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Brunelle To ND

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YSRFrisbee said:
Just some random thoughts concerning SB and recruiting in general...

1. From the videos i've seen of Sam (granted, they're all highlight reels like most recruits) she's a complete player who will have a major impact on any program. And clearly USA basketball thinks very highly of her :) And in her interviews she seems like a genuinely sweet kid who is a both a natural leader and supportive teammate. Those are some intangibles that can really boost chemistry and success. I hope she chooses UCONN, but if she doesn't, let's be respectful of her decision and avoid unnecessary digs. Sorry, I'm not trying to stir the pot, but it's refreshing when we speak about players and their abilities in a positive light instead of tearing them down--it's frustrating enough dealing with people outside of the WBB community who don't take us seriously and love to hate...


2. I'm pretty confused by the posts claiming that GA lost interest in her or that she's 100% committing to ND. Not to state the obvious, but this is all pure speculation, right? I mean...who here is actually part of Geno's recruiting staff and is privy to his private conversations with recruits and their families? And furthermore, what kind of friend or family member goes to a school's message boards to reveal insider information about a recruit? Maybe it happens and I'm being naive, but seems strange to me...:rolleyes: The only certainty is this: she revealed her top schools via social media and she's making a decision on 4/15. That's it. Even if she wears a hoodie or "likes" comments by another school, so what? If a major university posted a positive tweet about her, why wouldn't she "like" it? Seems logical to me...

3. Like some of you, I have completely given up on trying to understand teenagers and their decisions ;) There are so many factors in choosing a college that it's best (as fans) not to worry. In years' past, these were some of my predictions: Diamond DeShields would be a husky, A'ja Wilson would choose SC, Kat Westbeld would go to Uconn (i'm pretty sure she posted a positive tweet after WE won a NC), Westbrook to ND, ONO to the SEC, etc. And whhhhyyyy am I shocked when I don't win the powerball each week??! haha.

4. Lastly, I just have a feeling that SB WILL choose Uconn next week and that Boston, Bueckers, and Van Lith will eventually join her. haha. wishful thinking, I know... :D Have a great Sunday!



"In a world where you can be anything...be KIND"
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Number 2 is perfection!! Love the way u think!!
 
Charliebball said:
Dillon....didn't you hear? Jenna Brown now wants to decommit from Stanford and rejoin Notre Dame..she didn't give any specific reason other then to say "who wants to hang with a bunch of brainiacs when I can play with the new "Mamba".....:rolleyes::rolleyes:
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"...and I can't tell the difference between those Hull sisters, anyway" ;)
 
Charliebball said:
I think you're way off base with this kid...she's tough as nails and takes on all challenges......working hard under tough coaching would not be an issue......if she doesn't end up at UConn it's because she simply wants to win somewhere else....
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We shall see.
 
bballnut90 said:
Kids choosing schools other than UCONN doesn't mean they don't want to be pushed as hard, please get off your high horse.

At the end of the day, most top 5 kids want to go to a school where they'll develop as basketball players and have an opportunity to make an impact early on. If Sam went to Connecticut, she'd likely come off the bench as a freshman and realistically isn't going to be a primary scoring option until she's an upperclassman, as she's behind Walker, Williams and ONO for 2 (and 3) years. At Notre Dame, she has a clearer window to be a go to player there for 3-4 years, and she'll likely make huge strides in her play at Notre Dame like most players do. No one is guaranteeing playing time for her at either program, but if she uses some basic logic, she'll see there's a much clearer path to be a go to player at Notre Dame than there is at Connecticut. Probably similar to how Christyn Williams and ONO both saw a clearer path at UCONN than they did at other schools. It doesn't mean anyone is taking the easy way out, but players have to decide what's important to them when deciding where to go for 4 years.
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I offered a variety of reasons why some recruits may not want to play for Coach Auriemma specifically! I did not even mention Brunelle in my post, it was about Bueckers! I think you better read the post again.
 
I really want height.... a great post player who can play! A Tina Charles/Steph Dolson type of player.... Azura type player. If Sam comes great... if not... if we get height and a good post player I will be happy.
 
JC95 said:
Number 2 is perfection!!
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No it isn't.

Skepticism can be healthy.

Sometimes it can also be wrong and misleadingly judgmental.
 
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JustinesGuy said:
I’ve tried to lighten this place up! Ha
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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.)
 
Orangutan said:
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.
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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.
 
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CocoHusky said:
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.
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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...

upload_2018-4-9_10-10-6.png
 
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Orangutan said:
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.
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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.........
 
Orangutan said:
People are seriously trying to act like there haven't been months and months of threads drooling over Brunelle?
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Good Lord no.............!
People have been drooling over Samantha for years now not months. And people have not stopped nor should they.

Orangutan said:
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).
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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.

Orangutan said:
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.
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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.
 
Orangutan said:
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
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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.
 
CocoHusky said:
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.
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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?
 
connboy77 said:
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.
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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..........
 
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Orangutan said:
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?
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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."
 
Charliebball said:
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....
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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! ;))
 
CocoHusky said:
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."
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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)_/¯
 
Dillon77 said:
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! ;))
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do they have any hurricanes in Virginia?:eek:;)
 
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CocoHusky said:
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."
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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...........
 
Charliebball said:
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......
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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! :eek:
 
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CocoHusky said:
Absolutely not.
Geno knows what he is doing.
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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..........
 
Charliebball said:
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.....
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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
 
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Rixxx said:
Westbeld replacement?
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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.
 
CocoHusky said:
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
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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.
 
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