SF Justin Jackson (picks Maryland)

[Matrim55]

Consensus top 10 recruits:

Corny
Donyell
Charlie V
Rudy
Bynum (!!!)
Andre

Would've been top 10 if post-grads were rated back then:

Caron

Borderline top 10 recruits:

Rip
Khalid
Taliek
Kemba
DeAndre

I may be missing one or two, but I think this is pretty close to the entire list.

 

[gtcam]

How do we have one of the top recruiting classes in the nation if we can't recruit?

We have trouble with top 10 kids. Maybe even 20

4 National Championships in the last 17 years indicates something is working within the system
In those 17 years please count the number of top 20 kids UConn landed
If a kid is not top 100 but develops into a baller - what the held difference does it make?
Some people are so hung up on the top 20 players - all of whom are virtual 1 and dones - yeah a few may be great BUT I am not displeased with the results in Storrs - yes even last season

 

[BUConn10]

Consensus top 10 recruits:

Corny
Donyell
Charlie V
Rudy
Bynum (!!!)
Andre

Would've been top 10 if post-grads were rated back then:

Caron

Borderline top 10 recruits:

Rip
Khalid
Taliek
Kemba
DeAndre

I may be missing one or two, but I think this is pretty close to the entire list.

Incidentally, they all turned out to be some of the best players in program history, for those who think rankings aren't really that important or that the "UConn way" is to avoid these guys (not saying this is you Matrim, just in general).

 

[Stainmaster]

Incidentally, they all turned out to be some of the best players in program history, for those who think rankings aren't really that important or that the "UConn way" is to avoid these guys (not saying this is you Matrim, just in general).

I think the point is more that even players like this have always performed spectacularly for us and brought us many victories, we don't need to fill the entire roster with them.

 

[BUConn10]

I think the point is more that even players like this have always performed spectacularly for us and brought us many victories, we don't need to fill the entire roster with them.

Definitely agree, we always need "program players" as they say. Yet as of now we don't have a single one of these guys on the roster, and while Ollie has been targeting these top players at a higher frequency than JC did in my opinion, we have yet to sign one, Diallo will be our first one if he commits. I do think one issue is that I think Ollie may be spreading himself a little this with the number of offers he gives out per class. It gives kids the impression of being recruited over and gives the perception of a less valuable offer. Then again, Ollie being a new coach could likely explain this behavior since he is still getting his roots established in the recruiting game.

In a few years when he gets more acquainted with the AAU circuits and his time with the USA U19 team he will be able to be more selective with his offers.

 

[scuba lou]

Incidentally, they all turned out to be some of the best players in program history, for those who think rankings aren't really that important or that the "UConn way" is to avoid these guys (not saying this is you Matrim, just in general).

If you look at it by championship, 99 was led by two McDonalds AA's, and so was 11.
04 and 14 were led by sub top 25 talent.

 

[BUConn10]

If you look at it by championship, 99 was led by two McDonalds AA's, and so was 11.
04 and 14 were led by sub top 25 talent.

'14 for sure, '04 somewhat as Gordon was a top 50 player and Taliek was a McDAA I believe. '11 though was led by a McDAA and near top 10 player in Walker who also happened to be the best player in the country that year by a significant margin.

 

[caw]

Incidentally, they all turned out to be some of the best players in program history, for those who think rankings aren't really that important or that the "UConn way" is to avoid these guys (not saying this is you Matrim, just in general).

It's not avoiding them, it's not being bent out of shape if UConn doesn't get them. UConn has made a nice living with players 25-100.

If you look at it by championship, 99 was led by two McDonalds AA's, and so was 11.
04 and 14 were led by sub top 25 talent.

04 wasn't led by All Americans but Taliek and Charlie V were both McDAAs. 14 had Daniels who would have been if eligible.



That said, we all, as UConn fans, would love a top 10 kid but we should also know UConn has never been a one and done top player destination. UConn usually has snuck a few top 25 kids on each team and had the rest of the roster stacked with kids 25-100 who were underrated or developed.

Ollie seems to be filling the roster out the same way now that the recruiting restrictions are gone.

He has his two direct from HS top 25 guys in Adams and Gilbert. That's as much top 25 talent as any individual team JC had in his tenure at UConn, off the top of my head I don't believe JC ever had more than two top 25 kids on team outside of the Kemba, Oriakhi, Drummond team.

Ollie actually has been amazingly good at getting his top targets. And I think each class has been better than the previous in terms of ranking and talent. I think he's in a good spot.

 

[Yankees32123]

off the top of my head I don't believe JC ever had more than two top 25 kids on team outside of the Kemba, Oriakhi, Drummond team.

Kemba never played with Drummond.

 

[caw]

Kemba never played with Drummond.

