Qudus Wahab

[Scrutineer]

Not much to work with offensively. Defense first rim runners don’t all the glitz that offensive players do. Although an outlier to that for 2019 would be Omar Payne. He and Wahab are extremely similar.

But you’re right, his offers and his numbers don’t lie. Pretty eye-popping BLK% and REB% this spring/summer:

Interesting names on the list, including Emmitt Matthews at #11 in defensive rebounding.

 

[Scrutineer]

It's not that easy, man.

He's our backup, but he might be someone else's #1. Any basketball/sports adviser - financially or not - tell kids that the #1 priority should be to take a good, long, hard look at the places that *want you the most* even if it's not the sexiest choice.

Flip side of that is that kids get greedy and almost all of them have an inflated view of themselves. Doesn't make them spoiled, just makes them kids. And when they look at UConn and go 'wow, that's wide open and I fit perfect and I can play a lot' - that's pretty enticing.

The problem is - there are other options on the table. I'm not sure where we really stand with him. But given the fit (this is me armchair QB'ing this to a stupid degree) - I kind of wish we'd have been on him more earlier. He really has no effect on Kofi. And if you don't have Kofi, you have him. Which is pretty fantastic. Then you're looking at one last scholarship open and time, resources to dedicate everything you have to getting Precious or anything else you want.

I don't fault Hurley for it, this stuff is entirely fluid and evolves in a weird way (Kofi to Illinois for example), but hindsight and all.

He was my choice from the beginning because of his defense and rebounding but the thinking here was you want the guy with all the hype so he helps recruiting and Kofi was the guy because of that and offense. My thought has always been we built championship teams with solid guys at all positions plus a few special players who could score the ball.

 

[Scrutineer]

who do you think we have a better shot at currently, wahab or mitchell? love that eveyone has talked themselves into this guy already, and i'm sure y'all can do the same with mitchell if that's who we land. i know i will.

Are you suggesting people here merely rationalize all things UConn?

 

[intlzncster]

He's our backup, but he might be someone else's #1. Any basketball/sports adviser - financially or not - tell kids that the #1 priority should be to take a good, long, hard look at the places that *want you the most* even if it's not the sexiest choice.

Flip side of that is that kids get greedy and almost all of them have an inflated view of themselves. Doesn't make them spoiled, just makes them kids. And when they look at UConn and go 'wow, that's wide open and I fit perfect and I can play a lot' - that's pretty enticing.

The problem is - there are other options on the table. I'm not sure where we really stand with him. But given the fit (this is me armchair QB'ing this to a stupid degree) - I kind of wish we'd have been on him more earlier. He really has no effect on Kofi. And if you don't have Kofi, you have him. Which is pretty fantastic. Then you're looking at one last scholarship open and time, resources to dedicate everything you have to getting Precious or anything else you want.

I don't fault Hurley for it, this stuff is entirely fluid and evolves in a weird way (Kofi to Illinois for example), but hindsight and all.

He IS other schools #1. And I know we say this all the time, but our #2/3 option often ends up being a stud. Lamb, Okafor, et al we're second/third options.

 

[Com'rGordon]

He IS other schools #1. And I know we say this all the time, but our #2/3 option often ends up being a stud. Lamb, Okafor, et al we're second/third options.

Kemba :0

 

[dennismenace]

I'm really starting to like the idea of a Wahab, Akok, Sid frontline. That could truly be a defensive force and get us back to a traditional UConn intimidating frontline of nothing easy around the rim.

Shot blocking and rebounding (desperately needed) and he can shoot free-throws! Lobs, ally-oop's and freethrows, putbacks. Looks athletic and long.

 

[intlzncster]

H
The problem is - there are other options on the table. I'm not sure where we really stand with him.

For any decent player, there's always other options. We get weird on the boneyard about competition for recruits. The fact is, you always have to beat out other legit options for good recruits.

But given the fit (this is me armchair QB'ing this to a stupid degree) - I kind of wish we'd have been on him more earlier. He really has no effect on Kofi. And if you don't have Kofi, you have him. Which is pretty fantastic. Then you're looking at one last scholarship open and time, resources to dedicate everything you have to getting Precious or anything else you want.I don't fault Hurley for it, this stuff is entirely fluid and evolves in a weird way (Kofi to Illinois for example), but hindsight and all.

A big part of this is getting into the recruiting game so late in the process. Therefore having limited relationships and resources to make up so much ground. We didn't have a 'pipeline' of prospect-specific recruiting relationships already built.

