Jalen Carey

[Matrim55]

I think a better test to Ollie's development may be Enoch. He's as we know super, super young, and again has a bevy of physical gifts that can make him a monster if he harnesses them with help from KO. He's also been playing basketball since he was a child, not when he outgrew soccer.

As @fleudslipcon pointed out, he also came to the game late – he was 14 before he started playing organized hoops and getting any coaching.

I think Ollie's done a nice job developing the bigs thus far, but I also think he can improve. Hopefully we'll see that come to pass with Enoch having his breakout year as a junior rather than as a senior, but I'd certainly feel more comfortable about that timeline if we'd been able to redshirt him.

 

[7774]

@7774 What's your BS meter thinking about this right now? Made up?

My thoughts are the same as they were 2 months ago, that everything I listed in this post is more important to recruits than conference.

Hamidou Diallo Graduates

What are your thoughts about us bringing in our best recruiting class in a decade this year while playing in the AAC, and another top 25 class next year?

 

[Tenspro2002]

As @fleudslipcon pointed out, he also came to the game late – he was 14 before he started playing organized hoops and getting any coaching.

I think Ollie's done a nice job developing the bigs thus far, but I also think he can improve. Hopefully we'll see that come to pass with Enoch having his breakout year as a junior rather than as a senior, but I'd certainly feel more comfortable about that timeline if we'd been able to redshirt him.

Not redshirting Facey was a mistake.

Not redshirting Enoch would have been a mistake until Brimah got hurt last year.

 

[UConNick]

As @fleudslipcon pointed out, he also came to the game late – he was 14 before he started playing organized hoops and getting any coaching.

I think Ollie's done a nice job developing the bigs thus far, but I also think he can improve. Hopefully we'll see that come to pass with Enoch having his breakout year as a junior rather than as a senior, but I'd certainly feel more comfortable about that timeline if we'd been able to redshirt him.

That's true, I guess I misspoke in that I didn't specify that I meant he'd actually picked up a basketball before high school. I actually know the kid (also from Norwalk), and he was playing organized basketball when he was in elementary school, although, as you and fleudy both pointed out, he wasn't playing at a high level until his junior year of high school, when he was a key player on a very good NHS team. Then, Pangos, High Rise, and St. Thomas More.

 

[Matrim55]

Not redshirting Facey was a mistake.

Not redshirting Enoch would have been a mistake until Brimah got hurt last year.

Look at us, finding common ground!

 

[upstater]

Turn things around and then Ollie can negative recruit against those guys, as in, come see me when you've played a day in the NBA (never mind 13 years) AND won a national championship.

 

[husky99]

@7774 What's your BS meter thinking about this right now? Made up?

Just passing on what i heard. Do not care if you call it BS or think it is made up.

 

[Walker11]

Just passing on what i heard. Do not care if you call it BS or think it is made up.

I think its pretty safe to say that you have good sources and that your sources are being reactionary. I'm sure KO is being negatively recruited against and some of it may be valid but UCONN still has a helluva lot to sell. Picking up top 20 talent will be as big of a challenge as it always has been but I fully expect KO to continue to round up kids ranked between 30-100.

 

[husky99]

I think its pretty safe to say that you have good sources and that your sources are being reactionary. I'm sure KO is being negatively recruited against and some of it may be valid but UCONN still has a helluva lot to sell. Picking up top 20 talent will be as big of a challenge as it always has been but I fully expect KO to continue to round up kids ranked between 30-100.

All I am hearing from multi source is that uconn is being sold as a sinking ship and this season is hurting us big time.

 

[Silk31]

All I am hearing from multi source is that uconn is being sold as a sinking ship and this season is hurting us big time.

Wouldn't be the first time this rhetoric was passed around on us as negative recruiting (see NCAA sanctions, JC Health, APR ban, etc)

If we had this season with a full roster I would be worried. 2 years removed from NC, anyone who thinks ship is sinking on the recruiting trail or otherwise can kick rocks

 

[AntG168]

All I am hearing from multi source is that uconn is being sold as a sinking ship and this season is hurting us big time.

