Bouknight already helping UConn recruit

Jul. 27—The only downside of having a player like James Bouknight on your college basketball team is that once he's gone, you're going to want another.

And while UConn may not get a carbon copy of Bouknight, a presumptive top-10 pick in Thursday's NBA Draft, coach Dan Hurley believes the 6-foot-5 guard's progress as a Husky has greatly increased the odds that more talented players come to the school.

According to Hurley, Bouknight is now the "poster child" for the program's ability to develop players and his name will certainly come up as they recruit future Huskies.

"I certainly think it helps. It's one thing, I think, when a player comes into a program and he's already preordained as the No. 1 pick or a top-5 pick, he's on a campus for several months and then leaves as a top-5 pick. I'm not sure how much player development actually goes on there," Hurley said Tuesday.

Bouknight was a talented high school player and easily ranked among the top 75 recruits in his class, but he was far from a surefire top draft choice when his UConn career began.

"With a situation like James, when you talk about your player development, what we try to do at UConn in terms of an 11-month-a-year commitment for helping our players to get their level, he's the poster child," Hurley said.

And Bouknight's impact on UConn's recruiting didn't just start this week. Freshman guards Rahsool Diggins and Jordan Hawkins were certainly drawn to the team because of Bouknight's success, Hurley says, as was sophomore Andre Jackson.

"I don't think there's a recruit we've gotten since James has been here that James didn't impact in some ways," Hurley said, before adding. "James' impact will be felt for a long time."

Comparison shopping

Bouknight said on Monday that his game and his playing style are unique. Hurley, for the most part, agrees with his former star. But the coach was still able to offer a guess at what kind of NBA player Bouknight might be and offer a comparison of someone currently playing in the league.

Hurley pointed to Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum as an example.

"I think in terms of production, I could see him having, even though he's not the same type of player by any stretch, I could see James having a C.J. McCollum type of career," Hurley said.

McCollum is a Canton, Ohio native who was under-recruited and became a star at Lehigh. He just finished his eighth season with the Trail Blazers and has averaged at least 20 points per game in each of the last six seasons.

It's clear Hurley expects Bouknight to make a serious impact at the next level.

"I think James has all-star potential as an NBA player," Hurley said.

Incoming?

Could UConn welcome one of its 2022 recruits to campus a year early? The answer is perhaps, yes, though don't expect to see Corey Floyd playing for the Huskies in 2021.

Veteran college basketball reporter Rob Dauster reported this week that the 6-foot-4 Floyd, the four-star prospect from Roselle, New Jersey who committed to the Huskies in January, will be "likely reclassifying to enroll this fall."

Hurley is not allowed per NCAA rules to comment on recruits until they have signed letters of intent, but he was asked in general if his program might be welcoming another player onto the roster soon.

"I wouldn't discount that at this point," Hurley said. "But it obviously would be a tough thing to do with somebody that hasn't graduated from high school yet."

Hurley made it clear that if a player joined the Huskies ahead of scheduled, they would redshirt and not play in the 2021-22 season.

"People that would be willing to sit out, though," Hurley said, before adding with a laugh. "I have no more minutes for anybody."

Sitting pretty

With Texas and Oklahoma having announced their departure from the Big 12 and their entry into the Southeastern Conference upcoming, schools around the nation are jockeying for position to avoid being left out of whatever realignment takes shape over the next few months and years.

At least twice in the last two decades, UConn was in the thick of similar changes and, more often than not, was left standing as others filled seats of national prominence.

But with the school's proactive decision to join the Big East Conference for the majority of its sports and play an independent football schedule two years ago, UConn's position is highly unlikely to change.

It's something Hurley relishes, and one he joked about with Athletic Director David Benedict on Monday.

"DB stopped through here yesterday. I brought it up and we had a laugh about it," Hurley said. "It feels great to be where we are right now, I'll tell you that. I think we were great for the Big East this year, too."

Free throws

The UConn players are finishing up their second summer session and will soon be heading home for a brief break. The summer workouts the Huskies are also finishing up have been injury-free, the coach points out. "We've been blessed to get six weeks in with the team. A lot of great live work with them. I don't think we've had a guy miss a practice in those six weeks," Hurley said. ... Hurley was asked Tuesday if a recruit or his family has, because of the new NIL (Name, image, likeness) rules that have been lifted, asked precisely "How much money can I make at UConn?" The coach was blunt with his answer: "Yes."

Neill covers UConn men's basketball and UConn football teams, and he keeps a finger on the pulse of Connecticut sports. For live game updates, and more insight into UConn athletics, player transfers, and team changes, follow Neill on Twitter: @NeillOstrout, Facebook: JINeillO, and Instagram: @NeillOstrout.