Diamond Stone (Committed to Maryland)

[Stainmaster]

A lot of those misses were due to a combination of: 1) Calhoun's impending retirement 2) the APR post season ban & 3) a lot of unknown about how well Ollie could coach (not to mention negative recruiting)
So a bunch of those misses are understandable due to the timeframe you referenced

Kudos for Ollie & staff landing Adams and Enoch, but let's not overhype the accomplishment by referencing misses while the program didn't have a leg to stand on.

This is true. But nobody can deny that it's good to slowly be making inroads back into the area. Now the key is to see if this year's work can be built off of in 2016 (Bruce Brown, Omari Spellman) and 2017 (Waters, Jermaine Samuels, Hamidou Diallo, Samuel Japhet-Mathias). Getting a good percentage of these kids is vital.

 

[sawxfan23]

My boss is on the Wisconsin boosters board. Apparently Stone to Wisconsin is pretty much done minus a second set of ACT scores. Take my SOURSEZ~! for what you will - but I'd put UConn a distant third to Wisconsin and Maryland at this point...

Its been a done deal for a long time IMHO.

 

[LStudfellow]

At no point did I say that there was no work involved in getting Enoch or Adams. I said that they were going to be particularly easy gets because they were both already UConn fans and local kids. I'm sure Ollie is working very hard with the other kids, but it's not working, and that's a concern to me.


CallMeBruce, of course at no point have you mentioned the effect the recruiting restrictions from the APR ban had on Ollie and his staff, either. As I have stated before, you and your brethren who keep harping on this "I am concerned with KO and his staff's recruiting prowess" never want to bring up this point - because of course it blows a big, fat hole right in the middle of your whole argument.

Let us see what happens in 2016 and 2017 and then evaluate this staff's ability in recruiting. For you and your ilk, however, you have already made your decision, and anything that refutes your argument be damned!... even if it explains the situation A LOT more than you would ever admit.

Recruiting for 99% of these kids does not start in the last year... it started 3 years ago. And the restrictions caused us to get in late on a lot of guys in the 2014 and 2015 classes. Maybe THAT is the reason we got guys who already love UCONN...

But please, don't let this important part of our recent recruiting situation interfere with your agenda - no matter how much it has factored into the equation.

 

[BlueMAB]

Many seem to forget the fact UConn had one fewer coach allowed to make phone calls, and had the number of days they were permitted to recruit off campus cut by 30% for a couple years.

Championships don't always pay off right away, because it's won in the spring, most of that class has decided, many of the juniors have developed their relationships. Typically, the championships pay off 3-4 years down the road.

Yes, New England Preps are loaded, but 1) where are those kids from, and 2) where do they play their AAU ball? Being located in New England only makes it easier for us to go see them play HS games. But, IIRC, a lot of these kids aren't from New England, play their AAU ball outside of New England, and are being recruited by some of the best programs in the country.

However, the staff has to do a better job closing on recruits. The sanctions are over, the contract extension is there, the facilities are built, and the banners are up. Ollie's gotta start closing.

 

[Bonehead]

I cannot believe this thread still exists...

I hope he comes to UConn and is the next Nate Miles - that will just add to the fun on the forum...

I hope he comes to UConn and is the next Andre Drummond - that will just add to the fun on the forum...

Oh - He isnt coming by the way.

 

[CL82]

I cannot believe this thread still exists...

I hope he comes to UConn and is the next Nate Miles - that will just add to the fun on the forum...

I hope he comes to UConn and is the next Andre Drummond - that will just add to the fun on the forum...

Oh - He isnt coming by the way.

 

[Dmike]

I cannot believe this thread still exists...

I hope he comes to UConn and is the next Nate Miles - that will just add to the fun on the forum...

I hope he comes to UConn and is the next Andre Drummond - that will just add to the fun on the forum...

Oh - He isnt coming by the way.

Shut up!

Btw, stop reading the (king thread. If You do, please refer to line 1 before replying.

 

[ctchamps]

Many seem to forget the fact UConn had one fewer coach allowed to make phone calls, and had the number of days they were permitted to recruit off campus cut by 30% for a couple years.

Championships don't always pay off right away, because it's won in the spring, most of that class has decided, many of the juniors have developed their relationships. Typically, the championships pay off 3-4 years down the road.

Yes, New England Preps are loaded, but 1) where are those kids from, and 2) where do they play their AAU ball? Being located in New England only makes it easier for us to go see them play HS games. But, IIRC, a lot of these kids aren't from New England, play their AAU ball outside of New England, and are being recruited by some of the best programs in the country.

However, the staff has to do a better job closing on recruits. The sanctions are over, the contract extension is there, the facilities are built, and the banners are up. Ollie's gotta start closing.

Agree. If we don't see results in 2016 and particularly 2017 then there are problems. People who look at recruiting in 2015 as a predictor of the future, are eliminating the factors of the apr sanctions and coaching transition imo.

After this horrible winter, I think even native New Englanders in prep school are heading elsewhere. If the winter had been better those out of staters in prep school might actually consider staying in New England if their prep school experience was great.

 

[Bonehead]

Shut up!

Btw, stop reading the (king thread. If You do, please refer to line 1 before replying.

If you had asked me to be quiet I might have listened - you tell me to shut up eggs me on...