I 100% believe this to be true. But I do think that premise is crap. We won a championship 3 yrs ago. And will have a lot of talent next yr. I'm sure Ollie is doing his due dillagence in pointing the injuries and the obvious impact it's had on our season. What team in the country could you take their 2 of their 3 best players away for the season, and have their best player miss essentially 2 games and expect them to succeed? Not one....EVER. I think we'll be fine in the long run. But I do think this season may hurt 2018 recruiting a little bit. I hope not

 

[Walker11]

All I am hearing from multi source is that uconn is being sold as a sinking ship and this season is hurting us big time.

I don't doubt it. I just don't see any reason to get flustered by this short term noise. Lets see what happens next year. It will be hard to sell the program as a sinking ship if our program plays to its potential with a full and healthy squad. If next years team underwhelms, the biggest concern won't be negative recruiting.

 

[AntG168]

Wouldn't be the first time this rhetoric was passed around on us as negative recruiting (see NCAA sanctions, JC Health, APR ban, etc)

If we had this season with a full roster I would be worried. 2 years removed from NC, anyone who thinks ship is sinking on the recruiting trail or otherwise can kick rocks

When Calhoun retired and we were banned they claimed our ship had sunk. Lol. Like UCONN we will rise again

 

[Huskyforlife]

Guys, losing hurts our rep, we don't have to argue about this.

 

[superjohn]

I don't doubt it. I just don't see any reason to get flustered by this short term noise. Lets see what happens next year. It will be hard to sell the program as a sinking ship if our program plays to its potential with a full and healthy squad. If next years team underwhelms, the biggest concern won't be negative recruiting.

Waiting to see if we have a good tram next year is not a recipe for a good recruiting class, if that's what is happening we are farked.

 

[AntG168]

Guys, losing hurts our rep, we don't have to argue about this.

I don't think anyone's really arguing. Just calling out the obvious lunacy in selling us as a sinking ship

 

[AntG168]

Waiting to see if we have a good tram next year is not a recipe for a good recruiting class, if that's what is happening we are farked.

I don't think that's what's happening(hopefully not). Are we gonna pull in MCDAA'S probably not. But like a poster stated before. 30-100 I think we are still in good shape

 

[superjohn]

I don't think anyone's really arguing. Just calling out the obvious lunacy in selling us as a sinking ship

It doesn't matter if you think it's lunacy, it's what is happening and it's hurting us.

 

[Walker11]

Waiting to see if we have a good tram next year is not a recipe for a good recruiting class, if that's what is happening we are farked.

I highly doubt you and I disagree on any of this in a big picture scenario. It is somewhat troubling, just not crippling. We may miss on our top targets but I still expect KO to land 2 top 1oo kids. Our worst case scenario for recruiting is still not my biggest concern. That would be player development (and the conference, of course).

 

[Hungryhusky99]

It doesn't matter if you think it's lunacy, it's what is happening and it's hurting us.

There's no proof yet it's hurting us .

 

[RipCity]

What coach wouldn't call UConn out on their losing? Other programs would be crazy not to.

Nobody would say "UConn is definitely rebounding, but we're pretty good too!"

The good news is that most kids are smarter than they get credit for, and all it takes is a few high level recruits to buy into Ollie's pitch. The sky isn't falling.

 

[AntG168]

It doesn't matter if you think it's lunacy, it's what is happening and it's hurting us.

We have absolutely no proof it's "hurting us" yet. All 99 reported is that coaches are using this tactic not that it has worked. Let's not make things something it's not

 

[husky99]

We have absolutely no proof it's "hurting us" yet. All 99 reported is that coaches are using this tactic not that it has worked. Let's not make things something it's not

Yup that is all i am saying. This season is being used against us.

 

[Huskyforlife]

We have absolutely no proof it's "hurting us" yet. All 99 reported is that coaches are using this tactic not that it has worked. Let's not make things something it's not

Is it helping? Losing hurts teams trying to recruit high level talent, it's another thing Ollie needs to explain to recruits who may have that question.

 

[superjohn]

It already lost us Diallo and others, if you want to believe all is fine with recruiting I'm not going to try and stop you.