The Portal and Hurley's Strengths

[Rich]

Just an idle thought, but I wonder if current portal trends benefit guys like Hurley who seem to have a natural proclivity for successfully coaching high school recruits into professional players?

I've been reading some of the synopsis about, for example, schools like Kansas, IU, Duke etc which are all taking a high volume of transfer candidates and I just cannot help but think this plays right into Hurley's hands because he can, well, maybe not guarantee playing time to high school recruits but at least let them know of his coaching style and proclivities. I mean, he's gonna use the portal but he's not gonna be that guy that pulls an entire starting five (or four, or three for that matter).

I think Dan would much prefer going into the coming season with the four sophomores and two freshman battling it out for playing time in open roster spots as opposed to simply signing free agents, so to speak; in this particular instance with the two consecutive Nattys he's got plenty of leeway if that's how he wishes to proceed. That's got to feel pretty good to him, relieves a ton of pressure.

 

[upstater]

The fact that so many players are leaving schools like Duke must also mean that they're not convinced their coach knows what he's doing. Hurley can sell the players already there on the fact that the staff has built a system both on offense and defense, and that this system is tailored to your abilities and it uses high level concepts which will translate to the NBA.

 

[cwh20]

Just an idle thought, but I wonder if current portal trends benefit guys like Hurley who seem to have a natural proclivity for successfully coaching high school recruits into professional players?

I've been reading some of the synopsis about, for example, schools like Kansas, IU, Duke etc which are all taking a high volume of transfer candidates and I just cannot help but think this plays right into Hurley's hands because he can, well, maybe not guarantee playing time to high school recruits but at least let them know of his coaching style and proclivities. I mean, he's gonna use the portal but he's not gonna be that guy that pulls an entire starting five (or four, or three for that matter).

I think Dan would much prefer going into the coming season with the four sophomores and two freshman battling it out for playing time in open roster spots as opposed to simply signing free agents, so to speak; in this particular instance with the two consecutive Nattys he's got plenty of leeway if that's how he wishes to proceed. That's got to feel pretty good to him, relieves a ton of pressure.

My take based on mostly intuition is that Hurley is doing it all the right way. Straight talking recruits and being very cognizant of the character of the players he brings in. That leads to a team ready to work and accept responsibility and trust that they aren’t going to get screwed over. They may not make the cut or whatever but it’ll be fair. They aren’t being lied to or recruited over. At least not to the degree some coaches will. Some circumstances may not work out for specific players but that’s always a possibility. To your point it certainly doesn’t hurt that Hurley has coached HS and also has the HS players he recruited largely remaining with the program. My appreciation for Hurley has been growing year by year. He’s awesome and with him UConn is in a beautiful place.

I used to think about Calhoun’s recruiting and which direction he should go in as the success of his first six years got UConn’s foot in the door for a larger pool of recruits which meant with more talented kids also. Should he basically recruit the same or does getting a Nate Miles or Doug Wrenn worth it after already seeing how good a team he could have with lesser talents? I think Hurley getting high quality people in the program is the way to go. Also, it seems he is very honest. I’m not saying that Calhoun wasn’t but he did tell his kids the first day of practice “The guy that came to your house. He isn’t here anymore”. He was probably just setting the tone and obviously recruits shouldn’t be completely shocked by that. it was a funny line.

 

[Jay-Bone]

Its a good time to win back-to-back. Hurley has proven he can do it with a mix of transfers, big time recruits and 4 stars. Duke, Kansas & Kentucky (Cal) are all falling apart recruiting wise at the right time. Duke in terms of retaining big recruits, Kansas in terms of not just loading up on transfers and Cal leaving Kentucky. Lots of volatility out there that doesn't appear as stable as Hurley's methodology.

Sign with Duke, next year Sheyer will recruit 2 - 5 stars over you.
Sign with Kansas, Self will recruit a transfer over you.
Sign with Cal, you'll end up on a sinking ship.
Sign with Hurley, you'll win a champ.

 

[evmore]

You could get away with more (as a coach) back then when kids had to sit a year if they left, so the coach had waay more leverage (post-enrollment) than they do now.. Not saying it is a bad thing, but the moment you start bending or compromising on what you'll accept with standards or what you'll put up with affecting culture, in an effort to get talent in the door, is the moment you start descending as a program.. That's why I absolutely love the time and attention given to who the kid is, how his parents are wired, how he is w his coaches, can you coach them, do they compete at the level you need... are they agood with teammates.. As if you still need to show you can play at a high level, but you trust your staff's ability to develop so much that now, the other stuff that used to be weighed much less carries the most weight because of how it afffects your culture.. BTW.. Doug Wrenn was on my Rusmore of what could have been

 

[NJHusky]

I’ve got to think all these comments about how DH runs had to sit well with the McNeeley family. He brought his grandparents to his ov…my guess guess is this stuff matters to the right people

 

[gmc1055]

He really enjoys developing the talent and watching it all come together. The carpenter.

