Article on what's wrong with UConn recruiting

[MullinMayhem]

Bill, I'm comparing UConn in 2017 to UConn Big East version standards. They set the bar very high but they are clearly fading quite rapidly as a brand and are no longer a blue blood. Programs have golden eras and theirs was with Calhoun. They are on their way down now...not rock bottom but they are having trouble standing out in a pretty bad conference. You made lots of excuses to explain their mediocrity although all programs miss out on players, have injuries, transfers, coaching changes, etc. UConn is still a decent program but they are undoubtedly on a downward trend. As I said, UConn Big East version was a blue blood...the current version is a decent but nothing special program. Again, this was not 1 bad year but several by their standards. UConn making the conference tourney finals without winning is a failure for them. I know Cincy is good but other than them they were supposed to manhandle the Tulsa's, Houston's, etc. of the world and are not. Again, compare UConn to UConn standards. The 2017 version is still good by Niagra standards but not their own.

[Bill Marsh]

UConn's recruiting class ranking in the 5 years since moving to the AAC:

2017: 76
2016: 8
2015: 39
2014: 44
2013: 40

The top 10 class is more of an outlier now, than a norm.

So is #76.

Are you saying that top 40 recruiting classes are a bad thing? And let's not forget that they got some quality transfers during those years as well.

No, they aren't terrible. But considering the last 5 seasons in the Big East, UConn was pulling in Top 15 classes with #33 being their worst class, it shows that they are trending downward.

Where I come from, one season doesn't make a trend. In 2007, UConn's recruiting class was ranked #280 by 247 Sports. What were we to make of that?

According to 247, UConn's recruiting classes in their last 5 years in the Big East were ranked as follows:

2013 - 40
2012 - 27
2011 - 33
2010 - 23
2009 - 12

I see only one recruiting class in the last 4 years that's out of line with that range. I wouldn't make any more of that one year than I would of their 2007 recruiting class.

[ConnersvilleBulldog]

Where I come from, one season doesn't make a trend. In 2007, UConn's recruiting class was ranked #280 by 247 Sports. What were we to make of that?

According to 247, UConn's recruiting classes in their last 5 years in the Big East were ranked as follows:

2013 - 40
2012 - 27
2011 - 33
2010 - 23
2009 - 12

I see only one recruiting class in the last 4 years that's out of line with that range. I wouldn't make any more of that one year than I would of their 2007 recruiting class.

Jesus, I'm not saying that UConn is recruiting at Central Connecticut levels right now. I was just pointing out that for a program that is considered a top 16 all-time program (http://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men ... based-poll), they aren't recruiting up to their standard. And that they haven't been recruiting as well in the first 5 years in the AAC as they did in the last 5 years in the Big East. I never said they are recruiting terribly, just that they aren't recruiting as well.

First 5 AAC - 40, 44, 39, 8, 76
Last 5 BE - 7, 12, 23, 33, 27

[stever20]

Where I come from, one season doesn't make a trend. In 2007, UConn's recruiting class was ranked #280 by 247 Sports. What were we to make of that?

According to 247, UConn's recruiting classes in their last 5 years in the Big East were ranked as follows:

2013 - 40
2012 - 27
2011 - 33
2010 - 23
2009 - 12

I see only one recruiting class in the last 4 years that's out of line with that range. I wouldn't make any more of that one year than I would of their 2007 recruiting class.

Jesus, I'm not saying that UConn is recruiting at Central Connecticut levels right now. I was just pointing out that for a program that is considered a top 16 all-time program (http://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men ... based-poll), they aren't recruiting up to their standard. And that they haven't been recruiting as well in the first 5 years in the AAC as they did in the last 5 years in the Big East. I never said they are recruiting terribly, just that they aren't recruiting as well.

First 5 AAC - 40, 44, 39, 8, 76
Last 5 BE - 7, 12, 23, 33, 27

2013 you can't really put in either category. Most of that work was done in the Big East. That class was signed about 6 weeks before the split was announced.

So last 3 of the BE classes- 23,33,27- avg 27.7
1st 3 seasons AAC- 44,39,8- avg 30.3

pretty damn close. Now if you take the 4th one-
BE- 22.5
AAC- 41.8

so a drop off there. I would say really the last 2 classes were both outliers.

[DeePhence]

The problem with UConn recruiting - and UConn basketball boils down to one thing:

A quixotic quest to be a BCS football school. It's diverted the focus of the athletic department, it's stuck them with a crummy league. They would have been welcome in the New BE, except for that dumpster fire on the gridiron. They'll never get into the Big 10 or Big 12 or ACC, so Husky ball will sooner be Memphis or even Tulane before they're Villanova or Butler. Or even dear old PC.

[FriarJ]

UConn's recruiting class ranking in the 5 years since moving to the AAC:

2017: 76
2016: 8
2015: 39
2014: 44
2013: 40

The top 10 class is more of an outlier now, than a norm.

