Brunelle To ND

[JS]

Number 2 is perfection!!

No it isn't.

Skepticism can be healthy.

Sometimes it can also be wrong and misleadingly judgmental.

 

[JustinesGuy]

The sense of humor quotient is way down on the BY this month!

I’ve tried to lighten this place up! Ha

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I’ve tried to lighten this place up! Ha

Ha can be misinterpreted. It should be at least Ha Ha Ha. (I know. A few of you morose folks want to toss you cookies over this one.)

 

[CocoHusky]

I'm reading old Brunelle threads now. The tone and attitude towards her abilities are...different.
Shame to see a once-talented kid regress so severely.

Of course the tone and attitude towards her abilities are different & for good reason.
Samantha was "assigned" the responsibility of being USA U16 "team captain" and did not carry the banner well by shooting 29%.
Other players in the class at the wing position are on the come up. Meet Haley Jones who dragged her HS team to number 1 in the country. When Dan Olson compiled his top 10 list in Feb, Samantha was 8th on the list, Haley Jones was 4th. Since Samantha was/is #1 in ESPN ranking that "tone and attitude" shift towards her abilities in a national shift not just a BY shift.
BTW for the official record somewhere in January there was a post from me stating that Jones was at the top of my UCONN wish list for 2019.

 

[Crossover]

it's like that old joke.,...when you move from the East Coast to Los Angeles you immediately lose 20 points off your IQ

Wait, that's a joke??

 

[dogged1]

The sense of humor quotient is way down on the BY this month!

Nominate this as truest post of the month.

 

[Orangutan]

Of course the tone and attitude towards her abilities are different & for good reason.
Samantha was "assigned" the responsibility of being USA U16 "team captain" and did not carry the banner well by shooting 29%.
Other players in the class at the wing position are on the come up. Meet Haley Jones who dragged her HS team to number 1 in the country. When Dan Olson compiled his top 10 list in Feb, Samantha was 8th on the list, Haley Jones was 4th. Since Samantha was/is #1 in ESPN ranking that "tone and attitude" shift towards her abilities in a national shift not just a BY shift.
BTW for the official record somewhere in January there was a post from me stating that Jones was at the top of my UCONN wish list for 2019.

People are seriously trying to act like there haven't been months and months of threads drooling over Brunelle?

Certain people (e.g. @UConnCat ) did express some doubts over the fit between Brunelle and UConn. You weren't one of them.

Which one of about 100 posts of you salivating over Brunelle would you like me to screenshot? (That's not an exaggeration "Brunelle" and posted by you has 111 hits).

Brunelle was the 2nd-highest rated 2019 on that Dan Olson list. Going from #1 in his 2019 rankings to #2 is hardly a shift. Yes, Haley Jones is great. But it wasn't an either/or proposition for you a couple months ago...

 

[donalddoowop]

Just for the record, I agree 100%. Happens everywhere. I spend the most time here, so I'm joking about it here.

It's a good place to spend your time.

 

[Charliebball]

People are seriously trying to act like there haven't been months and months of threads drooling over Brunelle?

Which one of about 100 posts of you salivating over Brunelle would you like me to screenshot? (That's not an exaggeration "Brunelle" and posted by you has 111 hits).

Brunelle was the 2nd-highest rated 2019 on that Dan Olson list. Going from #1 in his 2019 rankings to #2 is hardly a shift.

I remember there being some SB doubters due to the quality of the opposition and her pretty average international play but I think what you're seeing are folks downgrading her abilities for two reasons.............the first reason is simple human nature...............folks are just ticked off/disappointed that she chose to attend another school.......................the second reason (if the OP is to be believed) is that nobody can figure out why UConn would in essence stop recruiting her months before she was to make her final decision...........either she did something behaviorally that turned off UConn which is highly unlikely since SB seems to be a genuinely great person or her play had shown signs of deterioration which also doesn't ring true..........I would say the most likely scenario is that either she simply told UConn that she was no longer interested or they told her they had other players that they were now more interested in.............not sure if we will ever know the real story but I wish her the best except when it comes to playing UConn.........

 

[CocoHusky]

People are seriously trying to act like there haven't been months and months of threads drooling over Brunelle?

Good Lord no.............!
People have been drooling over Samantha for years now not months. And people have not stopped nor should they.

Certain people (e.g. @UConnCat ) did express some doubts over the fit between Brunelle and UConn. You weren't one of them.
Which one of about 100 posts of you salivating over Brunelle would you like me to screenshot? (That's not an exaggeration "Brunelle" and posted by you has 111 hits).

You can post whatever screen shots makes you happy. Somewhere in that 111 there you will find at least two post by me questioning Samantha's ability to defend on the perimeter and at least two more questioning the level of HS competition that she is facing and at least one post stating that I was disappointed that she did not "dominate" at USA basketball U16 especially after playing up for USA basketball the prior year. I also don't believe you will ever find a post from me questioning ANY player's inability to fit in at UCONN.

