Future Recruits ?

[Tonyc]

The Philly Belles will have a group of 12/13 year olds playing together. They are Claire Maloney 6'2, Danielle Patterson 6'1, Sydney Lowery 5'9 and Andra Espinosa Hunter. Some background on these girls.

Claire Moloney 12 years old 6'2 blonde, big body and strong from PA. Im told she has a nice touch from 15 ft. Shes not quite at Stefs level yet when Stef was 12 but working hard on it. Shes going to the Hun School of Princeton. She was at the Baylor game with her mom.

Danielle Patterson 6'1 who will be a freshman at Medger Evers HS in Brooklyn. She works with Jerry Powell the former Olympic coach. Many NY girls work with Jerry including Tina Lorin Bria. NYers are very high on her saying shes the next great one out of NY.

Sydney Lowery 5'9 who attends St Lukes from CT. Syd is either 12 or 13, 5'9 and played with the 15 u Belles Team in the Nike tournament. Yes she played up.

Andra Espinosa Hunter played with Chong at Ossining, and they are very good friends, will be leaving Ossining and attending the Blair Academy in NJ . You've all heard a lot about her and her great outside shooting. She has attended many UConn games.

The best news is I was told the Belles want to keep them playing together through HS and they all want to attend UConn.

 

[Alydar]

WOW. Just realized that all these girls were born in this century. Since they were born UConn has won 6 NC' so it's easy to see why 12 yo's are gaga over UConn but I imagine as they move through HS at least a couple of them will change their mind.

 

[Vowelguy]

The best news is I was told the Belles want to keep them playing together through HS and they all want to attend UConn.

They're 12 year olds. They probably think One Direction is dreamy too.

Chances are they wont feel the same way in 5 years.

 

[huskyblooz]

Lowery will be a freshman this year at St. Luke's. She was one of the best players last year in the Fairchester League as an 8th grader. I believe she's from Trumbull.

 

[VAMike23]

Claire Maloney 12 years old.... Shes not quite at Stefs level yet but working hard on it.

So I guess 21-year-old Stef can breathe easy, at least for now.....???

 

[doggydaddy]

Espinosa Hunter played as an 8th grader last year. More amazing, she played on the varsity as a 7th grader.

Max preps has stats for her.

http://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/and...VebBJg/gendersport/girls-basketball-stats.htm

 

[meyers7]

Espinosa Hunter played as an 8th grader last year. More amazing, she played on the varsity as a 7th grader.

Max preps has stats for her.

http://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/and...VebBJg/gendersport/girls-basketball-stats.htm

Looks like she's gonna be a good one.

 

[CaliHuskyFan]

I know she's very young and student athletes change their minds as they navigate the recruiting process, but here's a great picture of Andra Espinosa Hunter:

 

[Blakeon18]

Reminder: Hunter [9th grader?] will be playing with Sadie Edwards at Blair...Sadie, Gabby Williams and Courtney Ekmark are the 2014 UConn verbals....hopefully a couple of bigs to follow.

 

[Tonyc]

Reminder: Hunter [9th grader?] will be playing with Sadie Edwards at Blair...Sadie, Gabby Williams and Courtney Ekmark are the 2014 UConn verbals....hopefully a couple of bigs to follow.

Blake I hope my post was more then informational. It tells you where the coaches are in preparing young girls for their future. I can tell you that many parent in NYC have said that the UConn Womens BB program is like the NY Yankees. Its the program to go to. They get them started young. Patterson already has been working with coaches trainers etc in NYC and is on a program to be developed. Many of the NY girls are on the same program. Coaches and parents are getting them ready for college. Just the fact that these girls are being told where they should attend hs and what teams they should be playing with tells you how important it is to them to be ready for college. Hey theyre young and may choose not to play BB in college but for those who want it, everything is there for them. It was very encouraging to me that both bigs want to come to UConn a have been at UConn games. Geno has built something special and the coaches and kids know it. UConn is held in the highest esteem in NY WBB.

 

[EricLA]

This is some great stuff Tony. They are all top quality players, hard to tell if all are in the top 10 or top 5 of their individual classes since I don't know that rankings go out that far (Hunter will be part of 2017 or 2018?). Either way, great to see how respected Geno and UCONN are in elite WCBB circles. I hope these kids continue to develop and remain at the top of their classes.

I'm reminded of a few cautionary tales - Jackie Gemelos, Diamond Deshields and Elena Delle Donne. 'Nuff said. Also, players like Lauren Avant, who verbaled to Tennessee seemingly while still in diapers, and was the #1 kid in her class early on. She faded by her senior year, transferred out of Tennessee after 1 year, and has never really been heard from again. Actually, she goes to Rhodes now and wants to be a doctor. But my point is that often these kids are superstars when they are young, but they don't quite progress the way it is hoped. Of course i'm hoping they do progress and that they all end up at UCONN. What a great core, and that's only from the New England area.

 

[Tonyc]

This is some great stuff Tony. They are all top quality players, hard to tell if all are in the top 10 or top 5 of their individual classes since I don't know that rankings go out that far (Hunter will be part of 2017 or 2018?). Either way, great to see how respected Geno and UCONN are in elite WCBB circles. I hope these kids continue to develop and remain at the top of their classes.

I'm reminded of a few cautionary tales - Diamond Deshields and Elena Delle Donne. 'Nuff said. Also, players like Lauren Avant, who verbaled to Tennessee seemingly while still in diapers, and was the #1 kid in her class early on. She faded by her senior year, transferred out of Tennessee after 1 year, and has never really been heard from again. Actually, she goes to Rhodes now and wants to be a doctor. But my point is that often these kids are superstars when they are young, but they don't quite progress the way it is hoped. Of course i'm hoping they do progress and that they all end up at UCONN. What a great core, and that's only from the New England area.

