Hurley’s Got Recruiting On His Mind
The Story: Regardless of what he’s doing, it has become apparent in recent months that Dan Hurley has the future of the men’s basketball team in his thoughts at all times.
NOT A BAD THING: Consider it the pride Hurley has to be coaching at UConn: A New Jersey native who starred at Seton Hall, Hurley intimately knows and deeply cares about the reputation and tradition of the program. He’s also very much concerned by the history and future of the Big East, which is why the decision to rejoin the conference beginning next year strikes close to home for the coach.
Consider how much it has to have warmed his heart to hear that Andre Jackson, the Huskies’ first player in the Class of 2020, decided to play for UConn in large part because he’ll be able to play most of his games close to his Albany, N.Y., home, and that other players the Huskies are pursuing have mentioned the Big East move as a reason why they’re more interested in the school.
WHAT DID HURLEY SAY? “I think anytime you make a public comment, you think about — whether you’re talking about your program or another — you think about perception. I think that’s why so many coaches from college like the NBA. So much of your daily work and thoughts [in college] are centered around recruiting talent and where you stand with kids, what’s going on. So much of your success in college is based on recruiting the right talent and the right people.”
HURLEY THE CLOSER: Jackson acknowledged before visiting UConn that the school wasn’t one of his top choices; after his first visit, he returned, sealed the deal, and was again back on campus for First Night. Richie Springs was also sold by Hurley’s vision and ended up making a late commitment to UConn, and Javonte Brown-Ferguson, a 7-foot prospect from Canada, made the decision to reclassify to the Class of 2020 and then narrowed his recruitment to three schools — Kansas, Texas A&M and UConn — shortly after his visit.
Edsall: Recruiting Is Going ‘Pretty Well’
The Story: Despite all of the uncertainty facing the football program, Randy Edsall maintains the recruiting process has been going well as he and his assistants try to lock down players for the coming years.
WHAT DID EDSALL SAY? “That’s going pretty well for us. The thing that, again, we want guys who are good people, good players and good students because of the things that we have to do here. I want guys that want to compete, guy that have the ability to be leaders, that want to work and do the things necessary to give yourself a chance to win and be part of a culture where team is important and want to come to try to do something a little different than at some other places.”
IS HE RIGHT? Well, who knows? Edsall has said publicly before he’s very pleased with the quality of players who have given the Huskies commitments so far (the exact number fluctuates depending on the source, but that’s upward of a dozen players), but some of that could be posturing given the difficulties within the program. Let’s face it: Recruiting players to a school that has struggled mightily for a decade with no chance at the College Football Playoff (let alone even a bowl game) and a tradition that has all but evaporated in recent years is a tough sell. That does mean, though, that if Edsall has a dozen players who are all-in, he must actually have the right guys.
MENSAH HONORED: Running back Kevin Mensah was named the AAC Offensive Player of the Week after he rushed for five touchdowns and 164 yards in the win against UMass. “[We’re] glad to see that hard work and dedication pay off,” Edsall said. Mensah is the first player to win the honor since Noel Thomas claimed it on Nov. 23, 2015.
Morning Reads
WE’RE NO. 3: Despite the predicted struggles by the women’s basketball team (relative to past performance, of course), an ESPN panel has the Huskies as the No. 3 team in the country entering the season. (ESPN)
TIME TO STEP UP: After losing Napheesa Collier and Katie Lou Samuelson, Geno Auriemma has challenged his role players to step up and become legends in their own right. (Associated Press)
