Semi-OT: Akinjo Recruitment

[Tenspro2002]

No way. This was as big a loss as MAL was when he left because of the firing of Miller. It was the biggest negative consequence of KO's firing unless Jalen decides to leave as a result. I'm not thrilled how things played out and am hopeful we end up with far more positive things as a result of the decision to remove KO, but we can't whitewash everything.

Are you actually arguing that

KO + Akinjo > Hurley + new recruits?

Have you watched this team over the last 2 or 4 years? What makes you think that KO would have gotten something out of Akinjo?

Nobody wanted to lose Akinjo, in a vacuum. Almost everybody acknowledged that if losing Akinjo was the price we pay for getting a competent and motivated coach on board, so be it.

 

[HawkHusky]

I wish we still had Akinjo. He will be an asset wherever he goes.

With that said, I'd rather have Hurley with no Akinjo than Ollie with Akinjo.

 

[ctchamps]

You can't operate as if 2018-19 is a transitional season. At least not if you have Jalen Adams on your roster and possibly Gilbert along with Sid Wilson, Vital, Diarra, and who knows what else. Time is too precious and recruits are too valuable to be preemptively putting on the training wheels. This isn't 1997, we're in a low rate conference with a (relatively) unproven coach and nothing in the pipeline to promise a rebirth. Let the program flounder for another year and the climb becomes harder. Look at Providence, hell even BC, they're not screwing around, nor are Seton Hall, St. John's, Nova, or Georgetown. These programs are making big investments to get better and while we're right there with them, I don't think we can afford to test the memory of 16-year-old kids as it relates to UConn basketball. We have staying power but not so much that we can be arrogant about it - Hurley needs to find a way to get us to the tournament year one.

I think unless we get a kid like Lecque and pull in a grad transfer who is certainly not DO but better than AA, next season could be as bad as this.

It's three years out that there is a realistic chance of decent things happening. But I totally agree that each year that passes the ability to regain prominence becomes more difficult.

 

[3rdbass]

Are you actually arguing that

KO + Akinjo > Hurley + new recruits?

Have you watched this team over the last 2 or 4 years? What makes you think that KO would have gotten something out of Akinjo?

Nobody wanted to lose Akinjo, in a vacuum. Almost everybody acknowledged that if losing Akinjo was the price we pay for getting a competent and motivated coach on board, so be it.

I totally agree with this as we all liked Akinjo but understood that with the coaching change that this was going to happen. I'm just glad we have a good coach who seems to have a direction based on his recent hire and what he said with recruiting. Like all of us we are anxious and want to see some results today but I trust in DH and that he will add a couple key players to help make us very competitive in the American this upcoming year.

 

[polycom]

The number of threads we have on a player who we have no idea what they bring to the table just shows how bad this season really was. It's over lets all collectively move on and talk about how much august loves ketchup. It's the offseason let's enjoy it.

 

[ctchamps]

Are you actually arguing that

KO + Akinjo > Hurley + new recruits?

Have you watched this team over the last 2 or 4 years? What makes you think that KO would have gotten something out of Akinjo?

Nobody wanted to lose Akinjo, in a vacuum. Almost everybody acknowledged that if losing Akinjo was the price we pay for getting a competent and motivated coach on board, so be it.

How things played out was about this past season and the need to replace KO. I don't think anyone in this forum held a personal grudge against KO and started this season hoping he'd fail so UConn would dump him. My argument was that the loss of Akinjo is still a negative unless Hurley can bring in a comparable or better player. My argument is not about keeping KO. It's towards people who deny that Akinjo was and still is an important need for us.

 

[JMick]

I think unless we get a kid like Lecque and pull in a grad transfer who is certainly not DO but better than AA, next season could be as bad as this.

It's three years out that there is a realistic chance of decent things happening. But I totally agree that each year that passes the ability to regain prominence becomes more difficult.

I disagree. If the roster remains as is at this very moment I won't be surprised if we win 18-19 games. Would be a big improvement over last year.

