May and no commits

[Jimmy Serrano]

Camps are coming in a couple days. We have 15 slots to fill. We need a punter but we have BP and 2 w/o kickers so I think we can wait on a fg kicker now.

Sylvia, Bryan and Cunningham went Juno. Branford, Fuchs and possibly 3-5 more will be in prep school this fall instead of uconn or on campus buy gray shirts. We have to wait until we get a roster on the 24th I think it is. We could have as many as 8 commits in 2014 or as little as 2. We shall see in time.

My beef is we still need to fill 7+ slots so why not fill them!?!? The dazzler is running around New England doing circles on us. I get that we took our first 125 ships and handed them out to elite plYers but we haven't landed 1 of them. And of that I only feel in good shape with 2. Newsome is one. The other is a do from no who is at Samson Johnson joes I think now. But I haven't seen news on him in a while.

There are other factors. Don brown went to bc and decided he was going to use our chart basically and plow roads. He didn't do that here because he knew he was never staying with p and gdl. He knew what was up before it was up and just used uconn to land on his feet quick when needed. Kids like yiadom and Cohen were our scoops for a couple years camp/recruiting wise and he cleaned house quick with them. P and gdl even worse just watched this past 6 months. What else at this point would you expect. That's why it's frustrating. I would have loved to land 5 New England kids already and then waited till the 24th and cap to see where we sit. But p and gdl didn't do that. They would rather play 90s recruiting games and kids and coaches see thru that.

Is there a ol in Florida that's better tan John baker? Sure. But who should u focus on? What dazzler has proved is that if you put a average to above average recruiter n New England you can get kids to bite and bite quick now take that and add a top practice facility and a fan base that gives a . See where I'm going?

I feel good about dintino and a ct qb also fwiw. But who knows, dazzler could offer both 2moro and land them as far as what I have seen this past 6 months. If you think warde is going to make the right hire in December I have news for u. Just look at puck. He made a quality hire but not the splash. Same story continues. When your a big boy you can be quality. When your a rising star you need splash.

First, it's good to have you back. Add that to the list of things I thought I'd never say.

Second, is it even possible to make a "big splash hire" in the world of college hockey? Short of resurrecting Herb Brooks, who would be considered a big splash hire?

 

[Dann]

First, it's good to have you back. Add that to the list of things I thought I'd never say.

Second, is it even possible to make a "big splash hire" in the world of college hockey? Short of resurrecting Herb Brooks, who would be considered a big splash hire?

I didn't think a splash hire was possible in puck either. But when the Denver coach shows up u have to lock him up. That's a rare splash. The hire we made was a good quality one. No rip. but a splash makes a splash and right now in the CR world a splash of any size is worth more than no splash. We're going to HE with solid potential. I would have liked to walk in with solid potential and a splash.

 

[huskymedic]

Second, is it even possible to make a "big splash hire" in the world of college hockey? Short of resurrecting Herb Brooks, who would be considered a big splash hire?

Fired DU Coach George Gwozdecky would have ben considered a "splash". He ran a very successful program and won two NC there in 2004/2005 there and DU has been a consistent Frozen Four participant. Problem was that by most all accounts - he wouldn't commit to a longer term (> 3 years) deal. Which means you'd be changing coaches after your second year in HE. Hockey coaches don't turn over like BB/FB.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Fired DU Coach George Gwozdecky would have ben considered a "splash". He ran a very successful program and won two NC there in 2004/2005 there and DU has been a consistent Frozen Four participant. Problem was that by most all accounts - he wouldn't commit to a longer term (> 3 years) deal. Which means you'd be changing coaches after your second year in HE. Hockey coaches don't turn over like BB/FB.

I'll take your word for it. I never heard of the guy. Which almost proves my point.

 

[uconnflyer88]

You can scratch Cunningham off anyones list, apparently he isn't receiving interest from any school according to TOS

Also, this is the first recruiting year where we have the conference realignment really hanging over our heads. Before the Big East had a bad reputation, but at least there was some hope that we might get picked up into a better conference and the coaches most likely fed the kids that. Now we are in the AAC for the forseeable future and that is not desirable for most recruits by any means. Every article I have read on potential commits a quote about UConns conference has come up.

It's going to be an uphill battle, frankly I would have truly impressed if PP and staff could have landed any recruits considering the horrendous offseason. Now the only thing we can rely on is SOS and winning....if get off to a good start to the season, kids will start to look our way....until then it goes back to the old saying, "patience is a virtue"

 

[Dann]

w

You can scratch Cunningham off anyones list, apparently he isn't receiving interest from any school according to TOS

Also, this is the first recruiting year where we have the conference realignment really hanging over our heads. Before the Big East had a bad reputation, but at least there was some hope that we might get picked up into a better conference and the coaches most likely fed the kids that. Now we are in the AAC for the forseeable future and that is not desirable for most recruits by any means. Every article I have read on potential commits a quote about UConns conference has come up.

It's going to be an uphill battle, frankly I would have truly impressed if PP and staff could have landed any recruits considering the horrendous offseason. Now the only thing we can rely on is SOS and winning....if get off to a good start to the season, kids will start to look our way....until then it goes back to the old saying, "patience is a virtue"

Interesting. So a reach we made back then who then had to go juco isn't panning out. Bummer but that's a open slot and another reason why we should have landed kids to date.

