Former UConn recruit in the portal- S. Brunelle

[Carnac]

There is a program that is a perfect fit for her. All she has to do is find it. Let's see where she lands.

 

[EricLA]

A fan on another board said that she got an offer but it was withdrawn when she delayed with it. For whatever the reason she turned pretty negative over UConn.

The story as I recall... She got an offer early on, delayed for a long while, then "apparently" (this is all 3rd and 4th hand info) wanted to verbal and called one of the assistant coaches and was told "I'm not sure if the offer is still on the table. Will check with Geno".

Not sure what happened after that - if no one from UCONN called her back, or if they did and said "sorry - no offer any longer". Either way she ended up at ND and had a nice freshman year. I felt like we could have used an extra player - whoever compared her to Anna Makurat seems about right.

Sam is stronger and better in the post, but not as good at ball handling or passing. But "skill and capability-wise", seems to be about at the level of Anna... I know Anna started, but on a team with Danger, Irwin, Bent, Camara, Adebayo, Walker, Williams, ONO and Griffin (was Evina on the team Anna's freshman season?), I think starters were Crystal, Christyn, Anna, Megan and Olivia.

Anna was more advanced as a freshman than most other players... but injuries plagued her and I'm not sure what her PT would have been as Paige, Nika, Azzi and Caroline came on board...

 

[Mdoggie]

Maybe I’m wrong but I want to believe that her basketball journey would have been better had she come to UConn. I know that is a UConn/Geno fan biased opinion. I really have no way of knowing

 

[Argonaut]

She still follows UConn basketball on Instagram. Does she reach out to Geno, like Evina did?

I think that the Brunelle -> UConn bridge is completely burned.

 

[EricLA]

I think that the Brunelle -> UConn bridge is completely burned.

Betty Bitterman, party of one...

 

[Argonaut]

Betty Bitterman, party of one...

I don't think it's so much her being bitter as it is her defending a coach she loves. Bitter, IMO, would be throwing shade at Geno and the program completely out of nowhere, which I don't think she's ever done.

 

[EricLA]

I don't think it's so much her being bitter as it is her defending a coach she loves. Bitter, IMO, would be throwing shade at Geno and the program completely out of nowhere, which I don't think she's ever done.

She could have easily ignored Geno's comment and moved on. Instead she opted to not only defend Muffet, but snidely slam Geno. "Something some coaches should work on"??? She took the low road IMHO.

Could have said "My experiences with Muffet were totally different. She was a great communicator and teacher, and empowered the women on the team"... and left it at that. Instead she took a potshot. No love lost...

 

[Argonaut]

She could have easily ignored Geno's comment and moved on. Instead she opted to not only defend Muffet, but snidely slam Geno. "Something some coaches should work on"??? She took the low road IMHO.

Could have said "My experiences with Muffet were totally different. She was a great communicator and teacher, and empowered the women on the team"... and left it at that. Instead she took a potshot. No love lost...

She could have, but she didn't. And she could have said a lot worse, and she didn't.

This is also why Geno and company don't want the players on Twitter during the season -- it's too easy to fall into a trap like this one.

 

[Huskee11]

Watched her closely warming up in Bridgeport. Automatic from 25. Would not play her in horse.

But in the game she only played 10 minutes and took no shots. NC State was crowding her whenever she got the ball. She has difficulty creating space and getting her own shot.

I have not seen a lot of her, but I’m guessing she is most productive as a zone buster or if/when ND would run plays, picks, screens for her - something ND showed no interest in doing the other day.

 

[EricLA]

She could have, but she didn't. And she could have said a lot worse, and she didn't.

This is also why Geno and company don't want the players on Twitter during the season -- it's too easy to fall into a trap like this one.

So we are supposed to give credit to a player who doesn't say worse about Geno? Wow, that's a pretty low bar. She would have been better off not slamming Geno. Like I said, she is still bitter.

 

[TRest]

So we are supposed to give credit to a player who doesn't say worse about Geno? Wow, that's a pretty low bar. She would have been better off not slamming Geno. Like I said, she is still bitter.

Or, maybe, it's a reference to her current coach she is walking away from.

 

[Hayven]

Or, maybe, it's a reference to her current coach she is walking away from.

Based up the tea in the ND thread on the non-UConn board, you may be onto something

 

[CocoHusky]

I don't think it's so much her being bitter as it is her defending a coach she loves. Bitter, IMO, would be throwing shade at Geno and the program completely out of nowhere, which I don't think she's ever done.

Nah... Sam was best advised to sit this one out until she begins to play better. In two games against UCONN she 4 for 16 shooting the basketball. She has surpassed Sierra Calhoun as former UCONN POI who when playing against UCONN looks awful pedestrian.

 

[Argonaut]

So we are supposed to give credit to a player who doesn't say worse about Geno? Wow, that's a pretty low bar. She would have been better off not slamming Geno. Like I said, she is still bitter.

Not saying credit, I'm saying she was defending someone she cares for and there's nothing wrong with that.

If one of our current players piped in and threw shade at Muffet during that whole exchange, they would be praised for it, but UConn coaches keep that from happening. One of many differences in how Geno and Niele run their programs.