Azzi Fudd to UCONN | Page 7 | The Boneyard

Azzi Fudd to UCONN

From Geno on ESPN:

"I think her coaches and everyone that she's come in contact with have done a phenomenal job of getting her so fundamentally sound and so ready for college basketball," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. "We're just absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to coach Azzi for the next four years."

www.espn.com

UConn lands commitment from No. 1 women's basketball prospect Azzi Fudd

Her first scholarship offer came when she was 12. On Wednesday, Azzi Fudd turned 18 and marked the occasion by signing her national letter of intent to play for UConn.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
 
1605134573543.png


The little creature between Azzi and Saylor is her pup "Stewie." Really!

uconnhuskies.com

UConn WBB Announces 2021 Signing Class - University of Connecticut Athletics

The UConn women's basketball team will welcome four freshmen to the Huskies in 2021 as head coach Geno Auriemma announced the complete Class of 2025 Wednesday.
uconnhuskies.com uconnhuskies.com
 
Let's belay the talk of four or five consecutive NCs. Injuries, homesickness, off-campus issues, family considerations, etc could impact the best laid plans.

All I am saying is don't schedule the coronation(s) yet.
 
.-.
.-.
wjla.com

D.C.'s Azzi Fudd, top 2021 women's basketball prospect, picks UConn

A birthday to remember. Azzi Fudd, the top women’s basketball prospect in the Class of 2021, announced on Wednesday morning that she will attend UConn in the fall. Wednesday was also her 18th birthday. "It still kinda feels like it's not real, even though it's completely official now, it doesn't...
wjla.com wjla.com
 
Wow...............17,000+ views on this thread in 7.5 hours. I'd say there's more than just a passing interest in Azzi coming to UConn. She had lots of fans before today. At 11;00 am est, she picked up hundreds of thousands more all across the country. :) Welcome home Azzi.
 
Ozimoto said:
Pure speculation on my part here, but it seems like UConn recruiting is rather cyclical. Geno brings in one or two really good classes and is pretty successful at keeping them together. In the next two or three years of the cycle, his follow on recruit classes become rather thin (see the classes immediately following the Stewie, Mo, Morgan and the KLS Pheesa classes). I suspect this is because most elite recruits (with the exception of recruits who have the confidence to challenge established players for playing time) realize that they will have to "wait their turn" at UConn. They may decide to go to one of the other power programs that have more open rosters and more chances for court time as underclasswomen.

It will be interesting if that same sort of thing happens at South Carolina after Dawn's two recent monster classes. With Dawn being the USA Olympic team coach and SC's recent success, they could be considered the "shiny new thing" in WCBB so she might be able to sustain her cycle of top classes a bit longer than UConn. Geno is certainly a draw for recruits, but we unfortunately have to accept the fact that he is approaching retirement. He certainly has put together a good foundation for the next few years though.
Expand ...

I think it's been more "unlucky" than cyclical.

Boykin decommitted the last minute. No time to recruit.

In order to maintain balance upfront he gets transfer commits from Stevens and Camara. This blocks younger bigs from coming other than maybe one "big" player. Stevens only stays one year and Camara is just never able to play though year over year hope is held out.

Then the 2017 class - of the 4 players (guards and wings) rated as 97/98 by Hoopgurlz- only one ends up staying. This blocks future 2018 guard and wing recruits other than the #1 player in CWill.

Between the bigs that left early/unable to play and the 2017 class of guards and wings that transferred - it was just unlucky. It happens. The 2015 class according to hoogurlz UCONN had 1. 6, and 23. While 23 left - they picked up Stevens who was a 23 in 2014 and Camara who played well in SEC.
Add that up with 2017 in which he had 1,13,16, and 29 -- - (only 1 of the 4 remained) this is still solid recruiting imo and not cyclical. They just didn't "fit."
 
Citrusdog said:
auto correct sucks.
Yes it does. I post about 65% of my posts using my cell phone. The auto correct feature on it makes you look like you can't spell or use tenses properly. I hate it. You'd better re-read your comment AFTER you post it to avoid embarrassment. :confused:
Expand ...
Expand ...
 
So she's coming? Glad to hear it!

