2020 Piath Gabriel commits to UConn [Merged Thread]

[Alydar]

Totally getting that Dolson raw talent vibe. Can't wait to see Geno help her develop.

If I remember right the two things that Geno liked about Dolson were her motor and her footwork. I think Piath looks to be in better shape. Let's hope she has Steph's hands.

 

[oldude]

6'-5"

Yes, but Geno clearly doesn’t offer every BIG, simply based on size. As I commented in a reply to Fairfield, for Geno it’s not so much a player’s size in inches as it is the size of their heart.

 

[Carnac]

With the BY discussion about Piath over the last few days, I got to thinking about Steph’s recruitment. As a HS junior, Steph was outside the top 50 on Hoopgurlz. She got the “UConn bump” as a senior up to 39, but she clearly was not a sure thing. While she had some basketball skills, Steph wasn’t in great condition and her athleticism could be questioned (Geno once berated her for not being able to jump as high as a sheet of paper.). When Geno explained what he liked about Steph when he recruited her, he explained that when he watched her play in a very physical HS game, Steph got knocked to the floor several times. Each time she quickly got up and sprinted down the floor to get back into the game. Of course Steph went on to become a 2x AA & National Champion at UConn as well as a very good pro. It would be interesting to know what qualities Geno sees in Piath that convinced him to offer her a scholarship.

One additional thought. Geno and John Calipari are good friends, going all the way back to Calipari’s coaching days at UMass. I have to wonder if Geno got any input on the Gabriel family, specifically KY player Wenyen Gabriel relative to motivation, effort, athleticism, etc.

OD, sometimes fans like to question a coach's ability to coach/recognize talent when they see it. D-1 coaches are not new to the game, and most ARE good at what they do. They're professionals. They are highly paid for what they do.

Every coach in America coaches to win. They want to build their program and their brand, not to mention to keep their job. They recognize talent when they see it, and recognize players that can operate in their system, and who they would like to work with.

I remember John Calipari when he was an assistant at Pitt. He sent my son the first letter of interest he received back in the late 80's. Calipari kept working, kept learning, kept building his brand and reputation until he was able to secure his "dream job" at Kentucky. The good ones know what they're doing. You don't reach that "elite" level unless you are one of the best.

I think it's fair to say (and could easily be argued) that Geno is one of the best. I agree with the comment you've made on several occasions that you trust Geno and his judgement. A lot of us do. Like the other coaches, he saw something in Piath he liked, and knew she could help his program, and that he wanted to coach her. That's good enough for me.

 

[FairView]

.

The integration of multiple 6'5"+ bigs in the same lineup at the top level of women's college basketball is a big challenge.

Can you say Lobo-Wolters?
Although some say Rebecca was a paltry 6' 4"

 

[intlzncster]

Gabriel, who has a No. 23 positional ranking but is not listed as a top 100 player by ESPN, saw her recruitment exploded this summer, allowing her to collect offers from programs such as Tennessee, Louisville, North Carolina, Kentucky, Ohio State, Miami, West Virginia, LSU, University of Pittsburgh. This spring, she was also named to the Adidas Select team, which competed in Spain over the summer.

Always look at the offer list over the actual ranking. That's a good enough group right there.

 

[intlzncster]

Totally getting that Dolson raw talent vibe. Can't wait to see Geno help her develop.

Dolson was very out of shape, and was never going to be a jumping bean. But she wasn't remotely raw.

Wasn't she an AA or something anyway?

 

[Carnac]

It appears to me that the current shortcomings for Gabriel are mainly on offense. In the UConn system, particularly with the talent we otherwise have on the roster, what is most desired from a "big" is her defensive ability. In that case even if she never reaches AA level ranking because of her offense, we would have what we need regardless. What do our recruiting gurus say to that?

