Had a nice chat with Kevin Ollie and Josh Carlton today. Look for story on Carlton in Wednesday's Register.

Here's some of what Ollie had to say about a number of different topics:

Kevin Ollie

(2017-18 outlook)

I think our ballhandling’s gonna be much improved, especially with Alterique coming back and Jalen coming off an outstanding season.

(Looking back on last season's disappointment, injuries)

“It happens, it’s part of the game, we’re not making any excuses about it. I’m just glad to see those guys healthy.”

“Two weeks left in the season, we were fighting for third. Then we kind of had a letdown at the end of the season.”

“I was proud of the guys overall. Proud of the coaching staff. We just learned a lot. I know I learned a lot. I had never been through anything like that in my career as a head coach or an assistant.”

(Alterique Gilbert)

"He's still not 100 percent. We're still kinda cautious with everything, He'll do some contact, then lean off that a little bit. In July, we're gonna allow him to go full-contact, 5-on-5."

"He’s a tremendous leader. He has a great work ethic, and just seeing him out there, I think it really helps our team and our psyche, just to see that leadership out there. He’s a pit bull on the basketball court. He loves what he does, and you can see it in everything he does – every behavior he does, he’s kinda like a quiet leader."

(Will next year's team try to run more, go with smaller lineups?)

“That’s got to be the game plan. We don’t want to go down and face set defenses all the time. But that goes back to defensive rebounding. If you want to be a great running team, you’ve got to play good defense and rebound the basketball.”

(Mamadou Diarra)

"Mamadou’s been going full strength, getting up at 6:30 a.m., working out with Carlos Daniels, coming back to practice center doing individual work. No swelling in the knee, no bad feedback, every day he's recovering and coming back stronger."

(Terry Larrier)

Terry Larrier

"Terry’s doing great. He’s a man on a mission ... Terry’s really stepping up vocally, in workouts, going above and beyond the things we ask. I think the switch has really flipped on by him.”

(Will it be good for UConn to go into next season with lesser expectations, a bit under the radar?)

“I’d love to be No. 1. I don’t run away from expectations. I don’t care if we’re eighth or 10^th in the preseason – in Connecticut, they expect us to win. That’s the expectations that we come into each and every year, and that’s how we’re evaluated. I understand that pressure. I played here, I coached here. I like that pressure. I think that’s a privilege. If people want to call us an underdog, this and that, it is what it is. We want to just come in and play.”

“In February, when we’re coming back from SMU and you’ve got to get up for school at 8 a.m. and then come back in for practice – can you be committed then? That’s when I’ll know if we have a championship-caliber team.”

(Jalen Adams)

"Just being more consistent in big games – SMU, Cincinnati games. Stretch the defense more. He's a fantastic open-court basketball player. I want him to be known as one of the best defensive guards in our conference. That’s an area he can improve on.”

"His ankle was messed up the last three weeks. The way he gutted it out for us and gutted it out for me, and it’s not like we pushed him or anything. He wanted to play. That was big-time. Now, just giving him a little time to rest his ankle, get it back to full strength, that’s kind of what we’re doing with him now. But what he did those last three weeks … people didn’t write about that, but we knew about it. His ankle was bothering him. But he wanted to push through for the team and give it his all.”

(Does he think the program is still in good shape?)

“I don’t think, I know. Guys left, made their own decisions. It happens. I wish them the best of luck, but we have to move on. I don’t have time to be looking back. I’m running towards my destiny, and I think this program is running towards their destiny. We don’t have time to go back. We learned from it, we got through it. We’re focused on a new task this season to get the guys that are putting these jerseys on and going out here playing for this great university.”

“I know this program is in a good state. We’ve graduated guys, we did a remarkable job academically. On the basketball court, yeah, we took a step back. Everybody understands the different circumstances that happened. But, at the end of the day, I thought we played hard, we competed.”

“We have to win. I can’t keep going 15-17, we all know that. But I really admire the men that they’ve become. I hope everybody sees that, too.”

“We have a great program. It’s not for everybody. If you want to be here, come in with the mentality, you’re going to be successful. A lot of guys on that wall have done it, and it’s not all based on talent.”

(Will Antwoine Anderson help compliment Adams, Gilbert and Christian Vital in the backcourt?)

"(With a smile) Compliment? He’s gonna make them compete a little bit more, too. He’s really good. He’s what we need. He’s a push guard, he loves to play defense, he’s got a chip on his shoulder. Those guys stepping up a little bit want to prove themselves. He’s kind of what we need. He’s got the veteran leadership, but then he also has the tenacity to get out there defensively. He’s very shifty with the ball, he’s gonna give us another ballhandler.”

(Josh Carlton)

“Very skilled, big body. It’s not like we’re telling Carlos to put 25 pounds on him. We want to get him more lean and physically in shape, condition-wise. Very talented around the rim, can rebound. He’s just got a big body. I expect him to compete for minutes. He could be, eventually, a person that we can throw it down low to. He can command a double team, eventually. But I really think his skill level is close to (Steve) Enoch’s. Enoch is better skilled than him now, but I kind of compare those two, skill-wise. Great touch around the basket. Hopefully, he can come in and compete for some minutes.”

"We want to get him more athletic, boost his jumping ability, his fast-twitch muscles, being able to react on defensive end. Only way they get on court is if they pick up defensive schemes. Hopefully, he can do that."

(Eric Cobb)

"He went through an ordeal at South Carolina, took whatever punishment came his way, then went to JUCO and proved himself there and did great academically. Now, he’s coming back to get his second chance to play Division I basketball. I really think he has that motivation in his heart to say, ‘Man, I went through some stuff, but I’m better now.’ I think he has a toughness that we kind of lacked sometimes last year against the bigger teams.”

