The Huskies football team might be an unmitigated disaster, but the basketball team embarks on the 2013-14 season with high expectations. And things are looking up for the 2014-15 squad, too. In addition to 2014 commitments Rodney Purvis (transfer from N.C. State) and Daniel Hamilton, UConn has added Rakim Lubin, a 6-8 power forward from Buford, Ga.
“It’s a great fit,” Lubin's high school coach Allen Whitehart told TheDay.com's Gavin Keefe. “I think he can do very well there.”
Not much was known about Lubin before he committed, but here's Whitehart's scouting report, via Keefe:
“He’s pretty agile," he said. "He runs well. He’s a good athlete. He defends well in open space. He’s so strong. He’s physically college ready now. …Strangely enough, he’s got a pretty good face-up game. If you get him on the block, you’re going to foul him or he’s going to score. He finishes extremely well.”
Lubin wasn't heavily recruited over the summer because of an injury but that obviously didn't deter the Huskies.
“He hurt his back early in the summer," Whitehart said, "and he had been pretty sought after until he got hurt.”
Lubin's mother told The Boneyard blog that UConn made the most sense for her son.
"It was a good fit," she said. "A great coaching staff and developmental program.” Of the coaching staff, Rickey Moore could have had the biggest impact. He most likely worked his Georgia connections and helped UConn get a good standing with Rakim and his family for Ollie to work his magic this weekend. As for Ollie, Rakim’s mother spoke very highly of him saying, “We love the way he believes in his players. We loved the fact that his goal is to make players the best student athlete he can possibly become.”
