Ayanna & Ashlynn at the Butler game

[Dillon77]

I don’t necessarily consider Boston a player from UConn’s back yard. Yes, I know she went to HS at Worcester Academy, an elite private boarding school an hour’s drive from Storrs. She went there primarily because she had an aunt nearby.

Boston didn’t grow up in the Northeast, and she went back to her home in St Thomas frequently. Now if Geno lost Caroline Ducharme to another school, that would have been a real concern.

I hear what you're saying but I view any high school player who lives between NJ and Maine as a "local" recruit......

Oldude....really? Are we now throwing "mindset" into the locality argument?
Who cares how Boston got to Worcester, but she was there for a number of years and she was also visiting Storrs on a frequent basis (and visa versa).

ND, if you recall, was also a finalist for Ms. Boston, although I thought the Irish were a distant third (at best) behind S. Carolina and UConn with betting odds on the Huskies.

As I very much recall a lot of people were very concerned about Boston deciding to go to S. Carolina.

At the end of the day, folks make their own decisions and god knows teenagers especially so. I'll admit Patterson blowing out of Indiana stung. There's no way one just shrugs one's shoulders on Boston heading to S. Carolina.

 

[Dillon77]

Dillon...........it's a brave new world in WBB........sadly, with rare exception, one can never assume that any current player on a college roster "isn't going anywhere"..........

You know, I was editing that post and thought I should put in "probably" ... now I will. Thanks, (That said, I feel pretty good at this time that Maddy, 'liv and Sonia will stick around. There are a few others I might question. Those three are key.)

 

[Ozimoto]

unfortunately even UConn has not been immune to losing local players........,..the loss of Boston to South Carolina was a far greater blow than anything ND has had to deal with recently.......cost two NCs as far as I'm concerned....

I'm not sure that about that Charlie. The domers were very upset about losing Caitlyn Clark to Iowa. That was their "Boston" moment.

 

[Jingo]

I hear what you're saying but I view any high school player who lives between NJ and Maine as a "local" recruit.......

What about Engstler, Citron and the Mabreys?

 

[Gus Mahler]

I think Gambill is somewhere near Fort Worth.

I thought it was some kind of duck.

 

[JordyG]

Both really fit, but I don’t know if anyone wants to arm wrestle with Ayanna. Maybe Andrea Hudy?

Me on the left.

 

[oldude]

Me on the left.

You wish.

 

[oldude]

What about Engstler, Citron and the Mabreys?

All good players to be sure. But did Geno offer any of them?

 

[Jingo]

All good players to be sure. But did Geno offer any of them?

Dunno .. but if not, why not?

 

[Mdoggie]

Glad that they were in attendance for a well played game by the Huskies. Jimmy Crickets! Looking at that cellphone...I need to upgrade mine. Jeez!

Jiminy. He is Jimmys famous older brother.

 

[Charliebball]

What about Engstler, Citron and the Mabreys?

absolutely although there's no way Geno would have put up with Engstler...............or Diamond Miller at Maryland or Justine Pissott who's going to Tennessee, but they are small potatoes compared to Boston.....

 

[Charliebball]

I'm not sure that about that Charlie. The domers were very upset about losing Caitlyn Clark to Iowa. That was their "Boston" moment.

Yes, I was amazed she didn't end up at ND because not only is she a terrific player, but she is also a very devoted Catholic so one would have assumed it was a perfect fit............still UConn's weakness was in the front court and that called for Aliyah Boston......

 

[oldude]

Dunno .. but if not, why not?

If Geno offered every single player the BY thinks he should offer, he would average 30-40 scholarship offers per year for the 15 total WBB scholarships that UConn has available to award. So I’m guessing that none of the players you mention were UConn priorities for any one of a number of reasons.

 

[Geew1992]

absolutely although there's no way Geno would have put up with Engstler...............or Diamond Miller at Maryland or Justine Pissott who's going to Tennessee, but they are small potatoes compared to Boston.....

Can you explain what you mean by put up with?

 

[Skeets]

I thought it was some kind of duck.

Isn't Gambill in Stores? (This could be it's own OT thread)

 

[Biff]

Isn't Gambill in Stores? (This could be it's own OT thread)

Not to swerve this thread but I don't think there is much more to say about A&A at the Butler game so swerve it is.

The Gambill typo reminded me that several years ago, after a similar typo incident, I explored other possible names for Gampel.

 

[Charliebball]

Can you explain what you mean by put up with?

she's one of the most talented players in all of college basketball but is incredibly inconsistent and has allowed opposing players and refs to get in her head in the past.........I'm just not sure how Geno would handle her.........

 

[Dillon77]

I'm not sure that about that Charlie. The domers were very upset about losing Caitlyn Clark to Iowa. That was their "Boston" moment.

Yes, I was amazed she didn't end up at ND because not only is she a terrific player, but she is also a very devoted Catholic so one would have assumed it was a perfect fit

Ozimoto...."were upset?" It took many of us years to get out of the proverbial closet when Clark finally decided on Iowa.

This discussion at one point focused on the "local" product got away so I'd be remiss to not bring up that Clark's three finalists were ND, Iowa State and Iowa and she ultimately chose a local school. However, there seemed to be such a good fit between Clark and ND that it almost felt "close" in the way that locality often does.

