Boston to South Carolina

[MilfordHusky]

You can give her as much credit as you would have given me had I coached.

Well, the high school recruits will be knocking on your door any day.

 

[BroadwayVa]

But if several do it for the same, highly-specific reason, that would be a shame.

No disagreement with the spirit of your comment. Having raised more kids than an orphanage even highly intelligent kids make some poor choices for some very bad reason. Many years ago my daughter was offered free education at West Point, Annapolis, Academy by the governor of PR by appointment (she had the academics). A less academically astute "friend" touted her off of the appointment offer. Bad decision, she went to West Chester (who ever heard of that rinky dinky school??)

 

[Sonny44]

Where are all the posters that GUARANTEED Boston? She was a "lock". "can't miss", "100% going to UConn", "writing is on the wall", "Geno would have recruited somebody else", etc? UConn will NOT get a single player of Horston, Boston, Jones, Bueckers, or Fudd. just like I predicted. Just got the school wrong. Most kids do NOT want to play for a disciplinarian head coach like Auriemma these days!

If that's the reason we wouldn't want them anyway.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Well, the high school recruits will be knocking on your door any day.

Even my CYO, little leaguer's don't knock.

 

[BobbyJ]

Honestly, as much bad juju as this board put out with cocky threads like "Can we celebrate yet" , and virtually every poster on here claiming that Boston was a "lock". I am not surprised one bit. I think the saying "don't count your chickens before they hatch" is very applicable here.

"Virtually every"? You'd better go back and count them.

 

[Charliebball]

You mentioned one probability; the trials and tribulations that were very visible with the Uconn Bench and AEH. Kids aren't dumb and read the web, probably many read the BY last year over AEH and said that isn't for me. Then seeing Walker on the bench, a number one ranked player benched? Who knows what impact that had on any choice?? OPTICS as all people in the public eye knows now; keep Optics positive.
Then too I wonder how much the R word has been bantered about in regards to Geno's longeviety at Uconn?
Yet, we have seen lean years in the past followed by a Maya, Stewie. Also, Walker, Okey Dokey led those classes.

you may remember that I took a whole lot of heat from a few here last season after constantly criticizing Geno for his handling of the players on the bench and warned that this might ultimately lead to unrest from within and bad optics from potential recruits.............thankfully Walker and Coombs stuck it out and are the better for it and it's hard to say if these recruiting losses were impacted but I sure don't think it helped that situation

 

[shiverz45]

Don't blame Geno! I read that she chose South Carolina for their academics! LOL! Listen people. You need players who want, truly want, to be at a UConn. That is the only way they are you all will succeed. Remember Elena Della Donne!. Everyone was going crazy that she chose UConn. She was not happy. She is a great player and nice person, but did not fit into UConn, for whatever reason. Same here. The only silly thing that I read in the newspaper was the academic part. UConn is far superior to South Carolina there.

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.

 

[Charliebball]

If there is a Brunelle effect, what is it? Go to N.D.? Don't got to UConn? If it's that latter, kids are probably unknowingly limiting their development.

so let's forget about the mystery of Sam Brunelle's recruiting "debacle" which no matter how you slice it became a PR nightmare to those looking in from outside.............the facts are she's extremely tight with Bueckers and Fudd so the thought is that all three will want to play together at ND..................the only way to prove it is for PB to jump on the ND bandwagon with Fudd to follow in 2021................I sure hope like hell there's no truth to it as those two are AA caliber players with the chance to be all time greats and have UConn written all over them..........

 

[Golden Husky]

It has nothing to do with the fan base. I think it's highly insensitive to announce when one of the affected coaches is in the same place. It's a question of common courtesy. If she decided on Monday, she should have announced on Monday, to separate that from the first UConn game by more time. Aliyah is young, but she should have been looking ahead and thinking about this.

I am surprised that some disagree with your assessment. Perhaps this is generational, with we fossils who still stand when a woman enters a room and would never say or write "pissed off" when so many better adjectives (angry, upset, annoyed, irritated) are available, still clinging to a cultural ideal that no longer exists.

And, yes, get off my lawn.

 

[tower1]

Whoa.....UConn is really lagging on the recruiting this year it seems. Not good news for Miss. St. either.

