2017 recruits: Who is UConn still pursuing?

[UcMiami]

Thanks Coco. I thought the coach said there was some mutual interest between Uconn and her, but it hasn't surfaced anywhere that I have seen.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I read that, even after her knee injury, Mikayla is one of the most athletic kids out there.

 

[CocoHusky]

@CoachBill do you happen to know where else Mikayla will be taking official visits besides UCONN?

 

[MilfordHusky]

For those who don't know Megatron:

Note that the basketball says "Elite." Of course!

 

[Orangutan]

If one goes by the twitter follower method then LaDahzia seems to be currently interested in Notre Dame as Niele Ivey anf MM are recent follows for her...if White ends up transfering to Notre Dame perhaps that could change her level of interest

Just to put a bow on the LaDazhia talk - she plays AAU with FGB (Florida Girls Basketball). FGB's coach, Kenny Kalinna, is very active on twitter. He mentioned that Staley and McGraw were at LaDazhia's last tournament. No mention of UConn. I would guess that SC and ND are the top candidates for her.

 

[iamcbs]

Just curious to see if anyone knows what 2017 recruits Geno and staff are still pursuing? I know Megan Walker, but not sure of the others. Coach Bill said he did not think that Jade Williams was still on our list. Have we heard anything more about LaDahzia Williams or Mikayla Coombs?

Are there any other recruits for 2017 that we are tied to? Just curious.

Why would any fan on a Message Board know anything about what a College Basketball Head Coach and his staff are planning or what recruits they are pursuing. There are Recruiting Services and reporters whose job it is to know such information and they are wrong in many instances.

 

[CocoHusky]

Why would any fan on a Message Board know anything about what a College Basketball Head Coach and his staff are planning or what recruits they are pursuing. There are Recruiting Services and reporters whose job it is to know such information and they are wrong in many instances.

This would be true if you talking about a generic message board. The Boneyard is much more advanced and includes a splash page tracking UCONN interest or lack of in certain WCBB recruits. Do you not have the URL?

 

[Charliebball]

Just to put a bow on the LaDazhia talk - she plays AAU with FGB (Florida Girls Basketball). FGB's coach, Kenny Kalinna, is very active on twitter. He mentioned that Staley and McGraw were at LaDazhia's last tournament. No mention of UConn. I would guess that SC and ND are the top candidates for her.

Full service here on the Boneyard..................have you seen this:

aoul ‏@Raoul_000 49m49 minutes ago
WBB: Update on Danielle Patterson (NY-2017) — she's now taking OVs to both ND and Tennessee in the fall

 

[EricLA]

Full service here on the Boneyard...have you seen this:

aoul ‏@Raoul_000 49m49 minutes ago
WBB: Update on Danielle Patterson (NY-2017) — she's now taking OVs to both ND and Tennessee in the fall

I hope she ends up at ND, but Tenn is so desperate for highly rated recruits that I'm sure they will pull out all the stops. Maybe hire a full sized blimp to drop the offer letter in her lap via a Navy Seal parachutist...

 

[Orangutan]

Full service here on the Boneyard...have you seen this:

aoul ‏@Raoul_000 49m49 minutes ago
WBB: Update on Danielle Patterson (NY-2017) — she's now taking OVs to both ND and Tennessee in the fall

I hadn't seen that, thanks. Classic dilemma - childhood favorite team (Tenn.) vs. best team/program (ND) vs. hometown team (St. John's) with Virginia as the wild card. I seem to recall someone saying she has a family connection to Virginia but I could be getting mixed up.

Seems like it may well come down to the visits. On paper, ND seems to make the most sense.

 

[iamcbs]

This would be true if you talking about a generic message board. The Boneyard is much more advanced and includes a splash page tracking UCONN interest or lack of in certain WCBB recruits. Do you not have the URL?

No I don't, I'm not really a follower of recruiting. I believe the athletes should be allowed to make their decisions unencumbered by the opinions of people who don't know them and have never seen them play in most cases. Once an athlete signs an NLOI, then I'll get interested.

 

[CocoHusky]

No I don't, I'm not really a follower of recruiting. I believe the athletes should be allowed to make their decisions unencumbered by the opinions of people who don't know them and have never seen them play in most cases. Once an athlete signs an NLOI, then I'll get interested.

I can see that, though I doubt very much if any recruits are encumbered by any opinion that is written here. At least I hope not.

 

[iamcbs]

I can see that, though I doubt very much if any recruits are encumbered by any opinion that is written here. At least I hope not.

I agree with your premise, but you know there are parts of every fanbase who have no life other than the teams they support. They try to engage recruits on the social media platforms, I assume to make themselves feel connected to the process somehow. The incident last night with the Texas A&M Football Coach and the subsequent tweets from their fanbase confirms to me that I'm on the correct path.

 

[Charliebball]

I agree with your premise, but you know there are parts of every fanbase who have no life other than the teams they support. They try to engage recruits on the social media platforms, I assume to make themselves feel connected to the process somehow. The incident last night with the Texas A&M Football Coach and the subsequent tweets from their fanbase confirms to me that I'm on the correct path.

