C. Collier on rejecting Geno

[JoePgh]

The list of those who said “no” to Geno includes Jayne Appel, Chiney Ogwumike, Abby Waner, Kia Vaughn, Karlie Samuelson, Arike Ogunbowale, Jewell Loyd, A’ja Wilson, Lauren Cox, and Ezi Magbegor.

An Olympic team with that roster might easily win a bronze medal.

 

[Oldbones]

When you visit there, the locals will point out that it is the only state that was a separate nation.

 

[SVCBeercats]

She won't be playing with Scott-Grayson. In fact Honesty will be her rival for the next 4 years at Baylor.

Perhaps she knows Texas is currently tampering with another player, Scott-Grayson. Those Texas folks are greasy.

 

[trb123]

Was my understanding that UConn started pursuing Anosike very late and didnt have much chance.

I'd add Cappy Pondexter, Erica McCall, Courtney Paris, Nikki Blue to the list.
And of course perhaps the most famous rejection conversation - Jacki Gemelos.

The story that I read (perhaps here) is that when Laura Harper verballed to UConn, Anosike decided to go to Tennessee.
Then Harper decided to leave for greener pastures but Anosike did not come back.

Pondexter, Carson and Vaughn will not publicly admit that they made a mistake. It must hurt when the UConn players and national championships are mentioned together in a sentence.

I do not regret that Gemelos took her business elsewhere. One Nicole Wolff was enough and we got Brittany Hunter and her stepdad as well.
I just cannot fathom why so many top players gave UConn a wide berth after winning 4 NCs in 5 years.

 

[VAMike23]

I think Brianna Turner was also offered - another really good player on the “no” list

 

[HoopsFan21]

UConn at Baylor next year. Maybe you should go??

Interesting how Baylor scheduled this home and home series. Last year they were happy to play us since the Big Three had moved on, and next year I guess they are happy to play again with Kia and Gabby gone.

 

[uconnfan68]

Harper said yes a bit reluctantly (as far as I can recollect) and changed her mind when Crystal Langhorne chose Maryland.

Ah, yes, Langhorne was the preferred. Larkins for UNC. The mind is a terrible thing to lose.

 

[nwhoopfan]

It's on my list as I want to get the Alamo'd ice cream, see the "rat turtle" and some of the cows with really long horns, weeds that tumble and birds that run along the road... by the way, what's in your wallet?

Now it's in bowling ball mode.
Can we take it with us?
A little bit of frills never hurt anyone.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Looks like Stanford is the leading culprit for where these players ended up instead of UConn.

 

[LasVegasYank]

<<Can’t blame a kid for wanting to stay close to family. Wish her nothing but the best. >>

Sorry, but I don't feel that way. Same goes for AEH.

 

[BigBird]

... When I was finishing grad. school a wealthy school recruited me very hard, and I asked the dean if this glitz will continue once I came: he just smiled. I chose elsewhere, a better school, if not nearly so well-off, that didn't offer me anything but challenges and opportunity...

Understand this completely. I was offered an academic scholarship by a Big Ten school. I turned it down in favor of a school that did not offer. The reason? The Big Ten school typically employed (amateur) teaching assistants left and right. The other school had bonafide professors. This made all the difference for me then and now, and I have not one regret as to my decision.

I mention this only because for someone making a college decision, things not readily apparent can make the difference.

 

[CTyankee]

Who was the big girl who took a year at Peddie. I think she was either from Trinidad or perhaps Bermuda or maybe the Bahamas? Never to be seen again.

 

[DefenseBB]

Interesting how Baylor scheduled this home and home series. Last year they were happy to play us since the Big Three had moved on, and next year I guess they are happy to play again with Kia and Gabby gone.

ssscccrrreeeeetttccchhh, whoa there, before you get the rest of the gang in a froth over Kim, Geno "split" the series to next year due to the home games he had to schedule for Gabby and Kia. So she wasn't gaming the system. Kim said ok and agreed to play at Baylor in the fall. One more point of input-Baylor was to compete in November Tournament in 2017 with 3 other top schools but due to the hurricanes (I believe, someone interject if I am wrong), the tournament was cancelled which didn't help her pathetic OOC.

