Hailey Van Lith in the Portal

[DefenseBB]

Geno wants his shooters to shoot. Case in point. In UConn’s Sweet 16 loss to tOSU, Azzi was 6/17. How does that compare with Hailey Van Lith? In Louisville’s loss to Iowa in the Tournament she shot 8/19. Not much difference there.

I guess a little insight on the shooting capabilities of the two players in question needs to be pointed out
Hailey Van Lith
in 2022-23 in 37 games was .418% from the floor and a dreadful .208 (58-198) from 3 point line or 5.35 shots per games
in 2021-22 in 34 games was .432 and .364 (45-124) or 3.64 shots per game
in 2020-21 in 30 games was .429 and .383 (49-128) or 4.26 shots per game
Azzi
in 2022-23 15 games was .456 and .340 (34-100) 6.67 per game
in 2021-22 25 games was .457 and .430 (58-135) 5.4 per game
So while Hailey Van Lith's shot percentage was actually pretty good her first two years, the seem to be limited to the flow of the offense as good shots. Whereas this year she hoisted quite a few more with much less accuracy and I would say was solely a volume shooter this year.

Azzi on the other hand, is a much better and noted shooter as shown by the percentages. this year was clearly a down year at .340 but IS SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER than .209 and warranted more shots.

Could Hailey actually fit into a more team oriented scheme, maybe but I suspect her ego may not let that occur as evidenced by her Umbridge at not being a 1st team All-American despite her teams struggles and her own less than stellar statistics.

 

[DefenseBB]

These guys have a spotty record so FWIW

So this list directly contradicts Jeff Walz comment on her being closer to home. I think this list makes more sense as NONE of the schools near her home on are Sweet 16 or better ability schools (UW, WSU, Oregon, OSU). Why on earth would she want to do that given how she really played well and enjoyed the NCAA spotlight with Clark. The only West Coast school that needs Hailey and Hailey should look at would be Stanford but I don't know if they would take an outside Grad student.

 

[BobbyJ]

Van Lith is a good player but this year she shot 41% from the field, 29% from 3 and had a negative A/TO ratio. She also publicly was bitter being only HM All American this year while on a team that was unranked the entire season. UCONN already has a log jam at the guard/wing spots with 5 proven players who've been at UCONN 2+ years and know the system competing for 3 spots on the court. Adding Van Lith does nothing to help the Huskies IMO.

I agree completely. And she should find the best school to get her graduate degree and pile up the NIL money because she's not going to tear it up in the W. If she even makes a team.

 

[jake0414]

I guess a little insight on the shooting capabilities of the two players in question needs to be pointed out
Hailey Van Lith
in 2022-23 in 37 games was .418% from the floor and a dreadful .208 (58-198) from 3 point line or 5.35 shots per games
in 2021-22 in 34 games was .432 and .364 (45-124) or 3.64 shots per game
in 2020-21 in 30 games was .429 and .383 (49-128) or 4.26 shots per game
Azzi
in 2022-23 15 games was .456 and .340 (34-100) 6.67 per game
in 2021-22 25 games was .457 and .430 (58-135) 5.4 per game
So while Hailey Van Lith's shot percentage was actually pretty good her first two years, the seem to be limited to the flow of the offense as good shots. Whereas this year she hoisted quite a few more with much less accuracy and I would say was solely a volume shooter this year.

Azzi on the other hand, is a much better and noted shooter as shown by the percentages. this year was clearly a down year at .340 but IS SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER than .209 and warranted more shots.

Could Hailey actually fit into a more team oriented scheme, maybe but I suspect her ego may not let that occur as evidenced by her Umbridge at not being a 1st team All-American despite her teams struggles and her own less than stellar statistics.

58 3pt baskets on 198 attempts = .293. Azzi still had a better 3pt success rate but not as significant as your miscalculation suggests. In 8 games Payton Verhulst shot .208 on limited attempts (5 for 24) before left the team and transferred to Oklahoma.

Agree with many here that UConn doesn't need Hailey Van Lith. I think LSU has more opportunities for her and she could fit in well.

Stanford indeed could use a scoring point guard of Hailey Van Lith's ability. It would really surprise if she could get into Stanford Business School with minimal real world work experience, other than her NIL activities. If not an option she'd need to find another program to enter. Perhaps some of the Stanford Cardinal people on this site could enlighten on whether Stanford offers a one year grad program that fits.

