The Quality Of Our New Commits Bouknight & Gaffney

[UCONN in OKC]

Well well... look where we are ranked now.... from last to 23 rd and going up

 

[ctchamps]

My take is a blend of all these posts.

I think Bouknight is special and Gaffney has potential. But that is TBD.
I would have been really impressed if Hurley pulled in Watts.
It is obvious that Hurley is organized. He has a plan and follows it. Given the current state of the program getting two solid guards increases his ability to promote UConn for players with higher rankings (Precious, Kofi and Akok). Holding off on getting officials from those three until the two guards were in hand is masterful imo.

@RayIsTheGOAT echoes my sentiments regarding the fanatics in this forum. When we're excited we tend to overshoot expectations. When we're miserable we tend to exaggerate or vilify the process. @Paesano and @Jaybo have basically stated what the vast majority of us would have stated if Bouknight and Gaffney were KO's recruits.

We are arguing against their position for two reasons. The first is that some of us have observed these players and, in our estimation, project them as better than their rankings. That is fairly objective but has not always been born out with regards to past recruits. There isn't a poster in this forum that I can argue has been regularly accurate in their projection of players. The second is we want to feel good. We are not just debating different viewpoints. We are arguing against dissent and I suspect it not only has to do with different perspectives but we are trying to convince ourselves things are positive. Negativity has a greater impact on us after the past two to three years.

RayIsTheGOAT hit the nail on the head when he stated the value of the buzz. If all things were equal (which they were not) it would have been much more difficult for KO to get the program back on track than a new coach whose reputation at this point in time is positive. I believe Hurley was a great option for UConn for many reasons. But it remains to be seen if my expectations are accurate.

 

[Marbles90]

I’m not totally impressed yet.

I said the same thing. Especially with Gaffney being a 3*. I looked back at all the 3* recruits we had brought in over the years - honestly we didn't have many and there very few who contributed.

Iv watched the YouTube videos. But every kid looks like the second coming of Kemba in those.

I agree with this, too. All those videos look exactly the same whether you are a 5* or unranked.

However, the exception for me is Gaffney. I have watched all his videos. And I am so blown away by this guy. To me, his videos look different. What he can do on the court, shots he is able to pull off, confidence with the ball in his hand. I truly believe he is underrated just by watching his videos. I would love to (and excited to) see him in person.

**Also note as an aside. When you watch other guy's videos, look for some of our targets in their videos. I don't remember which one, but one was taken from a game against Kofi's team and you can see him getting burned on defense, not blocking out on rebounds, etc. It would be great if they just posted a whole game instead of just the highlight reel stuff. Then you can get a better idea of what you are getting.

 

[intlzncster]

I said the same thing. Especially with Gaffney being a 3*. I looked back at all the 3* recruits we had brought in over the years - honestly we didn't have many and there very few who contributed.

For the umpteenth time, Gaffney is not a 3 star. He's a 4 star on ESPN and 247. The only reason his composite is 3* is that he's not been evaluated properly on Rivals for whatever reason.

 

[Pudge]

Gaffney is a 3/4 Star guy, Bouknight a 4. No one can predict the future of these guys for sure, but what you have to like is this: the staff identified them as guys they wanted, and then did. Three official visits, two verbals.

You can’t assume that they’ll outplay their rankings or that they’re currently underrated, but I love that they obviously fit the vision the staff has and that they got them.

YOU can listen to their stories and ... conclude that the upside may not be marked to the market on their quality. Bouknight, particularly, came back so extraordinarily strong after injury. Strength and conditioning at an elite level; and solid developmental coaching. Let's see. This is exciting.

 

[Marbles90]

he's not been evaluated properly on Rivals for whatever reason.

This is fact or opinion? Either way, I agree he appears to be way underrated.

 

[UCONN in OKC]

I don't care where they are rated on a site.... I trust our coaches with there evaluation than any joe smo...... I believe in this coaching staff and can't wait to see a great product on the court for me to go see .... Haven't gone to a men's game since the game I drove 2hrs to Tulsa to see kids give up on plays and not care.... Can't wait to see them play hard and be competitive again on the court.... WIN OR LOOSE.... I am there

 

[tzznandrew]

We are arguing against their position for two reasons. The first is that some of us have observed these players and, in our estimation, project them as better than their rankings. That is fairly objective but has not always been born out with regards to past recruits. There isn't a poster in this forum that I can argue has been regularly accurate in their projection of players. The second is we want to feel good. We are not just debating different viewpoints. We are arguing against dissent and I suspect it not only has to do with different perspectives but we are trying to convince ourselves things are positive. Negativity has a greater impact on us after the past two to three years.

The third reason is that we are comparing these kids to what we likely would have had if KO were still our coach.

 

[Guapo]

Some of you are being transparently contrarian.

Others are hopelessly blind to how college basketball works, outside of a very narrow and limited understanding of the UConn program.

