C. Collier De-commitment

[MilfordHusky]

Quick BY poll...since Collier has decommited, what players from the 2018 class would you like to see UConn offer and sign?

Either Ezi or ONO. We need height.

I still like CWill, but we need height more.

 

[TitleTown]

Quick BY poll...since Collier has decommited, what players from the 2018 class would you like to see UConn offer and sign?

Nelson-Ododa and Williams.

 

[Carnac]

Nelson-Ododa and Williams.

Those are the same two I had in mind!!!

 

[Scotter]

UConn isn't the place to be unless you are completely committed. It takes that to push through the physical and mental trials and expectations. Good for her making this decision now.

 

[j66kicker]

Quick BY poll...since Collier has decommited, what players from the 2018 class would you like to see UConn offer and sign?

No need to scramble. We'll be OK. We are not scramblers.
No need to settle. We are not settlers.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Nelson-Ododa's tweet announcing her visit to the South Carolina campus this weekend was a little too chummy for my liking.

 

[SCGamecock]

Nelson-Ododa's tweet announcing her visit to the South Carolina campus this weekend was a little too chummy for my liking.

Her "official" visit.

 

[oldude]

Quick BY poll...since Collier has decommited, what players from the 2018 class would you like to see UConn offer and sign?

If all the other commitments hold, there really are only 2 players in the 2018 class worth getting for the Huskies: CW, another G/W where UConn is already loaded, and ONO who would fill the more critical need at the 4/5.

Assuming that ONO does not become a Husky, then attention immediately turns to 2019 and Brunelle & Boston. While Brunelle is a great all around player and the #1 player in the class, it is almost more important to land Boston who can play the 5.

Since Boston is just up the road from Storrs, UConn, for the 1st time in awhile, should actually have a geographic advantage.

 

[Charliebball]

If all the other commitments hold, there really are only 2 players in the 2018 class worth getting for the Huskies: CW, another G/W where UConn is already loaded, and ONO who would fill the more critical need at the 4/5.

Since Boston is just up the road from Storrs, UConn, for the 1st time in awhile, should actually have a geographic advantage.

didn't you hear, Boston wants to get as far away from home as possible....................only kidding........I hope

 

[triaddukefan]

Her "official" visit.

where else is she officially visiting

 

[CocoHusky]

Difficult to candy-coat this one. It hurts to lose a 6'5" C/PF with range out to the arc. While Geno & his staff have done a wonderful job lining up talented g/w's, he has missed on 3 top Bigs in 4 yrs. (Wilson, Cox & Collier). Thank goodness for Z and Batouly.

It's a much bleaker picture of UCONN misses on bigs.
2013-Russell, Reimer, Mavunga (All three are still playing)
2014-Wilson & Turner
2015-Kalani Brown
2016- Cox , Tori McCoy
2017-None worth mentioning
2018-Prince, Collier, Austin, Smith
Thank goodness for Stewie and Morgan also because as long as they were in uniform this did not matter. Now it does.

 

[CocoHusky]

Quick BY poll...since Collier has decommited, what players from the 2018 class would you like to see UConn offer and sign?

Christyn Williams and Olivia Nelson-Ododa aka ONO.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Nelson-Ododa's tweet announcing her visit to the South Carolina campus this weekend was a little too chummy for my liking.

you don't expect her to say "oh brother, I'm visiting South Carolina and cant wait for this to be over, hope Dawn and Wilson will be nice to me"

 

[Charliebball]

It's a much bleaker picture of UCONN misses on bigs.
2013-Russell, Reimer, Mavunga (All three are still playing)
2014-Wilson & Turner
2015-Kalani Brown
2016- Cox , Tori McCoy
2017-None worth mentioning
2018-Prince, Collier, Austin, Smith
Thank goodness for Stewie and Morgan also because as long as they were in uniform this did not matter. Now it does.

so far I'm not viewing 2016 as a big miss but time will tell

 

[Kaizen]

2013 we only landed Chong, but we still got the NC in the following 3 years.
UConn will be fine but definitely hope to get CW and ONO.