"His fault, not his fault – he was part of it. I think he took that under consideration, how he needs to change his life, the circle that he was running with. Now he’s a better man for it. I’m very intrigued by him.”

(Keeping two scholarship spots open)

“Just in case Andre Drummond falls out of the sky. We’re working. Some 2018’s that can be 2017’s, and still some guys transferring, we might bring in transfer and have him sit out and be a part of our system while not playing. That would be ideal.”

Ollie said that Amida Brimah will likely play for Miami in the Orlando Summer League, then with Chicago out in Las Vegas. It seems the Bulls have the most interest in Brimah.

It'll be a homecoming for Kevin Ollie and Vance Jackson on Thursday night as UConn faces Loyola Marymount, an L.A. stopover en route to the Maui Jim Maui Invitational next week.

Hard to believe the Huskies are 0-2 heading into the game, but such is the case. Here's an advance on the game, and here's a game capsule.

As mentioned in the advance, Mamadou Diarra's knee is still bothering him quite a bit. Nothing's been decided yet, but Ollie brought up the word "red-shirt," noting it is a distinct possibility for Diarra this season.

The news was better on Christian Vital, who sat out Monday's loss to Northeastern with back spasms. Although Ollie said that Vital's participation in practice was limited, he has been cleared to play on Thursday night.

Eric Ayala, a Class of 2018 guard who plays at Putnam Science Academy, was recently offered by UConn.

Ayala didn't put up great numbers last season at PSA (10 points, five boards, four assists per game). Of course, he had far more heralded teammates like UConn commit Mamadou Diarra and coveted Husky target Hamidou Diallo.

Ayala really blew up this summer, however, earning offers from schools like Maryland and, now, UConn. The Huskies watched the Delaware native pour in 30 points to lead WE R1 to victory over Paul Scruggs' (and Kris Wilkes') team in the Under Armour Association championship and realized he's a talented scorer who will be one of the top prospects in the nation if he remains in the Class of 2018.

Been a while since I've blogged, so here's a mega-post off today's "Meet the Freshmen" at the Werth Center. This group of frosh is calling themselves "The Top Five," and they certainly could be one of the program's better classes when it's all said and done.

'The Top Five' (l. to r.), Vance Jackson, Juwan Durham, Christian Vital, Mamadou Diarra, Alterique Gilbert.

Here's some sights and sounds from this afternoon:

JUWAN DURHAM:

(on how good this freshman class can be)

“I believe that it’s the best in the country right now. We have guys that can do everything. We have scorers, decent defensive players, we have vocal leaders in Alterique and Christian, a shooter like Vance, a nice big like Mamadou, and versatility in myself, I believe. Coach K.O. told us that we have a chance to start. You know he doesn’t keep the same starting lineup, so whoever’s out there working the hardest and doing the best that they can do, they’ll be able to start.”

(on getting adjusted to life on UConn's campus)

“I like the area, because there’s not much in Storrs to do, other than play basketball and go to class. That’s what I really liked about it. I liked the campus, I liked the coaching staff and I liked the team. I knew the incoming freshmen class that we already have, with Mamadou and Alterique, I knew I’d be in good hands with those guys. We have good leaders in Kentan Facey and Jalen Adams and Rodney Purvis and Amida (Brimah).”

“I grew up in the city. Tampa, Florida … is really a fast-paced city, a lot of big buildings and stuff like that, interstates. Out here, there’s nothing but giant bugs. I saw an ant probably the size of my big toe. It’s crazy stuff that I’ve never seen before. It’s something new. I can go back and tell my family back at home. I took a video of a bee, I think it was. It was like that big (stretches fingers out). I was really confused about that.”

VANCE JACKSON:

ALTERIQUE GILBERT:

CHRISTIAN VITAL:

“You see Vance, he’s a 6-8 shooter, scorer, versatile. Alterique and I have no problem playing together – obviously he’s not playing yet, his shoulder’s still recovering, but we talk about (things like) I don’t mind if he brings up the ball, I don’t need to bring up the ball every time, he doesn’t need to bring the ball up all the time, he’s a selfless person – you see Mamadou, he’s a beast on the boards and starting to work on his mid-range shot, and Juwan, he’s still recovering, but he’s 6-11 and we were shooting around and he made, like, 10 3’s in a row. So, this class is really, really talented and versatile. I believe we’re one of the best recruiting classes in 2016. We need to prove it during the season.”

“Obviously, we want to win a national championship. That’s what everyone wants to do. We just talk about getting better as a group, pushing each other, making sure that no one person is slacking. Because if one person is slacking out of the five of us, we’re all slacking. We’re a team, we’re close with our other teammates, as well, but there’s something about that freshman group. Your class you come in with, you’re just a little bit tighter with, because you’re experiencing something new at the same time. We just talk about sticking together and keep getting each other better.”

(on whether he's a 'Kevin Ollie-type player,' as his prep coach called him)

“I think that’s one of the pictures coach K.O. was telling me when he was recruiting me, that you’re extremely hard-working. He spent 13 years in the NBA and he was never the best player on his team, he never averaged multiple points a game, he was just a hard-worker. He says I can shoot better than him, but those intangibles of working hard and wanting it more than other people, that I can achieve my dreams, too. And he can help me to that. That’s one of the reasons I wanted to play for Coach K.O.”

(on how his best friend, Steve Enoch, helped persuade him to come to UConn)

“I kind of spoke to him before it went public and told him what my five were gonna be. From then, he was texting me, ‘Listen, bro, what are you doing? Just commit now. Just commit now.’ So he definitely had an impact on me coming here.”

