UConn Beat Writer Says UConn Looking to Schedule SU

[normaliswear]

"Again... zero top 20 classes since 2010. Your're now a top notch mid-major, but not an elite program. "

Considering that our 2010 class had 3 guys who played big minutes on a National Championship team & one guy turned into a lottery pick NBA draft and another guy is the top returning point guard in the country, it was better than mid-major.

2011 class had one lottery pick already (a guy who looks like he'll out perform any current SU NBA player not named Carmello) and another guy who has a good shot to go lottery this year, I would say that it was better than most mid-majors (or in terms of NBA, most SU classes).

The class Ollie is signing is interesting to compare to SU. SU was coming off a FF and UCONN, a post season ban. SU has a HOF coach (one of the best ever) and Ollie has one season, SU is going to the ACC and UCONN to the AAC, SU had no restrictions and UCONN had severe restrictions until into the summer.

McCullough seems to be rated a bit higher than Hamilton by most services, but Purvis was rated higher than Joseph pretty much across the board. Seems like UCONN is a bit better? or very close. At this point, the most credible thing to say is that they ratings of them is very, very close.

Now Cassell didn't play the summer circuit this year but he was recruited by Pitino and Billy D so I take that as more credible than where his ranking is.

Wow... just wow. You have to be about as homer delusional as any I've ever seen. So hey, enjoy the ACK, I'm sure it will be a vast improvement over the old BE, enjoy your sure fire national title this year with the killer recruits Ollie has pulled in. Ignore every service's recruit ranking, any team polls, recent results, or anyone not wearing Husky glasses, you're elite and you always will be no matter what win/loss records say.

 

[sdhusky]

Ignore recent result?

Ignore recent results? Do you mean projections from High School talent evaluators?

Jeremy Lambs results is that he played a major role on a National Championship team. His results is that he was a lottery pick. The fact he wasn't top 100 by scout or ESPN seems less relevant to me than it does to you. So, you can call him a mid-major recruit (which he clearly was by his ranking out of HS) or you talk about his results.

Let's talk Napier. Show me the returning point guard who put up bigger numbers than him last year - 17 points, 4.6 assists, 4.4 rebounds while shooting 40% from 3 point range. Show me someone with better RESULTS than than. Not rating. Not hype. Not will do, might do, can do, but DID. (I did say returning). And while you at it, show me another point guard with significant minutes in a National Championship run. (more in the results column, I know)

 

[normaliswear]

Ignore recent results? Do you mean projections from High School talent evaluators?

Jeremy Lambs results is that he played a major role on a National Championship team. His results is that he was a lottery pick. The fact he wasn't top 100 by scout or ESPN seems less relevant to me than it does to you. So, you can call him a mid-major recruit (which he clearly was by his ranking out of HS) or you talk about his results.

Let's talk Napier. Show me the returning point guard who put up bigger numbers than him last year - 17 points, 4.6 assists, 4.4 rebounds while shooting 40% from 3 point range. Show me someone with better RESULTS than than. Not rating. Not hype. Not will do, might do, can do, but DID. (I did say returning). And while you at it, show me another point guard with significant minutes in a National Championship run. (more in the results column, I know)

No how about an 18-18 conf record the last 2 years. No hype, just a lot of losses. Spin all ya want... but recruiting has dropped, your record has dropped, and now you move from the best basketball conf to a decent mid-major.

 

[jordoo]

Lets just revisit this in say 4 years shall we .. . . . . . . . . . .

 

[HOFCeluck]

-If Uconn could rely on former McD All-American transfers and JUCOS every year, they could be fine. Otherwise they may be in a tenuous situation. Half the Boneyard was melting down over losing a top 200- recruit.

-The last four years Uconn has won precisely six tournamant games...all six in 2011 when they had a transcendant player and a draw that allowed San Diego State to be the best team they played. Not exactly "elite."

-BTW...Jim Boeheim, whom your colleagues on the BY believe is overrated and incompentent after the first weekend of the NCAAT, has won ten in the same time frame.

