2017 recruits: Who is UConn still pursuing? | Page 3 | The Boneyard

2017 recruits: Who is UConn still pursuing?

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The reason I've heard she's at the academy is to help her get her gpa up. Not saying that this is true but it's what I've heard. I've also been hearing she was linked to Texas because of the relationship she has with coach Mays. Now with Mays at SMU.I wonder if she goes there.
Thanks. Appreciate the response.

The bigger point I'd like to raise is about the IMG academy. It's inevitable that they emphasize individual skills, because these players are going to be marketed to colleges as individuals. This is fine for baseball or football, where skills are more individualized. But I'm wondering about basketball or soccer, where there are definitely coaches who don't want a player who isn't thinking team first. I wonder how IMG does with those sports.
 

CocoHusky

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Coomb visited Penn State a few weeks ago. I don't know if it was an official or unofficial visit. She was there with 2017 Autumn Newby (also from Georgia). Georgia is very interested in Coombs and there was some initial interest in/from Stanford but I don't know where that stands.
Thank you, very good to know that Mikayla has some very good other options like PSU, Georgia, & Stanford.
 

Ozzie Nelson

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Hey I'm new to the board but wanted to make this comment. Walker is the number one talent because of the total package that she brings...but the most unique talent in the class has to be Boothe. She is Joyner Holmes, but can shoot from 30 feet consistently. This kid can flat out play, she's just a little rough around the edges, and I don't think Geno would take that. Talent and talent alone Boothe is the best kid in the 2017 class. Walker is pretty much the same as Westbrook and Richards.


Sorry about the non introduction but I am from the South region and I've been scouting kids for over 8 years now and I have been reading the board for over a year now. I was once an assistant coach, and am trying to get back in the coaching now. Just wanted to offer my two cents on the 2017 class

Please explain what this means...''she's just a little rough around the edges, and I don't think Geno would take that."
 

UcMiami

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Let's be honest, though - all of these kids, however hard they work, are also top 1% athletes.

I agree with UcMiami in the sense that if you look over the history of WBB the best players are not merely a list of the most athletic players. But at the same time, people like Catchings, DT, and Maya are all superior athletes, even for pros.

To say of Walker - "She does not stand out in terms of size, speed, leaping ability, or other simple measurements" First of all, we don't have measurements on all these kids. I bet if we had NFL-combine style stats, she would stand out. Also, how many 6'1 players are truly off-the-dribble perimeter players. There's maybe a few each class. Some of the reason she can play that way is surely that she has worked hard on her handle but 99% of 6'1 girls are never going to be able to play that way regardless of how hard they work.

I mean, one of my dormmates in college was the DIII player of the year. She was 6-foot even, played as a post, and outran basically every opposition post she played against. Walker would make her look like a tortoise in a foot race.
Orangutan - what I mean by simple measurables is not that they are not great athletes - every player in the WNBA is a great athlete - what I mean is Catchings or Moore would not win a race with all other 5' 11" - 6'2" pro basketball players, they would not have greater arm length, nor the best jumping ability, or the best arm strength or leg strength - to use your analogy, they wouldn't be the athletic 'freaks' that appear every year at the NFL combine - the 6'4 receiver that runs a sub 4.3 40 yard dash, jumps up into the top 50 picks, and gets cut after two years because he just isn't a good football player. What makes Moore and Catchings iconic is all those things that are not physically measurable. EDD and now Breanna are 'freakish' because they do things that 6'4+" players haven't been able to do before and if they also have all those immeasurable qualities of Catchings and Moore they will become iconic too, but Moore and Catchings have done it while 'confined' within 'average' (for WNBA players) athletic bodies.
 

HuskyNan

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Please explain what this means...''she's just a little rough around the edges, and I don't think Geno would take that."
Before she worries about the next level, Boothe said she wants to work on her attitude and on having positive body language. One time she missed a double-double -- seven points and 11 rebounds against Smyrna (Tennessee) -- when she was thrown out in the third quarter for talking back to an official.