That 2016 class has been decimated with injuries and transfers.

[FriarJ]

Where I come from, one season doesn't make a trend. In 2007, UConn's recruiting class was ranked #280 by 247 Sports. What were we to make of that?

According to 247, UConn's recruiting classes in their last 5 years in the Big East were ranked as follows:

2013 - 40
2012 - 27
2011 - 33
2010 - 23
2009 - 12

I see only one recruiting class in the last 4 years that's out of line with that range. I wouldn't make any more of that one year than I would of their 2007 recruiting class.

If you can't see that UConn is struggling in the post Jim Calhoun post Big East era then you are the only one.

[Xavier4036]

2013 you can't really put in either category. Most of that work was done in the Big East. That class was signed about 6 weeks before the split was announced.

So last 3 of the BE classes- 23,33,27- avg 27.7
1st 3 seasons AAC- 44,39,8- avg 30.3

pretty damn close. Now if you take the 4th one-
BE- 22.5
AAC- 41.8

so a drop off there. I would say really the last 2 classes were both outliers.

So to dig through all of your clutter Stever, UConn was averaging the #22 class in the country in the Big East but is averaging the #42 class in the country in the American Athletic?

[stever20]

2013 you can't really put in either category. Most of that work was done in the Big East. That class was signed about 6 weeks before the split was announced.

So last 3 of the BE classes- 23,33,27- avg 27.7
1st 3 seasons AAC- 44,39,8- avg 30.3

pretty damn close. Now if you take the 4th one-
BE- 22.5
AAC- 41.8

so a drop off there. I would say really the last 2 classes were both outliers.

So to dig through all of your clutter Stever, UConn was averaging the #22 class in the country in the Big East but is averaging the #42 class in the country in the American Athletic?

yes a drop off, but still averaging top 50 classes.

Think this year coming up is a huge year for Ollie. The bloom starting to come off the rose to some degree- since the NCAA title, he's only 61-43 with a 30-24 conference record. With 2 missed tournaments in those 3 years. Only 11-16 away from home in conference play. And I think fair to say the league is getting tougher with Wichita entering.

[Bill Marsh]

Bill, I'm comparing UConn in 2017 to UConn Big East version standards.

You're exaggerating just how good or consistent they were. Let's not forget that they finished 9th in the BE during their NC run in 2011 and barely squeaked by Arizona in the Elite 8. A wrong bounce of the ball in that game and no one even remembers them in that season.

They set the bar very high but they are clearly fading quite rapidly as a brand and are no longer a blue blood. Programs have golden eras and theirs was with Calhoun. They are on their way down now...not rock bottom but they are having trouble standing out in a pretty bad conference. You made lots of excuses to explain their mediocrity

I made no excuses for UConn. I have no need to defend them. I stated facts. Attention to the facts is sorely missing in these discussions of UConn.

although all programs miss out on players, have injuries, transfers, coaching changes, etc. UConn is still a decent program but they are undoubtedly on a downward trend. As I said, UConn Big East version was a blue blood...the current version is a decent but nothing special program. Again, this was not 1 bad year but several by their standards.

Where are the "several bad seasons by their standards"? They're a year off a conference championship and a win in the tournament, 3 years off a national championship.

UConn making the conference tourney finals without winning is a failure for them. I know Cincy is good but other than them they were supposed to manhandle the Tulsa's, Houston's, etc. of the world and are not. Again, compare UConn to UConn standards. The 2017 version is still good by Niagra standards but not their own.

2017 was a bad season for UConn. There's no other way to describe it. But it's still one year. Syracuse was bad this year. Are they in a downward spiral? They have not changed coaches nor have they moved to an inferior conference. Like UConn, they have a great history. Great programs fluctuate from year to year. But you're treating UConn like they've become BC or DePaul.

Let's try to be objective about this. I'm going to list the final RPI ranks of UConn and Syracuse, going back 10 years to 2007. I've skipped a line at the break between Calhoun and Ollie

YEAR - UConn - SU

2017 -- 108 --- 85
2016 -- 33 ---- 42
2015 -- 73 ---- 67
2014 -- 5 ----- 19
2013 -- 48 ---- 10

2012 -- 33 ---- 2
2011 -- 6 ----- 20
2010 -- 66 ---- 6
2009 -- 5 ---- 12
2008 -- 22 --- 52
2007 -- 109 -- 46

We see with both great programs a wide range of fluctuation. We see under both Ollie and Calhoun a wide range of fluctuation. Your conclusions about UConn's finishes outside the top 50 in 2 of the past 3 years doesn't hold up when we see the identical pattern mirrored by Syracuse over the past 3 years despite no change of conference or coach.

We saw UConn finish outside the top 100 ten years ago under Calhoun and outside the top 50 seven years ago also under Calhoun.

I have no idea what the future holds for UConn. But I do know that it is premature to declare the program dead and without a pulse based on 2017 or on a nonexistent pattern of failure. I think that you and some others are seeing what you want to see.