Simply put, as long as we remain in the AAC dumpster fire of a conference, recruiting will be an uphill battle. The only chance we have to land elite recruits from outside our region need to be influenced by one or more of the following:
1. They really like KO and see him as a must have mentor, coach and role model
2. Still see UConn as a special program (4 NCs in last 15 years and over 2 decades of winning success)
3. Believe that KO and his staff can coach them into the NBA
4. See immediate available playing time
Regardless if it was JC or now KO, UConn had to recruit hard and smart to get good players that fit our style of play. Being part of the BE, where you play a couple quality teams each week, many elite ones, was a huge factor for success. Granted we are still on National TV a lot, but it's not the same exposure as it was before, prime time on things like Big Monday!
I'm not saying we can't get good players. Purvis and DHam are top flight P5 type talent that aren't from the NE talent pool. Adams is, and looks like an elite guard. The program simply needs to get an elite player or two most years, plus a handful of solid P5 recruits that can be coached up. What we can't afford if we want to remain an elite program is to fill starting spots and key reserve positions (first 2 to 3 off the bench) with borderline or even below P5 talent. I don't mean to diss any of our players, but we're not going to make a run at the F4 with players like Nolan, TSam and Facey having to log the kind of minutes we needed from them this past season. Now a TSam, a Facey, SCJr and even a Lubin can develop into quality players, maybe not starters, once they are upperclassmen, but the staff really needed to restock the cupboards with a few recruits who had more immediate upside than what they were able to come up with the past couple seasons. Replacing that 2nd ball handler/scorer Bazz with SCJr and TSam, just didn't cut it. Granted they added Purvis, but he looks like just a scorer and not a PG or PG-Combo. DHam filled the wing need, though he was inconsistent as most freshman are. Plus they asked him to do more than he was capable due to the lack of guards who could create for themselves and teammates. As for bigs, they didn't come close fielding a tandem that could score in the post and rebound at an adequate level.
Adams seems like a player who should be able to contribute right away, and will have to. Enoch seems like one who will need some time. I expect him to struggle to stay on the floor next year, and to begin to hit his stride by the middle of his sophomore year. I'm really concerned about next season, due to the talent vacuum created by having a few weak recruiting classes. Now that can be fixed if they can land another quality handler who can create for others and themselves and a big strong post player who can play right away. Some say we need another deep threat, which I'm sure would be nice, but if Adams can score as I think he can, I think we'll be fine if Purvis, Calhoun and DHam pick up where they left off.
It just seems we were in (top 3 to 5) on number of recruits, but finishing 2nd or 3rd doesn't cut it. How big an impact our conference is on our recruiting will be realized over the next few months. If KO can land a couple recruits and/or grad-transfers that can fill some immediate holes and close the deal on a quality 2016 class, then we might get back on track. We really need to find our way back to some P5 conference, but I don't see how that will happen any time soon.