Versatile Rellah Boothe's Real Position On The Court: Star
 

CocoHusky

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Please explain what this means...''she's just a little rough around the edges, and I don't think Geno would take that."
Pending @SkilledUp explanation of what he meant this is not the first time I have heard this type of cautionary phrase used in relation to Rellah Boothe. That does not make it accurate especially when we are talking about a teenager. But none the less it is out there. Rellah burst onto the scene in August 2014 after Adidas nationals where her and Jade Williams were though to be the two most promising players. Last spring she tried out for the USA basketball U16 team and was not selected. If you read any of the daily reports from the trials she was widely regarded as the most talented & spectacular player during the trials by people like Mike Flynn who had a ring side seat for all days of the trials. So how does the most talented player not make the U16 team? She was not a team player=rough edge #1 . In the aftermath of the trials she had some well intended ( but completely misguided) AAU types that created a fire storm of protest by trashing the selection as biased against "southern" players=rough edge #2. These same strap hanging AAU types also posted on Youtube a highly doctored hype tape of the USA basketball trials titled "Rellah Boothe Grown Woman" . The clear implication being Rellah was a woman playing among girls at the trials and should have been selected=rough edge #3 because Rellah has two more years of prep basketball to play. Rellah played on a very good nationally ranked HS team, her team was good enough to beat Crystal Dangerfield's Blackman #1 at the time with Rellah putting up Monster mumbers had 37 points and 22 rebounds in the victory- she was just a sophomore. This summer Rellah left that high school and enrolled in IMG Academy- Rough edge #4 because although the orchestrators/strap hanging AAU types would have you believe she enrolled at IMG for "academic" reasons common sense tells you otherwise. Rough Edges and UCONN/Geno not compatible.
 
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Hey I'm new to the board but wanted to make this comment. Walker is the number one talent because of the total package that she brings...but the most unique talent in the class has to be Boothe. She is Joyner Holmes, but can shoot from 30 feet consistently. This kid can flat out play, she's just a little rough around the edges, and I don't think Geno would take that. Talent and talent alone Boothe is the best kid in the 2017 class. Walker is pretty much the same as Westbrook and Richards.


Sorry about the non introduction but I am from the South region and I've been scouting kids for over 8 years now and I have been reading the board for over a year now. I was once an assistant coach, and am trying to get back in the coaching now. Just wanted to offer my two cents on the 2017 class

From what I have observed, Walker is number one because she has combination of advanced skills, a great basketball IQ and a consistent winning mentality.............I agree that Boothe is probably more athletic but in the games I have seen her in, she is still very inconsistent from quarter to quarter..................she can look like the second coming of Stewie one minute and then make several bonehead plays or totally disappear the next. I don't think Geno would turn down a huge talent like that but she wouldn't be his first choice given that Walker is still out there.
 

Orangutan

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Orangutan - what I mean by simple measurables is not that they are not great athletes - every player in the WNBA is a great athlete - what I mean is Catchings or Moore would not win a race with all other 5' 11" - 6'2" pro basketball players, they would not have greater arm length, nor the best jumping ability, or the best arm strength or leg strength - to use your analogy, they wouldn't be the athletic 'freaks' that appear every year at the NFL combine - the 6'4 receiver that runs a sub 4.3 40 yard dash, jumps up into the top 50 picks, and gets cut after two years because he just isn't a good football player. What makes Moore and Catchings iconic is all those things that are not physically measurable. EDD and now Breanna are 'freakish' because they do things that 6'4+" players haven't been able to do before and if they also have all those immeasurable qualities of Catchings and Moore they will become iconic too, but Moore and Catchings have done it while 'confined' within 'average' (for WNBA players) athletic bodies.

To use the NFL analogy again. They are not the guy who is 6'5, 239 lbs, and running a 4.35 (Calvin Johnson). I think they're more like the guy who is 6'4, 211 lbs, and running a 4.50 (AJ Green). All of those are within the normal range for the position but taken together the total package is way above average.

I guess overall that's what I'm saying - I think your characterization of Walker undersells her athletic ability. But I agree that she's not no.1 solely because she is a great athlete and it's her skill/work ethic that sets her apart from the other elite athletes. But there are not many of those elite athletes to start with and I do think she is one.
 

JordyG

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Well
Let's be honest, though - all of these kids, however hard they work, are also top 1% athletes.

I agree with UcMiami in the sense that if you look over the history of WBB the best players are not merely a list of the most athletic players. But at the same time, people like Catchings, DT, and Maya are all superior athletes, even for pros.

