All UConn Players @ Team USA Trials Make Teams

[Phil]

Wow, this is SPECTACULAR...Have we ever done so well in recent years, since the 2002 kinda times?

That's a fascinating question and worth looking into:

2011 - Tuck, Dolson, Hartley, Mosqueda-Lewis
2011 - Simmons, Massengale, Burdick
2010 - Tuck, Dolson, Hartley, Mosqueda-Lewis, Stewart (although Stewart hadn't announced, I think)
2009 - Hayes, Charles, Moore, Faris, Stokes (although Stokes hadn't announced, I think)
2007 - Houston, Thomas, Moore (although Moore hadn't announced, I think)
2007 - Baugh, Anosike, Hornbuckle, Bjorklund (although Bjorklund hadn't announced, I think)

If you want to go way back:
1971 - Shieldknight, Beach, Britton, Dornak, Rapp, Williams (all from Wayland Baptist)

 

[Phil]

Was really hoping that Tyler Scaife would make the U19 team, but it would had been hard with players with one year in College under their belts. But still great experience for her going into her freshman year.

Congrats to all those who did make it.

She was one who surprised me with her absence. Thought she would make it.

 

[Phil]

Then, of course, there were seven in 1959:

Scoggin,Kite,Lowry,Miller,Neal,Stewart, and Washington all from Wayland Baptist

Plus six from Wayland Baptist in 1955

 

[pap49cba]

Fascinating that Burdick, Harrison, and SIMMONS were all cut from the team. Not surprised Reynolds was cut. Would love to hear the conspiracy theories percolating around Knoxville regarding those cuts.

Come on Eric... Isn't it obvious Geno had the fix in?

 

[triaddukefan]

Fascinating that Burdick, Harrison, and SIMMONS were all cut from the team. Not surprised Reynolds was cut. Would love to hear the conspiracy theories percolating around Knoxville regarding those cuts. I'm sure they will find some way to blame Geno for it. Also interesting that Lucas, Hammond, Howard (#2 player coming out of HS), Orrange, and Bria Smith were all cut in favor of names like Ellengerg, Bradford and Hooper...

Knoxville aint the only southern city where those theories are percolating around

 

[UcMiami]

Wow, this is SPECTACULAR...Have we ever done so well in recent years, since the 2002 kinda times?

Well we did get 6 on the recent Olympic team

 

[UcMiami]

Boy ... I think Coale got screwed - to only have 4 forwards on a 12 player team is really tight. Unless the plan is to run for out one in all the time, this team seems very unbalanced. Usually the weighting is the other way for international teams - 5G and 7 forward/centers.

 

[jplotinus]

Boy ... I think Coale got screwed - to only have 4 forwards on a 12 player team is really tight. Unless the plan is to run for out one in all the time, this team seems very unbalanced. Usually the weighting is the other way for international teams - 5G and 7 forward/centers.

They list KML as a G, but considering her as a 3 still leaves the team unbalanced as you say. Liston is 6-1 and Bradford 6-0. Each might also be considered a 3, I suppose. I'm not familiar with their skill sets. When UCONN played Duke, the Duke players under performed a bit, so to speak

 

[stwainfan]

Boy ... I think Coale got screwed - to only have 4 forwards on a 12 player team is really tight. Unless the plan is to run for out one in all the time, this team seems very unbalanced. Usually the weighting is the other way for international teams - 5G and 7 forward/centers.

I agree! I think maybe having a true center would help.

 

[jsloanjr]

Morgan Tuck playing with no knee braces.........

 

[UcMiami]

They list KML as a G, but considering her as a 3 still leaves the team unbalanced as you say. Liston is 6-1 and Bradford 6-0. Each might also be considered a 3, I suppose. I'm not familiar with their skill sets. When UCONN played Duke, the Duke players under performed a bit, so to speak

Agree that there are a few 'wings' but to only have 4 players over 6'1" is very light on hight! And no true center.
University Teams for some reason seem a odd bunch - there was one a few years ago that seemed to be pulled from Div II

 

[doggydaddy]

I agree! I think maybe having a true center would help.

Did you have anyone in mind?

 

[stwainfan]

Did you have anyone in mind?

No I was just thinking if this team goes against a team with a lot of size. How will they do?

 

[semper]

Isn't the problem that Stef is hurt and can't play? Or is she too old?

 

[Icebear]

Too old for U19, not WUG.

 

[connboy77]

I agree! I think maybe having a true center would help.

If Stef Dolson was not hurt she would have been the center.

