Recruiting tidbits on some UConn Targets

[tcf15]

Brandone Francis, Daniel Hamilton, Pascal Chukwu and some more: http://tinyurl.com/cbdqqcr

Article on Pascal Chukwu from TOS (might be premium): http://tinyurl.com/bntdm5o

AZ article on SF Paul White- Mentions AZ, Marquette, Florida and UConn as contacting him the most (might be premium): http://tinyurl.com/bmr6zfs

Brandone Francis- mentions UConn, along with several others, as his top schools: http://louisville.247sports.com/Article/Dominican-import-making-his-name-129100

 

[tcf15]

Abdul Malik-Abu- Mentions UConn, along with a few others coming at him the hardest. Also says that he and Jared Terrell are not a package deal: http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcspo...ding-offers-along-with-an-improved-post-game/

 

[TheChamps990411]

i saw chukwu play about a month ago on tv and honestly i was very impressed and surprised he isnt a top flight recruit. yes hes got a way to go especially offensively but hes got some things you cant teach. he was flying up and down the court,was making some nice passes out of the post and was pretty athletic. he seems like he`s only scratching the surface of what he can be. wherever he goes the kid is going to make a big impact.

 

[upstater]

i saw chukwu play about a month ago on tv and honestly i was very impressed and surprised he isnt a top flight recruit. yes hes got a way to go especially offensively but hes got some things you cant teach. he was flying up and down the court,was making some nice passes out of the post and was pretty athletic. he seems like he`s only scratching the surface of what he can be. wherever he goes the kid is going to make a big impact.

I wonder what the UConn inroads are like with him. We've had posts like yours for over a year now. He might blow up this summer on the national scene, but because he's playing in Conn., our fans have been on him for 18 months at least. Hoping the staff has had a similar head start and that this means something.

 

[huskiesNhoos]

Wish list:
Pg - chiozza
SG - hill
Sf - oubre
Pf- Abu
C - chukwu

That's not asking too much, right? Would make for one hell of a class...

 

[upstater]

I'll take Gant at SF/PF maybe over Abu. That will help bring Hill but I also see Gant as a spectacular player who is a little under the radar right now. This kid has big time abilities.

Wish list:
Pg - chiozza
SG - hill
Sf - oubre
Pf- Abu
C - chukwu

That's not asking too much, right? Would make for one hell of a class...

 

[Huskyforlife]

Pg Joseph
Sg Hill
SF Hamilton
Pf Gant
C Chuckwu

I don't know if gants a pf, but id take him since he would help with hill, and reminds me of Rudy Gay

 

[huskiesNhoos]

I'll take Gant at SF/PF maybe over Abu. That will help bring Hill but I also see Gant as a spectacular player who is a little under the radar right now. This kid has big time abilities.

Forgot about gant. I agree I'd take him over Abu or oubre...but would be ok with any of the 3

 

[BearJWS]

Gant is definitely more of SF, ala R. Gay (inside & out). Abu is a true PF (down low bruiser), ala Adrien. So Gant & Abu are different in my opinion.

I think there's too much duplication if we had say Hill/Gant/Hamilton/Aubre. Ideally only 2 of these guys to split between 2G & SF. For 2014, UConn will only have Facey at PF. I'm assuming Daniels is gone by then. I'm not sure Nolan can play PF, but maybe he develops more offense outside of 5 feet... but at the end of the day UConn needs several players who can rebound & score down low.

Ideally I'd like to see the staff target 1 player for each position: PG, SG, SF, PF & Center.

PG. - McLaughlin/Joseph (one of these guys)
2G. - Hill
SF. - Gant/Hamilton/Aubrey/Peak (one of these guys)
PF. - Abu/Black (one of these guys)
C. - Chukwu

If Daniels & Boatright are gone for 2014-2015, then UConn can bring in 6 recruits.

 

[aceboon]

Gant would play PF if he came here, his game is as an athletic stretch 4, just like Leron Black. There would be no duplication at all with Hill/Gant, their games are nothing alike. Hill is more of a SG who can play SF in a 3 guard lineup, in fact in the latest Rivals write up he was grouped with some PGs in the '14 class because of his combo guard skills.

 

[husky99]

Gant is definitely more of SF, ala R. Gay (inside & out). Abu is a true PF (down low bruiser), ala Adrien. So Gant & Abu are different in my opinion.

