James Akinjo

[Stainmaster]

How on earth are you getting 157 for Akinjo when his ESPN/247/TOS rankings are 75, 96, and 113 respectively?

 

[Towney007]

Just going off the rankings from Rivals.

 

[Towney007]

I mean take him - rate him higher - that improves the situation, correct?

 

[David 76]

So, people think negative recruiting from a competing program is the same as a recruit reading the same on a thread about the recruit on the boneyard? Hearing junk from the fan base of the team you are about to join?

After pages of pissing match about our coach on the wrong thread, someone knocks guapo for reporting something appropriate on that recruit's thread.
You can't fix stupid.

 

[upstater]

Just going off the rankings from Rivals.

Rivals is not very good.

Larrier was 23 in 247's, right behind Devin Booker: 2014 Top Basketball Recruits

I think Mamadou was also top 100 on ESPN.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I don't remember exactly (have a reasonably good idea) where Shabazz Napier was ranked in 2010. Can anyone provide this?

 

[AntG168]

They conundrum we face is that this roster is only possible next yr with Ollie as the coach. Is it worth giving him another yr barring this isnt yr is a total disaster

 

[6xChamps]

Say what you want about Ollie as a coach (and I myself have gone back and forth on him 100 times), but in terms of a role model for life I can’t think of a better guy in the country for James than KO

 

[upstater]

I don't remember exactly (have a reasonably good idea) where Shabazz Napier was ranked in 2010. Can anyone provide this?

I recall 60-80.

EDIT: 82

Shabazz Napier, Lawrence Academy, Point Guard

 

[pj]

Not trying to be a dork. But basically I'll get excited about him when he shows up.

At the end of the day, here's the UConn player rankings by class for next year:

Adams - 23
Gilbert - 34
Larrier - 43
Wilson - 71
Polley - 117
Diarra - 133
Matthews - 135
Vital - 145
Carlton - 150
Akinjo - 157
Cobb - N/A
Kisinius - N/A
Williams - N/A
Whalley - N/A

Looking at that group - we've got talent.

I'm gonna go past that. Not gonna project, pontificate, anything. That's the ranked talent we have if Larrier and Adams come back. Only thing I'll say is... that's pretty good, right? That's not awful, right? That's better than most NCAA tournament teams......right?

Yes, and Adams and Larrier add a lot of value; Vital, Whaley, and Carlton add valuable minutes; the others we haven't seen yet. There's every reason to believe Gilbert and Akinjo will also add greatvalue, and Diarra, Matthews, and Williams may well develop into players. Altogether not a bad haul! It's 10 rotation players, a foundation you can build on.

 

[upstater]

Yes, and Adams and Larrier add a lot of value; Vital, Whaley, and Carlton add valuable minutes; the others we haven't seen yet. There's every reason to believe Gilbert and Akinjo will also add greatvalue, and Diarra, Matthews, and Williams may well develop into players. Altogether not a bad haul! It's 10 rotation players, a foundation you can build on.

There's no guarantee though that the two difference makers are even going to return, so be prepared for a less talented roster. In fact, I'd say we're trending down with each year since Hamilton's Soph year when you consider injuries and who is on the floor. Last year would have been a more talented team than the Hamilton year, but with the injuries, no. This year's team is less talented than last year's, as frustrating as that sounds. And without one or two of our current best players? Next year's will be less talented even with Akinjo and Gilbert. Although--with true point guards, it may actually run better. I just don't know who is going to score.

 

[Chief00]

He looks like a nice player. We need him. I hope he comes to UConn whoever the coach is. I'm not sure there is much more to be said really.

Anyone who thinks any decision has been made regarding Kevin Ollie as the coach next year is drinking crazy juice. He's the coach and under contract until he's not. And the "not" part isn't something the AD is going to decide without looking at the full body of work over the season, including the recruiting class coming in (which is pretty good).

A Blaze recruit. I am all in!

 

[Matrim55]

Not trying to be a dork. But basically I'll get excited about him when he shows up.

At the end of the day, here's the UConn player rankings by class for next year:

Adams - 23
Gilbert - 34
Larrier - 43
Wilson - 71
Polley - 117
Diarra - 133
Matthews - 135
Vital - 145
Carlton - 150
Akinjo - 157
Cobb - N/A
Kisinius - N/A
Williams - N/A
Whalley - N/A

Looking at that group - we've got talent.

I'm gonna go past that. Not gonna project, pontificate, anything. That's the ranked talent we have if Larrier and Adams come back. Only thing I'll say is... that's pretty good, right? That's not awful, right? That's better than most NCAA tournament teams......right?

This is the point I've made repeatedly. Recruiting can get better (and needs to if we're ever going to be a top 10 team again), but it's CERTAINLY been good enough for us to be a top 3 team in the AAC. Hell, we should be top 1.

 

[pj]

This is the point I've made repeatedly. Recruiting can get better (and needs to if we're ever going to be a top 10 team again), but it's CERTAINLY been good enough for us to be a top 3 team in the AAC. Hell, we should be top 1.

Yes, but ... lack of continuity, injuries ... KO needs to get a complete basketball program with all aspects tended to. The reasons for failure have been and are fixable.

 

[Matrim55]

Yes, but ... lack of continuity, injuries ... KO needs to get a complete basketball program with all aspects tended to. The reasons for failure have been and are fixable.