(on his friendship with Enoch)

“We just became such close friends (at St. Thomas More). We have the same interests off the court. We like to work out. We go to the gym at 6:30 a.m., preseason and during the season. We’d hang out in each other’s rooms, play video games when there was nothing much else to do on a prep school campus. It’s not like we could leave, so we just really bonded together. That’s my best friend.”

(on Enoch playing for Team Armenia this summer)

“I spoke to him yesterday. I was like, ‘Good luck out there, do your thing.’ I spoke to him the other night to work hard out there. You’re not there for no reason. He’s new to basketball. He wasn’t really on varsity from his freshman year like a lot of other players. So I told him, you’re out there for a reason, work hard, do your thing, and enjoy your experience out there.”

MAMADOU DIARRA:

“I think this group is gonna be really special. We’re already half the team this year, so we’re gonna all play major roles with the team. We’re with each other all day, so we’re jelling, and that’s gonna help us out a lot. Everybody brings their own uniqueness.”

(defense and rebounding)

“That’s gonna be my niche to get on the floor. And I know I’ve got to develop offensively. But I figure once I get in the gym all the time and put in that work, that’s gonna come eventually. But I’m gonna deal with my strengths at first, and then grow from there.”

UConn has received a national letter-of-intent from Christian Vital. Here's the press release the school sent out this afternoon:

The UConn men's basketball program has received a signed Letter of Intent from Christian Vital, a combination guard from Queens Village, N.Y., who will join the freshman class of 2016-17.

Vital, 6-2 and 170 pounds, averaged 16.2 points per game last season at St. Thomas More (Oakdale, Conn.), helping the Chancellors to a 31-7 record and the National Prep Championship finals.
Vital is known as a high-energy athlete, who can play either guard position, with an outstanding long range jumper, and is a solid defender. But UConn coach Kevin Ollie feels that he brings to the program much more than his basketball skills.

"Besides being a great basketball player with a great basketball mind, Christian is just an outstanding leader," Ollie said. "He has won wherever he's been. He's a great person who lifts your spirit when you're around him.

"Christian's ability to play both guard positions and his leadership qualities are what intrigued us. His combination of talent and character are what we're looking for in our student-athletes. We think he'll be a wonderful addition to the program."

Vital was a New England Prep School Athletic Conference Class AAA All-New England First-Team selection. He scored 13 points, including three three-pointers, and handed out seven assists in the Jordan Brand Classic Regional Game, in which he played with fellow UConn incoming recruit Mamadou Diarra.

"He may have improved more than any kid I've ever had here for two years," St.Thomas More coach Jere Quinn told the Norwich Bulletin. "He's such a hard worker. First to show up in the gym, last to leave --- that kind of kid."

Vital is also well-acquainted with more of his future UConn teammates. In 2014-15 at St. Thomas More, he was a teammate of UConn rising sophomore forward Steve Enoch, he played he played AAU ball with current UConn redshirt sophomore Terry Larrier, and knows UConn rising sophomore Jalen Adams from the AAU and NEPSAC circuits
.
Vital joins UConn's highly-touted recruiting class which has been consistently rated among the top 10 in the country, including forward Diarra (Queens, N.Y.), guard Alterique Gilbert (Lithonia, Ga.), and forwards Vance Jackson (Altedena, Calif.), and Juwan Durham (Tampa, Fla.).

Interesting stuff from the Jordan Brand Classic regional game today. Here's what Mamadou Diarra, Taurean Thompson and Christian Vital had to day:

THOMPSON (who is taking an official to UConn on Monday, his third official):

“I don’t know a lot about UConn. I know (Daniel) Hamilton just left. I talked to the assistant coaches briefly, I haven’t really talked to (Kevin) Ollie yet. He’s been busy. But when I get there, they’ll let me know what’s going on.”

“After UConn, if it doesn’t feel right, I’m gonna keep brainstorming and use my last two officials.”

Thompson was named Team New York's MVP on Friday after shooting 13-for-15 from the floor for 27 points and 13 boards.

DIARRA:

(on persuading Thompson to come to UConn)

“I was just talking to him in the locker room about it, ‘you’ve got to come to UConn. He’s taking his visit Monday, so hopefully he likes it.”

Diarra, who scored 19 points in Team New York's 148-128 victory on Friday, said he'll likely arrive on UConn's campus around May 31. He's been working on getting stronger and "stepping out a little bit, making jump shots, stretching my game out a little."

But he knows his bread-and-butter will be rebounding and shot-blocking.

“That’s my niche, that’s what I’m gonna need to do to get on the floor. That’s what I’ll keep on doing. Our leading rebounder last year was Daniel Hamilton, and he’s out, too. So that’s a big role that’s missing. They’re gonna need that.”

(on Hamilton's departure to the NBA)

“I’m a little surprised ... He’s good, but players come and players go. That’s just a part of the game. There’s a lot of other guys on the team that can step up and play, like Terry Larrier, Vance Jackson.”

VITAL:

The Queens Village, New York product, played AAU ball with Larrier, knows Jalen Adams from playing prep ball in New England and said Steve Enoch is “my beat friend.”

“I just spoke to him the other day, he told me to get ready for my visit,” Vital reported. “And Coach Ollie is a really great guy, too. You can see how genuine he is about his players. That’s why he shows so much emotion when coaching on the sidelines. And being in Connecticut, UConn is on a lot. When I’m scrolling through the channels, I’m able to watch them play.”

Vital said it's down to UConn, Louisville and Iowa - though it appears UConn and Louisville are the leaders. He'll visit both soon (UConn early next week).Vital spoke glowingly of Louisville.

