Applying Geno's recruiting philosophy...

[Gus Mahler]

Neither am I and I'm one of the guys with the ND logo posting here.

So, lots of questions. However, MM -- like Geno and Tara at Stanford -- always seem to find the right kind of players to keep on keeping on. And then some.

It would help UConn to round out this '19 class with another commit (and from the not-so-outside looking in, I think Ms. Boston is optimal), but in any case, you'll be fine.

Glad you included her. I don't know anyone who has done more with not as much as she has in recent years. And going back 10-12 years, her teams have been in the Final Four a lot.

 

[Dillon77]

Glad you included her. I don't know anyone who has done more with not as much as she has in recent years. And going back 10-12 years, her teams have been in the Final Four a lot.

She manages to get an interesting mix of players. While many play specific roles on the team, there are always some players to are sneaky good, until one looks at the scoreboard and see your team has been transparently thumped.

This team could sneak up on people. I think it will take some time to replace the very goodness that was Brittany McPhee. But they've got virtually every other contributor back, from Aussie forward Alanna Smith and guard Kianna Williams to guard Marta Sniezek and forward Maya Dodson. And they're being joined by McDonald's All-American point guard Jenna Brown and the Hull sisters. I'm sure Tara will get them functioning very well as a unit just in time for the NCAA's....she always does.

 

[Charliebball]

She manages to get an interesting mix of players. While many play specific roles on the team, there are always some players to are sneaky good, until one looks at the scoreboard and see your team has been transparently thumped.

This team could sneak up on people. I think it will take some time to replace the very goodness that was Brittany McPhee. But they've got virtually every other contributor back, from Aussie forward Alanna Smith and guard Kianna Williams to guard Marta Sniezek and forward Maya Dodson. And they're being joined by McDonald's All-American point guard Jenna Brown and the Hull sisters. I'm sure Tara will get them functioning very well as a unit just in time for the NCAA's....she always does.

I love Jenna Brown's game.........I'm not sure if she ever had interest in UConn but Geno could have done far worse then to recruit this very smart and talented player.........

 

[Magy Cannon]

I understand that most of the 'not interested' players it comes down to two issues, wanting to play closer to home and preferring playing time as a freshman

Yes, that, and, some want a Duke or Stanford education.

 

[Gus Mahler]

She manages to get an interesting mix of players. While many play specific roles on the team, there are always some players to are sneaky good, until one looks at the scoreboard and see your team has been transparently thumped.

This team could sneak up on people. I think it will take some time to replace the very goodness that was Brittany McPhee. But they've got virtually every other contributor back, from Aussie forward Alanna Smith and guard Kianna Williams to guard Marta Sniezek and forward Maya Dodson. And they're being joined by McDonald's All-American point guard Jenna Brown and the Hull sisters. I'm sure Tara will get them functioning very well as a unit just in time for the NCAA's....she always does.

How's that Wilson kid doing? (the quarterback's sister)

 

[CocoHusky]

How's that Wilson kid doing? (the quarterback's sister)

She's been struggling with injuries for the last two NCAA tournaments. Really a shame she was US caliber player that was expected to have more of an impact.
Stanford's hard-luck Anna Wilson watches Big Dance (again) from the bench

 

[Dillon77]

She's been struggling with injuries for the last two NCAA tournaments. Really a shame she was US caliber player that was expected to have more of an impact.
Stanford's hard-luck Anna Wilson watches Big Dance (again) from the bench

Yup, the lack of reps, court time can hinder one's progress. I don't know how that hardship waiver went, but I see her listed as a junior in the current roster posted on the Stanford site. Here are some stats from her sophomore year.

