Recruit Abdul-Malik Abu to Make Decision

No rest for the weary, as they say. And for Kevin Ollie, that means hitting the recruiting trail with a purpose. The second-year UConn coach has made it clear that he won't be outworked, and it explains why the Huskies have already hosted so many prospective student-athletes for 2014. And now we can add another name to the list: Bonzie Colson, a 6-4 power forward from New Bedford, Mass., who will make an official visit to Storrs Oct. 11-13.

A lot can happen between now and signing day, but as it stands, the Huskies' Class of 2014 includes Rodney Purvis and Daniel Hamilton. In addition to Colson, Abdul-Malik Abu, Quentin Snider and Paul White will also make visits. But perhaps the biggest name among the recruits is Abu, a 6-8, 230-pound power forward who plays his high school basketball at Kimball Union Academy (NH), and ranks 44th among all rising seniors, according to ESPN.

But Abu's plans remain a mystery, partly because his decision may be tied to that of his AAU teammate, Jared Terrell. Speculation is that Abu and Terrell would love to play together in college but if that's going to happen there's only one program that is on both their lists: Providence.

But Ollie will know one way or another this Saturday at 3 p.m. because Abu and Terrell will announce their decision. And there's a distinct possibility that come next fall, they won't be playing on the same team. Details via the New Haven Register's David Borges.

Rarely has there been so much intrigue and speculation about a decision by a prep player, particularly in the case of Abu. While Terrell's decision is far from certain, the growing speculation is that he'll go and play for Danny Hurley at URI, where the 6-foot-4 guard could see playing time immediately.

But Abu is an entirely different story, and it's his story that UConn fans are solely interested in (the Huskies didn't make Terrell's final four and, in fact, UConn never seriously recruited him. Kevin Ollie watched him play a lot this summer, but only because he was on Abu's AAU team).

Abu's final four schools include UConn, Florida, NC State and the aforementioned Providence. Borges adds that, "For its part, UConn has no idea whether or not Abu will reveal a Husky cap on Saturday afternoon."

But if the Huskies do win the Abu sweepstakes, it will give them one of the nation's best recruiting classes, just two years removed from NCAA sanctions that kept them out of the 2013 Big East and NCAA Tournaments.

Contact Us