Lack of player development & lack of player retention do not seem to be fixable under the current regime.

 

[pj]

Lack of player development & lack of player retention do not seem to be fixable under the current regime.

Let's see. We've seen one cycle of failure, now we have a new crop of players, let's see their development & retention. There's a possibility it was the players as much as or more than the coach, there's a possibility the coach has learned and improved.

 

[Paesano]

There's no guarantee though that the two difference makers are even going to return, so be prepared for a less talented roster. In fact, I'd say we're trending down with each year since Hamilton's Soph year when you consider injuries and who is on the floor. Last year would have been a more talented team than the Hamilton year, but with the injuries, no. This year's team is less talented than last year's, as frustrating as that sounds. And without one or two of our current best players? Next year's will be less talented even with Akinjo and Gilbert. Although--with true point guards, it may actually run better. I just don't know who is going to score.

Here is one thing I would say, even with the injuries last year, we still had a lot of talent AND we had experience. The more I look at who was available, the more last season looks like a total disaster. What was on the floor should have made the tournament and should have been top 3 in the AAC. With those players, we started the season ranked around 18, as I recall. Without them, we still should have been top 50 or 40.

You say, with the injuries, they were less talented than the 2016 team. You may be right but don't be lazy. Look up some data to back up that statement.

 

[upstater]

Here is one thing I would say, even with the injuries last year, we still had a lot of talent AND we had experience. The more I look at who was available, the more last season looks like a total disaster. What was on the floor should have made the tournament and should have been top 3 in the AAC. With those players, we started the season ranked around 18, as I recall. Without them, we still should have been top 50 or 40.

You say, with the injuries, they were less talented than the 2016 team. You may be right but don't be lazy. Look up some data to back up that statement.

Same players as the previous year except for Durham, Vital and Vance Jackson.

We lost Daniel Hamilton from the prior team.

Would you trade Daniel Hamilton for Durham, Vital and Jackson?

I know I wouldn't... no way.

EDIT: that team also had Shonn Miller and Sterling Gibbs. No comparison.

 

[Whtdmd]

Akinjo has the personality that is compatible with Ollie. He will develop into an all american here. I heard that he is now taller then Shabazz. He was 5-10 when we started to recruit him. He is now 6 feet and just turn 17 2 months ago. I wont be surprise if he is 6-1 or above when he gets here. Hard work, PG and Ollie are all ingredient for stardom

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Lack of player development & lack of player retention do not seem to be fixable under the current regime.

How can you possibly know this?

 

[Tuna]

Here is one thing I would say, even with the injuries last year, we still had a lot of talent AND we had experience. The more I look at who was available, the more last season looks like a total disaster. What was on the floor should have made the tournament and should have been top 3 in the AAC. With those players, we started the season ranked around 18, as I recall. Without them, we still should have been top 50 or 40.

You say, with the injuries, they were less talented than the 2016 team. You may be right but don't be lazy. Look up some data to back up that statement.

They essentially had one ball handler last year. That was the team's biggest problem.

 

[Matrim55]

How can you possibly know this?

I don't "know" it, I just think it's fair to extrapolate given accumulated data from the last half-decade.

Keeping Ollie is a wager that he's figured it out, that seasons like last year won't happen in the future, that we'll start trending up and that we'll start keeping and developing our best recruits.

Given the data points we have, I'm going to remain skeptical about KO's ability to get the best out of the guys he's got, as well as his ability to hold onto the best talent he's recruited. We actually lost more top 100 recruits this offseason via transfers and decommits (4) than we have on the current roster (3). A couple of nice wins over UCF & Tulane can't/shouldn't overshadows that.

 

[mauconnfan]

I don't "know" it, I just think it's fair to extrapolate given accumulated data from the last half-decade.

Keeping Ollie is a wager that he's figured it out, that seasons like last year won't happen in the future, that we'll start trending up and that we'll start keeping and developing our best recruits.

Given the data points we have, I'm going to remain skeptical about KO's ability to get the best out of the guys he's got, as well as his ability to hold onto the best talent he's recruited. We actually lost more top 100 recruits this offseason via transfers and decommits (4) than we have on the current roster (3). A couple of nice wins over UCF & Tulane can't/shouldn't overshadows that.

"can't" overshadow? No I guess not with many. But watching some things from a more positive outlook than many there are some good things happening. I realize it's not against Top 25 talent but no matter, it's happening. So question development and everything else you want, smart kids listen and develop. If you're not a Top 50 kid or even 100 it will take longer. I like what I see no matter who they are playing and I do realize it can and probably will get ugly in some games, but starting from the positive side of the spectrum in analysis I think there's some good things going on. Still not totally sold on it all as well, but I wouldn't expect too many to admit there's some nice results as of late.

 

[mauconnfan]

This is the point I've made repeatedly. Recruiting can get better (and needs to if we're ever going to be a top 10 team again), but it's CERTAINLY been good enough for us to be a top 3 team in the AAC. Hell, we should be top 1.

Top 1? How we don't have the experience or talent that WSU or Cincy has and it's not close? Not even the Houston or SMU team. Be happy with 5 wit this team with hopes of getting in the top 3 next year depending on who stays and who comes in.

 

[UConnStats]

Our kids’ rankings blow Wichita State’s out of the water. It’s just that Marshall has an incredible eye for talent and is the best coach in college basketball today IMO.