2025 Recruiting: Meleek Thomas Electic Boogaloo

[BigErnMcCracken]

What a bunch of Johnny Fontanes in this thread.

 

[Stasher599]

While I am disappointed that we do not have a commitment yet for 25 I will say that we are swinging for the fences compared to years past. Most if not all of the kids we have offered are 5 star or at least top 40 players in the class. Slightly different casting net than in the past.
This obviously is because of the back to back Nattys and Hurley getting credit for being a top 3 coach in college basketball and the fact our staff develops talent at a different level than anyone.

 

[CL82]

Next

Stay in your lane.

 

[DogMania]

While I am disappointed that we do not have a commitment yet for 25 I will say that we are swinging for the fences compared to years past. Most if not all of the kids we have offered are 5 star or at least top 40 players in the class. Slightly different casting net than in the past.
This obviously is because of the back to back Nattys and Hurley getting credit for being a top 3 coach in college basketball and the fact our staff develops talent at a different level than anyone.

Most of the top 100 recruits have not committed. With that said, if NIL is the a major factor for UConn's top targets, the recruiting boost due to the B2B NC, player development and NBA draft success we've all hoped for might not be enough to overcome some other top programs throwing outrageous amounts of NIL money.

I'm not losing hope. Let's see how it plays out as the recruits complete all their visits.

 

[Waquoit]

I'm not losing hope. Let's see how it plays out as the recruits complete all their visits.

We're gonna get good players. It's just UConn luck that when we finally got to the place where they should be able to pick and choose; the rules of the game changed.

 

[uconngb]

Stay in your lane.

lol ok pal

 

[DogMania]

We're gonna get good players. It's just UConn luck that when we finally got to the place where they should be able to pick and choose; the rules of the game changed.

Pro leagues have salary caps and some (MLB & NFL) have salary bands based on draft position, and some sort of guard rails. The NCAA needs to come up with something that cannot be litigated to get this whole NIL thing under control. I'm all for college athletes making money off their NIL but changes are needed so that players are choosing colleges based on other factors and not waited so heavily on NIL money.

 

[dennismenace]

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.

 

[FearThePups]

Pro leagues have salary caps and some (MLB & NFL) have salary bands based on draft position, and some sort of guard rails. The NCAA needs to come up with something that cannot be litigated to get this whole NIL thing under control. I'm all for college athletes making money off their NIL, but changes are needed so that players are choosing colleges based on other factors and not waited so heavily on NIL money.

Yep. Made the same comment about cap limits on NIL awhile back. As it is with anything, the devil is in the details. How would this be policed? What stops a school from offering monetary value other than money, such as cars, homes whatever.

 

[dennismenace]

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.

The "NIL" has always been with us. It just had another name and was not talked about. We only want the highest motivated coachable young men. Message: "That's
our culture; what's yours?" He knows where we live.

 

[Mooch82]

The "NIL" has always been with us. It just had another name and was not talked about. We only want the highest motivated coachable young men. Message: "That's
our culture; what's yours?" He knows where we live.

Eh - it's much different than it has been previously. Obviously, everything is out in the open now which has substantially changed how players go about their recruitments. It's not just a coincidence that so few of the top 100 recruits have committed - it's all tied to the new landscape.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

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.

There is no such thing as a worst year to be coming off back to back championships.

That would be like being in the worst threesome with two playboy centerfolds.

 

[DogMania]

Yep. Made the same comment about cap limits on NIL awhile back. As it is with anything, the devil is in the details. How would this be policed? What stops a school from offering monetary value other than money, such as cars, homes whatever.

I think the NIL money has to be tied to leveraging that athletes name, identity and/or likeness and not just throwing cash and goods for nothing other than getting them to select that school. Maybe I'm wrong about that, but regardless we all know some programs will funnel under the table money to entice recruits and portal athletes. There will always be cheaters.

Again, let's see how this plays out. Hopefully, the UConn staff will continue to build relationships with recruits they want, such as Thomas, and be able to have a combination package of their B2B NC resume, proven player development success, NBA draft success stories and competitive NIL money that can be attractive enough to overcome some rediculous NIL offers that UConn just can't or won't meet.

 

[Iluvsuebird]

The "NIL" has always been with us. It just had another name and was not talked about. We only want the highest motivated coachable young men. Message: "That's
our culture; what's yours?" He knows where we live.

this.

 

[JerseyAlum]

Since Universities cannot pay players, the NIL is not direct school to player. It comes from boosters and companies tied to UConn, but for every NCAA team, it's not school to player.

 

[Waquoit]

Duke has no commits yet if that makes anyone feel better.

Why would it? What have they won lately?

 

[uconngb]

The Cooper Flagg sweepstakes and easily the best rated freshman class coming in this year.

Does that answer the question?? They get great recruits every year, haven’t done much w them lately have they??

 

[superjohn]

Does that answer the question?? They get great recruits every year, haven’t done much w them lately have they??

This thread is about Meleek Thomas and getting recruits. Duke gets unbelievable classes every year and they haven't signed anyone yet, he was pointing that out.

 

[JerseyAlum]

Not too worried, none of these kids are committing quickly and the NIL side becomes more prominent. Once the chips start falling I’m sure the domino effect will occur and the best fits come our way, whether the OADs or the more foundational long term developmental types.

Goal remains 3, so not a big number. Have plenty of hands in the pot, and some of this will be about opportunity and playing time for many of these kids, so talent will be distributed.

Duke has no commits yet if that makes anyone feel better.

Duke has no commits made me feel better. Seeing them lose to NC State in Dallas in the Elite 8 was like the 12th happiest moment of my life.

 

[husky99]

Looks like he is down to 4 and he is meeting with coaches

 

[Umami Zen]

We made the short list. Not surprised at the other Programs on the list. IIRC-Meleek took an OV to Kentucky while Cal was their coach -Feb '24. Not surprising that Cal would try to expand on that relationship once at Arkansas.

A lot of recruiting time invested by UConn in him. Keep grinding and see how the dominos fall.

 

[auror]

View attachment 103294
This happens and the NIL era has truly taken effect.

No way they can afford all 3 and field the rest of their roster.

 

[knicksin7]

View attachment 103294
This happens and the NIL era has truly taken effect.

How old is this dude!!!!

 

[awy]

any time these good prospects ending up at an irrelevant program like kstate it's good news. at least they won't be a serious problem as an opponent lol.

 

[NJHusky]

Who is K State’s sugar daddy?