-Uconn hero Kevin Ollie got a winning record in the Big East by beating up on a lot of DePaul caliber teams, plus Syracuse, which I suspect will be the closest Uconn plays for a national title in quite some time. But I hear Lebron looked at him once in practice.

-The fact of the matter is that Uconns three national titles and truckload of NBA draft picks came under a different coach in an entirely different conference. They're about as relevant as our Helms titles (which BY'ers also mock for some mysterious reason). But don't take my word for it. Take the word of the guys you're whiffing on, and the conferences would prefer to take RUTGERS over Connecticut.

 

[sdhusky]

No how about an 18-18 conf record the last 2 years. No hype, just a lot of losses. Spin all ya want... but recruiting has dropped, your record has dropped, and now you move from the best basketball conf to a decent mid-major.

Yes. With the APR issue we slipped a bit in 2012 & 2013. But indulge me and get specific:

1) How was the 2010 class with Napier and Lamb?

2) How was 2011 with Drummond and Daniels?

3) Compare Hamilton, Purvis and Cassell jr. to McCullough & Joseph?

 

[jordoo]

For the 100x transfers are not really part of your recruiting class. Jeesh. McCullogh/Joseph better than Hamilton/Cassell

 

[sdhusky]

-If Uconn could rely on former McD All-American transfers and JUCOS every year, they could be fine. Otherwise they may be in a tenuous situation. Half the Boneyard was melting down over losing a top 200- recruit.

-The last four years Uconn has won precisely six tournamant games...all six in 2011 when they had a transcendant player and a draw that allowed San Diego State to be the best team they played. Not exactly "elite."

-BTW...Jim Boeheim, whom your colleagues on the BY believe is overrated and incompentent after the first weekend of the NCAAT, has won ten in the same time frame.

I would a NC over JB's outstanding results the last few years. But to each his own.

If you are anywhere near honest, you would have to admit that APR penalties has more to do with the issues that UCONN over the past couple years has had than any slip to mid-major level.

 

[HOFCeluck]

Dude...a week ago your board was melting down over RAY KASONGO.

 

[jordoo]

Dude...a week ago your board was melting down over RAY KASONGO.

Who is Ray Kasongo?

 

[sdhusky]

For the 100x transfers are not really part of your recruiting class. Jeesh. McCullogh/Joseph better than Hamilton/Cassell

Why? Because it hurts your argument?

Dude...a week ago your board was melting down over RAY KASONGO.

Right. And I remember when GROB was the next Vince Lombardi and Boeheim should have been forced to retire.

If your argument is that UCONN has slipped because people post stupid things on the boneyard, I can seriously poke holes in that argument.

 

[HOFCeluck]

I would a NC over JB's outstanding results the last few years. But to each his own.

If you are anywhere near honest, you would have to admit that APR penalties has more to do with the issues that UCONN over the past couple years has had than any slip to mid-major level.

That's fine...my JB comment was more irt your boards irrational hatred of the man, and your results the past four years are a truckload of mediocre with one magical month stuck in the middle.

 

[pearl31]

if you're honest with yourself: your masterguru Ollie flast out MISSED on no fewer than 6 of the "must-get" recruiting targets he had this recruiting season. Spin that any way you want, but the elite players don't want to be in storrs

 

[HOFCeluck]

Who is Ray Kasongo?

Yep.

 

[jordoo]

Why? Because it hurts your argument?

quote]


NO because he isn't part of the 2014 classs! He's a 2012 kid and thus part of that class. This is basic basic basic recruiting stuff. You add a transfer but he is not a part of that class as he is already a college player.

 

[HOFCeluck]

No one here ever put Wes Johnson or Mike G with their respective incoming recruits. Nor do recruiting services tak that into consideration.

 

[jordoo]

if you're honest with yourself: your masterguru Ollie flast out MISSED on no fewer than 6 of the "must-get" recruiting targets he had this recruiting season. Spin that any way you want, but the elite players don't want to be in storrs

So true when you read the boneyard. And that is the main point, that UConn will not be as much of a selector school for top tallent because they are in a crappy conference and have an as of yet unproven coach.

