Kassoum Yakwe official visit

[Fishy]

Who was the best unranked UConn player? (Say outside the Top 150)

If you’re talking about guys that were on no one’s radar, probably Gavin Edwards. Even Griffey had some options...Edwards had interest from just Southern Utah when he committed.

 

[BlueMAB]

The idea that Hurley is taking over the Marshall football program post Flight 932 is Santa Clause type stuff.

That's too much hyperbole. It's late in the process, Hurley is plugging the holes. We've got Cobb and Whaley, and enough guards/forwards that we can go small and move Diarra to the 5. We're looking for a 3rd/4th string center for a team coming off 2 losing seasons. That's the reality. Whatever this kid would bring to the table, do you really think Kisunas was a significant upgrade?

He needs a role player at the 5. Landing a role player from the Big East isn't a total fail. He doesn't excite anyone, but he fills a need for one year while Hurley targets HS kids so he can build his program.

He's a big boy coach who should be able to take what's left of the Ollie disaster, add some pieces, and show us a real basketball team right off the bat.

Isn't this the first time in 3 years we're bringing back more than 2-3 guys that played significant minutes? If they buy-in, and the chemistry is there Hurley will get this team to compete. We should see better basketball and I expect us to be a bubble team, what do you expect?

 

[champs99and04]

That's too much hyperbole. It's late in the process, Hurley is plugging the holes. We've got Cobb and Whaley, and enough guards/forwards that we can go small and move Diarra to the 5. We're looking for a 3rd/4th string center for a team coming off 2 losing seasons. That's the reality. Whatever this kid would bring to the table, do you really think Kisunas was a significant upgrade?

He needs a role player at the 5. Landing a role player from the Big East isn't a total fail. He doesn't excite anyone, but he fills a need for one year while Hurley targets HS kids so he can build his program.

Isn't this the first time in 3 years we're bringing back more than 2-3 guys that played significant minutes? If they buy-in, and the chemistry is there Hurley will get this team to compete. We should see better basketball and I expect us to be a bubble team, what do you expect?

I don't disagree with any of that, and I think my sense of urgency stems from the belief that we're closer than most think. To me, we're one player short right now, and while I think the additions of Yakwe, Adams, and Smith make us better, none of them are that one guy. I don't expect Hurley to completely transform the roster right away, but I think an immediate resurgence is very much in play provided Adams returns for the reason that it really doesn't take much in college basketball. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if year one of Hurley's tenure turns out to be the best season of his first couple years. A patchwork roster of Ollie holdovers like Adams, grad transfers, and new guys could conceivably launch us into the top 25 before taking a step back the next year or two while Hurley replenishes the overall talent in the pipeline. Where Ollie's recruiting sabbatical will really hurt us won't be next year, but the year or two after that. I could easily envision a scenario where Adams comes back, Lecque re-classifies, and then both are gone the following year and now the chickens have come home to roost.

 

[donyell34]

Nah,,,,,we'll have a few roosters.

 

[Huskybass]

This is an enormous cop out.

Did you not watch the colossal shitshow that was on display for the past 2 seasons? The whole culture, work ethic and pride of the program needs to be rebuilt. That is not going to happen overnight, but significant strides should be evident after 2 or 3 seasons. By year 3 UConn should be a mainstay in the NCAA tourney.

 

[Dabutlerdidit]

If you’re talking about guys that were on no one’s radar, probably Gavin Edwards. Even Griffey had some options...Edwards had interest from just Southern Utah when he committed.

So generally speaking we shouldn’t be looking to bring on scholarship players outside this range

 

[Rico444]

I don't disagree with any of that, and I think my sense of urgency stems from the belief that we're closer than most think. To me, we're one player short right now, and while I think the additions of Yakwe, Adams, and Smith make us better, none of them are that one guy. I don't expect Hurley to completely transform the roster right away, but I think an immediate resurgence is very much in play provided Adams returns for the reason that it really doesn't take much in college basketball. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if year one of Hurley's tenure turns out to be the best season of his first couple years. A patchwork roster of Ollie holdovers like Adams, grad transfers, and new guys could conceivably launch us into the top 25 before taking a step back the next year or two while Hurley replenishes the overall talent in the pipeline. Where Ollie's recruiting sabbatical will really hurt us won't be next year, but the year or two after that. I could easily envision a scenario where Adams comes back, Lecque re-classifies, and then both are gone the following year and now the chickens have come home to roost.

The thing is, we have enough young players that, as long as they develop, should keep us a good team in 2019-2020. So even if Gilbert never fully recovers, Jalen leaves, and we don't get a stud in this year, we should be pretty good in 19-20 so long as Hurley has a good 2019 recruiting class. He's got enough time to do that, so if he has a weak class then he can and should be criticized for not delivering the goods. This recruiting year, however, he definitely gets a pass.

 

[YoungFree]

Much respect for the BY king.
But I disagree completely.
This won't take much time.
These young men play for the man, and only to a lesser extent the institution and the conference.
Butler, Gonzaga, Jim Calhoun, Shaka Smart, Po (the teletuby).
This is a cult of personality.

Dan Hurley turns this around like Vin Diesel jack-knifing a truck at 90 MPH in FANDF 17.

I'm thinking tourni bubble team and we're in next year.
I'm thinking solid tourni team the next.
And I'm thinking FF team potential (even if not realized a la JC) within 5 years.

Our program is that established, Dan Hurley is that good, and, of course, the MOJO runs deep here.

Mark it.

FF potential in 5 years?! I applaud your optimism!

 

[YoungFree]

I mean you don't have to take it literally. I think the point was that it's a good sign if other decent schools are after Yakwe, rather than if he were being chased by only CCSU, Canisius and Fairfield. That doesn't mean we have to pass on everyone being chased by some low end schools.

Also teams are semi-desperate at this point in the season to fill out their rosters so that's why there are a lot of big schools in on a lot of people right now.

Makes sense. I honestly didn't think of looking at the schools they were being pursued by...big mental gap there for me.

 

[nadav]

FF potential in 5 years?! I applaud your optimism!

If and only if we schedule URI. That’s the key.

 

[YoungFree]

If and only if we schedule URI. That’s the key.

Lol, well played.