You are right, brain fart before the morning coffee, but reinforces my main point.

 

[Matrim55]

You are right, brain fart before the morning coffee, but reinforces my main point.

Daniels, Oriakhi & Drummond were all top 25, tho.

 

[dennismenace]

Definitely agree, we always need "program players" as they say. Yet as of now we don't have a single one of these guys on the roster, and while Ollie has been targeting these top players at a higher frequency than JC did in my opinion, we have yet to sign one, Diallo will be our first one if he commits. I do think one issue is that I think Ollie may be spreading himself a little this with the number of offers he gives out per class. It gives kids the impression of being recruited over and gives the perception of a less valuable offer. Then again, Ollie being a new coach could likely explain this behavior since he is still getting his roots established in the recruiting game.

In a few years when he gets more acquainted with the AAU circuits and his time with the USA U19 team he will be able to be more selective with his offers.

KO has been up against the sanctions and the lack of prestige of the AAC. I think he is doing remarkably well considering. I think he is just beginning to hit his stride
and like all good coaches will learn from mistakes that he may have made along the way. I think he would be considered a top ten coach in the country and possibly even
higher considering how long he has been coaching and the future he has ahead.

 

[David 76]

Consensus top 10 recruits:

Corny
Donyell
Charlie V
Rudy
Bynum (!!!)
Andre

Would've been top 10 if post-grads were rated back then:

Caron

Borderline top 10 recruits:

Rip
Khalid
Taliek
Kemba
DeAndre

Interesting that we have not won any of our championships with a consensus top 10 player on the team.
And every borderline top 10 recruit has won a championship.

 

[Matrim55]

Interesting that we have not won any of our championships with a consensus top 10 player on the team.

Charlie V

 

[David 76]

Charlie V

I stand corrected, Forgot about his Freshman year.

 

[TitleTown]

There are over 500 transfers each year, why are there still some of ya'll who pretend that getting transfers isn't a part of recruiting?

Transfers are looking for one thing and one thing only and that is playing time! Not every team has the openings for transfers so therefore you are cutting the list of possible recruiters way down.

 

[azescobar]

We all know not to trust the 247 Crystal Ball (See Vital, Christian), but for whatever it's worth, Jerry Meyer gave UConn its first crystal ball for Jackson. He is pretty much basing it on the Canadian Hoops tweet that was sent last week, but we'll see. I would expect a decision is made in the next week or so, after this Oregon visit.

 

[rip7774]

We all know not to trust the 247 Crystal Ball (See Vital, Christian), but for whatever it's worth, Jerry Meyer gave UConn its first crystal ball for Jackson. He is pretty much basing it on the Canadian Hoops tweet that was sent last week, but we'll see. I would expect a decision is made in the next week or so, after this Oregon visit.

Do we know how legit that source is? When I looked at their feed they seemed pretty informed but who knows.

 

[7774]

Transfers are looking for one thing and one thing only and that is playing time! Not every team has the openings for transfers so therefore you are cutting the list of possible recruiters way down.

It seems exactly the same with high school recruits. MAL is less likely to come here than he would be if we didn't have Adams and Gilbert.

You manage to make less and less sense with every post, it's amazing.

 

[aceboon]

Transfers are looking for one thing and one thing only and that is playing time! Not every team has the openings for transfers so therefore you are cutting the list of possible recruiters way down.

This is just a moronic comment, HS recruits also try to find the best situation for them minutes wise coming into college too. What part are you not getting that players in college who transfer go through a recruiting process just like HS players do?

 

[Huskyforlife]

We all know not to trust the 247 Crystal Ball (See Vital, Christian), but for whatever it's worth, Jerry Meyer gave UConn its first crystal ball for Jackson. He is pretty much basing it on the Canadian Hoops tweet that was sent last week, but we'll see. I would expect a decision is made in the next week or so, after this Oregon visit.

Since he's gotten Josh Jacksons commitment right, the only prediction he got wrong was Vital to UL, hopefully that's a good sign.

 

[HuskyBballFan]

Transfers are looking for one thing and one thing only and that is playing time! Not every team has the openings for transfers so therefore you are cutting the list of possible recruiters way down.

Yeah, no.

It's not as if Miller, Gibbs, and Larrier weren't getting playing time at their previous schools - they could have gone just about anywhere they wanted in the country. And as aceboon pointed out, transfers aren't looking for playing time anymore than high school recruits are.

 

[UConnStats]

Pretty impressive what numbers Jackson put up at FIBA U19 last year compared to Dillon Brooks, who of course is at Oregon now and a year ahead of Jackson.

 

[AntG168]

Justin Jackson just liked a ton of UCONN tweets including one of mine. Seems like a good sign to me

 

[AntG168]

Twitter Handle: @J5T4L_