I think there's too much duplication if we had say Hill/Gant/Hamilton/Aubre. Ideally only 2 of these guys to split between 2G & SF. For 2014, UConn will only have Facey at PF. I'm assuming Daniels is gone by then. I'm not sure Nolan can play PF, but maybe he develops more offense outside of 5 feet... but at the end of the day UConn needs several players who can rebound & score down low.

Ideally I'd like to see the staff target 1 player for each position: PG, SG, SF, PF & Center.

PG. - McLaughlin/Joseph (one of these guys)
2G. - Hill
SF. - Gant/Hamilton/Aubrey/Peak (one of these guys)
PF. - Abu/Black (one of these guys)
C. - Chukwu

If Daniels & Boatright are gone for 2014-2015, then UConn can bring in 6 recruits.

If we can get any three of them, i would be happy

 

[BearJWS]

Gant would play PF if he came here, his game is as an athletic stretch 4, just like Leron Black. There would be no duplication at all with Hill/Gant, their games are nothing alike. Hill is more of a SG who can play SF in a 3 guard lineup, in fact in the latest Rivals write up he was grouped with some PGs in the '14 class because of his combo guard skills.

Correct, UConn had been targeting Hill is a part of a 3 guard set, a swingman like Ray & Hamilton played. Gants game is not a PF, it's definitely a SF. While Gant could probably play PF in stretches, Gant wouldn't be a guy to grab as many rebounds as a Adu/Black in my opinion because of his preference for playing outside more so. I think there's room for Gant & Hill together, but more SG & SF, wing players. Gant is more Rudy Gay like, but I didn't consider him a PF. UConn needs to target another player for PF, which will help Facey on the boards.

 

[aceboon]

Correct, UConn had been targeting Hill is a part of a 3 guard set, a swingman like Ray & Hamilton played. Gants game is not a PF, it's definitely a SF. While Gant could probably play PF in stretches, Gant wouldn't be a guy to grab as many rebounds as a Adu/Black in my opinion because of his preference for playing outside more so. I think there's room for Gant & Hill together, but more SG & SF, wing players. Gant is more Rudy Gay like, but I didn't consider him a PF. UConn needs to target another player for PF, which will help Facey on the boards.

Guys like Oubre & Hamilton are the more prototypical SFs in KO's system, Gant is way behind them in regards to perimeter/playmaking skills(not speaking in terms of upside and talent). He needs to develop his ballhandling and shot creating abilities, he can do that from the 4 spot just like DeAndre is doing.

 

[david]

Guys like Oubre & Hamilton are the more prototypical SFs in KO's system, Gant is way behind them in regards to perimeter/playmaking skills(not speaking in terms of upside and talent). He needs to develop his ballhandling and shot creating abilities, he can do that from the 4 spot just like DeAndre is doing.

Serious question: are we sure that Ollie wants to continue playing 3 guards and then a prototypical 3 at the 4? I haven't seen anywhere whether or not this is something he wants to keep doing, or if he did it out of necessity because he thought it was the best lineup with the players he had.

 

[aceboon]

Serious question: are we sure that Ollie wants to continue playing 3 guards and then a prototypical 3 at the 4? I haven't seen anywhere whether or not this is something he wants to keep doing, or if he did it out of necessity because he thought it was the best lineup with the players he had.

Eh, we'll probably disagree on this since most on this board think that prototypical college 3s are what we put on the floor starting with the Rudy Gay era on through Roscoe/DD, but they're really not. Most college 3s are more in the Rip/Ray build and ball skills, DD isn't really like that, I feel KO played him at PF because that is where could take better advantage of his offensive skills, not because of lack of bigs. Someone like Gant to me is better served playing at the PF spot in college, while still developing their perimeter skills, like what DD is doing. Gant can step outside and shoot jumpers but his offensive game on the perimeter(ball handling, shot creating) is not on the level of guys like Oubre and Hamilton, both of whom would play SF here. Also, someone like Facey will probably play the PF spot for the majority of his career here operating as a post & face up man, and he's nothing like DD offensively, so it will vary based on what talent we have.

 

[upstater]

Guys like Oubre & Hamilton are the more prototypical SFs in KO's system, Gant is way behind them in regards to perimeter/playmaking skills(not speaking in terms of upside and talent). He needs to develop his ballhandling and shot creating abilities, he can do that from the 4 spot just like DeAndre is doing.

