Ezi Magbegor signs w/ WNBL club for three years

[Ozzie1986]

A 3 year deal at 'deakin' Melbourne boomers.

=

Potentially...
3 years as a paid professional basketballer.
3 year Bachelor of International Business and Commerce degree at Deakin.
Eligible to play all international games for opals (Oceania, Asia, WC, Olympics)
Play under the guidance of Lauren Jackson (assistant manager)
Home city where her family and friends live.

After 3 years, and depending on how she has developed, she enters the WNBA or heads to Europe.

 

[Charliebball]

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

hopefully two final tests for this season...........good but unimposing post players in the ND game where she dominated last time and then hopefully Miss State's McCowan.............let's see how she handles it.........

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Riiiight!!!!!

Gotta admit though, we had a lot of fun with this one. If she spends 3 years in the WNBL I'll eat an uncooked Kangeroo's anus.

 

[bags27]

One thing that hasn't been mentioned is money. We have no idea of the financial condition of Ezi's family. Going to UConn for 4 years means losing 4 years of earning and actually--despite the "full ride"--probably involves some costs. While now, she can be earning money for her and her family. Some might argue that a college education and being coached by Geno is a good investment. Maybe. But almost certainly not if the family is needy. If money is an immediate consideration for her family, Ezi definitely made the right choice.

 

[Rocket009]

See Sluconn’s post above...

Sorry - I was responding to an earlier part of the thread. I was asking if we know if Ezi had been offered a scholarship, not Boston.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

One thing that hasn't been mentioned is money. We have no idea of the financial condition of Ezi's family. Going to UConn for 4 years means losing 4 years of earning and actually--despite the "full ride"--probably involves some costs. While now, she can be earning money for her and her family. Some might argue that a college education and being coached by Geno is a good investment. Maybe. But almost certainly not if the family is needy. If money is an immediate consideration for her family, Ezi definitely made the right choice.

She'll move into endorsement money quick as a member of the Opals. The WNBL is like semipro and financially shaky.

 

[mbr33ct]

Ezi explains.......

Ezi Magbegor explains why she chose Melbourne Boomers over UCONN

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Ezi explains..

Ezi Magbegor explains why she chose Melbourne Boomers over UCONN

Huh:

"I did develop more last season while playing with the Caps and playing with WNBA players like Mistie Bass and Jordan Hooper; playing against professionals is what sold me.”
She is also looking to study international relations, commerce or similar courses, potentially at the club’s major sponsor Deakin University."

So in Australia a kid can play as a professional AND attend university. Sweet deal. Wonder if that's not something the U.S. should look into.

And she's going to play professionally overseas at the same time. So she'll pay little or no tuition, while making money in two professional leagues. And working towards a degree. Sounds like a plan!

 

[mbr33ct]

Huh:

"I did develop more last season while playing with the Caps and playing with WNBA players like Mistie Bass and Jordan Hooper; playing against professionals is what sold me.”
She is also looking to study international relations, commerce or similar courses, potentially at the club’s major sponsor Deakin University."

So in Australia a kid can play as a professional AND attend university. Sweet deal. Wonder if that's not something the U.S. should look into.

And she's going to play professionally overseas at the same time. So she'll pay little or no tuition, while making money in two professional leagues. And working towards a degree. Sounds like a plan!

Here's another quote that caught my eyes,

“Going to UCONN and seeing all the trophies and facilities was amazing, but I didn’t let myself get sold by all of that,” Magbegor said.

“The coaches were great, Geno, Chris Daley and the players were amazing and I didn’t have a bad thing to say about them - there was no wrong decision and that’s what made it so hard.”

...hmmm, maybe if there were 12 trophies in Geno's office it would have sealed the deal.

 

[Centerstream]

Here's another quote that caught my eyes,

“Going to UCONN and seeing all the trophies and facilities was amazing, but I didn’t let myself get sold by all of that,” Magbegor said.

“The coaches were great, Geno, Chris Daley and the players were amazing and I didn’t have a bad thing to say about them - there was no wrong decision and that’s what made it so hard.”

...hmmm, maybe if there were 12 trophies in Geno's office it would have sealed the deal.

Well if she wasn't "sold by all of that" then I guess it is all about her, IMO.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

If I had to play Cabbage all the time I'd enroll in UConn in a heart beat.

 

[drweo]

Ezi explains..

Ezi Magbegor explains why she chose Melbourne Boomers over UCONN

...and there you have it.

 

[mbr33ct]

If I had to play Cabbage all the time I'd enroll in UConn in a heart beat.

It's funny though, she didn't mention Cambage (or Cabbage), instead she mentioned Mistie Bass and Jordan Hooper.

 

[Ozzie1986]

I'm not sure you read the whole article.
She mentions Cambage a few times..

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Liz Cambage has had her ups and down and is headed back to Dallas. Summary here. Cambage happy to be back in the WNBA For sure she's a force on the court and some say she's a bit rough. But 6' 8" is going to breed a certain amount of ouchy, incidental contact and she seems pretty likeable to me.

 

[awhom111]

Huh:

"I did develop more last season while playing with the Caps and playing with WNBA players like Mistie Bass and Jordan Hooper; playing against professionals is what sold me.”
She is also looking to study international relations, commerce or similar courses, potentially at the club’s major sponsor Deakin University."

So in Australia a kid can play as a professional AND attend university. Sweet deal. Wonder if that's not something the U.S. should look into.

And she's going to play professionally overseas at the same time. So she'll pay little or no tuition, while making money in two professional leagues. And working towards a degree. Sounds like a plan!

Several leagues have links with universities here. The G League works with Arizona State and MLS has a deal with Southern New Hampshire. Baseball generally provides opportunities, although that is often post-career and not always during the offseason. Scholarship athletes tend to have some privileges in returning to finish the degrees that they started. There are athletes who turn pro, but stay full time students, Katie Ledecky being the new prominent example. Of course, part of the difference is the sticker price cost of higher education here compared to other countries.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I’m not sure that playing against mid-level pros is more beneficial than UConn practices of playing against 8 guys, plus the detailed instruction from Geno et al. Does Ezi know that Geno coached Team USA for 8 years in which they torched most of the rest of the world? She has an Aussie perspective.

If Ezi had come to UConn, there was a real possibility that she would leave for the WNBA after 3 seasons, based on her age. There was also a possibility of being homesick at any time or strongly disliking Geno’s tough approach. Now, we don’t have to worry about those things. I think she’ll develop to be a very good player. Would Geno have made her even better? I think probably.

 

[triaddukefan]

Gotta admit though, we had a lot of fun with this one. If she spends 3 years in the WNBL I'll eat an uncooked Kangeroo's anus.

Duly noted. I'll send you a bottle of Texas Pete's hot sauce around the first week in April 2021 if you'd like.

 

[JordyG]

Hopefully this is the last of this we need. Best of all luck to her, and after watching the Mikey D game, I'm movin' on. We are lucky to be UConn fans. No complaints or regrets in this corner.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

She has an Aussie perspective.

This is key. And she's a rock star there already. She'll be home, a star, and developing with her Opal team mates.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Duly noted. I'll send you a bottle of Texas Pete's hot sauce around the first week in April 2021 if you'd like.

Make it the Large Table size please.