Hailey Van Lith in the Portal

[bovwa10]

The NCAA is totally responsible for the fire drill that occurs every year at this time. Very little of this would be happening if they had not changed from the prior eligibility rules re transfers to the immediate eligibility we now have. Couple that cave-in with NIL and it has now become a buy-a-player joke nudging WCBB closer and closer to pro leagues

This is pure and simple a defensive move by the NCAA to retain the big schools, primarily related to P5 football, but spilling over to all revenue sports. The UCONN WCBB program is a true outlier with its history and coaching. If not for those 2 factors we would not be in the running for any top 20-30 level players. Remember Liyah's interview quote, "I mean it's UCONN" Do any of us really think she would have made the same statement while substituting Creighton/Nova/St. John's or any other Big East school or even middle level P5 schools such as TCU or Wake Forest ?

Is there a solution to this transfer portal situation? I think so. On a going forward basis, revert to the one-year-sit-out rule with two exceptions. 1) Do not employ it retroactively to any current players or incoming players who have signed a LOI; and 2) Establish hard and fast exception rules, e.g. HC departing or abuse of some verifiable nature.

The NCAA is not going to go back on this. They opened a can of worms and it’s hard to go back without getting significant blowback

 

[ISUnorth]

Indiana. 99.9% in my opinion. A Final Four path from there would be a good bet for her and it's an Adidas school, correct?

 

[NEforceUConn]

My experiences with recruiting are with college soccer so not certain it’s similar. During the recruitment process the head and assistant coaches were my kid’s best friend and as soon as they committed it was as if the coach didn’t know they existed. Off they were on the season and the next set of recruits. Not to suggest this exists with UCONN and Geno but I’ll bet it’s more prevalent than we think and the kids need to understand they won’t get spoon fed once they show up day 1 and they’ll get a different treatment than that of the recruitment process.

So kind of like dating?

 

[SECbbfan24]

Indiana. 99.9% in my opinion. A Final Four path from there would be a good bet for her and it's an Adidas school, correct?

I can see it

Although I want to say I know athletes at schools who have deals with Nike, Adidas, Puma who are in direct conflict with what the school actually uses another brand. So I personally don't think its a deal breaker people make it out to be

 

[Hayven]

Oregon State? They’ve essentially dropped off the map the past years but have some nice pieces there. Someone like Hailey Van Lith can lift them up again

 

[bovwa10]

Oregon State? They’ve essentially dropped off the map the past years but have some nice pieces there. Someone like Hailey Van Lith can lift them up again

Nope, Rueck runs a very restrictive offensive system that I don’t see Hailey Van Lith wanting to play in. I could see Oregon but not Oregon State. My bet is that she goes to LSU

 

[mbr33ct]

I've always been an education first person, but this is becoming the age of the NIL deal.

So you saying it's no longer "student athlete" but "NIL athlete"?

 

[mbr33ct]

The transfer portal has become a.....

 

[UConnCat]

Washington is an Adidas school now, she's from that state, and Tina Langley is starting to get some momentum.

The thinking among L’vile folks is a school out west and an adidas school.

Jeff was on vacation and Hailey Van Lith and dad told him Thursday night via zoom.

 

[bovwa10]

The thinking among L’vile folks is a school out west and an adidas school.

Jeff was on vacation and Hailey Van Lith and dad told him Thursday night via zoom.

Based on both of their statements, I don’t think there’s any bad blood between them

 

[Rb335]

This one is wild to me. Highly regarded high school player, face of the program, the heir apparent to Asia Durr and Dana Evans. All American. This one feels different, because she came in, played really well, and graduated early. It’s truly a free agency type move from a basketball standpoint, but I’m sure there are other reasons, maybe academic.

But as a Uconn fan, it’s frustrating to some degree. When you recruit from hs, there is no guarantee that players will live up to expectation. An example of that would be Deberry, who at one point was a top big coming out of high school.

Recruiting out of the portal gives you more insight into how a players game translates to college. If you carry a full roster and nobody is transferring, you can’t recruit from the portal. Whereas other teams have max exodus of their high school recruits, and essentially plug and play with experienced college athletes.

You have to consider a world where the likes of Van Laith, Owusu, and Rodgers end up at LSU. Unlikely, but that type of portal recruitment is going to outperform even the best hs recruiting class almost every time.

