Valdir Manuel (JUCO)

[JMick]

I'm most often an optimist, but with a year to recruit a serviceable center, we fanned on our prime targets, we don't offer a good looking kid that visits, have a shallow list of grad transfers, don't know if Coleman has any interest in us, and seem to have only 1 candidate that has marginal academics. Really?

meh. crap happens. we got Akok. He can slide to the five in an emergency. This class was great + Cole. we're just freaking out because we haven't landed a top 100 center in ages. Let's give Hurley another class to work with.

 

[husky429]

I'm most often an optimist, but with a year to recruit a serviceable center, we fanned on our prime targets, we don't offer a good looking kid that visits, have a shallow list of grad transfers, don't know if Coleman has any interest in us, and seem to have only 1 candidate that has marginal academics. Really?

I don't know what a lot of you are seeing in Issanza. Coleman and Manuel look like significantly better prospects to me. Issanza looks very, very raw. And clearly the staff, because they didn't offer.

Guys get paid major $$$ to be better at this than us.

 

[navery12]

I'm most often an optimist, but with a year to recruit a serviceable center, we fanned on our prime targets, we don't offer a good looking kid that visits, have a shallow list of grad transfers, don't know if Coleman has any interest in us, and seem to have only 1 candidate that has marginal academics. Really?

The fact that he visited, Hurley talked about the need for a backup 5, and we didn't even offer should tell you all you need to know

 

[Austin316]

You had me at Vladir

 

[Ricker]

So the fact that he is going to Oklahoma tells me he wasn't a recruit worthy Tyler Phommachanh be a backup in the AAC?

 

[Huskyforlife]

So the fact that he is going to Oklahoma tells me he wasn't a recruit worthy Tyler Phommachanh be a backup in the AAC?

Teams are reaching this late in the process, we might too.

 

[Marbles90]

The fact that he visited, Hurley talked about the need for a backup 5, and we didn't even offer should tell you all you need to know

Can we even offer without having an open scholarship?

 

[NJHoops]

So the fact that he is going to Oklahoma tells me he wasn't a recruit worthy Tyler Phommachanh be a backup in the AAC?

Oklahoma has 7 recruits in their 2019 class. It will be interesting to look back in a year or so to see who were the real priorities and recruiting wins.

 

[NJHoops]

Can we even offer without having an open scholarship?

Yes.

Teams can accept as many verbals as they want and sort it out later, but it wouldn’t be my choice of how to handle things.

 

[navery12]

Can we even offer without having an open scholarship?

Yeah can send out as many offers as you want. Can technically take as many commits as you want too, though it's rare that a team goes more than 1 over at a given time

 

[Burnsbros23]

Film I see He’s raw. Shot 17percent from 3. Seems a little Whaley like.

Interesting to see what we get with this last scholly

 

[dennismenace]

His last like on twitter... Hurley-Jalen at the garden gif. I wonder why we weren’t involved earlier. He’s everything we’re looking for in a center. Physical yet mobile enough to play in an uptempo system, rebounds, blocks shots. Really good system fit.

Did somebody say "rebounds"? Yeah, sign him!

 

[HuskyHawk]

I think the staff is in a really tough spot here. Manuel looks serviceable, but he's a three year guy. That's better than four but not as good as one.

I checked 247 and don't see any immediately eligible transfer centers. A couple PF, but we aren't going to get Blackshear from VT. It would be nice, but not realistic.

I'm not sure who else is available that's worth locking up a scholarship long term. Bones Hyland I suppose, but we'd be so overloaded at guard with Cole coming in as well.

 

[UConnStats]

I think the staff is in a really tough spot here. Manuel looks serviceable, but he's a three year guy. That's better than four but not as good as one.

I checked 247 and don't see any immediately eligible transfer centers. A couple PF, but we aren't going to get Blackshear from VT. It would be nice, but not realistic.

I'm not sure who else is available that's worth locking up a scholarship long term. Bones Hyland I suppose, but we'd be so overloaded at guard with Cole coming in as well.

What’s wrong with knowing you’d have two years in a row with a senior C on the roster (Carlton in 2 years, Manuel in 3)? IMO that’s actually pretty ideal for UConn since they’ve spent the last 7 years proving they struggle to recruit good bigs.

 

[HuskyHawk]

What’s wrong with knowing you’d have two years in a row with a senior C on the roster (Carlton in 2 years, Manuel in 3)? IMO that’s actually pretty ideal for UConn since they’ve spent the last 7 years proving they struggle to recruit good bigs.

