Olivia Owens

[Ouremblem]

A while back Nan posted an article about Geno going to Albany, N.Y. to watch Olivia Owens of Niskayuna High School play. I recently got to see Olivia play Saratoga Springs in person and had some thoughts about her. Olivia is 6'3", athletic and very strong physically. Not bulky, but strong. During warmups she was working on passing and dribbling the ball while her teammates shot baskets. Saratoga did a good job of denying her the ball all game and she ended up with 11 points, but she did not show frustration, set very good screens, rebounded well and made a spin move for a basket in the lane that had people buzzing. What impressed me most was her running ability. She ran 3/4 of the court after a Saratoga fast break and made players look like they were standing still. I think her upside is huge. I think most people in this region would say the best female player ever to come out of the Capitol District was 6'5" Anita Kaplan of Stanford. Olivia is the best player I've seen since Anita and given she is only a sophomore, I think she can really be special by senior year.

I would like to give a shout out to her family for being so nice after the game. I met her sister, brother, mother and Olivia and they couldn't have been nicer. Maryland is looking at Olivia, too.

 

[Sonny44]

A while back Nan posted an article about Geno going to Albany, N.Y. to watch Olivia Owens of Niskayuna High School play. I recently got to see Olivia play Saratoga Springs in person and had some thoughts about her. Olivia is 6'3", athletic and very strong physically. Not bulky, but strong. During warmups she was working on passing and dribbling the ball while her teammates shot baskets. Saratoga did a good job of denying her the ball all game and she ended up with 11 points, but she did not show frustration, set very good screens, rebounded well and made a spin move for a basket in the lane that had people buzzing. What impressed me most was her running ability. She ran 3/4 of the court after a Saratoga fast break and made players look like they were standing still. I think her upside is huge. I think most people in this region would say the best female player ever to come out of the Capitol District was 6'5" Anita Kaplan of Stanford. Olivia is the best player I've seen since Anita and given she is only a sophomore, I think she can really be special by senior year.

I would like to give a shout out to her family for being so nice after the game. I met her sister, brother, mother and Olivia and they couldn't have been nicer. Maryland is looking at Olivia, too.

Great name. We could call her"Oh Oh". Or maybe our opponents would.

 

[CocoHusky]

A while back Nan posted an article about Geno going to Albany, N.Y. to watch Olivia Owens of Niskayuna High School play. I recently got to see Olivia play Saratoga Springs in person and had some thoughts about her. Olivia is 6'3", athletic and very strong physically. Not bulky, but strong. During warmups she was working on passing and dribbling the ball while her teammates shot baskets. Saratoga did a good job of denying her the ball all game and she ended up with 11 points, but she did not show frustration, set very good screens, rebounded well and made a spin move for a basket in the lane that had people buzzing. What impressed me most was her running ability. She ran 3/4 of the court after a Saratoga fast break and made players look like they were standing still. I think her upside is huge. I think most people in this region would say the best female player ever to come out of the Capitol District was 6'5" Anita Kaplan of Stanford. Olivia is the best player I've seen since Anita and given she is only a sophomore, I think she can really be special by senior year.

I would like to give a shout out to her family for being so nice after the game. I met her sister, brother, mother and Olivia and they couldn't have been nicer. Maryland is looking at Olivia, too.

Really cute article about Geno showing up to see Olivia play and how nervous she was. She's on The UCONN radar.
http://yourniskayuna.com/blog/2015/12/21/geno-auriemma-comes-to-niskayuna/

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Chris Dailey is off to watch Owens play. Geno will be watching Megan Walker this week and Marissa Moseley will see Charli Collier. That all according to Carl Adamec.

 

[JordyG]

#CocoHusky #Sluconn Husky! Go Huskies.

 

[CocoHusky]

Chris Dailey is off to watch Owens play. Geno will be watching Megan Walker this week and Marissa Moseley will see Charli Collier. That all according to Carl Adamec.

Mone Davis will probably be in the house for the Temple game on Sunday, like she was last year.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

And as long as I mentioned Megan Walker, might as well add that she dropped 50 on Friday. She followed that up with 28 last night.

