That Nike event...UConn recruits

[Dillon77]

Archbishop Mitty beats LI Lutheran by one, 73-72 in back and forth game.

Some excellent talent on the floor, that was obvious. However, I thought it looked like both teams had played four games in four days, particularly on defense and (lack of) boxing out.

McKenna Woliczko (#5 HG) 6'2" wing/forward from Archbishop Mitty, was by far the best player on the court

When Kate Koval started getting more engaged in the 2nd half, she would help keep her from posting up in her slot.
Plus, she has an unerring habit of being in the right place at the right time and makes adept cuts.

Morgan Cheli, the UConn commit, was also very good, as was Sylva Swords of LuHi, who is headed to Michigan. She can score at three levels. But Wolidzko is really interesting. Reminds me of a slightly faster Emily Engstler...plays bigger than her 6'2" size and is all over the place.

Heard her dad was a high school coach. If that has helped her, great, because she plays like a collegian not a high school sophomore.

Both teams are great....

 

[RoadMaster]

Watched Final between Mitty and Long Island Lutheran...
Great High school game..
73-72 - Mitty wins Championship
Lutheran loaded with D1 talent.
Mitty as well.
K. Heckel is an excellent player for Lutheran - headed to USC
Morgan Chelli - Excellent..is very skilled. Relentless; very tight handle for her size. She is going to fit nicely into Uconn"s motion offense.
Mckenna Woliczko has much the same motor. Tough. Very nice player and only a sophomore.

 

[Zonepress]

Archbishop Mitty beats LI Lutheran by one, 73-72 in back and forth game.

Some excellent talent on the floor, that was obvious. However, I thought it looked like both teams had played four games in four days, particularly on defense and (lack of) boxing out.

McKenna Woliczko (#5 HG) 6'2" wing/forward from Archbishop Mitty, was by far the best player on the court

When Kate Koval started getting more engaged in the 2nd half, she would help keep her from posting up in her slot.
Plus, she has an unerring habit of being in the right place at the right time and makes adept cuts.

Morgan Cheli, the UConn commit, was also very good, as was Sylva Swords of LuHi, who is headed to Michigan. She can score at three levels. But Wolidzko is really interesting. Reminds me of a slightly faster Emily Engstler...plays bigger than her 6'2" size and is all over the place.

Heard her dad was a high school coach. If that has helped her, great, because she plays like a collegian not a high school sophomore.

Both teams are great....

good take while Chelli did not have the stats
She initiated the offense the whole game
Basically the point guard and it was her double team that created the held ball with 5 seconds
Made so many little plays u never know but I see
Her being in the rotation next year
Re Koval perhaps not her best game but not sure
She will be an impact player right away

 

[stamfordhusky]

Archbishop Mitty beats LI Lutheran by one, 73-72 in back and forth game.

Some excellent talent on the floor, that was obvious. However, I thought it looked like both teams had played four games in four days, particularly on defense and (lack of) boxing out.

McKenna Woliczko (#5 HG) 6'2" wing/forward from Archbishop Mitty, was by far the best player on the court . . .

But Wolidzko is really interesting. Reminds me of a slightly faster Emily Engstler...plays bigger than her 6'2" size and is all over the place.

Heard her dad was a high school coach. If that has helped her, great, because she plays like a collegian not a high school sophomore.

Woliczko is one of the top few softball players in the nation for her grade. Has talked about wanting to play both sports in college, although that would be a challenge and wouldn’t be allowed by some of the higher level programs.

 

[JellyBean]

Very entertaining game. So much talent and skilled players out there. The game is growing, and the truly dedicated players will continually get better which will only make the high school, AAU, College, and WNBA game better. Love it! Great game. I am just happy that they are showing more and more girls high school basketball on TV.

 

[Zarathustra]

What a BARNBURNER MITTY 73 - L I Lutheran 72 !!! Way to go, Morgan and McKenna!
Crestwood Prep takes third 64 - 58 over Bishop McNamara ( Quandance Samuels), IMG takes ninth 62 - 54
over Folsom,
Ontario Christian , 60 - 58 over Mater Dei ( Addie Deal ),
Fifth Place Monteverde over Lone Peak 63 - 39 and St Francis (GA) over
Sacred Heart (Zakiyah Johnson) 69 - 60 for 15th and 16th place respectively.

 

[PWS]

Wrong board. Try this one. UConn Men's Basketball Forum

The discussion of LIL was about the women, but one of the posters mentioned that he didn’t remember any connection on the men’s side. My post was in response to that.

 

[HuskyNan]

The pull up j <<<<<shivers>>>>>

 

[HuskyNan]

About 10 minutes of highlights. Morgan Cheli is #33

 

[Blakeon18]

We love how Ashlynn Shade sets her feet on her trey ball...and how she can free herself
for that 2 point pull-up jumper...right? Looks to me that Morgan is darn similar...a very good thing...
plus she appears to be 2-3 inches taller...perhaps stronger as well. Multi-skilled/intense...those 2
together for 3 years...sweet.

Of course it depends on who is coming back for the 2024-2025 season but I wonder if Morgan
could follow Ashlynn's path in another way....start before Christmas?

 

[HuskyNan]

Still just a UConn thread here

 

[Rowdy831]

Woliczko is one of the top few softball players in the nation for her grade. Has talked about wanting to play both sports in college, although that would be a challenge and wouldn’t be allowed by some of the higher level programs.

