Recruiting misses and Devin Robinson

[superjohn]

We have to be honest with ourselves, after getting Purvis and Hamilton who are no doubt huge recruits, we have missed on every other kid we targeted and in every single case we lost to an inferior program. Ollie has cast an incredibly wide net and it simply hasn't worked out so far, the Abu and Kasongo decisions strike me as very strange maybe even dirty but the results are the same, we wanted these kids and they went somewhere else. Which takes me to Devin Robinson, he is clearly our main target and the player all of us want the most. He's been extremely close to the vest with his recruitment but everyone seems to think it's either us or Indiana. Some people may think Indiana has a slight lead because his friend committed to them recently but nobody seems to have a clue what Robinson is thinking. I never say any recruit is a must recruit but in my opinion Robinson is as close to a must as you can get. He would take our class to an elite class and would calm down everyone's fears. It's pretty much a foregone conclusion that Deandre is NBA bound after this year and Robinson would fit in seemlessly into his spot in the lineup. We need him to visit on the weekend of the 18th and we need to get a commitment before he leaves campus, time to be a closer Ollie.

 

[Peacefrog]

We have to be honest with ourselves, after getting Purvis and Hamilton who are no doubt huge recruits, we have missed on every other kid we targeted and in every single case we lost to an inferior program. Ollie has cast an incredibly wide net and it simply hasn't worked out so far, the Abu and Kasongo decisions strike me as very strange maybe even dirty but the results are the same, we wanted these kids and they went somewhere else. Which takes me to Devin Robinson, he is clearly our main target and the player all of us want the most. He's been extremely close to the vest with his recruitment but everyone seems to think it's either us or Indiana. Some people may think Indiana has a slight lead because his friend committed to them recently but nobody seems to have a clue what Robinson is thinking. I never say any recruit is a must recruit but in my opinion Robinson is as close to a must as you can get. He would take our class to an elite class and would calm down everyone's fears. It's pretty much a foregone conclusion that Deandre is NBA bound after this year and Robinson would fit in seemlessly into his spot in the lineup. We need him to visit on the weekend of the 18th and we need to get a commitment before he leaves campus, time to be a closer Ollie.

I'm going to respectfully disagree. I'm not saying we have been scorching the recruiting trail lately but most of the misses have had some pretty good reasons. And Robinson is nowhere near a must get. Between Calhoun, Purvis, Lubin, Facey and Hamilton we have plenty of good players for the 2-4. Robinson would be a great get but we're fine without him. And as far as calming everyone's fears down, what's that all about? Many of us aren't afraid to begin with and for those that are, in what universe does that affect anything that takes place on the court. Why does anyone need to be concerned with calming down a bunch of loonies like us on a message board?

 

[maineuconnfan]

Wait until 2015....people forget Ollie did not get a long-term contract until about mid-season last year. Building relationships in any field and definitely recruiting is essential. I am sure Ollie did his best during the season to make contacts, but long-term relationships and contacts will pay dividends on the high end recruits. I guarantee at least 3 top 25 recruits for 2015, mark my words and possibly even 3 in the top 15!

 

[huskiesNhoos]

We have to be honest with ourselves, after getting Purvis and Hamilton who are no doubt huge recruits, we have missed on every other kid we targeted and in every single case we lost to an inferior program. Ollie has cast an incredibly wide net and it simply hasn't worked out so far, the Abu and Kasongo decisions strike me as very strange maybe even dirty but the results are the same, we wanted these kids and they went somewhere else. Which takes me to Devin Robinson, he is clearly our main target and the player all of us want the most. He's been extremely close to the vest with his recruitment but everyone seems to think it's either us or Indiana. Some people may think Indiana has a slight lead because his friend committed to them recently but nobody seems to have a clue what Robinson is thinking. I never say any recruit is a must recruit but in my opinion Robinson is as close to a must as you can get. He would take our class to an elite class and would calm down everyone's fears. It's pretty much a foregone conclusion that Deandre is NBA bound after this year and Robinson would fit in seemlessly into his spot in the lineup. We need him to visit on the weekend of the 18th and we need to get a commitment before he leaves campus, time to be a closer Ollie.

