Heckel to UConn (merged threads) | Page 8 | The Boneyard

Heckel to UConn (merged threads)

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Bone Dog said:
Looking back at that moment, Paige's flex may have been a tip of the hat to a fellow dog. She didn't commit to UConn in spite of that flex, but because of it.

K9 did Kelsey Plum's guard camp with KK and they bonded. And she knows exactly what the backcourt depth chart is. I think this means she's coming to UConn, not because she wants an easy path to more minutes, but because she wants to have better competition for playing time. That's a true Husky!

Welcome home, Kayleigh!


edit: I wonder what sort of conversations Geno had with Lindsay Gottleib about this transfer.
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edit: I wonder what sort of conversations Geno had with Lindsay Gottleib about this

I wondered same thing…they seem to have a deep respect for each other.
 
Boreifs said:
On paper, shooting guard is the strongest and deepest position on the team, (Azzi,Ash,Allie). I have no idea how you would think otherwise, let alone state it in print.
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love it!!
 
Geew1992 said:
Yes, that's my point. Why wouldn't she be in the rotation next year?
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adding 2 transfers to the 6 players returning who played meaningful minutes in the championship
along with a player (CD if 100 percent) who had been a starter previously along with a freshman
who by all accounts is a potential star means
that getting in the rotation( 8players) will be very
difficult
 
For me, and I know some will disagree, it doesn't bother me that Geno keeps recruiting good/great players. If you want to call that "recruiting over someone", so be it.

First, KK is a true PG. So is Kayleigh. I'd say she has more scoring pop than KK, but still, she's a PG.

Azzi is a shooting guard. Allie is a shooting guard. Ash is a shooting guard. Kelis is a combo guard. Morgan, Caroline, and Blanca are combo wing/forwards. Sarah, Ice, Ayanna, and possibly Serah are all forwards. Gandy and Jana are centers. Geno needed a PG, and whether he got several 1 year "rentals", or a player like Kayleigh with 3 years left, he needed one.

Having said that, Azzi and Morgan both have really good ball handling skills and both have played PG at times (probably out of necessity or lack of teammate talent in HS). Blanca and Caroline are supposed to have good outside shots and both are "tall and long" enough to play forward. Ice and especially Sarah can step out and hit 3's. Not sure about Serah.

My first point is, Geno could play with 3, or even 4 guards on the floor, He could go big with Sarah at the 3. He has almost limitless combo's to mix and match and play "positionless basketball". I suspect for much, if not most, of the season, he will play around with different lineups to see what works best.

My second point is that we have had SO many injuries over the past 5+ years, it's no surprise he wants 15 HS AA's on the roster (not all were but you get my point). PT is going to be competitive. Qadence saw the writing on the wall and decided to transfer, and as much as I loved her as a teammate and player, I have no issue with her getting "recruited over", if that's what you want to call it.

Add to that, top recruits just don't leave UConn. Players ranked outside the top 15-20 have, on occasion, but the top kids don't leave. And if they did, it likely would be for lack of PT which would probably be the result of them not improving as much as they needed to. AND not a single player has ever left UConn and gone on to have a great AA type college career and a solid pro career.

Having said that, NO issue with Q leaving. She saw no path to more PT at UConn, and over the next few years, it would not surprise me to see a few more leave. Juggling PT for 14-15 really good players ain't gonna be easy for Geno and co.

Last point, is UConn supposed to forego quality players because they don't want to "hurt someone's feelings"? WCBB is the big leagues, not T-league where everyone plays and everyone gets a trophy. If someone doesn't get as much PT as fans think she should, too bad. The player can work harder, get better, figure out how to contribute more, and discuss with the coaches.

Ayanna and Caroline are huge question marks - no one knows how good they will be even if 100% healthy after their long term injuries. Morgan is coming back from a season ending injury. Allie needs to show a lot more than she did last year. Gandy, by all accounts, is incredibly raw. Blanca has not played in the US. Ice hasn't improved as much as you'd expect from a top 5 HS recruit. Kelis was ranked outside the top 20 by most of the recruiting services.

Given that and the injuries, is it any surprise Geno has gone hog-wild with recruiting talent?!!! For me, I LOVE it!
 
victor64 said:
Azzi is a weakness? Shade plays 2, Fisher is a swing. Ziebell is a top 10 recruit and the second best shooter on the team.
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2nd best?......better thn Sarah?
 
