Think this will help recruiting? | The Boneyard

Think this will help recruiting?

I mean at some point recruits have to understand that, you know, UConn is the most dominate program in this century. You can get more NIL or
you can be a basketball player. You can be a part of something very special.
One would pray so. We have some major holes to fill. Hurley needs to get the best available to go with our players. And is everyone staying?
 
.-.
What makes you think UConn is top ten in NIL?
I’ve seen stories online saying we are with around 10 mil a year. Apparently we are on par with the likes ok Kansas, Purdue, Houston, Alabama, and Auburn. Just outside the top 10.

 
I think our recruiting is fine. Getting transfers w 2 yrs of eligibility is the way to go (like tarris, Silas). And bag a one and doner every year if you can but don’t break the bank for them. Would we have been happy w Darryn Peterson? The best recruiting classes in the country don’t win chips.

The only thing I’d add is some more athleticism and size/strength on the front court and some quickness in the backcourt. All that can be done in the portal.
 
.-.
While we do have a healthy budget, I don’t think we’re top 10 in NIL. When you read articles with lists of top NIL budgets I’d keep in mind that not every school’s full collectives is public and reporters don’t have the complete picture.

Hurley also doesn’t want to get into huge bidding wars for the top 10 guys you mention. Most of these players end up taking the biggest bag and Hurley and is not interested in being in that kind of business. He wants to convince elite players that his system and coaching is best for them even if our offer isn’t highest. It worked with Castle, Liam and Mullins, doesn’t with others. However, it’s possible a mindset shift will be needed going forward and I’m sure he knows that.
Hurley also said in yesterday's pregame press conference that (or maybe it was before the MSU game) that besides the NIL, players, their families and the agents also want to know that the school is making a huge commitment to the program. Things like the practice facilities, charter flights, the hotels the team stays in, etc. are also very important.

I was talking to someone yesterday who knows someone who works for the program and he was telling me some of the stuff the program does for the players is like an NBA team. Without going into details the players get treated very well.
 
These are good questions, and to stay competitive we need a quality haul.

This past class Hurley did get pretty much everyone he wanted (though Adams did decommit after Silas/Smith signed, IIRC). Even next years freshmen are more, or less who he wanted. The anomaly was really the would be sophomore class, which was even odder considering it was directly after back-to-back championships.
 
So UConn fandom to immediately say hope we get better recruits. LOL. UConn has had one and dones and all Americans the last 3 years.
Our recruiting is incredible but I want to be able to land a guy like Cooper Flagg. This is the exact type of game that maybe flips that switch. We can’t beat Duke in a 1 v 1 recruiting battle. If they want the #1 recruit, they’ll likely get him. This game could change that…
 
.-.
Our recruiting is incredible but I want to be able to land a guy like Cooper Flagg. This is the exact type of game that maybe flips that switch. We can’t beat Duke in a 1 v 1 recruiting battle. If they want the #1 recruit, they’ll likely get him. This game could change that…
Here’s a possibly wild take, Would we want to beat them often? I can see on 1-2 targeted recruits a year. But the Calipari/Scheyer model doesn’t win titles with mainly high school players and many one and done players. Hurley’s formula of 2-3 high school recruits per year coupled with portal activity seems to be most conducive to winning.
 
At some point we have to beat Duke head to head for a top recruit, right?

Hey, I prefer owning them on the court, but it still would be nice to have a commit turn them down for us because UConn has always been his dream school.
Duke hasn’t won in so long now that recruits might not remember the last time they did. If this continues there will be fewer and fewer “dream school” references as time goes by.
 
At some point we have to beat Duke head to head for a top recruit, right?

Hey, I prefer owning them on the court, but it still would be nice to have a commit turn them down for us because UConn has always been his dream school.
Do we even go after many of the same recruits? I recall Lewis had Duke & Uconn listed, and then he ended up at UK to Nova.

The type of attention a shot like that gets is free marketing/branding for the program - of course it helps. Kids want to be part of that kind of stuff.

I do think if Hurley is going to look for an instant freshmen starter/contributor that is considered OAD, he should go after top stock and pay up if he has to. There is no point in going after kids that are high potential long term that are just ok. You want iron clad difference makers.
 
Think we were pretty much there already. Demary was our number 1 portal target, secured him over many top programs with massive bags. Went after Reed because he was willing to backup Samson for a year and we knew the potential. Mahaney was our top target at PG that year.

Guys like Meleek Thomas are always gonna choose the squid path, you can’t change who someone is even if they’re super talented and they’re choice 1. The great part is Dan and co will always find the right guys for us, they’ve proven that by now.
 
Do we even go after many of the same recruits? I recall Lewis had Duke & Uconn listed, and then he ended up at UK to Nova.

The type of attention a shot like that gets is free marketing/branding for the program - of course it helps. Kids want to be part of that kind of stuff.

They went 2-2 against us two years ago. And I’d imagine there are guys who zone in on Duke that UConn would be interested in pursuing. We would have happily taken Cam Boozer. Now that would’ve been hard given his last name. But Duke gets a lot of top guys like Zion, Banchero, etc.
 
.-.
Do we even go after many of the same recruits? I recall Lewis had Duke & Uconn listed, and then he ended up at UK to Nova.

The type of attention a shot like that gets is free marketing/branding for the program - of course it helps. Kids want to be part of that kind of stuff.

I do think if Hurley is going to look for an instant freshmen starter/contributor that is considered OAD, he should go after top stock and pay up if he has to. There is no point in going after kids that are high potential long term that are just ok. You want iron clad difference makers.
Flagg and Ngongba
 
They went 2-2 against us two years ago. And I’d imagine there are guys who zone in on Duke that UConn would be interested in pursuing. We would have happily taken Cam Boozer. Now that would’ve been hard given his last name. But Duke gets a lot of top guys like Zion, Banchero, etc.
Yeah, Duke typically gets 2-4 top 12 type kids. I just don't know if that will ever be Hurley's model. It would be nice to get one, if we are going to put them in the starting lineup.

Right now the two programs that are building off freshmen contributors are Duke & Arkansas.
 
Yeah, Duke typically gets 2-4 top 12 type kids. I just don't know if that will ever be Hurley's model. It would be nice to get one, if we are going to put them in the starting lineup.

Right now the two programs that are building off freshmen contributors are Duke & Arkansas.

Not saying it’s the better model! But we could have easily won the title last year with Flagg. Not really going out on a limb there!
 
.-.

Forum statistics

Threads
168,086
Messages
4,552,674
Members
10,435
Latest member
DukeBlue


Top Bottom