 

[Bonehead]

Latest on Diamond Stone -

He used the restroom today...

 

[Stainmaster]

Latest on Diamond Stone -

He used the restroom today...

Do you have sources to back this up?

 

[Bonehead]

Do you have sources to back this up?

I do - but it is not verified. Custodian at his High School.

 

[UConNation]

I do - but it is not verified. Custodian at his High School.

You realize you've now lost your last credible source! Never reveal your sources identity!

please see Alfred and Batman for reference.

 

[Huskyforlife]

Latest on Diamond Stone -

He used the restroom today...

Yeah I was there, he was chillin with some Uconn afterwards. Good sign?

 

[Bonehead]

Yeah I was there, he was chillin with some Uconn afterwards. Good sign?

There are UConn at his High School in Wisconsin? My source could not confirm. He did say there were some badger though.

 

[Milo65]

I don't know what's so hard to understand about this. Look at the Rivals150 for this year and count up the New England kids. There are a lot of them. There aren't a lot of them every year, which means that we won't be able to get an Adams/Enoch duo quite so easily. Combine this with the fact that this should have been a dominant recruiting year with Ollie's extension, winning a championship, and opening a brand-new facility all at once. With all of this in our favor, we were able to get two kids who had always wanted to go to UConn anyway. We haven't won a single recruiting battle despite having more ammo than we're going to have again in a while. If that isn't disconcerting to you, then you're being deliberately obtuse.

One answer to this question: AAC Recruits don't want to play on ESPN 3, CBSSN, to empty Gyms in Tulsa, Houston, USF, UCF or Tulane

 

[Huskyforlife]

There are UConn at his High School in Wisconsin? My source could not confirm. He did say there were some badger though.

Yep, made the way down there for him. Uconn are the BEST .

 

[upstater]

One answer to this question: AAC Recruits don't want to play on ESPN 3, CBSSN, to empty Gyms in Tulsa, Houston, USF, UCF or Tulane

UConn plays on ESPN, ESPN2 and CBS as much as anybody. We've been over this before. UConn plays on the top channels a lot. Certainly more than NC State or VCU or 99% of the schools in America.

 

[CL82]

One answer to this question: AAC Recruits don't want to play on ESPN 3, CBSSN, to empty Gyms in Tulsa, Houston, USF, UCF or Tulane

Swing and a miss. The AAC has many, many shortcomings but TV exposure really isn't one of them.

 

[ATLDYKA]

I live down here in Georgia and the one good thing about being in the AAC is that every game this year has been televised either on one of the ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNNEWS channels or CBSSN. So I get to see every game where as when they were in the Big East I had to watch a lot of games on ESPN3 on the laptop.

 

[Towney007]

Its been a done deal for a long time IMHO.

Take the tidbit for what it is. He's a big wig Badgers booster. He was at the Final Four last year and is organizing Bo Ryan's golf tournament this year...

Apparently they're waiting for a second round of ACT scores to come through... other big piece (apparently) is that his Mother basically told everyone else to beat feet and she only wants him signing with Wisconsin. Maryland seems like option #2 if he can't do the Wisconsin thing. Wisconsin in on uber charm offensive with him (and their fan base) with this... apparently Ryan had some nutty/awkward local interview where he got called out for basically stepping away from his usual method of building teams for one and done guys and all he did was put over how much he loved one and done guys and how if they had been able to develop some of these other players they have now; that we could only imagine what Wisco could do with Stone. Def. seemed like a plant interview/question to throw out a sales pitch...

So who knows. I just don't think this guy's coming to UConn and i'm not sure we're anywhere close to his top 2-3 choices right now... I hope i'm wrong, of course.

 

[Bonehead]

Yep, made the way down there for him. Uconn are the BEST .

This is about to really get off track if it already hasn't - CCSU are easy though - should he maybe consider playing for Howie in New Britain??

 

[Milo65]

UConn plays on ESPN, ESPN2 and CBS as much as anybody. We've been over this before. UConn plays on the top channels a lot. Certainly more than NC State or VCU or 99% of the schools in America.

You are all missing the point..."To empty gyms in Houston, East Carolina etc. "

 

[Gringo]

You are all missing the point..."To empty gyms in Houston, East Carolina etc. "

I doubt many recruits are taking into consideration road attendance figures when considering schools.

 

[ARIDE]

Take the tidbit for what it is. He's a big wig Badgers booster. He was at the Final Four last year and is organizing Bo Ryan's golf tournament this year...

Apparently they're waiting for a second round of ACT scores to come through... other big piece (apparently) is that his Mother basically told everyone else to beat feet and she only wants him signing with Wisconsin. Maryland seems like option #2 if he can't do the Wisconsin thing. Wisconsin in on uber charm offensive with him (and their fan base) with this... apparently Ryan had some nutty/awkward local interview where he got called out for basically stepping away from his usual method of building teams for one and done guys and all he did was put over how much he loved one and done guys and how if they had been able to develop some of these other players they have now; that we could only imagine what Wisco could do with Stone. Def. seemed like a plant interview/question to throw out a sales pitch...

So who knows. I just don't think this guy's coming to UConn and i'm not sure we're anywhere close to his top 2-3 choices right now... I hope i'm wrong, of course.

Stone is not a one and done guy. Time will tell and I believe Ollie gas moved on anyway.