2024 Recruiting: ESPN 100 2024 Final Rankings

[Fishy]

I won’t. Anyone that says Ball was a miss is a moron. Tell me who he was gonna play over? We went 37-3 and won a NC. Tell me exactly where he was supposed to fit in once Castle came back healthy.

Stupid, stupid, stupid

Well, yes.

 

[TheChamps990411]

Solo was not a miss... he was really good, especially considering he was a freshmen, before Castle came back. He had 13 against UNC, 9 against IU and 12 against Xavier in January.

I think Solo is going to be oustanding next year.

Crazy anyone would think Ball was a miss. He was a freshmen guard who had Newton, Cam, Diarra and Castle taking up minutes ahead of him. Then Stewart started to emerge and cut into any available playing time even more. That kid is a big time talent. Would not be surprised in the least if he makes an all conference team.

 

[speckle]

Nowell and Abraham are more physically ready than our nonCastle freshman were this year. Physical development is still the biggest obstacle in jumping from high school, even elite HS, to the D1 game. You can have all the skill in the world, but if you're too weak or tired to use it, it just doesn't matter. History sure does rhyme.

 

[Jholla2183]

Just want to say ESPN is the least accurate of the recruiting sites. They don’t invest nearly as much resources to it as the networks that specialize in recruiting (Rivals, On3, 247 & Verbalcommits)

 

[DRBackup]

Another big question is whether Ball was a miss or whether he was just buried behind other guys who out-performed him.

I think his 14 pts against UNC ought to be enough to answer that question. He was behind a roster of 8 guys that won a national championship FFS. I mean, seriously, who was he going to play over ?

 

[caw]

Nowell and Abraham are more physically ready than our nonCastle freshman were this year. Physical development is still the biggest obstacle in jumping from high school, even elite HS, to the D1 game. You can have all the skill in the world, but if you're too weak or tired to use it, it just doesn't matter. History sure does rhyme.

Ball is pretty physically ready IMO. He was just thinking way too much and behind a very good foursome of guards in Castle, Newton, Spencer and Diarra. If anyone ate his minute at the mid to end of the year it was Diarra who surprised everyone with his improvement offensively to go with his stellar defense.

 

[Waquoit]

I agree, Hans. Most of these so called experts on here had similar reactions to Clingan just a couple years ago.

DC was doomed because he didn't play AAU, I recall.

 

[Dutch Boyd]

DC was doomed because he didn't play AAU, I recall.

Yes indeed

 

[Waquoit]

Liam McNeeley #9 *currently on OV 4/23
Ahmad Nowell #34
Isaiah Abraham #58

If this comes to fruitiion, it's easily an all-time recruiting class for UConn.

 

[husky429]

DC was doomed because he didn't play AAU, I recall.

DC played AAU just not on EYBL. Some of y'all confuse the bejesus out of me. Castle didn't play EYBL either.

 

[Inyatkin]

Another big question is whether Ball was a miss or whether he was just buried behind other guys who out-performed him.

Feels like piling on here, but the only way to post something like this is if you assume the absolute worst case about everything under any circumstances. Maybe he's great or maybe not, but there is no cause for speculation at this point that he is a "miss"

 

[Scrutiner]

The tendency here is to downgrade players who either haven't had the chance to show much at the college level, or haven't been a top 10 recruit in HS, or may have been moved to a lesser role by a superstar. I think what I would recommend is that you look at the skills and/or physical attributes displayed at each level, and decide does that skill translate.

Clingan - 7'2" with incredible reach, soft hands and touch, and teachable. So he didn't play high level AAU ball, so what?

Hurley has recruited these last two classes with skills/attributes that will translate. I have confidence that Ball, Stewart, Ross, and even Singare may each be contributors next year if they put in the work and trust the coaching. There's a lot there in each of those guys to commend. The first two I think are ready to make the jump. The second two less so, but if Ross gains strength and can reliably shoot and Singare gets the attention and coaching that raw post guys need they both might surprise.

I think we know what Nowell can do, the only question on him is how early can he be a major plus and play significant minutes. I agree with @mauconnfan that Abraham showed a lot the couple of times I saw him, including athleticism and toughness on D and a nice jump shot out to the line, with touch. I bet he's a significant contributor by mid-season, particularly if Karaban exits.

Great points.
Our coaching staff has proven success recruiting the type players that bring an overriding desire to win, skills that fit our system, and without the baggage of overly involved parents, but some people are still hung up on the players' ratings or where they played their HS ball.

 

[superjohn]

DC played AAU just not on EYBL. Some of y'all confuse the bejesus out of me. Castle didn't play EYBL either.

A lot of posters here also seem to think AAU basketball is some new thing.

 

[TheHorde]

Abraham is going to be a good player. I think people minimize him thinking he was only part of failed package deal

He’s also been demonstrating a good 3 point shot, which many of us weren’t banking on. I bet the kid outperforms his ranking.

 

[Scrutiner]

Donovan was ranked something like 72, right?

But, on the overall topic of roster construction, I do expect the landscape to change every year for the foreseeable future. Look at the many ways this coaching staff could have gotten caught flat-footed every single year, and look at how it has absorbed surprises, pivoted, anticipated, adjusted, acted, and grown...and then look at the many other programs that haven't.

The predictions and speculations that based on incomplete information continue pretty much like it's just another off-season.

Anxious impatience, high ambitions, and higher expectations are the new normal. Not for everybody of course, but for many. Probably too many.

Some people haven't noticed how many programs are suddenly admitting the need to add experience to their rosters.

DH is being deified in Kentucky and Arkansas for his prowess in blending 3 and 4 star guys with portal players that fit his system plus an occasional 5 star and the PR machine at Duke has started touting how brilliantly Jon Scheyer has pivoted to adding experienced portal guys to his nine remaining five stars.

