From Lou to Eternity: The Monumental Recruiting Topic Drift Thread

[Godfather]

I think 12 should be max, only 13 if you get a Durr but understanding someone may leave which may be ok, this is a new bred of player in this social media/message board/blog era, a good player doesn't want to sit for 4 years.

 

[rocky rococo]

I think 12 should be max, only 13 if you get a Durr but understanding someone may leave which may be ok, this is a new bred of player in this social media/message board/blog era, a good player doesn't want to sit for 4 years.

OTOH, we've just experienced a good player sitting for 2.5 years, and will only be a starter for one.

 

[Kibitzer]

I think 12 should be max, only 13 if you get a Durr but understanding someone may leave which may be ok, this is a new bred of player in this social media/message board/blog era, a good player doesn't want to sit for 4 years.

No recruited player comes to UConn because they want or expect to sit for four years. Among many who didn't play much but sat a lot, Heather Buck, Cassie Kerns and Tahirah Williams come to mind.

Each left with a degree (at no cost to them or their families), a couple NC rings, a jillion frequent flier miles (domestic and foreign), and the incomparable experience of having been a UConn Husky, coached by Geno.

Cassie put her artistic talents to work on UConn promo stuff and Tahiah narrated an NC DVD. Any regrets about their UConn experience? Hell, no.

Can you seriously think that minutes of PT is the only thing these kids think about?

 

[Zorro]

I really think that this is a tempest in a peepot, to deliberately mangle a metaphor in the name of accuracy. I really do think that Geno and his staff can be relied upon not to deliberately set up a situation in which a kid is going to be screwedover. Geno has often expressed his contempt for coaches who "stockpile" talent. And I don't see how anyone who has followed the Huskies for any length of time could doubt his concern for the well-being of all the kids who come to the program. IF it SHOULD occur that one of the frosh feels, at the end of the year, that she is in over her head, I have no doubt that she would be granted a full release and aided in finding another program that would suit her better. She would have three full years of eligibility left, AND the benefit of having spent a year being tutored by the unquestionably best coaching staff in the business. (As well as the benefit of five schollie years, rather than four.) I am sure that every kid Geno recruits realizes that his aim is to recruit the highest quality people he possibly can, and that she will face fierce competition. Only the valiant will choose to come to UConn and duke it out with the best. And very few, if any, will be sorry that they did.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

You said None of those situations would be like this one, you were wrong. I separated them out for you and explained it so you could see.

You have yet to prove how they are like this one, but if it makes you feel better to be "right", by all means.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

If you are a future recruit afraid of competition or not confident in your abilities, UCONN is probably not gonna be recruiting you.

This isn't about being afraid of competition or lack of confidence. It's about having so many top-tier players that there will only be PT for about 7-8 of them. It's about future recruits wondering if they'll just be recruited over and not play when considering UConn. Maybe that won't happen, but it's not out of the question.

 

[meyers7]

You have yet to prove how they are like this one, but if it makes you feel better to be "right", by all means.

I did, I guess it just went over your head. Sorry.

Not so much me being right, as you were wrong.

 

[meyers7]

This isn't about being afraid of competition or lack of confidence. It's about having so many top-tier players that there will only be PT for about 7-8 of them.

Yea, and them not having the confidence to be one of the 7-8.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

At no point have you proven the situations to be the same. The end result (transfers), yes, the situations, no.

And, again, confidence has nothing to do with it. Confidence doesn't get you minutes when there are 200 to be had and 12 good/great players. Some are sitting, period. Doesn't matter how good or how confident they are.

 

[pap49cba]

At no point have you proven the situations to be the same. The end result (transfers), yes, the situations, no.

And, again, confidence has nothing to do with it. Confidence doesn't get you minutes when there are 200 to be had and 12 good/great players. Some are sitting, period. Doesn't matter how good or how confident they are.

So what exactly is your prescription to remedy this perceived problem?

 

[Buzzyboy]

Undefeated season and a 9th nation championship(2nd in a row)... looks to me like things worked out just fine with this "narrow net" approach.

