OT- Kasongo To Oregon

[The Viking]

Is there any chance he went public with this "I'm leaning UConn but still might change my mind" in order to extract something (or something more) for himself or his coach? Soon after this quote there's the comment from some recruiter that Oregon has "smoothed things over" and he decides to go back to Oregon just hours later.

I'm not saying something happened but whatever. I'm ready to smell what the Rock is cookin.

 

[upstater]

Huh? Kris Dunn was a freshman this past season. We signed Phil Nolan and Leon Tolksdorf way after Dunn committed to PC. We absolutely had a scholarship for him. Drummond and Dunn were initially the same year but Drummond reclassified really late in the process.

And the other guy we lost to PC was Brandon Austin, and this year we lost Chukwu to them. That's alot of guys to lose to a clearly lesser school.

We get Cassell and Robinson and this is still a great class, but at best we seem to have a 50% shot at Cassell and I'm not optimistic about Robinson at this point.

UConn did not go hard after Dunn. We had Napier and Boatright here. We were down to 10 scholarships because of sacntions. We didn't go after a PG because there was no need.

It went after Austin and Chukwu but Chukwu was clearly an inside story for PC.

 

[caw]

Huh? Kris Dunn was a freshman this past season. We signed Phil Nolan and Leon Tolksdorf way after Dunn committed to PC. We absolutely had a scholarship for him. Drummond and Dunn were initially the same year but Drummond reclassified really late in the process.

And the other guy we lost to PC was Brandon Austin, and this year we lost Chukwu to them. That's alot of guys to lose to a clearly lesser school.

We get Cassell and Robinson and this is still a great class, but at best we seem to have a 50% shot at Cassell and I'm not optimistic about Robinson at this point.

We had no scholarship for Dunn when he committed, unless you knew Roscoe, Oriakhi and Bradley were transferring before their last season here even started. Drummond wasn't in scholarship though many predicted Lamb would go pro (thus signing Calhoun early, before Dunn was signed by PC).

 

[upstater]

You must have seen this, you have been all over the forum adding ignorant comments after all...Kasongo stated that Uconn was leading yesterday.

He actually said that today.

 

[caw]

Lets not be naive. We signed Lubin after the staff felt they lost out on Kasongo. Sugar coat it all you want, the fact is UConn is losing out on recruits to schools it shouldn't be.

I know nothing about Lubin aside from what his mom posted. But the above is not true at all.

 

[scrappy2.0]

We have very good prospects upfront after Lubin signed. That guy who looked a bit like Jeff Adrien Colson would stock our frontcourt for 4 years. Just need wing players now.

 

[tentoes4rings]

I'm all for losing out on someone who goes on twitter, begs our coach and players to follow him, than chooses another school 48 hours later.

Attention whore.

Very bizarre and immature behavior indeed. I'm personally unfollowing him, Larrier etc.. Couldn't give one crap about what these kids do going forward , only our guys.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Hate to talk smack on a high school kid, but Oregon basketball? Enjoy complete and total obscurity.

Good lord...Oregon Basketball.

Oregon Basketball? wtf.

 

[Tenspro2002]

This is getting bad. We've lost about 6 head to head recruiting battles in a row. Hopefully this is just a temporary dry period and not emblematic of Ollie's inability to close or damage our brand has taken.

Lubin might be a solid player, but we were basically recruiting against ourselves. There was no competition.

If we get Robinson and Cassell, things will look bright, but if we miss out of both of those, there will be justified concern around here, and not just for next year.

 

[Fishy]

Oregon is a decent program with a solid coach and great facilities - it's not a shock, but it's part of a troubling trend.

Programs like UCF and Memphis might actually have a shine to them as they're actually stepping up into AAC.

Conversely, Uconn was a great program in a great league and the transition into the AAC puts a tarnish on 'em. They're not overcoming that drag - worse, you can see some signs of panic. (Ollie didn't even scout our last verbal.)

The conference is killing us quickly. Either you believe that or you believe Ollie is a crap recruiter.

 

[UCweCONN]

This is getting bad. We've lost about 6 head to head recruiting battles in a row. Hopefully this is just a temporary dry period and not emblematic of Ollie's inability to close or damage our brand has taken.

Lubin might be a solid player, but we were basically recruiting against ourselves. There was no competition.

If we get Robinson and Cassell, things will look bright, but if we miss out of both of those, there will be justified concern around here, and not just for next year.

Maybe kids are turned-off or scared off by the shear volume of kids we are involved with simultaneously? Other top programs seem to target the players they really want. Kids like to be coddled and treated as a priority rather than just one of many possible pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Maybe kids are turned-off or scared off by the shear volume of kids we are involved with simultaneously? Other top programs seem to target the players they really want. Kids like to be coddled and treated as a priority rather than just one of many possible pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

If that's the case, then it shows Ollie has a long way to go in terms of learning the subtleties of recruiting.