My concern about roster construction going forward is based on little hints we've seen so far:
1. Izzo suggesting the field needs to be expanded to 72 or 76 and automatic bids taken away from the "lesser" conferences;
2. no restrictions on how much money can change hands in any deal or from whence it comes;
3. the quick transformation of the "lesser" conferences into feeders of talent to the "haves"; and
4. how UConn can only compete at this level for so long without a major TV deal.

Varying levels of self worth may be the culprit behind some of the impatience, high ambitions and higher expectations.

 

[Waquoit]

DC played AAU just not on EYBL. Some of y'all confuse the bejesus out of me. Castle didn't play EYBL either.

Whatever, many threw shade because he wasn't doing something or other in HS that the sharpies said would keep him from being good or something. Were you one of them?

 

[Samoo]

Whatever, many threw shade because he wasn't doing something or other in HS that the sharpies said would keep him from being good or something. Were you one of them?

Playing prep ball...

 

[Scrutiner]

He'll play because he can defend. How much will depend on if his offensive improvement is consistent or a flash in the pan.

As of 6 months ago, I'd have said his offense will preclude him from getting anything more than spot minutes. His offense was horrible in AAU and early in his HS season. He seems to have taken a big leap in the 3 games I saw recently. PT will be earned in practice as always.

I recall you rather adamantly saying that about his offense but you probably never saw him live or, if you did, you didn't see him as many times as the coaching staff.

There are two JC stories that are relevant. The first was about the time JC and Howie Dickenman went to see Rod Sellers in HS. RS turned out to be a pretty solid player for four years here but the story was they offered him a scholarship despite him having no points and few or no rebounds in that game because they liked his footwork, hands and other factors.

The other one was when we were recruiting Rashamel Jones I went to see him in a tournament at CCSU. JC was in the stands by himself so I asked him how he goes about evaluating a player like Rash when you might see him have the game of his life that day, either good or bad. His simple answer was, "we go to see them multiple times".

 

[dennismenace]

I admittedly only saw him twice but both games against HS teams that were sending most of their players to D-1, the best competition. He’s a better player than we think we’re getting I think. Obviously small sample but he does a lot well while being very physically and athletically gifted. Think he finds minutes next year. But of course that depends on the portal hits too.

Both recruits are considered very good (or even lockdown) defenders. There is always room for these kind of guys. I think Hurley and coaches will have a number of surprises for us next year. Possibly a lot more running and pressing with longer rotation. Going to be hard to wait six months for this.

 

[Scrutiner]

DC was doomed because he didn't play AAU, I recall.

No, the poster who commented most on him was adamant that DC need to go to prep school.

 

[businesslawyer]

The seven guys who played material minutes last year (not counting Ball’s subbing in for an injured Castle or Stewart’s cameo appearances during the short minutes Alex was required to take a breather) were the best team in the country by far. All we learned from Ball and Ross and Singare sitting was they weren’t good enough as true freshmen to earn minutes on the best team by far in the country. I would argue that having learned that tells us almost nothing as to whether they will be productive players for a hopefully ranked team their sophomore years.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Some people haven't noticed how many programs are suddenly admitting the need to add experience to their rosters.

DH is being deified in Kentucky and Arkansas for his prowess in blending 3 and 4 star guys with portal players that fit his system plus an occasional 5 star and the PR machine at Duke has started touting how brilliantly Jon Scheyer has pivoted to adding experienced portal guys to his nine remaining five stars.

My concern about roster construction going forward is based on little hints we've seen so far:
1. Izzo suggesting the field needs to be expanded to 72 or 76 and automatic bids taken away from the "lesser" conferences;
2. no restrictions on how much money can change hands in any deal or from whence it comes;
3. the quick transformation of the "lesser" conferences into feeders of talent to the "haves"; and
4. how UConn can only compete at this level for so long without a major TV deal.

Varying levels of self worth may be the culprit behind some of the impatience, high ambitions and higher expectations.

With or without awareness or acknowledgement from those alluded to in your final paragraph, what you're suggesting is no less than a contributing factor, even if falling short of being "the culprit."

I believe that your identification & presentation of behaviors, communications, possible patterns, and concerning hints is a valuable contribution to those taking a closer look. Thanks.

 

[husky429]

I recall you rather adamantly saying that about his offense but you probably never saw him live or, if you did, you didn't see him as many times as the coaching staff.

There are two JC stories that are relevant. The first was about the time JC and Howie Dickenman went to see Rod Sellers in HS. RS turned out to be a pretty solid player for four years here but the story was they offered him a scholarship despite him having no points and few or no rebounds in that game because they liked his footwork, hands and other factors.

The other one was when we were recruiting Rashamel Jones I went to see him in a tournament at CCSU. JC was in the stands by himself so I asked him how he goes about evaluating a player like Rash when you might see him have the game of his life that day, either good or bad. His simple answer was, "we go to see them multiple times".

I've seen him play around 20 games. His offense was (and may be) a major weakness and if you disagree with that, frankly, you're just being obtuse.

 

[husky429]

Whatever, many threw shade because he wasn't doing something or other in HS that the sharpies said would keep him from being good or something. Were you one of them?

I have never heard you admit you were wrong before. Bravo!

 

[speckle]

Ball is pretty physically ready IMO. He was just thinking way too much and behind a very good foursome of guards in Castle, Newton, Spencer and Diarra. If anyone ate his minute at the mid to end of the year it was Diarra who surprised everyone with his improvement offensively to go with his stellar defense.

I agree, Ball had only the tiniest window for playing time this year so it went pretty much as expected. Like any young guy, he's got plenty of work to do, but he's got strong shoulders and long arms which we're really going to need for rebounding this year. Windows wide open now.