 

[ucalum]

I am glad to see that the coaches will use this time where there are no games to go look at some big time recruits. Fingers crossed for Walker and Collier especially.

 

[EricLA]

All the coaches can do (vis-a-vis the big time players) is keep recruiting them. It seems like they are doing everything they can.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Charli Collier had 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks in front of MM Tuesday.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Owens scored 26 points in Niskayuna's last regular season game Tuesday, presumably in front of Chris Dailey.

 

[Blakeon18]

Emblem: fantastic report on Olivia....please keep them coming!

If they make the NYS tourney, please keep us updated on how they do. I would love to see her play if they get to
the games in Albany.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Megan Walker had 25 points and 10 rebounds last night. Possible Geno was in attendance.

 

[Ouremblem]

Emblem: fantastic report on Olivia....please keep them coming!

If they make the NYS tourney, please keep us updated on how they do. I would love to see her play if they get to
the games in Albany.

Hi Blake!
They just announced the seedings. Nisky was seeded 11th and drew Saratoga in Saratoga next Tuesday. The winner gets #3 Albany. I think that game will be held in Bethlehem. If Nisky beats Saratoga and Albany, they will then play at Hudson Valley Community College. I'll keep you posted.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Since this is as close to a recruit watch thread as we have going at the moment I'll mention that Megan Walker closed out her regular season with 13 points and 13 rebounds tonight.

Here are a few highlights from her 50-pt performance last week.

http://www.nbc12.com/clip/12194602/...to-lead-monacan-past-cosby?clienttype=generic

 

[Bonpland]

So for the hardcore Boneyard contributors, the ones like Sluconn H. who feed us so much valuable information about our potential recruits I ask "Where do we stand with Walker?" Collier's another year out, but the Board was alive here a few months ago with the news that Walker was a done deal to ND. Are we still in the hunt?

Last summer I went from saying that Cox would never come here, to later believing that she would be starting next year alongside Gabby and Phees. My judgement was based on huntches which looking back were really based on nothing.

I also declared here superciliously at one point that Megan Walker 'had to be our number one priority for the future" (looking back on that pontification I realize that my statement about her was based on what I had read here, not my own research).

So, "Is she that important for us?" and "Are we in the running?"

Geno traveling this week to see her play probably answers the second question, but do our friends in the know here on the Board think that she is another Cox? Is she headed to South Bend? If she were to sign here it would seem to have an impact on our interest in several of the other recruits that are regularly mentioned by our more informed 'Yarders.

 

[CocoHusky]

So for the hardcore Boneyard contributors, the ones like Sluconn H. who feed us so much valuable information about our potential recruits I ask "Where do we stand with Walker?" Collier's another year out, but the Board was alive here a few months ago with the news that Walker was a done deal to ND. Are we still in the hunt?

Last summer I went from saying that Cox would never come here, to later believing that she would be starting next year alongside Gabby and Phees. My judgement was based on huntches which looking back were really based on nothing.

I also declared here superciliously at one point that Megan Walker 'had to be our number one priority for the future" (looking back on that pontification I realize that my statement about her was based on what I had read here, not my own research).

So, "Is she that important for us?" and "Are we in the running?"

Geno traveling this week to see her play probably answers the second question, but do our friends in the know here on the Board think that she is another Cox? Is she headed to South Bend? If she were to sign here it would seem to have an impact on our interest in several of the other recruits that are regularly mentioned by our more informed 'Yarders.

The was only 1 BY poster who opined that " Walker to ND was a done deal" Many of us questioned the credibility of that poster. Geno saw her play lately and Megan saw UCONN play MD in MSG on her own dime, all good indications that UCONN is still in the hunt.
I personally disagree with your assessment that Walker must be the number 1 priority for the future because there are many comparable wings in the 2017 class such as Westbrook, Boothe, Dotson and Lexi Gordon. UCONN biggest need (#1 Priority) for the next two classes is to find a post player that is capable of starting or making a major contribution as a Freshmen.

Having said all that I hope/pray Megan Walker chooses UCONN.

