Successful Recruiting?

[kansashusky]

I have been thinking about this a lot lately and wanted to know your opinions. Would you consider Hurley and the Staffs recruiting efforts successful thus far? This is an imperfect questions for several reasons. We have never seen Bouknight and Gaffney play in a UConn uniform and though we have only signed two recruits, we are in a good place with several others.

It has been well documented that Hurley likes to have his class in place, for the most part, before the early signing period. For whatever reason, that has not happened. There are several question marks as we head into the spring signing period, but lots of reason for optimism. As the signing period has ended, I just wanted to hear everyone's thoughts.

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

Well you can't really call it unsuccessful until we lose out on guys we wanted.

 

[UConnStats]

He’s doing a great job, especially considering how horrible we’ve been the past couple of years and the AAC working against us. Holding rankings aside, they’ve signed two highly productive guards who 1) will be able to eat minutes right away, and 2) are both good shooters, which has been our biggest problem with our recent guards.

Regarding the frontcourt: You want to sign top 40 kids? A lot of them make you wait. That’s how it is today. We’ve put ourselves in a good position with Akok, Kofi, and Achiuwa. I’m not sure we’ll land all of them, but I don’t think you can realistically ask for a much better start.

And if Hurley keeps getting the type of love for his coaching/fire that he did after the Cuse game, there will be plenty of talented kids who want to play for him.

 

[Kenny11]

Isn't there also a short signing period in December or am I mistaken?

 

[Pgh2Storrs]

100%.

As much as we all want 4 or even 5 guys locked up, I think the quickness with which Gaffney and Bouknight committed spoiled us and skewed our perception of the process. This staff has done a remarkable job of shifting the narrative around the program, locking in on our targets, and grinding to put us in a good spot with some really talented kids.

 

[tcf15]

I would say yes, especially given the context of where we would have been if there wasn't a coaching change. Both guys we landed seem like they'll be moving up the rankings as their season goes on too, which is a great indication of identifying and prioritizing underrated talent.

Now, this is successful as of November 2018. By April 2019, we'll need two of our top remaining targets for this class to still be considered as a recruiting success. But I'm confident that'll happen.

 

[NJHoops]

I’d be concerned if the bigs they’re targeting had committed elsewhere. They haven’t. They’ve just decided to take all the time they’re allotted to make their decisions.

 

[BFieldHusky]

I have been thinking about this a lot lately and wanted to know your opinions. Would you consider Hurley and the Staffs recruiting efforts successful thus far? This is an imperfect questions for several reasons. We have never seen Bouknight and Gaffney play in a UConn uniform and though we have only signed two recruits, we are in a good place with several others.

It has been well documented that Hurley likes to have his class in place, for the most part, before the early signing period. For whatever reason, that has not happened. There are several question marks as we head into the spring signing period, but lots of reason for optimism. As the signing period has ended, I just wanted to hear everyone's thoughts.

Biggest reason it hasn't happened is its a different world recruiting top 30-40 players versus the players Hurley has recruited in the past. More and more of these kids want to wait until the spring. We are in great shape for Akok, and lead for Kofi. They would take a Mitchell commitment right now though. That spot probably doesn't get decided until mid-winter or the spring.

 

[pj]

Biggest reason it hasn't happened is its a different world recruiting top 30-40 players versus the players Hurley has recruited in the past. More and more of these kids want to wait until the spring. We are in great shape for Akok, and lead for Kofi. They would take a Mitchell commitment right now though. That spot probably doesn't get decided until mid-winter or the spring.

Only 14 of the top 50 recruits are uncommitted (2019 Top Basketball Recruits). Agree Hurley is doing very well recruiting, but our big recruits are waiting longer to commit than other similar recruits. Maybe they want to see how the season and big man development goes.

 

[kansashusky]

Only 14 of the top 50 recruits are uncommitted (2019 Top Basketball Recruits). Agree Hurley is doing very well recruiting, but our big recruits are waiting longer to commit than other similar recruits. Maybe they want to see how the season and big man development goes.

Was just going to echo this same sentiment. 79 of the ESPN top 100 are committed. 36 of the top 50 are committed as well.

I trust Hurley, but I do get anxious thinking about if we do swing and miss. It is slim pickings.