 

[hoopsdiva]

Who was the big girl who took a year at Peddie. I think she was either from Trinidad or perhaps Bermuda or maybe the Bahamas? Never to be seen again.

You mean Gillian Goring?

 

[Alydar]

When you visit there, the locals will point out that it is the only state that was a separate nation.

They conveniently forget that Hawaii was a sovereign nation a lot longer than Texas.

 

[UNHAlumInCT]

When you visit there, the locals will point out that it is the only state that was a separate nation.

I see someone posted the Republic of Hawaii flag. One of the New England states was also a separate nation before becoming a state.

Vermont Republic - Wikipedia

 

[HuskyNan]

Baylor signee NaLyssa Smith:

A who’s-who of women’s basketball coaches made their way into the Smith household, including UConn’s Geno Auriemma and South Carolina’s Dawn Staley.

“Geno was in our house,” Smith said. “This man is the real deal. For him to be recruiting me, that was something serious. I had to sit back and think about that. Dang. Geno was really in my house.”

The article is in today’s new links.

 

[Plebe]

Did Geno not pursue Tamika Catchings?

 

[MilfordHusky]

And the other players didn't?

Some turned him down for basketball reasons: the promise of playing time, the (somewhat unrealistic) idea of winning a championship elsewhere, etc. Elena left because of her sister.

 

[stamfordhusky]

. Hunter came back, but at a terrible cost to her physically.

Just to clarify for those who don't know the Hunter story. The terrible damage to her physically happened at Duke. UConn doctors/trainers tried to fix it, but had only partial success.

 

[bags27]

What she rejected is her own future.

 

[CTisballers]

I know a recruit who didn’t reject Geno who’s name starts with a C but ends with a W.

 

[Vowelguy]

Elena left because of her sister.

Nobody really knows why Elena left.

If you look at both the video story that was done (by CBS?) at the time as well as comments from the people involved, her sister is not mentioned. That only came later.

I don't particularly care one way or the other. It wasn't the right fit for her.

But I reject the notion that her departure was any more/less noble than anyone elses.

 

[BostonFan]

That's the first team.
The second team includes Essence Carson, Laura Harper, EDD, Nicky Anosike, Teresa Borton and Diamond Deshields.
Carson, Vaughn, Harper, Anosike and Waner are collectively responsible for the 2005-2008 draught.

Losing EDD was a big blow to the UConn program. Cost Geno a few titles.

 

[CTyankee]

You mean Gillian Goring?

Ah yes, wasn't she a commit also?

 

[UConner]

There's only 3 things worth mentioning about Texas history. The Alamo. JFK and the UConn women losing there.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

Tejas does kinda consider itself a country of it's own.

 

[Blueconn]

When you visit there, the locals will point out that it is the only state that was a separate nation.

Which is 100% wrong.

Morgan and Ashley Valley would be quick to point out that Vermont* was an independent republic long before Texas (1777 vs. 1836) and for a longer time (14 years vs. 9 years).

Come York or come Hampshire, come traitors or knaves,
If ye rule o’er our land ye shall rule o’er our graves;
Our vow is recorded-our banner unfurled,
In the name of Vermont we defy all the world !
-John Greenleaf Whittier


*And Husky fans should always remind Longhorn fans that Vermont was initially named New Connecticut. And for good measure throw in the fact that Ethan Allen and his brothers, Seth Warner, Remember Baker, and most other early leaders of Vermont came from the Land of Steady Habits. Finish off the conversation by mentioning that Vermont prohibited slavery in its very first constitution; years before any other American colony/state.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

Texas has a national team? who wudda thunk...

Well, they do think they're another country in Texas.

 

[Blueconn]

Losing EDD was a big blow to the UConn program. Cost Geno a few titles.

Very disappointing but hardly a big blow to the UConn program. In the years when EDD would have been playing for Geno (‘09-‘12) the Huskies copped 4 Final Fours, 2 NCs, and ran off the longest win streak (90) in the history of D1 hoops.