 

[sdhusky]

if you're honest with yourself: your masterguru Ollie flast out MISSED on no fewer than 6 of the "must-get" recruiting targets he had this recruiting season. Spin that any way you want, but the elite players don't want to be in storrs

Right. And if we could play 6 players at once (or if you consider two classes 12 players at once) that would be relevant. I would judge the classes more by who actually comes in than who doesnt. So, right now, we have more talent coming in for next year than SU.

UofL lost out on several recruits this year. KY just lost Oubre to KS. Big deal.

Elite players don't want to go to UCONN while two 5 star players are coming in to play for them? Makes no sense.

 

[sdhusky]

So, bringing is a 5 star player like Purvis doesn't count? But the fact we didn't bring in a 2 guard this class is a ding

No one here ever put Wes Johnson or Mike G with their respective incoming recruits. Nor do recruiting services tak that into consideration.

Ok. You have a point.

When it comes time to play Rutgers and win signing day, it doesn't count.

However, when it does come time to play basketball and Purvis is out there, can we at least agree he is out there?

 

[jordoo]

Right. And if we could play 6 players at once (or if you consider two classes 12 players at once) that would be relevant. I would judge the classes more by who actually comes in than who doesnt. So, right now, we have more talent coming in for next year than SU.

UofL lost out on several recruits this year. KY just lost Oubre to KS. Big deal.

Elite players don't want to go to UCONN while two 5 star players are coming in to play for them? Makes no sense.

You are using misdirection here. Its about UConn being affected recruiting wise due to being in whatever conferense they are in and having a new coach. Missing out on your preffered guys before you get other guys is an indication of this. Not being able to close the deal with the guys who you've put alot of time and energy into is another indication of this. No one said you wouldn't get an elite player here or there (transfers don't count) but that it will become harder and harder to snag those guys and you won't get as many as you used to.

 

[jordoo]

However, when it does come time to play basketball and Purvis is out there, can we at least agree he is out there?

Yes but if you didn't sign him out of highschool then you never won a recruiting battle for him.

 

[HOFCeluck]

So, bringing is a 5 star player like Purvis doesn't count? But the fact we didn't bring in a 2 guard this class is a ding


Ok. You have a point.

When it comes time to play Rutgers and win signing day, it doesn't count.

However, when it does come time to play basketball and Purvis is out there, can we at least agree he is out there?

He's out there for sure.

You just have to hope there are elite transfers and JUCOS wanting to come to UCONN every year I guess.

 

[orangefan13]

I just can't see uconn going away on a national scale. They are to unlikeable to do so.

 

[normaliswear]

2010 being UConn's last top 20 class was decent if unspectacular. Napier and Lamb are solid player capable of leading a team to the tourny but not much further. 2011 had a lot of hype with Drummand who produced very little and not much else, not ranked in top 30 for a reason. 2012 and 2013 which you skip over were jokes for UConn... well if you're still trying to claim elite status. If you're sane and look at UConn as the mid-major they've become they're perfectly servicable classes. Hamilton is a very good player and a GREAT get for a mid-major like UConn. Purvis is the classic talented player who doesn't quite pan out in a top tier conference so he transfers down a level to try and show his skills. Cssell will fit right in with his academic troubles. A decent player. Its enough to get UConn a top 25 ranked rucruiting class. Of course, Syracuse is again top ten even with only wanted two recruits coming off a large 2013 class. The very simple facts... Syracuse has out recruited UConn in recent years in the same conference. Uconn's on court performance has shown that drop in recruiting 18-18. No service ranks UConn's future players at near the level of Syracuse's future players. And UConn's star is decending while Syracuse will remain in the country's best conference. For the last time... pray to be Butler, fear being UMass... but your days of elite status is done. We can pick this up again in 5 years... maybe your UConn colored glasses will clear by then.

 

[HOFCeluck]

I just can't see uconn going away on a national scale. They are to unlikeable to do so.

Gonzaga and Memphis are still relevant nationally. But that's certainly a step down for Uconn.