2025 Recruiting: Meleek Thomas Electic Boogaloo

[uconngb]

Next

 

[sirjames]

If one of the other recruits for his position is ready to commit and in we are in danger of losing them - take them now. Otherwise we can afford to chill.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

The more his visits and list congeal, the more it looks directed at NIL.

Alabama is going to be a pre-season Top 3 team in the country and a lot of people are going to have them in the Final Four for the second consecutive year. Oats is a rising star in college basketball. Seems strange to chalk up interest in that program to NIL.

 

[uconngb]

The more his visits and list congeal, the more it looks directed at NIL.

Exactly

 

[awy]

he really should go somewhere that can develop/showcase his passing game. alabama is a lot better than arkansas for that but it'll prob be NIL decision.

 

[lateralous]

Is there any reason to think Ball, Mahaney and Nowell can't eat most of the minutes in the backcourt in 25-26? I know they need more options to protect against injury or some other unforeseen issue, but this one always felt like we might be recruiting over Ball in particular. If Thomas ultimately comes to Storrs, great , but I'm okay if Hurley ends up with another Top50ish guy instead who might give 5-10 minutes per game as a freshman and then will be ready for significant time as a soph.

Even if Ross stays and excels, Ament seems like the must get if there is a decent chance the Huskies lose all of Karaban, McNeeley & Stewart to next years draft.

 

[PAHusky]

Next

Is this an insider info “next” or are you saying next because a kid is taking official visits to schools that aren’t UConn?

 

[auror]

Alabama is going to be a pre-season Top 3 team in the country and a lot of people are going to have them in the Final Four for the second consecutive year. Oats is a rising star in college basketball. Seems strange to chalk up interest in that program to NIL.

Of the 6 visits he's been on or scheduled, it's local school Pitt, 2x defending champ UConn, and then Auburn, Alabama, Arkansas, and Kentucky. Maybe he just really likes SEC football.

The Arkansas podcast had the right date a few days early, so good confirmation that he's plugged in on the recruitment from an Arkansas perspective at least.

 

[uconngb]

Is this an insider info “next” or are you saying next because a kid is taking official visits to schools that aren’t UConn?

He’s not coming here

 

[CONN78SEJ]

No, not at all. Without saying it, my point is we know how to identify talent early in the recruiting process, bring talented team oriented players on board, develop that talent as well as any program in the country, win championships, and send players to the NBA. I'd call that thriving. AND, we do all that without overpaying NIL dollars. I'd call that thriving efficiently.

Would you call it thriving when the Big East distributes out only $4 million each to it’s members for all sports?

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

Would you call it thriving when the Big East distributes out only $4 million each to it’s members for all sports?

The original point wasn't related to conference payouts.

 

[NotADime89]

Bama was a later add, he’s also scheduling a visit with KSt. Tea leaves all read like highest bidder wins.

God forbid a kid does his due diligence and takes official visits to multiple schools...why fault a kid for trying to get the most out of what he's worked his whole life for?

 

[Umami Zen]

Recruiting Top 20ish players is different these days. NIL-player development-PT-transfer portal options if it doesn't work out-advisor-parental influence. Those players can/should explore their options. End result-Doesn't always fit the preferred timeline of the recruiting schools.

Seems to me that the first of Thomas or Lewis that wants to commit (or not) to UConn is our guy. In the meantime-Got some strategic OVs to get ready for and scoring on an Ament OV.

 

[TheHorde]

Recruiting Top 20ish players is different these days. NIL-player development-PT-transfer portal options if it doesn't work out-advisor-parental influence. Those players can/should explore their options. End result-Doesn't always fit the preferred timeline of the recruiting schools.

Seems to me that the first of Thomas or Lewis that wants to commit (or not) to UConn is our guy. In the meantime-Got some strategic OVs to get ready for and scoring on an Ament OV.

Thankfully the calendar will soon be turning to September, which means that commitments should start falling like dominoes in the fall. This is the reality which probably means schools have to cast wider nets than they’d like to, even if they’re consistent winners and having kids go in the lottery. I look forward to celebrating the kids that choose Storrs as their destination.