To say of Walker - "She does not stand out in terms of size, speed, leaping ability, or other simple measurements" First of all, we don't have measurements on all these kids. I bet if we had NFL-combine style stats, she would stand out. Also, how many 6'1 players are truly off-the-dribble perimeter players. There's maybe a few each class. Some of the reason she can play that way is surely that she has worked hard on her handle but 99% of 6'1 girls are never going to be able to play that way regardless of how hard they work.

I mean, one of my dormmates in college was the DIII player of the year. She was 6-foot even, played as a post, and outran basically every opposition post she played against. Walker would make her look like a tortoise in a foot race.
Well said man. However, aside from the tangibles and metrics used to measure talent, there is no analytic for heart and the will to better oneself; to be a part of something special. To contribute. Nor the will to exceed. Walker seams to be one of the elite few with measurables and intangibles. That's why we at the BY are so "All in".
 
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To use the NFL analogy again. They are not the guy who is 6'5, 239 lbs, and running a 4.35 (Calvin Johnson). I think they're more like the guy who is 6'4, 211 lbs, and running a 4.50 (AJ Green). All of those are within the normal range for the position but taken together the total package is way above average.

I guess overall that's what I'm saying - I think your characterization of Walker undersells her athletic ability. But I agree that she's not no.1 solely because she is a great athlete and it's her skill/work ethic that sets her apart from the other elite athletes. But there are not many of those elite athletes to start with and I do think she is one.

One reason Walker doesn't appear to be freakishly athletic is that she has great footwork/body positioning and most of what she does appears to be effortless. No excess body motion, no flailing arms, no screams/grunts, she just does what she does in a very efficient manner. For those looking for the spectacular, Rellah is certainly the more entertaining prospect but if you appreciate smooth, smart basketball Walker can't be beat (although young Christyn Williams is gaining on her).
 

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One reason Walker doesn't appear to be freakishly athletic is that she has great footwork/body positioning and most of what she does appears to be effortless. No excess body motion, no flailing arms, no screams/grunts, she just does what she does in a very efficient manner. For those looking for the spectacular, Rellah is certainly the more entertaining prospect but if you appreciate smooth, smart basketball Walker can't be beat (although young Christyn Williams is gaining on her).
I would like both, thank you very much!!!
 

JordyG

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This discussion is another reason why I love The BY and BY-ers. Why other WCBB forums look like blah blah twitter-ers at best and schizophrenics describing the color blue at their worst.
 
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Orangutan - what I mean by simple measurables is not that they are not great athletes - every player in the WNBA is a great athlete - what I mean is Catchings or Moore would not win a race with all other 5' 11" - 6'2" pro basketball players, they would not have greater arm length, nor the best jumping ability, or the best arm strength or leg strength - to use your analogy, they wouldn't be the athletic 'freaks' that appear every year at the NFL combine - the 6'4 receiver that runs a sub 4.3 40 yard dash, jumps up into the top 50 picks, and gets cut after two years because he just isn't a good football player. What makes Moore and Catchings iconic is all those things that are not physically measurable. EDD and now Breanna are 'freakish' because they do things that 6'4+" players haven't been able to do before and if they also have all those immeasurable qualities of Catchings and Moore they will become iconic too, but Moore and Catchings have done it while 'confined' within 'average' (for WNBA players) athletic bodies.
You both have made great observations and points about these special players. I would also add one and that is that these top players all seem to share a mental trait that great players in other sports have as well. For the majority of players, the game can be very fast and hectic. For the elite players, the game can seem to be slow moving. Their minds can seem to be two plays ahead of everybody on the floor and they are able to make adjustments and maneuver at their own pace. Add in above average instincts and coordination and you've got an elite player. As Bill Parcells would say, "They just get it".
 

UcMiami

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You both have made great observations and points about these special players. I would also add one and that is that these top players all seem to share a mental trait that great players in other sports have as well. For the majority of players, the game can be very fast and hectic. For the elite players, the game can seem to be slow moving. Their minds can seem to be two plays ahead of everybody on the floor and they are able to make adjustments and maneuver at their own pace. Add in above average instincts and coordination and you've got an elite player. As Bill Parcells would say, "They just get it".
the concepts of multiple 'intelligences' include two - spacial and body/kinetic intelligence that deal with movement and recognition of visual patterns in spacial relationships that speak to athletic performance. The idea that different people have specific mental pathways developed in different ways that could increase their ability to perform physical tasks similar to the way we think of having strengths in math or art or other standard 'intellectual' pursuits.