HuskyNan said:
The No. 13 player in the class of 2024, Heckel spent her freshman season with the USC Trojans, averaging 6.1 points, 1.9 assists and 1.3 steals in 16.9 minutes per game.

She’ll slot in as UConn’s backup point guard behind KK Arnold and will provide some much-needed ball-handling. Without Heckel, the Huskies would’ve needed to rely on Azzi Fudd, Morgan Cheli and Kelis Fisher — none of whom are true floor generals — to spell Arnold, which would’ve left them vulnerable if anything happened to the rising junior.

www.theuconnblog.com

UConn signs USC transfer Kayleigh Heckel

The Huskies add a much-needed ball-handler in the backcourt.
www.theuconnblog.com www.theuconnblog.com
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I think Geno has taken the route of plan for rainy days. Over the last 5 years plus we’ve seen a bunch of injuries derail the team and what would’ve been potential national championship runs. What Geno is doing is now is smart. As Paige said in her national championship game interviews is there’s a formula that they believe works, but at a blink of an eye that can change…unless you build the type of depth Geno & Co. are building now and what I think will be for the foreseeable future.
 
Urshurak said:
They know exactly what they signed up for with Geno. It was made crystal clear. If they feel “recruited over” then that’s on them to get better. In my opinion, Geno brings in players with a team first mentality. Remember how he has to practically threaten Paige and Azzi to shoot? Those are the kind of players he wants. It’s not about “feelings and puppy love.” Never has been and never will. Not with Geno there anyway.
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Personal insult aside (I’m sure you thought that was cute), I’ve seen other coaches ripped to shreds on this board for recruiting over players.

Heckle entered the portal during the open period when a player can transfer and not incur a one-year penalty. She didn’t commit until after the portal was closed. That pretty effectively makes it impossible for another player to decide that they don’t want to stay if she’s going to be there. I’m not remotely suggesting that a UConn player would have or should have transferred. I’m simply saying that it’s pretty damn unfair that they don’t have the same free opportunity to make a decision. You can’t put your name in the portal on a “precautionary” basis, because you’re loyality to the team will be questioned, and you have no guarantee that your coach would even take you back. People complain about the portal being unfair to the high school players. I’d say it’s just as unfair to existing players and signed recruits.
 
Sluconn Husky said:
Nothing super new here I don't believe, but a good dive into Heckel by Vanoni regardless:

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Thanks for referring the article.
Noteworthy for me by Vannoni:
Her commitment to UConn this week gives the Huskies four of the top-15 high school recruits from the Class of 2024. Star forward Sarah Strong was No. 1, followed by Ziebell at No. 7, Morgan Cheli at No. 11 and Heckel at No. 13.
 
Zarathustra said:
This clip is another response to the question "CAN Kayleigh Heckel play
defense?" Well, yes, she can.... but also "YOU DON'T TUG ON SUPERMAN'S
CAPE".... and "YOU DON'T MESS WITH 'BUCKETS' ". That video sequence
should also have the coda: " AND ONE!!"
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That play has been all over the internet and Paige said a lot more than "And One" when the sound is played.....

Even though Paige smoked her, her language was definitely not PG rated.... Not that it bothers me at all. But I was a little surprised.

You will have to do your own searching for the video with microphone nearby....

Btw,

I think KK is an excellent point guard and should absolutely be the starter next year.
 
Jbigfan said:
edit: I wonder what sort of conversations Geno had with Lindsay Gottleib about this

I wondered same thing…they seem to have a deep respect for each other.
Expand ...
I doubt that Auriemma had any conversation with her about it. He didn’t recruit Heckel away from Gottlieb. Heckel was already in the portal when he contacted her.
 
Felt the need to add something, so I went and found this from a Cali paper:

"However, Heckel was not a superstar-level player. She struggled in the Big Ten Tournament and endured a bumpy ride for much of the month of February. Her lack of size and physical stature was a clear limitation. It's not as though UConn will instantly be able to change or work around that.

We're not saying or implying UConn won't get full value from Kayleigh Heckel. We are saying UConn won't instantly create a big transformation or immediately turn her into a star. If Kayleigh Heckel does play at a star level in Storrs under Geno, it will probably be a two-year process."

trojanswire.usatoday.com

Former Trojan Kayleigh Heckel transfers to UConn and Geno Auriemma

Kayleigh Heckel goes from USC to UConn, which will have everyone talking.
trojanswire.usatoday.com
 
Now Geno's problem is going to be how to find playing time for all the guards. Sometimes less is better.
 