Though a small part of me is bummed that I didn't get to use the phrase I would've used if she had gone elsewhere:

"Oh, Fuddlesticks!"
 
.-.
Kaizen said:
Expand ...

Ok, now I get it...on her Instagram account it showed the 3 year old Azzi with cellophane wrap pinning her right arm to her side to use the left hand in in this video the sheer number of left drives and layups were pretty smooth to go with the righthand jumper shot...well played Tim/Katie Fudd, well played... ;)
 
Beyond the stuff below, Azzi's high school coach says she was 50% at best this past season, referring to her recovery from knee surgery. Said he didn't want her going inside.




Fudd said UConn coach Geno Auriemma learned of her decision “pretty recently.”


“He was really excited,” Fudd said. “He was surprised when I told him because whenever they would ask me when I planned on signing, I never really had a set timetable. I always said, ‘Well, before I have to sign or before my birthday.’”


And Bueckers, Fudd’s good friend and teammate with USA Basketball?


“She cried a little bit,” Fudd said with a laugh.


https://www.ctpost.com/uconn/articl..._source=post original url&utm_medium=referral
 
Carnac said:
I'm not sure, correct me if I'm wrong, but it's tradition to call the last player that wore the number you want to wear. Yes, Boykin did wear #35, but she never suited up or appeared in a game before she transferred.
So that would make Marci Czel (1998-2001) the last player to wear that number.
Expand ...
Huskies of Honor whose number is on the wall. They only have to ask those players.
 
Last edited:
bballnut90 said:
Geno's best teams usually haven't been overflowing with talent, but they have the right mix of players who fit into their spots without a lot of really talented players riding the pine. His smaller roster approach has backfired in recent years due to several transfers and early WNBA entrants, so I think he's now opting for larger classes and larger rosters to combat the transfer movement. A lot of other coaches are utilizing transfers and grad transfers, but Geno hasn't had great success with that. Next year if no one transfers, UCONN will have 14 scholarship players on the roster which is more than any other season in at least 10-15 years...maybe his largest roster ever.

UCONN always seems to have a death grip on #1 recruits too. They've now landed 5 of the last 7 top recruits, and UCONN is almost always a finalist for #1 recruits. Most of the others they've missed on (Jones, Cox, Wilson, Ogwumike) all had UCONN as finalists, and all 4 chose their school to play close to home or be with family. Going further back, only 3 top recruits over the last 20 years haven't had UCONN as a finalist (Mercedes Russell, Brittney Griner and Candace Parker.) 85% have had UCONN as a finalist and 60% have ended up picking UCONN if you include Hunter transferring in. Any fear of Geno retiring or recruitment declining in coming years seems unfounded to me considering the historical precedent, and the fact that UCONN has #1 kids on board from 2020 and 2021, and already has the #2 player from 2022 all committed or enrolled.

More often than not, UCONN lands the 1-2 top 5 kids (usually the #1 recruit) and a couple of kids in the 11-50 range. Some years just 1-2 kids, but a common pattern is that the top recruits typically play more of a supportive role as freshmen, but still log big minutes or make an impact. As sophomores they morph into primary starters and become huge contributors.

The less heralded kids (usually ranked 11-50 in recruiting rankings) don't often get a lot of playing time early and either end up transferring or paying their dues for another season in a smaller role before taking on a larger role as juniors/seniors. Occasionally you'll get unexpected impact players from a less touted player like a Kia Nurse or Anna Makurat, but often times they primarily ride the bench or maybe get blowout minutes as freshmen.

By the time everything shakes out, he usually has 3-4 starters who were ranked as top 5 recruits (a couple of whom are upperclassmen) and maybe 1-2 less heralded upperclassmen starting. Bench contributors are often freshmen or sophomores who are high energy players that will take on bigger roles the following year. It's a good blend of youth and experience, and you typically avoid ego issues instead of loading up with all top 10 kids. The players who aren't happy with smaller roles weed themselves out, and the cycle repeats. It clearly works since I don't think UCONN has had a top player transfer out, maybe ever, aside from EDD which was a unique situation.