Just this: when you associate, you assimilate. She's going to be around/play with some highly talented players (everyday in practice) whose skills will eventually rub-off off her and make her better, in addition to being coached by Geno and Chris Daley. Gabriel is among the most versatile front-court prospects in the Class of 2020. At 6-foot-5, she displays the ability to stretch the defense to the arc and also bring the ball up the floor at times. It may take a year or two (and UConn has that luxury because of ONO's presence), but her offensive skills will rise to the occasion, and catch up with her defensive prowess.

 

[UConnCat]

Dolson was very out of shape, and was never going to be a jumping bean. But she wasn't remotely raw.

Wasn't she an AA or something anyway?

That's right. Stef entered college with great hands, great footwork, excellent court vision and a soft touch around the basket. The biggest issue for Stef was her fitness and her struggles to get up and down the court.

 

[eebmg]

This simply means she's not chopped liver. She's a bit raw (as was Liv), but has some skills coming in and lots of potential.

So you are saying ONO was raw Liver.

 

[Plebe]

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.

 

[Carnac]

So you are saying ONO was raw Liver.

NO!!

 

[BobbyJ]

I think the days of compartmentalizing and having defensive specialists are over. If you are on the court, you have to be an offensive threat at some level and not be afraid to take good shots or draw fouls. Some of our bench players were afflicted with this and threw the ball back the second they touched the ball, thinking they were not a good option compared to the others on the floor.

So get that offensive game and confidence started.

Agree completely. With the way UConn spreads the floor on offense there’s a ton of shots available in the lane and on the blocks for bigs. An example would be Butler. She couldn’t jump but If she’d been able to learn a drop step and a baby hook she could’ve had 15 a night without plays being run for her. The key to me is mobility. If they can run the floor they’ll get 10 a game on layups and put backs.

 

[eebmg]

Agree completely. With the way UConn spreads the floor on offense there’s a ton of shots available in the lane and on the blocks for bigs. An example would be Butler. She couldn’t jump but If she’d been able to learn a drop step and a baby hook she could’ve had 15 a night without plays being run for her. The key to me is mobility. If they can run the floor they’ll get 10 a game on layups and put backs.

and attitude. They need a bit of "I want to score" in them and if they miss a few, who cares, do something else on the floor.

 

[BobbyJ]

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.

At 6-5, if a kid can run and has the athleticism, their improvement can be exponential in a few months when the light comes on if they’ll work at it. Then everybody wants them.

 

[oldude]

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.

UNC, KY, VA Tech, Pitt all offered Piath, to name a few. UConn was somewhat late to the Piath sweepstakes, at least when it comes to extending a scholarship offer, which probably po’s every other school that have been recruiting her.

 

[donalddoowop]

I'd bet the farm (and my reputation - FWIW) that will not happen with Piath.

You don't have a farm.

 

[EricSD]

With the BY discussion about Piath over the last few days, I got to thinking about Steph’s recruitment. As a HS junior, Stef was outside the top 50 on Hoopgurlz. She got the “UConn bump” as a senior up to 39, but she clearly was not a sure thing. While she had some basketball skills, Stef wasn’t in great condition and her athleticism could be questioned (Geno once berated her for not being able to jump as high as a sheet of paper.). When Geno explained what he liked about Stef when he recruited her, he explained that when he watched her play in a very physical HS game, Stef got knocked to the floor several times. Each time she quickly got up and sprinted down the floor to get back into the game. Of course Stef went on to become a 2x AA & National Champion at UConn as well as a very good pro. It would be interesting to know what qualities Geno sees in Piath that convinced him to offer her a scholarship.

One additional thought. Geno and John Calipari are good friends, going all the way back to Calipari’s coaching days at UMass. I have to wonder if Geno got any input on the Gabriel family, specifically KY player Wenyen Gabriel relative to motivation, effort, athleticism, etc.

I don't disagree that Stef is a good measuring stick - she was outside the top 50, but I'm pretty sure she was close to top 10 with ASGR, BS, PN, or some other service(s). Maybe I'm wrong. I'll have to check my files.

But still, if she progresses anywhere near like Stef did, we are gonna be SUPER happy fans. Stef had footwork, soft hands, court vision and a knack for passing before she came to UCONN. Piath is a far different player with athleticism, shot blocking, and defensive prowess.