 

[Bretski]

Her "official" visit.

 

[UConnCat]

Sorry, I call bulls--- on Flynn. There is no retribution. EDD made Team USA when healthy. Langhorne is a decent WNBA player with limitations. She's not Team USA caliber. The Parker situation was discussed at great length. She never decommitted from UConn, and she played in London in 2012.

Langhorne? Just what USA Basketball needs, a 6-2 post player whose range extends maybe to 10 feet. Credit to Langhorne for a nice pro career but nothing about her game screams Olympian.

Parker did play in London in 2012. She would have been at the world championships in the Czech Republic in 2010 but for shoulder surgery. She would have been in Istanbul for the world championships in 2014 but for an undisclosed minor knee surgery she opted for after the Sparks lost to Phoenix in the WNBA playoffs. Had she been in Istanbul. . . oh never mind.

Flynn has always had an axe to grind when it comes to Geno and he looks for any opportunity to grind away. He's been quiet since 2012 when he was grinding away on twitter about how Stewart's freshman struggles were the fault of Geno and the UConn upperclassmen. Not much for him to criticize since then.

Flynn is all about the coaches who kiss his butt (e.g., Frese, McGuff) and Geno is certainly not among them. Maybe he thinks going negative will help steer recruits away from Storrs and towards College Park, or Columbus, etc. It worked with a couple of recruits (Langhorne, Harper) but not much since then.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

Texas has certainly done well recruiting. It's an excellent school and I hope their players are happy with their decisions.

It is increasingly tough to keep "super classes" together. Transfers and injuries make it tough. However, look at how frequently high school kids change schools and switch AAU teams. Count me as someone who loves how widespread the game is now, but it has had some unintended consequences. I'm not sure you will ever see another TASSK force. I will be curious to see if UT can keep their super recruits together.

 

[UConnCat]

I know Penny Taylor has kept Coach Auriemma up on young Australians before so he would surely have known about Magbegor long before now.

In addition to playing for Australia in the U17 world championships in 2016, Magbegor also played in the 2017 U19 world championships in Italy. Both Chris and Geno were there and likely watched her play. From all accounts she played very well for Australia (may have been the leading scorer) but like the US post players she did struggle against the Russian Valdeeva.

Magbegor has been labeled the next Lauren Jackson. Through friendship and now marriage, Lauren Jackson and Penny Taylor are honorary Huskies so maybe they can put in a good word.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Langhorne? Just what USA Basketball needs, a 6-2 post player whose range extends maybe to 10 feet. Credit to Langhorne for a nice pro career but nothing about her game screams Olympian.

Parker did play in London in 2012. She would have been at the world championships in the Czech Republic in 2010 but for shoulder surgery. She would have been in Istanbul for the world championships in 2014 but for an undisclosed minor knee surgery she opted for after the Sparks lost to Phoenix in the WNBA playoffs. Had she been in Istanbul. . . oh never mind.

Flynn has always had an axe to grind when it comes to Geno and he looks for any opportunity to grind away. He's been quiet since 2012 when he was grinding away on twitter about how Stewart's freshman struggles were the fault of Geno and the UConn upperclassmen. Not much for him to criticize since then.

Flynn is all about the coaches who kiss his butt (e.g., Frese, McGuff) and Geno is certainly not among them. Maybe he thinks going negative will help steer recruits away from Storrs and towards College Park, or Columbus, etc. It worked with a couple of recruits (Langhorne, Harper) but not much since then.

Crystal shoots a high percentage, because she plays to her strengths. She's very left-handed and probably has range of less than 10'. She rebounds pretty well, but is a mediocre defender. A solid WNBA starter with limitations, not an elite Olympic type.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Texas has certainly done well recruiting. It's an excellent school and I hope their players are happy with their decisions.

It is increasingly tough to keep "super classes" together. Transfers and injuries make it tough. However, look at how frequently high school kids change schools and switch AAU teams. Count me as someone who loves how widespread the game is now, but it has had some unintended consequences. I'm not sure you will ever see another TASSK force. I will be curious to see if UT can keep their super recruits together.

