Morgan Tuck: "I'm planning on staying my fifth year..."

[JavaMan]

"I was pretty surprised about Jewell," Tuck said. "It's not common. A lot of people have opinions about it, but she made the best decision for her. I'm happy for her.

"Right now, I'm planning on staying my fifth year and getting my master's degree. I'm not in a rush to get out. I like it here. A master's can only help me. It's free school. Why not use it? My goal coming in was four national championships. A chance to get five? It would be unbelievable."

[LINK] to full article.

 

[OneTrickPony]

That would be great...she's a rare jewel...

 

[Sonny44]

"I was pretty surprised about Jewell," Tuck said. "It's not common. A lot of people have opinions about it, but she made the best decision for her. I'm happy for her.

"Right now, I'm planning on staying my fifth year and getting my master's degree. I'm not in a rush to get out. I like it here. A master's can only help me. It's free school. Why not use it? My goal coming in was four national championships. A chance to get five? It would be unbelievable."

[LINK] to full article.

"Right now" isn't a guarantee, but I'll take it.

 

[CocoHusky]

Just when I thought couldn't adore Morgan anymore, she goes and says this.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Well, Morgan I knew you are a smart cookie. Why would anyone be in a hurry to get out of WCBB heaven, plus a masters. That whole grown up world... vastly over rated. Made my offseason.

 

[Oldbones]

"I was pretty surprised about Jewell," Tuck said. "It's not common. A lot of people have opinions about it, but she made the best decision for her. I'm happy for her.

"Right now, I'm planning on staying my fifth year and getting my master's degree. I'm not in a rush to get out. I like it here. A master's can only help me. It's free school. Why not use it? My goal coming in was four national championships. A chance to get five? It would be unbelievable."

[LINK] to full article.

 

[HGN]

Staying a 5th year and a possible 5th FF.

 

[alexrgct]

Great plan, Morgan. Get your advanced degree paid for, kind of like Heather Buck did. Play the game you love for another year, too.

I'd never resent her if she changed her mind, but I may just have an extra year to adore her all the more for her announcement right now.

 

[Geno-ista]

Well - I am happy to be wrong again- I thought she would leave. Morgan doesn't just talk to talk either. Her words carry weight. Go or stay - I'd love her just the same. But this is something. She's something else!

 

[HoopsFan21]

Best news of the day! I feel sorry for the rest of WCBB though having to face Tuck for two more years.

 

[Tenspro2002]

To be fair, it took Jewell Loyd about 96 hours to change her mind. Morgan has a year.

Basketball-wise, it makes no sense for her to come back for a 5th year, and I still think it's 80/20 she leaves.

 

[hoophuskee]

Well - I am happy to be wrong again- I thought she would leave. Morgan doesn't just talk to talk either. Her words carry weight. Go or stay - I'd love her just the same. But this is something. She's something else!

But she said "right now" -- we'll see when the time comes. Whether she leaves or stays she has said little different. Would she come out an say "I'm going to leave next year?" No way. Plus where she is projected in the draft next year imo would matter. Not a top-tier pick she definitely stays. A projected top tier-pick - then we shall see.

 

[JS]

I still think it's 80/20 she leaves.

I'd reverse those odds.

What struck me was the simple "I like it here." She's enjoying her stay at UConn, is in no rush to leave.

She also has a practical sense of the value of the free extra degree. Her statement on that reminded me of her statement upon committing to UConn: "If you have a chance to play for that program, why wouldn't you do it?"

Moreover, she understands she could do something unique. She can be the living answer to the question: What's more unprecedented than an unprecedented four national championships?

She was surprised by Loyd's decision ("unusual") which tells me she wasn't contemplating it herself.

Yeah, she could change her mind, as could anybody with a choice to be made a year from now. But to my ear her statement rang true.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Wonder if we could figure out a way to get her statements to go viral. Especially in, say, Texas and Illinois. . . .

 

[MilfordHusky]

I didn't think this was possible, but I now love Morgan more than ever. I was concerned about her knee and her attachment to Stewie and Moriah, but I think she's also attached to Geno, the rest of the team, and UConn. And maybe the fan base.