 

[Dillon77]

So this list directly contradicts Jeff Walz comment on her being closer to home. I think this list makes more sense as NONE of the schools near her home on are Sweet 16 or better ability schools (UW, WSU, Oregon, OSU). Why on earth would she want to do that given how she really played well and enjoyed the NCAA spotlight with Clark. The only West Coast school that needs Hailey and Hailey should look at would be Stanford but I don't know if they would take an outside Grad student.

Enjoyed both your posts on the Hailey Van Lith-next-stop thesis. I'll go with some different analogies.

• LSU strikes me as being Capt. Obvious. They have a need for someone that can create and add (yet) another spark of "me against the western world as we know it." Plus, the Kim and Hailey Van Lith similarities/comparisons could eventually become a Disney animated series.
• Honestly, I just don't see how -- despite some mutual respect -- the UConn and Hailey Van Lith makes any sense. All is right in the UConn Fab Four if Aaliyah is the main beat, Caroline plays George and Paige B. (re)joins to become John vs. Azzi's Paul (or the other way around if you have faves). Who is Hailey Van Lith? Mick Jagger looking to improve her cred? And Geno's got these superb new players coming in that would be set back. Beware of superb talent wanting their solos!
• Indiana I kinda get. Grace Berger moves on (finally) and Moore-McNeil can take over the point. Moren did a good job getting Scalia floor time and could do so again. Plus, I think IU needs someone to create her own shot/get fouled now that Berger is gone.

Consider Hailey Van Lith being Joe Walsh joining the Eagles.
- And might I add another scenario that I'm surprised no one is bringing up: Kevin McGuff and the Electric Pressing Orchestra (EPO) at Ohio State lose the mad bomber, Taylor Mikesell. Who better to join Jacy Sheldon and Rikki Harris than Hailey Van Lith? She'll get points off turnovers, three-pt. try's off unsettled situations. Heck, it will almost be like playing with Emily Engstler again!

 

[Geew1992]

I guess a little insight on the shooting capabilities of the two players in question needs to be pointed out
Hailey Van Lith
in 2022-23 in 37 games was .418% from the floor and a dreadful .208 (58-198) from 3 point line or 5.35 shots per games
in 2021-22 in 34 games was .432 and .364 (45-124) or 3.64 shots per game
in 2020-21 in 30 games was .429 and .383 (49-128) or 4.26 shots per game
Azzi
in 2022-23 15 games was .456 and .340 (34-100) 6.67 per game
in 2021-22 25 games was .457 and .430 (58-135) 5.4 per game
So while Hailey Van Lith's shot percentage was actually pretty good her first two years, the seem to be limited to the flow of the offense as good shots. Whereas this year she hoisted quite a few more with much less accuracy and I would say was solely a volume shooter this year.

Azzi on the other hand, is a much better and noted shooter as shown by the percentages. this year was clearly a down year at .340 but IS SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER than .209 and warranted more shots.

Could Hailey actually fit into a more team oriented scheme, maybe but I suspect her ego may not let that occur as evidenced by her Umbridge at not being a 1st team All-American despite her teams struggles and her own less than stellar statistics.

Can someone please explain her ego to me? I have never thought she had a ego. She plays hard all the time. Gave credit to her teammates all the time. Is she a spark plug? Yup. Does she talk trash? Yup. That doesn't mean she has an ego. And if the case is her ego would get in the way, there are plenty of Husky players that you could've said the same thing about. yet, they fit right in.

 

[UcMiami]

I guess a little insight on the shooting capabilities of the two players in question needs to be pointed out
Hailey Van Lith
in 2022-23 in 37 games was .418% from the floor and a dreadful .208 (58-198) from 3 point line or 5.35 shots per games
in 2021-22 in 34 games was .432 and .364 (45-124) or 3.64 shots per game
in 2020-21 in 30 games was .429 and .383 (49-128) or 4.26 shots per game
Azzi
in 2022-23 15 games was .456 and .340 (34-100) 6.67 per game
in 2021-22 25 games was .457 and .430 (58-135) 5.4 per game
So while Hailey Van Lith's shot percentage was actually pretty good her first two years, the seem to be limited to the flow of the offense as good shots. Whereas this year she hoisted quite a few more with much less accuracy and I would say was solely a volume shooter this year.

Azzi on the other hand, is a much better and noted shooter as shown by the percentages. this year was clearly a down year at .340 but IS SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER than .209 and warranted more shots.

Could Hailey actually fit into a more team oriented scheme, maybe but I suspect her ego may not let that occur as evidenced by her Umbridge at not being a 1st team All-American despite her teams struggles and her own less than stellar statistics.

