Will Charli Collier be a Class of One?

[oldude]

One of the aspects previously discussed on this board relative to foreign born players is that while they often appear to have a more advanced skill set than American players, they often do not matchup athletically. You need only watch Jose's beleaguered Europeans get overwhelmed by UConn 3 times this past season to understand the challenge for European WBB players in the US.

 

[HopJim]

Things to ponder bags, things to ponder. Jose F has had good luck on this score. There are others. For them it is a way to get good talent without having to go one on one with the perennial leaders in WBB.

You hit on the key point. While there are "good" players coming out of Europe, UConn is after "great" in terms of both skills and attitude. Would be difficult for Geno and coaches to determine what "soft skills," i.e. attitude, they have due to travel issues.

 

[hoophuskee]

One of the aspects previously discussed on this board relative to foreign born players is that while they often appear to have a more advanced skill set than American players, they often do not matchup athletically. You need only watch Jose's beleaguered Europeans get overwhelmed by UConn 3 times this past season to understand the challenge for European WBB players in the US.

I'm not a fan of the European player overall. Though getting a player every now and then is okay. I like "the current UCONN model" the best. Someday that may change.

 

[Charliebball]

If you watched some of the younger international players in the last World Championships you'd have noticed that the French team kicked our butts along with everybody else...........a couple of those ladies could help UConn believe me.........

 

[UcMiami]

I think the simple answer for European players and foreign players in general is that it is fairly slim pickings - the best young Europeans have both a professional route at quite a young age and free college that in at least some cases they can pursue at the same time. And as a comparison - their are only something like thirty foreign players in the WNBA each year - that suggests the talent pool while decent is significantly smaller than what is available in the US. Very few foreign players that actually come to the states are in the range of players Geno and Co recruit and probably none are at the level of the top ten 'prizes' in the recruiting classes. Why would they put any serious effort into overseas recruits when they have so much to work with in the states.
If you look at the schools that do work the foreign markets seriously, most are being shut out of the top end of the HS recruiting pool - USF being an obvious example.

 

[ricky]

The US is the only true volume production of the best basketball talent for both men and women. Sometimes it seems that American athletes are born at birth with basketball potential in their genes. This is similar to soccer for other nations. The US will never dominate soccer player production even though USA women have had success. Soccer is such a God given part of their culture that it seems to be in their genes.

 

[TitleTown]

The US will never dominate soccer player production even though USA women have had success. Soccer is such a God given part of their culture that it seems to be in their genes.

In my opinion the reason why the US women have been far more successful than the US men in soccer is because of football. The best girl athletes grow up playing soccer in the fall because it is virtually the only option, where the a large percentage of the best boy athletes tend to play football. As a football coach used to tell me "soccer is for good athletes that are not tough enough to play football".

 

[Charliebball]

In my opinion the reason why the US women have been far more successful than the US men in soccer is because of football. The best girl athletes grow up playing soccer in the fall because it is virtually the only option, where the a large percentage of the best boy athletes tend to play football. As a football coach used to tell me "soccer is for good athletes that are not tough enough to play football".

Not sure that is the case these days.......I'd say football is for good athletes that don't mind getting the "------" beaten out of them on a daily basis when they can play soccer and still get the girls.......