She can get a Masters degree and become an icon at the same time. Smart young woman. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

"I was pretty surprised about Jewell," Tuck said. "It's not common. A lot of people have opinions about it, but she made the best decision for her. I'm happy for her.

"Right now, I'm planning on staying my fifth year and getting my master's degree. I'm not in a rush to get out. I like it here. A master's can only help me. It's free school. Why not use it? My goal coming in was four national championships. A chance to get five? It would be unbelievable."

[LINK] to full article.

I was saying all along when the crowd of BONEYARDERS were saying Morgan was gone, done deal, no way was she coming back for her 5th year, why would she leave that was assine? Everything was in her favor to come back to UCONN! She's been hurt her last year in HS then her 1st 2 at UCONN, so when she got the operation and came back healthy and had such a tremendous year, really an AA year, there were NO benefits for her to give up the RS year! It wasn't like she was going to get Diana Taurasi money out in Europe or for the $50,000 from the WNBA! She was finally enjoying BB again, she was becoming a leader on the team, and she had a outside chance to be on 5 NC teams!
This is no surprise announcement, she was NEVER going to give up the medical red shirt year!

 

[arty155]

... "I like it here... A chance to get five? It would be unbelievable."

 

[Shenandoah]

There are those who say that, because of her injury history, she should go for the money while she still can. I say that, because of her injury history, she knows how quickly basketball can be taken away. Smart planning, Morgan. Get your Master's Degree, and they can NEVER take THAT away...

 

[Icebear]

Never doubted she was staying. Speculation she wouldn't always seemed misplaced and foolish.

JS, I'd be surprised if it was even 20%. Maybe more like 10%.

 

[DogWarden]

Smart move. A masters degree will last a lifetime. After a couple of years in the WNBA, all motivation to go back to school will have dissipated.

 

[JS]

JS, I'd be surprised if it was even 20%. Maybe more like 10%.

That was exactly my thought. Writing style decision. Just saying "the reverse" was a quicker, cleaner way to move on to the other points.

 

[meyers7]

I figured as much. Not sure why some people were thinking she was leaving???? Granted 2 years can change things (or rather 1 year), but I think the assumption should be she is staying, as opposed to assuming she is leaving.

 

[Striper69]

To be fair, it took Jewell Loyd about 96 hours to change her mind. Morgan has a year.

Basketball-wise, it makes no sense for her to come back for a 5th year, and I still think it's 80/20 she leaves.

I think somebody made Jewell "An offer she couldn't refuse"...

if they make Tuck the same sort of offer?

 

[hoophuskee]

I was saying all along when the crowd of BONEYARDERS were saying Morgan was gone, done deal, no way was she coming back for her 5th year, why would she leave that was assine? Everything was in her favor to come back to UCONN! She's been hurt her last year in HS then her 1st 2 at UCONN, so when she got the operation and came back healthy and had such a tremendous year, really an AA year, there were NO benefits for her to give up the RS year! It wasn't like she was going to get Diana Taurasi money out in Europe or for the $50,000 from the WNBA! She was finally enjoying BB again, she was becoming a leader on the team, and she had a outside chance to be on 5 NC teams!
This is no surprise announcement, she was NEVER going to give up the medical red shirt year!

Bria Hartley is making a nice paycheck overseas. You don't need to make DT overseas money to make good money.

I still think she might. There is no way she is going to say in her jr year "I'm leaving in my sr year" - if she did that - then what happens if she gets hurt?

 

[EricLA]

"I was pretty surprised about Jewell," Tuck said. "It's not common. A lot of people have opinions about it, but she made the best decision for her. I'm happy for her.

"Right now, I'm planning on staying my fifth year and getting my master's degree. I'm not in a rush to get out. I like it here. A master's can only help me. It's free school. Why not use it? My goal coming in was four national championships. A chance to get five? It would be unbelievable."

[LINK] to full article.

Thanks Java. Maybe now it will put to bed the speculation that she'd leave early with her classmates of Stewie and Mo. Several of us were pretty vocal in our assertion that it was pretty silly for people to be speculating that she'd leave early. Maybe she will change her mind down the road, but there would need to be a reason for it that does not exist at the moment (she injures herself again, her family suddenly becomes destitute and she needs to earn $ overseas, or something like that)...