I think your numbers of shots is way off - 2023 Hailey Van Lith averaged 16.8 shots per game, Azzi 13, and Lou 12.

But that all has a lot to do with how the teams are coached and the skills of teammates as well as minutes played and speed of play. Louisville averaged 3 more shots per game than Uconn in 2023, Hailey Van Lith played 37 min/game vs. Lou's 31 and Azzi's 28. So shots per minute played are Hailey Van Lith .45, Lou .39, and Azzi .46. Is Azzi a volume shooter? And does Hailey Van Lith run out of gas when playing 37 minutes vs. previous years where she played around 31 minutes?

I think Hailey Van Lith was over-used at Louisville this year, probably trying to make up for Engster and others who left.

 

[bballnut90]

Can someone please explain her ego to me? I have never thought she had a ego. She plays hard all the time. Gave credit to her teammates all the time. Is she a spark plug? Yup. Does she talk trash? Yup. That doesn't mean she has an ego. And if the case is her ego would get in the way, there are plenty of Husky players that you could've said the same thing about. yet, they fit right in.

Here was her reaction to be HM-AA. It missed a point where a teammate nervously said, "uh oh" as if Hailey Van Lith was going to be really ticked off about it.

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Any time I see a player get bent out of shape about individual honors or show some sort of negative reaction regarding them, I usually think there's an ego there. Ego or not, as a high profile senior, I just can't see her choosing a school like UCONN where she isn't a lock to start and where her role would be greatly reduced on the court. She wouldn't get near the number of shots or have the ball in her hands as much. I could see her getting frustrated taking on a reduced role which is never good for team chemistry. She'd likely be behind Muhl/Fudd/Bueckers who know the system and have played under Geno for 2+ years, while Hailey would be taking on a small role in a structured system after having far more freedom in a less structured system at Louisville.

 

[Ozimoto]

I find it interesting that so many think she and Kim would be an obvious match "because they are so much alike." In my experience, two personalities that are very close often DO NOT get along well.

 

[VA Huskie]

Of course free agency has been great for the sport as a whole. And I think the portal is great, it spreads out the talent. Good coaching is rewarded. Look at the men's Final Four.

My fear is that it doesn’t spread out the talent. It just as easily could help the rich get richer and the poor (or mediocre) get poorer.

 

[VA Huskie]

These guys have a spotty record so FWIW

Not closer to home, if that’s the objective.

 

[bballnut90]

My fear is that it doesn’t spread out the talent. It just as easily could help the rich get richer and the poor (or mediocre) get poorer.

I think it works both ways. A lot of good players on mediocre teams are leaving to play for teams that can compete for a deep tournament run, and on the flip side we've seen a lot of highly touted players leave better programs to get minutes at smaller institutions.

 

[Jokerman619]

Never saw this coming. Who is the lucky team to get her services. Uconn maybe. Never know.

 

[Eweconn]

Here was her reaction to be HM-AA. It missed a point where a teammate nervously said, "uh oh" as if Hailey Van Lith was going to be really ticked off about it.

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Any time I see a player get bent out of shape about individual honors or show some sort of negative reaction regarding them, I usually think there's an ego there. Ego or not, as a high profile senior, I just can't see her choosing a school like UCONN where she isn't a lock to start and where her role would be greatly reduced on the court. She wouldn't get near the number of shots or have the ball in her hands as much. I could see her getting frustrated taking on a reduced role which is never good for team chemistry. She'd likely be behind Muhl/Fudd/Bueckers who know the system and have played under Geno for 2+ years, while Hailey would be taking on a small role in a structured system after having far more freedom in a less structured system at Louisville.

I've never been overly impressed with Hailey Van Lith's game. She's a high volume shooter that doesn't have a particularly good shooting percentage. Personally, I don't think she even deserved honorable mention. She should be happy with that instead of thinking she deserved better than that. She a good college basketball player. Nothing less. nothing more. But hey, that's just me. There are a few over on the L'Ville board that said she's a generational player. Seriously? Not even close.

 

[Rowdy831]

There is no way she should come to UCONN. She would be the third guard at best maybe the 5th because of her size and quickness. Geno also wouldn't take one of Jeff's players and since UCONN has really one scholarship left I say no again.

She has little to no chance to make the WNBA so she will go somewhere that can pay her a ton in NIL money, or go play for a coach that she can learn from to maybe launch her own coaching career. She is a very good player and gets about all she can out of her bag of skills but not at a level that UCONN has right now at guard.