I have said it before. Geno has to stop being so stubborn and loosen up. Times have changed and if you don't change with it you will get left behind. Too many good programs out there now and recruits have allot of choices. Players don't want coaches that play too many games with them. Those times are over.

 

[CL82]

So we give Dawn credit for winning Gold?

Sure. Staley is a very good coach. I don't begrudge her a thing.

 

[Chong-Master]

You will see that Aubrey Griffin will end up making everyone forget about Boston and Jones. Because of her past knee injury, it scared some away from recruiting her. But she will surprise allot of people.

 

[Hope]

So, are we ready?

 

[Charliebball]

I have said it before. Geno has to stop being so stubborn and loosen up. Times have changed and if you don't change with it you will get left behind. Too many good programs out there now and recruits have allot of choices. Players don't want coaches that play too many games with them. Those times are over.

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..........

 

[Shades]

I think Gray's ROTY was a bit of an anomaly. That was a weak draft, and the #1 pick, Plum, took a while to develop. Gray took advantage of her playing time and did well, but I think she regressed this past season. She doesn't compare to Parker, Tina, Maya, Stewie, Elena, or maybe not even Jewell.

Gray was the #4 pick in a down draft. Every player you listed was the #1 pick and reached MVP. Just to reach ROY was nice accomplishment. Although, I do think the #7 pick in the same year was robbed of ROY.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Gray was the #4 pick in a down draft. Every player you listed was the #1 pick and reached MVP. Just to reach ROY was nice accomplishment. Although, I do think the #7 pick in the same year was robbed of ROY.

I think Gray did a good job and congrats to her, but to say that S.C. had 2 ROYs can be misleading, because Gray was a substandard ROY (relative to most other ROYs).

 

[SCspur]

No need to be salty guys! You still have arguably the best team in the country and the best coach! No need to belittle accomplishments of former SC players because you fstow. It just makes you look jealous and dry!

 

[BroadwayVa]

you may remember that I took a whole lot of heat from a few here last season after constantly criticizing Geno for his handling of the players on the bench and warned that this might ultimately lead to unrest from within and bad optics from potential recruits...thankfully Walker and Coombs stuck it out and are the better for it and it's hard to say if these recruiting losses were impacted but I sure don't think it helped that situation

I recall.
In todays world with instantaneous prolific communications with videos and pix high school kids follow the happenings on many teams. As Geno lamented these kids are different than those in 1990. Some more than others feel "entitled" to play. Obviously, one statement about any group never covers all but this age group has had a lot of press. I believe some kids require tough love yet when Geno does it I cringe. If my kid didn't stumble over her feet I wouldn't want her to play for Geno; but the choice would be hers.

 

[BroadwayVa]

No need to be salty guys! You still have arguably the best team in the country and the best coach! No need to belittle accomplishments of former SC players because you fstow. It just makes you look jealous and dry!

Obviously after losing a player all thought would be a "shoe-in" the loss hurts. What rubs the salt in the wound is: she or some one of her build and size is needed.
Don't take our feeling a biting loss as damning USC or anyone else. For the most part all WBB teams are respected here.

 

[Bost4]

So the program is done for now? Yikes. On the bright side, maybe this will prompt some of you to actually begin supporting the university's other programs.

I agree. First, by no means do I believe UConn women’s hoops is done. For so many years UConn has just dominated the sport. For so long, fans knew there were maybe a handful of teams that could possibly win it all. Growth is good and necessary for the sport to survive and thrive. Geno, Chris and UConn will always be remembered, not just here in Connecticut, but nationally as the program which dominated and helped grow the sport immensely. As for your second point I’ve really enjoyed following the hockey team. Connecticut still loves hockey and the team is on a quick upward trajectory. I’ve also begun following women’s field hockey and both soccer teams more diligently. The men’s baseball team is extremely competitive. Especially for a New England school. Some of the top players in MLB are from UConn. We fans have to remember that both of our basketball teams were built into top 5 basketball programs in the country. Geno and the staff were obviously well beyond any other program. Jim Calhoun took another awful situation and turned the men’s team into a top 5 program for 25 years. Most top men’s programs had been established way before Calhoun came in. As far as building a program from nothing I’d like to hear any other school put their resume out there. Tangential response over...

 

[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.............