2023 Recruiting:. Ciera Toomey

[CocoHusky]

With Ayana and Ice already headed this way, I be interested in seeing how CT would find minutes at Uconn especially if she’s a power forward.

I don't view C as strictly a PF. I think of her more in the mold of occasional stretch 4 but mainly a SF or even big guard like KLS or Ann Strother. C is 6'4" which is only an inch taller that both Ann and KLS. C has the athleticism to be a capable perimeter defender and excellent ball handling and passing skills because she played PG coming up.

 

[connboy77]

If she keeps growing she could possibly play center!

 

[Tonyc]

With her talent she will play. She can play back to the basket, front up, handle the ball score inside and outside. Geno will find a place for her to play. From what I was told she's got it all. I was also told that she is now receiving calls from all the top schools.

 

[Mdoggie]

With her talent she will play. She can play back to the basket, front up, handle the ball score inside and outside. Geno will find a place for her to play. From what I was told she's got it all. I was also told that she is now receiving calls from all the top schools.

Whose doing the telling?

 

[Vowelguy]

Offers:
2020 (8): Penn State, Boston College, Bucknell, Ohio St, Penn, Rider, St John's, Villanova
2021 (16): Columbia, Pitt, West Virginia, Northeastern, Michigan, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Maryland, North Carolina, NC State, Virginia Tech, Baylor, UConn, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Wisconsin

Interesting that she has offers from Penn & Columbia but not Princeton.

Baylor & Oklahoma are the 2 big geographic outliers.
Dunno if the offers are just the ones that have seen her or the ones that she's shown some reciprocal interest, but a clear East/North tilt. Would seem surprising if someone other than ACC/BiG/UConn landed her.

Also conference realignment is now in play for these 2023s. Oklahoma will be in the SEC by the time they graduate. While Baylor & WV are in an unstable situation. That becomes a new variable for recruits to factor in. That said, the fact that players can now transfer and play immediately, reduces the feeling of being "locked in" to a decision.

 

[Vowelguy]

What happened to the rest of WCBB programs? Must be on the sidelines or home drooling, we have the same names as usual tossing out offers. Would you if a head coach offer her? Why not take a chance, make an offer, what's there to lose. I am most surprised not to see L'ville, Ark or UCLA not offering, geez after all L'ville offers almost any player over 4'7" a scholarship. Maybe UCLA is hanging there hopes on Cunningham, Ark I have no idea what's up there, maybe still working on there pulled pork festival.

1) Given the past year, a lot harder for coaches to see players in person. Pre-Covid wouldve been the middle of her freshman year.
2) Perhaps she has already indicated what she is generally interested/not interested in. If she has said she doesnt want to be too far away from home, then little reason for a PAC team to invest time in her.

 

[Hayven]

IMO, you just keep stacking chips. If you can get at least one SKILLED big every year it's nice for the continuity of your recruiting. Toomey is very skilled and should be able to play 3-5 offensively and 4-5 defensively and that versatility is something you can never have too much of. DeBerry '21, Brady and Patterson '22, Toomey in '23 is a multi-talented rotation that can work around foul trouble and injury. If Gabriel progresses that's another big to throw in there. I don't want to see UConn in the same position they were in the past couple years depending on one real big for interior defense. Edwards will grow out of her foul trouble and that's what having numbers allow, overcoming inexperience without losing production.

Ayanna can move to the 3, while C or Ice can play the 5

 

[CocoHusky]

Interesting that she has offers from Penn & Columbia but not Princeton.

Baylor & Oklahoma are the 2 big geographic outliers.
Dunno if the offers are just the ones that have seen her or the ones that she's shown some reciprocal interest, but a clear East/North tilt. Would seem surprising if someone other than ACC/BiG/UConn landed her.

Also conference realignment is now in play for these 2023s. Oklahoma will be in the SEC by the time they graduate. While Baylor & WV are in an unstable situation. That becomes a new variable for recruits to factor in. That said, the fact that players can now transfer and play immediately, reduces the feeling of being "locked in" to a decision.

Several unusual things about C recruitment and offers. She essential blew up during COVID and had significant growth spurt between her 8th grade and sophomore year of HS. That would mostly explain the difference between her 2020 offers and the 2021 offers which are entirely P5 ( UCONN being the notable exception).

 

[oldhusky]

Ayanna can move to the 3, while C or Ice can play the 5

If Ayanna and C were teamed at forward, the concerns over either at the 3 are direct opposites. I have zero doubts about Ayanna's ability to guard the 3 position, but do you want more of a three point threat there? With C we expect her perimeter shooting would be good compared to 3's, but the question would be defensive quickness.

The obvious solution is Ayanna plays the 3 on defense, and the 4 on offense, with C just the opposite.

 

[Bills Fan]

If Ayanna and C were teamed at forward, the concerns over either at the 3 are direct opposites. I have zero doubts about Ayanna's ability to guard the 3 position, but do you want more of a three point threat there? With C we expect her perimeter shooting would be good compared to 3's, but the question would be defensive quickness.

The obvious solution is Ayanna plays the 3 on defense, and the 4 on offense, with C just the opposite.

Lots of speculation and game planning for someone who has not verballed to UCONN, but like the rest of you I hope she sees the light soon. She seems like a perfect fit both from a basketball and from a personality standpoint.

Imagine our frontcourt in a couple of years with Ayanna, Ciera, Ice. Amari, PG and AE! It really wouldn't be a fair fight with any other team, including Stanford. Then consider that CD and Saylor can play the #3 and guards named Paige, Nika and Azzi along with one of the "K" recruits (KK or Kiki) and there would be no need to even hold the NCAA tournament! Just send the trophy to Storrs and hang another banner.

 

[MooseJaw]

If Ayanna and C were teamed at forward, the concerns over either at the 3 are direct opposites. I have zero doubts about Ayanna's ability to guard the 3 position, but do you want more of a three point threat there? With C we expect her perimeter shooting would be good compared to 3's, but the question would be defensive quickness.

The obvious solution is Ayanna plays the 3 on defense, and the 4 on offense, with C just the opposite.

If they were paired I have no problem with the idea. We have a lot to look forward to and plenty will happen before CT decides that she and UCONN are the right fit. It seems near unanimous on the BY that we want CT to become a Husky, which has to be priority #1. In one post you have hit on number 2 of the most discussed and important topics on the board as posted by the members. It appears the 4 top items under discussion are.
1. minutes to be played per individual player
2. lineups and combinations
3. In season... pre game prognostications, game updates, and after game post mortem
4. name a song any song for any and all occasions
If it were my world my #1 would be,
recruits and POI's.... If we get the right recruits on board the rest becomes easy.

 

[Vowelguy]

1) A good player never has a problem getting playing time for Geno.

2) Tamika Williams, Swin Cash, and Ashja Jones were all 6'2" forwards. They seemed to play ok together.

 

[DefenseBB]

FYI, Toomey is a legitimate 2-sport star at Dunmore HS. Her second sport….Golf. At 6’3” she can probably drive a golf ball a long way. If Toomey ends up at UConn, I’m guessing Geno might bring her in as a ringer for the Club mixed best ball championship.

Maybe she could give Paige some golf lessons like #1 Don’t wear flip flops to the driving range to hit balls!