Matthews Decommits

[CL82]

You can’t compare URI to UConn.

I don't know, some of Ram brethren seem to believe that move to UConn from URI is just a lateral move.

 

[sammydabiz]

Heck, half the roster could have decommitted and it would still be worth it, just to get rid of KO. Not worrying over fringe players.

This is a non story...
In Hurley We Trust!

 

[CL82]

Mathews and Akinjo were Blaze Certified and were better than anyone on the current squad (2016/2017) except Adams. Gilbert is excluded from this analysis due to injury.

So you are saying the Blaze methodology lacked staying power?

 

[Marat]

-I wouldn't be surprised to see at least one big man on the roster (or Kisunas) leave. In that case, bring in a guy with some muscle.

You want another Dave O ?

 

[intlzncster]

As for immediate impact. The odds that Matthews would play over Vital or Polley next year are next to zero. Complain about Polley if you want, but he saw the light go on late last year and became a reliable shooter. He also has more size, and if we can get him to play tenacious D, is ideal to be disruptive in any kind of a pressure defense.

My problem with Polley, and Carlton as well, is that he seems leadfooted. Maybe if he bulked up 20-30 pounds he could play a stretch four.

 

[TopDogs]

 

[intlzncster]

Reading between the lines a little, but does this mean Chillious isn't being retained? Both guys we lost were west coast guys, who Chill was heavily involved in.

If Hurley strikes out on every possible assistant he wants, Chill still might have a chance.

 

[superjohn]

I don't have "confidence" in any of them. But as a rule, super skinny Freshmen get introduced to guys like Cumberland at Cincinnati and learn a thing or two.

I am expecting Hurley to do what this roster demands he do, and not play stringbean wings as power forwards. I expect to see two of Cobb, Carlton, Diarra, Whaley, Kisunas on the floor most of the time. That leaves Adams, Gilbert, Vital, Polley, Sid and ??? to share time at the other three spots. I don't think Matthews would have earned much of that time against those players. Not saying we wouldn't want him, he hasn't even ruled us out. Maybe he will still come.

Bob Hurley and I think our new coach were a bit shocked at how skinny and weak looking our current players are, adding more string beans is probably not in the cards.

 

[Yorkeez4]

The two decommits were hughly different. Akinjo decommitted before Hurley was hired. Matthews decommits a week after the hire which makes me think it was more Hurley's decision than his. If that's not the case, it was his decision, then one has to question whether we really want him since he obviously didn't like what he heard.

Isn't it true that all players who decommit state that they have not ruled out the school they just decommitted from? I would think there is a much greater chance that Akinjo plays for UConn than Mathews.

 

[Huskybass]

Please explain these vast differences you see between what Ollie 'ran' and what Hurley might run

An offense that actually results in scoring more points than the other team.

 

[UConnStats]

I don't know, some of Ram brethren seem to believe that move to UConn from URI is just a lateral move.

Poor URI fans. They’re going to hate UConn for a long time while we go back to forgetting they exist.

 

[MattMang23]

It's not this kid's (lack of) stars that bother me about his decommitting. It's the number of kids with more stars left out there. It's just about April and we need bodies eligible next year. I don't keep up too much with recruiting so without knowing how many players are still out there for next year this doesn't seem like a good thing. I was hoping he'd come here, give us a year and leave after year 1 if Hurley didn't like him. Guess we can always go the grad transfer route (again)...

 

[Sky ball]

I don't know, some of Ram brethren seem to believe that move to UConn from URI is just a lateral move.

Actually a lateral move would be easterly from Kingston to North Haven which would be Quinnipiac University. UConn would be on a higher latitude.

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

You want another Dave O ?

Are you really suggesting that every grad transfer big man is as bad as DO?

 

[intlzncster]

Honest question I am sure I will be slammed for...
How many top 100 recruits has Hurley successfully recruited?
Should we expect a bit of a learning curve or no?
Legit ?

There's no material difference between recruiting one kid with a relatively randomly assigned number to another kid with a randomly assigned number*. There's not some magic elixir involved.

I mean, there's more competition for a guy, that's it. Go to games, watch guys, evaluate, meet them, home visit, school visit. Try to get them to like you. that's it. lol

*Outside of Top 10-20 guys, where the game is a bit different.

 

[hthusky74]

At this point, any available spot from this roster gives Hurley a chance to fill it with his guys. Advantage UConn.

Who's left? The dregs and Jucos..

 

[CL82]

Who's left? The dregs and Jucos..

If Juco and the Dregs isn't a band name, it ought to be.

 

[intlzncster]

Given the way the team played last year, this may be a controversial take, but here it is. None of the freshmen Ollie recruited were expected to contribute significant minutes next year, except Akinjo, who would have been a backup PG.

We can find a backup PG in the grad transfer class. I don't think Brandon Williams is coming here (although he's undecided and we offered). Honestly, the Gilbert situation hurts our ability to bring in top PGs. If Gilbert is indeed 100%, he's a McD 5 star PG, playing along side another star PG in Adams. A grad transfer makes more sense next year. Then we can confidently target top PGs for 2019-20. A freshman PG isn't at the top of my list.

Sid and Polley both play the position Matthews plays. He wouldn't see much time.

All of our bigger front court players are young except Cobb (and Williams who is old, but inexperienced). I see potential there.

We could use a Shooting Guard in this freshman class. Someone who can challenge Vital.

I saw Matthews as a lesser version of Jeremy Lamb...spend a lot of time at the two.

 

[Marat]

Are you really suggesting that every grad transfer big man is as bad as DO?

He was the first thing that came to mind, when you mentioned muscles. I think more important is the ability to do something useful like getting rebounds or setting screens well when they have some bulk. As we've seen the muscles alone is not important.

 

[auror]

So much for all the Dan Hurley 8 steps ahead and Hurley didn't want him anyways talk.

 

[intlzncster]

So much for all the Dan Hurley 8 steps ahead and Hurley didn't want him anyways talk.

And the process plays out as normal...

 

[superjohn]

So much for all the Dan Hurley 8 steps ahead and Hurley didn't want him anyways talk.

Good lord, what do you expect him to say?

 

[8893]

Good lord, what do you expect him to say?

I'd expect him to do exactly what he's doing. Let every recruit be free to open up his recruiting again and explore his options, including coming here if it's what he wants and what Hurley wants.

 

[kris1]

Honest question I am sure I will be slammed for...

How many top 100 recruits has Hurley successfully recruited?

Should we expect a bit of a learning curve or no?

Legit ?

Landing the most top 100 recruits means absolutely nothing. Ask Duke, UNC, and Kentucky. Those kids still have to play together. Just for reference (and I know it’s not comparable as far as overall talent to men’s BB), but Geno doesn’t get the most top 100 kids every year. Yet, he continues to win. Why? Because he recruits kids that fit what they do. He doesn’t just recruit kids because they’re top 100. He wants the intangibles, in addition the being talented. My point is this, let Hurley do what he was born to do.

Top 100 WCBB
UConn recruits #, others #
2012 UConn 3, UNC 4/Baylor 4
2013 UConn 1, UNC 4
2014 UConn 4, USCe 4
2015 UConn 3, Duke 5
2016 UConn 1, Oregon 5
2017 UConn 4, Tennessee 4
2018 UConn 2, Baylor 5/ND 4