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where are we recruiting from?

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A couple of kids now coming from Blair Academy (Andra and Batouly), Molly from Tabor Academy, Napheesa from Incarnate Word, Lou from Mater Dei, Courtney from St Mary's, and Kia from St. Thomas Moore. A lot of kids from private (and esp. parochial) schools.

As someone who doesn't at all follow high school recruiting, just wondering if this is the norm in elite programs or if Geno tends to look for kids who have had perhaps a bit more structure (and perhaps a bit more conscious character-shaping) in their education (I am not suggesting public schools don't build character!). After all, he's a product of that himself (the late lamented Bishop Kenrick H.S.) and maybe it's something he understands and can draw on to relate to potential recruits (like he drew on his Italian heritage in recruiting Dee, or rather Dee's father). Just wondering....
 

CocoHusky

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A couple of kids now coming from Blair Academy (Andra and Batouly), Molly from Tabor Academy, Napheesa from Incarnate Word, Lou from Mater Dei, Courtney from St Mary's, and Kia from St. Thomas Moore. A lot of kids from private (and esp. parochial) schools.

As someone who doesn't at all follow high school recruiting, just wondering if this is the norm in elite programs or if Geno tends to look for kids who have had perhaps a bit more structure (and perhaps a bit more conscious character-shaping) in their education (I am not suggesting public schools don't build character!). After all, he's a product of that himself (the late lamented Bishop Kenrick H.S.) and maybe it's something he understands aand can draw on to relate to potential recruits (like he drew on his Italian heritage in recruiting Dee, or rather Dee's father). Just wondering....
Don't think here is a pattern or preference at all. Morgan, Crystal & Stewie were all products of the public school systems and Moriah was home schooled. Blair is one of the best private schools in the universe that occasionally fields some top caliber players at least one of which Geno has passed on in Temi Fagbenle.
Camara will be the second Blair graduate to attend UCONN. Sadie Edwards was the first, AEH will be the 3rd and Honesty Scott-Grayson '18 is being recruited by UCONN.
 
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Taking this link:
USA Women’s U17 Trials To Feature 150

I did a very quick and dirty count of high schools listed here (trying to avoid counting names of students mentioned more than once) and came up with 34 who go to private (mostly parochial) schools and 43 who go to public schools. I wonder if this doesn't suggest that a highly disproportionate number of elite women basketball players come from private schools. That in turn suggests that UConn doesn't have a particular recruiting bias, but rather generally reflects the available pool of elite players. Expect a UConn team to be divided roughly evenly between players who went to private and to public high schools.
 

UcMiami

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The private schools can recruit talent and give scholarships and tend to be more likely to travel for better competition so a higher percentage of top ranked kids end up at private schools than for the student population as a whole, but I don't think there is a particular focus on school - Uconn goes after kids based on the talent/character and not the school they attend.

The other aspect of recruiting is familiarity between HS coach and college coaches, so once a relationship is established it can lead to more interest on both the coaches and the recruit's part. That is one reason that 'connections' are an important selling point for coaches applying for jobs - Aston at UT for example is well established in the HS scene in TX where GG was definitely not.
 
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A couple of kids now coming from Blair Academy (Andra and Batouly), Molly from Tabor Academy, Napheesa from Incarnate Word, Lou from Mater Dei, Courtney from St Mary's, and Kia from St. Thomas Moore. A lot of kids from private (and esp. parochial) schools.

As someone who doesn't at all follow high school recruiting, just wondering if this is the norm in elite programs or if Geno tends to look for kids who have had perhaps a bit more structure (and perhaps a bit more conscious character-shaping) in their education (I am not suggesting public schools don't build character!). After all, he's a product of that himself (the late lamented Bishop Kenrick H.S.) and maybe it's something he understands and can draw on to relate to potential recruits (like he drew on his Italian heritage in recruiting Dee, or rather Dee's father). Just wondering....

Mostly here although some seem to be supernatural.
 
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The private schools can recruit talent and give scholarships and tend to be more likely to travel for better competition
I wonder whether elite WCBB isn't a bit of a niche sport in terms of high school preparation. In men's lacrosse, virtually all the elite college programs are populated by prep school stars. Not quite the same with elite WCBB, because basketball is generally a more "democratic" game and can be learned and developed in public high schools. But there are few other sports (fencing and equestrianism come to mind) with such significant prep school representation at the elite college level.
 
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Sadie Edwards was already at a private school in Connecticut, Mercy. She transfered after her freshman year. I never understood why she transfered.
 

CocoHusky

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Sadie Edwards was already at a private school in Connecticut, Mercy. She transfered after her freshman year. I never understood why she transfered.
I'll take a stab at this: Mercy= Very Good, Blair= One of the Best in the world. This pains me very much to say this because I am affiliated with Blair's main competition for best in the world.
 
