Kelly Oubre Update

[Dove]

You are spot on regarding Ollie before Best. Ollie even referred to that during his speech accepting the coaching job. Also, that year JC took Brian Fair ahead of Rick Brunson who was from Salem MA. Brunson went to Temple.

I remember Arnold Dean had Best and Brunson on at the same time to talk about their situation and at the time were being held off while JC waited for higher priorities.

 

[ZenConn]

We also missed out on a kid from Charlestown a few years back who went to Florida, shooter (Robinson?) and later transferred. Travis Best was not a "miss" by the way. Actually he had not decided and some say he was going to choose UConn if JC had waited but KO jumped in and took the scholly that left Best out.......not sure on that but that's what I have heard!

Also thought we were recruiting Alex Murphy who is now at Florida. Could be Donovan's ties to New England as a player when he was at *ahem* P *cough* C.

 

[Yonick]

I remember Arnold Dean had Best and Brunson on at the same time to talk about their situation and at the time were being held off while JC waited for higher priorities.

As I recall, Best concluded his Ga. Tech career by losing to Siena in the 1st round of the NIT. That same year Ollie concluded his UConn
career losing to eventual champ, UCLA, in the elite-8 in Oakland.

 

[BearJWS]

Also thought we were recruiting Alex Murphy who is now at Florida. Could be Donovan's ties to New England as a player when he was at *ahem* P *cough* C.

Close, probably mean Erik Murphy was just completed his Senior year at Florida & was drafted by the Bulls (2nd Rd). Doubt he makes the Bulls. Alex Murphy is at Duke, he's barely sniffed the court in his 2 years there. There's supposedly another younger brother, named Tomas (I believe), who's supposedly decent too, though not an elite prospect.

 

[alexd]

A lot of Uconn fans were dreaming of a Best/Brunson local connection. But it was really a situation of whomever committed first between them and Ollie & Fair. I still have some old copies of "Big East Briefs" with mention of this.

I still remember where I was in my car when I heard the 6 PM sports news on WTIC announce tyhat Ollie had verballed to JC. "Oh what a little thing like an Elite 8 will do for you?" was the lead comment...

on a side note...Brian Fair once sold me a pair of tennis sneakers when he worked at Mickey Finn's in Berlin.

 

[Dove]

A lot of Uconn fans were dreaming of a Best/Brunson local connection. But it was really a situation of whomever committed first between them and Ollie & Fair. I still have some old copies of "Big East Briefs" with mention of this.

I still remember where I was in my car when I heard the 6 PM sports news on WTIC announce tyhat Ollie had verballed to JC. "Oh what a little thing like an Elite 8 will do for you?" was the lead comment...

on a side note...Brian Fair once sold me a pair of tennis sneakers when he worked at Mickey Finn's in Berlin.

Hopefully not after he graduated.

 

[mauconnfan]

Close, probably mean Erik Murphy was just completed his Senior year at Florida & was drafted by the Bulls (2nd Rd). Doubt he makes the Bulls. Alex Murphy is at Duke, he's barely sniffed the court in his 2 years there. There's supposedly another younger brother, named Tomas (I believe), who's supposedly decent too, though not an elite prospect.

From a close family source Tomas may be the best.......at 6'8 as a 14 yr old he can shoot it like his dad and brother.......we'll see. They had Erik on campus with his family back in the day and his mom is on love with Coach K and really dislikes JC for whatever reason.......then again how's she liking Coach K now that her son hasn't sniffed anything but pine for 2 years and they keep recruiting over him?? She played for the Belgian national team years back, nice enough lady for sure but thinks she knows everything.....NOT

 

[BearJWS]

From a close family source Tomas may be the best.......at 6'8 as a 14 yr old he can shoot it like his dad and brother.......we'll see. They had Erik on campus with his family back in the day and his mom is on love with Coach K and really dislikes JC for whatever reason.......then again how's she liking Coach K now that her son hasn't sniffed anything but pine for 2 years and they keep recruiting over him?? She played for the Belgian national team years back, nice enough lady for sure but thinks she knows everything.....NOT

Very interesting! Hindsight is 20/20....

 

[Calhoun's Court]

As I recall, Best concluded his Ga. Tech career by losing to Siena in the 1st round of the NIT. That same year Ollie concluded his UConn
career losing to eventual champ, UCLA, in the elite-8 in Oakland.

If Tyus Edney doesn't throw in his buzzer beater I always felt we would have beat Mizzou(or whoever) and won our first championship.

Always nice to have to play UCLA in California

 

[UCweCONN]

A lot of Uconn fans were dreaming of a Best/Brunson local connection. But it was really a situation of whomever committed first between them and Ollie & Fair. I still have some old copies of "Big East Briefs" with mention of this.

I still remember where I was in my car when I heard the 6 PM sports news on WTIC announce tyhat Ollie had verballed to JC. "Oh what a little thing like an Elite 8 will do for you?" was the lead comment...

on a side note...Brian Fair once sold me a pair of tennis sneakers when he worked at Mickey Finn's in Berlin.

Don't forget Anthony Harris from Danbury who was in the same class as Best and ended up signing with 'Cuse. I was at a game where Pitino was there trying to lure him to Kentucky.

 

[Huskyforlife]

247 has oubre up to 4. i don't know if he's that good but maybe he is. ok4 is now out of the top 5 too.

 

[Danzz]

Not trying to be fatalistic here but we have very little chance of getting Oubre.

My personal opinion is that we have spent a huge amount of time on and swung for the fences on some really big time players and players who have blown up this summer and we will most likely not get them (DHAM being an obvious exception but we got him really early) and we could have quite some time ago spent more time focusing on the NE guys who are really really good, like PC has done.
The NE guys Okonoboh, Chuckwu, Terrell, Abu, Joseph etc would be more realistic for us. The way things are looking , I personally dont think that we will get ANY of these guys. PC looks likely for several of them and perhaps Indiana or Florida for 1 or 2 of them.

I am happy with DHAM and Purvis and think we will likely get Robinson if we get him on campus soon and will get a PG (likely NOT one of our 2 main targets), but size is lacking. We will probably get some much lower rated project at the 4 or 5 (like we have done recently) and hope they pan out. We really missed the boat on Chukwu especially but also on Abu and Okonoboh.

By the way, this is me forecasting what I think will happen over the next 5-6 weeks.

You will never get a top player if you don't recruit them and we may still get Abu or/and even Chuckwu. Recruiting is a fluid process and the coaching staff has to adjust during the recruiting period as players get signed. The fact that we are involved with so many top HS players tells me that Ollie and staff are doing things right.