Scholarship Grid: Then & Now

[Huskyforlife]

I dont think Ollie pulls these guys in the big east. New staff made it possible.

 

[aburks41]

And he rode the coat tails of JC recruits too I know. But you can’t tell me the AAC wasn’t a massive obstacle for him to deal with, especially now that we see DH signing up classes after accomplishing nothing in Storrs.

The AAC was atrocious and a huge obstacle. But at the same time, having a national championship under your belt is a golden ticket for recruiting and Ollie wasn't even able to use that properly. I think that is more of a reflection on him than the AAC. He was just flat out a bad recruiter and it's the reason why he was resorting to #200 ranked 3* kids

 

[CL82]

Dropped in on the Friars board at lunch. Someone posted that if we keep recruiting like this, we might catch or surpass them!!! LOL

Are you going to go back to baiting those poor bastards?

 

[Deepster]

Are you going to go back to baiting those poor bastards?

No. I think you have to pay to post. I read it for giggles every couple months. Always a UConn thread near the top, no matter what.

 

[CL82]

No. I think you have to pay to post. I read it for giggles every couple months. Always a UConn thread near the top, no matter what.

Too bad, it was entertaining.

We should get a link back up top with all the conference schools boards. @temery is that likely to happen?

 

[Watchdog]

lol. Matthews actually will be decenti think. Other guy was terrible.

Don't forget Akinjo. He still has a chance to show how good some of us thought he'd be.

 

[Watchdog]

Here is a quote from Samson Johnson:

View attachment 57551

Hurley and his Assistant Coaches are exactly why recruiting is so strong.

This is where all the outside speakers and programs Hurley has brought in to educate and inform his players is really bearing fruit. They talk and they can tell when a coach has a genuine interest in them as people and tries to upgrade their life skills to prepare them for life after UConn.

 

[dannyHAM]

Dropped in on the Friars board at lunch. Someone posted that if we keep recruiting like this, we might catch or surpass them!!! LOL

I just looked up a quick PC forum.. Not sure if its the same one you were looking at, but from what I saw they seem terrified of us. The posters were hyping us more then some people I see on here. One of them even said something like he's still healing from the days of Calhoun LOL

 

[Watchdog]

And he rode the coat tails of JC recruits too I know. But you can’t tell me the AAC wasn’t a massive obstacle for him to deal with, especially now that we see DH signing up classes after accomplishing nothing in Storrs.

The failure to recruit after winning a National Championship wasn't the fault of membership in the AAC.

UConn already had a storied history and had just won a NC with a young, former NBA player, in his second year as coach. He held the team together during a difficult first year and could have used his first two years' success, his knowledge of what it takes to make it in the NBA and set a new standard but failed.

If you want to focus on the AAC aspect of recruiting you'll also need to explain how Mark Few can annually attract great recruits to the West Coast Conference (with few if any of them going on to the NBA), produce gaudy records, get high seeds (several #1's) without ever winning a NC and then continue to get great recruits.

It's always about the right people, with the right strategy and work ethic, that makes success look easy.

 

[Waquoit]

But at the same time, having a national championship under your belt is a golden ticket for recruiting and Ollie wasn't even able to use that properly.

He didn't even try. He thought players would come to him. That Luke Cage shout-out was a killer.

 

[Deepster]

I just looked up a quick PC forum.. Not sure if its the same one you were looking at, but from what I saw they seem terrified of us. The posters were hyping us more then some people I see on here. One of them even said something like he's still healing from the days of Calhoun LOL

Link?

 

[Lefty2one]

I don't visit other schools' forums very often but one common theme with fanbases of our old rivals (Cuse, PC, etc.) is that they think that five down years means our program is dead, is not prestigious, and has nothing to offer. As if we don't have a rich tradition, a fantastic practice facility, a great fanbase, a strong presence in NYC, NBA connections/alumni, etc. They dearly want to believe that we're dead, that we won't be what we once were. They're trying to convince themselves of it, that five down years erased a quarter-century of greatness and that we'll stay mediocre forever.

I honestly believe that many PC fans think there is no difference between Providence and UConn to HS recruits. Man, are they mistaken.

 

[Deepster]

I don't visit other schools' forums very often but one common theme with fanbases of our old rivals (Cuse, PC, etc.) is that they think that five down years means our program is dead, is not prestigious, and has nothing to offer. As if we don't have a rich tradition, a fantastic practice facility, a great fanbase, a strong presence in NYC, NBA connections/alumni, etc. They dearly want to believe that we're dead, that we won't be what we once were. They're trying to convince themselves of it, that five down years erased a quarter-century of greatness and that we'll stay mediocre forever.

I honestly believe that many PC fans think there is no difference between Providence and UConn to HS recruits. Man, are they mistaken.

Well, to be fair, they also thought Tim Welsh was going to be more successful than Jim Calhoun.......

 

[dannyHAM]

Link?

UConn's move to BE paying off

UConn's move to BE paying off

247sports.com

 

[Lefty2one]

If you want to focus on the AAC aspect of recruiting you'll also need to explain how Mark Few can annually attract great recruits to the West Coast Conference (with few if any of them going on to the NBA), produce gaudy records, get high seeds (several #1's) without ever winning a NC and then continue to get great recruits.

Because it's all relative.