There is a significant possibility of someone pulling up lame or breaking down in some other manner when they're subjected to the amount of minutes that a 6 person roster imposes. I don't like the odds that someone wouldn't get hurt! Sure, it managed to work out last year though I'm sure we experienced a lot more stress than we would have liked, particularly in the games in Nebraska but we did get a national championship, right? What you're suggesting is a version of Russian roulette where you turn a gun on yourself, pull the trigger and you managed to survive so NO PROBLEM. To me that's a big problem because a great season can be (and has been) lost due to injries. Remember losing Svet and Shea, getting beat by a Notre Dame team that UConn would have handled easily without their losses. Maybe you wouldn't mind UConn just using six scholarships all the time because it would save the University some money so why not do it, right? Everyone's always looking for ways to cut expenses, right? Geno has gone through the years playing without using his 15 potential scholarships because he thought it was silly to waste it on players that might not be up to the task of giving beneficial minutes when needed. It appears that he now has the opportunity to have a lineup that can provide quality minutes from top to bottom and since he's been burnt by some season ending injuries in the past, he's decided to bring in more kids. More power to him.

 

[Kibitzer]

At no point have you proven the situations to be the same. The end result (transfers), yes, the situations, no.

And, again, confidence has nothing to do with it. Confidence doesn't get you minutes when there are 200 to be had and 12 good/great players. Some are sitting, period. Doesn't matter how good or how confident they are.

I'll quote a statement once (or more) made by the inimitable W.C. Fields to help you see the light:

"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. And if that doesn't work,
QUIT!

No use being a damned fool."​

 

[JS]

So what exactly is your prescription to remedy this perceived problem?

Keep repeating it's a problem until it dies of the tedium.

 

[pap49cba]

The tedium level was reached quite some time ago.....

 

[Sonny44]

I think for more parity in WCBB it might be a good idea to lower the limit of scholarships to 12. The ideal would be to get three good recruits a year. We might not get the 35 point margin of victory that we're used to, but UCONN would still thrive and probably continue to dominate.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Keep repeating it's a problem until it dies of the tedium.

Did you not notice it was Meyers who brought the subject back up by quoting one of my posts from days ago? I'm not changing my opinion.

 

[HoopsFan21]

I think for more parity in WCBB it might be a good idea to lower the limit of scholarships to 12. The ideal would be to get three good recruits a year. We might not get the 35 point margin of victory that we're used to, but UCONN would still thrive and probably continue to dominate.

Not a bad idea, though I don't think that would slow the UConn juggernaut much. You could bring the scholly limit down to 9 and I suspect UConn would still dominate.

 

[pap49cba]

Did you not notice it was Meyers who brought the subject back up by quoting one of my posts from days ago? I'm not changing my opinion.

Still waiting for an answer to my question....

 

[Suebird10fan]

It's important to distinguish a few questions.

Should Geno continue to recruit Durr? Absolutely. She would significantly enhance UConn's future prospects, and recruiting her violates no commitments he made to other recruits.

If as fans our bottom line is NCs should we hope that Durr comes aboard? Again, yes without a doubt.

Can Geno add Durr to the mix without creating serious challenges in maaging minutes and keeping everyone happy? No, not possible. Yes, happens, injuries, etc. But the 2015-16 is stacked with guys that will deserve serious minutes. In order to project depth in out years I often go through the roster and ask how many minutes would each person typically get in a competitive game playing for a championship quality team. If it adds up to much less than 250, I get a little nervous, cuz happens. On average about 20% of the minutes usually goes away due to injuries, transfers, Geno's doghouse, etc. Hence the need for at least 250. Over 270 and we're pretty deep. I performed the exercise for the 15-16 roster and came up with 315! Add in Durr and you're at something like 345! Even if you lost 25% of those minutes somehow, someone or someones are getting squeezed in a big way for playing time. I for one would welcome it but there's no denying the (hypothetical) challenge.

 

[HoopsFan21]

It's important to distinguish a few questions.

Should Geno continue to recruit Durr? Absolutely. She would significantly enhance UConn's future prospects, and recruiting her violates no commitments he made to other recruits.

If as fans our bottom line is NCs should we hope that Durr comes aboard? Again, yes without a doubt.

Can Geno add Durr to the mix without creating serious challenges in maaging minutes and keeping everyone happy? No, not possible. Yes, happens, injuries, etc. But the 2015-16 is stacked with guys that will deserve serious minutes. In order to project depth in out years I often go through the roster and ask how many minutes would each person typically get in a competitive game playing for a championship quality team. If it adds up to much less than 250, I get a little nervous, cuz happens. On average about 20% of the minutes usually goes away due to injuries, transfers, Geno's doghouse, etc. Hence the need for at least 250. Over 270 and we're pretty deep. I performed the exercise for the 15-16 roster and came up with 315! Add in Durr and you're at something like 345! Even if you lost 25% of those minutes somehow, someone or someones are getting squeezed in a big way for playing time. I for one would welcome it but there's no denying the (hypothetical) challenge.

