Haley Jones to Stanford

[Charliebball]

gee where have I heard that refrain before?

 

[Charliebball]

If you watched today's game, you have clear evidence of your observation that, " ONO will not be an AA next season." She can't do anything ( shoot, rebound, set a screen, defend, etc) without committing a foul. We all hope and expect her to develop into a dominating player. Geno and this team will do all they can to help her along. But she has to do it. She has to get better.

she'll be averaging 14 -16 points and 8 rebounds a game next year.......................I could care less if she's an All American as a soph

 

[TheFarmFan]

Chiney improved dramatically as well. First 2 seasons she was a very good complimentary player. By Sr. year she was unstoppable.

Yes, I can also attest to both. Nneka was a solid top ten recruit, but transformed into the undisputed #1 draft pick, and has now gone on to win WNBA MVP. She definitely didn't look destined for that her freshman year. And Chiney was more promising from the start, in part due to her greater length, but she had tons of foul trouble her freshman season. It really wasn't until late into her sophomore year that she became who she is now... precisely what you'd expect after two seasons of HoF coaching.

If you watched today's game, you have clear evidence of your observation that, " ONO will not be an AA next season." She can't do anything ( shoot, rebound, set a screen, defend, etc) without committing a foul. We all hope and expect her to develop into a dominating player. Geno and this team will do all they can to help her along. But she has to do it. She has to get better.

Fear not - a lot of long and lanky post players take a while to get a feel for the much more physical college game. It's very, very common for posts to start their frosh seasons with a lot of foul trouble, and she also missed her senior season with a knee injury, so she's got the experience of a high school senior going up against a top 16 team. You guys need to give your players a little more credit!

 

[HuskyNan]

How do you know? Were you recruited by him?

I’m not sure where you came up with your statement

Gee I guess I just forgot how many championships Tara has??????

Two and has been runner up twice. Those go with 13 Final Four appearances

 

[bballnut90]

FWIW, the last time UCONN didn't land a top 20 recruit was in 2013 with Chong, and Chong has the best W/L percentage of any player in NCAA history.

Jones to Stanford is a great get, but I'd expect that Geno takes a grad transfer in the offseason since post play looks quite thin for next year. On the plus side, you have a full year for ONO to add strength and get up to speed, plus Walker is a player who like Collier can play bigger than her 6-1 frame suggests.

Two years ago UCONN nearly went undefeated with a relatively young roster and a rotation that had a front court of 6-1 Collier and 5-11 Williams. Obviously landing Boston or Jones would've been very helpful, but Geno will make do with the players he has and I don't think anyone things UCONN is falling out of the mix as a title threat with the talent they return next year.

 

[Padutch5]

I’m not sure where you came up with your statement

Two and has been runner up twice. Those go with 13 Final Four appearances

And why do t you add has refused to play UCONN the last several years.

 

[HuskyNan]

If you watched today's game, you have clear evidence of your observation that, " ONO will not be an AA next season." She can't do anything ( shoot, rebound, set a screen, defend, etc) without committing a foul. We all hope and expect her to develop into a dominating player. Geno and this team will do all they can to help her along. But she has to do it. She has to get better.

Here we go with my yearly refrain - post players take longer to adjust when moving up a level. The game is much faster and more physical than high school. And, big girls that were used to being the bigggest one on the court now face 6-3, 6-4, or 6-5 opponents every game.

I’m biting my virtual tongue on my opinion of your passing judgment on Liv’s entire college career based on a handful of games at the start of her freshman year but, geez.

 

[HuskyNan]

And why do t you add has refused to play UCONN the last several years.

What does that have to do with anything?

 

[TheFarmFan]

And why do t you add has refused to play UCONN the last several years.

Stanford played UConn last season?

 

[JellyBean]

Pretty excited for the young lady and Stanford's women's basketball program. Best wishes, Haley

 

[hoopsfan22]

What are you even talking about? The NCAA has only approved maybe a handful of waiver over the past 4 years. The penalty of having to sit a year still exists.

When you say "handful over the past 4 years" I believe the number you are looking for is 22 last season alone. That's out of the 140 kids that decided to switch teams after last season, not counting the grad transfers. Seems like there's a trend, so while it's not yet automatic until there's a rule change, the writing is on the wall with more and more waivers being granted each season for circumstances far from extenuating. You combine that with the rule changes in football that were implemented this season, and the NCAA appears to be giving players who want out of their program a bit more power to move around with less or even no encumbrances.