 

[Forego]

"closer to home" sounds like the WEST COAST!! Now, where in the west????

“Closer to home” should always be taken with a grain of salt. Going back about 10 or 11 years ago there was an article about Lauren Engeln leaving UConn. One of the reasons given was that she wanted to be closer to home. She was from Laguna Hills California. She transferred to Boston College.
I am happy that Lou (1 and 2), Dorka, Svet, Nika, Diana and others didn’t feel that way.

 

[oldude]

I guess a little insight on the shooting capabilities of the two players in question needs to be pointed out
Hailey Van Lith
in 2022-23 in 37 games was .418% from the floor and a dreadful .208 (58-198) from 3 point line or 5.35 shots per games
in 2021-22 in 34 games was .432 and .364 (45-124) or 3.64 shots per game
in 2020-21 in 30 games was .429 and .383 (49-128) or 4.26 shots per game
Azzi
in 2022-23 15 games was .456 and .340 (34-100) 6.67 per game
in 2021-22 25 games was .457 and .430 (58-135) 5.4 per game
So while Hailey Van Lith's shot percentage was actually pretty good her first two years, the seem to be limited to the flow of the offense as good shots. Whereas this year she hoisted quite a few more with much less accuracy and I would say was solely a volume shooter this year.

Azzi on the other hand, is a much better and noted shooter as shown by the percentages. this year was clearly a down year at .340 but IS SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER than .209 and warranted more shots.

Could Hailey actually fit into a more team oriented scheme, maybe but I suspect her ego may not let that occur as evidenced by her Umbridge at not being a 1st team All-American despite her teams struggles and her own less than stellar statistics.

Difficult to compare the two. Geno runs a 5-out motion offense, where a lot of Azzi’s shots come off of screens, catch & shoot, etc. Louisville runs a lot of isolation as they did with Asia Durr and now Hailey Van Lith. I’m going to guess that you can not find a single season in the past 20 years or so when Louisville, as a team, shot a better % than UConn.

The comparison between Azzi’s shooting vs tOSU and Hailey Van Lith’s shooting vs Iowa is apt imo, because both players were forced to take on a heavier burden of finding their own shots off the dribble, which neither one did particularly well.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Hailey Van Lith shot a lower percentage this year than her first 2 years. I may be wrong, but I attribute it to being the primary offensive option, unlike her prior 2 seasons. I saw her force several shots this year. But she shot 87% on FTs, suggesting that she can be a good shooter. She averaged a respectable 37% from the arc over her first 2 seasons. Recall that she was the major reason we lost to Louisville in December 2021. I would discount her FG percentage from last season.

 

[mbr33ct]

I find it interesting that so many think she and Kim would be an obvious match "because they are so much alike." In my experience, two personalities that are very close often DO NOT get along well.

How do you explain Kim and Reese?

 

[bbsamjj]

Hailey Van Lith shot a lower percentage this year than her first 2 years. I may be wrong, but I attribute it to being the primary offensive option, unlike her prior 2 seasons. I saw her force several shots this year. But she shot 87% on FTs, suggesting that she can be a good shooter. She averaged a respectable 37% from the arc over her first 2 seasons. Recall that she was the major reason we lost to Louisville in December 2021. I would discount her FG percentage from last season.

Great points, her 3pt shooting this past year is the outlier from her first 3 years. She was about a 43% FG shooter overall her first two years, which is slightly better than this year (and may be attributed to her better 3-point shooting).

 

[PacoSwede]

not that it matters, but has everyone forgotten that gonzaga is in spokane? seems to meet hailey's 'closer to home'' desires. they have a credible team historically, and a pretty exceptional point guard who also lays claim to a 'van' in her name.

 

[JellyBean]

not that it matters, but has everyone forgotten that gonzaga is in spokane? seems to meet hailey's 'closer to home'' desires. they have a credible team historically, and a pretty exceptional point guard who also lays claim to a 'van' in her name.

True. Be very curious to see Gonzaga is even on Hailey Van Lith's radar.

 

[ReadR00ster]

So not that many people thinking South Carolina here huh? I think that is pretty interesting considering all that South Carolina has lost and all that they are still bringing back next year. I mean Van Lith can come in and basically be the team leader immediately and provide the a lot of the scoring they are looking for, be surrounded by a bunch of McDonalds All-Americans and 6'7 Giant from Brazil. She's used to playing at the pace SC likes to push it too. I think this would make them the favorites once again to win the natty or at least put them in the conversation with Uconn and LSU. SC is definitely going to try to score some one big in the portal. They always try to, might as well be Haley.

