Recruiting: help me understand why UCONN doesn't get more 5s & 4s

[David 76]

I think UCONN is a national powerhouse equal to anyone. We are the dominant championship team over the past 15 years. So why do the top 10 recruits repeatedly go to KY, Duke, UNC. Kansas and even AZ.

I understand we don't focus on one-and-dones and I understand why. I love the way we find great value in 3 star players (and off the radar players) and are great at developing those players. I understand and appreciate a true team concept.

But that aside, why are most of those kids keeping us on their short list? We've won more championships, have a Coach who is a charisma magnet, and a dozen NBA players. I know the conference is a part of it and that we had a coaching transition and a recent sanction. But this seemed to be going on when we were still ruling the BE with a long-time coach.

But every year KY gets about 5 top ten players, Duke, UNC, & Kansas divide up the rest with an occasional player not going to those top 4 colleges. I don't want to be KY, but I just don't get it.

 

[sdhusky]

I think UCONN is a national powerhouse equal to anyone. We are the dominant championship team over the past 15 years. So why do the top 10 recruits repeatedly go to KY, Duke, UNC. Kansas and even AZ.

I understand we don't focus on one-and-dones and I understand why. I love the way we find great value in 3 star players (and off the radar players) and are great at developing those players. I understand and appreciate a true team concept.

But that aside, why are most of those kids keeping us on their short list? We've won more championships, have a Coach who is a charisma magnet, and a dozen NBA players. I know the conference is a part of it and that we had a coaching transition and a recent sanction. But this seemed to be going on when we were still ruling the BE with a long-time coach.

But every year KY gets about 5 top ten players, Duke, UNC, & Kansas divide up the rest with an occasional player not going to those top 4 colleges. I don't want to be KY, but I just don't get it.

Yeah. Why do we get stuck with players like Shabazz, Kemba, Rip, Emeka, Donyell?

I demand answers.

 

[upstater]

I think UCONN is a national powerhouse equal to anyone. We are the dominant championship team over the past 15 years. So why do the top 10 recruits repeatedly go to KY, Duke, UNC. Kansas and even AZ.

I understand we don't focus on one-and-dones and I understand why. I love the way we find great value in 3 star players (and off the radar players) and are great at developing those players. I understand and appreciate a true team concept.

But that aside, why are most of those kids keeping us on their short list? We've won more championships, have a Coach who is a charisma magnet, and a dozen NBA players. I know the conference is a part of it and that we had a coaching transition and a recent sanction. But this seemed to be going on when we were still ruling the BE with a long-time coach.

But every year KY gets about 5 top ten players, Duke, UNC, & Kansas divide up the rest with an occasional player not going to those top 4 colleges. I don't want to be KY, but I just don't get it.

UConn actually does get 4 and 5 star guys.

Daniel Hamilton is a 5 star. Drummond was. Purvis, but he's a transfer. Ali and Jackson are 4 star players. I think we'e always gotten 4 and 5 stars, but we've mixed in 3 star players like Brimah and Nolan as well.

 

[Jluc]

We always get 4 star players...

 

[Husky25]

I actually like getting the 3-low 4* players with upside. For exactly the reason you state (one and done), I enjoy getting to know these players, watching them develop and ultimately win a National Championship. Recruiting like Kentucky is like playing craps or roulette. no one class (or roll) affects the next and the results one year are completely separate from the next years' results (i.e. Win the National Title in 2012, not even make the Tournament in 2013, return to the Final 4 in 2014. At least if a player stays for a couple, two/tree years, they can at least plug holes.

 

[stickyrice]

Maybe you mean "Why don't we get more mcd aa" ?

 

[John]

Yeah. Why do we get stuck with players like Shabazz, Kemba, Rip, Emeka, Donyell?

I demand answers.

"I took Emeka Okafor and Caron Butler. They’re not bad. I can’t take every player."

