UConn Recruiting Target: Jessie Govan

Things are slow in UConn territory -- and, for that matter, all over college basketball -- as most schools are in the midst of exams. The Huskies don't play again until Dec. 18, when they host a good Stanford team at the XL Center.

Until then, we passed the time by getting in contact with Dana Dingle, the former UMass standout. No, not to talk about his nationally-ranked Minutemen, but rather about Jessie Govan, the 6-foot-10 Class of 2015 forward who is on UConn's wish list.

Dingle has coached Govan the past two seasons for the New York Lightning AAU program. He says that whichever program winds up with Govan will get a good one.

"He's a throwback guy," Dingle said. "He plays inside to outside, an old-school throwback with post moves and skills on the block, like Tim Duncan. He's highly-skilled ... one of the best skilled big guys in the country."

Defensively, Govan, who visited for UConn's First Night festivities in October, "alters more shots than he blocks. Against high-level competition, he'll get a few blocks and he'll alter a lot of shots. And he rebounds the ball extremely well on the defensive end. His best attribute is rebounding."

Govan, a solid 6-10, 250, just turned 16 at the end of July and is very early in his recruiting process.

"He's pretty much open right now, no set list, no set favorite right now," Dingle noted. "The schools that showed interest early, the schools he's visited, he'll keep an eye on those schools more."

Govan, who hails from Queens, is currently playing at Wings Academy in the Bronx.

Added Dingle: "He's a great kid, great personality, great student, high academic kid. He's anything and everything you can ask for as a kid and player. He has the whole package."