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Top Recruiting Classes Are Getting Old

dukeblue77

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Mar 15, 2024
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UCONN has proved you do not need the top recruiting class each year. Back to back titles by double digit wins both years. They play beautiful basketball. I liked how Richard Hamilton discussed UCONNS way of running an offense.

A fan for 40 years, we are no longer the standard. Period.
 
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I posted this in the championship game thread, but it seems ever appropriate here since you’re talking about recruits.

If there’s been a key recipe through UConn’s success it’s that they get future great players that other people somehow overlook. You mean to tell me that East Carolina is the only one that knew how good Tristan Newton could be? Remember when Emeka Okafor was considered a project?

Newton/Spencer, 6’5 and 6’4 talented playmaking elite guards. A national championship back court that just transferred right into Connecticut. OAD is NAD (None and Done) without having experienced tough players to play along with the gangly teenagers.
 
Let me ask you this . If UCONN gets the number one recruiting class or number two every year you think they get the same transfers from the portal . They are possibly looking at at least four players leaving . I’ll revisit this post if they win three back to back after their players leave .
 
Let me ask you this . If UCONN gets the number one recruiting class or number two every year you think they get the same transfers from the portal . They are possibly looking at at least four players leaving . I’ll revisit this post if they win three back to back after their players leave .
Good point. I'll say that Jon has to find the right blend of talent with good experience mixed in too. For example, let's say Stewart returns. A fair question we can ask is how ready is he to contribute on a title hunting team given he played so little for much of the season? Power too.
 
We just need a mix. Which scheyer said he’d do but hasn’t built a team like that. Hopefully it happens this year
 
Good point. I'll say that Jon has to find the right blend of talent with good experience mixed in too. For example, let's say Stewart returns. A fair question we can ask is how ready is he to contribute on a title hunting team given he played so little for much of the season? Power too.
If both stay for next season I think it says they are at Duke to compete . I really like Stewart and Power just needs to add to his game . Really would like both to come back .
 
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Although it looks like Hurley really has it going, I'm not prepared to declare his time at Ucon as the next Coach K. Let's see how it lasts for a few more years.

UConn has been on a nice run the last couple of seasons no doubt. The landscape of men’s college basketball goes in cycles. Here are some examples:

1) UConn - Back to Back National Championships (22-23 & 23-24). Prior to that UConn had not made it out of the first round since 2015.

2) Villanova - 2 out of 3 National Championships in 3 seasons (2015-2016 & 2017-2018). Since then they have not been contenders with the exception of the 21-22 season.

3) Duke - Has reached the Elite 8 five times in the last 10 tournaments including 2 Final 4s, and 1 National Championship (2014-2015, 2017-2018, 2018-2019, 2021-2022, and 2023-2024).

4) Unc - Has made it to the National Championship game 3 times in the last 10 tournaments including 3 Final 4s, 3 Elite 8s, and 1 National Championship (15-16, 16-17, and 21-22). During the same time frame they have missed the NCAA Tournament two seasons (19-20 (yes Covid happened this season and no ncaa tournament happened for any team but Unc was not going to qualify for the tournament after Syracuse blew them out in the NCAA Tournament). They also missed the tournament in the 22-23 season.
 
Pump the brakes. I don’t think we need to start trying to be UConn. You have to be really good and really lucky to win back to back. It is not easy to be relevant every year like Duke has been since the 90s either.

I understand that college athletics is completely different now than when coach k left. Do I think Duke has to adapt to take advantage of the portal? 100% We were a big man from being a legitimate contender this year. That is the only gripe I have with Jon. He has to take advantage of portal.
 
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You have to have men on the court to win in college today. Notice, I didn’t bring up age because you can be young but still have an NBA ready body. Banchero, Zion, Aj Griffin, Winslow, Keels, Barrett, yes even Okafor are all examples of freshman who’s bodies were ready or able to hold their own. If Duke is going to continue to recruit the OAD, i think an emphasis needs to be placed on body types, especially in the front court. If Clingan returns for UCONN, they are going to be HARD to beat again. Can you imagine if Duke had him this year? That would have changed the whole complexion of this team. Our freshman bigs Maluach and NGongba, I am not convinced they are man enough next year. Hope I am wrong.
 
UConn has been on a nice run the last couple of seasons no doubt. The landscape of men’s college basketball goes in cycles. Here are some examples:

1) UConn - Back to Back National Championships (22-23 & 23-24). Prior to that UConn had not made it out of the first round since 2015.

2) Villanova - 2 out of 3 National Championships in 3 seasons (2015-2016 & 2017-2018). Since then they have not been contenders with the exception of the 21-22 season.

3) Duke - Has reached the Elite 8 five times in the last 10 tournaments including 2 Final 4s, and 1 National Championship (2014-2015, 2017-2018, 2018-2019, 2021-2022, and 2023-2024).

