Future opponents - news from JohnA

[EricLA]

Agree on all counts. Really, the only thing Kim might worry about is UConn planting the recruiting flag in Texas. Texas is her bread and butter. If she misses out on the next big difference maker from the Lone Star State, it really hurts. If Geno misses out on such a player, he can just recruit someone else. UConn already got Moriah and is pursuing Brianna Turner as well. However, I'd suggest the positives far outweigh the negatives:

the thing is, though, that it's incredibly hard to consistently be a top 5 team. i would argue that after the class of Griner (that includes Washington, Pope, Williams, Chandler, Hayden, and Madden) that Baylor will be nowhere near the top 5. they may well hover around the top 10 but that's about it.

Griner's class was #1. Simms' class was #5. in 2011, they didn't even recruit a top 50 kid, and in 2012 their class is top 5. but in 2012, their highest rated player was #16 Alexis Prince, then #43 Niya Johnson. i'm not sure who they are after in 2013, but the highest rated Texas kid Jada Terry (#28) already verbaled to Texas.

i'm not predicting that Baylor will fall off the face of the earth. but even in Simms class, the only other kid they got was Makenzie robertson who wasn't in the top 100. i take that back - i assume Shanay Washington redshirted cuz she's listed as a sophomore along with Simms and Robertson. but still, you gotta recruit a lot better than that if you want to stay in the top 5 year in and year out.

that means btw that after Griner leaves, they currently have exactly 1 top 10 player who will be on their roster and 1 other who will be top 20. the rest are lower than that. that about puts them on par with a team like Oklahoma at this point.

 

[CalifHusky]

i tend to agree. i think she is going to be substantially improved next year. i noticed 2 things about her - she needs to get stronger so she's not pushed out of the post as easily, and she needs to put 100% effort in at all times, not ebb and flow. she can practically take over a game on both ends when she sets her mind to it, but she seems to flow in and out of intensity at times.

I think that BG has better stamina then she had last year and she has added more muscle, but I agree with you she does ebb and flow, and even with the more muscle she still seems "light" and easy to push. It will be fun to watch her over the next year and I am glad we are hopefully doing 2 more games with baylor over the next two years.

 

[wallman]

It has also been thrown around that she may entertain leaving early!!!!

 

[UConnCat]

It has also been thrown around that she may entertain leaving early!!!!

Griner? Really? Interesting. A national championship this year (or not) should be a key factor.

 

[ThisJustIn]

Griner? Really? Interesting. A national championship this year (or not) should be a key factor.

To go play in Europe, a la Prince?

 

[UConnCat]

To go play in Europe, a la Prince?

Maybe. And could be the talk of it was enough to cause Agler to trade Swin and Willingham for the #2 pick. If BG does leave early, Nneka becomes available at #2.