 

[REB1094]

Thankfully the calendar will soon be turning to September, which means that commitments should start falling like dominoes in the fall. This is the reality which probably means schools have to cast wider nets than they’d like to, even if they’re consistent winners and having kids go in the lottery. I look forward to celebrating the kids that choose Storrs as their destination.

In the NIL era, and with a coach like Hurley, it’s a great feeling knowing that every kid that wears a Husky jersey is 100% locked in to the program and the culture that Hurley built

He’s sent guys to the NBA draft from top 10 to top 100. There’s room for everyone who wants to lock in, be coached hard, and make the league

 

[TheHorde]

In the NIL era, and with a coach like Hurley, it’s a great feeling knowing that every kid that wears a Husky jersey is 100% locked in to the program and the culture that Hurley built

He’s sent guys to the NBA draft from top 10 to top 100. There’s room for everyone who wants to lock in, be coached hard, and make the league

I worry a bit that the grind and toll of the recruiting process in this era will push Hurley to the NBA sooner rather than later, for the same reason Jay Wright left coaching for tv. Hurley has to be shaking his head in frustration, at least privately, wondering what more has to do to prove to some kids that Storrs is the place to play. You can lead the proverbial horse to water, but you can’t make the proverbial horse drink.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

The original point wasn't related to conference payouts.

Gee, I’m sorry you didn’t like my answer. I apologize.

 

[JustbrewitMan]

Is this an insider info “next” or are you saying next because a kid is taking official visits to schools that aren’t UConn?

He's saying it because he is one of the 'yards 24/7 grumpy, glass-half-empty, shout-at-the-clouds, negative nelly, pessimist curmudgeons.

 

[navery12]

I don’t blame a kid for doing their DD, but coupling this with all the noise that Hurley has moved off, visa versa. For a kid that was crystal balled as the perfect fit and streams of mutual admiration/fit, to suddenly go south(UConn not even on the short list of favorites now, KSt is), it feels like a pretty clear message to me. Show me the money.

And his growing list includes many of the highest bidders, whether legit programs or not.

Where are you seeing we've backed off? The last article I saw posted in this thread still said UConn is the favorite

 

[HooperScooper]

I have no idea what is going on but if there is still heavy mutual interest I'd look for another official visit to UConn this fall before he decides. Recruits can take 1 official visit to each school per academic calendar year (typically September through the next August). So he can take another one to UConn. If he schedules another one to UConn that is a very good sign. If not then I'd think the odds are going down. I know some people are going to say he's already been to UConn, but I'm sure if he's not totally sold on UConn then the staff would like another chance to sit down and discuss everything with him and be there for a real practice.

 

[awy]

the ball is in his, or more probably, his family's court. the basketball/culture case has been made, and if they value something else all the best to them.

 

[uconngb]

He's saying it because he is one of the 'yards 24/7 grumpy, glass-half-empty, shout-at-the-clouds, negative nelly, pessimist curmudgeons.

LOL....more like it's reality

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

Gee, I’m sorry you didn’t like my answer. I apologize.

No need to apologize.

 

[FearThePups]

I don’t blame a kid for doing their DD, but coupling this with all the noise that Hurley has moved off, visa versa. For a kid that was crystal balled as the perfect fit and streams of mutual admiration/fit, to suddenly go south(UConn not even on the short list of favorites now, KSt is), it feels like a pretty clear message to me. Show me the money.

And his growing list includes many of the highest bidders, whether legit programs or not.

It will be his loss.

 

[Mooch82]

It's funny - from a recruiting perspective, I think this may have been the worse possible year to be coming off back to back national championships, as it's the first year that NIL has played such a major factor in high school recruitments. I'm fairly confident that if NIL never became a thing, we'd already have at least two commitments (Thomas included), and maybe more. I'm still confident we will end up with a solid class when it's all said and done, but at one point I thought we may be looking at our best class ever, and I don't feel that way anymore.