4) Unc - Has made it to the National Championship game 3 times in the last 10 tournaments including 3 Final 4s, 3 Elite 8s, and 1 National Championship (15-16, 16-17, and 21-22). During the same time frame they have missed the NCAA Tournament two seasons (19-20 (yes Covid happened this season and no ncaa tournament happened for any team but Unc was not going to qualify for the tournament after Syracuse blew them out in the NCAA Tournament). They also missed the tournament in the 22-23 season.

Great Post! 👏🏻
 
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Really good points. Just want to add one more….proven shooters. Generally, if you scan the top 10 or so of every recruiting class, kids can’t shoot outside of 20 feet. This last class….i think every top 10 player was shooting in the 20’s and 30’s from long range. These kids shoot up rankings primarily on athletic ability. There’s only so many McCains, Harris’ etc coming from high school. Gotta use the portal to get proven shooters.

I remember thinking every time Spencer, Newman, and whoever that other dude was that shot the ball, it was going in. The amount of pressure elite shooters put on the other team, even when they aren’t making them, is huge.

That’s my concern next year. If we throw CFOS, Proctor, Cooper, Maluach and Stewart or whoever out there….all you gotta do is just pack the paint.
 
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With the transfer rules as is...relying on freshmen is a flawed premise in my opinion. You need strength, experience and consistency on both ends... Freshmen dont give you that. AND if you bring in freshmen who are only using the program to jump to the next level, there will never be consistency in the program in those areas. What motivation do they have to improve their game in one season? If getting to the Elite 8, Sweet 16 is the goal, then recruiting highly ranked HS players will get you there...but if winning it all is the goal...which it should be...that would be like catching lightening in a bottle. 13 of the 14 top scorers in the elite 8 were seniors or above....that in itself says it all. I am sure we will have exceedingly high expectations of our new class, which will be tempered once they play and then when realism sets in....we will be back to debating if we can get out of the first weekend....rinse and repeat...cant wait lol
 
As long as the best high schoolers are going to play somewhere, I would prefer they do it at Duke. Jon just needs to find a way to compliment them better.
Agreed. You NEVER say no to the best talent, even if the majority of that comes from the HS ranks. No way we should say no to #1 classes, but we need to sprinkle some quality vets in each year, even if they are just above average older guys off the bench.

Also, once the silly extra virus year falls off, that will help level the playing field.
 
With the transfer rules as is...relying on freshmen is a flawed premise in my opinion. You need strength, experience and consistency on both ends... Freshmen dont give you that. AND if you bring in freshmen who are only using the program to jump to the next level, there will never be consistency in the program in those areas. What motivation do they have to improve their game in one season? If getting to the Elite 8, Sweet 16 is the goal, then recruiting highly ranked HS players will get you there...but if winning it all is the goal...which it should be...that would be like catching lightening in a bottle. 13 of the 14 top scorers in the elite 8 were seniors or above....that in itself says it all. I am sure we will have exceedingly high expectations of our new class, which will be tempered once they play and then when realism sets in....we will be back to debating if we can get out of the first weekend....rinse and repeat...cant wait lol
There is almost 300 players in the portal . Out of the top 60 how many play in the NCAA tourney when they transfer ? Out of the top 20 how many play in the sweet 16 , elite 8 or final four ? A lot forget that the players at UCONN transferred there because of the starting capability after playing at a lesser college . Hurley used the portal like recruiting high school kids because they have played at the college level . I will say could UCONN pull in the top five recruiting class every year they aren’t getting the same portal players . It’s the luck of the draw . UCONN only lost two players from their previous championship team prior to this year . Some are really over thinking the portal . The Covid year ( basically two seasons ) is over . The 2024 recruits on forward have literally gotten to play and practice regularly. See how many stay at UCONN after this championship. You will not get top recruits and portal players unless you have ample playing time and NIL for them . Give me the top recruits . To me portal players leave chasing two things . NIL money and playing time . That’s it .
 
Agreed. You NEVER say no to the best talent, even if the majority of that comes from the HS ranks. No way we should say no to #1 classes, but we need to sprinkle some quality vets in each year, even if they are just above average older guys off the bench.

Also, once the silly extra virus year falls off, that will help level the playing field.
This was the last year of it .
 
Speaking of the Covid year. Off topic but wouldn’t playing another year be more profitable for Roach? Would he make more overseas?
 
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Just going after older players through the transfer portal doesn’t automatically mean your school is going to be a championship contender.

This example isn't exactly like today’s landscape but it’s food for thought:

2004 (after Redick’s & The Landlord’s Final 4 loss to UConn)-2010.

