UConn and Purdue roster construction reflects old-school approach - ExBulletin

Source: ExBulletin

GLENDALE, Ariz. - In a college sports landscape increasingly crowded with transfer-laden rosters and portal-driven rebuilds, Monday night's national championship game between Purdue and UConn will feature two teams - and coaches - built more in line with an elder. -school approach to list construction.

UConn coach Dan Hurley made his thoughts clear Sunday afternoon.

"My biggest motivation, actually, over the last 2-3 weeks is I just don't want to deal with gates," Hurley said. "That's why we're trying so hard to win right now. I see what everyone else is doing, and it's chaos. I can hide behind, hey, my season is still going on."

Although the comment was made tongue-in-cheek, Hurley and Purdue coach Matt Painter's success over the past few seasons has not been due to massive roster changes every offseason.

"We're really keen to recruit our type of staff," Hurley said. "We just haven't changed much. Like, we don't praise kids' ass during recruiting. We don't kiss it while they're on campus."

Purdue brought back all five starters from last season, but entered the portal and landed Southern Illinois transfer Lance Jones last offseason. The rest of the Boilermakers rotation is made up entirely of players who signed with Purdue out of high school.

"We really recruited for the production and functionality of our system, which is what we're trying to do," Painter said. "A lot of people who go to the portal and do this, try to get the most talented guys, if they recruit several. Someone has to have six or seven guys, there's no way to get that six or seven. the guys will succeed. It's impossible, right?

"In our situation, where you have to find a guy or two, Cam Spencer is a great example. You mix what they already had. What he brings matches what they do, especially how tough he is , how he has a great feel, how he understands the offense. It's a little different than someone who goes into spring and whose roster management represents two-thirds of his team, right not ?

UConn relied more heavily on the portal than the Boilermakers, with its starting backcourt consisting of Tristen Newton (East Carolina) and Spencer (Rutgers) - and sixth man Hassan Diarra (Texas A&M) - all coming in in the form of transfers. But Spencer was the only new transfer this offseason, when Hurley opted to replace departing stars Adama Sanogo and Jordan Hawkins with reserve Donovan Clingan and freshman Stephon Castle instead of opting for a player more experienced in the portal.

"Talented young players who are isolated by returning players to your program who can defend the culture," Hurley said of how he balances a roster. "Then, strategic additions to the portal that can propel you to the top."

It will be these "strategic" additions that could end up playing a central role on Monday. While the main focus will be on Clingan and Zach Edey, two players who signed with their respective schools out of high school, Jones and Spencer -- and Castle -- could end up determining the outcome.

Jones is Purdue's best perimeter defender and has given the Boilermakers a secondary ball handler and yet another consistent 3-point shooter in the backcourt.

"We felt like we needed a combination of athleticism, quickness, a guy who can shoot and someone who can defend. He was able to give us all of those elements," Painter said more early in the week. "We're very fortunate to be able to sign someone who was a quality player and could step in. Now we were just putting the puzzle together."

Spencer, who began his career at Loyola Maryland then went to Rutgers, became the heart and soul of this season's UConn team, the emotional leader while also being the team's second-leading scorer.

"There's definitely no ass-kissing in the recruiting process, and that's my favorite part," Spencer said. "They're going to hold you accountable, they're going to tell you the truth about your strengths and your weaknesses and where you fit in the program. I think that's one of the most special things about UConn, especially our days when kids I want to hear everything they are doing well, and the reality is that you probably suck and need to improve in many areas. That's the one thing I like about Coach Hurley and all our staff and how honest they are with us as players.

Castle came to Storrs with more hype than Spencer, primarily due to his status as a top-10 recruit and projected lottery pick. But he missed time early in the season with a knee injury and didn't hit his stride until later in the season. However, he had two of his best games of the season in the NCAA tournament, recording 16 points and 11 rebounds against Illinois and scoring a game-high 21 points against Alabama on Saturday.

"The way he handled the recruiting process didn't turn into a fiasco," Hurley said. "He was decisive. He watched us practice. He saw our culture. He wanted to be coached hard. They wanted an old-school environment where he could be challenged, be held accountable. It was just everything the perfect situation for him because his draft stock is exactly where they want him to be right now, and he won big. You can still do both, and everyone can win.