He could recruit him. Had no points of connection. This young man is smart and wants a good relationship with a coach and team that he can also commit to.

Why didn't Brey think he could recruit him? "Had no points of connection"? What was Brey's connection to Friedrichsen or Dunlap, just to name two recent examples, before he started recruiting them?

Coaches quite often don't have any connection with a recruit. They have to build those connections and work hard at doing so.

Kokomo is 90 miles from South Bend. It's not difficult to make connections given that proximity.

A connection wasn’t going to be “built”. Maybe an established “relationship” is a better term to use. I’m going to be intentionally sort of vague here as the specific details don’t matter to the “why” you’re asking.

Initially, the kid came to IN as essentially just a sponsored African exchange student soccer player. He’d barely picked up a basketball in his life but people saw the obvious with his height, elite athleticism etc and the chance to better his overall life as money is non-existent. Most everyone thought he could maybe develop into a small to low mid-major player in-time. That all changed when he picked up the game so quickly, excellent footwork, good hands etc. Well keep in mind, his Congo family sent him to the US to be cared for and trusted by an exchange student program that helps kids get an improved overall life and education via basketball/sports. Everyone who inquired knew of said plan including folks in the Congo who were happy with the plan in place for the kid as they wanted to make sure he was cared for properly by trusted individuals.

Then suddenly the kid picks up basketball insanely fast and dominated the NBA camp. Now all of a sudden the elite schools are like wow. Dig into things and some think there could be a crack of a chance with some key people now that the kid has a chance to play at the very highest of programs not only college but the NBA.

I used to go to King’s Island as a kid, fun times.

will be allowed by his Congolese parents to steer him to a very limited list of schools with whom the coach or parents have some sort of established relationship?

For instance, if the coach or parents know the Ball State coach well, then Ball State is on the list?

Just trying to understand how anyone gets on the approved list.

Cincy. If Shrewsberry wants to get in the mix, he needs to hire that assistant away from Cincinnati.

Read the final paragraph in my response to Jimbo. That should help.