Pitino on the state of recruiting

[HuskyWarrior611]

View attachment 107157

 

[yungdowork]

You don’t think we would’ve made the tourney in that shutdown year?

Even if we did, Gaffney was averaging 4/2 over 20 minutes while shooting 40% from 2 and 26% from 3. In the final game vs Tulane, he was arguably the worst player on the court.

In his first two years here, he averaged 19.2 and 19.4 minutes respectively. Despite Castle and Cam coming in, Diarra got exactly 19.4 MPG last year and was 6th man of the year. Jalen could have done that same thing in spite of the RJ Cole transfer but he didn't. It wasn't because he wasn't given an opportunity.

 

[CTBasketball]

You don’t think we would’ve made the tourney in that shutdown year?

Without Cole and Gaffney as our lead guard? No.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Without Cole and Gaffney as our lead guard? No.

You’re talking about the wrong year.

I thought the board was in agreement that the 2019-2020 team was hot and ready to make a run. But maybe people will change their answers for the sake of saying I’m wrong lol

 

[CTBasketball]

You’re talking about the wrong year.

I thought the board was in agreement that the 2019-2020 team was hot and ready to make a run. But maybe people will change their answers for the sake of saying I’m wrong lol

We would’ve needed to win the AAC Tournament and get thru Tulane, Wichita State, Cincinnati, then likely Houston.

Probably not happening. We had zero chance of an at-large.

 

[RuffRuff]

Rick weighs in on the Indy job

 

[Scoe]

We would’ve needed to win the AAC Tournament and get thru Tulane, Wichita State, Cincinnati, then likely Houston.

Probably not happening. We had zero chance of an at-large.

I think they should just simulate the rest of the 2020 season and make it official, yes it would be watered but hey it's better than nothing.

 

[REB1094]

2023:
PG - transfer
SG - 2nd year 4*
SF - 3rd year 4*
PF - freshman 4*
C - 3rd year 4*

2024:
PG - 2nd year transfer
SG - transfer
SF - freshman 5*
PF - 2nd year 4*
C - 2nd year 4*

Skipping this down year, but next year I’m assuming we will have:
PG - transfer
SG - 3rd year 4*
SF - freshman 5*
PF - either transfer, 4th year 4*, or 3rd year 4*
C - 2nd year transfer

UConn both develops its recruits and plugs holes with transfers. That has been a pretty successful formula. The bar is incredibly high in a Dan Hurley system, but if you meet it, your role is secure

 

[RuffRuff]

2023:
PG - transfer
SG - 2nd year 4*
SF - 3rd year 4*
PF - freshman 4*
C - 3rd year 4*

2024:
PG - 2nd year transfer
SG - transfer
SF - freshman 5*
PF - 2nd year 4*
C - 2nd year 4*

Skipping this down year, but next year I’m assuming we will have:
PG - transfer
SG - 3rd year 4*
SF - freshman 5*
PF - either transfer, 4th year 4*, or 3rd year 4*
C - 2nd year transfer

UConn both develops its recruits and plugs holes with transfers. That has been a pretty successful formula. The bar is incredibly high in a Dan Hurley system, but if you meet it, your role is secure

Nice layout.

There are distinct differences between where we are now and where we were when we recruited Ajax and Sonogo that will likely change the template, but do agree it makes sense to identify 1-2 players that can keep continuity into their upper class years.

The 4 spot is a real wild card for next year.

I also think we need a 3rd transfer combo that is versatile and can defend, if we can find it. Maybe solo makes the leap, but I want an insurance plan in place to get minutes in the event he doesn’t as that team up there looks potentially awful defensively again.

 

[6Nattys4Us]

A lot has been said here, so summing this up is like a 3 Body problem.

This is so dynamic I will take a stab:
1. Highly recruited 5* players like Castle/McNeeley are OAD so you need a replacement player of same caliber, transfer, or 4* you have who is expected to get better.
2. Mid high 4* players can develop like Solo between Freshman and Sophomore year but typically Sophomore to Junior year.
3. Point-in-time need trumps everything else: We need to replace AK and HD next year and while we have Nowell we need to see more of him to declare him the starting PG as a Sophomore. Possibly Stewart can be a 4 because we have 3s galore: Stewart, Ross, Abraham, +Furphy next year. So we will either get a more classic 4 in the portal or move Stewart there.
4. Compounding this is the NCAA sanctioned CBB scholarships count rising from 13 to 15. Our coach likes 12 of 13 so will probably like 13 or 14 of 15. Our math heading into next year is something like -4 for AK, HD, Samson Johnson, LM +4 frosh so even which fits, but we have to see if anyone leaves into the portal or declares based on BET or March Madness campaigns (e.g., if Ball or Stewart go nuts). Thus if the portal exits and NBA declares are conservative, we have +1-2 coming in via the portal and our needs are PG and PF.

 

[TheHorde]

Recruiting is especially difficult if you’re like Dracula and you have to wait until dark to roll out of your coffin to meet with recruits.

 

[RuffRuff]

2023:
PG - transfer
SG - 2nd year 4*
SF - 3rd year 4*
PF - freshman 4*
C - 3rd year 4*

2024:
PG - 2nd year transfer
SG - transfer
SF - freshman 5*
PF - 2nd year 4*
C - 2nd year 4*

Skipping this down year, but next year I’m assuming we will have:
PG - transfer
SG - 3rd year 4*
SF - freshman 5*
PF - either transfer, 4th year 4*, or 3rd year 4*
C - 2nd year transfer

UConn both develops its recruits and plugs holes with transfers. That has been a pretty successful formula. The bar is incredibly high in a Dan Hurley system, but if you meet it, your role is secure

The challenge going back to the 2023 template is that it requires devoted rebuild years, maybe 2. It was great for that first NC season as we were ascending back, but not sure it's needed anymore now that we're back in the big leagues. Still important, in a more condensed format.

 

[StllH8L8ner]

You’re talking about the wrong year.

I thought the board was in agreement that the 2019-2020 team was hot and ready to make a run. But maybe people will change their answers for the sake of saying I’m wrong lol

Would have been a tough hill to climb but I thought we at least had a shot to make a run. First time in a long time there was a glimmer of hope that we were on our way to bigger things…

Then after several people in my office came down with terrible ‘colds’ including me with a 104 fever, my boss pulled me into his office and said be prepared to work from home for the foreseeable future because the higher ups were moving quickly and something big is happening. I worked for a large Wall St bank and it was really ominous…