“You grow up watching Coach Pitino, he’s a great coach,” Vital said. “I can tell he has a lot of great character. A lot of things, as we know, happened down at Louisville, and I am aware of that and I’m thinking about that in my decision. But I don’t feel like you should ever judge someone just because they sin differently than you. Whatever did happen over there, no one’s perfect. They definitely took the steps to get ahead of their sanctions by saying ‘no postseason’ last year and getting rid of scholarships. Coach Pitino can’t come down and see me, that’s part of it ... And also national championships ... I want to compete for a national championship.”

Since people seem to like this stuff ... Ladies and gentlemen, Mamadou Diarra:

Several of the top prep hoops prospects in the country will converge upon Albertus Magnus College in New Haven on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 8 and 9, for the National Prep Championships.

Of most interest to UConn fans is Putnam Science Academy, which faces DME Academy of Florida on Tuesday at 2:45 p.m. PSA features UConn commit Mamadou Diarra, along with Husky targets Hamidou Diallo and Eric Ayala. Diallo, a Class of 2017 swingman, is one of the most coveted prep targets in the country.

DME is led by SMU commit Ted Kapita.

UConn will be on-hand for that game and is expected to check out Tuesday's 11:15 a.m. bout between Florida's IMG Academy and Brewster Academy. Brewster features Alpha Diallo, a 6-7 small forward who the Huskies are keeping their eyes on.

Here are some of the other top players who have already committed who'll be in the tournament:

Brewster Academy:
Deleon Brown- Colorado
CJ Keyser- Witchita St

South Kent School:

Mathew Moyer- Syracuse
Elijah Hughes- East Carolina
Myles Powell- Seton Hall

St Thomas More:

Omari Spellman- Villanova
Charles Brown- St Joseph's
Christian Vital- UNLV
EJ Crawford- Iona

Putnam Science Academy
Mamadou Diarra- UConn
Saul Phiri- Lasalle

Hargrave Miltary Academy
Deriante Jenkins- Virginia Commonwealth
Tim Cameron- UTEP
Derek Funderburk- Ohio State

Notre Dame Prep (MA)
Chris Baldwin- Umass
Peter Kiss- Quinnipiac
Travis Atson- Tulsa

Elev8 Sports Institute (FL)
Tyson Jolly- Cal

Went to check out Zach Brown in his debut with Putnam Science Academy. There's a lot to like here, but certainly room to improve, as well.



Brown didn't start (he did just enroll at the school less than two weeks ago) but came off the bench 4 minutes, 43 seconds into the game and made his presence felt. He wound up with 14 points on 7-for-11 shooting, with four rebounds and three blocks. He also had his shot blocked twice in a row by a smaller player early on, when some rust was evident.

There's no doubt, he's skilled -- more so than other recent UConn big men (Hasheem Thabeet, Amida Brimah, maybe Steve Enoch). He's a little ungainly, maybe needs to get a little stronger, but has some impressive low-post moves, keeps the ball high and has a nice lefty jump hook that's got to be hard to guard -- especially from a 7-footer.

Brown helped PSA crush a Lee Academy team that has some talent and size but is a middle-of-the-pack team in the league.

Meanwhile, Mamadou Diarra struggled a bit, with 13 points on 4-for-9 shooting from both the field and the foul line. He did hit a 3-pointer and grabbed 10 boards to go with four blocks, some of them rafter-shaking.

And Hamidou Diallo? Wow, he's special. Finished with 20 points, five boards and five assists, as well as an incredible dunk through the lane, in traffic. Incredible talent, though a bit yappy with the refs and the opposing team.

Unfortunately, I missed his dunk on video, but did get this stickback late in the game:



Former UConn player Boo Willingham, who was Brown's AAU coach and mentor down in Miami, was at the game (he still lives in Hartford) and had some nice things to say about the big man. We'll have that and more in a feature story on Monday.

For now, here's what Brown and Putnam coach Tom Espinosa had to say about his debut:

BROWN:

"I was nervous at first, but I got it together. An elite player should never be nervous to play any competition."

"It's a lot better. It's competitive. I can't just go out and get easy dunks, I have to work hard for it. Down in Miami, I'm not trying to talk bad, but it was a little easy. Up here, it's really competitive. I was really working and stepping my game up."

(on Putnam Science Academy)

"At first, I was like, 'Oh my God, why am I here? They sent me away just for this?' But now, I like it. My teammates love me, I love my teammates, I love my coach. I just love it here. It just feels right."

(on what parts of his game are his strengths, and what he needs to work on)

"Playing defense, blocking shots rebounding, my left-hand jump hook, layups. But I have to work on my right hand. I've been working on it a little bit so I can get that up-and-under ready."

"I wanted to get out of Miami, because I had a lot of distractions with suspensions and crazy stuff. Miami is like a party city, so I wasn't focused mentally, so I had to come up here if I wanted to be successful. So, that's what I did."

(on re-classifying)

"It depends on the schoolwork. If I can get it down pat and get these grades up, it'll happen. If not, I have to stay one more year. So, we'll have to see."

Would he prefer to move up to the Class of 2016?

"Yes."

PUTNAM COACH TOM ESPINOSA:

"We have a pretty good relationship with UConn, we have Mamadou here. The bottom line is, UConn's staff wanted to get Zach out of Miami and get him into a prep school. It wasn't just us, it was other prep schools. It just worked out with us."

"I think UConn's pretty happy he's here. We're 30 minutes away from UConn."

"He's extremely quick for a 7-footer. He moves extremely well. Defensively, he's got to work on. He closes, no space, and he fouls constantly. He blocked maybe one or two shots, but he's gotta be a better shot-blocker. Defensively, he's kind of way behind, I believe. But offensively, he's very quick, he keeps the ball high, he's got great up-and-under moves. The last two days of practice, he's dominated."

