2020 Piath Gabriel commits to UConn [Merged Thread]

[Tonyc]

Gabriel will need experience and still needs to be developed. As it was said by her coach she has progressed but IMO is still raw. I would think she needs at least 2 years at UConn behind ONO. Shes got the motivation, desire, drive, want to and the coaching staff to make her an AA. It will take some time. FWIW DeBarry will also need time to be developed future and will need to gain more experience. UConn can give that to her. In the post above from PAC 12 you see there are 2 6'9 players and a 6'7 who they think will sit. So it will take time for them to be up to speed too. Playtime will be tuff when they are 3,4,and 5 in the post rotation.

 

[Buzzyboy]

This is a really, really interesting development. Two reallys.

So apparently Louisville had made her a "priority" (by @UConnCat 's post above). Do we know for sure which other schools had offered her? And/or which were her finalists?

I'm no recruiting connoisseur, but it seems pretty rare for a U.S.-based player not ranked in the top 100 of the recruiting services to become a highly sought commodity among the elite programs.

What happens often is there are kids that just EXPLODE in a very short time from being a nice player to a very special player. They all of a sudden seem to just GET IT. It sounds like there is a possibility she is one of those kids. Some of the best were somewhat ordinary when they were twelve or thirteen or even a bit older and suddenly arrive.

 

[Alydar]

What happens often is there are kids that just EXPLODE in a very short time from being a nice player to a very special player. They all of a sudden seem to just GET IT. It sounds like there is a possibility she is one of those kids. Some of the best were somewhat ordinary when they were twelve or thirteen or even a bit older and suddenly arrive.

From what I read Piath didn't play basketball until she was 13 so to go from zero skills to a UConn scholarship offer in 4 years says something about her work ethic and her talent.
Piath's rating reminds me of Saniya Chong, who despite winning the Parade NPOY award was unranked by ESPN and PN until after she committed to Storrs and was roundly panned. "How can she be any good, she isn't ranked"?
Geno thinks her potential is worth a roster slot. In 2.5 years she'll be midway through her sophomore season and we'll see then.

 

[newfrontier]

In the post above from PAC 12 you see there are 2 6'9 players and a 6'7 who they think will sit. So it will take time for them to be up to speed too. Playtime will be tuff when they are 3,4,and 5 in the post rotation.

If you are referring to the 2 6'9" players at Oregon State, they may sit in large part for medical reasons. Aquino may be a medical redshirt for a second year in a row due to an ongoing undisclosed heart condition and Mitrovic may sit because of a knee injury. The 6'7" player is sophomore Morris who is very athletic and healthy, but raw, especially offensively (was a 3 star recruit). She may be the loser here given the higher skill sets of freshmen 6'4" Jones and 6'6" Brown.

 

[Buzzyboy]

Well finally the BY is full of energy and optimistic. Im very happy with this commitment. Judging from the comments and other schools noticing her, shes a late bloomer and has been coming on the past season. Still Cardoso and DeBarry are ranked in the top 10 and Piath isnt....yet. I dont think her verbal will have any affect on their signings with UConn. They are the top post players in their class and that wont change. What will change is if the commit to UConn too. That will provide room for another post player and a forward/wing. We will be big and I dont see any of those bigs not getting alot of playtime. It was mentioned in another thread that Oregon had all those bigs and they were sitting. I still wonder why a big would commit to a school knowing they are sitting with other bigs??? I dont understand that one. At UConn bigs are developed and play. Most importantly developed. Dolson, McLauren and Stokes come to mind and look at their professional career. Now look at some other bigs at other colleges who started and never made it professionally????? Says alot about UConn and bigs. Well next years class is huge. Dont forget Westbrook either. She will play either this year or next. Huge class may be an understatement. Im Dreaming Big right now. Add Fudd and UConn will be invincable.

Who the heck is McLauren????

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Who the heck is McLauren????

Kaili McLaren - Women's Basketball - University of Connecticut Athletics

Kaili McLaren (41) Forward - AT FIRST GLANCE An imposing post player with a touch from the outside...will see considerable playing time as the Huskies[apos] top

uconnhuskies.com

 

[Buzzyboy]

Don't know about Cardoso but DeBerry isn't close to college ready. She's very raw. She's also not the traditional "big" people usually pine for. DeBerry while tall is a finesse player whose game at the moment more resembles Azura Stevens than Kalani Brown.

If she isn't nearly college ready, why are there people here really hungry for DeBerry to sign??? That suggests that she's raw as is Piath? What's the difference between the two????

 

[Buzzyboy]

Kaili McLaren - Women's Basketball - University of Connecticut Athletics

Kaili McLaren (41) Forward - AT FIRST GLANCE An imposing post player with a touch from the outside...will see considerable playing time as the Huskies[apos] top

uconnhuskies.com

Thanks! The spelling threw me off big time

 

[Sluconn Husky]

If she isn't nearly college ready, why are there people here really hungry for DeBerry to sign??? That suggests that she's raw as is Piath? What's the difference between the two????

DeBerry's been a high-valued prospect for quite a while and her upside is pretty big. I'm not sure most realize how raw she is at this point though.

 

[soxfan23]

DeBerry's been a high-valued prospect for quite a while and her upside is pretty big. I'm not sure most realize how raw she is at this point though.