Charlie...there was a lot of talk that ND might've been hurt by a slight discontinuity in recruiting approach. If you remember, Niele left to work with the Memphis Grizzlies entering the crunch year and was replaced by Beth Morgan Cunningham. Did that have an impact, given Ivey's panache? Or did it ultimately come down to Clark wanting to stay "home?"

Who knows? The sting has been somewhat tempered by the addition of Sonia Citron and Olivia Miles. Citron is a gifted, intelligent player and Miles is, game-by-game, becoming the catalyst for this team with her measured flair.

Boston, of course, would've been a game-changer anywhere she landed.

 

[Charliebball]

Ozimoto...."were upset?" It took many of us years to get out of the proverbial closet when Clark finally decided on Iowa.

This discussion at one point focused on the "local" product got away so I'd be remiss to not bring up that Clark's three finalists were ND, Iowa State and Iowa and she ultimately chose a local school. However, there seemed to be such a good fit between Clark and ND that it almost felt "close" in the way that locality often does.

Charlie...there was a lot of talk that ND might've been hurt by a slight discontinuity in recruiting approach. If you remember, Niele left to work with the Memphis Grizzlies entering the crunch year and was replaced by Beth Morgan Cunningham. Did that have an impact, given Ivey's panache? Or did it ultimately come down to Clark wanting to stay "home?"

Who knows? The sting has been somewhat tempered by the addition of Sonia Citron and Olivia Miles. Citron is a gifted, intelligent player and Miles is, game-by-game, becoming the catalyst for this team with her measured flair.

Boston, of course, would've been a game-changer anywhere she landed.

I'll never fully understand Clark's decision but that's one of life's mysteries...........ND's "raid" of NY/NJ has certainly been fruitful..........I wish UConn had gone hard after Citron as she is a throwback two-way player that would have fit UConn perfectly......

 

[hoopsfan22]

How does a tiny religious school way out in the middle of the country, on the border of Indiana and Michigan, have such good results recruiting NY and NJ?

 

[DefenseBB]

She visited TN just because she was supporting her best friend. Her brother. Tennessee coaches got excited. Nothing to see here.

Look, to be fair, I am actually impressed with what Coach KJH has done with that program thus far. Think about it, she hasn’t really garnered any top recruits, certainly not the way Holly did but yet she has them playing team ball and winning despite losing her best player Rae Burrell for 6 weeks. Kelli seems to be focusing on chemistry and cohesion and it is working.

Now, please excuse me while I go shower as I feel yuk from having to defend that putrid Orange team from TN….

 

[sun]

How does a tiny religious school way out in the middle of the country, on the border of Indiana and Michigan, have such good results recruiting NY and NJ?

Notre Dame may have the highest graduation and retention rate of any major university in the country.

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/highest-grad-rate

University of Notre Dame Graduation Rate & Retention Rate

Learn University of Notre Dame graduation and retention rates to find out how many students are progressing and graduating on time at Notre Dame, as well as how many drop out or transfer.

www.collegefactual.com

Older stats show that their athletic programs had some of the highest gradation rates overall, and was 5th highest for Afro-American athletes.

Student-Athlete Graduation Rates Rank Among Nation’s Best

und.com

Plus the name of the school has national recognition.

 

[Mdoggie]

Look, to be fair, I am actually impressed with what Coach KJH has done with that program thus far. Think about it, she hasn’t really garnered any top recruits, certainly not the way Holly did but yet she has them playing team ball and winning despite losing her best player Rae Burrell for 6 weeks. Kelli seems to be focusing on chemistry and cohesion and it is working.

Now, please excuse me while I go shower as I feel yuk from having to defend that putrid Orange team from TN….

And this has to do with Shade how? Coach Harper is doing well. It’s some of the jealous hateful ignorant fans that keep me hating that program.

 

[oldude]

Oldude....really? Are we now throwing "mindset" into the locality argument?
Who cares how Boston got to Worcester, but she was there for a number of years and she was also visiting Storrs on a frequent basis (and visa versa).

ND, if you recall, was also a finalist for Ms. Boston, although I thought the Irish were a distant third (at best) behind S. Carolina and UConn with betting odds on the Huskies.

As I very much recall a lot of people were very concerned about Boston deciding to go to S. Carolina.

At the end of the day, folks make their own decisions and god knows teenagers especially so. I'll admit Patterson blowing out of Indiana stung. There's no way one just shrugs one's shoulders on Boston heading to S. Carolina.

I will acknowledge that Boston’s decision to attend SC certainly created much angst among the BY faithful. But I view her HS career at Worcester Academy much the same as Kamilla Cardoso’s HS career at Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Chattanooga. Both were part of a growing trend that has existed for some time in MBB where talented, overseas players matriculate to the US for HS.

While UConn recruited Boston hard, and she made numerous visits to Storrs to watch games, imo, from a geographic standpoint, UConn had no more of a hometown advantage than TN had with Cardoso.

Through the years almost all of UConn’s great post players were born and raised in the Northeastern US, including Rebecca, Kara, Tina, Steph & Stewie. Unfortunately, the Huskies have been runner up more times than we care to remember with players like Wilson, Cox & Boston, none of whom necessarily grew up with UConn as their hometown dream school.