I see a lot of people commenting in this thread that don’t usually follow recruiting and, frankly, you are out of your depth in this conversation.

 

[Waquoit]

We are arguing against dissent

No, we are arguing against stupidity. Specifically against those that think we would still have a program worth salvaging if KO got another year.

 

[intlzncster]

This is fact or opinion? Either way, I agree he appears to be way underrated.

Neither fact nor opinion (though I know others have a better idea), just connecting dots.

It's usually the case that when one recruiting service is so far off, it implies they didn't evaluate him much, if at all. Or they evaluated him really early and didn't change their ranking. Or caught him only once on an off night/tournament. Happens.

He's currently ranked the 26th PG on Rivals. A number of the guys ahead of him are head scratchers. FWIW, four slots up and he magically becomes a 4*; you can see the vagaries in methodology there.

2018 Rivals150 Prospect Ranking

 

[ctchamps]

No, we are arguing against stupidity. Specifically against those that think we would still have a program worth salvaging if KO got another year.

No one is making that argument in this thread. A couple of posters are questioning if we should be exuberant over the two commits.

 

[ctchamps]

The third reason is that we are comparing these kids to what we likely would have had if KO were still our coach.

That’s the point tcf15 made to demonstrate things could be worse with recruiting if KO was at the helm. It was great work on his part. Jaybo was not arguing recruiting would have been better under KO. They and Paesano were stating they were underwhelmed by these commits. I personally don’t agree with them.

 

[jibsey]

No one is making that argument in this thread. A couple of posters are questioning if we should be exuberant over the two commits.

I looked up Gaffney's AAU under 17 stats. Said he was 44% from 3, 22-50 and 50% from the field. He can make 3's. That's not always been a given for our guard recruits. I'm psyched.

 

[ctchamps]

I looked up Gaffney's AAU under 17 stats. Said he was 44% from 3, 22-50 and 50% from the field. He can make 3's. That's not always been a given for our guard recruits. I'm psyched.

Good information. I’m psyched as well.

 

[HooperScooper]

I looked up Gaffney's AAU under 17 stats. Said he was 44% from 3, 22-50 and 50% from the field. He can make 3's. That's not always been a given for our guard recruits. I'm psyched.

According to the recruiting analysts, who I'm sure have seen both of these guys more than anyone on the BY, both are very good shooters. I'm psyched for that also.

Corey Evans of Rivals.com:
Very, very good start for the Huskies this fall. Look for them to place a greater priority on their frontcourt in the months ahead, that being Achiuwa, Akok, Wahab and Cockburn.

Best part about the two guard commitments is that each can play on and off of the ball and, more specifically, each can really shoot the basketball.

 

[Ricker]

I'm not quite sure why Lamb is a particularly good comp for Bouknight. I've only seen Bouknight in 2 games and the highlight clips, but they seem very different to me. They both are proficient shooting 3's, Lamb rebounded with his extended reach, and in the lane he frequently used the little tear drop as his finish, his arm length was a significant attribute. Bouknight rebounds differently, and appears to take the ball all the way to the hoop as his 'go to' move in traffic. To me Bouknight is more like Lasan Kromah with a shot that goes down +20% more. He hasn't got the long reach.

Gaffney I have only seen in the clips. In terms of past UConn players, I see some AJ Price. Deep high percentage shooting, and a good handle. I never saw AJ as making other players significantly better, Gaffney may be clever enough with the ball to do more in that area.
FWIW

 

[AntG168]

His jumpshot has me giddy

 

[jibsey]

I'm not quite sure why Lamb is a particularly good comp for Bouknight. I've only seen Bouknight in 2 games and the highlight clips, but they seem very different to me. They both are proficient shooting 3's, Lamb rebounded with his extended reach, and in the lane he frequently used the little tear drop as his finish, his arm length was a significant attribute. Bouknight rebounds differently, and appears to take the ball all the way to the hoop as his 'go to' move in traffic. To me Bouknight is more like Lasan Kromah with a shot that goes down +20% more. He hasn't got the long reach.

Gaffney I have only seen in the clips. In terms of past UConn players, I see some AJ Price. Deep high percentage shooting, and a good handle. I never saw AJ as making other players significantly better, Gaffney may be clever enough with the ball to do more in that area.
FWIW

I don’t remember AJ shooting the long ball well until later in his career, I could be wrong. Of course great shooting in HS for these guys could be different at this college level until they get acclimated.

 

[uconnbill]

This is what head coach Hurley wants bigger guards and they fit the mold.

 

[Son of Robert]

His jumpshot has me giddy

The more I watch him move the more athleticism I see. Great body control.

 

[DogMania]

The more I watch him move the more athleticism I see. Great body control.