In regards to South Carolina, Dawn's approach hasn't seemed quite as methodical over the years as Geno's, largely because she's been building a juggernaut reputation rather than already having one established. She's landed 2 absolutely massive classes, but big classes usually do not stick together since playing time issues arise. She does have playing time available for all of her 2019 kids, but I see inevitable playing time concerns for her 2021 class when all of those freshmen will likely be coming off the bench. The following year, in all likelihood at least 2 or 3 of those players will still be coming off the bench. Feagin, Rivers, and Johnson are all ranked as top 5 recruits by various publications. Most top 10 recruits are not on board with coming off the bench for half of their career.

I'm guessing it will still work well for Dawn even if 1-2 big names end up transferring. And she'll still recruit quite well, especially since she has done fantastic in the transfer market. The benefit of this approach is that by the time your best kids are upperclassmen, the teams created are really, really good. We've seen this happen recently with Oregon in 2020, Notre Dame in 2018/2019, Baylor in 2019, and Mississippi State in 2018. All of those teams had championship caliber teams, and all were dominated by upperclassmen.

I'm not sure if this all makes a lot of sense or if it's mostly rambling thoughts, but that's my take on different recruiting philosophies.
Expand ...
Every thing was good on what you said. The one part about I'm pretty sure they haven't offered Autumn a scholarship yet. If not UConn will have 2 scholarships next year. UConn men had a situation where they had no scholarships available. So a current player gave up his so they had an extra one for the player they recruited. So it gave them 14 players. Only 13 scholarships for the mens teams.
 
Last edited:
.-.
Magruber said:
Thank You for the kudos.
Next 5 years (this year and 4 with Azzi) will be AZZISOME!!!
Expand ...

So Magruber, I went back and saw that your post guaranteeing that Azzi was coming to UConn was posted on October 22.

The ESPN article recounts how Azzi decided to come to UConn while driving up to UConn with her parents in a minivan - on October 22.

How about that.

So, I`m guessing that

1. You are a psychic,

2. You bugged the van,

3. You were hiding in the van,

4. It was an educated and reasonable guess with oddly coincidential timing, or

5. ??????

Hmmmmm?
 
bballnut90 said:
Geno's best teams usually haven't been overflowing with talent, but they have the right mix of players who fit into their spots without a lot of really talented players riding the pine. His smaller roster approach has backfired in recent years due to several transfers and early WNBA entrants, so I think he's now opting for larger classes and larger rosters to combat the transfer movement. A lot of other coaches are utilizing transfers and grad transfers, but Geno hasn't had great success with that. Next year if no one transfers, UCONN will have 14 scholarship players on the roster which is more than any other season in at least 10-15 years...maybe his largest roster ever.

UCONN always seems to have a death grip on #1 recruits too. They've now landed 5 of the last 7 top recruits, and UCONN is almost always a finalist for #1 recruits. Most of the others they've missed on (Jones, Cox, Wilson, Ogwumike) all had UCONN as finalists, and all 4 chose their school to play close to home or be with family. Going further back, only 3 top recruits over the last 20 years haven't had UCONN as a finalist (Mercedes Russell, Brittney Griner and Candace Parker.) 85% have had UCONN as a finalist and 60% have ended up picking UCONN if you include Hunter transferring in. Any fear of Geno retiring or recruitment declining in coming years seems unfounded to me considering the historical precedent, and the fact that UCONN has #1 kids on board from 2020 and 2021, and already has the #2 player from 2022 all committed or enrolled.

More often than not, UCONN lands the 1-2 top 5 kids (usually the #1 recruit) and a couple of kids in the 11-50 range. Some years just 1-2 kids, but a common pattern is that the top recruits typically play more of a supportive role as freshmen, but still log big minutes or make an impact. As sophomores they morph into primary starters and become huge contributors.

The less heralded kids (usually ranked 11-50 in recruiting rankings) don't often get a lot of playing time early and either end up transferring or paying their dues for another season in a smaller role before taking on a larger role as juniors/seniors. Occasionally you'll get unexpected impact players from a less touted player like a Kia Nurse or Anna Makurat, but often times they primarily ride the bench or maybe get blowout minutes as freshmen.