 

[Rich]

He really enjoys developing the talent and watching it all come together. The carpenter.

 

[Palatine]

There is no simply answer to this question because Hurley judges reruits differently from other coaches. If two players have equal physical skills and basketball smarts, Hurley may like one but not the other. It reduces the number of players he can actually recruit.

Although the original post makes some valid points about player development, Hurley's selective recruiting style and criteria may make it tougher to recruit. There will also be many top recruits that do not think they need to be pushed and worked like dogs. Many got this far without it.

So who knows? It's probably a mixed bag.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I think Kansas and Duke are both realizing that the portal cuts both ways. While you are clearly a top 5 target destination, you aren't so attractive that players are going to sit around if you recruit over them. How do you maintain depth? It takes careful balancing and as Hurley has said, honesty.

TJ Power was a 5 star who didn't play, waited his turn and then saw Flagg come in and take his spot. He's supposed to not play until he's a junior? You don't get to keep guys who can start for most teams on your bench unless that player knows that and chooses it. Identify those guys. Prioritize those guys.

 

[Gabbyfan]

My take on the delay with Liam McNeeley’s decision to commit to UConn is that Hurley will likely need to replace all 5 starters and Liam wants some idea about the makeup of the team. Once the commitments start rolling in, look for Liam to commit.

 

[HuskyHawk]

My take on the delay with Liam McNeeley’s decision to commit to UConn is that Hurley will likely need to replace all 5 starters and Liam wants some idea about the makeup of the team. Once the commitments start rolling in, look for Liam to commit.

More likely he's not sure he wants to come if Alex is going to be back.

 

[CL82]

More likely he's not sure he wants to come if Alex is going to be back.

Even more likely that he wants to hear at least one other pitch so he can be confident in his decision.

 

[jibsey]

More likely he's not sure he wants to come if Alex is going to be back.

That makes no sense.

 

[ibleedhuskyblue]

More likely he's not sure he wants to come if Alex is going to be back.

This could take months. I think he knew that before he scheduled his visit.
He's probably just being thorough with a big decision. As much as we don't like it, it is perfectly reasonable.

 

[RuffRuff]

Hurley is in a position where if a kid doesn't want to come, he's going elsewhere for the wrong reasons. I'm fully confident in what he's looking to establish, as it's precedent setting and culture building, which ultimately attracts the right type of recruits year over year. This is his brand. If you want to earn your role, be invested in and developed, while being in a great position to win it all, join us. I think Hurley absolutely puts continuity first, and rewards the guys that are willing to wait their turn and develop. If you're looking for instant reward, go to UK. My guess is he'll recruit primarily in the 30-80 4 star range, and only selectively go into the burger boys when he sees the right kid, at the right time.

It seems fairly well established that the 5 stars are only shiny new toys, not foundational.

McNeeley's grandparents were likely only with him because they came to see him play at the Jordan Classic. As for Alex, not even sure they play the same position. He would get plenty of rotation time, but if he wants starter minutes guaranteed, not a fit.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Hurley is in a position where if a kid doesn't want to come, he's going elsewhere for the wrong reasons. I'm fully confident in what he's looking to establish, as it's precedent setting and culture building, which ultimately attracts the right type of recruits year over year. This is his brand. If you want to earn your role, be invested in and developed, while being in a great position to win it all, join us. I think Hurley absolutely puts continuity first, and rewards the guys that are willing to wait their turn and develop. If you're looking for instant reward, go to UK. My guess is he'll recruit primarily in the 30-80 4 star range, and only selectively go into the burger boys when he sees the right kid, at the right time.

It seems fairly well established that the 5 stars are only shiny new toys, not foundational.

McNeeley's grandparents were likely only with him because they came to see him play at the Jordan Classic. As for Alex, not even sure they play the same position. He would get plenty of rotation time, but if he wants starter minutes guaranteed, not a fit.

It's not that he plays the 4, it's that Stewart needs to play the 3 or 4. If Alex is back, minutes at forward are scarce because you really can't sit any of those three guys for extended periods. They all need 25 minutes and none can play guard.

 

[JonnyRI]

Hurley is in a position where if a kid doesn't want to come, he's going elsewhere for the wrong reasons. I'm fully confident in what he's looking to establish, as it's precedent setting and culture building, which ultimately attracts the right type of recruits year over year. This is his brand. If you want to earn your role, be invested in and developed, while being in a great position to win it all, join us. I think Hurley absolutely puts continuity first, and rewards the guys that are willing to wait their turn and develop. If you're looking for instant reward, go to UK. My guess is he'll recruit primarily in the 30-80 4 star range, and only selectively go into the burger boys when he sees the right kid, at the right time.