(could he be ready to play at UConn next season)

"This fall, at UConn? I think he could, but I think he would benefit a lot more coming back. He's got a lot of work to do. In Miami, he put up big numbers, but he wasn't playing against the highest competition that he's gonna play here, at a prep school in New England."

"He would love to go next year. He's a true junior, he's right on track. His plan is to maybe take some summer classes, graduate early and get to UConn in the fall. But, it's a very slim chance. I don't think it's gonna happen. I think he'll be back here next year."

Because Brown transferred to PSA past deadline, he won't be able to play in the national prep tournament.

Zach Brown is back in Connecticut.

The 7-foot Husky commit from Miami was scheduled to have landed at Bradley Airport on Tuesday night and begin his career at Putnam Science Academy the next morning -- as a student, anyway. PSA has a game on Wednesday, but Brown won't play in that one. He'll go through individual drills with the team on Wednesday, practice on Thursday and Friday and may play this weekend for Tom Espinosa's crew.

“His legal guardian and mentor has been trying to send him to a prep school in the past year or so," Espinosa said. "They’ve been trying to get Zach into a prep school. We have a relationship with UConn, and that’s kinda how it all started.”

Brown visited PSA on Monday, Jan. 18, in the midst of his visit to UConn, did interviews with the school's headmaster and guidance counselor and filled out the necessary paperwork to transfer to the school. After taking in UConn's win over Tulane on Jan. 19 and committing to the Huskies the following morning, Espinosa figured the big center would be transferring to PSA.

"UConn wanted him out of Miami and into more structured setting," Espinosa said. "I give the kid a lot of credit. He’s really mature. Bottom line is, at the end of the day, it’s his decision. It’s tough for the kid to say, 'I’m gonna pack up north and head to New England.' He was nervous, but he decided to do it. He’s determined, and bottom line is, it’s a good situation for him to get where he wants to go.”

Espinosa should have Brown as a player for 1 1/2 seasons. Brown wanted to try to graduate early and head to UConn in the fall of 2016, but that isn't feasible, and he'll stay Class of 2017.

He'll be the teammate of another Husky commit, power forward Mamadou Diarra, this season, as well as coveted UConn target Hamidou Diallo. Brown and Diallo should be teammates again next season, too, as Espinosa noted it's "99.9 percent" sure that Diallo won't reclassify to '16 and will remain a '17 grad.

Stepping off a plane from Miami to be greeted by windy, 20-degree temperatures in Connecticut on Tuesday wasn’t enough to hinder Zach Brown’s fondness for all things UConn.

“I love UConn and I love Connecticut,” Brown, a 7-foot, 260-pound center, said while sporting a UConn knit hat and sitting behind the bench at the Huskies’ game against Tulane on Tuesday night at the XL Center.

He proved that love even more on Wednesday morning by committing to the Huskies. He’s the first Class of 2017 player to pledge to Kevin Ollie.

“It’s a brotherhood, and they’re also on a mission that you’re good at academics, not just basketball,” Brown said of UConn.

It was pretty obvious that Brown was going to commit to UConn on Tuesday night, when he had to think for a moment about the other programs he was considering:



Obviously, it was UConn all the way. Brown has made a prior unofficial visit to Storrs back in September.

Brown, who is a national top 25 recruit for the Class of 2017, continues Ollie’s recent trend of landing top prospects. UConn’s Class of 2016 roundup is considered one of the best in the nation by various recruiting outlets, headed by McDonald’s All-American Alterique Gilbert, a point guard out of Georgia. Joining Gilbert in the ‘16 class are Vance Jackson, a 6-8 small forward out of California’s Prolific Prep; Mamadou Diarra, a 6-8 power forward from Putnam Science Academy; and Juwan Durham, a 6-11 center out of Tampa, Florida.

Too many 3-pointers. An unimaginative offense. Continued poor play from Daniel Hamilton. The end of Rodney Purvis's double-figures streak. We could go on and on ...

Just a horrible loss for UConn on Thursday in Tulsa. Asked Kevin Ollie about the Huskies' over-reliance on 3-pointers (they took 29), and here was his response:



Ollie also called out Hamilton and Purvis -- as well as himself, to a degree.

All this on a night where recruiting target D.J. Harvey, who UConn had planned to go see on Monday at the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, revealed a list of 15 schools that didn't include the Huskies.

Ouch.

UConn will be playing in Houston on Sunday when several targets are playing in Springfield, including Westown School's Mohamed Bamba, who plays Sunday at 4 p.m., as well as commit Mamadou Diarra and target Hamidou Diallo of Putnam Science Academy, which plays Sunday at 7:30 p.m.

Karl Hobbs did stay back to check out Diarra and Diallo on Wednesday night. Diallo had 14 points, three assists and three rebounds and Diarra added nine points and 10 boards to lead PSA to a 71-67 victory over Cushing Academy. Cushing is led by Makai Ashton-Langford, another prime UConn target. The Huskies are expected to watch a player on Friday in Houston, as well.

UConn continues to keep an eye on its other commits, as well, recently seeing Alterique Gilbert play in Georgia. The Huskies are encouraged with Juwan Durham's progress, as well, and feel he'll be ready to go by next November -- even if he has to start off slowly.

And it certainly appears Vance Jackson is excited about becoming a Husky this summer.

6 months till I be in Storrs✈️😝

— HeVantastic (@VanceJackson1) January 13, 2016

The 2016 Spalding Hoophall Classic will be held at Springfield College's Blake Arena from Thursday-Monday, Jan. 14-18. Several UConn targets will be playing, as well as commit Mamdou Diarra, who leads Putnam Science Academy into action on Sunday at 7:30 p.m.