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I'll take a stab at this: Mercy= Very Good, Blair= One of the Best in the world. This pains me very much to say this because I am affiliated with Blair's main competition for best in the world.
I don't fully understand nor believe in rankings. But for what it's worth, and I agree it's not worth much, here Blair is ranked #9 in New Jersey:
Blair Academy - NJ - Rankings - Niche

I fully believe that your own opinion of what makes it world class is worth more than this, esp. as you're with the competition. But just curious about what drives your opinions, since I don't know anything about Blair (except that two future Huskies went there).
 
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CocoHusky

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I don't fully understand nor believe in rankings. But for what it's worth, and I agree it's not worth much, here Blair is ranked #9 in New Jersey:
Blair Academy - NJ - Rankings - Niche

I fully believe that your own opinion of what makes it world class is worth more than this, esp. as you're with the competition. But just curious about what drives your opinions, since I don't know anything about Blair (except that two future Huskies went there).
Check your personal inbox in a few minutes.
 

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Sadie Edwards was already at a private school in Connecticut, Mercy. She transferred after her freshman year. I never understood why she transfered.

Me either. The following is pure speculation. I have no evidence or proof of any kind to support my theory on why Edwards left UConn. The following is what I garnered from newspaper and internet articles, and postings and comments here in the yard. This is how I understand it to be:

Edward's parents were heavily involved in her day-to-day basketball activities and affiliations (camps, AAU teams, high schools attended). THEY more than she picked the teams (AAU coaches) she played for, and the high schools she attended. Sadie was always the best player on her teams. I believe she attended 3 high schools in 4 years. The spotlight was always on her.

When she came to UConn, things were much different. She was not the best player on the team, and there were no spotlights, at least on her. She was a freshman at the bottom of the depth chart. She didn't do anything to necessarily make herself stand out in practice. When the season began, she got little to no playing time, and she was buried deep on the depth chart, just above the two walk-ons. After several weeks of this, I believe it began to become problematic for her parents. Word is, she went to Geno's office and basically asked for more playing time. Not a good move on her part. In fact, it may have back fired. We all know that's not how you get floor time in Geno's program. What was said in that meeting of course will remain private, but it probably did not go as she expected. If you want more playing time at UConn, You have to go the John Houseman route...................you have to "earn it ".

When her parents learned of the outcome of her office visit, no doubt they were not pleased, and realized that they had made a mistake in choosing to commit to UConn. This is not what they (or Sadie) had envisioned. So, the parents began a search for a new program to transfer to. Sadie did not have the time to do this. She was consumed with classes, study time, and practice. She had little free time for much else. After shopping around for the best fit they could find, they choose to transfer 3,000 + miles away to the University of Southern California. Why they choose to cut the string, and take it all the way across the country is still a mystery.

I don't know of the connection they or someone close to them had/has with Trojan head coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke. When Edwards became eligible to play after sitting out her mandatory 2 semesters, she became a starter for the Trojans the first game she was allowed to play in (Mid-December). She started in most of the remaining games on the schedule this season. USC is a local team for me, so I was able to follow her progress easily.

I wanted to see how she transitioned to her new surroundings to an area and players that were completely foreign to her. I wanted to see if it moved panned out for her, or if she stepped out of the frying pan into the fire. She had some good games in which she was the team's leading scorer. Sadie can play. She's not a scrub. UConn would not have recruited if she couldn't. I've often wondered if it was her choice to leave UConn, or her parents. I'm guessing the latter. I believe had she stayed, her playing time would have increased, and she would have had been a part of two national championship teams.

I was not happy that she left. I understand that players sometimes are not happy with the status quo. So, they do what they have to do, for whatever reasons. Personally, I wish she had stayed, and played out the string.........Like Kiah Stokes did. We all know what a roller coaster ride she was on during her first two years in Storrs, but she didn't tap out. Word is her father stayed in her ear, and gave her the mental strength and intestinal fortitude to ride it out. We're all glad she did. When life throws a little adversity her way, she can deal with it. Staying paid off for her in the end, BIG TIME!! She proved she's not a quitter, and she got a great job right out of college with lots of travel.

If anyone can fill in any of the gaps here, or have anything to add or share, please do so.
 

UcMiami

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I wonder whether elite WCBB isn't a bit of a niche sport in terms of high school preparation. In men's lacrosse, virtually all the elite college programs are populated by prep school stars. Not quite the same with elite WCBB, because basketball is generally a more "democratic" game and can be learned and developed in public high schools. But there are few other sports (fencing and equestrianism come to mind) with such significant prep school representation at the elite college level.
'Gym' sports tend to be pretty universal, but definitely things that require special courts, or large numbers on fields or water sports are much more specialized and tend to be prep oriented - racket ball and squash, crew and even swimming/diving/water polo, lacrosse, rugby, field hockey. When I was growing up soccer fell into that universe as well. And of course winter sports like Skiing and snow-boarding and ice hockey.
 
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