 

[Drumguy]

Drummond was pretty much the consensus #2 player overall iirc correctly. Wasn't Daniels around 10? And if the one year rule hadn't influenced Bynum we had another high level commit recently. Bazz reclassified but was highly regarded. Our staff has been able to evaluate and end up with the cream of top 100, not top 20, talent and obviously made the most of it.

I do get your point though. If I had to venture a guess why more McD's don't come to CT its that we're not a one and done school for the most part. If you work hard at UConn for 3-4 years you will make a lot of money playing basketball somewhere, may not be the NBA but somewhere. Every McD kid has to think they are good enough for the NBA NOW so why go to a school where you'll have to bust your ass for 3 years when you can coast at a KY and as we now know UNC.

 

[nyc2014]

I agree with this question. Obviously not complaining about recruiting but why don't we have a 5 star every year. I know that's not our focus but seems like we should be on the top of more lists

 

[UConNick]

When I first opened this thread I thought it was about Centers and Power Forwards, not recruits in general.

 

[Fairfield_1st]

Obviously given the success we've had I love the players we get, but it does seem like the top recruits rarely mention us in the mix. I like 3 or 4 year players as much as the next guy, but impression counts so why don't the Jabari Parkers and Andrew Wiggins' of the world mention us? By the way, I would mix in 1 and done's if they fit what we wanted to do, but I wouldn't build a KY type team. I'll take any player that can help the team. In KO I trust.

 

[tzznandrew]

I like 3 or 4 year players as much as the next guy, but impression counts so why don't the Jabari Parkers and Andrew Wiggins' of the world mention us?

Despite not having been big in his recruitment, KO got an in-home with Parker. It didn't lead him to come here, but it was frankly impressive: KO made up a lot of ground in just a little bit of time.

 

[willie99]

actually, they don't / didn't want to play for Jim Calhoun. They want promises, they want freedom, they want to be pampered, they don't want to be yanked out of games, they want a lot of playing time

hence they go somewhere else. I'm not knocking my man one iota, I wouldn't want it any other way

Ollie came in with a lot of uncertainties. Those uncertainties are melting away and I suspect more top 10 recruits will come his way

 

[PAHusky]

I agree with this question. Obviously not complaining about recruiting but why don't we have a 5 star every year. I know that's not our focus but seems like we should be on the top of more lists

Exactly. I don't understand why anyone would jump on the OP for asking a valid question - it's not demeaning to the players we've gotten, and it doesn't diminish the fact that we've won four championships recruiting the way we have. The fact is, if you look at players ranked in the top ten the past five or six years, we've won two championships but the only two guys we've snagged from that group are Daniels and Drummond. Both of them are pretty unique scenarios as well; both reclassified, Drummond was a local kid and Daniels' commitment came out of nowhere, without even a campus visit. Is it our perennial reputation as a dominant program that thrives in the underdog role? I don't think the idea that kids who are ranked that highly only want the one and done experience. Cal obviously gets his share of recruits based on that premise but Duke, Kansas, Arizona, UNC have a large number of kids who are highly ranked and stick around for a few years in addition to a number of one and dones. It's a fair question to ask, and simply saying "that's not the way UConn does it" or "UConn isn't all about the one and dones" doesn't answer anything. This board seems totally averse to kids leaving after a year when it happens at any other school, but I don't remember anyone bemoaning the fact that Drummond was signing up a few years ago.

 

[Fairfield_1st]

Despite not having been big in his recruitment, KO got an in-home with Parker.

I didn't know/remember that. Thanks.

 

[Tampahusky]

Doesn't bother me a bit if we don't land so called best big men bc college ball is won with the best guards in the nation

 

[Rdm203]

Quite frankly how many 4s and 5s come out of New England? We don't have a lot of local talent until recently and all of those kids had UConn on their list. But, the majority of these kids are coming out of Chicago, LA, and down South. Many of them are not that familiar with Uconn and see it as the cold place far away.

 

[babysheep]

Help us understand why we should care, because "despite" our recruiting, UConn has dominated basketball for the last 15, arguably 20 years.

 

[tcf15]

Pretty simple, I think. NCAA sanctions, Hall of Fame coach with health concerns and eventually retiring, APR ban, conference change. Opposing coaches had several options to use against us.