 

[Towney007]

I think you'd see more activity on our end if they didn't feel really good about their chances.

I think Akok is gonna happen.

From there you're looking at Wahab/Cockburn/Achiuwa

I mean you land Akok, and any one of those final three, mix them in with Bouknight and Gaffney and it's awful difficult to call it anything other than a resounding success for year-1.

 

[Mooch82]

I think you'd see more activity on our end if they didn't feel really good about their chances.

I think Akok is gonna happen.

From there you're looking at Wahab/Cockburn/Achiuwa

I mean you land Akok, and any one of those final three, mix them in with Bouknight and Gaffney and it's awful difficult to call it anything other than a resounding success for year-1.

Add Mitchell to the Cockburn/Wahab group. Achiuwa is in his own group....if we don't get him we'll look at potential spring de-commits or a grad transfer. Grad transfers are nice as they don't take a scholarship for 2020.

 

[bendm]

do we really exist in a reality where kentucky doesn't manage a single top 100 PF/C yet we get precious AND kofi?

pass that kool-aid to me.

 

[JMick]

I think you'd see more activity on our end if they didn't feel really good about their chances.

I think Akok is gonna happen.

From there you're looking at Wahab/Cockburn/Achiuwa

I mean you land Akok, and any one of those final three, mix them in with Bouknight and Gaffney and it's awful difficult to call it anything other than a resounding success for year-1.

Honestly, just landing Gaffney, Bouknight and Akok would be a big turnaround. I understand that we have needs in the front court and that we really need to land a center, but those 3 alone are a good class in and of itself.

 

[jibsey]

Was just going to echo this same sentiment. 79 of the ESPN top 100 are committed. 36 of the top 50 are committed as well.

I trust Hurley, but I do get anxious thinking about if we do swing and miss. It is slim pickings.

You could say that the real reason KO is not here right now is the swings and misses he had mostly on big men. He was going for the home run and never got it but we always had guards to work with. We were in the mix for some of them.

 

[JMick]

You could say that the real reason KO is not here right now is the swings and misses he had mostly on big men. He was going for the home run and never got it but we always had guards to work with. We were in the mix for some of them.

I agree but at that point we just have to sell a grad transfer or two on being a part of the turnaround and getting immediate playing time . If we got someone like Shonn Miller for next season we'd be perfectly fine. I'd prefer we don't miss on everyone, though.

 

[Horatio]

I think Brendan Adams is gonna be real good
And that’s Hurley’s first recruit. Add in the two
Guards next year + Tarin Smith this year and Hurley is killing it with the guards in less than a year

 

[jibsey]

I agree but at that point we just have to sell a grad transfer or two on being a part of the turnaround and getting immediate playing time . If we got someone like Shonn Miller for next season we'd be perfectly fine. I'd prefer we don't miss on everyone, though.

Are you kidding? Sign me up right now for a Shonn Miller. That would be an amazing get and I wouldn't care as much about the misses.

 

[JamesinGR]

Honestly, just landing Gaffney, Bouknight and Akok would be a big turnaround. I understand that we have needs in the front court and that we really need to land a center, but those 3 alone are a good class in and of itself.

Really agree with this. That threesome would represent a huge turnaround for us. Add in a tourney bid and at least one win and I think more top 100 kids put us on their short list. Trusting the process.

 

[navery12]

Was just going to echo this same sentiment. 79 of the ESPN top 100 are committed. 36 of the top 50 are committed as well.

I trust Hurley, but I do get anxious thinking about if we do swing and miss. It is slim pickings.

I get this sentiment, but you also have to look at it as 0 of the Hurley targets in the top 50 have committed

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

This isn’t even just judging the book by the cover but specifically the ending by the cover.

 

[tomtom80]

Lets not forget he also recruited last years kids to all come back. No small feat. I recall a lot of anxiousness around Carlton maybe not hanging around. So yes, great job recruiting so far

 

[zls44]

do we really exist in a reality where kentucky doesn't manage a single top 100 PF/C yet we get precious AND kofi?

pass that kool-aid to me.

John Calipari says he's an overrated recruiter, so, sure!

 

[HawkHusky]

The UConn WBB team (and BY Insiders) just got Hami Diallo'd. Hope it's not bad mojo...