Can we just one time not blame losing a recruit on dirty recruiting, and money/gifts/promises being exchanged? Uconn is not the best choice for everyone so just accept it for what it is, they maybe found a better fit and somewhere they would rather be for 1-4 years. Uconn is a great school with an incredible bball program, and the recruits that we do get usually take full advantage of it and continue playing at some level. On the other hand, every recruit that passes on us doesn't suddenly become an awful person with no future in bball. They're 17-18 year old kids that make what they and their family/advisors think is the best choice. In all our infinite message board wisdom we all know Uconn is the best program hands down, but sometimes these kids make what we like to think is the wrong decision for better or worse.

 

[UCHuskies08]

If I had a nickel for every thread I've read over the years ringing the emergency siren over recruiting misses..... I'd have a lot of nickels.

 

[maineuconnfan]

This will also occur because Uconn will be on the national scene this year being able to play in the tourney...and they will be good!

Wait until 2015....people forget Ollie did not get a long-term contract until about mid-season last year. Building relationships in any field and definitely recruiting is essential. I am sure Ollie did his best during the season to make contacts, but long-term relationships and contacts will pay dividends on the high end recruits. I guarantee at least 3 top 25 recruits for 2015, mark my words and possibly even 3 in the top 15!

 

[Matrim55]

We've already signed our top two recruiting targets. You know who else can say that, among the teams at our level?

North Carolina. And that's it.

Not Duke. Not Kentucky. Not Louisville, Michigan State, UCLA, Indiana or Michigan. Not Syracuse or Georgetown. Not Arizona.

Just us and UNC.

We'll be fine even without Robinson.

 

[caw]

Cassell would be a nice boost, but really I'm not worried until it's summer of 2014. Just so much can happen.


Heck Kasongo could change his mind next week and decide he got some bad advise.

As long as the verbals come, the class is solid.

I still think UConn adds another fifth year in the spring for depth/leadership.

I wouldn't be shocked I see someone like Purvis transfer in.

I would love Cassell and Robinson but both are 50/50 at best, and likely lower.

I do disagree on UConn having no shot at Robinson, but it is fading. Right now I'm not sure he visits.

 

[selles]

Is this based on the same convo with his HS coach you posted about before or newer info?

 

[maineuconnfan]

I think we will get Robinson, we are due...if not you are right, we will be fine without him.

 

[maineuconnfan]

to go along with my comment earlier, I was watching a video of an interview with devin robinson, he stated that UCONN had been recruiting him the longest, which to me is an excellent thing to have on our side. It does not always mean everything, but an enduring relationship has impact.

 

[Dogbreath2U]

We have to be honest with ourselves, after getting Purvis and Hamilton who are no doubt huge recruits, we have missed on every other kid we targeted and in every single case we lost to an inferior program. Ollie has cast an incredibly wide net and it simply hasn't worked out so far, the Abu and Kasongo decisions strike me as very strange maybe even dirty but the results are the same, we wanted these kids and they went somewhere else. Which takes me to Devin Robinson, he is clearly our main target and the player all of us want the most. He's been extremely close to the vest with his recruitment but everyone seems to think it's either us or Indiana. Some people may think Indiana has a slight lead because his friend committed to them recently but nobody seems to have a clue what Robinson is thinking. I never say any recruit is a must recruit but in my opinion Robinson is as close to a must as you can get. He would take our class to an elite class and would calm down everyone's fears. It's pretty much a foregone conclusion that Deandre is NBA bound after this year and Robinson would fit in seemlessly into his spot in the lineup. We need him to visit on the weekend of the 18th and we need to get a commitment before he leaves campus, time to be a closer Ollie.