I respect your point of view and agree that there are some college fanatics out there that have a real need to find a life. I don't think any of the regulars here have any interest in contacting prospective recruits to plead the case for UConn. Geno and staff seem to be fairly capable in that regard.

Since I have a daughter going through the process at a much lower level, I do find it interesting to learn about the recruiting process. As a UConn follower, researching the players that the school has an interest in, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the college roster and then seeing how future recruits might effect the team is apparently interesting to many of the folks here. To each his/her own!!

 

[Dillon77]

If one goes by the twitter follower method then LaDahzia seems to be currently interested in Notre Dame as Niele Ivey anf MM are recent follows for her...if White ends up transfering to Notre Dame perhaps that could change her level of interest

Coach McGraw, after the 2015-2016 wrap-up dinner, said she they were targeting bigs and a guard/wing.
So, even if Ms. White would end up transferring, we're still in need of (at least) another forward. And that guard...yes, the one we seem to have in common.

 

[Charliebball]

Coach McGraw, after the 2015-2016 wrap-up dinner, said she they were targeting bigs and a guard/wing.
So, even if Ms. White would end up transferring, we're still in need of (at least) another forward. And that guard...yes, the one we seem to have in common.

Hey lay off!!....................we haven't had an All-American guard at UConn in............................................3 weeks?

 

[SkilledUp]

Hey I'm new to the board but wanted to make this comment. Walker is the number one talent because of the total package that she brings........but the most unique talent in the class has to be Boothe. She is Joyner Holmes, but can shoot from 30 feet consistently. This kid can flat out play, she's just a little rough around the edges, and I don't think Geno would take that. Talent and talent alone Boothe is the best kid in the 2017 class. Walker is pretty much the same as Westbrook and Richards.


Sorry about the non introduction but I am from the South region and I've been scouting kids for over 8 years now and I have been reading the board for over a year now. I was once an assistant coach, and am trying to get back in the coaching now. Just wanted to offer my two cents on the 2017 class

 

[CocoHusky]

Hey I'm new to the board but wanted to make this comment. Walker is the number one talent because of the total package that she brings...but the most unique talent in the class has to be Boothe. She is Joyner Holmes, but can shoot from 30 feet consistently. This kid can flat out play, she's just a little rough around the edges, and I don't think Geno would take that. Talent and talent alone Boothe is the best kid in the 2017 class. Walker is pretty much the same as Westbrook and Richards.


Sorry about the non introduction but I am from the South region and I've been scouting kids for over 8 years now and I have been reading the board for over a year now. I was once an assistant coach, and am trying to get back in the coaching now. Just wanted to offer my two cents on the 2017 class

Welcome and good luck with your coaching. I think you will find that the majority of this board is ALL IN on Megan and ALL OUT on Rellah. Also believe Westbrook and Richards were BOTH OUT on UCONN by their own choices in down selecting. Rellah "rough edges" are troubling enough to be left off USA basketball U16 team last summer and hopefully she got the message. Of course the ultimate trick is not to develop the rough edges in the first place-reason #1 why we are ALL IN on Walker.

 

[UcMiami]

Hey I'm new to the board but wanted to make this comment. Walker is the number one talent because of the total package that she brings...but the most unique talent in the class has to be Boothe. She is Joyner Holmes, but can shoot from 30 feet consistently. This kid can flat out play, she's just a little rough around the edges, and I don't think Geno would take that. Talent and talent alone Boothe is the best kid in the 2017 class. Walker is pretty much the same as Westbrook and Richards.


Sorry about the non introduction but I am from the South region and I've been scouting kids for over 8 years now and I have been reading the board for over a year now. I was once an assistant coach, and am trying to get back in the coaching now. Just wanted to offer my two cents on the 2017 class

Certainly seen a lot of praise for Boothe's skills from folks that have watched her, but it isn't all about uniqueness in terms of great players - coachability, attitude, motor, desire, and 'plays well with others' are all major factors. I have absolutely no idea where players stand on any of those qualities and do not watch much HS game film so am making no judgements. But Walker has consistently been seen as the best HS player in her class and possibly within the classes on either side of her as well. She does not stand out in terms of size, speed, leaping ability, or other simple measurements, so there must be a quality to her play that has set her apart. You can look around at the history of women's basketball and with the vast majority of the icons of the game are not unique physically, but stand out mentally and in the quality of the skills they possess - for every Griner there are 5 or more players like Swoopes, DT, Catchings, Moore, or Lieberman who don't stand out on the floor, at the jump, but immediately distance themselves as the play begins. (You see it in the men's game as well.)

Not sure why Uconn hasn't ever been in on Boothe, but there has never been a whisper of interest from any of the coaches - you never know if that is based on taking a look and 'passing' or if some initial contact was made and the player said 'thanks, but no thanks'.

And welcome to the posting side of the board - please keep your observations coming.

 

[bags27]

Welcome, also. Sounds as if your assessment really isn't at odds with those of Coco and Miami. Sounds as if Rellah may be a better fit for a team that doesn't otherwise have a huge amount of talent or where the coach is fine having someone play a more individual game. Perhaps a star in the WNBA, but not at UConn.