• Appeared in 21 games and made two starts
• Averaged 3.3 points and 1.1 rebounds in 10.7 minutes per game
• Shot 29.6 percent from the field (24-of-81) and 29.0 percent from behind the arc (20-of-69)
• Came off the bench against Ohio State in Las Vegas (11/25) and poured in 21 points in 19 minutes, making 7-of-8 from behind the arc
• Became the 10th Stanford player to make seven 3-pointers in a game and the first since Bonnie Samuelson dropped in eight against UCLA on Feb. 15, 2015

With Kianna Williams and Marta Sniezek both coming back and Jenna Brown arriving on the scene, court time is going to be at a premium. Hope she's been able to recuperate and practice to compete.

 

[Golden Husky]

While opinions vary, I wonder how many of the "UConn not interested" players get to this category not because Geno doesn't want them but because they (for whatever reason) do not want UConn. Many if not most of the players on this yearly list go on to have good careers and are solid citizens. No negative on UConn or Geno, just a realistic view of the recruiting world. Whenever I look at the many banners, I'm thankful for the women that have come to Storrs.

As demonstrated by Horston, who listed among her reasons for choosing Tennessee that the team prayed before eating dinner, it's often difficult to assign motives to a recruit's college of choice. Sometimes faith, a belief without evidence, or some unknown and unspoken intrinsic feeling, overwhelms what seems like the more logical and prudent alternative.
While I find the recruiting process endlessly interesting, it's also mystifying to me.

 

[Charliebball]

As demonstrated by Horston, who listed among her reasons for choosing Tennessee that the team prayed before eating dinner, it's often difficult to assign motives to a recruit's college of choice. Sometimes faith, a belief without evidence, or some unknown and unspoken intrinsic feeling, overwhelms what seems like the more logical and prudent alternative.
While I find the recruiting process endlessly interesting, it's also mystifying to me.

I've often thought that certain programs have a real advantage especially with religious players not limited to but especially from the South East and South West where their faith seems to hold more sway............I see a lot of biblical references on player's twitter pages and it makes sense that they might be most comfortable with like minded teammates........a school like Baylor would be a good example............I would assume state school's have to be more careful regarding prayers but I assume it's allowed if the players themselves want to do it........

 

[Golden Husky]

I've often thought that certain programs have a real advantage especially with religious players not limited to but especially from the South East and South West where their faith seems to hold more sway..I see a lot of biblical references on player's twitter pages and it makes sense that they might be most comfortable with like minded teammates...a school like Baylor would be a good example..I would assume state school's have to be more careful regarding prayers but I assume it's allowed if the players themselves want to do it...

What an interesting observation. It seems then, in addition to prospects outlining their desire to win a national championship for an acclaimed program and coach, represent their country in international games, and maximize their talent to an extent that it results in a professional basketball career, we also need to pay attention to a player's social and cultural references as a potential harbinger of choice, as well.
This revelation--I'm too craven to have considered faith as a factor in choosing a college--is intriguing and makes me even more interested and, perhaps, a smidge less mystified.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

While opinions vary, I wonder how many of the "UConn not interested" players get to this category not because Geno doesn't want them but because they (for whatever reason) do not want UConn. Many if not most of the players on this yearly list go on to have good careers and are solid citizens. No negative on UConn or Geno, just a realistic view of the recruiting world. Whenever I look at the many banners, I'm thankful for the women that have come to Storrs.

Me thinks you protest too much your undying fealty to the UConn Husky Banner.

 

[Charliebball]

What an interesting observation. It seems then, in addition to prospects outlining their desire to win a national championship for an acclaimed program and coach, represent their country in international games, and maximize their talent to an extent that it results in a professional basketball career, we also need to pay attention to a player's social and cultural references as a potential harbinger of choice, as well.
This revelation--I'm too craven to have considered faith as a factor in choosing a college--is intriguing and makes me even more interested and, perhaps, a smidge less mystified.

I would say a minimum of 20%-30% of the top recruits make frequent religious references on their social media................I would have to assume that if religion is such an important part of their lives, it must play some part in their college choice whether that means preferring a school with a religious presence or a school who's other players share a similar background.......

 

[Golden Husky]

I would say a minimum of 20%-30% of the top recruits make frequent religious references on their social media......I would have to assume that if religion is such an important part of their lives, it must play some part in their college choice whether that means preferring a school with a religious presence or a school who's other players share a similar background..

