Ezi Magbegor signs w/ WNBL club for three years

[CocoHusky]

Boston is talented, but don't sleep on Watson. I understand she's a few inches shorter that Boston but Watson seems to be a tough interior defender but its a bit quicker and aglile and maybe less plotting. Watson would be a solid get too.

Watson and Boston are different classes. Also two completely different body types. Boston is built solidly to withstand post contact. Watson is not nearly as solid and I'm not sure I agree with Watson being more mobile either.

 

[JustinesGuy]

Watson and Boston are different classes. Also two completely different body types. Boston is built solidly to withstand post contact. Watson is not nearly as solid and I'm not sure I agree with Watson being more mobile either.

All u say is true. I think Watson would be a solid 4 as opposed to a typical 5. I'm not a huge typical center guy. I think Watson would be a solid fit.
I do like Boston too, seems like a fun sweet kid.

 

[oldude]

We don't really know if it's an about face though do we? All we have to go on is that one reporter, and for all we know Ezi herself was feeding him the "stories."

I guess the point I’m trying to make is that Ezi, or someone close to Ezi, was feeding this reporter stories indicating her intent to head to the states, while all the time the intention was to negotiate the best deal with the WNBL.

As you point out, we don’t really know. But the sequence of events is suspicious to say the least.

 

[JoePgh]

This whole situation seems similar to what Erin Phillips, another Aussie, had to deal with in the runup to the 2008 Olympics. She started playing for the Connecticut Sun in 2006 as a 19-year-old, and clearly felt a lot of loyalty to Mike Thibault and her Sun teammates.

But the basketball "establishment" in Australia leaned on her hard, suggesting that training with the Olympic team (rather than playing for the Sun) was her patriotic duty. They may also have suggested that playing for the Sun in 2008 might have adverse consequences for her basketball future in the WNBL. So she ended up not playing for the Sun until after the Olympics that year. Ironically, even after doing that, she hardly played any minutes in the Olympics.

It seems plausible to me that Ezi may have been prevailed upon using similar strong-arm tactics. She may be sacrificing personal preference to national duty, not to mention professional survival in Australia.

 

[HopJim]

No doubt Jackson was a great. My skepticism has more to do with Ezi’s implication on playing for Jackson vs say, playing for the greatest WBB coach of all time...just saying.

To take that thought a bit further, one person by themselves is unlikely to prep someone for the WNBA. UConn has a variety of proven tactics, approaches, and mentors. Suspect her decision based as much on staying close to home and pressure from local sources. Not seeing family and friends for much of the year is important to most 19 year olds-not a surprising decision.

 

[tomcat]

Maybe in threads in which BYers speculate about about what lineups will look like, folks will be less likely to toss in these "maybes" until they actually sign up. Posting that wau get some folks all excited for something that ultimately never happens. It's important to remember that a player isn't coming until...she's , and even then it doesn't always work out.

 

[BigBird]

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Next case.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Those Aussies. Never know when they'll just go off on a walkabout. Good luck to her. I'm sure Team USA will be dealing with her for a long, long vexing time.

 

[Charliebball]

As I recall, some said it was "spinning wheels" to even discuss her visiting UConn. Others here knew a visit would happen and that there was quite a bit of talk among people in WBB (non-UConn) who believed she was coming to UConn, none of which was posted here. Still, there were obstacles including a big push to keep her in Australia which apparently has prevailed. It ended up not being a long shot. It was very close.

Recruiting Magbegor had no bearing on Brunelle.

yup, I said that folks were "spinning their wheels"here...................not sure if it was about her even visiting or just about her not ending up at UConn.................regardless in the end despite all the best efforts it was not to be....................hopefully Boston was not alienated by UConn's interest in another post.......

 

[Charliebball]

Watson and Boston are different classes. Also two completely different body types. Boston is built solidly to withstand post contact. Watson is not nearly as solid and I'm not sure I agree with Watson being more mobile either.

I'm pretty sure Watson is more mobile............haven't seen Boston in person but Watson eats up the floor for a girl of her size

 

[Charliebball]

Maybe this will put to rest the silly idea that Lauren Jackson is a UConn booster.

she can still be a booster just as long as UConn doesn't take her prize pupil........

 

[j66kicker]

Maybe in threads in which BYers speculate about about what lineups will look like, folks will be less likely to toss in these "maybes" until they actually sign up. Posting that wau get some folks all excited for something that ultimately never happens. It's important to remember that a player isn't coming until...she's , and even then it doesn't always work out.

Riiiight!!!!!

