The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Huskies’ first two 2020 recruits fit the bill
STORRS — Dan Hurley has stressed numerous times in recent weeks the need for his players to get tougher, more confident.
And he has noted it’s something he looks for on the recruiting trail, as well, in an effort to stock his team with winning players.
Hurley feels his first two commits for the 2020 class, 6foot7 wing Andre Jackson and 611 center Javonte BrownFerguson, fit that bill.
“For me, they have the type of athletic talent and measurable skills that are what you’re looking for at a place that has championship aspirations,” Hurley said. “They also have a selfconfidence that is critical to play in a place like this, or to pursue championships.”
UConn received national lettersofintent from both Jackson, a big, athletic guard out of Albany (N.Y.) Academy, and BrownFerguson, a raw, athletic big out of Thornlea Secondary School just outside of Toronto, on Thursday.
Jackson had committed back on Oct. 2 at a ceremony at Albany Academy. BrownFerguson announced his commitment via social media on Wednesday night, coinciding with halftime of UConn’s 9687 loss to St. Joseph’s.
“It was fun recruiting him because he comes from great stock,” Hurley said of BrownFerguson. “He’s a big guy who’s young, he’s on the way up, he’s got some tremendous tools and he’s got potential to be a really good offensive player. He’s got the length and potentially, with the college strength program, can be a really good rimprotector. Just a highupside big guy that we desperately need in the program. He’s a worker.
He loves the game.”
The Huskies are currently at their full allotment of scholarships for next season, but will likely have at least one opening up after this season. And Hurley will look to fill it with a player who boasts the type of character and charisma he wants his program to have.
“Going into the late signing period, a critical need for us is going to be a toughness, a selfconfidence, a swagger,” he said. “Obviously, we’re going to be looking for basketballrelated things. But we do
need more toughminded wolves … that will become Huskies.”
JERSEY BOYS
UConn freshman Jalen Gaffney will be going against an old friend on Sunday afternoon, when the Huskies host No. 15 Florida at Gampel Pavilion.
Florida freshman guard Scottie Lewis was a teammate of Gaffney’s for Team Rio since middle school, when they were coached by Gaffney’s father, A.D. Villanova freshman Bryan Antoine, like Lewis a McDonald’s AllAmerican, was also a teammate since seventh grade. Mike Rice, the former Rutgers head coach, coached the team when the trio was in high school.
Gaffney and Lewis, who hail from Columbus, N.J. and Hazlet, N.J., respectively, have been friends since about fourth grade. Gaffney is also very familiar with the Florida staff, which started recruiting him when he was a freshman at Pennington School.
Lewis, a 65 guard, made his first collegiate start on Thursday against Towson and scored 15 points on 5for8 shooting as the Gators narrowly avoided an upset. Lewis is averaging 9.3 points through Florida’s first three games.
It’s been a slower start for Gaffney, largely because of an ankle injury he suffered late in the summer that kept him out of practice for over three weeks. He’s played sparingly in the Huskies’ first two games, averaging just 7.9 minutes, and has gone scoreless, taking just one shot.
Hurley noted after Wednesday night’s game that he has to start finding more minutes for Gaffney, whom Rice once compared favorably to NBA superstar Russell Westbrook because of his athleticism and versatility.