 

[James]

I buy our conference hurting us, but it still confuses the hell out of me. Aren't we one tv a ton?

 

[UConnJim]

Oregon is a decent program with a solid coach and great facilities - it's not a shock, but it's part of a troubling trend.

Programs like UCF and Memphis might actually have a shine to them as they're actually stepping up into AAC.

Conversely, Uconn was a great program in a great league and the transition into the AAC puts a tarnish on 'em. They're not overcoming that drag - worse, you can see some signs of panic. (Ollie didn't even scout our last verbal.)

The conference is killing us quickly. Either you believe that or you believe Ollie is a crap recruiter.

I disagree. College basketball is all about the coach. We lost our Hall of Fame coach and replaced him with Kevin Ollie, someone with no head coaching experience. I am an Ollie fan, but he has not proven himself as a head coach yet. Last year was a great start in my opinion, but he needs to build his coaching resume to easily attract the top prospects. This year is critically important for Ollie to establish himself as a coach.

 

[Dynasty]

Huh? Kris Dunn was a freshman this past season. We signed Phil Nolan and Leon Tolksdorf way after Dunn committed to PC. We absolutely had a scholarship for him. Drummond and Dunn were initially the same year but Drummond reclassified really late in the process.

And the other guy we lost to PC was Brandon Austin, and this year we lost Chukwu to them. That's alot of guys to lose to a clearly lesser school.

We get Cassell and Robinson and this is still a great class, but at best we seem to have a 50% shot at Cassell and I'm not optimistic about Robinson at this point.

We did lose those guys to PC in a sense but you left out some of essentials. Austin seemed to be favoring Uconn but KO was on a 7 month deal so he and camp passed. Chukwu's guardian made it clear from the start that he wanted Paschal to go to a small Catholic school -- UConn never had a chance -- And UConn passed on Dunn to go after a guy we now know affectionally as "RP".

 

[3rdbass]

Oregon is a decent program with a solid coach and great facilities - it's not a shock, but it's part of a troubling trend.

Programs like UCF and Memphis might actually have a shine to them as they're actually stepping up into AAC.

Conversely, Uconn was a great program in a great league and the transition into the AAC puts a tarnish on 'em. They're not overcoming that drag - worse, you can see some signs of panic. (Ollie didn't even scout our last verbal.)

The conference is killing us quickly. Either you believe that or you believe Ollie is a crap recruiter.

Exactly our conference is dead weight dragging us down to the bottom. F! Jeff Hathaway for hiring PP and damning us into eternal purgatory

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Maybe kids are turned-off or scared off by the shear volume of kids we are involved with simultaneously? Other top programs seem to target the players they really want. Kids like to be coddled and treated as a priority rather than just one of many possible pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

Duke and Carolina wait to pull the trigger on offers because when they offer they jump to the top of the list. After those two, UConn doesn't seem any more profligate with offers than any other school, so I have a hard time thinking kids are "turned off" by the number of offers out there.

I think Ollie is great. I think - and I've heard - that the kids being recruited love him. I think that if UConn was moving to the ACC he'd be murdering. But as much as some people on here are pumping up programs like Houston and East Carolina, if I was a top recruit I'd want to play in a power conference, not some slapped together collection of left-overs. I see that as a big hurdle to overcome.

So we as a group need to figure out a way to kidnap one of these BCS schools and slide into its place ASAP.

 

[UConniki]

Oregon is a decent program with a solid coach and great facilities - it's not a shock, but it's part of a troubling trend.

Programs like UCF and Memphis might actually have a shine to them as they're actually stepping up into AAC.

Conversely, Uconn was a great program in a great league and the transition into the AAC puts a tarnish on 'em. They're not overcoming that drag - worse, you can see some signs of panic. (Ollie didn't even scout our last verbal.)

The conference is killing us quickly. Either you believe that or you believe Ollie is a crap recruiter.

UCF, SMU,CINN, are all getting 4* commits.

 

[uconnforlife]

I don't want any Kentucky fans on UConn anyway

 

[Limbo Land]

Listen if his heart is somewhere else so be it. I hate that CBB is getting negated here because of our conference. We need the whole college experience (real football and conference) if we are to get back on track.

 

[3rdbass]

UCF, SMU,CINN, are all getting 4* commits.

The only recruit worth talking about from that list is the guard SMU got. All the others are right around 100 or lower.

 

[Dogbreath2U]

@DaveBorges: #UConn loses out on Ray Kasongo. Better news could be coming by the end of this week for Huskies.

Cassell...

I hope so. I think that he is the type of player we need the most to balance next year's squad. Devin will be a great addition if he decides to come, but a player who can provide some solid decision-making and play with poise may be a bigger need. Even if Rodney is developing well at the point, we are going to need more ball handlers and "quarterbacks." We have a bunch of high scoring wing options.

