Owning the State of CT. Football Landscape. Is Mora's Strategy Paying Dividends? What Say You?

[NH Husky]

I like more and more his strategy of retaining the CT Gatorade Player of the Years. The bridge is getting stronger. Rosa has paid off handsomely. The latest bunch offer a lot of intriguing potential. All had the ball in their hands during their high school career. Albeit at places like Jonathan Law, Joel Barlow and Norwalk. Not exactly year over year CIAC powerhouse schools. They'll be switching positions but they're athletes. It helps to pump up the enthusiam for Husky football at the high school level. It brings more eyeballs and fannies into the Rent seats. Will Neider, Shaban, Edwards and Samuels all be home runs? Probably not. But the signal they're sending is far more valuable. Mora is genius in gaining visibility for the program in his own backyard. As Nutmeggers, we'll be following these kids through their four years. What say you?

I remember my brother saying 25+ yrs ago, if you were a solid ball player in CT, you wanted to play for BC. Looks like UCONN is taking that job.
If Mora captures the CT HS player attention, which it appears he already has, on occasion you will land some solid players.
Calhoun started having the best hoops players stay home. That’s how programs are built.

 

[uconnric]

I remember my brother saying 25+ yrs ago, if you were a solid ball player in CT, you wanted to play for BC. Looks like UCONN is taking that job.
If Mora captures the CT HS player attention, which it appears he already has, on occasion you will land some solid players.
Calhoun started having the best hoops players stay home. That’s how programs are built.

Probably referring to guys like Bill Romanowski. At that point UConn was just making the jump to 1A from 1AA. BC had been the only 1A program in New England.

 

[Palatine]

We officially made the jump in 2002 after a two year transition period. We had 20 Connecticut kids on the roster.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Agree . It seems clear that part of our attendance problem has been the lost connection between the state and the team. This needs to be established again so that the casual fan in the state has a reason to come back to the Rent.

When I think back 20 years to the in state and close by kids Edsall and the others lost out on to the Big 10, the ACC, and others, I think what could have been. So yes, Mora is building something that will take time.

 

[Palatine]

But Corny was POY before him. In a thread about CT FOOTBALL, someone mentions Scott Burrell and Chris Smith. You reply Murray Williams was first. NO MENTION that it had to be for Jim Calhoun. Don't be a jerk your whole life.

Yes, but we are talking about a new HC (Mora) coming in and looking to gather the top state talent together exactly as Calhoun did. And my post was a response to someone mentioning Smith and Burrell and neglecting to name the the player who started the trend under Calhoun of the SPOY coming to UConn.

So your post is not really related to the topic. And yet you seem to think you are making some relevant point, when you clearly not.

And the idea that pointing out MW was the first in that trend somehow dismisses the entire history of UConn basketball is the most illogical leap of all. Especially when one considers I watched games in the field house featuring Wes and Toby.

 

[AllHusky]

Burrell, Smith and Williams were part of a push by the Calhoun regime to get the best CT kids, don't let them go to Villanova(Pinone). The next phase was a more national approach, but staying away from BE hotbeds( Brian Fair, Donny Marshall). And the rest as they say....... is history

 

[Chin Diesel]

Burrell, Smith and Williams were part of a push by the Calhoun regime to get the best CT kids, don't let them go to Villanova(Pinone). The next phase was a more national approach, but staying away from BE hotbeds( Brian Fair, Donny Marshall). And the rest as they say....... is history

Pinone, Harold Presley, Jensen at Nova

Charles Smith to Pitt

Bagley and Adams to BC.

There were a bunch.

Even going back a few years earlier of Gminski to door or Hot Rod Foster to UCLA

 

[uconnbill]

Corny Thompson, Mike McKay, Tony Hanson, Norman Bailey and more say hello.

Thank you for reminding the youngins that there was basketball before Calhoun though it took another step with him.

 

[cohenzone]

Thank you for reminding the youngins that there was basketball before Calhoun though it took another step with him.

Hey, Tom Penders, Art Quimby and, of course, Lee Otis Wilson and Dom Perno. All great football players.

 

[uconnfan68]

Pinone, Harold Presley, Jensen at Nova

Charles Smith to Pitt

Bagley and Adams to BC.

There were a bunch.

Even going back a few years earlier of Gminski to door or Hot Rod Foster to UCLA

Calvin Murphy to Niagara. Tom Roy to Maryland. Bruce Campbell to PC. The Williamsons elsewhere. Lots of good CT hoops.

 

[Bubba1957]

Don’t forget Bobby Dullin , Bruce Kuzinski (NBA) and Chuck Alexinous (via KU)

 

[Waquoit]

Bagley and Adams to BC.

Add two more CT guys (Jay Murphy, John Garris) and you have 4/5ths of a Elite 8 team. I heard UConn wouldn't admit the 2 guys you mention.

 

[AllHusky]

I believe they went to "Night School" at BC

 

[freescooter]

It makes sense to have as many CT Kids on the roster as possible assuming that they are actually FBS Level Football Players. Local interest should bring in more fans. The struggle will be to try to change the perception of the kids at the elite prep schools that currently don't give the program a sniff. Can he convince a few of these kids to remain in state? Without a P5 Conference Membership and major NIL that will be incredibly difficult.

I think this is pretty much it. Ideally I would like to see us become the “destination” for FBS players in New England not just CT. But don’t kid yourself. We still need to recruit Florida, Virginia the Carolinas New Jersey and PA. When my nephew from FL was in high school there were 7 D1 recruits on the defense of their team plus a couple on offense. There aren’t 7 in the State of CT some years. Plus we need to pick up guys from the portal every year.

 

[freescooter]

Edsall always gets knocked for Easley but it wasn’t like he was some high school stud who always wanted to play for UConn and Edsall said No. He was a lightly recruited kid. If I remember correctly the only FBS school that even showed interest other than UConn was Rutgers and even they didn’t offer. He might have had a 1aa offer or 2. I don’t really remember. But he didn’t turn down Notre Dame Alabama Penn State and Michigan to come to UConn, that is for sure. He got there and worked his way into being our #1 and an NFL pick.