reliance on top recruits | The Boneyard
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reliance on top recruits

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Obviously in the world of the portal, recruiting is vastly different than it was before. But I thought it was still fun to look through the 6 championship teams and understand the reliance on blue-chip recruits. I looked at McD-AAs and top 25 RSCI recruits.

99 - Hamilton, El-Amin (McD AAs)
04 - Okafor (RSCI 99), Gordon (RSCI 41), Taliek Brown (McD AA, 10), Charlie V (McD AA, 18)
11- Kemba (McAA,14), Alex O (McAA, 16), Lamb (78), Shabazz (75)
14 - Almost no highly rated HS players - DeAndre (RSCI 32), Shabazz (RSCI 75), Boat (RSCI 60s)
23 - Almost no but portal obviously a different time - Donovan (30s), Hawkins (48), Jackson (50s)
24 - Castle. No other real elite recruits from HS.

Not sure what to make of this lol
 
I would like to point out that the 99 Duke team had 6 McD AA on the roster and the 04 team had 7 on the roster.

Both more than Calhoun had on his rosters all time at that point.

Point is you do not need McD AA to win. They obviously help, but it is more important to have the right roster make up.
 
I would like to point out that the 99 Duke team had 6 McD AA on the roster and the 04 team had 7 on the roster.

Both more than Calhoun had on his rosters all time at that point.

Point is you do not need McD AA to win. They obviously help, but it is more important to have the right roster make up.
Obviously talent is needed but I think experience has been more important.
 
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Interesting thread. Also would be cool to see what %of McD AAs went on to have any college or pro success. To determine whether being an AA is a predictor of anything.

*I remember all those rising star baseball cards when I was a kid and now im like "really? JOSE LIND???"
 
Really have to tease out preportal and portal, no point in comparing today to 2004. Back then you could get a top recruit and have him for 3 years - that makes a world of difference.

I think Hurley has the sauce right now. Build your base with multi-year HS/Portal recruits, have a couple of those rolling year over year. Fill out the needs with the portal, insert 1 top 5 star to ensure you have some high end NBA talent on the roster. Stuff some internationals on back end of roster to see if they have anything. I think what he did this past cycle was A+.

A starting 5 should have at least 3 upperclassmen.
 
Really have to tease out preportal and portal, no point in comparing today to 2004. Back then you could get a top recruit and have him for 3 years - that makes a world of difference.

I think Hurley has the sauce right now. Build your base with multi-year HS/Portal recruits, have a couple of those rolling year over year. Fill out the needs with the portal, insert 1 top 5 star to ensure you have some high end NBA talent on the roster. Stuff some internationals on back end of roster to see if they have anything. I think what he did this past cycle was A+.

A starting 5 should have at least 3 upperclassmen.
With the Landrew commitment I have been thinking about the "2027/2028" rotational base of juniors Reibe and Furphy along with County and Landrew. That is likely half of the top 8 guys getting minutes (if things work, I would guess 3 starters and County as a key bench piece).

There is a ton of flexibility in those players and the staff can go a ton of different ways depending on what is player's are available and how the "current" players develop.
 
With the Landrew commitment I have been thinking about the "2027/2028" rotational base of juniors Reibe and Furphy along with County and Landrew. That is likely half of the top 8 guys getting minutes (if things work, I would guess 3 starters and County as a key bench piece).

There is a ton of flexibility in those players and the staff can go a ton of different ways depending on what is player's are available and how the "current" players develop.
I like to think about it too, but not too much as too many things can change between now and then.
 
Obviously in the world of the portal, recruiting is vastly different than it was before. But I thought it was still fun to look through the 6 championship teams and understand the reliance on blue-chip recruits. I looked at McD-AAs and top 25 RSCI recruits.

99 - Hamilton, El-Amin (McD AAs)
04 - Okafor (RSCI 99), Gordon (RSCI 41), Taliek Brown (McD AA, 10), Charlie V (McD AA, 18)
11- Kemba (McAA,14), Alex O (McAA, 16), Lamb (78), Shabazz (75)
14 - Almost no highly rated HS players - DeAndre (RSCI 32), Shabazz (RSCI 75), Boat (RSCI 60s)
23 - Almost no but portal obviously a different time - Donovan (30s), Hawkins (48), Jackson (50s)
24 - Castle. No other real elite recruits from HS.

Not sure what to make of this lol
Shabazz would have been ranked higher if he stayed in the class of 2011, but he reclassified to 2010 to come to UConn early.
 
With the Landrew commitment I have been thinking about the "2027/2028" rotational base of juniors Reibe and Furphy along with County and Landrew. That is likely half of the top 8 guys getting minutes (if things work, I would guess 3 starters and County as a key bench piece).

There is a ton of flexibility in those players and the staff can go a ton of different ways depending on what is player's are available and how the "current" players develop.
I would have to say you are jumping the gun just a tad.
 
Were there any last year outside of Duke?
Good question. Pettiford as someone just said. I can't think of any others. Nobody on Florida?

I found the article about there being no McDonald's All Americans in the 2023 Final Four. First time since the 1979 NCAA Tournament when they started seeding teams. Some stuff about Tristen Newton and Hurley bringing in the right transfers in the article.