But what interests me most is that she is at the IMG Academy (according to ESPN). I wonder what the coaching bias is there: whether it is on individual performance or on avoiding those "rough edges." Do we know of other graduates of it and, if so, what are their tendencies?

 

[CocoHusky]

Certainly seen a lot of praise for Boothe's skills from folks that have watched her, but it isn't all about uniqueness in terms of great players - coachability, attitude, motor, desire, and 'plays well with others' are all major factors. I have absolutely no idea where players stand on any of those qualities and do not watch much HS game film so am making no judgements. But Walker has consistently been seen as the best HS player in her class and possibly within the classes on either side of her as well. She does not stand out in terms of size, speed, leaping ability, or other simple measurements, so there must be a quality to her play that has set her apart. You can look around at the history of women's basketball and with the vast majority of the icons of the game are not unique physically, but stand out mentally and in the quality of the skills they possess - for every Griner there are 5 or more players like Swoopes, DT, Catchings, Moore, or Lieberman who don't stand out on the floor, at the jump, but immediately distance themselves as the play begins. (You see it in the men's game as well.)

Not sure why Uconn hasn't ever been in on Boothe, but there has never been a whisper of interest from any of the coaches - you never know if that is based on taking a look and 'passing' or if some initial contact was made and the player said 'thanks, but no thanks'.

And welcome to the posting side of the board - please keep your observations coming.

UC that statement is so accurate I wish I could have like it 100 times. Specific to UCONN and most recent recruits and hopefully Walker and definitely Lexi a common attribute is they a grinders-completely committed to improving themselves.

KLS- " And I really want to play for Coach Auriemma and I want to get better as a player and I think it was the right school for me."
Napheesa Collier- "I’m just trying to improve everything I do,” she says. “I know I’m going to have to be at my best going into UConn.”
Crystal Dangerfield-" I pushed myself over the years to be a better player so I'd have the chance of playing there (UCONN) one day and it paid off"
Lexi Gordon: " And I know that Coach Auriemma will bring out the best in me and make me the best player and best person I can be in my four years at UConn."

Remarkable consistency in these statements

 

[UConnCat]

@CoachBill do you happen to know where else Mikayla will be taking official visits besides UCONN?

Coomb visited Penn State a few weeks ago. I don't know if it was an official or unofficial visit. She was there with 2017 Autumn Newby (also from Georgia). Georgia is very interested in Coombs and there was some initial interest in/from Stanford but I don't know where that stands.

 

[SkilledUp]

Welcome, also. Sounds as if your assessment really isn't at odds with those of Coco and Miami. Sounds as if Rellah may be a better fit for a team that doesn't otherwise have a huge amount of talent or where the coach is fine having someone play a more individual game. Perhaps a star in the WNBA, but not at UConn.

But what interests me most is that she is at the IMG Academy (according to ESPN). I wonder what the coaching bias is there: whether it is on individual performance or on avoiding those "rough edges." Do we know of other graduates of it and, if so, what are their tendencies?

The reason I've heard she's at the academy is to help her get her gpa up. Not saying that this is true but it's what I've heard. I've also been hearing she was linked to Texas because of the relationship she has with coach Mays. Now with Mays at SMU......I wonder if she goes there.

 

[SkilledUp]

On another note I am hearing Sabrina and Westbrook will be going to Washington.

 

[Orangutan]

UC that statement is so accurate I wish I could have like it 100 times. Specific to UCONN and most recent recruits and hopefully Walker and definitely Lexi a common attribute is they a grinders-completely committed to improving themselves.

KLS- " And I really want to play for Coach Auriemma and I want to get better as a player and I think it was the right school for me."
Napheesa Collier- "I’m just trying to improve everything I do,” she says. “I know I’m going to have to be at my best going into UConn.”
Crystal Dangerfield-" I pushed myself over the years to be a better player so I'd have the chance of playing there (UCONN) one day and it paid off"
Lexi Gordon: " And I know that Coach Auriemma will bring out the best in me and make me the best player and best person I can be in my four years at UConn."

Remarkable consistency in these statements

Let's be honest, though - all of these kids, however hard they work, are also top 1% athletes.

I agree with UcMiami in the sense that if you look over the history of WBB the best players are not merely a list of the most athletic players. But at the same time, people like Catchings, DT, and Maya are all superior athletes, even for pros.

To say of Walker - "She does not stand out in terms of size, speed, leaping ability, or other simple measurements" First of all, we don't have measurements on all these kids. I bet if we had NFL-combine style stats, she would stand out. Also, how many 6'1 players are truly off-the-dribble perimeter players. There's maybe a few each class. Some of the reason she can play that way is surely that she has worked hard on her handle but 99% of 6'1 girls are never going to be able to play that way regardless of how hard they work.

I mean, one of my dormmates in college was the DIII player of the year. She was 6-foot even, played as a post, and outran basically every opposition post she played against. Walker would make her look like a tortoise in a foot race.