2021 Recruiting: Remaining Recruits

[UconnU]

Went unnoticed a few days ago but we made 2022 top 50 guard Rodney Rice’s final 21 schools

 

[Huskyforlife]

Went unnoticed a few days ago but we made 2022 top 50 guard Rodney Rice’s final 21 schools

I think that's just offers and Interest currently

 

[Huskyforlife]

Based on that Diggins interview, sounds like our final targets for now are Samson and Hawkins. Would be a great class.

 

[husky429]

Some game film that includes Hawkins. I've unintentionally had a pretty good track record recently with these accidentally watching guys we get commitments from, so I'm hoping it will be some good mojo if I watch a few games. Dematha is so popular there are TONS of highlights out there of games too.


Can Anyone Stop Dematha?! FAB 50 #5 Dematha vs #32 St. John's!!
Undefeated Season on the Line! FAB 50 #6 Dematha vs #31 Gonzaga!
DeMatha vs. Rancho Christian - 2020 Hoophall Classic - ESPN Broadcast Highlights
1st Amendment Sports Presents: WCAC Boys Basketball Championship - DeMatha vs Paul VI
Good Counsel vs DeMatha(#10) Game- DSN DMV High School Basketball Showcase 2019-20
191208 - Sunrise Christian v DeMatha

 

[Chief00]

Chief is all in on Hawkins.

 

[Huskyforlife]

Chief is all in on Hawkins.

We leave it to you.

 

[navery12]

Chief is all in on Hawkins.

What about UConn?

 

[Road2Six]

Some game film that includes Hawkins. I've unintentionally had a pretty good track record recently with these accidentally watching guys we get commitments from, so I'm hoping it will be some good mojo if I watch a few games. Dematha is so popular there are TONS of highlights out there of games too.


Can Anyone Stop Dematha?! FAB 50 #5 Dematha vs #32 St. John's!!
Undefeated Season on the Line! FAB 50 #6 Dematha vs #31 Gonzaga!
DeMatha vs. Rancho Christian - 2020 Hoophall Classic - ESPN Broadcast Highlights
1st Amendment Sports Presents: WCAC Boys Basketball Championship - DeMatha vs Paul VI
Good Counsel vs DeMatha(#10) Game- DSN DMV High School Basketball Showcase 2019-20
191208 - Sunrise Christian v DeMatha

You have Hawkins stats? Curious what his shooting % is. Seems to have great form on that J

 

[uconngb]

Went unnoticed a few days ago but we made 2022 top 50 guard Rodney Rice’s final 21 schools

I feel bad for the 10 schools that somehow managed to not make his list

 

[husky99]

Uconn is very interested in Hawkins

 

[NYtoCT]

Does Hawkins have an offer yet? If not, what are the coaches waiting for??

 

[UConnKev]

Does Hawkins have an offer yet? If not, what are the coaches waiting for??

We offered back in April.

 

[5xChamps]

We offered back in April.

Not only that but UConn was one of his first high major offers following just Xavier and Marquette. He since has a ton more suitors (Louisville, Maryland, Creighton, etc) that came after the UConn offer

 

[husky429]

vs St. Johns


9 PTS
2 REB
1 AST (1 Potential/Foul)

3 TO
1 STL
BLK

2/4 2FG
1/2 3FG
2/2 FT

• Love, love his defense. Super quick, fighting through screens aggressively, even though he is on the smaller side. Not perfect, still developing awareness against this high level comp. But he frequently was matched up guarding the other team’s lead guard.
• Very well coached. Take all the stats with a grain of salt because he’s playing on a team loaded with 4 and 5 star talent--even off the bench. Dematha would beat most D1 teams.
• SUPER SUPER low usage. I think he only took 4 dribbles in the first quarter, for example.
• Doesn’t play like a guard at all--no bringing the ball up or anything. Just seems to be an effecient pure scorer with good defensive potential
• Only 2 pts in the first half (on 2 shots). The announcers said it’s common for him to heat up in the 2nd half.
• Played about 24 minutes.
• Ballhandling was definitely limited this game. Not much in the way of lead guard skills. Makes me wonder if he’ll need to either pair with a very strong PG or play some 3 early in his college career.

Can Anyone Stop Dematha?! FAB 50 #5 Dematha vs #32 St. John's!!

• Nice 2 dribble pull up.

Can Anyone Stop Dematha?! FAB 50 #5 Dematha vs #32 St. John's!!

• This play reminded me of Rip. Runs off 3 screens, gets it in the mid-range and scores with his left hand.