 

[BigBird]

yup, I said that folks were "spinning their wheels"here....not sure if it was about her even visiting or just about her not ending up at UConn.......regardless in the end despite all the best efforts it was not to be.....hopefully Boston was not alienated by UConn's interest in another post..

Charlie, is it your opinion that she (Boston) has yet to be offered a UConn scholarship? I would find that surprising if so; my information is seldom as good as yours.

 

[Charliebball]

It is quite simply wrong that she wouldn't be a factor as a pro. Defense is obviously her weak point, and she's going to get pushed around a little, but with her length, height, and quickness, she's got a lot of upside. At the same time, she's scoring .71 points per minute while shooting 60% from the floor, which is outstanding. For comparison, in Maya Moore's outstanding senior season, she scored .69 points per minute while shooting 52% from the floor (obviously at a different position). Breanna Stewart scored .67 points per minute. Tina Charles scored .66. We've never had a player come close to producing offensively what Azura has produced this year who wasn't a factor in the WNBA.

nothing personal but those are really misleading stats......................the vast majority of Azura's made shots have been layups and most of those have been against undersized opponents...............she needs to get stronger, continue to work on her defense, back to the basket and face up offense and also reintegrate her outside shot into her arsenal..................frankly I think she would be eaten alive in the WNBA next season...........

 

[Sluconn Husky]

The guy who has reported on Ezi for weeks.....

 

[Charliebball]

Charlie, is it your opinion that she (Boston) has yet to be offered a UConn scholarship? I would find that surprising if so; my information is seldom as good as yours.

I will defer to my recruiting compatriots on this but I believe she has a UConn offer..............the question is has she been offended by all of the Ezi talk...............I simply have no idea if that is just my paranoia or a real possibility.............for all I know she may have received assurances from UConn that she was wanted Ezi or no Ezi..........with no other quality posts on the horizon I guess she can take her time but if she is such a UConn lean as others have surmised, I wish she would end the speculation and verbal already.............

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Charlie, is it your opinion that she (Boston) has yet to be offered a UConn scholarship? I would find that surprising if so; my information is seldom as good as yours.

Boston does have an offer. That's confirmed. And Geno watched her win her AA tournament a few weeks ago.

 

[BigBird]

I will defer to my recruiting compatriots on this but I believe she has a UConn offer...but if she is such a UConn lean as others have surmised, I wish she would end the speculation and verbal already...

Yes. I can understand why a kid wants to take time to explore, or hasn’t really decided. But in the case where the player is sure, why wait to announce it? It’s better for all concerned. This would seem to help your new school, your new coaches, and also help other athletes who may be in a holding pattern with the same school or another school.

 

[Hayven]

I will defer to my recruiting compatriots on this but I believe she has a UConn offer....the question is has she been offended by all of the Ezi talk.....I simply have no idea if that is just my paranoia or a real possibility...for all I know she may have received assurances from UConn that she was wanted Ezi or no Ezi.....with no other quality posts on the horizon I guess she can take her time but if she is such a UConn lean as others have surmised, I wish she would end the speculation and verbal already...

I wouldn’t count on a verbal, Charli Collier comes to mind

 

[Rocket009]

Do we know that UCONN offered her a scholarship? Maybe the offer she was waiting for never arrived.

 

[BigBird]

Do we know that UCONN offered her a scholarship? Maybe the offer she was waiting for never arrived.

See Sluconn’s post above...

 

[JustinesGuy]

I'm pretty sure Watson is more mobile..haven't seen Boston in person but Watson eats up the floor for a girl of her size

Your correct

She's is a solid prospect. Would fit our offense nicely. Highly skilled

 

[Sluconn Husky]

We get the first Helmers piece since the new news broke, and it appears his source on Ezi coming to the states was her now former team in Canberra:


The Capitals thought emerging Australian Opal Magbegor was set to move her career to the United States college system after a standout season in Canberra.


WNBL: Canberra Capitals star Ezi Magbegor signs with rival as Kelsey Griffin begins journey

 

[MilfordHusky]

Azura's inside game is still quite raw at this point, she could/should use another year to develop it before going head/head with the bigs of WNBA.

Azura struggled against Duke and South Carolina. She’s not ready for the pros. I think she knows it.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Well I'm sure her perspective is very different than a UConn fan's is. She's Australian, LJ is probably a hero of hers, the draw to be mentored by her must be strong. Geno's reputation probably is not nearly as prominent in Australia as it is here.

Ezi has an Australian perspective, not our perspective. That made a big difference. She has an opportunity to work with Lauren Jackson. She valued that more than being coached by the guy who developed Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Tina Charles, Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, et al. She could have been coached by Geno and then worked with LJ, but chose not to.