February Recruiting Thread

[TeamFirst!]

To a degree, recruiting probably happens in waves. If a prospect sees no path to play they will often choose another school. We have 3 players leaving this year, which opens up some slots, and all of them are getting a lot of PT. It would seem that 2022 should be a feasible year for at least 3 strong recruits. Just to replace the existing PT we are losing. We need prospects who have the ability and the desire to be the best and probably also some that are willing to maximize their potential even if it means riding the bench some the first year or 2, but this coming year there is some PT available and it would be a good time to join Uconn. Does the player want to play for a national champion or do they mainly just want to play. Do they want an optimal chance to be a professional level player or do they mainly just want to play? Every season has injuries. Players should ask themselves? Am I as good as Nika? Look how much PT Nika gets, and next year we are losing both Evina and CW. There are still PT slots on Uconn even for next year. And I would look at this team and consider Caroline as a potential 4 if we have a strong group of guards. We have slots for each position as far as I'm concerned.

 

[TeamFirst!]

Uconn would be perfect for Mikaylah. It fits her profile for sure. Or other top prospects like C. I would contend that few prospects would fill CW's shoes as effectively as Jadyn Donovan. Donovan is extremely athletic and she can run well in the open court. She is a strong defender with good size who has NBA potential. If I were looking to enhance the team with what is available in 2023 those would be my targets.

 

[nomdoux]

UNC upset Louisville today. Hypersensitive to this given C's recent visit there. Their increased credibility as a formidable program cannot be good in this regard. Faint silver lining for me is that I despise Duke so at least hurts them.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

12/16

Judea Watkins: 28 points, 13 rebs

MacKenly Randolph: 16 points, 14 rebs

 

[Sluconn Husky]

 

[BobbyJ]

To a degree, recruiting probably happens in waves. If a prospect sees no path to play they will often choose another school. We have 3 players leaving this year, which opens up some slots, and all of them are getting a lot of PT. It would seem that 2022 should be a feasible year for at least 3 strong recruits. Just to replace the existing PT we are losing. We need prospects who have the ability and the desire to be the best and probably also some that are willing to maximize their potential even if it means riding the bench some the first year or 2, but this coming year there is some PT available and it would be a good time to join Uconn. Does the player want to play for a national champion or do they mainly just want to play. Do they want an optimal chance to be a professional level player or do they mainly just want to play? Every season has injuries. Players should ask themselves? Am I as good as Nika? Look how much PT Nika gets, and next year we are losing both Evina and CW. There are still PT slots on Uconn even for next year. And I would look at this team and consider Caroline as a potential 4 if we have a strong group of guards. We have slots for each position as far as I'm concerned.

The recruited class for next season is already locked in at 2. Brady and Patterson. They've already considered all your questions and made their decisions.

 

[Mdoggie]

UNC upset Louisville today. Hypersensitive to this given C's recent visit there. Their increased credibility as a formidable program cannot be good in this regard. Faint silver lining for me is that I despise Duke so at least hurts them.

You’re making me nervous with the C talk.

 

[STLCardinal]

Williams is the only HS junior still on the Naismith HS watch list and is being projected as a Maya Moore level talent. Bret McCormick of All Star Girls Report call her the best recruit he has ever seen.

I don't know what Maya Moore looked like in high school and I don't know if this McCormick fella saw Williams play AAU ball or high school ball. But I've seen Williams play twice this season, as she goes to school down the road from where I live. She's talented. Quick, strong, good athletic frame, good outside shot. But being projected as Moore talent and being the best he's ever seen are big statements. Now, I do understand that AAU ball is very different from high school ball in terms of the team concept. She is very much a team player and is willing to go an offensive possession or two without touching the ball if the offense is flowing otherwise. I can see her fitting in well with the type of players UConn has. I don't think these recruiting experts and watch list people are looking at the same things that coaches are anyway.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I don't know what Maya Moore looked like in high school and I don't know if this McCormick fella saw Williams play AAU ball or high school ball. But I've seen Williams play twice this season, as she goes to school down the road from where I live. She's talented. Quick, strong, good athletic frame, good outside shot. But being projected as Moore talent and being the best he's ever seen are big statements. Now, I do understand that AAU ball is very different from high school ball in terms of the team concept. She is very much a team player and is willing to go an offensive possession or two without touching the ball if the offense is flowing otherwise. I can see her fitting in well with the type of players UConn has. I don't think these recruiting experts and watch list people are looking at the same things that coaches are anyway.

