Where are we on the recruiting trail....

[RUSS56]

Best I can see, these players at least have a chance to bring their skills to UCONN:

Malcolm Nichols 6-5 SG
Shakur Juiston 6-7 PF (JUCO)
Mamoudou Diarra 6-9 SF (probably are most realistic target) ..ranks #203
Blake Harris 6-3 PG (although lots of Michigan St. attention right now)

Huge risk:

Zach Brown 7-1 C

His off the court issues, have seen his stock bottoming out. This is a kid from a horrific family situation, I'm sure most know the story. Three ways this could go:

1) Take a very high risk kid, and hope he matures quickly, with a father figure coach. Caron Butler was no angel coming to Uconn, but was certainly on a better path when he arrived. This would be a desperate move, but in some respects...desperate people do desperate things...

2) He is signed, and is a problem child, and busts big-time.

3) Stay far far away from this kid.

I am not in any of the 3 camps, it is a dangerous roll of the dice.

 

[Fishy]

Ugh.

Zach Brown has effectively dropped out of high school and he's likely going to serve a prison term in the near future.

There's no risk because there's no chance.

 

[JMick]

you are just a troll at this point.

 

[RUSS56]

you are just a troll at this point.

you are just a troll at this point.

Thanks for the post, helps me recognize those that need be added to ignore list, which I just did, thanks for revealing yourself

 

[husky99]

I'm not sure Harris gets to campus for the visit.

 

[RUSS56]

I'm not sure Harris gets to campus for the visit.

You may be right, but until someone gets his signature, he is still in play. Maybe there is some International player, that no one is thinking of, that turns out to be a diamond, there is always hope.

 

[huskiesnyc]

Sign me up for Diarra and 2 from this group (Harris, Cam, Waters, Sean Obi)

 

[husky99]

Sign me up for Diarra and 2 from this group (Harris, Cam, Waters, Sean Obi)

Besides Diarra. I do not think we are a top pick for any of these guys.
I would take it a step further and say we are not plan B at the moment for any of these guys except diarra.

 

[CTBasketball]

Its a damn shame we never offered Caron Butler because he had a history of gun violence, drug dealing, and crime.

Kid turned out to be a good player. Probably just needed a father figure in his life, that coach at UConn could have saved his life.

 

[Whtdmd]

I am looking at the other top 25 team's roster. Almost all of them have have 2 to 3 question marks on the starting five. The only team that have a better roster next yr in the ABC is Cincy, we are the number 2 teams now excluding WSU. We do have the people for the 4 n 5 spots. They are Cobb, Diarra twins, Polley n Carlton. Now we need production out of 2 of these guys. I saw Cobb n he is much better then Enoch n Durham ever was for us last yr. He needs to lost wt which I am confident he will. 3 guard offense will be our most productive offensively. Will need a veteran 4th guard for that. I want samuel now because of the toughness factor n the ability to guard the 3

 

[husky99]

Its a damn shame we never offered Caron Butler because he had a history of gun violence, drug dealing, and crime.

Kid turned out to be a good player. Probably just needed a father figure in his life, that coach at UConn could have saved his life.

For every butler there is 100 zac browns..how was nate miles?. Also the program was at a very different place...ie not on life support.

 

[CTBasketball]

For every butler there is 100 zac browns..how was nate miles?. Also the program was at a very different place...ie not on life support.

I agree. I'm just saying the kid needs someone, I think KO would help him out. Its high risk, high reward.

 

[HooperScooper]

For every butler there is 100 zac browns..how was nate miles?. Also the program was at a very different place...ie not on life support.

Yup. And let me add that Caron Butler was in a much different period in his rehabilititation than Brown currently is. Anyone who knows the Butler story or read his book knows that he was already in a much better place with his life at the time that UConn recruited him than Brown currently is. Maybe in 3-4 years Brown is in a better place but right now he's in the middle of a mess. Not worth taking a chance on him at this point in time.

 

[Chief00]

Too bad they closed the prison in Mansfield - you can take college equivalent courses in prison. After-all Memphis is in our league.

 

[husky99]

Brown is not playing college ball. He will be playing basketball in a courtyard surrounded by guards with guns.

 

[Fishy]

You have to be absolutely crazy to think that Kevin Ollie would somehow cure what ails Zach Brown.

 

[CTBasketball]

You have to be absolutely crazy to think that Kevin Ollie would somehow cure what ails Zach Brown.

Ooooooo I am crazy.

 

[huskiesnyc]

Besides Diarra. I do not think we are a top pick for any of these guys.
I would take it a step further and say we are not plan B at the moment for any of these guys except diarra.

Chill

 

[superjohn]

Nervous as hell Ollie has no plan to fill this roster or his plan is a pipedream. He's really backed himself into a corner.

 

[husky99]

Chill

I hope you are correct.........

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

The above comments likely reflect what OP was aiming for. He's honing his potstirring craft. I'm glad he Ignored me first.

 

[Glastonhusky]

Nervous as hell Ollie has no plan to fill this roster or his plan is a pipedream. He's really backed himself into a corner.

I agree. I'm still not sure letting Miller go was a great idea, it cost us MAL and may have factored into some of the other transfers(Vance's dad mentioned GM in one of his tweets). KO has pretty much staked his future on Chillious and his recruiting ability. The thing is we need talent in here fast or this may turn into a 2 year rebuilding project. If we should miss out on the tourney for another year or 2, then the rumors about KO's job will begin to start making recruiting even harder and things could snowball. I'm 100% behind KO, but I worry.

 

[noeynox]

You have to be absolutely crazy to think that Kevin Ollie would somehow cure what ails Zach Brown.

The comparisons to Butler are baffling. Sure there were drug dealing and gun charges with Caron, but you heard him speak and realized he was intelligent. Whenever I have heard ZB speak HE sounds like he is about to turn 13. Best to just forget him as a player and hope the best for him in life.

 

[UConnSwag11]

you are just a troll at this point.

The above comments likely reflect what OP was aiming for. He's honing his potstirring craft. I'm glad he Ignored me first.

he's creating his own safe space/echo chamber

 

[RUSS56]

The comparisons to Butler are baffling. Sure there were drug dealing and gun charges with Caron

That is the comparison! You decided to add intelligence to the equation, the comparison ends there.