Rakim Lubin Commits to UConn!!!

[James]

Stupid statement. Go find a kid outside top 100 that was a factor here in last 20 years.

This seems desperate. Did Kasonogo eliminate us? Who did we beat out South Al and UAB??

Dude go check kasongo's ranking before you start spewing bs.

 

[boog204]

A few kids moved into the top 100 because they signed with UConn. At this point in high school I don't think Okafor or Boone were top 100 players though. Boone went to prep and Okafor was like 99 or so even when he signed. Travis Knight probably wasn't or Jake?

Jake was in the 100s. For some reason everyone thinks that Travis was this low rated stiff coming in. He was rated as high as #38 coming into the year and ended mid 50s. He was always listed as a 3/4 combo in high school and we made him a center. Same deal with Antric. Antric was a mid 50s guy who wanted to be SF and we forced him (or a lack of depth) forced him into being a center.

 

[Matrim55]

A few kids moved into the top 100 because they signed with UConn. At this point in high school I don't think Okafor or Boone were top 100 players though. Boone went to prep and Okafor was like 99 or so even when he signed. Travis Knight probably wasn't or Jake?

Knight was top 40. Jake was probably down in the 200s. Same with K-Free.

So yeah, Jake, Emeka and Boone were all outside the top 100 and made the NBA. K-Free was outside the top 100 and started for a national title team. Donny Marshall was outside the top 100 and made the NBA if you want to go back that far.

EDIT: I forgot about Hilton, who wasn't on the map at all, either.

Getting guys like this to the show is what UConn does. @husky91 must be a closet Kentucky fan.

 

[husky91]

He's from Canada and was being recruited at one time by UK

Dude go check kasongo's ranking before you start spewing bs.

 

[SeattleHoop]

I've been using my phone to search but I found somewhere he made the "All-State" team for 6A in Alabama. Therefore, he was one of the best players in his state as a junior in Alabama. This guy will be good for sure

 

[boog204]

Stupid statement. Go find a kid outside top 100 that was a factor here in last 20 years.

This seems desperate. Did Kasonogo eliminate us? Who did we beat out South Al and UAB??

Gavin Edwards, Josh Boone, Hilton Armstrong, Jake Voskuhl, Jeremy Lamb (when he committed), Kemba (when he committed), Donny Marshall... That enough? Look I want every guy to be top 50 too, but it cannot always be that way.

 

[husky99]

Jeff Adrien redux

JA was a four star and the 16th rank PF. I am hearing RL is very raw

 

[GoldCstHusky]

Before we start comparing this guy to UConn players of the past, its worth noting that we know almost nothing about him. Just because he is "under the radar" doesn't mean he is anything like other underrated UConn players of the past. I mean, he could be under the radar because he isn't very good. In KO we trust and all that, but hopefully we get some better info about his game before we know how he stacks up. And to even be talking about the pros....

 

[husky91]

Absolutely incorrect, Meka was top 60, Free too. No idea on Jake, but he was a role player who had size.

M

Knight was top 40. Jake was probably down in the 200s. Same with K-Free.

So yeah, Jake, Emeka and Boone were all outside the top 100 and made the NBA. K-Free was outside the top 100 and started for a national title team. Donny Marshall was outside the top 100 and made the NBA if you want to go back that far.

Getting guys like this to the show is what UConn does. @husky91 must be a closet Kentucky fan.

 

[Fishy]

They need to get a paint-off-the-walls recruiter on this staff yesterday.

 

[caw]

Jake was in the 100s. For some reason everyone thinks that Travis was this low rated stiff coming in. He was rated as high as #38 coming into the year and ended mid 50s. He was always listed as a 3/4 combo in high school and we made him a center. Same deal with Antric. Antric was a mid 50s guy who wanted to be SF and we forced him (or a lack of depth) forced him into being a center.

You sure on Jake? Could have sworn he was lower. Travis was before I followed recruiting so I admit I was guessing on that.

 

[Matrim55]

Before we start comparing this guy to UConn players of the past, its worth noting that we know almost nothing about him. Just because he is "under the radar" doesn't mean he is anything like other underrated UConn players of the past. I mean, he could be under the radar because he isn't very good. In KO we trust and all that, but hopefully we get some better info about his game before we know how he stacks up. And to even be talking about the pros....

You're inferring too much.

The only reason anyone is talking about the pros is because @husky91 stupidly said UConn never does anything with guys who are ranked outside the top 100, as this kid is.

Nobody's predicting an NBA career, or even a career as a starter in college. What we're saying is that the fact that he has a low profile doesn't mean he's automatically a dud.

 

[boog204]

Fwiw, the site "verbalcommits.com" lists Lubin as a 3 star player and Kasongo as 2.5 stars. Obviously means very little. What's strange is that there is next to no info about Lubin anywhere. Usually there are videos, scouting reports, etc.

 

[caw]

Absolutely incorrect, Meka was top 60, Free too. No idea on Jake, but he was a role player who had size.