 

[superjohn]

I think unless we get a kid like Lecque and pull in a grad transfer who is certainly not DO but better than AA, next season could be as bad as this.

It's three years out that there is a realistic chance of decent things happening. But I totally agree that each year that passes the ability to regain prominence becomes more difficult.

No way, things can turn around really quickly in college basketball.

 

[Kembacity]

"I pressed through the bushes and there, the native dancers whirled before me: limbs flailing, arms akinjo, feet kicking up dust"

 

[intlzncster]

If we get Lecque no one will care about Akinjo

I will. Lecque very well could be a one year bandaid. Akinjo is a four year guy.

“I want to go into a situation where I’ll be playing a lot as a freshman because I want to potentially be a one-and-done,” Lecque said. “If I don’t have that situation I have no problem staying in my class.”

Don't get me wrong, I'd take Lecque 1000 times out of 1000. I'd just like us to get as many guys in the Shabazz mold as possible.

 

[Storrs South]

I will. Lecque very well could be a one year bandaid. Akinjo is a four year guy.

“I want to go into a situation where I’ll be playing a lot as a freshman because I want to potentially be a one-and-done,” Lecque said. “If I don’t have that situation I have no problem staying in my class.”

In terms of wins and losses, Akinjo being here 4 years would be more beneficial than 1 year of Lecque, but it would also be really good for the program brand to put another kid in the league.

UConn is back up to technically 8 alums in the NBA thanks to Emeka making a comeback and DHam/Purvis making it through the G-League but that number has been falling as guys like Caron, Villanueva, Ray and Rip retired.

Getting kids back to the league again would be a good starting point to overcome the conference narrative and undoing the last two seasons of being awful.

 

[ctchamps]

I disagree. If the roster remains as is at this very moment I won't be surprised if we win 18-19 games. Would be a big improvement over last year.

Will the schedule be as difficult as last season? Because last season was a killer schedule for a team that had to integrate a large number of new players.

I have no way of knowing how this season turns out. Do we lose Jalen or keep him? Do we lose any of the newer players and if so which ones? Are the players able to adjust to a new method of doing things? Who does Hurley get this offseason? Can Hurley translate his success at this level.

I'm still very excited that things turn out really well and do so quickly. But I have reservations because the more there are unknowns and uncertainties, the less likely things turn out in the way all of us want.

I'm not going to debate wins and losses next season. As they say we'll find out all that in twenty minutes. I'm happy we got Hurley. We could have done a lot worse and there were only a few options to do better and those weren't likely heading our way. But his hire is not a slam dunk by any stretch of the imagination at this point in time.

What I feel is if he accomplishes what you and bass and tens and super and stats and poly and tcf and others know will happen it will actually be an incredible accomplishment because of the hurdles he needs to overcome.

 

[ctchamps]

In terms of wins and losses, Akinjo being here 4 years would be more beneficial than 1 year of Lecque, but it would also be really good for the program brand to put another kid in the league.

UConn is back up to technically 8 alums in the NBA thanks to Emeka making a comeback and DHam/Purvis making it through the G-League but that number has been falling as guys like Caron, Villanueva, Ray and Rip retired.

Getting kids back to the league again would be a good starting point to overcome the conference narrative and undoing the last two seasons of being awful.

And this shows there are positive and negatives to everything. The negative to getting one and dones is a lack of chemistry development. I want Lecque badly but if the team suffers in the future because he moves on quickly, the chances get smaller we get more Lecques because kids don't want to play for losing teams. Everything is a trade off.

 

[intlzncster]

We have staying power but not so much that we can be arrogant about it - Hurley needs to find a way to get us to the tournament year one.

It'd be nice, but that's a big ask. We've got essentially the same cast of characters back from a team that went 14-18. Gonna need about 23-25 wins to get in the tournament. That's a ginormous turnaround in year 1.

 

[ctchamps]

No way, things can turn around really quickly in college basketball.