 

[Gordo]

Neither has Betts though.

She played in 33 games and 319 minutes.

 

[bballnut90]

So not that many people thinking South Carolina here huh? I think that is pretty interesting considering all that South Carolina has lost and all that they are still bringing back next year. I mean Van Lith can come in and basically be the team leader immediately and provide the a lot of the scoring they are looking for, be surrounded by a bunch of McDonalds All-Americans and 6'7 Giant from Brazil. She's used to playing at the pace SC likes to push it too. I think this would make them the favorites once again to win the natty or at least put them in the conversation with Uconn and LSU. SC is definitely going to try to score some one big in the portal. They always try to, might as well be Haley.

Playing style wise I think she'd be a solid fit. Very active player and could be a higher usage version of what Zia Cooke brought. They need perimeter shooters. Personality wise, I'm not seeing it though. South Carolina players have always have sort of a relaxed family vibe to me where Hailey Van Lith comes off as super intense anytime I see her talk.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

So not that many people thinking South Carolina here huh? I think that is pretty interesting considering all that South Carolina has lost and all that they are still bringing back next year. I mean Van Lith can come in and basically be the team leader immediately and provide the a lot of the scoring they are looking for, be surrounded by a bunch of McDonalds All-Americans and 6'7 Giant from Brazil. She's used to playing at the pace SC likes to push it too. I think this would make them the favorites once again to win the natty or at least put them in the conversation with Uconn and LSU. SC is definitely going to try to score some one big in the portal. They always try to, might as well be Haley.

I don’t see Haley’s personality meshing with South Carolina. I also don’t think they’ll want another guard to come in when they have two all Americans coming in at guard and Hall and Cooper who have had to wait their turn in the backcourt as well. Seems like an easy way to screw up chemistry, same reason why I wouldn’t see her coming to UConn.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

I've been out of the loop for a few days and saw the news but wanted to catch up.

It's still so, so odd to me now that players just want to transfer who have been team leaders, the face of the program, seemigly the most important piece of the puzzle, all after three years in the same place. Two E8s and 1 FF while being the go to option for a chuck of that to head out now just strikes me as strange. It makes me realize I understand young people less and less as I age.

I know she's graduating but I'm sure the school offers grad degrees. She may have decided to be closer to home but it's not like she didn't know where Louisville is located before she went. She may want to play 2 more seasons to increase her NIL earnings and be on a different stage. But really, I just don't get it.

Betts at least is someone who may or may not have upset about playing time, homesick, didn't fit in with the culture, etc. Freshman leaving makes more sense to me than rising seniors.

 

[southie]

I've been out of the loop for a few days and saw the news but wanted to catch up.

It's still so, so odd to me now that players just want to transfer who have been team leaders, the face of the program, seemigly the most important piece of the puzzle, all after three years in the same place. Two E8s and 1 FF while being the go to option for a chuck of that to head out now just strikes me as strange. It makes me realize I understand young people less and less as I age.

I know she's graduating but I'm sure the school offers grad degrees. She may have decided to be closer to home but it's not like she didn't know where Louisville is located before she went. She may want to play 2 more seasons to increase her NIL earnings and be on a different stage. But really, I just don't get it.

Betts at least is someone who may or may not have upset about playing time, homesick, didn't fit in with the culture, etc. Freshman leaving makes more sense to me than rising seniors.

We will probably never know the main reason why players similar to Van Lith choose to transfer. Could be as simple as her no longer being happy at Louisville. Could be conflicts with teammates. Could be concerns over her development as a future professional player. Most transfers bite their tongues and don't publicize their reasons especially if it paints others in a bad light.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

We will probably never know the main reason why players similar to Van Lith choose to transfer. Could be as simple as her no longer being happy at Louisville. Could be conflicts with teammates. Could be concerns over her development as a future professional player. Most transfers bite their tongues and don't publicize their reasons especially if it paints others in a bad light.

Agreed and I don't have to know. It still just seems so weird though when players of her stature and success are leaving their programs. I will be curious where she winds up.

 

[sun]

LSU has a fairly reputable MBA program that's valued at $54K per year for out of state tuition.
That along with Mulkey's need is why I think that LSU could be a good fit for her.
Baton Rouge has a lot of other favorable aspects to it.

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