WATCH: UConn HC Dan Hurley once made his thoughts clear on what traits he looks for in a recruit
UConn coach Dan Hurley declined a six-year, $70 million lucrative offer from the Los Angeles Lakers. Hurley returned to Connecticut to win his third consecutive championship with UConn.
Since he arrived at UConn in 2018, Hurley has undeniably transformed the program, instilling a winning mentality within the team. However, this transformation is not confined to the campus. He also recruits players who share this competitive mindset.
Dan Hurley knows exactly what he is looking for when signing players. He does not only look at their talent and skills but also their attitude and character.
"We don't — in recruiting — bring in the 19th-ranked player in the country who comes into your program and is delusional, selfish," Hurley said on The Old Man and the Three podcast.
"He's got crazy parents, he's got grassroots coaches that just are ticking off the days until he enters the draft. Just trying to avoid bringing people like that into the organization."
"So I study the hell out of the people. I watch — when I'm at the AAU games, I'm not playing with my phone. I'm watching the kid, obviously looking for the traits that you could build on."
Thomas Meleek, a top recruit of 2025 class, set to visit Dan Hurley's UConn
The UConn Huskies will welcome Meleek Thomas, a top prospect of the 2025 class, for a campus visit on Wednesday.
The shooting guard is a five-star recruit and has a rating of 98 according to 247Sports. Thomas played four varsity basketball games for Lincoln Park Performing Arts High School in 2023-24. He averaged 19.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.5 steals per game.
Thomas revealed his decision to join the Overtime Elite program for the upcoming season via an Instagram post on June 12.`
Although Thomas has a year left to finish high school, he has received 23 offers from multiple colleges. These include top colleges like Duke, Arkansas, UConn, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Kansas.
During the winter, Thomas visited Auburn and Kentucky. After his visit to Dan Hurley's UConn, Thomas is scheduled to have an official visit to Arkansas. Moreover, the Huskies will receive an informal visit from Acaden Lewis, a four-star combo guard, next week.