 

[bbballfan23]

If you watched today's game, you have clear evidence of your observation that, " ONO will not be an AA next season." She can't do anything ( shoot, rebound, set a screen, defend, etc) without committing a foul. We all hope and expect her to develop into a dominating player. Geno and this team will do all they can to help her along. But she has to do it. She has to get better.

You’re maybe a tad bit critical. She has been up and down this year but her ups show climpses of an AA. Junior year I think you will see the ONO coming out party. By that time, Christyn will have established herself as a top 5 player in the country so we will have a dominant guard/post combo once again & hopefully the addition of a girl named Fudd stepping onto campus!

 

[hoopsfan22]

You’re maybe a tad bit critical. She has been up and down this year but her ups show climpses of an AA. Junior year I think you will see the ONO coming out party. By that time, Christyn will have established herself as a top 5 player in the country so we will have a dominant guard/post combo once again & hopefully the addition of a girl named Fudd stepping onto campus!

ONO will be fine. Let's not forget she is coming off major surgery. CW is looking great out there, but let's revisit after the New Year when she hits the wall. CW is going to be something when she takes that sophomore leap, and another summer of workouts will do wonders for building up ONO's strength. We were thisclose to replacing a #1 and #6 in KLS and Collier with a #1 and #3 that could have slid right into those two openings in the starting lineup. UConn and ND are gonna have some recruiting battles for 2020 and 2021 as both teams will run fairly lean rosters next season, and future classes have got to see that playing time is there for the taking at both schools.

 

[JordyG]

Here we go with my yearly refrain - post players take longer to adjust when moving up a level. The game is much faster and more physical than high school. And, big girls that were used to being the bigggest one on the court now face 6-3, 6-4, or 6-5 opponents every game.

I’m biting my virtual tongue on my opinion of your passing judgment on Liv’s entire college career based on a handful of games at the start of her freshman year but, geez.

It's like some people just don't get it. Also 17 year old's are not only still growing, but it takes awhile for them to coordinate the body they're in. The taller the 17 year old, the more difficult it is. Let's also throw in new surroundings, new people, new offensive and defensive schemes, new expectations, and doing new and different things on and off the court. Including college level school work. These to me are reasons why so many big's don't remove themselves far from home to play.

I said this in a chat, but from my vantage Liv has the potential to be the most exciting big UConn has had since Stewie and the potential to be the most exciting player of her size at UConn ever. Now, that doesn't mean the best. Just the most exciting.

 

[Carnac]

“In tact” days have left the building and will not be back. The transfer mkt now will have good players like never before . Geno will be on the hunt. Stevens was a great one and Geno will strike again

I’m sure Grno us not done. I expect at least 2-3 more recruits to verbal from 2019 , or a combination of recruits and transfers before the end of the regular LOI signing period.

 

[YSRFrisbee]

So...I just got home and read all the lovely posts about today's events Of course, my only reaction is this:

haha. JK! In typical fashion, let me begin by giving props (do people still use that term? lol) to Haley and to wish her the best in her career and beyond! And if it doesn't work out in Stanford, there is always a home for her in Storrs

Overall, I am v. excited about Aubrey joining the team next year and I'm anxious (in a good way) to see how the current team develops and gets better this year & beyond. With Geno and CD in charge, I have no doubt that UCONN will be in contention for a NC every year until they retire. Their track record speaks for itself. I'm an Auburn alum, but even I know UCONN WBB is the equivalent to Bama Football

And I know our secret desire is for UCONN to get every top recruit, go on a 900-0 run, and win every game by 40 in the process, etc... but that's just not how the world works and that's ok It's good to see the wealth spread out in WCBB...it will only grow the game and fan base. I still remember back in 2009 when a lot of us were worried about having one recruit class with Kelly Faris. I couldn't have predicted that she'd become one of my favorite players of all time and have a pretty awesome career (understatement) in the process So...I'm going to relax and not fret about a future I cannot control. Instead, I choose to live in the moment, appreciate this amazing program and the players we have NOW, and look forward to all of the great times ahead. There will be plenty more

"In a world where you can be anything...be KIND"

 

[willtalk]

For the ones saying Azura is the poster child for this movement. Did she not look WAY better in the WNBA than she did at UCONN? She was all rookie team and a very important piece to Dallas. Leaving seems like a smart move now for Stevens.