UConn's coaching staff will be in Tulsa and Houston during the tournament, so the only day they'd be able to get to Springfield will be Monday. Diarra and his PSA teammates, Hamidou Diallo and Chuba Ohams, were at the Huskies' win over Memphis on Saturday night at Gampel.

Diarra noted that he feels he can step in next year and help UConn with rebounding and defense next season, and said he's been working on his defensive footwork, among other things, this season. He also said that being nominated as a McDonald's All-American was "an honor."

Here's a little of what Diallo and Ohams had to say:

DIALLO:

"Right now I'm just wide open, enjoying the process, seeing what schools I'm going to fit in with the best. Just enjoying the process as much as possible, knowing that I have to make a big decision coming up soon."

(on whether he'll re-classify from Class of 2017 to 2016)

"Right now, I'm not totally sure. I'm leaning toward 2017, but I'm just worried about finishing this year, academically, and having a great season. Then, I'll work on that stuff in the off-season."

He's being recruited by too many programs to count, but specifically mentioned Kentucky, Alabama, Maryland and Syracuse. As for UConn:

"It's a program I'm definitely interested in. I'm interested in a lot of programs recruiting me. They're just one of those that's on my list."

OHAMS:

The 6-foot-8, Class of 2016 small forward said he's still wide open in his recruiting process as well. He hopes to make some visits towards the end of the winter season.

"Right now, I'm not really letting the process overwhelm me."

Ohams mentioned Providence, DePaul, Rutgers and Boston College as prime suitors. As for UConn:

"UConn's a good school. It's really close to my school, so they come a lot to watch us. I love the style of play."

Ohams was born and raised in the Bronx and has known both Diallo and Diarra since they were young.

Here's the Hoophall schedule:

14-Jan	Thursday	Boys	4:00 PM	Pope Francis High School, MA	Sabis Charter School, MA
14-Jan	Thursday	Boys	5:30 PM	Longmeadow High School, MA	East Longmeadow High School, MA
14-Jan	Thursday	Boys	7:00 PM	Chicopee High School, MA	Amherst High School, MA
14-Jan	Thursday	Boys	8:30 PM	Putnam High School, MA	Springfield Central High School, MA

Date	Day	Gender	Time	Team 1	Team 2
16-Jan	Saturday	Boys	11:00 AM	Catholic Memorial High School, MA	St. Joseph High School, IL
16-Jan	Saturday	Boys	12:30 PM	St. Francis High School, GA	Lone Peak High School, UT
16-Jan	Saturday	Boys	2:00 PM	Roman Catholic High School, PA	Montverde Academy, FL
16-Jan	Saturday	Boys	4:00 PM	Paul VI High School, VA	St. Joseph High School, NJ
16-Jan	Saturday	Boys	6:00 PM	Athlete Institute, CAN	Findlay College Prep, NV
16-Jan	Saturday	Boys	7:45 PM	Sacred Heart High School, CT	Foothills Christian, CA
16-Jan	Saturday	Boys	9:30 PM	Weaver High School, CT	St. Raymond High School, NY

---

Date	Day	Gender	Time	Team 1	Team 2
17-Jan	Sunday	Boys	9:00 AM	Suffield Academy, CT	Williston - Northampton School, MA
17-Jan	Sunday	Boys	10:45 AM	MacDuffie School, MA	Wilbraham and Monson, MA
17-Jan	Sunday	Boys	12:30 PM	Vermont Academy, VT	Brewster Academy, NH
17-Jan	Sunday	Boys	2:15 PM	St. Benedict's Prep, NJ	Findlay College Prep, NV
17-Jan	Sunday	Boys	4:00 PM	Westtown School, PA	Potters House Christian, FL
17-Jan	Sunday	Boys	5:45 PM	The Patrick School, NJ	LaLumiere School, IN
17-Jan	Sunday	Boys	7:30 PM	Commonwealth Academy, MA	Putnam Science Academy, CT
17-Jan	Sunday	Boys	9:15 PM	Montverde Prep, FL	Orangeville Prep, CAN

---

Date	Day	Gender	Time	Team 1	Team 2
18-Jan	Monday	Boys	9:00 AM	St. Anthony High School, NJ	Bentonville High School, AR
18-Jan	Monday	Boys	11:00 AM	DeMatha Catholic High School, MD	Chaminade College Prep, MO
18-Jan	Monday	Boys	1:00 PM	Oak Hill Academy, VA	Mater Dei High School, CA
18-Jan	Monday	Boys	3:00 PM	Montverde Academy, FL	Sierra Canyon High School, CA
18-Jan	Monday	Boys	5:00 PM	High Point Christian, NC	Chino Hills High School, CA
18-Jan	Monday	Boys	7:00 PM	Putnam High School, MA	Abraham Lincoln High School, NY

All four of UConn's Class of 2016 commits have signed and delivered their national letters-of-intent. Here's the press release sent out by UConn:

STORRS, Conn. --- UConn men’s basketball coach Kevin Ollie has announced that the program has received signed National Letters Of Intent from four student-athletes who will enroll as fulltime students in the fall of 2016.

Mamadou Diarra

Guard Alterique Gilbert (Lithonia, Ga.), power forwards Mamadou Diarra (Queens, N.Y.) and Juwan Durham (Tampa, Fla.) and small forward Vance Jackson (Altadena, Calif.) make up what is considered by most recruiting services as one of the top recruiting classes in the country. It is the first time UConn has had a recruiting class including four players ranked in the Top 100 since the incoming freshman class of 2006-07. 

“I think each of these student-athletes brings something different to the program, in terms of their basketball skills,” UConn coach Kevin Ollie said. “They don’t overlap each other, which I like in my classes. I don’t want two players just alike, because that’s not fair to the players or the program. We really look at versatility, players who can do a number of things on the court.”