This weekend’s Final Four is unique because the teams in Houston made it by building around players like Newton instead of heralded high school prospects. This is the first Final Four since the NCAA began seeding teams in 1979 that doesn’t feature a single former McDonald’s All-American or former top-30 recruit. Only UConn has former top-50 prospects on its roster. Several key players at San Diego State and Florida Atlantic finished high school without receiving a scholarship offer.

 
Obviously talent is needed but I think experience has been more important.
This is the reality. Before the One and Done era, teams like Duke had NBA talent and experienced NBA talent. Then we had a shift to one and done, and teams could either have NBA caliber inexperienced players or lesser experienced players (like Shabazz). But you had to get lucky that they guy you recruited 3-4 years ago developed into a really good player. Now via the portal you can roll out an entire team of seniors who all developed into very good college players, a roster like Auburn had last year. If you are relying on multiple freshmen McD AA kids, a team like that is going to manhandle your team.

Hurley has struck the right balance so far. Experienced guys who developed either internally or via the portal, with one or two key young recruits with NBA talent. But the margin or error is small. Do you get Timberlake or Cam Spencer? You also have to recruit over your own juniors/seniors if needed, as we've done with McNeeley and Mullins over Ross/Stewart. Something Kansas didn't do with Harris and Adams and paid the price for.
 
Hurley has done a really good job at getting the right level of talent from both the portal and recruiting. The key is to get the players that fit the program, the needs of the team, and have the skill with the will to learn more and level up.

Mahaney was a swing and a miss, but that was compounded by Diarra's injury, Nowell's injury, and really the whole point guard situation was bleak. Felt that the Georgetown game when Diarra lost his shoe was emblematic of the position problem.

But Newton and Cam were home runs from the portal, and from recruiting, not too many issues as the recruits have generally played up from their rankings. Cannot fault Hurley for Darius Adams, as getting Malachi Smith as a seasoned starting floor general over a freshman with potential is an all-day, every day decision.

While we might get Mingo (seems 60% likely, but things change), we will be done for 2026 recruiting and will portal in a Karaban replacement.

No one knows at this point who stays next year - likely how the season goes determines a lot and the season has barely started. But that is why the portal works well.
 
I would have to say you are jumping the gun just a tad.
Of course. But you can catch a bit of the staff's vision. Players that can be positionally flexible, 1-3 and 2-4 (even Reibe has 4-5 in him).
 
While we might get Mingo (seems 60% likely, but things change), we will be done for 2026 recruiting and will portal in a Karaban replacement.
I'm not sure how anyone can be following the Mingo recruitment, and reading this week's tea leaves including the articles I posted in the Mingo thread, and think UConn is getting Mingo. There's a small chance I guess that it happens in the spring but 60%? Can you explain why you think UConn has a good chance to get Mingo?
 
I'm not sure how anyone can be following the Mingo recruitment, and reading this week's tea leaves including the articles I posted in the Mingo thread, and think UConn is getting Mingo. There's a small chance I guess that it happens in the spring but 60%? Can you explain why you think UConn has a good chance to get Mingo?
<5%
 
Shabazz would have been ranked higher if he stayed in the class of 2011, but he reclassified to 2010 to come to UConn early.
I never realized that he reclassified. I remember Shabazz being considered good but the second level after three(?) PGs in that recruiting class. He was good as a freshman backing up Kemba and then as a four year player? Thank you, Shabazz! A (hungry) Husky great.
 
I'm not sure how anyone can be following the Mingo recruitment, and reading this week's tea leaves including the articles I posted in the Mingo thread, and think UConn is getting Mingo. There's a small chance I guess that it happens in the spring but 60%? Can you explain why you think UConn has a good chance to get Mingo?
60% is a finger wag in the air, seeing a few youtube updates, his comments on Uconn...I dare to put numbers on hunches just to engage conversation really. But even 60% leaves a respectable 40% on the table for the field.

In the end, if we do this ESPN lazy way - whoever gets him was 100% and everyone else 0% chance.

So any number is a total guess.
 
60% is a finger wag in the air, seeing a few youtube updates, his comments on Uconn...I dare to put numbers on hunches just to engage conversation really. But even 60% leaves a respectable 40% on the table for the field.

In the end, if we do this ESPN lazy way - whoever gets him was 100% and everyone else 0% chance.

So any number is a total guess.
I'm guessing you haven't kept up with his recruitment the last week or so. We're out. Forget Mingo. @auror and @navery12, do you want to tell him? He doesn't seem to believe me.

Sometimes I wonder why I provide recruiting updates if people who follow recruiting don't read them. 😂
 
I'm guessing you haven't kept up with his recruitment the last week or so. We're out. Forget Mingo. @auror and @navery12, do you want to tell him? He doesn't seem to believe me.

Sometimes I wonder why I provide recruiting updates if people who follow recruiting don't read them. 😂
This week I've been sporadic at best here. NYC Wine and Food Festival started Wed night and work has been a bear. Whine, whine, whine. Consider me informed on the subject.
 

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