UConn averages a transfer/year. I don't see why that wouldn't continue. I'd be surprised if Geno doesn't account for this while he is recruiting and building future teams (or should I say DYNASTIES?!).

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Still waiting for an answer to my question....

There is no answer other than stopping when you think you have enough. And for those who think the answer is to fill up with as much talent as you can and let things sort themselves out, how come Geno doesn't max the roster out to 15 every year then? The staff stops recruiting when they feel they have enough.

Is it a huge deal that'll be a problem in the upcoming years? Hard to know for sure, but there will without question be a minutes crunch. Again, unless there are disastrous injury issues.

 

[meyers7]

I'll quote a statement once (or more) made by the inimitable W.C. Fields to help you see the light:

"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. And if that doesn't work,
QUIT!

No use being a damned fool."​

You are right, doesn't look like I can get through to Slu.

 

[UCONNfan1]

I'm not sure how far the discussion veered off from where the original "disagreements" came from. I do agree with several, SIUconn included, who said that there could potentially be a serious minutes crunch with so much talent and kids probably hoping/expecting to get at least 15, and more likely 20 MPG.

But I also agree with anyone who says that we should continue to recruit Durr big time and pray she comes to Uconn. From what we are reading about her, she's a Diana Taurasi type of talent. If that's true, then it puts her up in the pantheon of players with names like Taurasi, Moore, Delle Donne and Stewart. When you add in Samuelson, who is close to, if not equivalent, to the aforementioned players (maybe she's a hair less?), or like Charles, KML, and Jefferson, then I would say we have yet again possibly hit the mother-lode.

If we end up with those 4, we might actually have 4 of the top 5 players in the nation. TASS team beware - there's a new Sheriff in town!

 

[hoophuskee]

I agree in part what slu is saying but I also believe that Geno knows what he is doing. Anyhow, look over the past 10+ years or so. Player’s get over-recruited in order to get a premiere player. Maya over Charde (we just went to E8 year before and Charde was solid in her jr year). Bria over Dixon. KML and Mo Jeff over Doty. When we had EDD verbal I can recall Kalana Greene stating “that’s my position.” Renee Montgomery bumped Ketia Swanier. Nicole Wolff and Ann Strother were brought in to bump Ashley Battle. Stewart and Tuck bumped Stokes.

All the players I mentioned that got bumped got an opportunity though. And several that did get bumped did wind up playing WNBA pro ball. Many, many kids that’s their dream to play pro ball. SO if Geno gets them there even after being bumped, at leats so far, locker room issue doesn’t apply.

I do dispute what I’ve read a couple of times “have enough to win.” What does that really mean? What if DD goes to Notre Dame along with Durr because we chose to back off because we thought we were “good enough to win?” I know DD wants to move closer to home now- but she still is a kid and can change her mind. So even if we don’ get Durr – nothing wrong with going after other super players because “good enough” is relative at the moment.

Eric’s excellent post brought up concerns as well of both Morgan and Gabby. It has to be a concern for their entire years here. You can’t pretend their knee injuries didn’t exist. And there is a chance Morgan leaves with Stewie and MoJeff. Now we have eight players and suppose not out of the question that one gets hurt and one seriously underperforms. Now we’re back six players.

So if no Durr, and Gabby’s knees limit her, and Kia is a better sg than pg and if Sadie doesn’t live up to her billing (all not out of the realm of possibility, why wouldn’t we want/try to get Durr? ) SO maybe we’re going to force Kia Nurse to play her second strongest position and not her best if she is better at sg or Gneo wants two pg's on the floor instead? . It’s possible sg could be her better spot despite her starting pg on Canadian team if Canada is weak at the pg but strong enough on the wing. And we don't go after the pg because we wanted to be fair to the bench players?

 

[Scotter]

To me that's a big problem because a great season can be (and has been) lost due to injries. Remember losing Svet and Shea, getting beat by a Notre Dame team that UConn would have handled easily without their losses.

UConn didn't handle Notre Dame that season when they did have everyone healthy. There's isn't much evidence that UConn would have won any game easily against Notre Dame that season injuries or no injuries.