Sluconn I respect your opinion a great deal, but I just don't see what you are seeing with DeBerry. The kid is as polished as a 2021 4/5 as you are going to find! She can do it all! She has great length, nice soft hands, runs the floor, rebounds, blocks shots, can finish with either hand, and can step out and knock down a jump shot. I agree she needs to develop her back to the basket and faceup game, get stronger, more aggressive, and learn to play "UConn hard" but she has not even played her junior year of HS yet! There is so much to work with here.

 

[donalddoowop]

Sluconn I respect your opinion a great deal, but I just don't see what you are seeing with DeBerry. The kid is as polished as a 2021 4/5 as you are going to find! She can do it all! She has great length, nice soft hands, runs the floor, rebounds, blocks shots, can finish with either hand, and can step out and knock down a jump shot. I agree she needs to develop her back to the basket and faceup game, get stronger, more aggressive, and learn to play "UConn hard" but she has not even played her junior year of HS yet! There is so much to work with here.

Is she as good as Marshall? If not, then she does need a lot of work.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Sluconn I respect your opinion a great deal, but I just don't see what you are seeing with DeBerry. The kid is as polished as a 2021 4/5 as you are going to find! She can do it all! She has great length, nice soft hands, runs the floor, rebounds, blocks shots, can finish with either hand, and can step out and knock down a jump shot. I agree she needs to develop her back to the basket and faceup game, get stronger, more aggressive, and learn to play "UConn hard" but she has not even played her junior year of HS yet! There is so much to work with here.

Based on what I saw of her during 3X3 tourneys and the U17 this summer, I would not in any way refer to her as polished. She struggled not just with physicality but with shot selection and decision-making. I'd consider Aaliyah Moore and Kiki Iriafen more advanced than DeBerry but, again, DeBerry has big upside.

 

[BobbyJ]

Based on what I saw of her during 3X3 tourneys and the U17 this summer, I would not in any way refer to her as polished. She struggled not just with physicality but with shot selection and decision-making. I'd consider Aaliyah Moore and Kiki Iriafen more advanced than DeBerry but, again, DeBerry has big upside.

Agree completely. Seems to be a play behind against the kids her size, even in her own age group. Looks good against her undersized HS competition but was a non factor in this summer’s U16 international games. Needs to get a motor.

 

[oldude]

Is she as good as Marshall? If not, then she does need a lot of work.

DeBerry is a year behind Marshall, so it’s really not a fair comparison, particularly when evaluating Bigs. Having said that, I would hope that DeBerry develops into a better player than Marshall who’s fallen all the way to #32 on Hoopgurlz.

I watched Marshall play twice at the Federation Cup this past March, and I was underwhelmed, not at her level of skill, but by the fact that the tallest person in the court could have so little impact on the games themselves. She was content to jog up and down the court, hang around outside the paint, throw up shots from outside and let her hard working teammates battle for rebounds.

 

[donalddoowop]

DeBerry is a year behind Marshall, so it’s really not a fair comparison, particularly when evaluating Bigs. Having said that, I would hope that DeBerry develops into a better player than Marshall who’s fallen all the way to #32 on Hoopgurlz.

I watched Marshall play twice at the Federation Cup this past March, and I was underwhelmed, not at her level of skill, but by the fact that the tallest person in the court could have so little impact on the games themselves. She was content to jog up and down the court, hang around outside the paint, throw up shots from outside and let her hard working teammates battle for rebounds.

I believe I also saw those two games.

 

[oldude]

I believe I also saw those two games.

Like me, you were probably watching a certain young lady from Ossining, but it was hard not to notice Marshall’s lackluster performance.

 

[Alydar]

Like me, you were probably watching a certain young lady from Ossining, but it was hard not to notice Marshall’s lackluster performance.

Sorry if I missed your report on Griffin. As the season looms what might we see from our latest recruit from the lower Hudson valley. I read she can run, jump, score & loves to play defense. Yes?

 

[DaBball]

Based on what I saw of her during 3X3 tourneys and the U17 this summer, I would not in any way refer to her as polished. She struggled not just with physicality but with shot selection and decision-making. I'd consider Aaliyah Moore and Kiki Iriafen more advanced than DeBerry but, again, DeBerry has big upside.

Agreed. Neither of us were impressed with DeBerry at U16, as she played back up to Lauren Betts. She just didn’t look like she had the “it” factor, even against the lower level of competition. She had one solid game, but her percentages weren’t great (better than only Saylor’s). I expected her to be a little quicker, but I would agree that she certainly has upside and size, and that makes her a solid prospect. She was dominated by a couple bigs on the EYBL circuit this summer IIRC.

 

[oldude]

Sorry if I missed your report on Griffin. As the season looms what might we see from our latest recruit from the lower Hudson valley. I read she can run, jump, score & loves to play defense. Yes?

I watched Aubrey put up 30+ in four straight games during the NYS FF in Troy, NY and the Federal Cup in Glens Falls, NY, along with a bunch of rebounds, assists, steals, etc. Ossining won 3 of 4 games, losing only in the Fed Cup final to Marshall's NYC powerhouse program, CTK. Aubrey almost single-handedly kept Ossining in the game vs CTK and, while her team lost, there was little doubt who the best player on the court was. She has the size and athleticism to be a very good player at UConn as a G/W. It will likely take some time for Aubrey to adjust to the college game. Hopefully, by the back end of this season, she will start to earn some meaningful PT.