• Gonzaga was never uprooted from an amazing conference and thrown into an awful one that made no sense, in terms of geography or rivalries.
• Gonzaga never had an apathetic fanbase that went from being used to filet mignon to being served Wendy's.
• Gonzaga never had a terrible travel schedule for conference games that had them spanning half of the country.
• The West coast has sucked for college basketball for nearly two decades. There is far less competition for west coast kids than there is for east coast kids (not that they don't recruit globally).

 

[Rocktheworld]

The failure to recruit after winning a National Championship wasn't the fault of membership in the AAC.

UConn already had a storied history and had just won a NC with a young, former NBA player, in his second year as coach. He held the team together during a difficult first year and could have used his first two years' success, his knowledge of what it takes to make it in the NBA and set a new standard but failed.

If you want to focus on the AAC aspect of recruiting you'll also need to explain how Mark Few can annually attract great recruits to the West Coast Conference (with few if any of them going on to the NBA), produce gaudy records, get high seeds (several #1's) without ever winning a NC and then continue to get great recruits.

It's always about the right people, with the right strategy and work ethic, that makes success look easy.

I can’t explain an aberration, which is what Gonzaga is.

 

[ctchamps]

Wanted Hurley as much as anyone. We needed someone badly to stop the hemorrhaging in the program and Dan demonstrated twice he could turn programs around. So put me in the category of thinking he was going to be a major factor in getting the program back.

Put me in the category that feels he assembled a killer group of assistants.

However it was not known at the time of his hire we’d be returning to the BE. Our coaches cover the DMV’s of a large geographical footprint of the BE. That was a significant fortuitous outcome for the staff.

Additionally there is the Covid-19 factor. It helps that players do not take the opportunity to travel or prefer being closer to home because of Covid-19.

These circumstances as well as recruits mi$$ing out on backyard cookouts or hooker$ and blow don’t at all diminish the value of the coaches or what they have accomplished. IMO these circumstances accelerated the timeline of getting us back towards the top. We would have gotten there anyways.

 

[intlzncster]

Here is a quote from Samson Johnson:

View attachment 57551

Hurley and his Assistant Coaches are exactly why recruiting is so strong.

I can pull up 15 quotes about the Big East. So what?

 

[intlzncster]

Shocked at how much people don't think BE has helped in our recruiting. I guess i shouldn't be, but still. wild stuff

 

[Guapo]

“Not impressed” - @polycom probably

 

[HuskylnSC]

Wanted Hurley as much as anyone. We needed someone badly to stop the hemorrhaging in the program and Dan demonstrated twice he could turn programs around. So put me in the category of thinking he was going to be a major factor in getting the program back.

Put me in the category that feels he assembled a killer group of assistants.

However it was not known at the time of his hire we’d be returning to the BE. Our coaches cover the DMV’s of a large geographical footprint of the BE. That was a significant fortuitous outcome for the staff.

Additionally there is the Covid-19 factor. It helps that players do not take the opportunity to travel or prefer being closer to home because of Covid-19.

These circumstances as well as recruits mi$$ing out on backyard cookouts or hooker$ and blow don’t at all diminish the value of the coaches or what they have accomplished. IMO these circumstances accelerated the timeline of getting us back towards the top. We would have gotten there anyways.

The COVID-19 has hindered our recruiting more than helped. The great UConn teams typically had players from far afield. I remember when Ray Allen played, his hometown in South Carolina was closer to Storrs than any other player.

 

[UConnTrumbull]

Shocked at how much people don't think BE has helped in our recruiting. I guess i shouldn't be, but still. wild stuff

Especially now in the COVID era. Travel was awful in the AAC pre-pandemic. Imagine now.

Thats without throwing in the quality of opponents.

 

[polycom]

“Not impressed” - @polycom probably

I mean...it’ll depend on the lineups we play...

 

[NJHoops]

Can’t it be everything? The staff is good, the conference is a good sell, and the staff is good at working every advantage? Hurley got top 100 guys to Rhode Island when they hadn’t even been to a tournament since 1999. Kimani and Kenya have always recruited well, including at places like Minnesota and Nebraska. This staff would have done well regardless of conference because they can identify and develop talent (see Bouknight, James).

It’s easy to sell playing time when the roster is lacking. This roster is strong and the disruption of unexpected transfers is a thing of the past. I think being able to sell the conference was an especially nice bonus for the ‘21 class because those guys could potentially look at the roster and wonder where the minutes are coming from. The staff is great at selling their vision, explaining potential roles, and hey, cool, your family can come watch you a lot, too. No one on the staff cares how they get the guys (we’re great, no the conference is great). They’re just enjoying the results of their continued hard work.

 

[polycom]

Can’t it be everything? The staff is good, the conference is a good sell, and the staff is good at working every advantage? Hurley got top 100 guys to Rhode Island when they hadn’t even been to a tournament since 1999. Kimani and Kenya have always recruited well, including at places like Minnesota and Nebraska. This staff would have done well regardless of conference because they can identify and develop talent (see Bouknight, James).

It’s easy to sell playing time when the roster is lacking. This roster is strong and the disruption of unexpected transfers is a thing of the past. I think being able to sell the conference was an especially nice bonus for the ‘21 class because those guys could potentially look at the roster and wonder where the minutes are coming from. The staff is great at selling their vision, explaining potential roles, and hey, cool, your family can come watch you a lot, too. No one on the staff cares how they get the guys (we’re great, no the conference is great). They’re just enjoying the results of their continued hard work.

This guy/girl/however you identify in 2020, knows what they are talking about.