There are season-by-season highlights of Maya’s career at UConn available online. Her freshman highlights are a fair approximation of what she did in her senior year at Collins Hill. Maya’s pro career was abbreviated by her work on social justice, but one could argue reasonably that Maya was the best player ever at each level. Her teams were125-3 in high school (3 State titles), 150-4 at UConn (2 NCAA titles), and won WNBA titles in years 1, 3, 5, and 7. Her teams also won tiles in the Spanish League, Euro League, and Chinese League (multiple times). Plus multiple Gold Medals in the Olympics and World Cup. She set the bar extremely high.

 

[nomdoux]

You’re making me nervous with the C talk.

Sorry, Mdoggie. Just relaying developments as they come. Believe me, I take no joy in it & want Toomey @ Uconn as much as everyone else.

 

[TeamFirst!]

We should have a real shot at C. The basketball programs are not even comparable. If pro basketball is the plan there is one obvious choice for her.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

 

[eebmg]

Her discussing the UConn offer around the 1:30 mark

 

[CocoHusky]

I don't know what Maya Moore looked like in high school and I don't know if this McCormick fella saw Williams play AAU ball or high school ball. But I've seen Williams play twice this season, as she goes to school down the road from where I live. She's talented. Quick, strong, good athletic frame, good outside shot. But being projected as Moore talent and being the best he's ever seen are big statements. Now, I do understand that AAU ball is very different from high school ball in terms of the team concept. She is very much a team player and is willing to go an offensive possession or two without touching the ball if the offense is flowing otherwise. I can see her fitting in well with the type of players UConn has. I don't think these recruiting experts and watch list people are looking at the same things that coaches are anyway.

Bret McCormick is a top shelf talent evaluator who runs the All-star girls report (ASGR). I can't say for certain that Brett saw Maya play in high school. Like every talent evaluator he had some notable hits and misses. Among his notable hits was to have Gabby Williams as #1 in her HS class after Gabby was injured in HS. Among his notable misses ( so far) is that he had Cardoso ranked ahead of Paige Bueckers as an incoming freshman. Bret is very respected among college coaches who routinely pay money for private evaluations from which Brett has made a very good living.
His public evaluations of the class of 2023 can be found at this link. Note that 9 of Brett Top 10 are UCONN players of interest. 5 of the top ten have been offered by UCONN.

No. 1 Mikayla Williams Highlights Top 60 Prospects In The Class Of 2023 @pd_skillz @CalSwish_Nike @CalStars @ALSoStarz @KiaNurseElite @FBCMotton | ASGR Hoops

asgrbasketball.com

I strongly endorse your assessment of Williams as a UCONN type player. Mikayla Williams can play Robin (a side kick) when necessary. But she can also go into a phone booth, put on a cape, and come out as Superwoman and carry the whole team. That superwoman quality and her level of athleticism are mainly what's drawing comparison to Maya.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

 

[BobbyJ]

Bret McCormick is a top shelf talent evaluator who runs the All-star girls report (ASGR). I can't say for certain that Brett saw Maya play in high school. Like every talent evaluator he had some notable hits and misses. Among his notable hits was to have Gabby Williams as #1 in her HS class after Gabby was injured in HS. Among his notable misses ( so far) is that he had Cardoso ranked ahead of Paige Bueckers as an incoming freshman. Bret is very respected among college coaches who routinely pay money for private evaluations from which Brett has made a very good living.
His public evaluations of the class of 2023 can be found at this link. Note that 9 of Brett Top 10 are UCONN players of interest. 5 of the top ten have been offered by UCONN.