I wonder what role, if any, a coach is permitted to play in that...or is anything but the vaguest, non-denominational reference to religion prohibited by the NCAA? This seems like an area ripe for abuse and manipulation.

 

[Charliebball]

I wonder what role, if any, a coach is permitted to play in that...or is anything but the vaguest, non-denominational reference to religion prohibited by the NCAA? This seems like an area ripe for abuse and manipulation.

I assume there must be NCAA rules regarding this...........certainly some coaches are known to mix a bit of old time religion in with their banter from time to time which may attract some recruits............perhaps private religious schools have more leeway?

 

[CocoHusky]

I wonder what role, if any, a coach is permitted to play in that...or is anything but the vaguest, non-denominational reference to religion prohibited by the NCAA? This seems like an area ripe for abuse and manipulation.

I assume there must be NCAA rules regarding this......certainly some coaches are known to mix a bit of old time religion in with their banter from time to time which may attract some recruits..perhaps private religious schools have more leeway?

This is really not an NCAA issue per say. The issues derives from acceptance of federal funds and simply applied says that you cannot make participation in a faith based event mandatory and accept federal funds. The institution can refuse federal funds to avoid this condition but at most D1 institutions that would be very counter productive. Many smaller privately funded Christian colleges have made this decision to forgo federal funds in order to maintain religion as a mandatory part of the curriculum. Alabama football and Duke football have chapel before every game but chapel is optional.
The services academies used to have mandatory Chapel for all Cadets and Midshipmen up until the early or mid-70's Maya used to attend Chapel before every game, I think she still does. But Geno couldn't take the whole team to chapel without giving them the option to opt out.
Still think this religious angle in Horston's recruitment is overblow & much to do about nothing. My mother-in-law is from South Carolina. She prayed every time before she ate or drank something. Most of the time I joined her and my kids learned to do the same but only when Grandma was around. Some TN players (maybe coaches) decided to pray for some reason, Jordan was used to praying at home so she joined in-no biggie.
I'm pretty sure Kathy says some kind of grace before the feast at the Auriemma house which is always part of every recruit visit. If Kathy forgot Nona would have reminded her.

 

[Crossover]

This is really not an NCAA issue per say. The issues derives from acceptance of federal funds and simply applied says that you cannot make participation in a faith based event mandatory and accept federal funds. The institution can refuse federal funds to avoid this condition but at most D1 institutions that would be very counter productive. Many smaller privately funded Christian colleges have made this decision to forgo federal funds in order to maintain religion as a mandatory part of the curriculum. Alabama football and Duke football have chapel before every game but chapel is optional.
The services academies used to have mandatory Chapel for all Cadets and Midshipmen up until the early or mid-70's Maya used to attend Chapel before every game, I think she still does. But Geno couldn't take the whole team to chapel without giving them the option to opt out.
Still think this religious angle in Horston's recruitment is overblow & much to do about nothing. My mother-in-law is from South Carolina. She prayed every time before she ate or drank something. Most of the time I joined her and my kids learned to do the same but only when Grandma was around. Some TN players (maybe coaches) decided to pray for some reason, Jordan was used to praying at home so she joined in-no biggie.
I'm pretty sure Kathy says some kind of grace before the feast at the Auriemma house which is always part of every recruit visit. If Kathy forgot Nona would have reminded her.

I think you are trivializing the role of religion in Horston's life as reflected in her social media postings. She doesn't just pray before meals or games, which can be an empty gesture based on custom and upbringing. She is dedicated to "putting God first" and seeking divine guidance for important life decisions. To suggest that she would place winning a national championship or maximizing her readiness for the WNBA first in her decision tree is to misapprehend who and whose she is. Or to put it more simply, she appears to be at least as serious about her religion (if not moreso) as she is about basketball or her career. That may be incomprehensible to many on this board, which does not trouble me, but if the question is "What makes Jordan Horston tick", rather than project our own world views onto her, perhaps the best answer is "I'm not in a position to say."

