Recruiting: Despite whatever may happen going forward.....

[FASTEDDY]

we can't simply ignore that we have been beaten like a rented mule for recruits that we really wanted by clearly inferior programs. The pattern of futility is very disturbing.

Even if we land a Cassel or Robinson, I will still have a bad taste in my mouth and some concerns going forward.

Something is clearly wrong. I can see losing out once, twince, or three times but this year the pattern has been ridiculous. Something smells really bad. Is it the conference, poor recruiting by the coaches, sanctions, lack of NCAA tourney last year, bad reputation with violations, etc?

This bad pattern MUST STOP & STOP ASAP if we are to retain our lofty position as one of the BLUE BLOOD PROGRAMS. We can;t be losing to Oregon, PC, NCSU, VCU, Gonzaga, USC, etc.

 

[mcs333]

If we add Robinson and Cassell it will probably be our best class ever!

 

[mauconnfan]

Lots of overreaction. Is it possible that some of the kids who selected lesser programs were afraid they couldn't live up to UConn's lofty expectations? I know there was mention of exactly that with Chukwu..........

If anyone has a bad taste in their mouth if we land Robinson and Cassell then you're whacked.....that would be a real solid recruiting class and ranked very high.....even just Cassell now would make me just fine with how the dominoes fell....

 

[7774]

we can't simply ignore that we have been beaten like a rented mule for recruits that we really wanted by clearly inferior programs. The pattern of futility is very disturbing.

Even if we land a Cassel or Robinson, I will still have a bad taste in my mouth and some concerns going forward.

Something is clearly wrong. I can see losing out once, twince, or three times but this year the pattern has been ridiculous. Something smells really bad. Is it the conference, poor recruiting by the coaches, sanctions, lack of NCAA tourney last year, bad reputation with violations, etc?

This bad pattern MUST STOP & STOP ASAP if we are to retain our lofty position as one of the BLUE BLOOD PROGRAMS. We can;t be losing to Oregon, PC, NCSU, VCU, Gonzaga, USC, etc.

I heard recruits don't want to play in front of horrible fans like you.

 

[Matrim55]

Even if we land a Cassel or Robinson, I will still have a bad taste in my mouth and some concerns going forward.

If we land Robinson, we'll have three 5-star recruits, which would be the first time ever for UConn.

If we land Cassell as well, then we'd have one of our best recruiting classes (on paper) ever: three five-stars, a four-star and a three-star sleeper.

How would that leave anyone sane with a bad taste in their mouth?

 

[FASTEDDY]

SO all is well despite us losing recruit after recruit after recruit that we clearly wanted and recruited very hard?

Anyone who really believes this is just choosing to ignore a disturbing pattern and clear problem signs.

 

[Scot-e]

DOOMED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Rico444]

SO all is well despite us losing recruit after recruit after recruit that we clearly wanted and recruited very hard?

Anyone who really believes this is just choosing to ignore a disturbing pattern and clear problem signs.

We didn't lose Hamilton. Or Purvis. Just because we had a lot of success early in the class doesn't mean we've failed.

 

[aceboon]

board is starting to look alot like 2010, I hope history repeats itself

 

[Sportsman5]

SO all is well despite us losing recruit after recruit after recruit that we clearly wanted and recruited very hard?

Anyone who really believes this is just choosing to ignore a disturbing pattern and clear problem signs.

many players chose to go to lesser schools in order to have a better chance at significant playing time. It's much less likely that a player gets recruited over the next year at a school like PC or VCU. If the 50th ranked player commits to UNC, Duke, UConn etc. than they could easily pull in a top 20 recruit the next year that takes minutes away from them. Obviously when you are a border line top 100 recruit, than this is amplified even more.

 

[Matrim55]

SO all is well despite us losing recruit after recruit after recruit that we clearly wanted and recruited very hard?

Anyone who really believes this is just choosing to ignore a disturbing pattern and clear problem signs.