Depends on her position and the school. Softball starts in early February and ends the end of May so she would miss about half the season and all the training camp. Unless she is an elite pitcher I doubt she could pull it off at a bigger softball school.

 

[Zarathustra]

The pull up j <<<<<shivers>>>>>

You can also see McKenna Woliczko , Mitty jersey #20, in many of these Morgan highlights,
class , 6' 2".

 

[Zarathustra]

About 10 minutes of highlights. Morgan Cheli is #33

TREMENDOUS HIGHLIGHTS!! Two excellent teams! Mitty with a wonderful
full team effort. Morgan was Terrific, McKenna Woliczko, # 20 for Mitty, 6'2"
forms a great combo with Morgan! McKenna is a sophomore, class of 2026, and
is on HUSKY NAN's UCONN POI sheet. McKenna spent a lot of time trying to
contain the BIG LIL's front line.

 

[From Canada]

https://x.com/ShaneLaflin/status/1738068448926949473?s=20

A very nice compliment from Shane Laflin.

 

[Zarathustra]

Depends on her position and the school. Softball starts in early February and ends the end of May so she would miss about half the season and all the training camp. Unless she is an elite pitcher I doubt she could pull it off at a bigger softball school.

McKenna Woliczko, MITTY class of 2026, is a 6'2" shortstop.

 

[Ozimoto]

Division 1 softball has a fall season as well. Think of MLB spring training. Doesn't count for standings, but is part of a player's responsibilities so McKenna would need to find a program that would make special accommodations for her to play both sports (think Bo Jackson at Auburn or Deion Sanders at FSU). Very rare at the Division 1 level.

 

[Zarathustra]

Division 1 softball has a fall season as well. Think of MLB spring training. Doesn't count for standings, but is part of a player's responsibilities so McKenna would need to find a program that would make special accommodations for her to play both sports (think Bo Jackson at Auburn or Deion Sanders at FSU). Very rare at the Division 1 level.

I just noticed that UCONN already has four " offers " out for the Class of 2026:
Addison Bjorn 6' 0" guard. Saniyah Hall 6'0" guard, Jerzy Robinson 6' 1" guard/forward,
and of course, the " BIG O", Olivia Vukosa , a 6' 4" Forward. So, McKenna has quite a bit of
competition for limited slots. BUT... I see McKenna Woliczko has having a position " window" as a versatile
Wing. ?? In the preceding class, 2025, the UCONN commits are: at Guard, Kelis Fisher, and at post,
Gandy Malou-Mamel. The " mix" of the competition for a 2026 player would swing significantly based on
the potential commits from the UCONN offers already made
to "Dee" Alexander, listed as a 6'0" guard, and Lara Somfai, the 6' 3" player out of Australia. McKenna is
a quality athlete but the crystal ball for so far in the future is VERY cloudy. GO MITTY!!

 

[stamfordhusky]

Division 1 softball has a fall season as well. Think of MLB spring training. Doesn't count for standings, but is part of a player's responsibilities so McKenna would need to find a program that would make special accommodations for her to play both sports (think Bo Jackson at Auburn or Deion Sanders at FSU). Very rare at the Division 1 level.

Rare, but if she continues to be a top five player in both sports, there will be a number of schools willing to accomodate her. Not UConn or the other top programs but a number of other majors.

Not quite the same, but Cierra Toomey was also an elite two-sport athlete: basketball and golf. There were at least a few second-tier majors and mid-majors who were willing to let her continue to play both sports. Golf would have been her first priority from August through the second week of October and again from the end of basketball season through the end of the school year. Although she didn't decide to go that route, it likely crossed her mind since she reportedly likes golf as much as basketball.

 

[RoadMaster]

 

[kat0189]

McKenna Woliczko (#5 HG) 6'2" wing/forward from Archbishop Mitty, was by far the best player on the court

When Kate Koval started getting more engaged in the 2nd half, she would help keep her from posting up in her slot.
Plus, she has an unerring habit of being in the right place at the right time and makes adept cuts.

Morgan Cheli, the UConn commit, was also very good, as was Sylva Swords of LuHi, who is headed to Michigan. She can score at three levels. But Wolidzko is really interesting. Reminds me of a slightly faster Emily Engstler...plays bigger than her 6'2" size and is all over the place.

Heard her dad was a high school coach. If that has helped her, great, because she plays like a collegian not a high school sophomore.

Both teams are great....

Thanks for your takes on Woliczko! I didn't catch the game but follow girls hoops in her area. I'm SO excited about her!

Some extra trivia/thoughts: Started softball at 7 basketball at 12. Recently implied she'll choose basketball moving forward or by college b/c of more opportunities.

Dad (hoops) and Mom (softball) both D1 athletes at Pacific, where Dad also was an assistant MBB coach before his current job WCC's Senior Associate Commissioner of MBB.

The comp I came up with was Maddy Siegrist. And Nneka Ogwumike. The matchup with Toby Fournier must've been something!

I'm curious what UConn fans think as to reasons why Geno has not offered her?!

Seems like she's yet to show if she can develop into a ball handler, though demonstrated promising mid-range and outside shooting. But at 6'2" she'd eventually be undersized as a post.