This is another post that suffers from the "illusion of control." It suggests that if Ollie was a real closer, he could get every top 10 recruit in the country, I guess. The reality is that we don't have control and it is entirely possible to do a really good job and strike out. KO is new at this and we have had hopes of landing more top recruits than any year ever. I don't doubt that KO can get better at learning how to play this game, but the fact is that we have always missed many of the top kids we were after and found others who benefited from becoming part of the UConn family. We have more NC's than any team since '99 and that is because what Jim Calhoun created was special. KO shows all the signs of creating his own version of special and we are along for the ride. So what, if we don't sign another recruit, you are going to start calling for KO's head? Geez. I hope that we fans can realize that we are on a roller coaster and it will go up and down and it can be fun or terrifying. let's have some fun.

 

[Danzz]

This is another post that suffers from the "illusion of control." It suggests that if Ollie was a real closer, he could get every top 10 recruit in the country, I guess. The reality is that we don't have control and it is entirely possible to do a really good job and strike out. KO is new at this and we have had hopes of landing more top recruits than any year ever. I don't doubt that KO can get better at learning how to play this game, but the fact is that we have always missed many of the top kids we were after and found others who benefited from becoming part of the UConn family. We have more NC's than any team since '99 and that is because what Jim Calhoun created was special. KO shows all the signs of creating his own version of special and we are along for the ride. So what, if we don't sign another recruit, you are going to start calling for KO's head? Geez. I hope that we fans can realize that we are on a roller coaster and it will go up and down and it can be fun or terrifying. let's have some fun.

We were also involved with more higher profile players and we hung in to the end on most. We got Purvis, Hamilton, and Lubin. Ollie did fine and it isn't over.

 

[arnie3]

I'm clueless on this. He's been consistently rated below Lubin, His choice of Oregon isn't headlines on ESPN, CBS, or Yahoo. People are we over-reacting on a three star athlete? Next. I believe that we will be fine

 

[CAHUSKY]

I'm clueless on this. He's been consistently rated below Lubin, His choice of Oregon isn't headlines on ESPN, CBS, or Yahoo. People are we over-reacting on a three star athlete? Next. I believe that we will be fine

I'm glad I'm not the only one

 

[champs99and04]

Can we just one time not blame losing a recruit on dirty recruiting, and money/gifts/promises being exchanged? Uconn is not the best choice for everyone so just accept it for what it is, they maybe found a better fit and somewhere they would rather be for 1-4 years. Uconn is a great school with an incredible bball program, and the recruits that we do get usually take full advantage of it and continue playing at some level. On the other hand, every recruit that passes on us doesn't suddenly become an awful person with no future in bball. They're 17-18 year old kids that make what they and their family/advisors think is the best choice. In all our infinite message board wisdom we all know Uconn is the best program hands down, but sometimes these kids make what we like to think is the wrong decision for better or worse.

Oregon may or may not have done anything fishy to get Kasongo to sign up, but I think it's at least worth mentioning that it was a suspicious recruitment. How many times has a kid come out the afternoon of his announcement date to state team x is leading, only to commit to team y 6 or 7 hours later? My feeling is Kasongo wanted to go to UConn and basically everybody else involved with the recruitment wanted him to go to Oregon. Whether there was any extra incentive, so to speak, for Kasongo to attend Oregon, who knows. But between him raving about the UConn visit, asking Ollie for a follow on twitter, constantly retweeting stuff from UConn fans, and even publicly admitting that we were the favorites earlier this afternoon, it doesn't necessarily add up.

As for the OP and everybody else worrying over the recent recruiting losses, I still don't think our current situation is quite as dire as most think. We swung and missed on McLaughlin, Perkins, Abu, Joseph, Larrier, Colson, Kasongo, and more - such is life the recruiting world. We're still heavily involved with Lyle, Cassell, Robinson, and probably a bunch of other late bloomers we haven't heard of yet. Worst case scenario, we're left with D-Ham, Omar, Purvis, Facey, Nolan, Samuel, Brimah, Rakim, Tolk, and a couple other workhorses next year and we start with a clean slate the spring of 2014.

