A'ja Wilson Surprised Herself at U-19s

[pap49cba]

Since the DD soap opera I've basically fallen into the John A. camp: When they commit I'll get excited. Trying to predict what these young girls are going to do is like trying to pick winning lottery numbers.

 

[Geno-ista]

If a recruit wants to be a part of a National Championship contender then UCONN is certainly the place. If a recruit wants to hone her skills so she can play basketball after college then UCONN is certainly the place. If you want to play against the best players during practice and be coached by a HOF coach then UCONN is certainly the place. I guess UCONN is certainly the place. Unless you want to be the big fish in the small pond.

No argument from me- we just can't get inside her head to know. The distance away from home is probably the biggest factor we battle. She seams like a more "grounded" person than Diamond also-IMO.

 

[Geno-ista]

I really don't like the big fish small pond example.

If she is down to USC and Uconn, both are in the Div I big lake. And the reality is when Wilson is a freshman, the SEC would be a bigger pond than the AAC.

It's everything else you mentioned.

But she just might want to be closer to home and help USC become a top ten program. You never know.

DD- i was referencing the team as the pond vs the conference. But that is an excellent point. I think it will be the distance to UC vs other issues that will be her decision.

 

[Geno-ista]

I am always amazed at how posters can talk regarding stuff they know nothing, about, in terms of recruiting.

I didnt c that quote- i love Morgan Tuck even more now!

 

[alexrgct]

I am always amazed at how posters can talk regarding stuff they know nothing, about, in terms of recruiting.

Indeed, recruiting is highly speculative when it comes to top high school players.

What we do know:

-Geno is the best coach in WBB by a country mile, and arguably the best coach ever. His assistant coaching staff is also top notch. There is no reason to believe anyone is going anywhere by 2018, so any 2014 recruit gets them for the full four years. Uconn also has a grand tradition of winning games, making Final Fours, and winning NCs. The tradition is basically unparalleled...except by Tennessee, who's a far cry from 2008. In short, if you want to win and you want to be developed by a tremendous coaching staff, alongside a team of other stellar (and potentially transcendent) players, Uconn is the place. I believe firmly these should be priorities, as well as the television exposure, the opportunity for international competition, etc., and the decision seems like a no-brainer for an elite player.

-First night is historically a special night for recruiting, so a recruit choosing to attend is a positive.

-A lot of kids like to stay local. However, Uconn also has a ton of success recruiting outside of New England and New York State, including kids as remote as Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, California, and Texas.

-The fact that A'Ja is happy with her experience playing with so many Uconn kids doesn't necessarily entail anything. But it is pretty heart-warming to the Uconn fanbase.

-Ultimately, we don't know what A'ja will do, and we can't encourage her in our capacity as boosters. All we can do is hope. She has a chance to make the most important decision of her young life. If she comes to Uconn, I'm confident she'd make the most of that opportunity.

 

[doggydaddy]

I usually don't get involved in the recruiting threads and discussions. I just wait for the verbal and celebrate.


But the Wilson recruitment is very important for UConn. Add her to Ekmark, Williams and Edwards and you have the #1 class. Geno will probably take 1-2 more with some great players on his list. The class then becomes as good as any they've had.

It's important to show future classes that the new conference will not impact recruiting.

 

[01Neaggrad02]

I think one of the biggest thing with Aja may be, her desire for immediate playing time and whether to be a big fish in small pond, or come to uconn!

Where do you come up with this stuff? Seriously, it makes little to no sense. The year that A'ja would join UCONN if she were to commit would find the roster with 7 players. KML, Banks, and Stokes would be seniors. Stewart, Jefferson, and Tuck juniors, and Chong a sophomore. There is plenty of room for A'ja. For a year she could play as Stewart's backup or.... right along side of her.

 

[reno tony]

Where do you come up with this stuff? Seriously, it makes little to no sense. The year that A'ja would join UCONN if she were to commit would find the roster with 7 players. KML, Banks, and Stokes would be seniors. Stewart, Jefferson, and Tuck juniors, and Chong a sophomore. There is plenty of room for A'ja. For a year she could play as Stewart's backup or.... right along side of her.

I think you would agree if Wilson went to most other programs that she would likely get more playing time her freshman year. That is assuming she is as good as everyone thinks. I don't know of any player worth a scholarship that doesn't want to play immediately, but UCONN might not be the easiest place to break into the lineup. On the upside, Geno will certainly play anyone that earns time regardless of their.

 

[doggydaddy]

I think you would agree if Wilson went to most other programs that she would likely get more playing time her freshman year. That is assuming she is as good as everyone thinks. I don't know of any player worth a scholarship that doesn't want to play immediately, but UCONN might not be the easiest place to break into the lineup. On the upside, Geno will certainly play anyone that earns time regardless of their.

She would be part of the rotation getting plenty of minutes her freshman year. If she needs to start, Uconn might not be for her.

 

[reno tony]

She would be part of the rotation getting plenty of minutes her freshman year. If she needs to start, Uconn might not be for her.

I hope so. But first we must get her in a UCONN uniform. But it is fun talking about it.

 

[baggerbob]

She wants to play the game like Stewie, where better to learn then with Stewie, and from Geno, and CD. Her father had to be impressed with the UConn teammates, and I'm sure he will have some influence on what she does.

 

[Tonyc]

Just something to think about. There was a tweet on the ESPN board a few months ago where Turners dad said after that point guard committed to UCLA. He wished her good luck and tweeted I guess Bri will be playing with Mojeff again????? Now perhaps Wilson quietly has said she wants to come to UConn and that's why Turner went to ND. Too much competition in the post at UConn??? Just a thought and I have no inside information on that. Just my hunch.

 

[DaddyChoc]

I am always amazed at how posters can talk regarding stuff they know nothing, about, in terms of recruiting.

