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Many great points in the original post.
There are not too many team first players in the top 100 these days. Calhoun could bend some players into accepting roles by sheer force of will, but few others ever have succeeded that way. Ollie's way is different. Further, any coach is going to have heart ache when a kid wants to play his way (or his dad's) and you can't sit him because you have only 1 -2 healthy spare scholarship athletes. I don't excuse the start, but I think the overall record after early injuries was something of an accomplishment.
As to recruiting, recruits can love you or hate you, they all have different triggers respond differently. Some need lavish attention or others can be made to chase you for attention if ignored. Individual kids have their own stories. Mattis' mom might have decided the 2 hours additional travel time from home to Storrs, compared to UNJ, was too much. LAM might have felt that his NBA arrival would have been delayed when it looked like Jaylen and Alterique were coming back. He, for sure, wasn't planning on being the #3 guard as a freshman, when he signed.
One thing everyone agrees on, it get better when we win. I think KO will assemble a functional recruiting class even if it means trolling for players available late and for those newly uncommitted next spring and summer. Hopefully, in Spring 2018 he will be looking to add to a team that is rolling as in its past.
Finally, every kid wants to showcase and make the league. In the end, the best pitch is "we get kids in the league." That is why the play of our stars this year is crucial.
There are not too many team first players in the top 100 these days. Calhoun could bend some players into accepting roles by sheer force of will, but few others ever have succeeded that way. Ollie's way is different. Further, any coach is going to have heart ache when a kid wants to play his way (or his dad's) and you can't sit him because you have only 1 -2 healthy spare scholarship athletes. I don't excuse the start, but I think the overall record after early injuries was something of an accomplishment.
As to recruiting, recruits can love you or hate you, they all have different triggers respond differently. Some need lavish attention or others can be made to chase you for attention if ignored. Individual kids have their own stories. Mattis' mom might have decided the 2 hours additional travel time from home to Storrs, compared to UNJ, was too much. LAM might have felt that his NBA arrival would have been delayed when it looked like Jaylen and Alterique were coming back. He, for sure, wasn't planning on being the #3 guard as a freshman, when he signed.
One thing everyone agrees on, it get better when we win. I think KO will assemble a functional recruiting class even if it means trolling for players available late and for those newly uncommitted next spring and summer. Hopefully, in Spring 2018 he will be looking to add to a team that is rolling as in its past.
Finally, every kid wants to showcase and make the league. In the end, the best pitch is "we get kids in the league." That is why the play of our stars this year is crucial.