It was me who posted that. I never said it was a bad idea for her to enter early. I probably should have gone into more detail but my post was pretty long as it was. I had posted about Stevens earlier on a thread about that very subject in which I did go into more detail.

With Stevens as with all players it is always a matter of trade offs and choice. She had to decide if spending one more year in the program would be worth the extra effort. I believe Geno would have expanded her game to include a back to the basket game. At present she does not need one, but in the future it might have come in handy. To stay she would have started one year down in respect to salary. In the WNBA it is just not a one year of losing a salary, but while she is on the rookie scale they do not get paid very much. She still has to play some years at a minimal salary before she get any real money. Thats one trade off. The second is being in a program that would have made her focus on something she didn't really want to do in the first place- develop a back to the basket game. Players like Stevens can have a future in Professional ball without having to go through Geno's system.

The choice is totally about how long they wish to continue to develop and how much of an effort they want to expend in that quest. If you put my statement in context with the rest of my post it implies that players today have already spent a major amount of their lives developing so they are more impatient to get with it. Most of these girls have been living basketball from a very early age. Their commitment in honing their skills is overwhelming. The days when a player could totally rely on their physical abilities are long gone. It requires a huge sacrifice to even be at a level to compete. If you are very tall and have some athletic skills then teams might be patient and develop you. However short undeveloped athletes are a dime a dozen.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Not sure what you’re apologizing for. ?? Anyway I didn’t intend to insult UConn players or grads, or imply that you aren’t brilliant. There are a million reasons one might choose a state U over a more prestigious institution. Hopefully some elite high school basketball players will soon find some of these reasons.

Thanks--you stated my point here nicely. Thanks

 

[BroadwayVa]

I get it. I get his style. But the game has changed in the last 5 years. Where their used to be 2-3 schools as his real competition, there's now 5-8 (made up numbers but you get the point). More schools vying for the same kids = less available pool of kids = need to expand recruiting profile.

No argument here. It is not as though Women's basketball world wasn't expecting or hoping for these 5 or 8 schools to happen. Once only Pat and Geno vied for the top players. Those 2 teams were the Mount Etna of Basketball.
I just don't know what you mean by your last phrase: "need to expand recruiting profile"???? What is it, how do you do it?

 

[BroadwayVa]

It was me who posted that. I never said it was a bad idea for her to enter early. I probably should have gone into more detail but my post was pretty long as it was. I had posted about Stevens earlier on a thread about that very subject in which I did go into more detail.

With Stevens as with all players it is always a matter of trade offs and choice. She had to decide if spending one more year in the program would be worth the extra effort. I believe Geno would have expanded her game to include a back to the basket game. At present she does not need one, but in the future it might have come in handy. To stay she would have started one year down in respect to salary. In the WNBA it is just not a one year of losing a salary, but while she is on the rookie scale they do not get paid very much. She still has to play some years at a minimal salary before she get any real money. Thats one trade off. The second is being in a program that would have made her focus on something she didn't really want to do in the first place- develop a back to the basket game. Players like Stevens can have a future in Professional ball without having to go through Geno's system.

The choice is totally about how long they wish to continue to develop and how much of an effort they want to expend in that quest. If you put my statement in context with the rest of my post it implies that players today have already spent a major amount of their lives developing so they are more impatient to get with it. Most of these girls have been living basketball from a very early age. Their commitment in honing their skills is overwhelming. The days when a player could totally rely on their physical abilities are long gone. It requires a huge sacrifice to even be at a level to compete. If you are very tall and have some athletic skills then teams might be patient and develop you. However short undeveloped athletes are a dime a dozen.

Willtalk: Of all you say I agree with this the most: The second is being in a program that would have made her focus on something she didn't really want to do in the first place- develop a back to the basket game. Players like Stevens can have a future in Professional ball without having to go through Geno's system.

This not so much: The days when a player could totally rely on their physical abilities are long gone.

Geno had 2 years to develop Azura into a back to the boards AND a reliable defender. Neither happened. I have very serious doubt he could develop her much more than she was. Azura is a very intelligent and talented player. If her desire was to be as above she would have been long before she played one game for Uconn.