 

[Phil]

Agree that there are a few 'wings' but to only have 4 players over 6'1" is very light on hight! And no true center.
University Teams for some reason seem a odd bunch - there was one a few years ago that seemed to be pulled from Div II

According to USA Basketball

• In 2003, USA was represented by a Big 12 All Star team
• In 2007, USA was represented by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte

I don't know of one that was represented by a DII team, are you thinking of one of these two examples?

 

[UConnCat]

The international competition at the WUGs is not very strong. Most of the age-eligible international talent is playing professionally. At the 2011 games, Team USA played 6 games and won 5 of those games by at least 40 points. The one tough game Team USA played was against Australia (of course) which it won by 12 points.

Now, this year's team does not appear to be as strong as the 2011 team which included Diggins, the O sisters and EDD to name a few. (BTW, the 2011 team had one true center: Lynetta Kizer.) Still, I think the talent assembled should be good enough to bring home the gold. Dolson would have made the team had she been healthy, but we're seeing the lack of talent at the center position in WCBB. Are you paying attention Kiah Stokes?

 

[pap49cba]

Speaking of Kiah, does anyone know if she removed her name from consideration due to her injuries or was she simply not invited?

 

[Buzzyboy]

Kaleena & Bria make the World University Game Team
Breanna, Moriah and Morgan make the U19 team

Above provided by a Rich Elliott tweet.

Brianna Turner and Gabby Green 2014 recruits also made the U19 team

Haven't seen the full list of players yet.

Not familiar with any common interest in Gabby Green. What I mean is she isn't mentioned on Husky Nan's recruiting site. Is this an omission or a recent development????

 

[EricLA]

Not familiar with any common interest in Gabby Green. What I mean is she isn't mentioned on Husky Nan's recruiting site. Is this an omission or a recent development????

I think a recent development (Gabby Green). If i had to guess, I'd say her game is similar to Sierra Calhoun's even tho Green is listed as a Guard and Cahoun listed as a Wing. If this is true, I have to wonder if the staff feels Calhoun is wavering, or if her overly involved "adviser" is putting up too much of a road block...

Among other things Geno has always maintained he won't recruit kids JUST because they are talented. They need to really want to come to UCONN, not be afraid of hard work, know they will have to EARN any minutes they get, and have to be great kids to boot. I have no doubt Calhoun is a great kid, but I get the impression she has people in her camp wanting promises of PT, which is something Geno will never do.

In fact, I recently re-read some comments by Shea Ralph, one of the all time greats and now a current asst coach, and she was told by Geno when asking about PT "If you are really good, you will earn playing time. If you suck, you won't". She was instantly won over.

 

[UConnCat]

her overly involved father is putting up too much of a road block...

"[O]verly involved father?" Where's this coming from?

 

[UcMiami]

According to USA Basketball

• 
  [ ]In 2003, USA was represented by a Big 12 All Star team
  [ ]In 2007, USA was represented by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte

I don't know of one that was represented by a DII team, are you thinking of one of these two examples?

Phil - thanks for the research - it was a little bit of hyperbole in my posting. Sometime in the last decade I looked at a WUG roster and didn't recognize any of the names - they were mostly from non-top ten college programs and it just seemed a strange collection. It might have been for an 'Americas' competition and not for the actual world games. And I don't think they won the gold so that probably dates it back more than a few years..

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

"[O]verly involved father?" Where's this coming from?

With so many fathers uninvolved in their children's lives, I personally never use "overly" as a paternal description, on personal principles alone. Maybe he just wants the best for his daughter, and is trying to see that happens.

 

[ju6381]

I think a recent development (Gabby Green). If i had to guess, I'd say her game is similar to Sierra Calhoun's even tho Green is listed as a Guard and Cahoun listed as a Wing. If this is true, I have to wonder if the staff feels Calhoun is wavering, or if her overly involved "adviser" is putting up too much of a road block...

Among other things Geno has always maintained he won't recruit kids JUST because they are talented. They need to really want to come to UCONN, not be afraid of hard work, know they will have to EARN any minutes they get, and have to be great kids to boot. I have no doubt Calhoun is a great kid, but I get the impression she has people in her camp wanting promises of PT, which is something Geno will never do.

In fact, I recently re-read some comments by Shea Ralph, one of the all time greats and now a current asst coach, and she was told by Geno when asking about PT "If you are really good, you will earn playing time. If you suck, you won't". She was instantly won over.

Have never heard/read anything about the Calhoun's demanding anything from coaches and making assumptions like that is wildly irresponsible.