 

[intlzncster]

Kemba :0

Was he our number 2? I thought he was our 1. He wanted Duke, and Cal passed on him, but I thought we always wanted him.

Was it somebody like Jennings who was our number one option?

 

[superjohn]

Was he our number 2? I thought he was our 1. He wanted Duke, and Cal passed on him, but I thought we always wanted him.

Was it somebody like Jennings who was our number one option?

Jennings was #1. Boneyard was pretry upset when he passed on us. People were downright devastated when we missed on Kyrie, Joseph, and Selby before Calhoun got creative and got Bazz to reclass and commit.

 

[rayrayfor3]

Jennings was #1. Boneyard was pretry upset when he passed on us. People were downright devastated when we missed on Kyrie, Joseph, and Selby before Calhoun got creative and got Bazz to reclass and commit.

LOL that was the first recruitment I ever followed. I was devastated when we missed out on Knight, Selby and Joseph. I was so happy when Bazz reclassified and it tasted so sweet when we beat both Kentucky (twice) and Texas that year.

 

[stick]

Jennings was #1. Boneyard was pretry upset when he passed on us. People were downright devastated when we missed on Kyrie, Joseph, and Selby before Calhoun got creative and got Bazz to reclass and commit.

If my recollection is correct, Kyrie never really looked at UConn. I think we were at one time a heavy favorite for Knight though.

 

[3rdbass]

Shot blocking and rebounding (desperately needed) and he can shoot free-throws! Lobs, ally-oop's and freethrows, putbacks. Looks athletic and long.

Where are the chairs? Boo he is going to blow.

 

[yukonfan4]

the possibility of two david onuorah's on one roster...score....

yeah it would be depressing for sure, but it could still be worse

i was trying to say that if (god help us) we miss on wahab and mitchell AND coulibaly, so hurley is just scrambling for big bodies, then i'd rather just have two post grads on the roster for one year, instead of investing in two 2-3 star freshmen that will most likely never even beat out the likes of brendan, polley, carlton, and diarra for minutes during their four years here

 

[PWS]

If my recollection is correct, Kyrie never really looked at UConn. I think we were at one time a heavy favorite for Knight though.

We were a distant 3 or 4 for Kyrie, but he did make a visit to Storrs and got us all fired up for a few days. You are correct on Knight.

 

[intlzncster]

Jennings was #1. Boneyard was pretry upset when he passed on us. People were downright devastated when we missed on Kyrie, Joseph, and Selby before Calhoun got creative and got Bazz to reclass and commit.

I def remember that. Especially Joseph. Kyrie was Duke bound. And I felt Selby to KU was inevitable.

But Joseph to Nova stung. Soooooo glad with the result.

 

[intlzncster]

the possibility of two david onuorah's on one roster...score....

There's a whole lot of room between DO and somebody like a Reid Travis or even Shonn Miller.

 

[tcf15]

I def remember that. Especially Joseph. Kyrie was Duke bound. And I felt Selby to KU was inevitable.

But Joseph to Nova stung. Soooooo glad with the result.

Believe Joseph wound up at Texas and Bazz ended up either stripping or blocking him on the games final shot.

EDIT: yeah timestamp around 1 hour 41 minutes you'll see Shabazz strip Joseph as he goes for the game winning three

 

[superjohn]

I def remember that. Especially Joseph. Kyrie was Duke bound. And I felt Selby to KU was inevitable.

But Joseph to Nova stung. Soooooo glad with the result.

Joseph went to Texas.

 

[UconnU]

Kid has looked GREAT so far this season.... at this point just pay the damn handler whatever he’s asking for.

 

[intlzncster]

Joseph went to Texas.

My memory is so sweet. Who was the guy who went to Nova that we wanted? Back in that sort of time period. Guard I thought.

 

[the Q]

My memory is so sweet. Who was the guy who went to Nova that we wanted? Back in that sort of time period. Guard I thought.

Bell or Wayns?

 

[Robertelamin]

Corey Fisher? Corey Stokes?

 

[Mano]

Corey Fisher? Corey Stokes?

Corey Feldman? Corey Haim?

 

[Robertelamin]

Corey Feldman? Corey Haim?

Cory Matthews? Mr. Feeny?

 

[UconnU]

Wahab reminds me a lot of Emeka Okafor. His hands, mobility, shot blocking, technically on the defensive end. A little longer, not the athlete but still similar in a lot of ways.