Official: Turtle Jackson Decommits from UConn

[Jay-Bone]

Are we really nitpicking on the proper was to decommit? That's almost as bad as 3 giving us updates every time Adams wipes his ass

I wouldn't say we're nitpicking, just never saw it like that. Same headline. Seemed weird.

 

[intlzncster]

Are we really nitpicking on the proper was to decommit? That's almost as bad as 3 giving us updates every time Adams wipes his ass

Pretty sure just about everyone on here likes that second bit though.

 

[husky91]

Who exactly that was an elite contributor? Statements like this are so inaccurate. Rankings matter. When's the last time a team of all guys outside the top 50 won a NC?

Shabazz reclassified, but was considered top 35, Nolan was top 100, Boat borderline top 50, DD top 30, Brimah and Niffey international players, but Brimah had some big offers

2011 Kemba, AO, Roscoe, top 35, Lamb top 75, and also Giffey and Bazz played big minutes

Why don't you call Self, Squid, Izzo and Mike and tell then them they are going about it all wrong and should only recruit kids outside the top 100

Gosh that was a stupid and naive statement

How many championships do we have to win with teams that have all kinds of non-blue chips before people stop saying things like this?

 

[Rdm203]

I wouldn't say we're nitpicking, just never saw it like that. Same headline. Seemed weird.

Pretty sure just about everyone on here likes that second bit though.

I like recruiting updated just as much as the next person. But, I am ok without an update every time he wears a uconn hat or changes his avatar on twitter. Jmo

 

[jleves]

Who exactly that was an elite contributor? Statements like this are so inaccurate. Rankings matter. When's the last time a team of all guys outside the top 50 won a NC?

Shabazz reclassified, but was considered top 35, Nolan was top 100, Boat borderline top 50, DD top 30, Brimah and Niffey international players, but Brimah had some big offers

2011 Kemba, AO, Roscoe, top 35, Lamb top 75, and also Giffey and Bazz played big minutes

Why don't you call Self, Squid, Izzo and Mike and tell then them they are going about it all wrong and should only recruit kids outside the top 100

Gosh that was a stupid and naive statement

Wow - it's like you haven't made this argument before where everyone disagreed with you!

 

[otp85]

I think it's funny no ones bothered by the fact that this guy continued recruiting turtle after he committed

I mean that did used to be a Jim Calhoun move.

 

[husky91]

Meka ended up being close to top 75. He played on a team with BG, CV, Boone, Rashad, Denham. Everyone of those guys was top 60 and most top 35. Taliek was top 100.

I addressed Brimah, he was an international player. He hit the key shot against St Joe's, but he scored 2 points in the whole FF weekend, averaged 3pts and 2 rebounds for the whole NCAA tourney. you act like he was Patrick Ewing in '84. H

Would be a shame to miss out on those Okafor and Brimah type guys.

 

[intlzncster]

Meka ended up being close to top 75. He played on a team with BG, CV, Boone, Rashad, Denham. Everyone of those guys was top 60 and most top 35. Taliek was top 100.

I addressed Brimah, he was an international player. He hit the key shot against St Joe's, but he scored 2 points in the whole FF weekend, averaged 3pts and 2 rebounds for the whole NCAA tourney. you act like he was Patrick Ewing in '84. H

Emeka was over 100, heck, not even ranked, when we started recruiting him. He ended up at something like 99. We beat out the great Arkansas and Vanderbilt for his services. Woopdeedoo. Bazz wasn't ranked top 75 when we started recruiting him.

Your theory sucks because guys rankings change all the time; guys develop at different rates. The key is to spot who has the potential. Enoch wasn't even ranked last year. By the end of this year, he might end up a top 3 big man in the country.

And, in case you weren't paying attention, Amida's going to be pretting good.

 

[David 76]

I like recruiting updated just as much as the next person. But, I am ok without an update every time he wears a uconn hat or changes his avatar on twitter. Jmo

Why in the world would you give 3 grief? He provides a huge plus to this forum and most of us are very grateful for what he does. Don't want to see his update? Don't click on it. Smart ash, know it all opinions like yours and mine are a dime-a-dozen here. 3 is one of a handful that add content to this forum while the rest of us argue over arcane hypotheticals.

