Analyst: 2021 recruiting class is Hurley’s best yet
UConn showed vast improvement from its first year under coach Dan Hurley to its second. An even bigger improvement is expected this season.
Similarly, Hurley’s recruiting classes continue to get better and better, as well.
On Wednesday, UConn received national letters of intent from its three-man 2021 recruiting class. And it’s a good one.
Jordan Hawkins, a 6foot-5 shooting guard from DeMatha Catholic in Maryland; Rahsool Diggins, a 6-1 point guard from Archbishop Wood in Philadelphia; and Samson Johnson, a 6-9 center from the Patrick School in New Jersey, rank as the No. 8 recruiting class in the country, according to 247Sports, and No. 10 overall per ESPN.com.
It’s Hurley’s fourth recruiting class, but really his third full class since he was hired by UConn in March 2018 after six seasons at Rhode Island.
“They’re all really good (players), to be honest,” ESPN national recruiting analyst Adam Finkelstein told CT Insider. “Hawkins is probably the highest of them all, but it’s the type that if you saw all three on any one given day, it’s very possible that you can be most impressed by any of them.”
“Collectively,” Finkelstein added, “I think it’s Dan’s best class ... here, and anywhere.”
Hawkins is the No. 47 recruit in the nation, per 247Sports, and No. 60 according to ESPN. Diggins checks in at No. 54 and 69, respectively, while Johnson rates at No. 71 per ESPN and No. 76 per 247.
“All three of the guys are immediate impact players, and also have very high floors, if that makes sense,” Finkelstein said. “None of these guys are high-risk, high-reward. Samson’s probably the one with the most untapped potential, but he’s not really a wild card, either. You know he’s gonna be pretty good.”
It’s easily the highestrated of Hurley’s four recruiting classes at UConn. Facing time and roster constraints, Hurley brought in just one 2018 recruit — Brendan Adams, who had previously committed to play for Hurley at URI.
Hurley’s 2019 recruiting class consisted of three four-star recruits ( James Bouknight, Akok Akok and Jalen Gaffney) and one three-star (Richie Springs)
and was rated No. 18 in the nation by 247 and No. 19 by ESPN. The 2020 class, which just began their freshman year, consisted of two four-stars (Andre Jackson and Adama Sanogo) and one three-star ( Javonte Brown) and is rated No. 17 overall by ESPN and No 23 by 247.
“I think every class has been really good,” Finkelstein said. “But the thing that stands out to me about this class is that all three guys are immediate-impact players. All three guys, right now, are not only top-100 guys, but they’re three guys that could legitimately contend for spots in the top 50, if they had a good year in a year that provided the typical kind of sample size.”
Per 247Sports, UConn’s class ranks second in the Big East, behind only Villanova (No. 4 overall). DePaul (coached by ex-UConn assistant Dave Leitao) is right behind UConn at No. 9 overall. Michigan boasts the No. 1 overall 2021 class, according to the recruiting site.
It’s also worth noting that all three players committed to the Huskies within a 15-day span this summer and all three had different assistant coaches lead their respective recruitments: Tom Moore led the Diggins recruitment, Kimani Young was the go-to guy for Johnson and Kenya Hunter took the lead in bringing in Hawkins. Hunter has since left to take on the co-associate head coach role at Indiana and was replaced by former UConn star Kevin Freeman.
“I’ve always been smart enough to hire the very best people,” Hurley said. “To have Kimani, Tom and Kenya — three tremendously professional coaches, with head coach ability and presence — and bringing Kevin in here to replace Kenya, who possesses those same qualities ... I’m just blessed to have a tremendous staff, that doesn’t get territorial about just recruiting their own guys. We kind of teamrecruit, because that’s the way a program functions when a player gets here. We’re all gonna develop great relationships with these guys when they get here.”
The 2021 class is UConn’s highest-rated overall since 2016, when Kevin Ollie brought in what was dubbed the “Top Five” class consisting of a quartet of four-stars (Alterique Gilbert, Jawan Durham, Vance Jackson and Mamadou Diarra) and one three-star (Christian Vital). That class was rated No. 8 in the nation by 247 and No. 9 by ESPN.
However, three of those players (Gilbert, Durham and Diarra) came with preexisting injuries that severely limited or hampered their respective careers at UConn. Vital, who graduated last spring, was the only one of the five to make it through four years in Storrs. Diarra ended his playing career last year and is now a graduate assistant.
Gilbert (Wichita State), Durham (Notre Dame) and Jackson (Arkansas) are all playing this season as fifthyear seniors.
It’s a good bet that UConn’s 2021 class will surpass the “Top Five” when it’s all said and done. And there could be more to come.
Bouknight is almost assured of entering the 2021 NBA draft, and the Huskies could fill his scholarship spot with a high school or junior-college recruit. They could also go the grad transfer or regular transfer route.
That could move the Huskies’ national ranking up or down a notch. But it will still be Hurley’s best, to this point ... here and anywhere.
RIM RATTLINGS
Times and TV information for UConn’s five Big East games in December were announced by the conference on Wednesday. The Huskies’ Dec. 11 Big East opener at home against St. John’s will tip off at 7 p.m.. Their Dec. 13 bout at Georgetown will start at 7:30 p.m. UConn’s Dec. 17 game at Providence will start at 7 p.m., its Dec. 20 home game against Creighton will tip off at noon, and the Huskies’ Dec. 23 game at DePaul will be a 9 p.m. start.
All five games will be televised by Fox Sports1. The two home games will be at Gampel Pavilion.