Eric you know that DD and EDD were the biggest shocks to me. Gemelos was rumored to be changing her mind but DD and EDD were big surprises. Proves one thing. Even with all the rumors about who is going where, you never know what happens with teenagers.

 

[Icebear]

Michigan may be trying to get ahead of the recruiting curve with this group through the Phjlly Belles hire.

 

[Kibitzer]

I can tell you that many parent in NYC have said that the UConn Womens BB program is like the NY Yankees.

Surely there are better role models than that!

 

[ciarlante]

Saw these girls play..it is WAY to early to jump on their bandwagons yet..they got beat a few times in DC..but it's never too early to start the hype machine...

 

[Phil]

Surely there are better role models than that!

I have it on good authority that the Yankees management is planning to step up their game, using the slogan, "Let's be like UConn!"

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

Blake I hope my post was more then informational. It tells you where the coaches are in preparing young girls for their future. I can tell you that many parent in NYC have said that the UConn Womens BB program is like the NY Yankees. Its the program to go to. They get them started young. Patterson already has been working with coaches trainers etc in NYC and is on a program to be developed. Many of the NY girls are on the same program. Coaches and parents are getting them ready for college. Just the fact that these girls are being told where they should attend hs and what teams they should be playing with tells you how important it is to them to be ready for college. Hey theyre young and may choose not to play BB in college but for those who want it, everything is there for them. It was very encouraging to me that both bigs want to come to UConn a have been at UConn games. Geno has built something special and the coaches and kids know it. UConn is held in the highest esteem in NY WBB.

"UConn Womens BB program is like the NY Yankees"

Tony...no need for that kind of perjorative lingo

 

[svetbird]

as a life long Red Sox fan... no the Huskies are nothing like the Yankees.

 

[Icebear]

9-8, taking down Mo, then Chamberlain with small ball after going yard 8 times against Detroit the night before. Sweet.

 

[caramel]

9-8, taking down Mo, then Chamberlain with small ball. Sweet.

Almost feels like 2004 all over again,doesn't it?Would be a great summer if the Red Sox win it all,leading into Connecticut basketball fever!

 

[Alydar]

as a life long Red Sox fan... no the Huskies are nothing like the Yankees.

.
So you want the Huskies to emulate a bunch of scruffy bearded men who like to have shots of JD before games? (from a lifelong Yankee fan who thinks being compared to the winningest franchise in sports is the highest compliment for another team)

 

[svetbird]

.
So you want the Huskies to emulate a bunch of scruffy bearded men who like to have shots of JD before games? (from a lifelong Yankee fan who thinks being compared to the winningest franchise in sports is the highest compliment for another team)

Nope I like to think of them as the Detroit Red Wings. Where people come to win championships for less money (or in Uconn’s case court time) because they want the championship more than the personal glory.

Uconn would not put up with the a-rods of the world A-Rod or A-ROID as I see him called now is the living embodiment of all things UCONN is against.

Self centered me first guy who puts the money over his team, and spends his playoff games trying to pick up women instead of get hits. If Geno was Coaching the Yankees A-Rod would be sitting on the bench.

 

[Alydar]

Nope I like to think of them as the Detroit Red Wings. Where people come to win championships for less money (or in Uconn’s case court time) because they want the championship more than the personal glory.

Uconn would not put up with the a-rods of the world A-Rod or A-ROID as I see him called now is the living embodiment of all things UCONN is against.

Self centered me first guy who puts the money over his team, and spends his playoff games trying to pick up women instead of get hits. If Geno was Coaching the Yankees A-Rod would be sitting on the bench.

.
Funny, but the Sox and their fans loved ARod until he chose the Yankees. They were all gaga about him playing in Boston. And in case you didn't know, the Sox actually offered ARod more money than the Yankees but he turned it down to play for the classiest franchise in sports. Kind of puts to bed your "selfish for the money" argument. I also think you sound just like an LV fan dissing Maya just because she didn't pick your team. And finally, when the Red Sox return the rings they won with Steroid user Manny Ramirez then you can talk about PED use.

 

[Icebear]

.
Funny, but the Sox and their fans loved ARod until he chose the Yankees. They were all gaga about him playing in Boston.

Not this sox fan. He was dirty in Texas long before he became a Yankee.

 

[svetbird]

.
Funny, but the Sox and their fans loved ARod until he chose the Yankees. They were all gaga about him playing in Boston. And in case you didn't know, the Sox actually offered ARod more money than the Yankees but he turned it down to play for the classiest franchise in sports. Kind of puts to bed your "selfish for the money" argument. I also think you sound just like an LV fan dissing Maya just because she didn't pick your team. And finally, when the Red Sox return the rings they won with Steroid user Manny Ramirez then you can talk about PED use.

I can not speak for other sox fans but I hated A-Rod and did not want him on the team. As for Manny, I am not a fan but he did take his punishments without making it a circus. The MLPA was the ones who vetoed the deal as they did not believe the sox should ask A-ROD to take a pay cut. It was not him choosing the yanks over the sox. Again I didn't want him anyway, so I kind of wish he picked the yanks over the sox. At the time I was a big Manny fan and did not want to lose him in the deal. I am not sure anyone needs to give back their rings but the Yanks would need to also give back the ones that Jason Giambi won as well (who I actually like).