A'ja Wilson Surprised Herself at U-19s

[UConnCat]

From Rich's blog: http://blog.ctnews.com/elliott/2013...herself-with-impressive-performance-at-u-19s/

“I’m actually pretty surprised,’’ Wilson said. “I really wasn’t quite (sure) because this is my first time going internationally so I really didn’t know how they would play and I didn’t know their style of play.
So I didn’t know whether I was going to do what I did.
“I’m excited to see what my senior year will be like after playing in this tournament.’’

On playing with Breanna:

“It was a lot of fun,’’ Wilson said. “It was a lot, a lot of fun because just watching her on TV, but yet just to play with her. She’s a great teammate and a great person on and off the court. So it was a lot of fun.’’

What's next?

Now that the tournament has concluded Wilson said that she will begin to focus on finalizing her five official visits. She does yet not have her list finalized, but her visit to UConn is likely to coincide with First Night festivities in October.

 

[Icebear]

When someone is with us at first night I like our odds.

 

[caravaggio]

Being a worrywarting pessimist, I think of Diamond...

 

[HGN]

I can only hope that A'ja was impressed enough with the comraderie , leadership , and play of the UConn 3-Amigos to want to be part of the UConn Huskies. She showed at the Tournament that she has the game and chops to play at UConn , now let's see if she has a willingness to play in Storrs. Of course I don't want to count our chickens before they hatch but what a haul it would be for UConn to get A'ja in its 2014 Class. But she showed that she could be a difference maker. Geno could probably smell and taste another NC in 2015. ( KML/Banks/Stokes senior season).

 

[JoePgh]

Speaking of which, does anyone know why Diamond, Taya Reimer, and others in that class were not on the U-19 team? Were they considered and not selected (i.e., "cut")? Those two in particular seem like very noticeable omissions.

 

[jsloanjr]

No time, too much time on Twitter and Facebook for any summer hoops or to improve their skills.......

 

[meyers7]

Now that the tournament has concluded Wilson said that she will begin to focus on finalizing her five official visits. She does yet not have her list finalized, but her visit to UConn is likely to coincide with First Night festivities in October.

I like that.

 

[doggydaddy]

As Icebear said, you have to like the chances of a verbal better when you know she is coming to first night.

After playing with Stewart, Tuck and Jefferson, coming to first night she will get to watch her three new friends strut their stuff dancing out of the tunnel, smoke machine, loud music, spotlights and 5000 loud fans.

Then meet the rest of the national champions, Dolson, Hartley, KML, Stokes, Banks and the incoming fresh Chong.

USC and Coach Staley have an uphill battle to get her to stay close to home, IMO.

 

[Wbbfan1]

ND has a foreign trip schedule so none of their players tried out for USA team. Don't know why Diamond didn't try out/wasn't invited as she has 4 Gold Medals playing for Team USA.

 

[Geno-ista]

Being a worrywarting pessimist, I think of Diamond...

Not the same as diamond- the one yr difference makes all the difference. There was no where for diamond to play for a while with our stacked deck of young players. Aja not so much as Steph & Bria will be graduating.

 

[Geno-ista]

We

No time, too much time on Twitter and Facebook for any summer hoops or to improve their skills.......

certainly tried hard to get both.

 

[Geno-ista]

I think one of the biggest thing with Aja may be, her desire for immediate playing time and whether to be a big fish in small pond, or come to uconn!

 

[reno tony]

If a recruit wants to be a part of a National Championship contender then UCONN is certainly the place. If a recruit wants to hone her skills so she can play basketball after college then UCONN is certainly the place. If you want to play against the best players during practice and be coached by a HOF coach then UCONN is certainly the place. I guess UCONN is certainly the place. Unless you want to be the big fish in the small pond.

 

[Bestiarius]

Being a worrywarting pessimist, I think of Diamond...

I never thought we had a real shot at Diamond. I always thought her ideal scenario would be to become playing head coach as well as being allowed to bring in her own staff and players. She has that kind of confidence in herself. Not that concerned about her own happiness, so long as she is recognized as a star and accomplishes great things. She's political in nature. That's why I found it difficult to analyze what she would do but I did feel she wasn't a good fit at UConn.

I do feel A'ja is a great fit at UConn personality wise, and I do think she will give serious consideration to joining the Huskies. It's hard not to be concerned about the pull of South Carolina, a school near home. But, here's hoping time spent with Morgan, Stewie, and MoJef has shown her that she will have a great home away from home at UConn.