Brunelle was the 2nd-highest rated 2019 on that Dan Olson list. Going from #1 in his 2019 rankings to #2 is hardly a shift.

Maybe she'll stay at #2. My point was not where she end up my point was that she dropped because of her performance and the performance of others and other people were looking at her differently WELL before she decided to commit to ND-Allegedly. Dan Olson looked at her differently, I looked at her differently, and perhaps the UCONN staff looked at her differently.

 

[connboy77]

People are seriously trying to act like there haven't been months and months of threads drooling over Brunelle?

Certain people (e.g. @UConnCat ) did express some doubts over the fit between Brunelle and UConn. You weren't one of them.

Which one of about 100 posts of you salivating over Brunelle would you like me to screenshot? (That's not an exaggeration "Brunelle" and posted by you has 111 hits).

Brunelle was the 2nd-highest rated 2019 on that Dan Olson list. Going from #1 in his 2019 rankings to #2 is hardly a shift. Yes, Haley Jones is great. But it wasn't an either/or proposition for you a couple months ago...

View attachment 30524

Orangutan, Posters do change their mind. I for one was and is very high on Brunelle. Even though she is not fast I still would still take her in a heart beat. Geno probably had good reasons for backing off her. I'm hoping that he knows he can get Jones, Boston, the girl from Canada, and a quality guard. If this is the case then I'm alright with Sam going to ND.

 

[Orangutan]

Maybe she'll stay at #2. My point was not where she end up my point was that she dropped because of her performance and the performance of others and other people were looking at her differently WELL before she decided to commit to ND-Allegedly. Dan Olson looked at her differently, I looked at her differently, and perhaps the UCONN staff looked at her differently.

Blurb on Brunelle from that Olson article:

"A two-time Team USA member, the 6-2 Samantha Brunelle scores off the dribble, beyond the arc and everywhere in between. The No. 1 prospect in the espnW HoopGurlz Super 60 is a seasoned, confident player who makes play after play. Her leadership qualities, on display at every William Monroe (Stanardsville, Virginia) game, are superb. She is active on the glass and has the ability to step up in the clutch. If all of that isn't enough, she's a student of the game who craves improvement and is supremely coachable."

Sounds like Dan really cooled off on her, eh?

 

[Charliebball]

Orangutan, Posters do change their mind. I for one was and is very high on Brunelle. Even though she is not fast I still would still take her in a heart beat. Geno probably had good reasons for backing off her. I'm hoping that he knows he can get Jones, Boston, the girl from Canada, and a quality guard. If this is the case then I'm alright with Sam going to ND.

Boston and Amihere play different positions then SB..........the only player whose got similar skills would be Jones............if that is the case then UConn is taking a major risk in sacrificing Brunelle in favor of a feeling that they're getting Jones.........Jones is the better player in my opinion but it better be more then just a feeling..........

 

[CocoHusky]

Blurb on Brunelle from that Olson article:

"A two-time Team USA member, the 6-2 Samantha Brunelle scores off the dribble, beyond the arc and everywhere in between. The No. 1 prospect in the espnW HoopGurlz Super 60 is a seasoned, confident player who makes play after play. Her leadership qualities, on display at every William Monroe (Stanardsville, Virginia) game, are superb. She is active on the glass and has the ability to step up in the clutch. If all of that isn't enough, she's a student of the game who craves improvement and is supremely coachable."

Sounds like Dan really cooled off on her, eh?

No sounds more like Dan just warmed up more to Haley like others might have.
" How does the best player on the best high school team in the country sound? That is exactly who Haley Jones is. The smooth 6-1 small forward can take control of a game at crunchtime, seemingly oblivious to pressure. The term "gamer" might as well have been created for her. What's more, she seems to improve each outing. She's got all the fundamentals any coach would want -- including the versatility to excel everywhere on the court. She was named MVP of the prestigious Nike Tournament of Champions last month while leading Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, California) to the top prize."

 

[Dillon77]

I remember there being some SB doubters due to the quality of the opposition and her pretty average international play but I think what you're seeing are folks downgrading her abilities for two reasons...the first reason is simple human nature.....folks are just ticked off/disappointed that she chose to attend another school........the second reason (if the OP is to be believed) is that nobody can figure out why UConn would in essence stop recruiting her months before she was to make her final decision......either she did something behaviorally that turned off UConn which is highly unlikely since SB seems to be a genuinely great person or her play had shown signs of deterioration which also doesn't ring true.....I would say the most likely scenario is that either she simply told UConn that she was no longer interested or they told her they had other players that they were now more interested in...not sure if we will ever know the real story but I wish her the best except when it comes to playing UConn....

