire fell, the Yankees dynasty is over, and UConn's dynasty can easily end too in the AAC. Part of the reason empires fall is due to a lack of foresight and the belief that you will always be on top no matter what. UConn is demonstrating that right now. You made a stupid decision to prioritize football and the empire may now collapse if you don't get the invite.

Another person that can predict the demise of the Husky's. What a special talent. I really believe you. No way you could be wrong.

How is it in the abyss?

 

[Gurleyman]

So have all the fun now celebrating your recent championships.

Have fun imagining what that feeling might be like.

 

[uchusky32]

Ok you guys need to understand something. NO ONE is saying St. John's is as good as UConn. Not in the past, not in the current. Not ever. So stop with the St. John's vs. UConn thing. I'm talking strictly about UConn. Only an idiot would actually say SJ can hold a candle to UConn hoops in terms of success. Not many teams can even argue they are more successful. I have no problem admitting the truth.

But now that I established that, you need to understand that UConn is not just UConn. There are two UConn's. UConn(A) is the old Big East version of UConn with a HOF coach in Calhoun and all of those championships come from this era or from something Calhoun touched. This was while you were in the best hoops conference on earth. Yes you won the first year in the AAC. But Calhoun still had his fingerprints on the team because he recruited them. You honestly don't think that helped at all? You really think Kevin Ollie is so amazing in his own right and owes nothing to Calhoun setting him up beautifully? Right now UConn is not UConn(A)…it's UConn(B). UConn(B) is the AAC UConn playing Tulane, ECU, Tulsa, Houston, SMU (irrelevant 99% of the time Brown is not there), etc. UConn(A) and UConn(B) are not the same. A was a legacy in the best conference ever with a HOF coach. B guarantees NOTHING. No one cares you won 4 championships in the future. My point is that none of the football conferences want UConn. You guys are betting against the odds by putting football first. There is a VERY good chance UConn ends up in the AAC and the UConn(A) era fades off. Then the recruiting slows, the conference affiliation starts to hurt, and Ollie has to do things on his own without Calhoun's fingerprints. Is there a chance UConn ends up in a football conference? Yes, albeit a small one. The football program there is absolutely atrocious and no one wants to touch it. You put football first and now you are already paying dearly for it getting the punishment called the AAC which you may be in for the next 20 years. If you don't think being in the AAC for a long time won't change the perception of UConn hoops eventually, then you are in denial.

So when I argue I am talking about UConn(B) aka the AAC UConn. Not the one with old Big East and Calhoun fingerprints (including the one from last year). UConn(A) was great but it's over. End of an era. Ollie got the keys to a Ferrari and now you think it's all his doing that you won a championship. There's a difference between turning a Civic into a Ferrari and inheriting a Ferrari. All I'm saying is that the future does not care about your 4 rings. The future looks bleak for UConn staying in the AAC. So have all the fun now celebrating your recent championships, because once the UConn(A) aura wears off (which it will), you may not see another for an entire lifetime if ever again. You are essentially the same as Patriots fans who think they will keep winning SB's when Tom Brady is gone. Once Brady is gone the Patriots turn human again. And once the old Big East/Calhoun influenced UConn era wears off, so will UConn hoops. UConn is now in a transition from best conference ever to a legitimate mid major conference. Yet you act like you are joining the ACC tomorrow. If UConn does not get that invite (and it's likely they won't), UConn will slowly fade into the abyss.

The Roman Empire fell, the Yankees dynasty is over, and UConn's dynasty can easily end too in the AAC. Part of the reason empires fall is due to a lack of foresight and the belief that you will always be on top no matter what. UConn is demonstrating that right now. You made a stupid decision to prioritize football and the empire may now collapse if you don't get the invite.

Holly ! What you talking bout Willis? Uconn A,B. Your post is a F. Please that Championship was KO out coaching a bunch of future hall of famers. St Johns is nothing and will be nothing. Our B game would be a 10 fold increase of the Jonnies game. Go back to your board you'll get no agreement here.