"nothing indicates that" like we know every dang conversation these players have. We thought we had Diamond in the bag with KML dangling all over her etc.... now we're saying everything indicated that she wasnt coming, she wants to call the shots etc.

hopefully UConn lands Wilson cause I dont want to hear "I knew she wasnt leaving home blah blah blah"

 

[DaddyChoc]

Tennessee fans feel they are very much in the mix as they've reported a great deal of mutual interest between Ms. Wilson and the Tennessee staff. They did manage to land Russell, a very solid recruit. Duke and ND could also easily be in the mix as both schools have a terrific amount of talent but would have plenty of room for her should she go there.

She did get to play with Graves (Tn), Jones (Duke) and Turner (ND) so at least she got a feel for what playing with them would be like. But let's just say it - not as great as playing with Ms. Stewart, Tuck or Jefferson...!

they won a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP... unlike all the others!

 

[Blakeon18]

Do we know for sure when First Night is being held???

 

[meyers7]

I am always amazed at how posters can talk regarding stuff they know nothing, about, in terms of recruiting.

Not sure why that amazes you, this is the internet. (and you could have left off "in terms of recruiting")

 

[connboy77]

Recruiting is not an exact science and even though most of us have very little information on where certain recruits will end up, it is still fun to speculate. It would be great if UCONN gets A'ja, but at this point we can only hope. She will make her decision when she is ready and not before.

 

[Wonkster]

Being a worrywarting pessimist, I think of Diamond...

Diamonds are Bruce Pearl's best friends.

 

[Wonkster]

... But she just might want to be closer to home and help USC become a top ten program. You never know.

Aye, there's the rub.

I've never heard it put quite the way you did, dd, so that particular goal may be more reasonable than the more frequently encountered fantasy of "I want to help Punxsutawney U win their first national championship."

Does that ever happen?

Unless you like long odds, if you want to win an NCAA title, go to UConn or Tennessee. Everybody else is a pretender to the throne.

 

[Geno-ista]

There is no indication those are priorities for A'Ja.

You are correct- I don't know of any either. Just thinking that it may be a possible issue for her. And yet that never seams to be an issue with the great players that we have been able to land. Actually, the more I listen to her and read her interviews/quotes, the more I think we will land her. She seams to have that "Uconn" type personality.

 

[Geno-ista]

Just something to think about. There was a tweet on the ESPN board a few months ago where Turners dad said after that point guard committed to UCLA. He wished her good luck and tweeted I guess Bri will be playing with Mojeff again????? Now perhaps Wilson quietly has said she wants to come to UConn and that's why Turner went to ND. Too much competition in the post at UConn??? Just a thought and I have no inside information on that. Just my hunch.

that is not just a random thought but a really intelligent possibility. Those are real things/events that then affect other players decisions. In Aja's case, she supposedly can play maybe the 2, 3, 4, or 5 and her ball handling skills were so good I think she played point guard or at least guard for most of her career to date. I am not sure there is another player like her, other than Stewie, that would preclude her from going anywhere. We really fit nicely for her. Steph will be gone. Aja has said that she doesn't want to play center- she doesn't like it. So with Morgan and Stewie and Stokes, we would be able to allow her offensive flexiblity to develop her perimeter game. KML would be gone in Aja's sophomore year, at which time she would become the feature player with Stewie for the following year, and then her Jr and Sr year she would be our feature player with alot of great guards and ball handlers already in the barn. We really fit nicely for her. and Geno likes to play the 5 at the high post alot which she would also like I think based on interviews I have read on her.

 

[Icebear]

You are correct- I don't know of any either. Just thinking that it may be a possible issue for her. And yet that never seams to be an issue with the great players that we have been able to land. Actually, the more I listen to her and read her interviews/quotes, the more I think we will land her. She seams to have that "Uconn" type personality.

As I said her coming to First Night is one of the best bits of news we have. All news from U19s was very positive.

Still it never makes sense to get to high or low in one's expectations. Just let things run their course.

 

[Geno-ista]

Just something to think about. There was a tweet on the ESPN board a few months ago where Turners dad said after that point guard committed to UCLA. He wished her good luck and tweeted I guess Bri will be playing with Mojeff again????? Now perhaps Wilson quietly has said she wants to come to UConn and that's why Turner went to ND. Too much competition in the post at UConn??? Just a thought and I have no inside information on that. Just my hunch.

Tony- I think I interpreted your post wrong- Turner would not consider Uconn because of all the quality players right in front of her- I think you may be right, and that is really good possibility that Aja is really considering U conn as her primary target. Sorry for my original response- I was not focused!!!

 

[Geno-ista]

Where do you come up with this stuff? Seriously, it makes little to no sense. The year that A'ja would join UCONN if she were to commit would find the roster with 7 players. KML, Banks, and Stokes would be seniors. Stewart, Jefferson, and Tuck juniors, and Chong a sophomore. There is plenty of room for A'ja. For a year she could play as Stewart's backup or.... right along side of her.

Re the way our roster sets up, as long as she is willing to pay her dues her freshman year, our roster does set up for her to play her freshman year, especially given our new conference, as much as possible her sophomore year, and be our feature player her Jr/Sr year. We set up better for her than we did for Diamond to come here this year with Steph still her. I get the feeling Diamond's personality may be a bit more like Angel M'Coutrey's. If she was someone that wanted to walk in and start for four years, we would not be the team for her this year. she can break in here and our next great one if she wants to!

 

[meyers7]

Aye, there's the rub.

I've never heard it put quite the way you did, dd, so that particular goal may be more reasonable than the more frequently encountered fantasy of "I want to help Punxsutawney U win their first national championship."

Does that ever happen?

Well, there was that Lobo girl.