A Sad Day

[hoophuskee]

Once again, since Geno and Chris first came here, they have recruited a certain type of player. They look for players who are highly skilled but also that are high character and who are willing to forgo individual play for the good of the team. Even their families are a big part of whether UConn will recruit them. This has resulted in great success both on the court and off the court. However, it has eliminated many great players from being considered by UConn. Some will see this as good, some bad. I support their approach wholeheartedly.

Now, as for the two players you mentioned, as far as I know there were no character issues or anything like that but there were other aspects that I believe led to both of those players being passed over. First, Cardoso became available after we had just signed Dorka. Geno was not going to recruit over a girl he had just signed. I am pretty sure that eliminated Cardoso from consideration.

I believe he passed on Morrow mostly because she was playing for his best friend, Doug Bruno. I have no proof of that but from what I’ve seen of Geno, he would have seen it as completely inappropriate to take a star player from his best friend and then turn around and use her in an already wildly unbalanced series between the two schools. I believe this to be true even if Bruno personally told him it was OK. I think the fact that there was obviously some friction between Bruno and Morrow made t even more unlikely that Geno would take her. It’s simply not in Geno’s character to do this. Of course, it’s obviously also possible that they would not have come to UConn anyway!

So, basically the reason these two were not (apparently) considered by UConn was simply timing in one case, and circumstance in the other. Obviously, this is just my read on the entire situation but I believe it to be reasonable supposition based on the facts as I know them. Cadoso was never going to be taken after Dorka and Morrow was likely nver under consideration at all. IMO!

Finally, I would remind you that there is yet another way we could be looking at a “different scenario” and that is if our players had stayed healthy! If SC or LSU had suffered the same number and severity of injures to comparably critical players on their teams, I promise you, there would almost certainly be different champions for the past two years! The fact that we actually played in the championship game two years ago was due to both the indomitable will of our players and one of the great coaching jobs in history!

Just as we continually hear about the cumulative effect of concussions though, I think we are seeing (finally) the cumulative effect of all these injuries now. I think the team is feeling overwhelmed and discouraged and Geno is going to have to reach down and find a way to rebuild their confidence if we are to have any chance to reach some of the yearly goals for this team!

I can't tell you how much I love this post!!!

 

[Plebe]

I keep hearing people say Geno would never take a player formerly coached by a good friend of his.

Besides being pure speculation based on zero evidence, the theory isn't even logical to me. Recruiting a player, whether out of high school or out of the portal, is not an act of hostility toward other programs or coaches.

Let's give both Geno and Doug a little more credit than that. People are acting as if Geno recruiting Doug's former player would be akin to someone dating his brother's ex-wife.

 

[boscolino]

Ball game is in a perpetual change. Right now, best teams go into the portal looking for the best players available. Recruiting is second chance. Ucla - Betts, Scar-Cardozo,PaoPao, Lsu-Rees. Morrow,Van Lith and so on.....
Uconn needs to do that as well as a regular basis to keep on with the others.

 

[hoophuskee]

Ball game is in a perpetual change. Right now, best teams go into the portal looking for the best players available. Recruiting is second chance. Ucla - Betts, Scar-Cardozo,PaoPao, Lsu-Rees. Morrow,Van Lith and so on.....
Uconn needs to do that as well as a regular basis to keep on with the others.

How many transfers did Iowa get from last year?

 

[Longtime fan]

IMO one of the biggest problems is we fans are so spoiled- for the longest time we got the most of the best players available and won 11 national championships including 4 straight. Now anything less than the Final Four is considered a bad season .

Now things have changed as they always do. Other programs have stepped up their efforts on the court and during the recruiting process so as a result UCONN is no longer automatic for the FF as they have been for so many years.

I think we have to adjust our expectations so they are more realistic. UCONN can still win but they will have to work much harder, the days of 40 point blow outs against Top 25 teams are over.

We have been spoiled. And I think the last few years reflected the aftermath of that. Personally, I feel the era of UCONN domination and greatness is over. We may win again, sure. But it will surprise everyone when that happens. But we are in a phase of transition already. All we can do is enjoy what we have, and see what they can do. But the center of women's college basketball has moved from Storrs to Columbia South Carolina, or maybe Baton Rouge.

 

[boscolino]

How many transfers did Iowa get from las

How many transfers did Iowa get from last year?

Got it. But one against three

 

[Florida Fan]

"We don't have a recruiting problem"

I respectfully disagree. Over the past few years, I feel both Kim Mulkey and Dawn Staley have proven to be more effective recruiters. Face facts. Kim Mulkey took a dormant LSU team, and in two years made them Nationl Champs. South Carolina had their starting five drafted by the WNBA, and yet they haven't missed a beat, rising to number 1 again this year.

Now, if Geno had been able to get Cardoso from Syracuse, or Morrow from Depaul, we might be looking at a different scenario, but we didn't.

We got Dorka and Lou, Yea. They got Cardoso and Morrow, Boo. It appears that we have to milk the portal and the overseas to hold our own. And our players and recruits can't ball 12 months a year.

 

[willtalk]

My post these last couple of months might by some be considered discouraging. I would call them cautionary reality checks. The message seems to have sunk in so now its time to preach optimism. The basketball reality is now such that a lot of teams can beat anyone on any given night. Match ups are important as are good and bad shooting games by either team. With a bit of luck and the right matchups a number of teams could win the Natty this year that would include UConn.

I remember when TA%M won the Natty and they were far from the best team. They just got hot at the right time, beat Baylor on their third try and were fortunate to have teams they matched up badly against get knocked out. The only difference between teams are the odds stacked against them. The favorites just need luck not to go against them while the lesser teams need a lot more to go in their favor. All the top team needs is to meet a bad match up on a bad night and their out. UConn still has a chance. It will require a lot to go in their favor but those things have been known ot happen.