 

[husky429]

vs Gonzaga


7 PTS
3 REB
1 AST (1 potential/foul)

2 TO
STL
BLK

2/6 2FG
1/3 3FG
FT

• I like his ability to pick up 3/4 court and stay in front of smaller guards. Pretty nice lateral quickness and defensive effort. Defense is imo his best attribute right now.
• It’s great that hit plays within himself very conservatively. But there’s also a developmental benefit to making mistakes and such. I hope his senior year he gets a longer leash to try to create for himself and others.
• 0 points (0/5) in the first half.
• He’s just too small to compete on the boards right now. But the kid does get after it despite the lower numbers. Physical player.
• A little turnover prone considering his usage and how much he dribbles. Doesn’t seem to always make the right read passing the rock and loses the ball dribbling.
• Gets pretty down on himself when making mistakes.
• Played about 25 mins

Undefeated Season on the Line! FAB 50 #6 Dematha vs #31 Gonzaga!

• Nice 1v1 defense here fighting through the screen and recovering to close out

Undefeated Season on the Line! FAB 50 #6 Dematha vs #31 Gonzaga!

• First bucket. Left handed 2 dribble pull up.

Undefeated Season on the Line! FAB 50 #6 Dematha vs #31 Gonzaga!

• Pretty mid-range bucket

Undefeated Season on the Line! FAB 50 #6 Dematha vs #31 Gonzaga!

• 3-ball

 

[Jluc]

Uconn is very interested in Hawkins

Is he interested in us?

 

[Mr. French]

I don't know if it was talked about here at all but I saw on twitter a quick 2 minute interview with Diggins and the guy asked him who he's going to help recruit with him ... he said Samson right away and then "the kid from DeMatha, I can't think of his name now ..." and then someone reminded him "Hawkins."

 

[NYtoCT]

We offered back in April.

Got it...for some reason neither 247 nor rivals have it listed

 

[husky429]

vs Sunrise Christian


5 PTS
3 REB
0 AST

0 TO
1 STL
0 BLK

0/2 2FG
0/2 3FG
5/7 FT

• Real tough matchup on defense this game but I thought he did well. Was the primary defender on all D1 recruits, ranging from 6’3 to 6’9. Super versatile defensively.
• Pretty good on the offensive boards considering his size.
• Free throws would be better if he started the ball on his strong-side hip instead of weak. Weird habit a bunch of kids seem to have. I blame Lonzo.
• Didn’t play the last 10 or so minutes of the game, plus his normal rest in the 1st half. Probably only played 20-22 minutes this game.
• Offense was very, very off in this game. Sunrise defense was really good.

191208 - Sunrise Christian v DeMatha

• Taking a charge

191208 - Sunrise Christian v DeMatha

- Good defense

I don't envy the people who have to evaluate recruits. How do you compare a kid like Hawkins, who plays at a powerhouse school with a dozen D1 players on the roster and a schedule of basically D1 college teams, to someone like Clingan who hasn't played against a kid taller than 6'7, and maybe 2 teams with a couple low-major D1 recruits in 2 years? 5/3/0 for Clingan would be a complete disaster of a game, but it really didn't feel like THAT bad of a game for Hawkins, even if it wasn't great.

 

[LStudfellow]

I don't know if it was talked about here at all but I saw on twitter a quick 2 minute interview with Diggins and the guy asked him who he's going to help recruit with him ... he said Samson right away and then "the kid from DeMatha, I can't think of his name now ..." and then someone reminded him "Hawkins."

I am going to keep on beating this drum. The #1 thing I am loving most about Hurley and staff is that they obviously have a blueprint of what kind of attitude, character, and mental makeup they are looking for in each and every young man they recruit. It goes beyond their basketball talent (of course hugely important, but so too are the intangibles if you want to win titles. Just ask Calhoun).

It was the biggest intangible that Kevin Ollie misunderstood the most about recruiting... It constantly felt like he was shoving square pegs into round holes, and the recruits he brought in just didn't fit together. And it showed in our often disjointed, uneven and way too often lackluster play, game in and game out, over the last 4 years of his tenure.

The contrast is so stark. It was similar to what Calhoun and his staffs were looking for. Of course talent is at the top of the list... but the intangibles are what drew him to guys like Chris Smith, Lyman DePriest, John Gwynn, Nadav Henefeld, Ray Allen, Ricky Moore, Richard Hamilton, Khalid El-Amin, Caron Butler, Emeka Okafor, Ben Gordon, Jeff Adrien and of course most recently Kemba Walker, Jeremy Lamb, Shabazz and Ryan Boatright and others.

Calhoun LOVED gym rats.... winners. Guys who HATED to lose. Guy who would take it personally when you tried to steal their lunch money, do whatever it took to get it back, and then take yours.