Obviously she will be coached up and I hope she grows in leaps and bounds like Stef did. Early on, Chris (I think) told Stef essentially "we are gonna need you to step it up and be more involved when on the court. That means a serious commitment to fitness and diet". Stef complied and was really solid by the end of her first year... I hope we see something similar with Piath...

 

[psconn]

Is she any good? I thought that the preoccupation of the BY was to get a "big." Who said anything about these "bigs" being any good?

I moved the goal post.

 

[donalddoowop]

Is UConn the leader in getting commitments from players with unusual names in the classes of 2020 and 2021,
such as Poffenbarger, Muhl, Mir, Piath, and maybe Fudd.

 

[CL82]

I mean Gabriel is good and all and I'm happy to have her, but when are we going to get a guard?

 

[EricSD]

BTW ESPN said she considered more than just a few schools:


StatusVerbal
Also Considered: Louisville Cardinals, LSU Lady Tigers, Boston College Eagles, North Carolina Tar Heels, Miami Hurricanes, Tennessee Lady Volunteers,

Prospects Nation has her rated #88

 

[oldude]

I mean Gabriel is good and all and I'm happy to have her, but when are we going to get a guard?

Speaking of which, the first thing Piath should start working on is the pick & roll. With all the incredible, dime-dropping passers she’ll be playing with, perfecting that one play ought to get her 5-10 easy buckets every game...

 

[UcMiami]

Big are often late to the game in terms of development - takes a while for coordination to catch up with growth spurts. And it is particularly true for kids who start life outside of basketball crazy countries. It sounds like she has made a significant impact in the last few months so with all the schools expressing interest I am pretty sure her stock will be rising in the recruit raankings and would have regardless of the Uconn offer/commitment.

Not going overboard on expectations - Geno gets quite a few players that haven't broken into the starting lineup and Piath could well be of that caliber - good but not great. Dolson certainly surprised but ...

 

[HGN]

Good questions. However both Oregon and Baylor have had no problem integrating multiple bigs. Hopefully someone will point that out to Ms. Cardoso and Ms. Berry in the interim.

Great point Jordy, my thoughts exactly. Texas , Baylor , and Oregon have all had success with multiple Bigs playing together. No reason Uconn can't .

 

[PAC-12HoopFan]

Can you say Lobo-Wolters?
Although some say Rebecca was a paltry 6' 4"

Agreed. The 6'7" Wolters paired with the 6'4" Lobo should be considered an effective integration of bigs. The fact that we have to go back to more than two decades to come up with such a special integration underscores how difficult it can be to have two on the same roster let alone to recruit two in the same recruiting class.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

This song is a dedication to Geno, CD, Shea & Jasmine AND it's an admonition to WCBB and doubting fans



Attah way to go Coach & Co.

PS. Thanks @PacoSwede for the spell check!

 

[oldude]

Agreed. The 6'7" Wolters paired with the 6'4" Lobo should be considered an effective integration of bigs. The fact that we have to go back to more than two decades to come up with such a special integration underscores how difficult it can be to have two on the same roster let alone to recruit two in the same recruiting class.

Uhm...how about the 6'5" Dolson and the 6'4" Stewie? If memory serves, they won a couple of national championships together.

 

[DaBball]

Uhm...how about the 6'5" Dolson and the 6'4" Stewie? If memory serves, they won a couple of national championships together.

Stewie doesn’t count! She was a guard, a wing, a forward, and a center all in one!

 

[veryolddog]

About time! I'd say we need at least 2 more to finish out the team. And, a couple of 6' 5" guards to go along with this. (LOL). It is looking like with the current recruits and the ones projected next year, the UConn will have a competitive program next year.

 

[MSGRET]

Finally a big after several frustrating seasons not being able to recruit one. I wonder if that means Cardoso will go else where or what impact it will have on Omari for 2021.

So your saying that ONO is NOT a big?