 

[UcMiami]

It seems that especially with Uconn, but also with pretty much every other school's fans, the question after a highly sought after recruit chooses a different school is, 'What went wrong!' (with great angst.) Most of the time the correct question is, 'What went right at that other school.' because these choices are actually 'positive' in the recruit's thinking. It isn't a rejection of the 2-5 other schools, it is an acceptance of the chosen one.

I also think as a fan base we have been incredibly spoiled - the BS/MJ/MT era with 4 straight NCs is fantasy land - never happened before and likely will never happen again. and the current string of 11 straight is also fantasy land - the previous record was shared with Stanford and LSU ND at 5 (TN has done 4 straight twice.) We had the Tassk force recruiting on top of Sveta and Shea and followed by DT and only won 2 NCs, We had Maya and Tina and only won 2. And we have had plenty of 'undistinguished' recruiting classes since 1999 and won 9 titles - it happens periodically. Sometimes the players in a senior class that Geno wants to work with don't choose Uconn for any number of reasons. And hard work is not on their radar - you do not get to be a player recruited by Uconn by shying away from hard work.

 

[Charliebball]

It seems that especially with Uconn, but also with pretty much every other school's fans, the question after a highly sought after recruit chooses a different school is, 'What went wrong!' (with great angst.) Most of the time the correct question is, 'What went right at that other school.' because these choices are actually 'positive' in the recruit's thinking. It isn't a rejection of the 2-5 other schools, it is an acceptance of the chosen one.

I also think as a fan base we have been incredibly spoiled - the BS/MJ/MT era with 4 straight NCs is fantasy land - never happened before and likely will never happen again. and the current string of 11 straight is also fantasy land - the previous record was shared with Stanford and LSU ND at 5 (TN has done 4 straight twice.) We had the Tassk force recruiting on top of Sveta and Shea and followed by DT and only won 2 NCs, We had Maya and Tina and only won 2. And we have had plenty of 'undistinguished' recruiting classes since 1999 and won 9 titles - it happens periodically. Sometimes the players in a senior class that Geno wants to work with don't choose Uconn for any number of reasons. And hard work is not on their radar - you do not get to be a player recruited by Uconn by shying away from hard work.

call it astute recruiting, call it luck..........what ever UConn has done these many years has been extraordinary but that doesn't mean all is great moving forward...................the two freshman should make excellent contributions to the team and better sooner then later...............if UConn strikes out on their final two recruits it will leave next year's team in a somewhat weakened state with a dire need to recruit players at almost every position in 2020..............perhaps not the position which Geno had envisioned when he limited his 2019 targets.........

 

[CocoHusky]

I think you are trivializing the role of religion in Horston's life as reflected in her social media postings. She doesn't just pray before meals or games, which can be an empty gesture based on custom and upbringing. She is dedicated to "putting God first" and seeking divine guidance for important life decisions. To suggest that she would place winning a national championship or maximizing her readiness for the WNBA first in her decision tree is to misapprehend who and whose she is. Or to put it more simply, she appears to be at least as serious about her religion (if not moreso) as she is about basketball or her career. That may be incomprehensible to many on this board, which does not trouble me, but if the question is "What makes Jordan Horston tick", rather than project our own world views onto her, perhaps the best answer is "I'm not in a position to say."

Did not mean to trivialize religion in Jordan's life, but fully meant to trivialize it as "the major factor" in her decision to choose TN. Clearly this is a family that prays and seeks divine guidance in their lives, Christyn Williams' family is similar. I'll say it " I'm not in a position to say why she chose TN" but....Dawn Staley is one of the most "religious" coaches out there and I can't believe the folks in Knoxville are any more religious than the folks in Columbia. I have been to both places. Jordan found a connection to TN, that connection might be a religious one but let's not pretend that she going down there to enroll in divinity school. The decision is still primarily about basketball at least for the next 4 years.