THAT is the kind of young man that Dan Hurley is recruiting as well. He challenged Rahsool, and Rahsool jumped at the chance. We are going to LOVE having this young man quarterbacking our team. So did Sanogo, Jackson, Martin and the guys he brought in last year.

Notice how almost every new recruit mentions his desire to help recruit others to play with them? Gaffney, R.J. Cole and most of the others do it also. It's a brotherhood. That is what Calhoun built... and it is what Dan Hurley is building right now, right before our eyes.

The good times are just starting folks... they really are here again. AND IT'S SO FREAKING EXCITING!!!

 

[Chief00]

vs Gonzaga


7 PTS
3 REB
1 AST (1 potential/foul)

2 TO
STL
BLK

2/6 2FG
1/3 3FG
FT

• I like his ability to pick up 3/4 court and stay in front of smaller guards. Pretty nice lateral quickness and defensive effort. Defense is imo his best attribute right now.
• It’s great that hit plays within himself very conservatively. But there’s also a developmental benefit to making mistakes and such. I hope his senior year he gets a longer leash to try to create for himself and others.
• 0 points (0/5) in the first half.
• He’s just too small to compete on the boards right now. But the kid does get after it despite the lower numbers. Physical player.
• A little turnover prone considering his usage and how much he dribbles. Doesn’t seem to always make the right read passing the rock and loses the ball dribbling.
• Gets pretty down on himself when making mistakes.
• Played about 25 mins

Undefeated Season on the Line! FAB 50 #6 Dematha vs #31 Gonzaga!

• Nice 1v1 defense here fighting through the screen and recovering to close out

Undefeated Season on the Line! FAB 50 #6 Dematha vs #31 Gonzaga!

• First bucket. Left handed 2 dribble pull up.

Undefeated Season on the Line! FAB 50 #6 Dematha vs #31 Gonzaga!

• Pretty mid-range bucket

Undefeated Season on the Line! FAB 50 #6 Dematha vs #31 Gonzaga!

• 3-ball

Danny wants an on the ball defender and a guy who can shut down a scorer. Chief can’t tell you how important it is to take your opponent out of their offense - either by cutting off the head of the snake (the PG) or by taking away their opponent’s first scoring option and letting someone else try to beat you. Danny also likes guys who can switch on screens, a difference from Calhoun who preferred fighting through the screen. Jim just made a guy so darn accountable on a laser focused assignment.
When AG played great on the ball defense late in the year, it was so beneficial toward winning. Greg Marshall certainly admired that and knew the value that creates - taking the opponent out of their half court game plan, shortening the shot clock and taking the legs out of your opponent impacting their shot, etc. Chief could go on, but you get my point. Very valuable asset to have.

 

[olehead]

Trevor Keels looks really skilled but doesn’t seem to have elite athleticism or size. Does anyone with stronger basketball acumen know what it is about his game that separates him from the pack and puts him at a 5-star rating?

I have watched this kid a few times and I'm in agreement with you. He lacks explosiveness and lacks the sort of upside you want to see in a really good hs kid. Five star players typically range from one and done to really solid contributing starters who will play pro but not necessarily in the Association.

This kid will certainly play professionally, I'm not certain about NBA potential. He's at least a two year guy at this point.

Major concerns
-He's listed at 6'5", solid to heavy and lacks length.
-Lacks quickness, ok defender
-Ok rebounder for hs. Not going after it.
- Ok creativity
- Bully ball won't work at next level. Bigger, faster, more athletic.

Pluses
- Really good scorer, will be a reliable scorer at major D1
- Really good shooter, will space the floor
- Solid ballhandler for size
- Strong, plays bully ball on hs level
- Killer at the hs level, does it carry over
- Tough competitor, he will go to battle.

Comp:
Initially I thought of Isaiah Briscoe, but because of his size and shooting ability he reminds of the Ct. kid Heron. Heron was the more athletic of the two at this relative point in their careers.

Undoubtedly a great pickup for any program. His game is really solid and he will improve any program as soon as he lands. He is not at this point a 5-star in my opinion. The rankings are a bit bogged down this year, however. Lack of high-end talent or opportunity to evaluate? Last I checked 247 had 4-stars showing up as early as the late teens.

 

[Mr. French]

Watch to the end

 

[Ricker]

The Rancho Christian game shows Hawkins as a smooth easy scorer/shooter. At least 18 pts by my count, with 3's, mid range, and open court dunks. Great game by Hunter Dickenson, 28pts vs #1 7' Evan Mobley without playing the first quarter. Good to watch to imagine Clingan with the same size and skills. Live at Hoophall it was Timberlake, (Miami), that turned my head. Hawkins wore #24, (there is another unrelated Hawkins on the team).

 

[CL82]

What about UConn?

Chief all in on UConn as well.