 

[Jluc]

Damn this one hurts only because this is the first guy I was almost certain was going to commit to us. Def need some good news by the end of the week please

 

[tzznandrew]

Oregon is a decent program with a solid coach and great facilities - it's not a shock, but it's part of a troubling trend.

Programs like UCF and Memphis might actually have a shine to them as they're actually stepping up into AAC.

Conversely, Uconn was a great program in a great league and the transition into the AAC puts a tarnish on 'em. They're not overcoming that drag - worse, you can see some signs of panic. (Ollie didn't even scout our last verbal.)

The conference is killing us quickly. Either you believe that or you believe Ollie is a crap recruiter.

I think it's just the tarnish, in general. We look like a program in decline. Sure, we won the title in 2011, but that was with a different coach, and we haven't been outside of the NCAA first round since. We've downgraded our opponents while not seeming to upgrade much. And KO wasn't able to get out and really recruit until July.

I'm not overly worried yet. But, I will be if this team doesn't do some damage in the regular and post-season. I mean, they need to at least be in the S16. Once there's success on the court, it takes away some of the negative recruiting we know is going on. If success and the new facility don't turn things around, then I think you're right: it's got to be either the conference or KO.

 

[Dogbreath2U]

Lets not be naive. We signed Lubin after the staff felt they lost out on Kasongo. Sugar coat it all you want, the fact is UConn is losing out on recruits to schools it shouldn't be.

You have no idea what is naive or real or fantasy. You make a judgment without real information and act like you know something. This whole thing is about dealing with the fact that our coach is doing the best he can and when every one of these kids want to play right away, they will make decisions that are based on more than which is the better program. The AAU influences have shown to be a big wild card in the whole process as well. Rakim may well turn out to be much better than Kasongo. Maybe both will be very good. Whatever the reasons, this might be a good time to stand by our team, our new players and our coach.

 

[upstater]

Oregon is a decent program with a solid coach and great facilities - it's not a shock, but it's part of a troubling trend.

Programs like UCF and Memphis might actually have a shine to them as they're actually stepping up into AAC.

Conversely, Uconn was a great program in a great league and the transition into the AAC puts a tarnish on 'em. They're not overcoming that drag - worse, you can see some signs of panic. (Ollie didn't even scout our last verbal.)

The conference is killing us quickly. Either you believe that or you believe Ollie is a crap recruiter.

I read in Amore's article that Ollie watched Lubin play last spring before he got hurt.

 

[RMoore1999]

Oregon is a decent program with a solid coach and great facilities - it's not a shock, but it's part of a troubling trend.

Programs like UCF and Memphis might actually have a shine to them as they're actually stepping up into AAC.

Conversely, Uconn was a great program in a great league and the transition into the AAC puts a tarnish on 'em. They're not overcoming that drag - worse, you can see some signs of panic. (Ollie didn't even scout our last verbal.)

The conference is killing us quickly. Either you believe that or you believe Ollie is a crap recruiter.

"you can see some signs of panic" --- talk about irony.

 

[upstater]

We did lose those guys to PC in a sense but you left out some of essentials. Austin seemed to be favoring Uconn but KO was on a 7 month deal so he and camp passed. Chukwu's guardian made it clear from the start that he wanted Paschal to go to a small Catholic school -- UConn never had a chance -- And UConn passed on Dunn to go after a guy we now know affectionally as "RP".

Plus, if Austin is here, does he scare away Purvis and Hamilton?

 

[RMoore1999]

UCF, SMU,CINN, are all getting 4* commits.

Have you ever heard of 5* recruits Daniel Hamilton or Rodney Purvis?

 

[UConn990411]

I think it would be foolish to panic now. But I also think it would be foolish to ignore some of the patterns we're starting to see.

A few years ago, UConn had to settle for a bunch of Plan Bs after losing out to the UNCs and Kentuckys of the world. Losing out to middling programs like Oregon and VCU and NC State is worrisome and makes you question this staff's ability to close. If UConn had been recruiting a guy like Larrier from the beginning, and Kansas or Kentucky swooped in at the last minute, you can bet you a** he would have jumped at those offers. Ollie and co., on the other hand, couldn't convince a kid from the Bronx to follow in Kemba's footsteps. I'm not trying to make a huge deal about one recruit, and I'm definitely not trying to ignore the context (who the duck* wouldn't wanna play for this guy?) ... but, as Fishy mentioned, it's part of a concerning trend.

I still think next year's recruiting class will give us a much better picture of the direction the program is heading in. UConn should be ranked consistently high all season (the fact they won't be preseason top 10 is a freakin' joke, but they'll be there soon enough), Ollie will have more time to prove himself and separate himself from Calhoun's shadow, and the stain of being relegated to the AAC will wear off at least a little.

If, after a nice tournament run, UConn is still losing out to crap programs like NC State and Providence, well, then it's time to panic. But I don't think we should be pretending it's all rainbows and daisies, either.