I miss the days of loyalty, and building a program. This mindset that this year might not be our year, but we’re building something for the future.

Intrigued to see where she ends up, because she will be a major addition to any program.

 

[wingsfan055]

The transfer portal has become a.....

Say goodbye to academics/education & hello to $$. Stanford/Tara is Victim #1.

 

[Tom677777]

Definitely going to Indiana it makes sense, replacing Berger

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Apparently she's "do not contact" which indicates she knows where she's going. Guessing we'll find out sooner than later.

Previously, Coach Geno claimed that when a kid enters the portal and then immediately declares where she's going, it means that teams are cheating. It means that teams never stopped recruiting those players, which is a violation of recruiting rules.

Wonder if anyone will get caught? Or are coaches like Mulkey so high and mighty that they're immune from prosecution by the NCAA?

And if so, is it time to create a professional development league?

 

[Iluvacc2]

I can definitely see her at LSU, she’s a mini Mulkey.

Mulkey, Van Lith, and Reese on the same team. Their villainy level will go to the nth degree

 

[oldhusky]

I’m starting to think that I should not go to bed for the next several days, or so. Why? Because every time I wake up and check the Boneyard, it’s some world-class shattering news like this.

Yea I know. One day I wake up and the glass is half full, the next it might be half empty, and by the third I need to pour some whiskey in it!

 

[DrummerDee]

I say Stanford is in her process. Brink is still there and they desperately need a point guard. It's on the west coast, closer, but not real close to her family. Perhaps Indiana. I'ts an Adidas school, Berger is gone, definitely a final four contender, especially with her. That, and with ND in their back yard, it would really piss Ivey off. I'm all for that.

 

[hoopsfan22]

Previously, Coach Geno claimed that when a kid enters the portal and then immediately declares where she's going, it means that teams are cheating. It means that teams never stopped recruiting those players, which is a violation of recruiting rules.

Wonder if anyone will get caught? Or are coaches like Mulkey so high and mighty that they're immune from prosecution by the NCAA?

And if so, is it time to create a professional development league?

You would need someone to rat them out, and who is going to do that? Only the player would know if they are being recruited by another team, and they aren't going to turn in their new coach.

 

[oldhusky]

So kind of like dating?

Maybe speed dating. Committing to a school is becoming less like a marriage and more like a one-night stand!

 

[Centerstream]

Yea I know. One day I wake up and the glass is half full, the next it might be half empty, and by the third I need to pour some more whiskey in it!

I edited it for you

 

[Goodgood]

I've always been an education first person, but this is becoming the age of the NIL deal.

Not always. Fran Belibi just graduated from Stanford. She did not declare for the WNBA draft. Instead, she enrolled at Harvard Medical School...

 

[DrummerDee]

Say goodbye to academics/education & hello to $$. Stanford/Tara is Victim #1.

Well, seeing that Tara likened NIL to prostitution and she wants no part of it, we will likely see a reduction in top level players seeking out Stanford as a landing spot.

 

[CardsWBBfan]

The thinking among L’vile folks is a school out west and an adidas school.

Jeff was on vacation and Hailey Van Lith and dad told him Thursday night via zoom.

How do you know this? I am a Louisville fan and haven’t heard this.

 

[Bone Dog]

Couldn’t “do not contact” mean she wants to be the one doing the calling?

 

[CardsWBBfan]

Louisville fan here. I’m not surprised. Certainly no bad blood between them, Hailey Van Lith spoke very highly of Walz during the tourney. That is all legit.

I really think this is about getting the most money she can out of NIL, in theory she has two more years. I don’t begrudge her that.

I know nothing, but I also think LSU. It was between Louisville and Baylor out of HS, and Mulkey has gotten to the promised land, again. I also think the NIL is too much to pass up. I understand Hailey Van Lith has quite a few nstional deals, those should stay with her. But Louisville is woefully behind in the NIL game and we are getting crushed. All I’ve heard since before this season started was we lost Kitts and Fulwiley (?) to a guaranteed $25k at SC. IMHO Louisville athletics has been in chaos for years ( due to all the mens bball and football drama) that we are not prepared for NIL.

I have not always been a big fan of hers, but this does hurt, def short term. I certainly hope she’s happy wherever she lands. I’ve also no doubt her dad was a big part of this.