Prep, AAU Coaches Weigh In on How Realignment Could Hurt UConn's Recruiting

If it seems as if I've written this story before, it's because I have ... sorta.

Whether it's been Jim Calhoun's health and/or age, the possible negative ramifications from Nate Miles or APR, or Kevin Ollie working on what amounted to a seven-month contract, there has been plenty of fodder in recent years for opposing coaches to recruit negatively against UConn. And, make no mistake, they have.

Now it's conference realignment and UConn's status in no-man's land, with no Big East brand name or conference tourney at Madison Square Garden to fall back on, as early as next season.

It's always interesting to hear what prep and AAU coaches (not to mention recruits) have to say about possible recruiting impact, and that's what we get in today's story from Jere Quinn (head coach at St. Thomas More, where Andre Drummond went for two years) and Kareem Memminger (coach of the highly-touted AAU program New York Rens, who featured current UConn commits Kentan Facey and Terrence Samuel). We also get Samuel's opinion on the matter.

While the opinions were varied (and both Samuel and Facey are still signed, sealed and delivered and optimistic about UConn), Memminger's opinion was particularly interesting, as he hails from New York, where UConn has mined some of its greatest players in recent years.

Said Memminger: “The 2014, 2015 guys, those are the guys it’s going to affect. I talked to one recruit — I don’t want to mention his name — that UConn has recruited. Basically, his camp told me he likes (UConn) a lot, but they don’t know what conference they’re going to be in.”


Memminger added: "Let's face it, man. It's Conference USA."