M

Okafor was about 100. He was low almost everywhere. I'd find it for you but I'm drunk.

 

[BFieldHusky]

Fwiw, the site "verbalcommits.com" lists Lubin as a 3 star player and Kasongo as 2.5 stars. Obviously means very little. What's strange is that there is next to no info about Lubin anywhere. Usually there are videos, scouting reports, etc.

There doesnt seem to be a lot of info on either player, except Kasongo had some big games against strong competition this summer. Kasongo sounded like he was very high on UCONN...does this push him away? Anyone hearing anything?

 

[boog204]

You sure on Jake? Could have sworn he was lower. Travis was before I followed recruiting so I admit I was guessing on that.

I seem to remember Jake in the 120-130 range. His scouting report was dead on balls accurate which made many (myself included) wonder why we want a guy who seemed like a less talented version of Dan Cyrulik. He was kind of the throw-in to get Michael Leblanc who many thought would be a star. Funny how the throw-in was such an integral part of us climbing the mountain.

 

[husky91]

It's not stupid we had this same type of thread in the past and it's pretty accurate, even top 60 almost. So a guy not even top 250, I can't get excited, maybe he'll be our first in 25 years, someone has to be I guess.

You're inferring too much.

The only reason anyone is talking about the pros is because @husky91 stupidly said UConn never does anything with guys who are ranked outside the top 100, as this kid is.

Nobody's predicting an NBA career, or even a career as a starter in college. What we're saying is that the fact that he has a low profile doesn't mean he's automatically a dud.

 

[Tenspro2002]

I don't know much about Lubin, but I really hope this doesn't mean we're not getting Kasongo or Robinson.

 

[Matrim55]

Meka was top 60

Nope. 99 is the highest he got, and that was after signing with UConn (which gave him a boost):

http://statsheet.com/bhsb/recruiting_class/2001/

Free too

Nope. I was the sports editor of the Daily Campus then, and talked to Calhoun about it numerous times. Freeman was an under the radar recruit.

No idea on Jake, but he was a role player who had size.

How is that different than what Lubin is projected to be? And - by the way - taking an unheralded role player with size and putting him into the NBA is exactly the type of thing that is a feather in a program's cap.

Simply put: You couldn't be more wrong about pretty much everything.

 

[visitor123]

Absolutely incorrect, Meka was top 60, Free too. No idea on Jake, but he was a role player who had size.

M

Consensus out of Top 100 in Summer
Consensus #99 Final
Highest ranking is #77 by Dave Telep

https://sites.google.com/site/rscihoops/home/2001-summer

https://sites.google.com/site/rscihoops/home/2001-final

 

[SeattleHoop]

Just by looking at pics of this guy I can tell he is definitely "built" for the next level.

 

[boog204]

Nope. I was the sports editor of the Daily Campus then, and talked to Calhoun about it numerous times. Freeman was an under the radar recruit.
.

Freeman was ranked #31 when he committed. Don't really see that as under the radar especially since he played with Tim Thomas at Paterson Catholic his senior year and Thomas was the #1 player in the class.

http://articles.courant.com/1996-05...oach-jim-calhoun-boston-college-kevin-freeman

 

[azescobar]

There is no need to bicker right now about this signing. Nobody seems to know much about him so we are all cautiously optimistic but we have to be a little nervous at the same time. Both reactions are to be expected bc we want him to be good, but don't know if he's good, a don't want to lose out on d rob or Kasongo by this signing. All that being said, the kid has good size, had a good rep last year and apparently was hurt this summer. So when it all is said and done, we're not getting a McDonalds AA, but may be getting a contributor. If we still land d rob and a few others, I'm good w that.

 

[SeattleHoop]

Rakim Lubin
Big strong player in the post. Rebounds at a high level and powers through helpless defenders with a massive rip move on the turn. Soft touch. I got this from Phenom report....Not much else online I could see

Sounds great to me. I'm satisfied. Once someone puts together a cheesy highlight video for this kid I'll be sure to post it for the naysayers.

Sorry not every high school kid has obsessive parents or a camera crew guys! You'll get your visual proof soon, be patient

 

[Matrim55]

Freeman was ranked #31 when he committed. Don't really see that as under the radar especially since he played with Tim Thomas at Paterson Catholic his senior year and Thomas was the #1 player in the class.

http://articles.courant.com/1996-05...oach-jim-calhoun-boston-college-kevin-freeman

You're right - my bad on Free. Was I thinking of Eric Hayward instead? I know it wasn't Kirk King - he was a high ranking recruit.

Regardless, UConn has put Donny Marshall, Jake Voskuhl, Hilton Armstrong and Josh Boone into the league from outside the top 100. And Emeka, who was an "on the cusp" player, won a NPotY and was the No. 2 pick.

Point is that @husky91's revisionist idiocy is completely wrong, as is dismissing Lubin outright because he isn't a star of the prep world. Nobody should expect this kid to be great, but saying we haven't molding low-ranking recruits into great players is lunacy.