2008: Going into the 2009 year, prior to the final four run, we had a pretty good class with two 5 stars (Kemba Walker & Ater Majok) and one 4 star (Nate Miles).

2009: Going into the following year, before the sanctions were announced, another solid class with one 5 star (Alex Oriakhi) and two 4 stars (Jamal Coombs-McDaniel & Darius Smith).

2010: Once sanctions were announced, we struck out on a lot of our primary options, and ended up with zero 5 stars, but three four stars (Shabazz, Lamb & Roscoe).

2011: Win the national championship and we saw a bump in recruiting again with two 5 stars (Drummond & DD) and one 4 star (Boat).

2012: Hall of Fame coach retires, post season ban and some players bailing out on the program leads to three recruits and only one four star (Omar Calhoun)

2013: No longer in the Big East current players bailing results in three recruits and only one 4 star (Kentan Facey)​

Funny thing about rankings is that Niels Giffey, Amida Brimah & Terrence Samuel were all 3 stars and lower, and I'm sure any program would have killed to have them on their team.

On the horizon, we have one 5 star (2014) and two 4 stars (2015) coming in. Who knows? Prince and Turtle could both end up being 5 stars when it's all said and done. I think we'll see a major uptick in recruiting for 2015, 2016 and 2017 after winning #4 and having a great coach in Kevin Ollie.

 

[MDHusky]

I don't think it is due from lack of effort on the part of UConn, see list below for top recruits 2015. UConn has offered on all but Simmons and Labissiere. Maybe the other schools vying for these athletes pay better, or have better weather, or have better looking coeds, or play in a better conference, or have better academics. UConn will get players who will best fit our needs and system, and who want to develop their game.

Player Pos Grade School
1. Malik Newman SG Undecided
2. Stephen Zimmerman C Undecided
3. Ivan Rabb PF Undecided
4. Ben Simmons PF LSU
5. Diamond Stone C Undecided
6. Elijah Thomas C Undecided
7. Tyler Dorsey SG Undecided
8. Skal Labissiere C Undecided
9. Cheick Diallo PF Undecided
10. Carlton Bragg PF Undecided

 

[RichZ]

When I first opened this thread I thought it was about Centers and Power Forwards, not recruits in general.

Me too.

 

[businesslawyer]

Help us understand why we should care, because "despite" our recruiting, UConn has dominated basketball for the last 15, arguably 20 years.

Exactly this. We are winning more than anyone else doing what we are doing. Period. End of discussion. You can say it's a valid question to ask why we don't do this or that, but the question is since we're winning more than anyone else doing what we are doing, why would you ask why we're not doing something differently? Because in most things in life, it's not just "if it's not broke don't fix it" -- it's why are you wasting your time discussing how you could fix it if it's working better than anyone else's version.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Exactly this. We are winning more than anyone else doing what we are doing. Period. End of discussion. You can say it's a valid question to ask why we don't do this or that, but the question is since we're winning more than anyone else doing what we are doing, why would you ask why we're not doing something differently? Because in most things in life, it's not just "if it's not broke don't fix it" -- it's why are you wasting your time discussing how you could fix it if it's working better than anyone else's version.

It was a fair question. If it doesn't matter to you, fine. Don't attack him for asking it.

 

[David 76]

Yeah. Why do we get stuck with players like Shabazz, Kemba, Rip, Emeka, Donyell?

I demand answers.

But at least 2 of those you mention were 5 star recruits including a McD All American

 

[tzznandrew]

It was a fair question. If it doesn't matter to you, fine. Don't attack him for asking it.

It's not as if we don't recruit those Top 10 players: we try like hell, miss out, and fall back on our second or third options. That has historically worked out pretty well for us because our staff is great at 1) recognizing talent others don't see, 2) teaching defense, and 3) developing talent.

But it's silly to think that we didn't want the players that we missed, and it is not unreasonable to question why we haven't been able to get them despite success. I don't think that question invalidates or questions our success.