 

[tcf15]

So if a coach offers a player a scholarship some can't accept it? Help me do the research please. I can't find anything to support this. Enlighten me with your vast recruiting knowledge. Give me an example of this happening to a specific player.

There are certain cases where an offer is reported when there really isn't one. This could be just from a recruit, parent, or coach misunderstanding the entire situation. And then it's amplified by Twitter. So, for instance, say a college coach expresses their interest in a prospect. The prospect misinterprets that interest as an offer and goes to twitter to say "just offered by _______ #blessed". So there is a lot of misinformation out there.

Here's some examples:
“@AdamFinkelstein: Love this time of year. See an "offer" on twitter, quickly followed by text from college coach saying "we didn't offer"”

“@EvanDaniels: .@AdamFinkelstein It's important that the kids knows if they aren't talking to the head coach, they probably don't have a committable offer”

“@AdamFinkelstein: prospects/parents: "we love you" does not = "we want to offer you a scholarship"”

 

[tzznandrew]

Ok you guys need to understand something. NO ONE is saying St. John's is as good as UConn. Not in the past, not in the current. Not ever. So stop with the St. John's vs. UConn thing. I'm talking strictly about UConn. Only an idiot would actually say SJ can hold a candle to UConn hoops in terms of success. Not many teams can even argue they are more successful. I have no problem admitting the truth.

But now that I established that, you need to understand that UConn is not just UConn. There are two UConn's. UConn(A) is the old Big East version of UConn with a HOF coach in Calhoun and all of those championships come from this era or from something Calhoun touched. This was while you were in the best hoops conference on earth. Yes you won the first year in the AAC. But Calhoun still had his fingerprints on the team because he recruited them. You honestly don't think that helped at all? You really think Kevin Ollie is so amazing in his own right and owes nothing to Calhoun setting him up beautifully? Right now UConn is not UConn(A)…it's UConn(B). UConn(B) is the AAC UConn playing Tulane, ECU, Tulsa, Houston, SMU (irrelevant 99% of the time Brown is not there), etc. UConn(A) and UConn(B) are not the same. A was a legacy in the best conference ever with a HOF coach. B guarantees NOTHING. No one cares you won 4 championships in the future. My point is that none of the football conferences want UConn. You guys are betting against the odds by putting football first. There is a VERY good chance UConn ends up in the AAC and the UConn(A) era fades off. Then the recruiting slows, the conference affiliation starts to hurt, and Ollie has to do things on his own without Calhoun's fingerprints. Is there a chance UConn ends up in a football conference? Yes, albeit a small one. The football program there is absolutely atrocious and no one wants to touch it. You put football first and now you are already paying dearly for it getting the punishment called the AAC which you may be in for the next 20 years. If you don't think being in the AAC for a long time won't change the perception of UConn hoops eventually, then you are in denial.

So when I argue I am talking about UConn(B) aka the AAC UConn. Not the one with old Big East and Calhoun fingerprints (including the one from last year). UConn(A) was great but it's over. End of an era. Ollie got the keys to a Ferrari and now you think it's all his doing that you won a championship. There's a difference between turning a Civic into a Ferrari and inheriting a Ferrari. All I'm saying is that the future does not care about your 4 rings. The future looks bleak for UConn staying in the AAC. So have all the fun now celebrating your recent championships, because once the UConn(A) aura wears off (which it will), you may not see another for an entire lifetime if ever again. You are essentially the same as Patriots fans who think they will keep winning SB's when Tom Brady is gone. Once Brady is gone the Patriots turn human again. And once the old Big East/Calhoun influenced UConn era wears off, so will UConn hoops. UConn is now in a transition from best conference ever to a legitimate mid major conference. Yet you act like you are joining the ACC tomorrow. If UConn does not get that invite (and it's likely they won't), UConn will slowly fade into the abyss.