 

[SeattleHoop]

Don't forget about Colson. I think we have a great shot with him.

 

[Huskies2324]

Let's stay focused on who has said yes to UConn...do not take for granted that Purvis, DHam, and Lubin are really good players and we are fortunate to have them in the fold. Stay positive folks!

 

[mauconnfan]

Don't forget about Colson. I think we have a great shot with him.

He cut UConn from his list - Seminoles and Irish

 

[upstater]

Goodluck Okonoboh is going to UNLV according to Borzello.

 

[arnie3]

This is frenzy feeding by newbies on the board Hang in there We are okay people

 

[selles]

Oregon may or may not have done anything fishy to get Kasongo to sign up, but I think it's at least worth mentioning that it was a suspicious recruitment. How many times has a kid come out the afternoon of his announcement date to state team x is leading, only to commit to team y 6 or 7 hours later? My feeling is Kasongo wanted to go to UConn and basically everybody else involved with the recruitment wanted him to go to Oregon. Whether there was any extra incentive, so to speak, for Kasongo to attend Oregon, who knows. But between him raving about the UConn visit, asking Ollie for a follow on twitter, constantly retweeting stuff from UConn fans, and even publicly admitting that we were the favorites earlier this afternoon, it doesn't necessarily add up.

This kid's heart was with UConn, I don't think there's any doubt. The evidence you cite is accurate. I don't think any money directly changed hands to him, but I do think there was a lot more to this than the kid simply changing his mind of his own volition.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Can we just one time not blame losing a recruit on dirty recruiting, and money/gifts/promises being exchanged?

Eh, I've stopped following recruiting for the most part because it's all sort of gross, and I get that there are more attractive options these days, but you have to admit the atmospherics of this Kasongo thing are a bit strange. The kid's been basically rubbing one out to a UConn poster since he visited, has said virtually nothing about any other school, stalked the players and Ollie online for the last week, seemed to be infatuated with UConn after visiting Oregon, and then releases a boilerplate statement after he commits to Nike U that sounds like it was written by his handler.

I'm just saying it looks odd.

[And, despite all of the above, we should still have a heavy hitter than can step in and squash Oregon despite whatever else was going on.]

 

[Gurleyman]

If Robinson sees himself as a three, I don't see how he comes here with Calhoun/Hamilton on board. If he thinks he can be a Daniels-type four, maybe. But I don't think Daniels thinks of himself as a Daniels-type four. In a bubble, Hamilton and Robinson would make a pretty good wing combo, but if Calhoun is here and Purvis is more of a 2, then there's only so many 2/3 minutes to go around.

We're in pretty good shape for the next two years at least, assuming Facey doesn't end up deciding to join the Jamaican bobsled team after waiting on the NCAA. We will need some more depth for 2014-15 if Boat and DD leave. There could be someone just as good as Kasongo in the leftover pile in the spring, or the fifth-year senior well could be an option one more time. Then we'll have to win a battle for a top-tier guy or two in the 2015 class just to keep talent coming in. No telling how long Purvis-Hamilton-Calhoun-Facey stay.

The "hope they are a diamond in the rough" type recruits just aren't worth fretting over. Abu is perhaps worth a bit of a fret - since Ollie spent a lot of time following him around at AAU events for naught and maybe could have gotten someone else if he had that time back. But such is life - we've lost better guys before (and worse guys). We're just looking for complementary pieces now.

I think Facey is eventually going to be key - we need him to be a guy who carves out a role and develops into a significant contributor, so that we can show future bigs that we can develop a post guy. We have a staff full of point guards and we are now playing a 3 at power forward, while Olander has regressed.