By the time everything shakes out, he usually has 3-4 starters who were ranked as top 5 recruits (a couple of whom are upperclassmen) and maybe 1-2 less heralded upperclassmen starting. Bench contributors are often freshmen or sophomores who are high energy players that will take on bigger roles the following year. It's a good blend of youth and experience, and you typically avoid ego issues instead of loading up with all top 10 kids. The players who aren't happy with smaller roles weed themselves out, and the cycle repeats. It clearly works since I don't think UCONN has had a top player transfer out, maybe ever, aside from EDD which was a unique situation.


In regards to South Carolina, Dawn's approach hasn't seemed quite as methodical over the years as Geno's, largely because she's been building a juggernaut reputation rather than already having one established. She's landed 2 absolutely massive classes, but big classes usually do not stick together since playing time issues arise. She does have playing time available for all of her 2019 kids, but I see inevitable playing time concerns for her 2021 class when all of those freshmen will likely be coming off the bench. The following year, in all likelihood at least 2 or 3 of those players will still be coming off the bench. Feagin, Rivers, and Johnson are all ranked as top 5 recruits by various publications. Most top 10 recruits are not on board with coming off the bench for half of their career.

I'm guessing it will still work well for Dawn even if 1-2 big names end up transferring. And she'll still recruit quite well, especially since she has done fantastic in the transfer market. The benefit of this approach is that by the time your best kids are upperclassmen, the teams created are really, really good. We've seen this happen recently with Oregon in 2020, Notre Dame in 2018/2019, Baylor in 2019, and Mississippi State in 2018. All of those teams had championship caliber teams, and all were dominated by upperclassmen.

I'm not sure if this all makes a lot of sense or if it's mostly rambling thoughts, but that's my take on different recruiting philosophies.
Expand ...

Excellent analysis and a fun read.

One tiny nit - I'd count Samarie Walker as a top payer who transferred out. She was definitely top 10, and IIRC, may even have been top ranked in some rankings before an injury moved her down a bit.
 
More quotes from the Athletic

theathletic.com

Top women's basketball recruit Azzi Fudd chooses UConn

The decision wasn't easy, but playing with friend Paige Bueckers and under coaches who will prepare her for the pros sold Fudd.
theathletic.com theathletic.com

“I remember I got chills watching their first practice,” Fudd said. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ Just the way they run things, as soon as you step in the gym, you can tell it’s just different, like it’s a different level of focus. So it was always in the back of my head because, I mean, it’s UConn.”


A couple of weeks ago, during an hours-long car ride with her parents, Fudd brought up the college decision and just started talking. Tim said it was a relief to finally hear her thoughts and to learn she was picking UConn. She then told UConn, speaking first with assistant Shea Ralph and next coach Geno Auriemma.

Then she told Bueckers.

“She started crying and, like, tearing up and she was like, ‘No way, you guys are joking,” Fudd said. “To be the mean best friend I am, I said, ‘Just kidding,’ and she got so mad. But I told her it was real and so she was crying a little.”

Tim laughed at that interaction, saying, “That didn’t go over well.” Despite how it looked in public — Bueckers used her social media at times to try to persuade her friend to choose the Huskies — Tim said Bueckers was uncharacteristically quiet with Fudd, giving her space to make her decision.

Fudd’s been texting and talking with her friends who are preparing for their college seasons. Bueckers’ messages, she said, have been the funniest and good reminders for her to enjoy the time she has before getting to UConn.

“She’ll be like, ‘Oh we had such a hard practice,’” Fudd said. “I just laugh because that’s all I can do, because I’ll be there next year. I’ll be in the hard practice with her. So all I can do now is just laugh while I can.”
 
Last edited:
Huskee11 said:
So Magruber, I went back and saw that your post guaranteeing that Azzi was coming to UConn was posted on October 22.

The ESPN article recounts how Azzi decided to come to UConn while driving up to UConn with her parents in a minivan - on October 22.

How about that.

So, I`m guessing that

1. You are a psychic,

2. You bugged the van,

3. You were hiding in the van,

4. It was an educated and reasonable guess with oddly coincidential timing, or

5. ??????

Hmmmmm?
Expand ...
Or Magruber is one of the aliases that Tim Fudd goes by. ;)
 
.-.
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
167,930
Messages
4,545,427
Members
10,426
Latest member
kmbazz15


Top Bottom