It seems fairly well established that the 5 stars are only shiny new toys, not foundational.

McNeeley's grandparents were likely only with him because they came to see him play at the Jordan Classic. As for Alex, not even sure they play the same position. He would get plenty of rotation time, but if he wants starter minutes guaranteed, not a fit.

The more I think about it I think it’s an NIL thing. And I get that.

Say UConn is offering 750k and UK or Squid throw out 1.5mm.

Not an unrealistic scenario.

That’s a big enough gap where I could totally see it making the decision one would want a few days to mull over.

 

[RuffRuff]

The more I think about it I think it’s an NIL thing. And I get that.

Say UConn is offering 750k and UK or Squid throw out 1.5mm.

Not an unrealistic scenario.

That’s a big enough gap where I could totally see it making the decision one would want a few days to mull over.

Could be.

The almighty dollar can change a lot of things in a locker room when comparing takes place, and usually not for the good. If you’re going to put $$ on an unpredictable freshman that doesn’t end up producing as hoped, I could see a lot of toxicity taking place.

In addition, the $$ gained in the NBA if developed appropriately in college could be exponentially more than the NIL gap.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

My take on the delay with Liam McNeeley’s decision to commit to UConn is that Hurley will likely need to replace all 5 starters and Liam wants some idea about the makeup of the team. Once the commitments start rolling in, look for Liam to commit.

He should be one of those commitments. Is he afraid UConn will recruit over him? He would be the crown jewel and then UConn would finish recruiting around him.

 

[dennismenace]

I’ve got to think all these comments about how DH runs had to sit well with the McNeeley family. He brought his grandparents to his ov…my guess guess is this stuff matters to the right people

That is fascinating. No doubt this is a family thing (4 generations of D1 basketball players counting both sides of the family). Talk about heritage. Our NCAA history in the recent past has shined in Texas and so have some of the studs we've had from the Lone Star State (Jake V. Tristen N.). You get the feeling that Hurley has sales skills and can close. That said the product he and the staff have built (and continues to build) speaks for itself. I have to admit that what is going on here and being built is truly awe inspiring. I once attended a business seminar and the presenters suggested that the primary reason businesses fail was (1) inadequate business plan (2) under capitalization. Applied here our "business plan" (what we do and how we intend to do it) is not only brilliant but innovative in terms of results planning both on the court and off. We may not have all the financial support that other programs have but the "business plan" (basketball plan) is revolutionary.

In comparison this reminds me to some extent of Villanova under Jay Wright. Of course there are many more variables today but the underlying truth is a well conceived and executed plan in light of current conditions. The built in flexibility of player talent and play calling is also more sophisticated than what Villanova had under Wright. When you look at it and listen to knowledgeable people discussing it they really marvel at what has been accomplished here. It is so well thought out!!!

 

[Scrutineer]

Hurley is in a position where if a kid doesn't want to come, he's going elsewhere for the wrong reasons. I'm fully confident in what he's looking to establish, as it's precedent setting and culture building, which ultimately attracts the right type of recruits year over year. This is his brand. If you want to earn your role, be invested in and developed, while being in a great position to win it all, join us. I think Hurley absolutely puts continuity first, and rewards the guys that are willing to wait their turn and develop. If you're looking for instant reward, go to UK. My guess is he'll recruit primarily in the 30-80 4 star range, and only selectively go into the burger boys when he sees the right kid, at the right time.

It seems fairly well established that the 5 stars are only shiny new toys, not foundational.

McNeeley's grandparents were likely only with him because they came to see him play at the Jordan Classic. As for Alex, not even sure they play the same position. He would get plenty of rotation time, but if he wants starter minutes guaranteed, not a fit.

Agreed.

It's great, almost shocking in fact, to see how quickly DH has become the standard by which coaches are being rated.

With Lebron and Batum praising him, Duke jettisoning many of the past two years' recruits and picking up guys like Gillis from Purdue because Jon Scheyer has seen the light regarding the need for experienced players on his roster, and Snake Oil Salesman Calipari also speaking about the changes he'll be making in recruiting...................all fitting the formula DH has been celebrated for this year. But only part of the formula.

It sounds a lot easier than it is and includes the honesty with the players and the loyalty DH showed the holdovers when he came to UConn as well as all the effort he and the staff, and the speakers DH has brought in, to develop the players' life skills and capabilities beyond the game itself. That's the secret sauce the others will likely overlook............hopefully.

 

[jibsey]

The hall mark of DH’s teams start with defense. Changing the offense was revolutionary in taking close games to laughers but offense gets shut down from time to time so Hurley needs guys who can be taught defense.