Catching Up With UConn Recruiting Coordinator Matt Cersosimo

What’s goin on?

Checked in with UConn recruiting coordinator Matt Cersosimo this afternoon to get an update on where the Huskies are on this front. Nothing specific as far as players. I shouldn’t assume you know this anymore but it is an NCAA violation for the coaching staff to discuss unsigned recruits with me or any members of the media. And we’re not going to be at the camps that will be held for rising freshman, sophomores, juniors but mostly seniors, in Storrs all throughout the month of June

Former UConn Randy Edsall never allowed media up there for fear of NCAA issues and second-year coach Paul Pasqualoni won’t have it, either…just wanted to get that out there.

Anyway,  here’s a few thoughts from Coach Cersosimo I’m hoping will suffice on the issue of recruiting for now…

Coach last year it seemed like committed recruits’ names were popping early and often during the process but that doesn’t seem to be the case, so far, this year..

“ I think right now, to us, we don’t see any difference,” Cersosimo said. “We’re still very much recruiting the same caliber of player as last year if not even better than last year. I think it’s a situation where you’re not seeing many kids, at least from our standpoint, that are committing early like they were even last year. You’re seeing more kids taking their time and seeing what schools come in; you’re getting more kids doing the camp circuits before they make commitments so I think there’s a little bit of all that’s that’s contributed to it.”

Still, you have a challenge to continue on pace or better…

“No question that it’s a challenge. We challenge ourselves as a staff to make sure that we are, if not hitting the same level of player that we’re getting from the year previous, we want to outdo ourselves. We want to go out and get a better player every single year so every year we have a better class coming in year after year. That’s our challenge: let’s do this again, try to one-up ourselves.”

How do you think you’re doing so far?

“I don’t think it’s been any easier or any harder. I think sometimes different classes go down different paths. Some years the kids commit early; some years the kids don’t commit early so it’s just a matter of staying on top of everything we’re doing and trying to generate as much as interest as we can with the prospects we’re recruiting which I think we’re doing a real good job of.”

Has the the uncertainty or instability of the Big East been an issue with recruits?

“ I haven’t had a lot of high school coaches ask me about it. When I’ve been able to speak to the prospects on the phone I have not had a lot of them ask me about it or via email. I haven’t had a lot of inquiries about the Big East or anything like that.”

I know it’s too early to ask this but in terms of numbers how many you looking to bring in the next class?

“Right now it’s so early in the game it’s hard to say a number or say we’re targeting this many guys. Right now where we are with the current team with guys that signed and others [freshmen] reporting at the end of June it’s hard to say ‘OK this how many we’re taking at each position.’ Right  now we’re just saying ‘hey we’re going out, recruit as many guys as we can.’ We’re trying to generate as much interest as we can and we’re trying to get as many guys to come visit the campus as we can.”