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UConn Huskies Continue to Roll on Recruiting Trail, Land Top Prospect Alterique Gilbert

By Chris Godfrey

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After departing from the Big East and becoming the marquee team in the new American Conference, head coach Kevin Ollie‘s Connecticut Huskies won a national championship after their first season in their new league.

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The American’s second campaign saw the conference struggle to gain its footing in the national landscape, and the Huskies not only failed to defend their national championship, but they also became one of the few defending champions to miss out on the following year’s NCAA Tournament.

Despite the disappointment associated with last season’s performance, Ollie has continued to be a winner on the recruiting trail. After finishing off a solid 2015 class, he has already added a potential centerpiece for his 2016 haul. Potential All-American point guard Alterique Gilbert has made a verbal commitment to UConn, choosing the Huskies over a host of teams that included Louisville, Texas, and Syracuse.

Even with last year’s let down on the court, the presence of Kevin Ollie has kept the ball rolling for Connecticut. Without an affiliation with a major conference, some questioned whether the Huskies would be able to maintain national relevance.

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    • That question has been answered with Ollie’s last two recruiting classes. The Huskies brought in Jordan Brand All-American point guard Jalen Adams to headline their 2015 class, which also included 6’10 center Steven Enoch and sought after graduate transfer Sterling Gibbs (highly touted VCU transfer Terry Larrier was also brought in, and will be eligible after sitting out next season). The 2016 class now includes Gilbert as well as rising ESPN 100 prospect Mamadou Diarra.

    Ollie has quickly established himself as a rising star in the coaching profession. Not only can he sell prospects on his NBA pedigree as a product of the UConn basketball program, but he now has a proven record of getting the best out of his players. This, along with his sincere and endearing personality, has made Ollie a skilled relationship builder on the recruiting trail.

    These are the qualities of a program that transcend conference affiliation, spending budgets, and top-notch facilities. With Ollie at the helm, the Huskies have elite leadership qualities at the top of their program, and his presence has paid off with dividends such as Gilbert’s early commitment.

    This decision from Gilbert also marks a continuance of what has now become a staple of UConn basketball teams. From Kemba Walker and Shabazz Napier, to Napier and Ryan Boatright, the Huskies have become associated with being fueled by interchangeable dual point guard lineups. That trend will continue into the future. Sterling Gibbs and Jalen Coleman will man the guard spots next year, with Gilbert tabbed to replace Gibbs when he arrives in Storrs next fall.

    Gilbert’s commitment comes after a highly productive summer playing with North Carolina based Team CP3 in the Nike EYBL. The Georgia native was consistently a top performer throughout the 2015 circuit, which created a buzz about his college decision. Gilbert will now look ahead to his senior year with those questions answered.

    Key players such as Rodney Purvis, Amida Brimah, and Daniel Hamilton could all still be around when Gilbert arrives on campus, meaning that the Huskies could be gearing up for another championship run in the near future. Until then, keep an eye on UConn as they look to add one more recruit to their 2016 haul. According to ESPN, they have extended scholarship offers to at least eight other prospects at this point in the process, all of whom currently reside on their list of top 100 prospects.

    It will be interesting to watch the continued development of Ollie’s program, along with the maturation the new conference that they call home. Maybe UConn football could possibly find success by adopting a mantra of strong recruiting through relationship building…OK, that’s probably not going to happen.

    Next: Greek Prospect Georgios Papagiannis Close to Deciding Future

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