Recruiting has to get better | Page 2 | The Boneyard

Recruiting has to get better

superjohn said:
A game like this just reinforces that we need better players. Granted MSU is most likely a top 5 team but there is such a clear disparity in size and talent from top to bottom. Our three big time recruits are our only players who look like they belong against this type of opponent. I think Ollie has a better handle on recruiting and what he needs right now but we simply need to land some studs, he has to break through with a couple of big timers.
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What big time bigs are going to want to UConn and run iso sets for the guards 98% of the time? While I agree there was a big talent discrepancy tonight, that was not the main problem. UConn's lack of anything even resembling an offense is embarrassing on so many levels!
 
We've been recruiting better players, some are two weeks into their collegiate careers and some are still in high school

We all acknowledge last year was a disaster, and we all should acknowledge that's not going to be fixed in 6 or 7 months

Although we've obviously made significant progress in that short time frame, we should be happy with the progress and enjoy the ride
 
All I think we need is time for these kids to grow. By end of December they should be fine.

6 months ago we had a train wreck
2 months ago Providence embarrassed us
2 days ago we beat Oregon
Last night we played a more mature MS team tough for the first period and a half.

I like the way these kids play and if everyone stays healthy think they can make a sweet 16 run
 
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I don't know how anyone can take a look at yesterday's game and not agree with Johns assessment. Other than our 3 top 50 players coming out of high school, everyone else on our roster looked overwhelmed.

This small lineup will not work against good teams as Michigan St showed. They will get overpowered and outclassed.

The reason Gonzaga has been good for so long is because they have high caliber big men every year in addition to decent guards.

PS: Games like this is where we miss Brimah. Our team this year would be even better if we still had Brimah.

Ollie needs to follow Calhouns recruiting model. We need more imposing big guys. The 2012 team was the last imposing UCONN team.
 
I think they've started to address recruiting, but it's going to take time to fill the talent gap left from the past couple classes.

Player development worries me more. They just don't seem to get the most out of the talent they have on their roster.
 
Experience matters and Mich St has tons of it and is one of the favorites to win it all.
UConn needs more experience playing together. Some of these players are pieces and shouldn't be expected to do much more than that. The big three are the ones who will carry the team going forward and the team will only go as far as they carry them
 
superjohn said:
I've seen a bunch of people here say we are fine in terms of recruiting and they would take a whole team of Polley's, Carlton's, and Akinjo's and take our chances against anyone in the future. Many of the guys we have recruited the past couple of years can be nice complimentary pieces but that's just what they are, players who are supposed to compliment your stud players. We need more stud players and less complimentary guys.
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True. It really is an easy thing. Count the NBA players. We have none. Great teams have at least 2, usually 3 with possibly more....
 
At the risk of beating a dead horse, recruiting has to be reimagined in the AAC era. Long Gone are the days where HCJC would be able to call players on the phone and sell Uconn as an opportunity to play against the nation's best players in it's best conference. Also long gone are the days were HCJC would sell Uconn as a chance to play for a National Championship, year in and year out.

So far, kids haven't really been drawn to the AAC. With that being said, there have been improvements in recruiting this year. With Cinn and WSU being sure tourney teams, SMU being a likely tourney team again this year and with UCF and UConn showing improvement, the AAC's reputation amongst hs players may improve. Time will tell.
 
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I’m hazy this morning because I stayed up past my bedtime but I see both sides. It’s clear we need to recruit better players because we are not a top 5 team. MSU proved that last night. On the other side I like our bigs that we’ve recruited but they are so young right now I don’t feel they be asked to hang with a team like MSU. I feel they will get bigger, stronger and better and bring with them some momentum with recruiting. I am tired but I was okay with last night. Don’t piss on me for settling either. As a AAC member we aren’t getting NBA ready recruits like MSU. We need time to build them. We also need time to recover from the funk KO put us in while he was learning and getting over his personal matters. I am happy with his performance this year.
 
This program hasn't brought in a big man that made a difference his freshman year since Drummond, and before that it was Josh Boone. We haven't been that program since the mid-2000s. Carlton can be a good big, but he's not ready yet. Our recruiting hasn't been great the past few years, but seems to have gotten back on track with this class. I wouldn't hold your breath on Ollie bringing in any top 10 big men anytime soon. We can still have success without doing that...we just don't have a bridge to when Carlton or Whaley will be ready to take over.
 
G0UCONN said:
True. It really is an easy thing. Count the NBA players. We have none. Great teams have at least 2, usually 3 with possibly more....
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Too early to say Larrier and Adams will not make the NBA.

As of now, you're right, but it's a long season. They have the ability to make it. Right now, Purvis is scoring 23 a night in the G-League, and Hamilton just got called up and he's scoring even less.

Also, remember, the 2014 NCAA champs had only Shabazz.

I do agree with the idea that after Larrier and Adams leave, the team is going to need at least one stud top 25 kid to compete. With Gilbert and a Polley transformation, that should be enough to have them playing at the highest level of the bigs develop.