04-05 - Sweet 16 loss to Michigan State
05-06 - Sweet 16 loss to LSU
06-07 - 1st Round loss to VCU
07-08 - 2nd Round loss to West Virginia
08-09 - Sweet 16 loss to Nova
09-10 - National Champions

^ the 6 seasons before Duke started going after one and done players, only one of those seasons (09-10) didn’t end in disappointing fashion. The teams above had Upperclassmen in Redick, Williams, Dockery, Melchioni, Nelson, McClure, Paulus, Henderson, Scheyer, Singler, Smith, Thomas, and Zoubek.

Like some have stated on here, hopefully Coach Scheyer can find the right blend of veteran glue guys to stick around like the Plumlees, Jefferson, Thomas type players to combine with 3-5 Freshman studs each season in this new college basketball landscape.
 
UCONN has proved you do not need the top recruiting class each year. Back to back titles by double digit wins both years. They play beautiful basketball. I liked how Richard Hamilton discussed UCONNS way of running an offense.

A fan for 40 years, we are no longer the standard. Period.
They’ve won 6 in 25 years. Impressive for sure. How many times have they missed the tournament? 6 more? Imagine if that happened at Duke. The world would end and you’d be begging for these recruits.

It’s tough to get transfers into Duke because of the grades and classes. So they have to have the young stars.

How many people watched the Duke/Nc State E8 game vs how many watched UCONN/Purdue? I’ll give ya a hint lol

Duke IS the standard. PERIOD.
 
One more year Shey. That's why Roach and RJ Davis can come back.
Could have sworn I read where Conor said this was the final year for the Covid year .

It’s hard for any team to keep players around for multiple years .
 
So our hope of upperclassman are now Roach and Blakes, likely gone, and Proctor. We need to hit the portal. We are not going to a FF with one upperclassman, and we don't even know if Proctor is returning. Mitchell is the type of guy we need to hold on to. The portal will help, if we could bring in 2 mature rotation guys it would make me feel better about next year. The only silver lining to MM is if Power and Stewart return; but we don't know that yet. If we get two guards back that will help.
 
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So our hope of upperclassman are now Roach and Blakes, likely gone, and Proctor. We need to hit the portal. We are not going to a FF with one upperclassman, and we don't even know if Proctor is returning. Mitchell is the type of guy we need to hold on to. The portal will help, if we could bring in 2 mature rotation guys it would make me feel better about next year. The only silver lining to MM is if Power and Stewart return; but we don't know that yet. If we get two guards back that will help.
Power and Stewart are still basically freshman..with the amount or lack thereof, experience they got this year. So sophomore by class but really just new players. We need players with mins in games at this level.
 
They’ve won 6 in 25 years. Impressive for sure. How many times have they missed the tournament? 6 more? Imagine if that happened at Duke. The world would end and you’d be begging for these recruits.

It’s tough to get transfers into Duke because of the grades and classes. So they have to have the young stars.

How many people watched the Duke/Nc State E8 game vs how many watched UCONN/Purdue? I’ll give ya a hint lol

Duke IS the standard. PERIOD.

Seems like I read that they missed seven NCAA tournaments in this 25 year span. So while no disrespect to Hurley’s bravado, when you say 25 years, they couldn’t even compete for it but 18 of those 25 years. And maybe that makes it even more impressive as you could say they have six in 18 tries since 1999.

I know one thing, if Duke had missed that many tournaments, we would never hear the end of it. It’s like when UConn sucks nobody pays attention. But when they win a title, they’re God’s gift to basketball. 🤷🏻‍♂️. In four decades (40 years!) Duke has only missed TWO NCAA Tournaments! That is called a “program”, and it’s something that has made me understand and admire Dean Smith more. When I used to get into debates with Carolina fans eons ago, they would always bring up how it was the consistency of the Carolina program that set it apart. I get that more now having gotten older and realizing the work involved to keep your team part of the national conversation every single year.
 
The issue is , Duke still needs one more to decide to hit the portal or leave just to bring in the recruiting class and one transfer .
 
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So our hope of upperclassman are now Roach and Blakes, likely gone, and Proctor. We need to hit the portal. We are not going to a FF with one upperclassman, and we don't even know if Proctor is returning. Mitchell is the type of guy we need to hold on to. The portal will help, if we could bring in 2 mature rotation guys it would make me feel better about next year. The only silver lining to MM is if Power and Stewart return; but we don't know that yet. If we get two guards back that will help.
Yeah, we don't know yet who's staying. If Proctor and Foster both return, that will definitely help. But right now it looks like we're going to be really young and inexperienced on the front line. That's also including if Power and Stewart both return. All we really know for sure about them is Power has a solid shot, and Stewart can jump out of a gym.
 
You think Power is going to scare people away?
The minutes might be there for someone good. But, we know Power isn’t a guard, and he came in highly rated, and he’s one of what, five guys (counting Stewart) 6-8 or taller?

I think many here need to remember 9-10 guys aren’t going to play meaningful minutes every game.
 
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