Wise guy. I didn't hit you hard enough. Get Lecque, Washington and a very good grad transfer point guard, keep Jalen and Carlson, and I have a different prediction. So far none of that's happened. I'm hopeful the whispers of BF are correct. I actually believe they will happen.

But until they do the reverse mojo is in place.

 

[Scrutineer]

But Josh Pastner is their coach................not so great as he keeps proving over and over again.

 

[Scrutineer]

That will go a long way in making me excited. But until events play completely out I reserve my conclusions.

I'm the eternal optimist before each season, but I'm trying to rein it in and be realistic and right now there's not a lot to be optimistic about for 2018-19 unless some earth shattering recruiting wins are announced in the next few weeks.
We can all get excited about Lecque, Achiuwa, Akinjo, etc. but these guys have all manner of teams on them and we have a conference problem and recent irrelevant history to overcome. Hopefully Hurley, Young, Moore et al can turn that around but to think it'll happen soon is just a hope.

 

[Scrutineer]

For whatever reason, Hurley does not think as highly of Akinjo (based on JA's mom's tweets asking he be recruited). You have to go with the coach's appraisal.

Wonder why he feels that way if that's the case. The kid had a great AAU season, was MVP of the Peach Jam, has speed, a good handle, good outside shot, good free throw guy and seems like a serious kid who knows who he is.

 

[Son of Robert]

This coaching change had to happen. The hiring of Dan Hurley stopped the downward slide of UConn basketball, and has in fact suddenly given UConn momentum and strength as a resurgent program. Hurley has added to this momentum with his excellent hire of the very relevant Kimani Young. Kimani's statements to the press were just so strong and positive, it was awesome to hear this stuff. There is an energy being created here.

The switch up in recruiting, Akinjo bailing early and Mathews and Kisunas withdrawing for whatever set of reasons, has really left Hurley in the favorable position of raising the bar for recruiting to UConn. We really need better players as the integral step to regaining our championship culture and brand. I agree with most people here that if you have 2,3,4, really high level players as a nucleus, the rest of the team can form around them for a winning formula. The players we already have, Adams and Gilbert, with other potential impact players, all mostly sophomores besides Cobb and Vital, (freshman Wilson), present a really nice group of players to add to.

Very optimistic regarding the hiring of Hurley's next coach. Another rising young relevant coach with recruiting ties, a tremendous, respected, X's and O's coach, or even an acknowledged big man's coach, will add even more momentum to the rising UConn brand.

I think with all of the above being stated, Hurley is in a strong position to go after top tier recruits to fill out this roster. Shoot high, and if we get one or two high caliber players the momentum will rise even more. Fill it out with a top grad transfer.

Momentum is a beautiful thing, and we have it. Hopefully most of these off season dynamics go our way, and we can start kicking ass again next year. Bleed Blue!

 

[UConnStats]

I will. Lecque very well could be a one year bandaid. Akinjo is a four year guy.

“I want to go into a situation where I’ll be playing a lot as a freshman because I want to potentially be a one-and-done,” Lecque said. “If I don’t have that situation I have no problem staying in my class.”

Don't get me wrong, I'd take Lecque 1000 times out of 1000. I'd just like us to get as many guys in the Shabazz mold as possible.

Which is why I think if we’re going to get Lecque, having a redshirt guard like Carr (who Hurley recruited at URI) makes sense.

1. You bring in 2 guards for 2018, say Lecque and Silverio
2. You lose Adams and Lecque after next season
3. You then replace them with the redshirt and give Silverio (now a sophomore) more minutes, while Gilbert and Vital remain as starters. We’ll have a 2019 guard commit on the roster as well.

 

[MattMang23]

Wait? Akinjo decommited?

 

[Guapo]

Wait? Akinjo decommited?

http://firehurley.com/

 

[HawkHusky]

Wait? Akinjo decommited?

Giggity

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

http://firehurley.com/

I was expecting Rick Astley.

 

[intlzncster]

http://firehurley.com/

Strong redirect.