The Roman Empire fell, the Yankees dynasty is over, and UConn's dynasty can easily end too in the AAC. Part of the reason empires fall is due to a lack of foresight and the belief that you will always be on top no matter what. UConn is demonstrating that right now. You made a stupid decision to prioritize football and the empire may now collapse if you don't get the invite.

UConn made a bet back in the late 1990s, when they decided to upgrade: schools with football with monopolize all the NCAA money over time. In order to try to deal with that future, they upgraded.

They were right. Football schools have slowly worked to monopolize all the money, and the last school to win an NCAA title without playing DI football was UConn in 1999. Before that, it was Villanova in 1985. So UConn is either dead in the water with the Old BE (and I greatly lament that that conference had to fall apart...I fv¢king loved that conference) or they had to try to get themselves into a P5 conference. Time will tell if they will get there, but given the (unfortunate) coming (continued?) irrelevance of non-football schools, they can at least say they tried.

And as to the coach--they weren't all Calhoun's players, and he's doing very well on the recruiting trail. He's at least keeping up--if not surpassing--what Calhoun did. I'm not trying to minimize what Calhoun did. I think it's the greatest coaching job ever. But most of the hard work is done: UConn is legitimate. You don't need another Calhoun to build it from nothing.

 

[Johnny]

No crap the AAC sucks bro but you have no idea what the future holds for conference realignment. The way things are going the NCAA is not for long. Who knows what the landscape of college sports will be in 5 years?
Bottom line is we'll always be relevant in basketball because of our history of championships and NBA players. You'll always be a commuter school full of kids that couldn't get into NYU.

Houston WAS great, St. John's WAS great, UCLA WAS great. There are lots of teams who had their dynasties and some even won championships. UConn is not the only basketball team to claim those. Far from it. Success today does not guarantee tomorrow. What does 4 rings in the Big East era mean 20 years down the road in the AAC? Nothing. It will be "Oh, hey remember that UConn dynasty back in the day? They were really good". And that's it. Winning today does not buy you a ticket to future NCAA tourneys and does not gain you any LOI's from future top 10 recruits. It earns you props in an argument about the past. If UConn fans are being honest, the logical thing to do would be to feel thankful for the Big East era success but very nervous for the future if you don't get your invite. So I'm not falling for the false bravado. I think I simply struck a chord down a road no UConn fan wants to think about heading down.

The Yankees were the most dominant professional American sports franchise for the better part of the past 20 years. Their core is old, graying, and retired. They have now missed the playoffs two straight years. The future is very uncertain. My point is, do you think Yankees fans could see it coming in 1999? No. They would respond the same way you UConn fans did. You suck man! Your team sucks! We will always be amazing ra ra! Yankees fans said it would never end. Then it did. UCLA fans said it would never end. Then it did. Miami football fans said it would never end. Then it did. My point: be humble because you are not in a position of power. You are on the outside looking in at the football studs. The Big East does not want to sit at the football stud table so we are irrelevant in this discussion. The Big East is dedicated to hoops and does just fine in that niche. UConn is the school that wants so much more. The Big East has a foundation of concrete. The foundation of the AAC is shaky at best. It's a mix of low majors, mid majors, and former majors. It plays football but sucks. The former majors want out. They are just begging for that invite. But no one promised it would come. Maybe Cincy, ECU, UCF, and Memphis get plucked but UConn is left behind. Who knows? That's the point. The future of UConn basketball is very much in doubt. No more super conference, no more HOF coach, no more MSG, no more stability. It's all or nothing. Go to the ACC/B1G and UConn will easily continue their greatness. But if the F5 conferences still don't want you then the AAC is your new home for a longgggg time and that will undoubtably make UConn basketball a "was" program instead of an "is" program. I'm not talking next year I'm talking the next 10-15 years.

