Kisunas released from LOI

[YearoftheHusky]

What class, there are none left.

Nothing gets by you. Aside frim the joke of course. But beyond that, nothing gets by you!

 

[ctchamps]

Is this really a surprise or hard to understand? Seems pretty obvious and expected to me.

Ollie’s strategy and objective was always “positionless basketball” and that is what he used to attract these recruits.

Hurley’s strategy and objective is the complete opposite. If you watch his teams, he has clearly defined roles, responsibilities, and positions for his players.

Ollie ran a lot of iso plays and individual focus. Hurley is more of a designed team plays offense.

It isn’t just the coaching change that is driving the change of plans with the recruits (although that would be enough reason in my opinion). But the completely different strategy and even culture of the program by definition will attract (and need) very different types of players and kids.

These decisions are best for both the UConn program AND the players in the long run.

Nice write up. Of course the assumption is Hurley can attract the players that fit his system and are solid D1 players that can elevate the program from what took place the last several years.

I have hopes that happens but people and programs don’t survive on hopes.

This start of Hurley’s coaching career at UConn doesn’t surprise me anymore than what I expected this past season after losing MAL and 3 players.

There may be some decent recruits remaining for the upcoming season but there are many programs that have needs.

Last year we watched KO scrambling in April after the defections and every decent recruit went to other programs. DO and AA were brought in because nothing was left.

Hopefully Hurley has more success but if he doesn’t and if JA leaves and AG doesn’t recover Hurley’s job for 2018-19 might be more difficult than some posters are postulating. He and UConn don’t live in a vacuum. Every coach will use next season’s outcome if it’s bad to recruit against him.

 

[UCDaveD]

The funny thing is I don't think that @CL82 was even digging at Kisunas. He was making a joke about a previous comment saying Ollie promised him the world. The accent was merely for comedic effect, and was executed brilliantly.

 

[businesslawyer]

Nice write up. Of course the assumption is Hurley can attract the players that fit his system and are solid D1 players that can elevate the program from what took place the last several years.

I have hopes that happens but people and programs don’t survive on hopes.

This start of Hurley’s coaching career at UConn doesn’t surprise me anymore than what I expected this past season after losing MAL and 3 players.

There may be some decent recruits remaining for the upcoming season but there are many programs that have needs.

Last year we watched KO scrambling in April after the defections and every decent recruit went to other programs. DO and AA were brought in because nothing was left.

Hopefully Hurley has more success but if he doesn’t and if JA leaves and AG doesn’t recover Hurley’s job for 2018-19 might be more difficult than some posters are postulating. He and UConn don’t live in a vacuum. Every coach will use next season’s outcome if it’s bad to recruit against him.

Given that our season is over, it is incredibly difficult at the moment to guess whether we can have a decent team next year. On the one hand, if Adams comes back, Gilbert stays healthy, Carlton shows a big leap and we add at least decent depth with the open roster spots, we could have three AAC impact players (Adams, Gilbert and Wilson), decent play at the 4 and 5 and adequate depth, which could be enough to compete for an NCAA bid. On the other hand, if Adams leaves, Gilbert is not the player who signed with us and all we add with the open roster spots is talent at a level of our off season additions last year, we would have a substantially less talented team and would be relying on better coaching to even play up to last year's level.

Time will tell.

 

[JMick]

C'mon brothers. You're both better than this.

BL might be.... Idk about CL

 

[Lefty2one]

It would have been cool to have a Lit in the program but from all the tape out here (and a few amateur scouting reports on the BY) this kid seemed like a major reach for us.

 

[8893]

BL might be.... Idk about CL

Just trying to prevent my brothers from further sullying the lawyer rep on the board, as @The Funster noted:

threads get ruined because we have so many lawyers

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

The accent was merely for comedic effect, and was executed brilliantly.

Indeed, the masterful humor of CL82 harks back to the brilliant comedic stylings of 1986. What could be funnier than the foreign-born fish-out-of-water! Oh my! He's accidentally ordered the wrong food because he doesn't understand our culture ! Ha ha ha!

All we need now is a training montage.

 

[the Q]

Indeed, the masterful humor of CL82 harks back to the brilliant comedic stylings of 1986. What could be funnier than the foreign-born fish-out-of-water! Oh my! He's accidentally ordered the wrong food because he doesn't understand our culture ! Ha ha ha!

All we need now is a training montage.

I’m thankful for that show because it indirectly brought us Steve Urkel.

 

[UConnJim]

Hopefully Hurley has more success but if he doesn’t and if JA leaves and AG doesn’t recover Hurley’s job for 2018-19 might be more difficult than some posters are postulating. He and UConn don’t live in a vacuum. Every coach will use next season’s outcome if it’s bad to recruit against him.