Because he might not be any good. And having both may hinder recruitment of a better big next year. It does by scholarship count at a minimum. I'm not opposed to it. I want to win now, not twos years out. This guy is probably our best bet. But I think the staff is weighing these things.

 

[UConnStats]

Because he might not be any good. And having both may hinder recruitment of a better big next year. It does by scholarship count at a minimum. I'm not opposed to it. I want to win now, not twos years out. This guy is probably our best bet. But I think the staff is weighing these things.

FWIW Manuel was a JUCO All American and he put up much better numbers in AAU (10/7.5/1.6 BLK, 49% 2P, 45% 3P, 67% FT in the EYBL) than Carlton, Whaley, and even Enoch ever did.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

FWIW Manuel was a JUCO All American and he put up much better numbers in AAU (10/7.5/1.6 BLK, 49% 2P, 45% 3P, 67% FT in the EYBL) than Carlton, Whaley, and even Enoch ever did.

Add in Manuel's JUCO stats:

13.3p/10.1r/2.2b/2.3pf/2.3to in 24.7 mpg.

Incredible numbers for barely playing more than half the game. The only alarming number is the 2.3 TO/gp. I've never watched him play but at his position that could either mean butter fingers from dimes or trying to do too much on offense. If it's the latter, I'm less concerned with that since he won't be expected to do any facilitating or iso on offense.

If he wants to sign, I'd take a shot on this guy, especially since his scholly would only take up two years and he wouldn't defer a talented big to sign with us in 2020.

 

[BFieldHusky]

Add in Manuel's JUCO stats:

13.3p/10.1r/2.2b/2.3pf/2.3to in 24.7 mpg.

Incredible numbers for barely playing more than half the game. The only alarming number is the 2.3 TO/PG. I've never watched him play but at his position that could either mean butter fingers from dimes or trying to do too much on defense. If it's the latter, I'm less concerned with that since he won't be expected to do any facilitating or iso on offense.

If he wants to sign, I'd take a shot on this guy, especially since his scholly would only take up two years and he wouldn't defer a talented big to sign with us in 2020.

He would be a 3 year guy. But I can't believe people wouldn't want this guy. Especially in the situation we are in right now.

I just said this to someone else, but while he is a different type of player, his ranking if he was in HS would be where Wahab is. And I think we would love to have Wahab on the roster.

Manuel is in a different league that Coleman, Issanza or these other guys we have been recruiting.

 

[NJHoops]

Manuel would be a junior when a ‘20 big would be a freshman. I don’t think that’s a deterrent or a concern for the staff in recruiting. A three-man rotation of bigs with a freshman is pretty much ideal.

 

[HuskyHawk]

He would be a 3 year guy. But I can't believe people wouldn't want this guy. Especially in the situation we are in right now.

I just said this to someone else, but while he is a different type of player, his ranking if he was in HS would be where Wahab is. And I think we would love to have Wahab on the roster.

Manuel is in a different league that Coleman, Issanza or these other guys we have been recruiting.

You've got more info than I can see in this thread then. If he's that level of player, absolutely get him if we can. Fits the current needs perfectly. I like that he looks like he can run, which Josh isn't great at.

 

[BFieldHusky]

You've got more info than I can see in this thread then. If he's that level of player, absolutely get him if we can. Fits the current needs perfectly. I like that he looks like he can run, which Josh isn't great at.

Just look at the numbers @UConnStats and @Hey Adrien! provided. Plus his offers. He's not Kofi by any means, but he has the potential to be a solid 3 year player who will get better under Kenya. And he's not a reach.

 

[NJHoops]

Just look at the numbers @UConnStats and @Hey Adrien! provided. Plus his offers. He's not Kofi by any means, but he has the potential to be a solid 3 year player who will get better under Kenya. And he's not a reach.

And, he’s a guy Hurley showed previous interest in, who comes from a great high school program. I like guys, especially bigs, that have been tested in high school and weren’t putting up big numbers against lower level competition.

 

[MDHuskFan]

Read before in the past he put up great numbers against good talent in NJ. (Think he was like 20-10 against Naz in the state tourney)

Only downside I’ve found with him was a lot of reports regarding consistent effort. Specifically on defense.

 

[Matrim55]

Just look at the numbers @UConnStats and @Hey Adrien! provided. Plus his offers. He's not Kofi by any means, but he has the potential to be a solid 3 year player who will get better under Kenya. And he's not a reach.

To add to your point: He was a better recruit than Carlton was. Anybody feel like tossing Carlton back into the pond?

If/when the paperwork clears and we open up that scholarship, this is our guy.

 

[ZenConn]

Was teammates with targets Jalen Carey and Al-Amir Dawes in EYBL.