Most Important UConn Recruit All Time

[Waquoit]

Just Jim Calhoun? What about Geno Auriemma? Chris Daily? What about Lew Perkins? Toner? Dave Letaio? Howie Dickenman?

Before Calhoun, the attitude that pervaded the athletic department and UConn as a whole was "good enough". He changed all that.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Like a couple folks have mentioned, the answer is Corny Thompson. No Corny, No Big East. UConn would be just another A-10 school, known primarily for soccer.

There is quite a bit of truth to this (and Corny, who was a freshman when I was a freshman is the main reason UConn men's hoops, all UConn sports for that matter, has run through my veins for about 36 years) but to take this a step further, Toby and then Wes, a dozen plus years before Corny's recruitment were also necessary.

While it predates my following the program, from everything I had heard over the years, the love of the men's team, primarily in the middle of the state, was cemented (and grew to something well beyond the earlier versions of support) during the few years from when Toby started his UConn career through to when Wes ended his. If not for this a) there may not have been the draw to remain home for Corny that there was and b) we easily could have been viewed as an insignificant program with temporarily one top recruit at the time the BE began forming even if he did come here.

The only correct answer is that there is no one correct answer.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Corny Thompson. Without him, Mike McKay doesn't sign the same year. Nor does Chuck Aleksinas transfer in from Kentucky. All that leads to the BE invite, without which J Calhoun doesn't come and, as someone said, we're URI, not UConn 4-time national champions.

Corny, a top 5 recruit nationally, chose UConn over North Carolina! That's the equivalent of Diamond Stone choosing UW-Green Bay over UConn.

That was likely the greatest 2 years of CT high school basketball products with Mike McKay, Corny Thompson, John Garris followed the next year by Rod Foster, John Bagley, and John Pinone. If UConn had gotten even 2 of those other four CT players they'd have been final 4 back then.

Garris was a year ahead of Corny & McKay. He ended up in the same graduating class as them because after transferring from Michigan to BC he had to sit one year.

 

[Bayareahusky]

Yes, Chris Smith is the first recruit, JC has said, who chose UConn over other big name schools..... he is the most important.....

and the lists of in state players who went to other schools...... add jay murphy...... who did well at BC

I also agree with a couple of the posters..... our entrance to the BEast was a geography thing, and less contingent on quality of our team at the time...... most important was Dee Rowe and his kinship with Gavitt and other big names in NE hoop circles

 

[hoophuskee]

There is quite a bit of truth to this (and Corny, who was a freshman when I was a freshman is the main reason UConn men's hoops, all UConn sports for that matter, has run through my veins for about 36 years) but to take this a step further, Toby and then Wes, a dozen plus years before Corny's recruitment were also necessary.

While it predates my following the program, from everything I had heard over the years, the love of the men's team, primarily in the middle of the state, was cemented (and grew to something well beyond the earlier versions of support) during the few years from when Toby started his UConn career through to when Wes ended his. If not for this a) there may not have been the draw to remain home for Corny that there was and b) we easily could have been viewed as an insignificant program with temporarily one top recruit at the time the BE began forming even if he did come here.

The only correct answer is that there is no one correct answer.

The thing is- for me - I don't know why Corny chose UCONN. I believe I do know why the Big East chose UCONN and it was more than just geography. It was because primalrliy of Corny. He was a beast his freshman year and led his team to the NCAA's.

So for me the answer is easily Corny - and then Calhoun.