 

[HGN]

The was only 1 BY poster who opined that " Walker to ND was a done deal" Many of us questioned the credibility of that poster. Geno saw her play lately and Megan saw UCONN play MD in MSG on her own dime, all good indications that UCONN is still in the hunt.
I personally disagree with your assessment that Walker must be the number 1 priority for the future because there are many comparable wings in the 2017 class such as Westbrook, Boothe, Dotson and Lexi Gordon. UCONN biggest need (#1 Priority) for the next two classes is to find a post player that is capable of starting or making a major contribution as a Freshmen.

Having said all that I hope/pray Megan Walker chooses UCONN.

I think UConn is still very much in the hunt for Walker. (Geno's visit this week to watch her play is a strong indicator of that.) she would be a nice to have and possibly a Star- player with Geno's coaching , I believe.
I also agree that a good post player is a top priority. Our recent misses with Cox , McCoy , Brown , etc .....would indicate we are seeking help in the post.

I am just glad we have Natalie for the next 2 years.

 

[jdubct]

The was only 1 BY poster who opined that " Walker to ND was a done deal" Many of us questioned the credibility of that poster. Geno saw her play lately and Megan saw UCONN play MD in MSG on her own dime, all good indications that UCONN is still in the hunt.
I personally disagree with your assessment that Walker must be the number 1 priority for the future because there are many comparable wings in the 2017 class such as Westbrook, Boothe, Dotson and Lexi Gordon. UCONN biggest need (#1 Priority) for the next two classes is to find a post player that is capable of starting or making a major contribution as a Freshmen.

Having said all that I hope/pray Megan Walker chooses UCONN.

Agree that Walker to ND is not a done deal. If it were, U can see no reason why she wouldn't have already verballed to ND. Will she come to Uconn? Don't know, but her recruiting seems still open.

 

[Bonpland]

The was only 1 BY poster who opined that " Walker to ND was a done deal" Many of us questioned the credibility of that poster. Geno saw her play lately and Megan saw UCONN play MD in MSG on her own dime, all good indications that UCONN is still in the hunt.
I personally disagree with your assessment that Walker must be the number 1 priority for the future because there are many comparable wings in the 2017 class such as Westbrook, Boothe, Dotson and Lexi Gordon. UCONN biggest need (#1 Priority) for the next two classes is to find a post player that is capable of starting or making a major contribution as a Freshmen.

Coco, You're right about our need for a post (or two). My earlier proclamtion about Walker came last summer when I thought we had Boykin and maybe Cox in our future. Still Walker sounds (again I'm basing this on what I've heard and not on what I've seen) potentially to be a young Maya, and if we had ten wings we wouldn't pass on a talent like that.

You're also right about the poster who was adament that ND was in her future, but I don't think that he was alone. Either way your list of '17 wings only includes one player (Gordon) who sounds as if (again I haven't talked to her or her parents, I don't know her coach, and my daughters did not grow up playing Horse with her in the backyard) she's really interestred in us. Of course having made that statement it's now likely that Boothe will shock everyone and decide to leave Texas to come play in the snow.

My questions from my previous post were meant to be exploratory. I honestly don't know anymore about potential recruits than what I read here. I check the rating services and watch the posted videos and then I wait to see who we get.

 

[Bonpland]

Sorry, I just had Boothe leaving Texas not Florida.

 

[JordyG]

The was only 1 BY poster who opined that " Walker to ND was a done deal" Many of us questioned the credibility of that poster. Geno saw her play lately and Megan saw UCONN play MD in MSG on her own dime, all good indications that UCONN is still in the hunt.
I personally disagree with your assessment that Walker must be the number 1 priority for the future because there are many comparable wings in the 2017 class such as Westbrook, Boothe, Dotson and Lexi Gordon. UCONN biggest need (#1 Priority) for the next two classes is to find a post player that is capable of starting or making a major contribution as a Freshmen.

Having said all that I hope/pray Megan Walker chooses UCONN.

Yes and yes. Jade Williams, LaDazhia Williams, and/or Kushkituah. Anybody for Julia Reisigerova or Sidney Cooks?

 

[Ouremblem]

Niskayuna lost to Saratoga Springs tonight, 63-51, so Olivia's season is over. I will post stats when I get them.