Big East player of the week and freshman of the week year to date

[CL82]

 

[darrell]

I say Azzi & Sarah win co-POTY, Blanca FOTY.

Edit: Blanca might also win 6WOTY.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I'd really like to see a podumentary of Big East players opine on UConn being in the league. Like a confessional booth.

 

[PJCLaw]

I'd really like to see a podumentary of Big East players opine on UConn being in the league. Like a confessional booth.

What Question would you ask the players, or would you just simply want them to express their feelings about having UConn in the conference? I would imagine that while most don't like getting beat by 40 plus points, they probably like knowing their conference is only relevant because of UConn's presence and as UConn goes, so does the conference!

 

[RockyMTblue2]

What Question would you ask the players, or would you just simply want them to express their feelings about having UConn in the conference? I would imagine that while most don't like getting beat by 40 plus points, they probably like knowing their conference is only relevant because of UConn's presence and as UConn goes, so does the conference!

I'd just want them to simply express. I think you have hit on the nose the opposing primary forces working on their feelings.

 

[cabbie191]

Well for that matter, wouldn’t it be interesting to know what Husky players really think about being in such a weak conference?

But a phantom question I think. I don’t believe you’ll ever hear a UConn player say anything negative about the BE, even after they’ve graduated.

 

[Centerstream]

I'd just want them to simply express. I think you have hit on the nose the opposing primary forces working on their feelings.

I was watching a Villanova game last week and Harry Perretta was saying if UConn wasn't in the BE, Jasmine Bascoe would be the league’s best player. So, someone is thinking about it.

 

[BobbyJ]

Well for that matter, wouldn’t it be interesting to know what Husky players really think about being in such a weak conference?

But a phantom question I think. I don’t believe you’ll ever hear a UConn player say anything negative about the BE, even after they’ve graduated.

The fact that UConn gets so many high level players indicates to me that most all of them don’t really care what conference they are in and that it doesn’t even factor into their choice of schools. UConn has shown you can win NCs playing in any conference if your team is good enough.

 

[Gael]

The Big East may not only be weak, but may also be falling further behind in HS recruiting even including UConn.

Of the ESPN 2025 HS rankings, the Big East got no recruits from the top 24. From #25 to #100, Villanova got one (79), UConn got two (25, 75), and Creighton got three (70, 84, 89).

It got worse for the Big East re the top 100 of the 2026 HS class. Just three BEC teams got just one player each: UConn (3), Seton Hall (87), and St. John's (99). Notre Dame easily beat the entire BEC all by itself with five of the 2026 top 100 (9, 24, 30, 37, 81).

 

[Tonyc]

Kids come to UConn for the opportunity Geno presents. Geno is the key for preparing girls to become professionals.

 

[BobbyJ]

The Big East may not only be weak, but may also be falling further behind in HS recruiting even including UConn.

Of the ESPN 2025 HS rankings, the Big East got no recruits from the top 24. From #25 to #100, Villanova got one (79), UConn got two (25, 75), and Creighton got three (70, 84, 89).

It got worse for the Big East re the top 100 of the 2026 HS class. Just three BEC teams got just one player each: UConn (3), Seton Hall (87), and St. John's (99). Notre Dame easily beat the entire BEC all by itself with five of the 2026 top 100 (9, 24, 30, 37, 81).

Although some fans like to get excited by all these numbers and team rankings, these subjective HS rankings don’t really mean much because they can’t really indicate whether the individual players will ever make any kind of impact in the college game. However, for players ranked outside the top 15 or so, I guess the coaches can hope they’ll be the difference between finishing 6th or 3rd in their conference. After all, Amari DeBerry was a #15. That kind of shows what a crapshoot these rankings are.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I think we all just about fainted when Amari pulled off her career play:



She was an enigma.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

The fact that UConn gets so many high level players indicates to me that most all of them don’t really care what conference they are in and that it doesn’t even factor into their choice of schools. UConn has shown you can win NCs playing in any conference if your team is good enough.

I don't think you can point to UConn for that proposition. UConn is the outlier of outliers. Even over our injury drought the Final 4 was commonplace and I suspect results in the Dance mean more to these kids than Conference results. Then there is the whole aura surrounding getting players ready for and into the W.

 

[BobbyJ]

I don't think you can point to UConn for that proposition. UConn is the outlier of outliers. Even over our injury drought the Final 4 was commonplace and I suspect results in the Dance mean more to these kids than Conference results. Then there is the whole aura surrounding getting players ready for and into the W.

