Boston to South Carolina

[BroadwayVa]

Hopefully you're starting to see evidence of that...Geno's letting the players run/control summer practices and his playing the bench early and often (although that maybe out of necessity) are two things he hadn't done in the past.....and he better get used to it with the thin teams he's going to have this year and next.....

With old people, and Geno over 60 is in that category. Remember the old 60 is now the OLD 60. We like things to remain as they were. We old people adapt or become as one poster told me--become --irrelevant! Geno is adapting S-l-o-w-l-y!

 

[Gus Mahler]

This is devastating. Profoundly disappointing. Boston was the player UConn really needed for next year.

Toully presumably graduates this spring. We don't know her plans, obviously, but if she left, right now we're looking at Liv and Kyla as being the only players of size next year. There will be no Lou or Pheesa. Part of the wonder of Lou is that she does what she does at 6'3".

Regarding Geno falling short somehow. If you count Liv and Mikayla as being players six and seven, this is how this year's team pans out regarding rankings:

1 - Lou
1 - Megan
1 - Christyn
3 - Crystal, and top guard
5 (?) - Liv, and former #1
5, 6 (?) - Napheesa
14 (?) - Mikayla, and former #4

Has there ever been a team with more top 5-6 players? (2002?)

So I don't buy that Geno is slipping. He had a one-player class in HS '09 (?) in Faris, and a one-player class in Chong. Faris turned out pretty good, and UConn wouldn't have had the year it did two years ago without Saniya.

And I agree with @HopJim, this was not a good year for continuity regarding recruiting.

Someone mentioned a graduate transfer for next year. That sounds good to me.

I should add that last year's class was ranked #2 by somebody.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Did I say that? No I didn't. But a big part of the recent UConn success was literally beating a team before the game started because of the name on the uniform. That advantage is gone. No one is afraid of UConn anymore because it has been shown they can be beaten.

They seemed to recover well from the consecutive FF losses in 2011 and 2012, the only two years in an eight-year stretch that they didn't win the NC.

 

[Kevin G]

It's embarrassing seeing BYers freaking out about not landing a recruit. Last time I checked UCONN is the premier program that all others try to emulate.

Be proud of the players we have and to the ones who have committed. It's quite disrespectful.

 

[Charliebball]

With old people, and Geno over 60 is in that category. Remember the old 60 is now the OLD 60. We like things to remain as they were. We old people adapt or become as one poster told me--become --irrelevant! Geno is adapting S-l-o-w-l-y!

he doesn't have to adapt at all if he doesn't want to...................he's often said that if the time comes that he can't get enough of the kind of players he wants, when kids aren't willing to do things his way, it's time for him to find something else to do...............this may be the first sign that such a time is coming.................2020 gives him a great chance to prove that theory true or false...............he's got plenty of talent to choose from.................let's see if those talented kids are ready to play Geno's way.............

 

[Charliebball]

It's embarrassing seeing BYers freaking out about not landing a recruit. Last time I checked UCONN is the premier program that all others try to emulate.

Be proud of the players we have and to the ones who have committed. It's quite disrespectful.

I agree with most of your point but never forget, as Geno often says, it takes great players to win championships..............UConn lost out on two great ones and soon, very possibly a third.................yes thank goodness for Aubrey Griffin who has gotten lost in all these rants...............she's becoming more important by the day...........

 

[HuskyNan]

Stop ascribing motives to Aliyah Boston - immediately. Unless she told you her feelings and attitudes herself, you may NOT decide she had malintent in the way she went about reviewing the teams she was interested in or in the timing of announcing her decision. We have a rule against harmful speculation here. Anyone flouting the rule so they can throw a tantrum can be banned.

 

[shizam]

Yeah we're gonna have to rough it next year with a #3, #1, #1, #4, and ??? in the starting line up.

Getting some high recruits doesn't guarantee anything! TN has recruited some top talent and has gone no where with that talent! SoCar got Wilson and some other names but won their Title because UCONN was upset by MissSt and faced MissSt instead of UCONN in the finals! If UCONN made the finals then they would have beaten SoCar by 20+ points for the Championship!
Duke, Baylor, Stanford, NoCar, TX, and others to numerous to mention have had top recruits and not reached the "promised land!" You have to have the coaching staff that brings that talent out year after year to have the success that Geno and staff have consistently had with whoever they've recruited!
It's sickening to read the comments I have above!
You’re gungho UCONN fans when things go 100% UCONN's way, crying now but Geno will still bring out the best from the roster he has during each season!
You gloom and doomers don't jump ship just yet, Geno and crew may surprise you!

I am surprised by the reaction to losing Boston. I guess looking at it from the outside big picture view without knowing the details I have confidence Geno can coach and stil believe UConn will be the team to beat as much as anyone else the next 5 years.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

I’m shocked and puzzled. Wilson developed nicely at S.C., but Coates didn’t.

This makes Jones and Griffin all the more important. It also means Liv really needs to get fast tracked.

Aliyah’s team is in the V. I. and she snubbed a coach who is also there. This is poor form on her part. She should have announced last week if it wasn’t going to be UConn.