 

[Bestiarius]

If a recruit wants to be a part of a National Championship contender then UCONN is certainly the place. If a recruit wants to hone her skills so she can play basketball after college then UCONN is certainly the place. If you want to play against the best players during practice and be coached by a HOF coach then UCONN is certainly the place. I guess UCONN is certainly the place. Unless you want to be the big fish in the small pond.

Reno, to be sure I understand, are you saying UConn is the place to be if you're a woman basketball player?

 

[doggydaddy]

If a recruit wants to be a part of a National Championship contender then UCONN is certainly the place. If a recruit wants to hone her skills so she can play basketball after college then UCONN is certainly the place. If you want to play against the best players during practice and be coached by a HOF coach then UCONN is certainly the place. I guess UCONN is certainly the place. Unless you want to be the big fish in the small pond.

I really don't like the big fish small pond example.

If she is down to USC and Uconn, both are in the Div I big lake. And the reality is when Wilson is a freshman, the SEC would be a bigger pond than the AAC.

It's everything else you mentioned.

But she just might want to be closer to home and help USC become a top ten program. You never know.

 

[JoePgh]

Another puzzling omission from the U19 team is Mercedes Russell. Why wouldn't she be an obvious choice, particularly since there was a dearth of post players on the team?

 

[UCONNfan1]

As Icebear said, you have to like the chances of a verbal better when you know she is coming to first night.

After playing with Stewart, Tuck and Jefferson, coming to first night she will get to watch her three new friends strut their stuff dancing out of the tunnel, smoke machine, loud music, spotlights and 5000 loud fans.

Then meet the rest of the national champions, Dolson, Hartley, KML, Stokes, Banks and the incoming fresh Chong.

USC and Coach Staley have an uphill battle to get her to stay close to home, IMO.

Tennessee fans feel they are very much in the mix as they've reported a great deal of mutual interest between Ms. Wilson and the Tennessee staff. They did manage to land Russell, a very solid recruit. Duke and ND could also easily be in the mix as both schools have a terrific amount of talent but would have plenty of room for her should she go there.

She did get to play with Graves (Tn), Jones (Duke) and Turner (ND) so at least she got a feel for what playing with them would be like. But let's just say it - not as great as playing with Ms. Stewart, Tuck or Jefferson...!

 

[baggerbob]

If she really wants to develope as a 2,3,4 and not just a 5, then she has seen what Stewie is capable of being, and 2 years with Stewie, and Geno would elevate her game.

 

[UConnCat]

Tennessee fans feel they are very much in the mix as they've reported a great deal of mutual interest between Ms. Wilson and the Tennessee staff. They did manage to land Russell, a very solid recruit. Duke and ND could also easily be in the mix as both schools have a terrific amount of talent but would have plenty of room for her should she go there.

She did get to play with Graves (Tn), Jones (Duke) and Turner (ND) so at least she got a feel for what playing with them would be like. But let's just say it - not as great as playing with Ms. Stewart, Tuck or Jefferson...!

I've not heard any reports of interest between ND and Wilson. Have you?

 

[Tonyc]

Its really simple. UConn offers everything, EVERY THING. No other team in the country can compete with what UConn offers. Now if a kid wants it, she comes and if something else is more important to her she doesn't come. Wilson likes UConns 3 amigos. That will help. I'm sure they've talked about UConn and I'm sure Geno already knows what she's thinking and considering. If she comes to the Big Night I like our chances.

 

[UCONNfan1]

I've not heard any reports of interest between ND and Wilson. Have you?

No sorry. Did not mean to imply. Also not sure of her actual relationship with Turner given UCONN recruited her but something happened and the recruiting stopped. But given that ND is a great school and Muffet is a really good coach, I could see mutual interest there too. Would make a lot more sense than Tennessee.

 

[Icebear]

I think one of the biggest thing with Aja may be, her desire for immediate playing time and whether to be a big fish in small pond, or come to uconn!

There is no indication those are priorities for A'Ja.

 

[UcMiami]

Speaking of which, does anyone know why Diamond, Taya Reimer, and others in that class were not on the U-19 team? Were they considered and not selected (i.e., "cut")? Those two in particular seem like very noticeable omissions.

I am pretty sure they were not part of trials and don't believe Russell was either - suspect they may have declined because of other commitments - the initial trials were before the end of most high school academic years, so they might have had exam issues or not been able to get time out of classes. That was one reason this was A'ja's first trial - every other USA team she might have been asked to try out for had conflicts with her school. As for other college Freshman - many were too old.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

I am always amazed at how posters can talk regarding stuff they know nothing, about, in terms of recruiting.