Scholarship Grid: Then & Now | Page 2 | The Boneyard

Scholarship Grid: Then & Now

Huskybass said:
Here is a quote from Samson Johnson:

View attachment 57551

Hurley and his Assistant Coaches are exactly why recruiting is so strong.
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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.
 
Deepster said:
Dropped in on the Friars board at lunch. Someone posted that if we keep recruiting like this, we might catch or surpass them!!! LOL
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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
 
Rocktheworld said:
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 Dan Hurley signing up classes after accomplishing nothing in Storrs.
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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.
 
aburks41 said:
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.
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He didn't even try. He thought players would come to him. That Luke Cage shout-out was a killer.
 
dannyHAM said:
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
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Link?
 
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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.
 
Lefty2one said:
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.
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Well, to be fair, they also thought Tim Welsh was going to be more successful than Jim Calhoun.......
 
Watchdog said:
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.
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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).
 
Watchdog said:
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.
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I can’t explain an aberration, which is what Gonzaga is.
 
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.
 
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fleudslipcon said:
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.
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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.
 
intlzncster said:
Shocked at how much people don't think BE has helped in our recruiting. I guess i shouldn't be, but still. wild stuff
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Especially now in the COVID era. Travel was awful in the AAC pre-pandemic. Imagine now.

Thats without throwing in the quality of opponents.
 
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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.
 
NJHoops said:
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.
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This guy/girl/however you identify in 2020, knows what they are talking about.
 
My two cents.. JC/KO/Dan Hurley are UConn guys/coaches who understand the value of the BE brand.. For whatever reason(s) you want to speculate on.. Dan Hurley is now the guy.. He has assembled a talented roster..Top to bottom.. On him to deliver the "goods".. (aka wins/championships).. It is what it is.. I.. for one.. See him doing that as he continues to evolve as a top-level D1 coach..
 
UConnTrumbull said:
Especially now in the COVID era. Travel was awful in the AAC pre-pandemic. Imagine now.

Thats without throwing in the quality of opponents.
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very good point. I was looking at it in a vacuum, but driving to games for both the kids and the families takes on extra meaning in today's environment
 
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intlzncster said:
Yeah that pretty much proves the point I was making to a T.

For the record, I'm fully on board with @NJHoops overall macro perspective HERE.
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For the record check out post #42 in this thread which was a poorer attempt to say the same thing.

This staff was special to start with. Getting into a conference that was geographically in the recruiting areas they had connections had to help. Getting into a conference which has a recent history of NCAA championships as well as is considered one of the top bb conferences has to help.

That doesn't refute any argument this coaching staff could have accomplished things in the AAC.
 
fleudslipcon said:
Could support Waquoit's theory football can land in a Power 5 conference.
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Just to clarify, I don't think we will land in a P5 conference. But I think our chances are better to get there with Big East BB and indy FB than they would have been tied to the awful AAC. Imagine if we were in with that batch of losers today - 8/12/20? Instead of celebrating our BB recruits, the athletic department would be in crisis.
 
fleudslipcon said:
That doesn't refute any argument this coaching staff could have accomplished things in the AAC.
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“things” being accomplished is significantly easier in the Big East than it would’ve been in the AAC. Full stop.

we are in the Big East now.

there’s zero reason for this to even be a topic of conversation.
 
Guapo said:
“things” being accomplished is significantly easier in the Big East than it would’ve been in the AAC. Full stop.

we are in the Big East now.

there’s zero reason for this to even be a topic of conversation.
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Just expressing an opinion that we have a great coaching staff that would have done well in the AAC but will do even better in the BE because it’s a better bb conference making it more exciting to recruits plus we conveniently had recruiters with great connections in the BE geographical area.

You just agreed with what I stated. What did I write that you thought said something different?
 
Waquoit said:
Just to clarify, I don't think we will land in a P5 conference. But I think our chances are better to get there with Big East BB and indy FB than they would have been tied to the awful AAC. Imagine if we were in with that batch of losers today - 8/12/20? Instead of celebrating our BB recruits, the athletic department would be in crisis.
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Wasn’t laughing at your original position.

AD is still in crisis. Significantly hurt as is entire university by COVID-19. But excitement level once athletics resume will be through the roof for men’s bb and that will result in great attendance and donations.

When UConn regains its position as a top tier bb program and football hopefully significantly improves there might be a chance for an invite. Both are more likely now than remaining in the AAC. Who knows what type of reshuffling will be needed after the pandemic ends.
 
fleudslipcon said:
For the record check out post #42 in this thread which was a poorer attempt to say the same thing.

That doesn't refute any argument this coaching staff could have accomplished things in the AAC.
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who was arguing that?

i do know they would have struggled to land Jackson, and that has fall on effects with other recruits.
 
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