 

[meyers7]

Jordan found a connection to TN, that connection might be a religious one but let's not pretend that she going down there to enroll in divinity school.

As the great PeachBaskets once said (posted)

When I hear “Tennessee” and “revival” in the same sentence, the only things that come to mind are snakes and tambourines.

 

[Crossover]

Did not mean to trivialize religion in Jordan's life, but fully meant to trivialize it as "the major factor" in her decision to choose TN. Clearly this is a family that prays and seeks divine guidance in their lives, Christyn Williams' family is similar. I'll say it " I'm not in a position to say why she chose TN" but....Dawn Staley is one of the most "religious" coaches out there and I can't believe the folks in Knoxville are any more religious than the folks in Columbia. I have been to both places. Jordan found a connection to TN, that connection might be a religious one but let's not pretend that she going down there to enroll in divinity school. The decision is still primarily about basketball at least for the next 4 years.

I'm also not in a position to say why she chose TN. However, my impression (which could just be my own projection) is that she experienced it as a place where coaches and future teammates get who she is, and she wouldn't have to circumscribe important parts of herself. Think Gabby Williams, for whom UConn was a special blessing because she could be her nerdy, hip, playful, serious, old soul, hip hop, baller, girly girl, self-confident, insecure, politically woke self all at the same time and be accepted. And then there is Brittany Griner who achieved great basketball success at Baylor but had to rein in so much of herself. Basketball isn't everything, even for elite players, and sometimes these teenagers are wiser than us old coots.

 

[UcMiami]

call it astute recruiting, call it luck.....what ever UConn has done these many years has been extraordinary but that doesn't mean all is great moving forward....the two freshman should make excellent contributions to the team and better sooner then later.....if UConn strikes out on their final two recruits it will leave next year's team in a somewhat weakened state with a dire need to recruit players at almost every position in 2020....perhaps not the position which Geno had envisioned when he limited his 2019 targets....

Do we really think that the recruiting landscape suddenly changed in 2018?!! Just a refresher on the previous 4 classes 2015 class #1, 6, 23; 2016 class #3 and 2 more; 2017 class #1,13, 16, 29; 2018 class #1 and 5. Has any other school gotten 3 number one recruits in four years let alone the previous four years (not possible! ) And there are also another 3 top ten recruits and 3 more top 25.

Just wondering if everyone posting gloomy thoughts really thinks that Uconn deserves two or three top ten recruits every year? No allowance for a 'down year' every five years?

 

[BobbyJ]

It seems that especially with Uconn, but also with pretty much every other school's fans, the question after a highly sought after recruit chooses a different school is, 'What went wrong!' (with great angst.) Most of the time the correct question is, 'What went right at that other school.' because these choices are actually 'positive' in the recruit's thinking. It isn't a rejection of the 2-5 other schools, it is an acceptance of the chosen one.

I also think as a fan base we have been incredibly spoiled - the BS/MJ/MT era with 4 straight NCs is fantasy land - never happened before and likely will never happen again. and the current string of 11 straight is also fantasy land - the previous record was shared with Stanford and LSU ND at 5 (TN has done 4 straight twice.) We had the Tassk force recruiting on top of Sveta and Shea and followed by DT and only won 2 NCs, We had Maya and Tina and only won 2. And we have had plenty of 'undistinguished' recruiting classes since 1999 and won 9 titles - it happens periodically. Sometimes the players in a senior class that Geno wants to work with don't choose Uconn for any number of reasons. And hard work is not on their radar - you do not get to be a player recruited by Uconn by shying away from hard work.

Very good points. All are reasons why I have to laugh when I hear someone say that UConn "whiffed" or "lost" or "failed" when recruiting kids. When a school is as successful as UConn at recruiting over the last 20 years they don't "whiff" on kids. I'm sure they apply every current technique possible short of following MBB and just paying $$ to get them.