 

[intlzncster]

I just don't know what you mean by your last phrase: "need to expand recruiting profile"???? What is it, how do you do it?

Well, I'm not a coaching genius, so I can't specify exactly, nor can I tell you how to go about it, but Geno is! What I'm trying to get at is:

• go after girls who might not fit his prototype exactly.
• what this would involve his coaching kids up in a way that molded them into classic UCONN players.
• I'm having difficulty coming up with an example, but randomly take Angel McCoughtry. She was dubbed as a hot head, selfish type player when she first broke onto the scene at Louisville. So maybe, take a look at some of this type of player, with the expectation and mindset that you could mold them and coach them up. There would be some failures, and it might be a bit more work, but there could be significant dividends.
• Idk the exact story, but I recall UCONN backing off of Ogunbowale I think. Rumor has it that it had something to do with selfishness and or attitude--I could be completely wrong here, or thinking of someone else though. And this was a huge mistake. She's a player with guts/balls and is a winner, to go along with her great skills. Of anyone in the country, I might want her most*.
• UCONN seems to focus a lot on 'nice' girls. I want mean and nasty ones. Give me more Taurasi's. Some of those nice girls have preternatural skills, so it's no worry (Maya). But unless they are world beaters, it makes things more difficult.

*I'm more than happy with Dangerfield, probably my favorite on the team, but if they could have gotten both....wow.

 

[BroadwayVa]

I"m a dude so no I was not recruited to UCONN by Geno. I did play for him in high school though and have sat in on 3 of his recruiting visits by AAU or HS teammates of my daughters.

Did you play for him? Dude, you are a lucky dude. He was one handsome guy and some of his early recruits say they had a crush on him. You too are LUCKY in that you got to actually sit in on a Geno recruiting visit. You've seen Geno doing what Geno did best, woe parent and a potential player with is charisma. Some seeing the older Geno don't realize what a glamor boy he was.
I was impressed with your character and other aspects of your life; this puts another twist to an already interesting life.

 

[Padutch5]

What does that have to do with anything?

I think it has everything to do with it.Look. If I’m a high schooler at the top of he game, looking to b the best I can be, I pick the coaches with the best track record in preparing players for the next level. That doesn’t include running away from the top competition. Despite. The fact he didn’t get the top recruiting class for next year, I’ll bet he still schedules all of the top schools who will play him.
I didn’t look up the numbers, but from what I remember, he has done a far better job of that when I look at the top on the WNBA.
Sorry if I’m not a Tara worshipper. Rebecca Lobo is widely credited with bringing attention to women’s basketball like never before yet Tara treated her like crap on the Olympic team. Maybe if she ever bothered to be up front about that I’d be more inclined to treat her nicer.

 

[CocoHusky]

Did you play for him? Dude, you are a lucky dude. He was one handsome guy and some of his early recruits say they had a crush on him. You too are LUCKY in that you got to actually sit in on a Geno recruiting visit. You've seen Geno doing what Geno did best, woe parent and a potential player with is charisma. Some seeing the older Geno don't realize what a glamor boy he was.I was impressed with your character and other aspects of your life; this puts another twist to an already interesting life.

It not as impressive as it sounds. Geno once said one of the reasons he is such a good basketball coach was because he's had to coach some really lousy players in HS. I'm afraid it was me he had in mind and it was only JV basketball.

 

[HuskyNan]

I think it has everything to do with it.Look. If I’m a high schooler at the top of he game, looking to b the best I can be, I pick the coaches with the best track record in preparing players for the next level. That doesn’t include running away from the top competition. Despite. The fact he didn’t get the top recruiting class for next year, I’ll bet he still schedules all of the top schools who will play him.
I didn’t look up the numbers, but from what I remember, he has done a far better job of that when I look at the top on the WNBA.
Sorry if I’m not a Tara worshipper. Rebecca Lobo is widely credited with bringing attention to women’s basketball like never before yet Tara treated her like crap on the Olympic team. Maybe if she ever bothered to be up front about that I’d be more inclined to treat her nicer.

The team's schedule most likely has very little to do with recruiting. If that were the case, Geno wouldn't get any top players because UConn plays in such a crappy league. I'm sure you'd like to ding Stanford for having the temerity to land a player Geno wanted but the schedule thing makes no sense.