 

[BleedHuskyBlu]

Ok you guys need to understand something. NO ONE is saying St. John's is as good as UConn. Not in the past, not in the current. Not ever. So stop with the St. John's vs. UConn thing. I'm talking strictly about UConn. Only an idiot would actually say SJ can hold a candle to UConn hoops in terms of success. Not many teams can even argue they are more successful. I have no problem admitting the truth.

But now that I established that, you need to understand that UConn is not just UConn. There are two UConn's. UConn(A) is the old Big East version of UConn with a HOF coach in Calhoun and all of those championships come from this era or from something Calhoun touched. This was while you were in the best hoops conference on earth. Yes you won the first year in the AAC. But Calhoun still had his fingerprints on the team because he recruited them. You honestly don't think that helped at all? You really think Kevin Ollie is so amazing in his own right and owes nothing to Calhoun setting him up beautifully? Right now UConn is not UConn(A)…it's UConn(B). UConn(B) is the AAC UConn playing Tulane, ECU, Tulsa, Houston, SMU (irrelevant 99% of the time Brown is not there), etc. UConn(A) and UConn(B) are not the same. A was a legacy in the best conference ever with a HOF coach. B guarantees NOTHING. No one cares you won 4 championships in the future. My point is that none of the football conferences want UConn. You guys are betting against the odds by putting football first. There is a VERY good chance UConn ends up in the AAC and the UConn(A) era fades off. Then the recruiting slows, the conference affiliation starts to hurt, and Ollie has to do things on his own without Calhoun's fingerprints. Is there a chance UConn ends up in a football conference? Yes, albeit a small one. The football program there is absolutely atrocious and no one wants to touch it. You put football first and now you are already paying dearly for it getting the punishment called the AAC which you may be in for the next 20 years. If you don't think being in the AAC for a long time won't change the perception of UConn hoops eventually, then you are in denial.

So when I argue I am talking about UConn(B) aka the AAC UConn. Not the one with old Big East and Calhoun fingerprints (including the one from last year). UConn(A) was great but it's over. End of an era. Ollie got the keys to a Ferrari and now you think it's all his doing that you won a championship. There's a difference between turning a Civic into a Ferrari and inheriting a Ferrari. All I'm saying is that the future does not care about your 4 rings. The future looks bleak for UConn staying in the AAC. So have all the fun now celebrating your recent championships, because once the UConn(A) aura wears off (which it will), you may not see another for an entire lifetime if ever again. You are essentially the same as Patriots fans who think they will keep winning SB's when Tom Brady is gone. Once Brady is gone the Patriots turn human again. And once the old Big East/Calhoun influenced UConn era wears off, so will UConn hoops. UConn is now in a transition from best conference ever to a legitimate mid major conference. Yet you act like you are joining the ACC tomorrow. If UConn does not get that invite (and it's likely they won't), UConn will slowly fade into the abyss.

The Roman Empire fell, the Yankees dynasty is over, and UConn's dynasty can easily end too in the AAC. Part of the reason empires fall is due to a lack of foresight and the belief that you will always be on top no matter what. UConn is demonstrating that right now. You made a stupid decision to prioritize football and the empire may now collapse if you don't get the invite.

And St John is in the NEW Big east not the old big east. So now it isnt the old St John (C) in the old Big East but has become St John (D) in the new Big East. You also assume that the NEW Big east is better then the AAC which is up for debate.

 

[upstater]

The AAC is better than the BE right now, and that's not because the AAC is good. It's because the BE has had a decline. I'm surprised this is so, but when a Providence team that graduated best players is your 3rd best, you may be in trouble. And they're not ranked.

 

[intlzncster]

Take a look at the thread. "Twitter exchange with Corey Evans". I believe a lot has to do with the school, (accepting) a commit & timeframes. There's been talk that Mack/Clarke are tethered in their decision, yet only school on both lists is UConn.

This tethering thing makes no sense. I don't get it. One of them is waiting for the other to commit to UCONN...so they can then commit somewhere else? I think they are both on the 'first come first serve' offer basis. And obviously, they aren't looking to play together. Someone explain this to me.