Gilbert, a 5-11 point guard out of Miller Grover High School, is rated among the top 30 players nationally by most recruiting services. An exceptional athlete known for his tremendous speed, quickness, and strength, he averaged 18.5 points, 6.2 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.3 steals as a junior.

“Alterique can play either guard position,” Ollie said. “He is a prolific scorer, but also a great facilitator. He’s fast, and we like all our guards to have some tricks and he comes with a boatload of tricks. He’s hard to guard and I think he’ll be a great competitor, a great teammate and a great leader for us.”

Jackson, a 6-8 forward with a deadly longrange shot, was named the 2015 Long Beach Press-Telegram Dream Team Player of the Year after averaging 19.4 points and 7.1 rebounds for St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.). As a sophomore, he was teammates with current UConn sophomore Daniel Hamilton on a Bosco team that won the state championship. Jackson, rated a top 50 player, will play his senior season at Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif).

“We know that Vance is an exceptional shooter, but he has so much potential to improve in a lot of areas and I think he is dedicating himself to that,” Ollie said. “He’s an underrated passer and an underrated defender. I think he’s going to be an exceptional all-around player for us, who is going to open a lot of people’s eyes.”

Diarra, a 6-8 power forward who attends Putnam Science Academy (Putnam, Conn.) is explosive around the rim and is an outstanding rebounder at both ends of the court. He averaged 10.0 points and 7.5 rebounds last year to help Putnam Science to a 27-8 record.

“Mamadou is a very hard worker and an exceptional person,” Ollie said. “He is a tremendous athlete whose rebounding is getting better and better as days go by. I love his motor and I love his work ethic.”

Juwan Durham

Durham, a 6-9 power forward out of Tampa Preparatory School, was rated among the top 30 players in the country, despite having missed the last few weeks of his junior season with a knee injury. Until he was injured in February last year, he was averaging 22.9 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.7 blocks per game. He is extremely long and mobile and a tenacious rebounder. 

 
"Juwan is a Mr.Versatility in a 6-9 frame,” Ollie said. “He can play on the perimeter, put the ball down on the floor, and he’s a terrific rebounder and shot-blocker. I think he’s going to be a stat-stuffer for us.”

Taken as a whole, the incoming freshmen form the highest-rated recruiting class in Ollie’s four-year tenure as UConn head coach.

“I think all of them have the potential to come in and be great players here, but like I always say, potential has got to become reality based on hard work,” Ollie said, “and I think they all have the mindset of being detailed hard workers. I think it’s going to be a special group when it’s all said and done after they finish their playing careers here at Storrs.”

The 2015 National Prep Showcase will run Nov. 20-22 at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, and as always, a strong field full of top recruits will be on display.

UConn fans should take note of the following: Putnam Science Academy, with commit Mamadou Diarra and Husky Class of 2017 target Hamadou Diallo in tow, will play on Friday, Nov. 20, at 8:30 p.m. against Sunrise Christian Academy.

PSA will play again the following night, at 8 p.m., against Monteverde Academy.

Meanwhile, Cushing Academy, featuring prime Class of '17 UConn target Makai Ashton-Langford, will play on Sunday, Nov. 22 at 5 p.m.

Also worth noting: New Haven's own Tremont Waters, whom UConn has offered and is still recruiting, plays on Nov. 20 with South Kent Prep against Hargrave Military Academy, then again on Nov. 22 at 11:45 a.m. against Monteverde.

Friday, November 20th

10:30a.m. Notre Dame Prep (MA) vs. Fork Union Military Academy (VA)

12:00p.m. South Kent (CT) vs. Hargrave Military Academy (VA)

1:45p.m. St. Thomas More (CT) vs. IMG Academy (FL)

3:30p.m. Bridgton Academy (ME) vs. Canarias Basketball Academy (ESP)

5:15p.m. Vermont Academy (VT) vs. Spire Institute (OH)

7:00p.m. Northfield Mount Hermon (MA) vs. Lee Academy (ME)

8:30p.m. Putnam Science Academy (CT) vs. Sunrise Christian Academy (KS)

Saturday, November 21st

9:30a.m. Fork Union Military Academy (VA) vs. St. Thomas More

11:15a.m. IMG Academy (FL) vs. Bridgton Academy (ME)

1:00p.m. Hargrave Military Academy (VA) vs. Northfield Mount Hermon (MA)

2:45p.m. Elev-8 Academy (FL) vs. Notre Dame Prep (MA)

4:30p.m. Sunrise Christian Academy (KS) vs. Brewster Academy (NH)

6:15p.m. DME Academy (FL) vs. New Hampton (NH)

8:00p.m. Montverde Academy (FL) vs. Putnam Science Academy (CT)

Sunday, November 22nd

10:00a.m. Brewster Academy (NH) vs. Spire Institute (OH)

11:45a.m. South Kent (CT) vs. Montverde Academy (FL)

1:30p.m. New Hampton (NH) vs. Elev-8 Academy (FL)

3:15p.m. Tilton (NH) vs. DME Academy (FL)

5:00p.m. Cushing Academy (MA) vs. Blair Academy (NJ)

6:30p.m. Wilbraham & Monson (MA) vs. Canarias Basketball Academy (ESP)

Mamadou Diarra, UConn's first Class of 2016 commit, will be at Friday's First Night festivities -- and he'll bring some of his good friends along with him.

Diarra's entire Putnam Science Academy team will be there, and that includes Hamidou Diallo, the highly sought-after shooting guard who holds an offer from the Huskies. It also includes a pair of top-notch Class of 2018 talents: Eric Ayala, a 6-foot-4 point guard from Delaware who has been offered by St. John's, Penn State and South Carolina, among others, and 7-2 Nigerian center Manny Umoffia.