UConn is working its way up the academic rankings. It's in the top 20 among major public colleges and universities and is tied with Texas in the latest U.S. News rankings.

 

[MilfordHusky]

In addition to playing for Australia in the U17 world championships in 2016, Magbegor also played in the 2017 U19 world championships in Italy. Both Chris and Geno were there and likely watched her play. From all accounts she played very well for Australia (may have been the leading scorer) but like the US post players she did struggle against the Russian Valdeeva.

Magbegor has been labeled the next Lauren Jackson. Through friendship and now marriage, Lauren Jackson and Penny Taylor are honorary Huskies so maybe they can put in a good word.

I assume that Valdeeva is not NCAA eligible, but someone should verify that. She's on her way to becoming a world-class player.

I don't know what Ezi's shooting range is, but she very smooth off the dribble and is a natural shot blocker. Her wingspan would seem to rival Stewie's.

 

[Dillon77]

Langhorne? Just what USA Basketball needs, a 6-2 post player whose range extends maybe to 10 feet. Credit to Langhorne for a nice pro career but nothing about her game screams Olympian.

Parker did play in London in 2012. She would have been at the world championships in the Czech Republic in 2010 but for shoulder surgery. She would have been in Istanbul for the world championships in 2014 but for an undisclosed minor knee surgery she opted for after the Sparks lost to Phoenix in the WNBA playoffs. Had she been in Istanbul. . . oh never mind.

Flynn has always had an axe to grind when it comes to Geno and he looks for any opportunity to grind away. He's been quiet since 2012 when he was grinding away on twitter about how Stewart's freshman struggles were the fault of Geno and the UConn upperclassmen. Not much for him to criticize since then.

Flynn is all about the coaches who kiss his butt (e.g., Frese, McGuff) and Geno is certainly not among them. Maybe he thinks going negative will help steer recruits away from Storrs and towards College Park, or Columbus, etc. It worked with a couple of recruits (Langhorne, Harper) but not much since then.

Good post. Regarding McGuff, it would appear that Flynn has not been reciprocating with the Buckeye Coach (a "kiss off?"), given how long it's been since a D1 recruit has landed in Columbus. We'll see if that streak ends soon, given that still un-committed players such as Honesty Scott-Grayson, Emily Engstler, Jamal Crooms and Jordan Nixon have taken official visits there. And these players would be coming in after Ms. Mitchell (and dad?) will have left Columbus, so there'd be a clean slate. Will be interesting to see where those players end up choosing....

 

[Charliebball]

Good post. Regarding McGuff, it would appear that Flynn has not been reciprocating with the Buckeye Coach (a "kiss off?"), given how long it's been since a D1 recruit has landed in Columbus. We'll see if that streak ends soon, given that still un-committed players such as Honesty Scott-Grayson, Emily Engstler, Jamal Crooms and Jordan Nixon have taken official visits there. And these players would be coming in after Ms. Mitchell (and dad?) will have left Columbus, so there'd be a clean slate. Will be interesting to see where those players end up choosing....

just imagine.............the coach says just go out there and shoot the ball any time you want to............and just try to stay within three feet of your man (woman) when you play defense..........sounds like a damn good time to me..........

 

[HopJim]

As was told to me long, long ago - consider the source.

If Collier wants to stay in Texas, that's fine. Disappointing but fine.

As to Aston, what is she going to do with all this talent? Recruiting is all well and good but not if you can't put it together and win the big prize. I see Texas becoming a Baylor type team - loads of talent, falling short in the tourney, transfers going to places for playing time.

Currently living in TX and watch the Lady Longhorns play frequently. As a UConn fan, I don't worry as much about them recruiting 4's and 5's but if they get 1-2 more top point guards I will start sweating. Coaching there is fine-what they need is on court leadership. Watch the small print following all the big name commits and you will be able to predict how they will do.