More importantly look at other school in the aac. Especially temple and the commits they have quality wise. Now tell me why we have nothing and they have quality.

 

[uconnflyer88]

Fair point about Temple.

I think it could be any number of reasons.

PP has been in the HC gig for a couple years now and hasn't produced results where Temple has just had a coaching change and that always causes excitement around the program.

I think UConn and Temple are in different situations when it comes to the AAC. The AAC is probably the best Temple is going to do for a long time, it is a step up to where they were two or three years ago. The AAC is a step down for UConn especially considering the success in other sports and most people believe that they should have been picked for the ACC instead of Louisville. Like it or not, auras like that can effect peoples view of your university.

Also, the 4 star that Temple has as well as the higher three star are from Philly and well thats where Temple is. And that 4 star OL just received offers from Mich St, Wisconsin and GT with Florida and Stanford showing interest only recently.....yeah he ain't staying committed to Temple much longer.

All in all I think PP now producing winning seasons has hurt us just as much, but kids are willing to overlook that if the school plays a hard schedule in a good conference. Temple has the edge just because of the excitement of the coaching change. If Addazio was still there, no way they have those commits right now.

 

[huskynation]

What's the point about complaining about no commits in may 9 months before signing day. News flash, the roster is overloaded with underclassmen, and there are 20 plus recruits coming in a few weeks. This board just loves to complain about any and everything with or without cause.

There is no cause for concern. As it stands right now, the roster needs to be trimmed down just for the recruits that are coming next month. There is always a manufactured crisis with the posters on the boneyard.

 

[Dann]

What's the point about complaining about no commits in may 9 months before signing day. News flash, the roster is overloaded with underclassmen, and there are 20 plus recruits coming in a few weeks. This board just loves to complain about any and everything with or without cause.

There is no cause for concern. As it stands right now, the roster needs to be trimmed down just for the recruits that are coming next month. There is always a manufactured crisis with the posters on the boneyard.

We are getting beat for guys locally and not offering kids who are getting offers. Why does Phillips have a Cuse offer? Why did we miss the boat on outlow? And so on. It's how things are going down. If you don't care until signing day then don't read until then. We're getting bent up on the trail. Of all ppl here u think I want to say that? I breath trail and that was what I grasped with p and gdl. It's going south. You let me know when u think its a good idea for us to be offering top kids in Alabama instead of focusing on winnable northeast kids. That's what p is doing right now.

 

[huskymedic]

You can scratch Cunningham off anyones list, apparently he isn't receiving interest from any school according to TOS

Cunningham was originally to be a 2012 recruit... thought to be headed to Dean, then ended up in Rosewell NM @ New Mexico Military. He was recruited by DB so that could be the step back by current staff.

http://stats.njcaa.org/sports/fball/2012-13/players/neallycunninghamu88l?view=gamelog

 

[huskynation]

You let me know when u think its a good idea for us to be offering top kids in Alabama instead of focusing on winnable northeast kids. That's what p is doing right now.

Its good to believe that top local talent are impact players but that is not true, they are one or two who become excellent or very good players and there are a dozen or so D 1 players but The players down south are better athletes and play against higher competition, it makes sense to target them early, because we don't have alot of spots available. Need plays a big role into the evaluation process. Thats my point, look at our roster, we have a ton of underclassmen.

We need impact players, dynamic athletes, and game changers, and its more likely to find those guys in FL, SC, GA, NC, Baltimore, than in CT and new england. This is the plain truth,


The perception of Uconn as developer of NFL talent is on the rise nationally, due to favorable nfl draft coverage and having 5 players drafted, This is gonna help national recruiting. So you just can't assume that kids won't sign.

The 2013 class was very good IMHO. The staff has been very active for 2014, they are just not offering everybody that gets another offer.

 

[Dann]

Hendren to bc. That's 2 local ol. Supposedly they wanted 2 with a outside 3rd based on slots later on. Now is the time to lock up dintino. Get some momentum and get marchi on board. Then lock up newsome and Phillips as a slot wr/apb. This is our only hope.

 

[Dann]

Its good to believe that top local talent are impact players but that is not true, they are one or two who become excellent or very good players and there are a dozen or so D 1 players but The players down south are better athletes and play against higher competition, it makes sense to target them early, because we don't have alot of spots available. Need plays a big role into the evaluation process. Thats my point, look at our roster, we have a ton of underclassmen.

We need impact players, dynamic athletes, and game changers, and its more likely to find those guys in FL, SC, GA, NC, Baltimore, than in CT and new england. This is the plain truth,


The perception of Uconn as developer of NFL talent is on the rise nationally, due to favorable nfl draft coverage and having 5 players drafted, This is gonna help national recruiting. So you just can't assume that kids won't sign.

The 2013 class was very good IMHO. The staff has been very active for 2014, they are just not offering everybody that gets another offer.

I don't think kids in Alabama who have other offered are a good bet for us. I would rather spend time in md, pa, nj.