Most 2019 recruits will be signed in November before the season starts, so I'm not sure next year's outcome is that important to 2019 recruiting.

Hurley had to free up scholarships if he is to upgrade the roster. If the 3 recruits didn't decommit, Hurley could have been faced with 0 scholarships for 2018/2019 and 2 scholarships for 2019/2020.

Some people may not like this, but the ideal situation would be for Larrier to come back for one more year and get coached up. He would only take up a scholarship for one year.

 

[browndog319]

Sounds a bit more like "you're not good enough"

The Ivies don’t give money, though. So if he wants/needs money, he’s in for a surprise.

 

[intlzncster]

To summarize: It was all pointing to UConn, then the night before his announcement he tweeted something cryptic finished with “#BetOnYourselfThenDoubleDown”

The rest is UConn dark age history.

Ahhh, this was the classic Ollie recruiting method in full 3D HD display.

 

[intlzncster]

How so?

Uptempo.

 

[intlzncster]

I really hope Hurley isn't going to try to win here wih 4 guard lineups. If he does he won't last long unless he recruits 4 guys who shoot the lights out right off the bat.

We've already got two wings in Wilson and Pollie, so I don't think that's a problem.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Some people may not like this, but the ideal situation would be for Larrier to come back for one more year and get coached up. He would only take up a scholarship for one year.

In the alternative, I could enjoy seeing Kisunas in a Yale uniform next year.

 

[intlzncster]

Anybody who thought this is about 2018-2019 is missing the boat. Hurley is building for the long term and it seems pretty clear he doesn’t see any of Ollie’s recruits as being part of that process. Despite his obligatory we’ll win with the guys we have press conference comments, I suspect he gets that next year ain’t gonna be pretty. There is not a lot of talent there. And given Ollie’s recruiting history not shocked he isn’t too upset about these guys leaving.

An important implication of that is: if these guys weren't good enough to be part of the long term plan, then they sure as hell weren't contributing anything to NEXT year.

I think you are sleeping on Hurley wanting to win now. He wasn't blowing smoke there. I think he views it as showing that UCONN's back on the map, and marketing the program to future recruits.

 

[BUConn10]

Shhhhhhhhhh
You are ruining the MoJo here
We need more of this:
Ollie man, wow. You know you have no clue what you are doing when a guy from from the A10 takes over at a blue blood and has no interest in retaining 66% of the recruiting class. That is wild.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHahahahahah!

Sick sarcastic zinger.

This act is over a month expired, drop it.

 

[intlzncster]

The response and over reaction is shocking to me. This had to be expected and like you said, IT'S PROGRESS!

More specifically, it's 1 step back, with the expectation it will lead to 2 steps forward. People are getting hung up on the first bit.

 

[UConnSwag11]

People need to relax. It’s only been two weeks. As long as no one transfers, Adams comes back, and we get a guard we’ll be ok for next year. 2019 is when things will get rolling. He’s hopefully setting himself up for a big 2019 class.

 

[intlzncster]

I'm still hopeful DH gets Akinjo back on board.

Some guys are saying it's not a remote possibility. I have been wondering what inside info they might have.

 

[intlzncster]

What do think the talent's ceiling is?

What seed?

I'm really curious what people think this talent level looks like.

I guess i have to add in the qualifier that you need to tell me how many games Gilbert is playing for you in that projection. Maybe it's one with 0 and one with him healthy just to get a gauge.

Nobody can answer that right now. As it stands, we are not a tournament team. imo

 

[Jaybird65]

DH now has a clearer path to getting his type of players into the program. I'm ok if he has to go the grad transfer route to get his type of player into the system which is much different that going the grad transfer route to fill the roster. It would be nice if he is able to bring in freshman for the development of the program but it's likely he will be selective as to who he takes based on who is available.; he seems like the type of coach that is not going to compromise what is important to him. It's going to be an exciting year which is something we've lacked in a while....

 

[CL82]

This is step 1, clearing out space. It's too soon to tell whether this is a purposeful act by Coach Hurley or if he actually wants to keep these departing players. It's too soon to start worrying now. There will be plenty of time for that over the summer if he doesn't fill the slots.

 

[August_West]

Xenophobic much?

Irrational much? Relax counselor and stop digging. It isn't the way out of the hole.

C'mon brothers. You're both better than this.

every time lawyers fight with each other on the boneyard an angel gets its wings....................

 

[the Q]

It has some obvious holes. We still have to fill out 3 scholly's. For me to answer that question at this time would be pointless.

Nobody can answer that right now. As it stands, we are not a tournament team. imo

I'll amend the question.

How many of the current guys are starters or key bench players (think top 2 guys off the bench) for a final four contender?