Puppy Love said:
Personal insult aside (I’m sure you thought that was cute), I’ve seen other coaches ripped to shreds on this board for recruiting over players.

Heckle entered the portal during the open period when a player can transfer and not incur a one-year penalty. She didn’t commit until after the portal was closed. That pretty effectively makes it impossible for another player to decide that they don’t want to stay if she’s going to be there. I’m not remotely suggesting that a UConn player would have or should have transferred. I’m simply saying that it’s pretty damn unfair that they don’t have the same free opportunity to make a decision. You can’t put your name in the portal on a “precautionary” basis, because you’re loyality to the team will be questioned, and you have no guarantee that your coach would even take you back. People complain about the portal being unfair to the high school players. I’d say it’s just as unfair to existing players and signed recruits.
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Seems like you are looking for something to complain about. I went to Juilliard as a transfer; don’t ever remember another trombonist complaining that I took their spot in the top orchestra. Being surrounded by talent is not a bad thing, nor is it unfair if someone else is better.
 
RockyMTblue2 said:
Felt the need to add something, so I went and found this from a Cali paper:

"However, Heckel was not a superstar-level player. She struggled in the Big Ten Tournament and endured a bumpy ride for much of the month of February. Her lack of size and physical stature was a clear limitation. It's not as though UConn will instantly be able to change or work around that.

We're not saying or implying UConn won't get full value from Kayleigh Heckel. We are saying UConn won't instantly create a big transformation or immediately turn her into a star. If Kayleigh Heckel does play at a star level in Storrs under Geno, it will probably be a two-year process."

trojanswire.usatoday.com

Former Trojan Kayleigh Heckel transfers to UConn and Geno Auriemma

Kayleigh Heckel goes from USC to UConn, which will have everyone talking.
trojanswire.usatoday.com
Expand ...
lol. Classic case of trying to comfort themselves over a substantial loss. Without TVO and Howells they’re stuck with Samuels and Londynn Jones at guard. Good luck with that. By the middle of next season, there will be much gnashing of teeth over at USC as they watch what K9 is doing in Storrs.

And as for playing time concerns, 200 mins divided by 15 = 13 mins per player. That’s plenty.
 
RockyMTblue2 said:
Felt the need to add something, so I went and found this from a Cali paper:

"However, Heckel was not a superstar-level player. She struggled in the Big Ten Tournament and endured a bumpy ride for much of the month of February. Her lack of size and physical stature was a clear limitation. It's not as though UConn will instantly be able to change or work around that.

We're not saying or implying UConn won't get full value from Kayleigh Heckel. We are saying UConn won't instantly create a big transformation or immediately turn her into a star. If Kayleigh Heckel does play at a star level in Storrs under Geno, it will probably be a two-year process."

trojanswire.usatoday.com

Former Trojan Kayleigh Heckel transfers to UConn and Geno Auriemma

Kayleigh Heckel goes from USC to UConn, which will have everyone talking.
trojanswire.usatoday.com
Expand ...
Talk about “damned by faint praise.” Matt Zemek, a clown writing for a pro-USC publication called Trojans Wire, is doing his damnedest to diminish Kayleigh Heckel now that she’s heading to UConn. Those grapes are about as sour as it gets.

With all the players they lost from this past season’s team, don’t think for a second that USC wouldn’t give anything to have Kayleigh Heckel on the court this coming season.
 
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Puppy Love said:
Personal insult aside (I’m sure you thought that was cute), I’ve seen other coaches ripped to shreds on this board for recruiting over players.

Heckle entered the portal during the open period when a player can transfer and not incur a one-year penalty. She didn’t commit until after the portal was closed. That pretty effectively makes it impossible for another player to decide that they don’t want to stay if she’s going to be there. I’m not remotely suggesting that a UConn player would have or should have transferred. I’m simply saying that it’s pretty damn unfair that they don’t have the same free opportunity to make a decision. You can’t put your name in the portal on a “precautionary” basis, because you’re loyality to the team will be questioned, and you have no guarantee that your coach would even take you back. People complain about the portal being unfair to the high school players. I’d say it’s just as unfair to existing players and signed recruits.
Expand ...
The person most directly impacted by the Chen transfer is the most public cheerleader of this addition.

Serah Williams coming in right over the top of two former starters (on a national championship team) is a far more dramatic addition to the roster and received far less rending of garments.

The players hurt by adding Heckel are people who would have been largely playing out of position at the expense of (not to be too dramatic) the entire basketball program (the team, the coaches, the athletic department, the University, the fanbase).
 
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