As an aside - some of the work that Tom Brady is doing to try and keep performing at top efficiency seems to border on these ideas as do some of the more advanced sports labs.
 
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I know that the original thread was about UConn 2017 targets but I wanted to pass along this highlight reel of 2018 target and UConn lean (my belief) Christyn Williams. I usually don't pay too much attention to these video compilations but when you see talent like this from a player who was only a freshman (last year) you have to sit up and take notice. I have seen her play (video only) a number of times including at the Boo Williams EYBL event and she always plays as advertised.......................

 

JordyG

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I think it's important to understand that the human mind/body is a flexible organism. That although many may intrinsically attain knowledge through different methods or "intelligences" most if not all humans often use multiple pathways IN COMBINATION to attain this gnosis. We may instinctively use certain schemes over and over, but depending on the data to be absorbed we may use altogether different intelligences to attain an organic, working knowledge fit for ourselves.
 
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Not too strong on defense, huh?
Screen Shot 2016-05-06 at 9.28.38 PM.png
[/QUOTE]
 

JordyG

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Not too strong on defense, huh?
View attachment 13537
[/QUOTE]
I'm so old school. Love that mid range stop and pop. Good handle, quick last step, good court vision. I like the way she finds seams to slither through for layups. Long arms. Nice.
 
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I know that the original thread was about UConn 2017 targets but I wanted to pass along this highlight reel of 2018 target and UConn lean (my belief) Christyn Williams. I usually don't pay too much attention to these video compilations but when you see talent like this from a player who was only a freshman (last year) you have to sit up and take notice. I have seen her play (video only) a number of times including at the Boo Williams EYBL event and she always plays as advertised........


This was a freshman reel? She's a BAD girl. If UConn gets Walker and this kid together that's going to be unfair.
 

JordyG

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This was a freshman reel? She's a BAD girl. If UConn gets Walker and this kid together that's going to be unfair.
With Walker, her and Collier stuff could get real ugly. Filthy. Tough luck WCBB.
 
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I think it's important to understand that the human mind/body is a flexible organism. That although many may intrinsically attain knowledge through different methods or "intelligences" most if not all humans often use multiple pathways IN COMBINATION to attain this gnosis. We may instinctively use certain schemes over and over, but depending on the data to be absorbed we may use altogether different intelligences to attain an organic, working knowledge fit for ourselves.

JORD: your good thoughts, especially about pathways, do seem to relate to one discovery that does seem to be well researched and supported: the more modalities (used here in terms of the senses, such as visual, auditory, etc) that are involved in the process of learning, the more powerful/effective that particular learning experience seems to be. For example if you see " 2 +2 = 4" and also hear it, you will be more likely to remember the answer than you would have been if just a single sense had been involved.
 

JordyG

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JORD: your good thoughts, especially about pathways, do seem to relate to one discovery that does seem to be well researched and supported: the more modalities (used here in terms of the senses, such as visual, auditory, etc) that are involved in the process of learning, the more powerful/effective that particular learning experience seems to be. For example if you see " 2 +2 = 4" and also hear it, you will be more likely to remember the answer than you would have been if just a single sense had been involved.
Thanks and not surprising. The human organism is a complex collaboration that uses a consortium of schemes for learning. Interestingly when one modality is blocked or even destroyed the mind/body will form a new schemata using totally different intelligences, different techniques to achieve the same or sometimes enhanced goals. Hence the previous gnosis can be reattained or strengthened.
 
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[
This was a freshman reel? She's a BAD girl. If UConn gets Walker and this kid together that's going to be unfair.

She's just a baby..................just getting started and best of all she seems like a really grounded kid and great teammate. Remember that she is playing AAU with UConn commit Lexi Gordon................they make a dynamite tandem.

Here's an interesting quote from CW which bodes well for UConn ” I believe my game resembles Diana Taurasi because she is very explosive, she can shoot well and she is a leader on and off the court. “
 
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