That’s what I said, the conference isn’t a factor in the choice of schools. And outlier or not, the fact is that if your team is good enough you can consistently win, including NCs, regardless of conference. Conferences don’t win NCs for you. You can play in the SEC, Big 18, or Big 16 but if your team isn’t good enough, you don’t win championships.

 

[PJCLaw]

That’s what I said, the conference isn’t a factor in the choice of schools. And outlier or not, the fact is that if your team is good enough you can consistently win, including NCs, regardless of conference. Conferences don’t win NCs for you. You can play in the SEC, Big 18, or Big 16 but if your team isn’t good enough, you don’t win championships.

Exactly, just look at the "Big 10" Conference. The last time a team won a natty from there was Purdue in 1999.

 

[BobbyJ]

Exactly, just look at the "Big 10" Conference. The last time a team won a natty from there was Purdue in 1999.

Actually it was Maryland in 2006 but you’re right, regular season competition is great but if you’re not good enough to take advantage of it then it doesn’t really matter. On edit you’re right, Maryland didn’t join until 2014.

 

[PJCLaw]

Actually it was Maryland in 2006 but you’re right, regular season competition is great but if you’re not good enough to take advantage of it then it doesn’t really matter. On edit you’re right, Maryland didn’t join until 2014.

Good catch because I was going to point that out.

 

[cabbie191]

The fact that UConn gets so many high level players indicates to me that most all of them don’t really care what conference they are in and that it doesn’t even factor into their choice of schools. UConn has shown you can win NCs playing in any conference if your team is good enough.

I agree with you - players who come to UConn come for reasons other than, and perhaps in spite of, the conference.

That doesn’t negate the possibility that they might wish the conference was stronger and more competitive. I firmly believe elite players want to be tested by playing against the best out there.

Again, it’s speculation on my part but I am thinking that if you took an “end of the regular season” poll of the Huskies and asked which games during the season were the most memorable (or important or anticipated), I’d be quite surprised if games against Butler or Xavier were picked.

 

[Skeets]

I agree with you - players who come to UConn come for reasons other than, and perhaps in spite of, the conference.

That doesn’t negate the possibility that they might wish the conference was stronger and more competitive. I firmly believe elite players want to be tested by playing against the best out there.

Again, it’s speculation on my part but I am thinking that if you took an “end of the regular season” poll of the Huskies and asked which games during the season were the most memorable (or important or anticipated), I’d be quite surprised if games against Butler or Xavier were picked.

LOL, unless you ask Ash after she scores 40 points in front of a hometown crowd in Indianapolis. 🙂

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say what 99 out of a 100 kids on the top teams really want is to get noticed and make it into the W. There are several ways to do that. Here are 2:

1. Be a big name in a power conference and hope for the best.
2. Be a big name on a team that wins a lot of final fours and NCs. Not to mention sending a lot of kids into the W.

UConn is the best bet for #2 above.

 

[FanSince17]

LOL, unless you ask Ash after she scores 40 points in front of a hometown crowd in Indianapolis. 🙂

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say what 99 out of a 100 kids on the top teams really want is to get noticed and make it into the W. There are several ways to do that. Here are 2:

1. Be a big name in a power conference and hope for the best.
2. Be a big name on a team that wins a lot of final fours and NCs. Not to mention sending a lot of kids into the W.

UConn is the best bet for #2 above.

I’ll go out on a limb and say, 99 out of a 100 college basketball players want to play competitive games, in a competitive league, and to play in the NCAA tournament if deserving.
1984-85 Big East- 9 team league. The top 4 were among the best teams in the country- St John’s. Georgetown, Syracuse, and Villanova. Villanova won the Nat Championship, 4th in the league. Boston College- 6th in the league won 20 games. Play everybody twice in the regular season, fantastic conference tournament that at least means something regarding getting in the Dance and/or seeding. That’s the ideal for kids. That’s the atmosphere of an incredible college basketball experience.
It would seem that that is what the powers that be would be seeking. Not a 3-week “season” but a 6 month season full of competition. 30 for 30- Requiem of the Big East. Wow, imagine living that.
It’s like taking a great class with a great professor with great classmates and only having to study for the exam. The whole experience is the student striving to become a doctor or something not on all the competitive challenges in between.
Today’s gunna be like playing hoops in the driveway with your cousins and siblings. It is what it is.
Geno is the best and everything about this program is incredible but kids want to compete against other kids as much as is feasible.