 

[Charliebball]

Do we really think that the recruiting landscape suddenly changed in 2018?!! Just a refresher on the previous 4 classes 2015 class #1, 6, 23; 2016 class #3 and 2 more; 2017 class #1,13, 16, 29; 2018 class #1 and 5. Has any other school gotten 3 number one recruits in four years let alone the previous four years (not possible! ) And there are also another 3 top ten recruits and 3 more top 25.

Just wondering if everyone posting gloomy thoughts really thinks that Uconn deserves two or three top ten recruits every year? No allowance for a 'down year' every five years?

No I don't expect a number one player or two top five players every year but I hope for two players every year that can be significant contributors by their sophomore year........... regardless of the team's past success rate, facts are facts and if Griffin is the only '19 recruit UConn will have a painfully thin team next year................2016 brought Crystal as the only starter and as of now it appears that Walker will be the only starting player from the 2017 class.......... that's just two starters or top bench players out of seven recruits............2018 was a small but highly ranked class and 2019................well let's wait and hope for the best

 

[CocoHusky]

I'm also not in a position to say why she chose TN. However, my impression (which could just be my own projection) is that she experienced it as a place where coaches and future teammates get who she is, and she wouldn't have to circumscribe important parts of herself. Think Gabby Williams, for whom UConn was a special blessing because she could be her nerdy, hip, playful, serious, old soul, hip hop, baller, girly girl, self-confident, insecure, politically woke self all at the same time and be accepted. And then there is Brittany Griner who achieved great basketball success at Baylor but had to rein in so much of herself. Basketball isn't everything, even for elite players, and sometimes these teenagers are wiser than us old coots.

I have no disagreement with your impression. I think what you are saying is very similar to what I said before: Jordan made a connection with someone and something at TN. That connection could very well be religious, or personal comfort or based on them just simply "getting" her better than any other school. Where we differ is the weight placed on that connection. IMO the connection eventually must come back to basketball, therefore not more important than basketball. Don't forget that Jordan is from Columbus, OH. What would have been more personally comfortable than staying home with her family and friends and riding her bike to practices and classes.

 

[Charliebball]

I have no disagreement with your impression. I think what you are saying is very similar to what I said before: Jordan made a connection with someone and something at TN. That connection could very well be religious, or personal comfort or based on them just simply "getting" her better than any other school. Where we differ is the weight placed on that connection. IMO the connection eventually must come back to basketball, therefore not more important than basketball. Don't forget that Jordan is from Columbus, OH. What would have been more personally comfortable than staying home with her family and friends and riding her bike to practices and classes.

who's the more inferior coach Holly W or Kevin M?

 

[CocoHusky]

who's the more inferior coach Holly W or Kevin M?

Holly. Don't recall many (if any) losses by Kevin to unranked teams. With Holly this happens multiple times per year.

 

[oldude]

who's the more inferior coach Holly W or Kevin M?

That is one tough question.

 

[oldude]

Holly. Don't recall many (if any) losses by Kevin to unranked teams. With Holly this happens multiple times per year.

tOSU got thumped at home by Central Michigan in the 2nd round of the Big Dance last year. Central MI had a nice team, but the 17 pt loss by the Buckeyes was one of the worst performances I've ever seen. At some point in the 2nd half, tOSU just gave up. By comparison, TN's loss to Oregon St in Knoxville in the 2nd round was at least competitive down to the wire.

 

[CocoHusky]

tOSU got thumped at home by Central Michigan in the 2nd round of the Big Dance last year. Central MI had a nice team, but the 17 pt loss by the Buckeyes was one of the worst performances I've ever seen. At some point in the 2nd half, tOSU just gave up. By comparison, TN's loss to Oregon St in Knoxville in the 2nd round was at least competitive down to the wire.

Central Michigan was at least a tournament team and Kelsey Mitchell probably wanted to get an early start on her pro career and her father an advance start on finding a new gig. Alabama WBB now officially OWNS TN WBB. Against Alabama Holly has waived multiple white flags recently.
Lady Vols fall to Alabama for first time since 1984