Granted, highlight clips show a recruit's best, but Gaffney shows skills that stand out that lesser talented ballers just can't do. His ability to handle in traffic and the open floor, especially his ability to change speeds is evident. That part of his game reminded me a little Bazz-like. Different type player where he's longer and more athletic. He doesn't look like a *** at all and seems to have been under-evaluated.

His J is very promising, as to how quickly he gets it off. As for accuracy, highlight clips only show you the ones that go in, but if % stats we're hearing are acurrate, he seems like a player.

One deficiency I did notice, that although he can handle the ball very well with both hands, he always shoots it with his right even when he's at or near the rim. He's going to need to learn to get it up on the glass with his left hand. At the D1 level, you're just not going to get those layups to fall if you're a guard and you can only use your right hand. Other than that, he made all the types of shots you'd like to see a combo guard make; deep, midrange and at the rim. He even threw a couple down in transition, that shows how athletic he is. He'll definitely need to get stronger to be able to handle the contact at the next level. That might be the reason why his skills don't seem to equate to his rankings.

Again, they're highlight clips, but I like how he seems to play fast but under control. We've had a few quick guards come to UConn but simply underwhelm such as Doug Wiggins and Cup Cormier, hope I got his name right. Those two who come to mind who played too fast and made far too many mistakes to be able to stay on the floor. And until he gets here, who knows how well he'll be able to defend his position at this level going up against stronger and faster guards than he's used to facing. I guess that goes for just about all the young players that haven't fully physically matured yet.

Like most freshmen, it will likely take him awhile to acclimate to the next level and contribute consistently, but I think he's going to be a real good one and yet another UConn recruit that outperforms is ranking when it's all said and done.

 

[intlzncster]

Granted, highlight clips show a recruit's best, but Gaffney shows skills that stand out that lesser talented ballers just can't do. His ability to handle in traffic and the open floor, especially his ability to change speeds is evident. That part of his game reminded me a little Bazz-like. Different type player where he's longer and more athletic. He doesn't look like a *** at all and seems to have been under-evaluated.

His J is very promising, as to how quickly he gets it off. As for accuracy, highlight clips only show you the ones that go in, but if % stats we're hearing are acurrate, he seems like a player.

One deficiency I did notice, that although he can handle the ball very well with both hands, he always shoots it with his right even when he's at or near the rim. He's going to need to learn to get it up on the glass with his left hand. At the D1 level, you're just not going to get those layups to fall if you're a guard and you can only use your right hand. Other than that, he made all the types of shots you'd like to see a combo guard make; deep, midrange and at the rim. He even threw a couple down in transition, that shows how athletic he is. He'll definitely need to get stronger to be able to handle the contact at the next level. That might be the reason why his skills don't seem to equate to his rankings.

Again, they're highlight clips, but I like how he seems to play fast but under control. We've had a few quick guards come to UConn but simply underwhelm such as Doug Wiggins and Cup Cormier, hope I got his name right. Those two who come to mind who played too fast and made far too many mistakes to be able to stay on the floor. And until he gets here, who knows how well he'll be able to defend his position at this level going up against stronger and faster guards than he's used to facing. I guess that goes for just about all the young players that haven't fully physically matured yet.

Like most freshmen, it will likely take him awhile to acclimate to the next level and contribute consistently, but I think he's going to be a real good one and yet another UConn recruit that outperforms is ranking when it's all said and done.

Dog back at it. Good stuff

 

[Mokum]

We have a great strength and conditioning coach. He will get the job done, I’m very confident of that. Both will be coached up. Don’t expect them to light it up as freshman, but these guys are in it for the long haul. Sal will get them in shape, and they will be well coached.

 

[mauconnfan]

I said the same thing. Especially with Gaffney being a 3*. I looked back at all the 3* recruits we had brought in over the years - honestly we didn't have many and there very few who contributed.

I agree with this, too. All those videos look exactly the same whether you are a 5* or unranked.

However, the exception for me is Gaffney. I have watched all his videos. And I am so blown away by this guy. To me, his videos look different. What he can do on the court, shots he is able to pull off, confidence with the ball in his hand. I truly believe he is underrated just by watching his videos. I would love to (and excited to) see him in person.

**Also note as an aside. When you watch other guy's videos, look for some of our targets in their videos. I don't remember which one, but one was taken from a game against Kofi's team and you can see him getting burned on defense, not blocking out on rebounds, etc. It would be great if they just posted a whole game instead of just the highlight reel stuff. Then you can get a better idea of what you are getting.

Agree on this he can be special his athleticism is fantastic for a PG as well as his length. If he can shoot it and handle it as they say we got lucky. Good news is I saw Bouknight in that AAU game on ESPN and believe he's a definite at some point. I believe he will contribute immediately and as I said before he may be ahead of the Jeremy Lamb process coming in, same style great baseline game, looks like a mid range game is there and can shoot the heck out of it. They say he can defend too, think we have 2 wonderful and good sized guards to begin the Hurley recruiting campaign and maybe even under the radar.