 

[Inyatkin]

Why don't you call Self, Squid, Izzo and Mike and tell then them they are going about it all wrong and should only recruit kids outside the top 100

Gosh that was a stupid and naive statement

Gosh I feel dumb for suggesting that we should only recruit kids outside the top 100. Because that's exactly what I argued. You got me.

 

[nomar]

When's the last time a team of all guys outside the top 50 won a NC?

When's the last time you didn't rely on a strawman argument?

P.s. Emeka barely cracked the top-100. He was a few spots behind Craig Forth.

 

[Dmike]

We had two verbals from recruits going into the Tourney, both have decommitted. Looking at some of the recruits we're currently courting, it stressed me out that we didn't have the spaces for them. I thought we had too many guards anyhow. In truth, part of me thought, or if I look into the deep recesses of my soul, hoped that Turtle might decommit. That being said, I am troubled that we did not affirm and retain those who committed to our program pre-national championship.

I think Ali's decommitment may have been more of a result of his success this summer, but Turtle's appears to be based more out of fear that he would not get playing time. First, I don't want someone in our program that doesn't believe that they'll earn the playing time eventually - that does not fit with the swagger that I want to see in our players (particularly a point guard). Second, we have a lot of offers that we've made to guys outside of the top 100 according to most recruiting sites - I trust staff more than the ranking "gurus" to pick the right players for our program. Third, I don't want one-and-done players - as a fan, I like watching our kids grow into men, which has resulted in more NCs for us than any other program in recent years.

Talent is not the cornerstone of championship teams, familiarity and cohesion born out of playing with a few other guys for multiple years and PGs who have been groomed within the program who know how to lead, have been our recipe for accomplishing what we all desire more than anything - National Championships.

I don't know that Turtle and Ali were the right fits. I don't know that we're better or worse off after losing them. I don't know whether it was staff that indicated that they weren't as excited about the commitments post NC as they were pre NC. I don't know whether Turtle wanted to stay home or was scared to compete for PT. Finally, I don't know how I feel about these decommitments - I'm conflicted and may require substantial therapy and/or a joint (I live in Colorado) to find resolution.

I do know this, however, I have never been more excited about a recruit before than Jalen Adams, I want to see at least two non-back court recruits signed, and in Ollie I trust.

Good night.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Some more updates on Turtle:

“A couple of weeks ago, he opened things back up,” Athens Christian coach Ron Link told the AJC. “He called me today and said that he committed to UGA today. I said ‘Great. I get to see you play more often rather than just on TV.’”

...

“Here’s a guess: When you win a national championship, you get about anybody you want,” Link said. “So UConn might’ve gotten a point guard just as good or better. Turtle keeps up with everything going on in recruiting.


“But he might’ve just had a change of heart, and just wanted to go to Georgia because all of his friends told him they want to be able to see him play in person. As long as he’s happy, that’s the most important thing. He’s the one who is going to be at college for four years, not all of his friends.”

The New London Day ran a short article at the bottom of its front sports page about his decommit with quotes from him saying playing in front of friends and UConn's guard situation as reasons for staying in GA.

 

[dogfan96]

We had two verbals from recruits going into the Tourney, both have decommitted. Looking at some of the recruits we're currently courting, it stressed me out that we didn't have the spaces for them. I thought we had too many guards anyhow. In truth, part of me thought, or if I look into the deep recesses of my soul, hoped that Turtle might decommit. That being said, I am troubled that we did not affirm and retain those who committed to our program pre-national championship.

I think Ali's decommitment may have been more of a result of his success this summer, but Turtle's appears to be based more out of fear that he would not get playing time. First, I don't want someone in our program that doesn't believe that they'll earn the playing time eventually - that does not fit with the swagger that I want to see in our players (particularly a point guard). Second, we have a lot of offers that we've made to guys outside of the top 100 according to most recruiting sites - I trust staff more than the ranking "gurus" to pick the right players for our program. Third, I don't want one-and-done players - as a fan, I like watching our kids grow into men, which has resulted in more NCs for us than any other program in recent years.