UConn has yet to offer either player but has shown interest in both.

Meanwhile, the "Team Kevin" and "Team Geno" rosters have been announced for Friday night's scrimmage. Here they are:

The fans have voted! The 2015 #UConnFirstNight teams that will square-off next Friday at Gampel are... pic.twitter.com/HGJdDDhhj9

— UConn Huskies (@UConnHuskies) October 8, 2015

UConn was slated to make a home visit to highly-skilled big man Da'Ron Davis out in Colorado last week. But just before that was going to happen, the staff was essentially told not to bother making the long trip. It doesn't appear Davis intends to be a Husky.

With Mamadou Diarra already in the fold, Juwan Durham recently committed, Steve Enoch already enrolled and the possibility of Amida Brimah coming back for his senior season, there doesn't appear to be much room for Davis in Storrs.

According to a source close to Davis, he has pretty much narrowed his choices down to three schools: Indiana, Arizona and Mississippi State. He visited Indiana this past weekend, will visit Ben Howland at MSU in mid-October, then head to Arizona near the end of October.

Perhaps playing in the American Conference, as opposed to one of the so-called "power five" leagues, isn't hurting UConn as bad as originally thought.

The Huskies have already notched three Class of 2016 players, and they're good ones -- Mamadou Diarra, a 6-foot-8 power forward from Putnam Science Academy; Alterique Gilbert, a uniquely talented (if small) point guard out of Georgia; and, most recently, Tampa's Juwan Durham, a multi-faceted 6-10 forward who has drawn favorable comparisons to a young Donyell Marshall.

Sure, there are hundreds of players out there, and Kentucky, Duke and North Carolina can't swipe up all of them. Sure, it may have helped UConn that Durham missed much of his junior year after tearing the ACL in his right knee, though it appears most of the major programs still coveted the Tampa Prep star despite the injury.

But the fact of the matter is, the Huskies are welcoming three excellent players to the program next season -- and more top-notch talent could be on the way.

Wenyen Gabriel, one of the top-rated power forwards in the nation out of Wilbraham and Monson Academy, is slated to visit Storrs in a few weeks (Oct. 2-4). He's also highly sought-after by Kentucky, Duke, Maryland and Providence, but if the Huskies can get him to commit, it would really put their 2016 haul over the top.

Meanwhile, UConn is still very strong with a pair of top 2017 recruits: Zach Brown, a 7-footer out of Miami, and Hamadou Diallo, a shooting guard out from Putnam Science Academy who is close to current teammate Diarra.

UConn currently has one scholarship still open, which it could fill with a walk-on, as it has the past couple of seasons, or leave open in case any mid-season transfers become available. Otherwise, the Huskies will have at least four scholarships open up next season, with Sterling Gibbs, Shonn Miller, Omar Calhoun and Phil Nolan all graduating. It's certainly possible that Daniel Hamilton, Amida Brimah and/or Rodney Purvis could leave school early for the NBA after this season, as well.

With all that considered, the Huskies will likely have at least two, if not three or four more slots to fill for the 2016-17 season. A big man and a shooter top their wish list to fill out the Class of 2016 -- unless, of course, an extremely talented player at any other position suddenly becomes available. UConn could soon be getting a visit from 6-8 forward De'Ron Davis out of Colorado, who's getting a home visit from the Huskies this week.

Otherwise, the Huskies are looking at '17's and '18's, and could be getting a visit soon from Myles Powell out of South Kent School.

UConn got another nice commitment on Tuesday.

This was one of the hardest decisions I've ever made but I'd like to announce that I will be committing to the University of Connecticut 🔵⚪️

— Juwan Durham (@JuwanDurham) September 1, 2015

A national four-star recruit, he's another talented addition to the Huskies' Class of 2016 crop, joining Alterique Gilbert and Mamadou Diarra. More to come.

To the surprise of no one, Mamadou Diarra chose UConn over VCU on Friday. We'll have a story here soon. Here's some video and pictures:

A couple of funny and interesting quotes and excerpts:

Woodstock coach Tom Espinosa:

“What’s important to me is that you become a Division 1 person. I can tell you this -- Mamadou is a Division 1 person.”

Diarra:

(on Kevin Ollie)

“I just feel like whatever he says, he means what he says. He believes in his players, and he’ll get the best out of me.”

(on how tough the decision was)

“It was tough, because it’s four years of my life. You see a lot of kids transferring out of school, you don’t want to be one of those kids. It’s a big decision.”

Diarra spoke with VCU coach Will Wade by phone before the presser, because he didn't want him to find out about his decision via social media.

Funny story Diarra told about playing with Amida Brimah during a recent visit to UConn:

“I was trying to figure out why Daniel Hamilton was leading the team in rebounding, and not Brimah. I was on (Brimah's) team, he blocked a shot, the ball was right next to him. He’s looking at me, waiting for me to get the ball, and I was like, ‘That’s your rebond, man.’”

“Deep down inside, I always really knew I wanted to go here. I wanted to make sure it was the right decision. I had a good relationship with (VCU’s) coach, too.”

(on whether Shaka Smart's departure to Texas affected his decision)

“That didn’t affect me at all, because I wasn’t getting recruited by Shaka. I was getting recruited by Coach Will Wade.”

*** Meanwhile, Diarra's Woodstock teammate, Class of 2017 combo guard (and UConn target) Hamidou Diallo had this to say about where UConn stands with him right now:

“Right now, I’d have to say, if I were to commit, I would be going to UConn. That’s the school that’s been showing me the most love, and I have the best relationship with the head coach. For right now, though.”

PC, Minnesota, USC, Iowa State and Wake Forest are among his other suitors.