This is how I see it too. From looking at his videos, he looks explosive inside. Doesn't have the big body. But he can sky. A rich man's Roscoe Smith, a poor man's Cliff Levingston.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Eh, we'll probably disagree on this since most on this board think that prototypical college 3s are what we put on the floor starting with the Rudy Gay era on through Roscoe/DD, but they're really not. Most college 3s are more in the Rip/Ray build and ball skills, DD isn't really like that, I feel KO played him at PF because that is where could take better advantage of his offensive skills, not because of lack of bigs. Someone like Gant to me is better served playing at the PF spot in college, while still developing their perimeter skills, like what DD is doing. Gant can step outside and shoot jumpers but his offensive game on the perimeter(ball handling, shot creating) is not on the level of guys like Oubre and Hamilton, both of whom would play SF here. Also, someone like Facey will probably play the PF spot for the majority of his career here operating as a post & face up man, and he's nothing like DD offensively, so it will vary based on what talent we have.

I hope you're right that Ollie played DD at the 4 because he wanted to, not because he had to, and that DD will remain at the 4 going forward.

At any level, you need 3 ballhandlers on the floor. In college, that typically means 3 guys 6'6 and below -- think Ollie/Sheffer/Ray or Ricky/Khalid/Rip. At the NBA level, guys are so skilled that even beefy 6'9 guys like Lebron, Carmelo, Durant can handle the ball and play the 3. Just because someone like DD has a similar build doesn't mean he's equipped to play the 3, because he doesn't have the ballhandling skills. We saw what happened in 2006 when we tried to field lineups with only 2 (arguably 1) ballhandler. And a similar thing in 2010 with Stanley Robinson at the 3.

When you play the 3, you need to be able to handle the ball; it doesn't matter if you're 6'4, 6'8, or 6'10.

 

[Steve85]

This is how I see it too. From looking at his videos, he looks explosive inside. Doesn't have the big body. But he can sky. A rich man's Roscoe Smith, a poor man's Cliff Levingston.

with Oubre having a little Aubrey Sherrod in him perhaps...(another early 80's Wichita St. reference for you young-uns...). keeping on the same, tangential path, are we recruiting an Antoine Carr and is Wolf potentially better than Greg Dreiling...?

 

[upstater]

with Oubre having a little Aubrey Sherrod in him perhaps...(another early 80's Wichita St. reference for you young-uns...). keeping on the same, tangential path, are we recruiting an Antoine Carr and is Wolf potentially better than Greg Dreiling...?

Xavier McDaniel.

 

[Calhoun's Court]

with Oubre having a little Aubrey Sherrod in him perhaps...(another early 80's Wichita St. reference for you young-uns...). keeping on the same, tangential path, are we recruiting an Antoine Carr and is Wolf potentially better than Greg Dreiling...?

Now if we could just find another Xavier McDaniel

 

[SeattleHoop]

Gant is definitely more of SF, ala R. Gay (inside & out). Abu is a true PF (down low bruiser), ala Adrien. So Gant & Abu are different in my opinion.

I think there's too much duplication if we had say Hill/Gant/Hamilton/Aubre. Ideally only 2 of these guys to split between 2G & SF. For 2014, UConn will only have Facey at PF. I'm assuming Daniels is gone by then. I'm not sure Nolan can play PF, but maybe he develops more offense outside of 5 feet... but at the end of the day UConn needs several players who can rebound & score down low.

Ideally I'd like to see the staff target 1 player for each position: PG, SG, SF, PF & Center.

PG. - McLaughlin/Joseph (one of these guys)
2G. - Hill
SF. - Gant/Hamilton/Aubrey/Peak (one of these guys)
PF. - Abu/Black (one of these guys)
C. - Chukwu

If Daniels & Boatright are gone for 2014-2015, then UConn can bring in 6 recruits.

I like your style . I would go:

PG-McGlaughlin (Remember we have Purvis and Samuel too)
SG- Hill (Possible 1 and done)
SF- Jakeen Gant (Next Rudy Gay)
PF- Abu (mixture of okafor/adrien to me)
C- Chukwu (love the big shot blockers)

If we were to get a recruiting class even remotely similar to that, folks, we have a "UNC/Kansas/Kentucky) type recruiting class in terms of NBA talent. Ollie will pull it off.

 

[husky99]

Black is another recruit who could play the 3 or 4

 

[Huskyforlife]

How was Hamilton visit?

 

[tcf15]

How was Hamilton visit?

It's probably still happening. Official visits usually last the entire weekend.

 

[sledog]

What happened with Okafor? No offer /interest? With a name like that, on would think...