Talent is not the cornerstone of championship teams, familiarity and cohesion born out of playing with a few other guys for multiple years and PGs who have been groomed within the program who know how to lead, have been our recipe for accomplishing what we all desire more than anything - National Championships.

I don't know that Turtle and Ali were the right fits. I don't know that we're better or worse off after losing them. I don't know whether it was staff that indicated that they weren't as excited about the commitments post NC as they were pre NC. I don't know whether Turtle wanted to stay home or was scared to compete for PT. Finally, I don't know how I feel about these decommitments - I'm conflicted and may require substantial therapy and/or a joint (I live in Colorado) to find resolution.

I do know this, however, I have never been more excited about a recruit before than Jalen Adams, I want to see at least two non-back court recruits signed, and in Ollie I trust.

Good night.

I'd have to disagree with the talent part. A lot of things went into the last 2 NC teams.. but at the end of the day, we had the best player on the floor every game and everyone knew it

 

[HuskiesAllDay]

Why in the world would you give 3 grief? He provides a huge plus to this forum and most of us are very grateful for what he does. Don't want to see his update? Don't click on it. Smart ash, know it all opinions like yours and mine are a dime-a-dozen here. 3 is one of a handful that add content to this forum while the rest of us argue over arcane hypotheticals.

Agreed. If it wasn't for 3 and tcf providing recruiting updates, there would literally be nothing to talk about on this board in the offseason.

 

[intlzncster]

I'd have to disagree with the talent part. A lot of things went into the last 2 NC teams.. but at the end of the day, we had the best player on the floor every game and everyone knew it

Pretty much for every one of our Championship teams. Heck, the 2004 team had the TWO best players on the floor.

And for my money, Rip > Trajan. But I understand why most people say otherwise.

Two of the 4 Championships had the 'real' NPOY on their team (Emeka/Kemba). Shabazz was in consideration. Rip was in consideration.

 

[dogfan96]

Pretty much for every one of our Championship teams. Heck, the 2004 team had the TWO best players on the floor.

And for my money, Rip > Trajan. But I understand why most people say otherwise.

Two of the 4 Championships had the 'real' NPOY on their team (Emeka/Kemba). Shabazz was in consideration. Rip was in consideration.

Trajan Langdon was a nice player, but he was no Rip Hamilton

 

[aceboon]

Pretty much for every one of our Championship teams. Heck, the 2004 team had the TWO best players on the floor.

And for my money, Rip > Trajan. But I understand why most people say otherwise.

Two of the 4 Championships had the 'real' NPOY on their team (Emeka/Kemba). Shabazz was in consideration. Rip was in consideration.

Elton Brand was the best player on that Duke team, and yea Rip was the best player on the floor in 99.

 

[intlzncster]

Elton Brand was the best player on that Duke team, and yea Rip was the best player on the floor in 99.

Good call.

 

[Dmike]

I'd have to disagree with the talent part. A lot of things went into the last 2 NC teams.. but at the end of the day, we had the best player on the floor every game and everyone knew it

Feeling you, but I was thinking more along the lines of KY's consecutive No. 1 recruiting classes fielding a team of future high draft picks and top 10 ratings coming out of high school that was composed of mostly freshman w/ Poythress and Cauley Stein (though injured) vs. Shabazz as a senior PG and leader playing along guys like Boat, Daniels, and Giffey who've all been together for 3 yrs. The cohesion they've developed and upper class guard play vs. freshman guard play was the difference. In truth 'Bazz isn't as physically talented as most of KY's team, but he's smarter, tougher, knows how to change up speed and get his shot off, and most importantly, his heart is bigger than that whole team plus Cal's combined. Bottom line, we're the good guys, the bad news bears, the hoosiers, the sandlot kids, and most importantly a team instead of a group of high school all stars. I want to stay that way and am conflicted about the recent decommits. I want Stone and Newman, but also don't want one-and-dones. That was the point of my rant.

 

[temery]

Turtle's got game.

http://www.cbs3springfield.com/video?clipId=10339254&autostart=true

 

[David 76]

Good luck Turtle!

 

[NotADimeBack]

Lame! See ya turtle.