By the way, we beat Marquette and Georgia Tech for Lubin. Marquette is a Big East team that's better than any of the teams who've beaten us recently (Oregon, VCU, Gonzaga, NC State, Providence), and Georgia Tech is an ACC school in a major media market.

What does that mean? By the transitive property, does Marquette have to fold, or drop down to Divsion 2?

People are ridiculous about recruiting.

 

[Peacefrog]

Kasongo was the first one that makes me wonder a bit. Others we got in on really late etc....If you step back from the ledge a bit you will see we already have a very good class and we are in the final 2 for a couple more good ones. Get one or both and it is an excellent recruiting class. One silver lining for me is I don't ever remember getting into the final two or three for so many quality recruits. We've won out three times and still have a couple more shots. But Kasongo to Oregon!? Hmmmmmm.

 

[upstater]

SO all is well despite us losing recruit after recruit after recruit that we clearly wanted and recruited very hard?

Anyone who really believes this is just choosing to ignore a disturbing pattern and clear problem signs.

It's happened before. Lost Sampson, Fox, several others. Ended up with scrubs like Kemba Walker and Emeka Okafor.

 

[upstater]

Kasongo was the first one that makes me wonder a bit. Others we got in on really late etc....If you step back from the ledge a bit you will see we already have a very good class and we are in the final 2 for a couple more good ones. Get one or both and it is an excellent recruiting class. One silver lining for me is I don't ever remember getting into the final two or three for so many quality recruits. We've won out three times and still have a couple more shots. But Kasongo to Oregon!? Hmmmmmm.

The Kasongo thing changes nothing for me. You can't do anything about a kid whose heart is at UConn, but is dealing with other factors and influences, who somehow twist him a few hours later. What can you do? Nothing.

 

[The Viking]

Well you could give his camp more money than Oregon just did, if you're into those kinds of things. Not saying "I" am, just sayin.

 

[FASTEDDY]

People on this board just seem to want to ignore that we aren't that sexy a school to recruits anymore and that we seemingkly cant close the deal against lesser schools for recruits that we clearly want and need;

 

[Kitaman]

Its not even halftime and we are already panicking and ready to give up.

Season please start!!

 

[Gurleyman]

People on this board just seem to want to ignore that we aren't that s e xy a school to recruits anymore and that we seemingkly cant close the deal against lesser schools for recruits that we clearly want and need;

You're overreacting to a small sample size. We missed Abu, fair enough, and jumped in for some other guys late for that spot, but you can't fret about who beats you for a recruit when you only jump in late recruiting him as a fallback. That doesn't always work.

Right now our team in place for 2014-15, in recruits eyes, is Boat, Purvis, Calhoun, DHam, Daniels, Facey/Brimah/Nolan (leaving out Samuel and Tolksdorf as not definite rotation guys). Other than a physical 4, there has been nothing missing from that group all along (since Purvis/Hamilton committed) where a recruit can say for sure that they will get playing time. The physical 4 is what we've tried hardest for since July (see Ollie going everywhere Abu went, and then jumping in with Colson, Kabongo, and Lubin).

The last couple times we were restocking - 2006 and 2010 - we missed on a lot of our top targets, and/or lost someone like Melvin go to DePaul or Harkless to St. John's. Or we took Mandeldove and Edwards out of desperation for a couple bigs, until Thabeet became a prospect in the spring. And we're not totally restocking this time. We shouldn't be panicking over missing out on projected role players.

 

[ctchamps]

People on this board just seem to want to ignore that we aren't that s e xy a school to recruits anymore and that we seemingkly cant close the deal against lesser schools for recruits that we clearly want and need;

I'm on it! I'm sending a large group of bikers to any recruit who has to decide between UConn and rinky dink school all wearing leather Jackets with UConn on the back! Should change things really quickly. And these guys will be ghetto guys just to make your day! Not some eclectic suburban gang!

I normally don't respond to over the top posters whose view on life is 180 from the majority of people because the problem is not outside the individual and getting said individual to look in the mirror more critically is a wasted effort. Either you should feel honored or I have a greater amount of time in this moment!