Good Quotes in This Article

[RockyMTblue2]

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/03/uconn-not-killing-womens-basketball

Don't think it is up yet.

Makes a good point about recruiting. On of those formats that won't let you import content!

 

[Kaizen]

Nice article and well said.

 

[UcMiami]

And a couple others:
http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/or...f/2016/03/canzano_please_dominance_in_sp.html

Edit - the second story - whoops different link same story

Don't agree with Chiney - in a team game, you need good coaching - you can develop skills in a vacuum, but you need a team and coaches to develop your deeper understanding of basketball. Non - Uconn players speak of that after working with the USA NT, and Chiney and her sister have recognized that, and they both had a great college coach to teach them - but the more time you can get with great coaches the better you will become, and every great coach brings a few different insights to the table.

Loyd's comments are great!

 

[bags27]

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/03/uconn-not-killing-womens-basketball
Don't think it is up yet. Makes a good point about recruiting. On of those formats that won't let you import content!

There's that great presser by Geno (posted here the past month or so) when he announces the official signings of the big 3. He could hardly contain himself: said it would put UConn right back on top. Seems like he sort of knew what he was talking about, huh?

 

[HGN]

And a couple others:
http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/or...f/2016/03/canzano_please_dominance_in_sp.html

Edit - the second story - whoops different link same story

Don't agree with Chiney - in a team game, you need good coaching - you can develop skills in a vacuum, but you need a team and coaches to develop your deeper understanding of basketball. Non - Uconn players speak of that after working with the USA NT, and Chiney and her sister have recognized that, and they both had a great college coach to teach them - but the more time you can get with great coaches the better you will become, and every great coach brings a few different insights to the table.

Loyd's comments are great!

UcMiami , after reading the story , I did not agree with Chiney either. Sure , a player can indeed try to develop their own skills with individual workouts. And they may learn how to play when the ball is in their hands. But will not learn how to play without it. Basketball is not tennis , where its just you against an opponent. It's a team game. Coaches teach team play. How to play with others. How to cut , pass , feed the post , and play without the ball. That's where I think Chiney's theory falls short.

Individual play can many times win games , but it normally takes a TEAM to win Championships.

 

[pinotbear]

Just for fun, I thought I'd take a look at the ol' "UConn gets all the best players" argument.

Now, I realize that the impact of one or two key players in a 5-person game is huge. And, I am not a recruiting maven, nor do I play one on TV. There are folks on this board who have forgotten more about recruiting than I know.

I simply went back and looked at the last 8 years of ESPN/Hoopgurlz recruiting class rankings.

2016 2015 2014 2013
1.MD Duke
2.Baylor
3.Texas
4. Florida State
5.Notre Dame
6.Louisville
7.Oregon
8.Ohio State
9. Stanford
10. Arizona State

14. UConn

 

[pinotbear]

Just for fun, I thought I'd take a look at the ol' "UConn gets all the best players" argument.

Now, I realize that the impact of one or two key players in a 5-person game is huge. And, I am not a recruiting maven, nor do I play one on TV. There are folks on this board who have forgotten more about recruiting than I know.

I simply went back and looked at the last 8 years of ESPN/Hoopgurlz recruiting class rankings.

2016 2015 2014 2013
1.MD Duke
2.Baylor
3.Texas
4. Florida State
5.Notre Dame
6.Louisville
7.Oregon
8.Ohio State
9. Stanford
10. Arizona State

14. UConn

The edit function "timed out" before I could complete the chart and commentary. What it comes down to is this: UConn has had top-10 recruiting classes 2 out of the last 4 years, and 5 out of the last 8. Baylor is 3 of the last 4, 4 out of the last 5. Notre Dame is 5 for 5, and 6 of the last 7. Louisville is 3 out of the last 3, 4 out of the last 7. Stanford is 3 out of the last 4 years, 6 out of the last 8. Duke had top 10 classes for 6 consecutive years, 2010 through 2015. UNC, MD, Tenn and Texas A&M all have had at least 3 top-10 classes over the time period. UConn does recruit very, very well, and has "landed" the top-ranked individual often. But, there's at least 9 other schools who recruit exceedingly well, and they have the titles and the Final Four appearances to prove it. But, the gap on the court is significantly larger than the gap, if any, in recruiting. UConn's dominance is not merely attracting better talent.

 

[UcMiami]

Unfortunately the ranking of recruiting classes greatly overweights volume vs. quality. In a sport where players are around for four years, and typical NCAA rotations are 6-8 players, getting an average of 1.5-2 good recruits each year greatly outperforms getting 3-4 decent recruits a year. Add in that the ranking of the recruits is based almost exclusively on their individual skills and not their team skill, personality, and drive for improvement and it becomes a very limited system of evaluation.
I do think Uconn gets the right really good recruits and there are only a few teams that over the last four years match up to that.
Baylor
South Carolina
Notre Dame
and maybe
Louisville
Maryland
Texas
Ohio State

A couple of those are volume recruiters (and signers of transfers) and it remains to be seen whether the volume of talent can be molded into a coherent whole and developed. And of course there is attrition - Duke and UNC being prime examples of that - they get them but can they keep them.