No. 1 Mikayla Williams Highlights Top 60 Prospects In The Class Of 2023 @pd_skillz @CalSwish_Nike @CalStars @ALSoStarz @KiaNurseElite @FBCMotton | ASGR Hoops

asgrbasketball.com

I strongly endorse your assessment of Williams as a UCONN type player. Mikayla Williams can play Robin (a side kick) when necessary. But she can also go into a phone booth, put on a cape, and come out as Superwoman and carry the whole team. That superwoman quality and her level of athleticism are mainly what's drawing comparison to Maya.

Kitts at #32?? 5 SGs not counting Williams better than her? . We'll see.

 

[Cuango]

There are season-by-season highlights of Maya’s career at UConn available online. Her freshman highlights are a fair approximation of what she did in her senior year at Collins Hill. Maya’s pro career was abbreviated by her work on social justice, but one could argue reasonably that Maya was the best player ever at each level. Her teams were125-3 in high school (3 State titles), 150-4 at UConn (2 NCAA titles), and won WNBA titles in years 1, 3, 5, and 7. Her teams also won tiles in the Spanish League, Euro League, and Chinese League (multiple times). Plus multiple Gold Medals in the Olympics and World Cup. She set the bar extremely high.

Maya was the best player (by far) out of High School I’ve ever seen! She was really unbelievable! It almost seemed like a WNBA player impersonating a HS player. I’d have to say she’s the best overall player I’e ever seen in any league.

 

[CocoHusky]

Kitts at #32?? 5 SGs not counting Williams better than her?

Happens all the time not just with Kitts. Bunch of explanations many of which I've written about before. Bret is based on "projected college position" where as others are based on current position being played in HS. There is also the political side Kitts played in a bunch of Prospects Nation Events and was getting instruction from Chris Hansen and Brandon Clay. There is nothing wrong with that but when I see a dramatic increase in Kitts rankings on Prospects Nation and no where else it makes me suspicious. Kitts is terrific IMO and as a wing should only be ranked behind Booker and ahead of Prosper at that position. Williams and Watkins are guards.

 

[STLCardinal]

Mikayla Williams can play Robin (a side kick) when necessary. But she can also go into a phone booth, put on a cape, and come out as Superwoman and carry the whole team. That superwoman quality and her level of athleticism are mainly what's drawing comparison to Maya.

I have seen both of your Robin and Superwoman analogies in her games. She doesn't mind feeding the ball to teammates and then taking her defender away from the ball allowing room for them to score, which they can. Then, when things get clogged up, she'll just blow by her defender to get into the lane for a shot of her own or pull up for a three pointer. Her high school team is a pretty good little team but the teams I have seen them play against don't have anywhere near the type players she will play against in college, so it's hard for me to get a good read of what she will be.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

2/17

Blanca Thomas: 19 points


2/16

Olivia Anderson: 20 points, 8 rebs, 3 blocks

 

[donalddoowop]

Did not know where else to put this. The Indiana High School State Tournament starts the morning of 2-26-22 on Bally Sports. The station on UVerse is 1749. Classes 1 through 4 will be playing. I hope Shade's team will be playing. I don't know what class she plays in.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Did not know where else to put this. The Indiana High School State Tournament starts the morning of 2-26-22 on Bally Sports. The station on UVerse is 1749. Classes 1 through 4 will be playing. I hope Shade's team will be playing. I don't know what class she plays in.

Shade has to win the state-semis this weekend in 4A.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Maya was the best player (by far) out of High School I’ve ever seen! She was really unbelievable! It almost seemed like a WNBA player impersonating a HS player. I’d have to say she’s the best overall player I’e ever seen in any league.

I concur. She was unreal.

 

[donalddoowop]

Shade has to win the state-semis this weekend in 4A.

I know they are this weekend. I am wondering if they will be televised anywhere. I always get to see the Indiana finals but never the semi-finals. What team is Shade's team playing?

 

[hoophuskee]

I hate to ask this question -- in fear of much retribution (sarcasm) -

But is Ice 6'4?