They still need a guy whose scoring talents are difficult to lock down. He is not on the team yet--that is for certain.
 
NielsisGood said:
To be fair this is one of most loaded teams Izzo has ever had in terms of stud recruits and NBA level guys.
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That MSU team is ridiculous right now. Wait til March.

Huskies had hustle and heart last night. Just needed depth and braun. And inside scoring options.
 
You guys as always, are ridiculous. We don't have anyone over 6'9" on the roster this year, yes it's obvious we need a big big man. However, with this squad playing its best with a little more time to gel, we can beat almost anyone. I think if MSU didn't have a few monster beasts clogging the lane and setting football picks at will, that was a different game.

But it's always amazing to see us after playing not completely awful against a very strong test in one of the best teams in the country, the immediate reactions of "we gotta recruit better", yeah we all talked about it all summer dullards

We need better height in order to realistically see ourselves as able to win another title, but this team has the potential to beat almost anyone in the country regardless. We all agree that we can see this team being successful this year, winning many games in the AAC and a bunch outside it, winning a few games in March and restoring the luster the UConn name had a little bit. That in turn allows us to recruit a guy or two who are better than our recent crop, and that can get us back to the final four. Pump the brakes
 
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Lefty2one said:
Our starting 4/5 (Polley, Big Dave) combined for zero points in our last two games. :(

That needs to change.
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Also, CV is 0-9 from the field in this tournament. Missed another fast break layup last night. We’re really hurting for complimentary scoring and he, unfortunately, hasn’t provided it. Pulling for him to show up against Arky.
 
we were in this game for what 33 out of 40 minutes? You are going to get very few players who can come in as freshman and dominate as big men, especially against the likes of MSU who were clearly bigger and stronger than us. I thought the rebounding margin was a lot greater in favor of MSU to be honest. I dont think our bigs were crashing the boards as hard as they were against Oregon. I dont think this was a WTF loss by any means. A team that was supposed to be beat us did. Guys like Vital cant have off nights when we are playing the best teams in the nation. I think Larrier's game is more suited for the NBA than for CBB but he has to bulk up for the next level. He's got a sweet stroke but he doesn't have a defensive presence nor is his inside game enough to be a threat.
 
Letsgohuskies11 said:
we were in this game for what 33 out of 40 minutes? You are going to get very few players who can come in as freshman and dominate as big men, especially against the likes of MSU who were clearly bigger and stronger than us. I thought the rebounding margin was a lot greater in favor of MSU to be honest. I dont think our bigs were crashing the boards as hard as they were against Oregon. I dont think this was a WTF loss by any means. A team that was supposed to be beat us did. Guys like Vital cant have off nights when we are playing the best teams in the nation. I think Larrier's game is more suited for the NBA than for CBB but he has to bulk up for the next level. He's got a sweet stroke but he doesn't have a defensive presence nor is his inside game enough to be a threat.
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I was impressed with Larrier in the 2nd half because he came back from a dreadful 1st. Good for him and us he can have those kinds of streaks, but he would be served best staying in college. I know it's early but his handle is not at all ready for the NBA really needs to tighten up especially spins and crossovers with good D on him.
 
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You guys probably weren't around last year. You see we had a bunch of guys leave and we had to fill holes quickly, late in the recruiting season and learned we had a stink on us that made it even tougher to recruit. And that new conference we're in? Seems it sucks.
But we did manage to stabilize the ship and get some pretty good players for next year. Hope is, after being stabilized, we could hit a homerun.

Good grief.
 
David 76 said:
You guys probably weren't around last year. You see we had a bunch of guys leave and we had to fill holes quickly, late in the recruiting season and learned we had a stink on us that made it even tougher to recruit. And that new conference we're in? Seems it sucks.
But we did manage to stabilize the ship and get some pretty good players for next year. Hope is, after being stabilized, we could hit a homerun.

Good grief.
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How soon we forget huh Dave? LOL
 
They mor
EBonz30 said:
Yea obviously, last year with the injuries, poor season, & transfers obviously set us back.

I am not sure why this is brought up now after our first loss, I believe we all know our recruiting is not where it needs to be to compete with top 10 teams.
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They more than made up for the transfers when they got Wilson. I don't think talent is the problem. They have enough to the point that coaching is way more important.
 
It’s just a reality check especially for those who just think if we only played harder, because until we faded in the second half our team had a big effort last night. If you looked at the players last night except for O and Carlton for body thickness we look like we’ve been underfed. It’s going to be a decent season with the team being competitive mostly but against the better teams on our schedule we’re going to see this again and again. Making the tourney is a lofty goal but not what we have been spoiled to expect. We like to think if we only just get in anything can happen with a great run. Can’t see that this year. SuperJohn is 1000% correct here but as we sit it’s just a player or 2 holding us back, but those are big pieces. A quality big and a knockdown shooter.
 
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