Coates was the 28th rated player in her class coming out of high school and was chosen 2nd or 3rd in the WNBA draft. She was coming back from an injury this past season, so it's really hard to say what kind of pro she will be.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

I agree. In the last two years, Vic has done a far better job recruiting. But it's more his record doing the talking. Two straight national championship game appearances will obviously make Starkville a more attractive destination. Andra Espinoza-Hunter committed to Miss. St a day or two after we beat South Carolina last year. And Vic has done a great job corralling the transfers. I think we had a top 10 class last year just based on the transfers alone. And this year we have a top 10 class even without the transfers.

It's just.... I had hoped that this South Carolina/Miss. St. rivalry would die down, but it looks like it'll persist into the 2020s. LOL.

Why would you want the rivalry to die down? The excitement of sport is all about the rivalries!

 

[caramel]

You mean that nifty crystal ball that had Boston was a lock? [/Q



Crystal ball I am looking for isn't all foggy ,smoky , or made in China.

 

[MoJeff FAN]

I'm not a UConn alum, just a HUGE fan of UConn Women's BB. I don't know about anyone else, but over the past 12 or so years this program has provided me with more incredibly exciting moments than I can possibly count.
Thank you Geno, Shea and all those special young women who have brought so much joy to my life (especially Moriah).
Yes, there have been a few disappointing losses, some recruits we missed, but the level of whining. bitching. and finger pointing these days on The Boneyard is embarrassingly shameful.
If our program never gets another top 5 recruit, EVER, UConn fans should appreciate the unmatched greatness they have been blessed to witness year after year and thank their lucky stars... and GENO.

 

[shinobimono]

Not good news. Pickings are getting slim, perhaps Geno should start giving serious thought to Mo'ne Davis.

 

[JellyBean]

I wish Ms. Boston the best. She is going to a program with a solid coach and growing legacy. Best wishes.

 

[Scrutineer]

This is what Boston said:

“I wanted to go pro. I just have a lot of goals,” Boston said, explaining her reasoning for choosing the Gamecocks. “I just felt like that is where it was at.”

I don't know what to say other than ask whether she's been paying attention to the WNBA or Team USA. Dawn was sure glad to have all those former Huskies in Tenerife and probably wished another (Maya) were there.

So much for the Brunelle effect. Once again, that stuff rarely matters when it's time to make these decisions.

If that's a direct quote she must be from another planet. During her visits to UConn she's surely seen the Werth Center, all the trophies, and the banners with the names and images of the greatest UConn players. Did she not connect the names from UConn with the stars in the WNBA?

Or did the other coaches somehow convince her that they have more players in the WNBA but they're all playing under assumed names?

 

[triaddukefan]

over 23,000 views to this thread in a little over 24 hours...... lawd hammercy

 

[Scrutineer]

he doesn't have to adapt at all if he doesn't want to....he's often said that if the time comes that he can't get enough of the kind of players he wants, when kids aren't willing to do things his way, it's time for him to find something else to do.....this may be the first sign that such a time is coming.......2020 gives him a great chance to prove that theory true or false.....he's got plenty of talent to choose from.......let's see if those talented kids are ready to play Geno's way...

You may have made the most important point yet regarding what is happening with recruiting in general and with UConn as well.

Geno, in his own humorous way has, on a number of occasions in the last several years, expressed frustration about many aspects of the modern game. From the involvement of parents, to social media, to excessive hype and praise from broadcast and print media, etc.

None of us know what message he projects or states to recruits, but there may well be a tide of players that are looking for something he has not offered and never will.

 

[uconnell]

U

 

[triaddukefan]

Stanford really doesn't belong in this grouping. 7 Final 4's and 2 runner up finishes in the last 11 seasons is a heck of a lot better than Duke, UNC and Texas. Baylor has 1 Championship but otherwise only 1 other Final 4 during that stretch.

How about we leave Duke the heck outta this thread

 

[sivad40]

Davis and Gray played what, one season each at South Carolina? Why are we attributing all success to Staley when they were already top players at their old schools? Are we implying they would not be in the W if it was not for South Carolina?

Using your logic, McCallie and Duke should get credit for some of Azura Stevens' success because she was already a top player when she played at Duke?

I don't agree with the comparisons between Dawn and Holly. Dawn has done more with less than Holly has had back when she had 4 star #46 Hoopgurlz, WNBA 1st 9th Pick Tiffany Mitchell leading them to the Sweet 16. When she got A'ja Wilson that team became a serious threat to make it to the Final Four. SC was good enough to make to the Elite Eight the season before they got A'ja They could've beat UNC but Dawn outsmarted herself and got out coached.

 

[Reypl21]

Why would you want the rivalry to die down? The excitement of sport is all about the rivalries!

It's because only UConn can have the big rivavlries. Well the rivavlries can only get so big, until top recruits choose the schools involved instead of UConn. Then the rivalries need to stop and die. Such selfishness

 

[shizam]

Coates was the 28th rated player in her class coming out of high school and was chosen 2nd or 3rd in the WNBA draft. She was coming back from an injury this past season, so it's really hard to say what kind of pro she will be.