Straightforward answer that works for me. BTW, if this is to be believed I'm (therefore) cautiously optimistic, but -- as stated here, there and anywhere -- I'll wait until hearing it on Sunday. And then when a letter of intent is signed and sent in come November.

Regardless of where Sam Brunelle does go, tip of the hat and will root her (unless that destination is not South Bend and she's playing against ND). That said, Stay Tuned.
(but....cross fingers and think good thoughts...Go Irish! )

 

[Orangutan]

I think I have to go into hiding if Brunelle doesn't choose Notre Dame.

 

[Orangutan]

No sounds more like Dan just warmed up more to Haley like others might have.
" How does the best player on the best high school team in the country sound? That is exactly who Haley Jones is. The smooth 6-1 small forward can take control of a game at crunchtime, seemingly oblivious to pressure. The term "gamer" might as well have been created for her. What's more, she seems to improve each outing. She's got all the fundamentals any coach would want -- including the versatility to excel everywhere on the court. She was named MVP of the prestigious Nike Tournament of Champions last month while leading Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, California) to the top prize."

I'm willing to believe UConn and many UConn fans now prefer Haley Jones. That doesn't make people suddenly trying to find fault with Brunelle any less funny to me. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Rixxx]

Westbeld replacement?

 

[Charliebball]

Straightforward answer that works for me. BTW, if this is to be believed I'm (therefore) cautiously optimistic, but -- as stated here, there and anywhere -- I'll wait until hearing it on Sunday. And then when a letter of intent is signed and sent in come November.

Regardless of where Sam Brunelle does go, tip of the hat and will root her (unless that destination is not South Bend and she's playing against ND). That said, Stay Tuned.
(but....cross fingers and think good thoughts...Go Irish! )

do they have any hurricanes in Virginia?

 

[Charliebball]

No sounds more like Dan just warmed up more to Haley like others might have.
" How does the best player on the best high school team in the country sound? That is exactly who Haley Jones is. The smooth 6-1 small forward can take control of a game at crunchtime, seemingly oblivious to pressure. The term "gamer" might as well have been created for her. What's more, she seems to improve each outing. She's got all the fundamentals any coach would want -- including the versatility to excel everywhere on the court. She was named MVP of the prestigious Nike Tournament of Champions last month while leading Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, California) to the top prize."

Do you believe Jones has made a silent commitment to Geno? I sure as heck hope so if he's dropping every other recruit at her position...........

 

[CocoHusky]

Do you believe Jones has made a silent commitment to Geno? I sure as heck hope so if he's dropping every other recruit at her position......

Absolutely not.
Geno knows what he is doing.
Stop making this seem so tragic. Samantha is a fine player.
OMG UCONN decides to pursue other players and Samantha ends up at ND!

 

[Charliebball]

Absolutely not.
Geno knows what he is doing.

He's taking a big risk here if that is the case especially at this time with other big WBB programs making so many recruiting inroads..........

 

[CocoHusky]

He's taking a big risk here if that is the case especially at this time with other big WBB programs making so many recruiting inroads.....

Recruiting is by definition filled with risks.
There are no "inroads" where UCONN (or ND) does not have access or can't create access. Long list of recent player that said no to UCONN for ND.
Skylar Diggins
Breanna Turner
Taya Reimer
Kat Wesbeld
Erin Boley
Jewell Loyd
Arike

 

[Dillon77]

Westbeld replacement?

Sam Brunelle? She'd probably be slotted for the high post position that Kat Westbeld has played so ably the last few years. Unfortunately, Kat graduates this year, so Sam Brunelle is being recruited to be a Jessica Shepard replacement. Jess will move out to the high post next season so Brianna Turner can -- knock on wood often -- man the low post. MM thinks the high post is actually Shep's more natural position in the modified Princeton offense that they run in that it takes advantage of her mid-range jumper, driving ability, court vision and passing ability. In all the footage I've seen of Sam Brunelle, I think that position fits her well, too.

 

[Dillon77]

Recruiting is by definition filled with risks.
There are no "inroads" where UCONN (or ND) does not have access or can't create access. Long list of recent player that said no to UCONN for ND.
Skylar Diggins
Breanna Turner
Taya Reimer
Kat Wesbeld
Erin Boley
Jewell Loyd
Arike

And "back at 'ya" with KLS and Megatron, just to name a very recent two.
Not to mention that both UConn and ND lost Lauren Cox to Baylor.
And ND turned even greener when Evina Westbrook went orange with Tennessee
(Double-downer that year with Walker and Westbrook).

Now picking up on the risk factor of going after superlative players that match ND and UConn's respective systems: MM/Geno have to have plans B's and C's, whether they're in the same class or the next one. In this case, both teams at one point had Sam Brunelle and Haley Jones on the hit lists. Last I checked, ND is still pushing hard for Ms. Jones, as well. Stay tuned.