I wouldn’t put money on Coates. She doesn’t move well

Coates was the 28th rated player in her class coming out of high school and was chosen 2nd or 3rd in the WNBA draft. She was coming back from an injury this past season, so it's really hard to say what kind of pro she will be.

I think it’s relatively easy to say what kind of pro she will be. It’s a great accomplishment being the 2nd highest pick in a draft but I thought she was a desperation need pick. I never thought she would do much as a pro when drafted and I still don’t. She still doesn’t have much of a game right now and didn’t help her team very much last year.

 

[shizam]

Using your logic, McCallie and Duke should get credit for some of Azura Stevens' success because she was already a top player when she played at Duke?

I don't agree with the comparisons between Dawn and Holly. Dawn has done more with less than Holly has had back when she had 4 star #46 Hoopgurlz, WNBA 1st 9th Pick Tiffany Mitchell leading them to the Sweet 16. When she got A'ja Wilson that team became a serious threat to make it to the Final Four. SC was good enough to make to the Elite Eight the season before they got A'ja They could've beat UNC but Dawn outsmarted herself and got out coached.

“Dawn outsmarted herself and got outcoached”. Sounds like every time I’ve seen SC play UConn. I’m not a fan of either school but even Aja Wilson looked bewildered against UConn for the most part. Never in Wilson’s four years did I think SC could come within single digits of UConn. Because UConn had their number. They were just better. I don’t think Dawn thought she could beat UConn even with Wilson. That natl championship still counts even though Dawn got lucky avoiding UConn. I didn’t think Ms State had much of a chance of beating SC. SC matched up great and had a certainty about them verse Miss St

 

[uconn_nyc]

Also, it is possible that some players see a stronger connection with a female coach (for others it won't matter; others prefer a male coach, e.g. Taurasi). Just my two cents.

I wish Ms. Boston the best in her academic and basketball careers.

And now I have to go see the replay of yesterday's game!

 

[Ron and Vida]

If only the people on this board could summon half the grace and composure that you've consistently demonstrated.

I vividly remember your palpable disappointment, and I'm as happy for you as I am for Dawn Staley. She is continuing to build something very special in Columbia.

Have to say Was never quite sure what to make of Dawn Staley. But as the National coach she clearly and humbly showed her love and respect for her country, the WBB game and her players so wish her the best (until we play them!)

 

[Adios]

It's because only UConn can have the big rivavlries. Well the rivavlries can only get so big, until top recruits choose the schools involved instead of UConn. Then the rivalries need to stop and die. Such selfishness

He was talking about Mississippi State and South Carolina.

 

[JDuro]

I wouldn’t put money on Coates. She doesn’t move well

I think it’s relatively easy to say what kind of pro she will be. It’s a great accomplishment being the 2nd highest pick in a draft but I thought she was a desperation need pick. I never thought she would do much as a pro when drafted and I still don’t. She still doesn’t have much of a game right now and didn’t help her team very much last year.

It’s pretty obvious you haven’t watched all that many South Carolina games. Coates was a very athletic big, had terrific movement covering both sides of the paint, and ran the floor very well, routinely reaching each end of the court as fast, and at times faster than her teammates.

Unfortunately, her ankle injury that she suffered at the end of her senior year kept her out of her true rookie season and slowed her progresss in the WNBA. But her minutes increased as last season went along and she got in better game shape and more experience. Coates will be a solid post in the WNBA as time goes along.

 

[uconnell]

It depends on what you are majoring in. South Carolina has the #1 International business school in the country. In that case SC is far superior to UConn in that field of study.

I thought Boston said she was interested in sportscommunication or something along that line. How does.the business school come into play? ESPN is a short drive away from UConn! Really academics?

 

[hoopsfan22]

I thought Boston said she was interested in sportscommunication or something along that line. How does.the business school come into play? ESPN is a short drive away from UConn! Really academics?

Kids say the darndest things. If her, or anyone's for that matter, stated goal is playing professionally, I still believe the UConn experience under Geno and CD's tutelage gives you the best chance at successfully attaining that goal. I'm not saying other coaches don't put players into the WNBA, but I think the rosters of WNBA teams past and present speak for themselves.

 

[Bigpetunia]

One of the best things about reading our forum is that doing so affords one the opportunity to learn so much from the self-proclaimed “expoits” who are unfailingly generous in sharing their “wisdom” with us. My favorites are those who remind us that they have been “warning” the rest of us for so long about Geno’s methods and the inevitable negative effects those methods will have on his program. And now those sages return to crow about how obviously right they were! In the meantime, what we have witnessed in the only place that matters, in between the lines, the team has won all but two of their last couple hundred games, both losses coming by one bucket in overtime. Clearly, the times have changed and, as I’ve read so much of lately, Geno’s gotta change with ‘em. It’s “obvious” that the guy has to pay attention to the oracles on the Boneyard and “adapt” in the manner they suggest. OK, I’m convinced, and I hope he is! Wouldn’t wanna waste the opportunity to put this great advice to good use!