Heckel to UConn (merged threads)

[sno-cat]

Speaking of limited playing time, would any of UConn's big time WNBA stars have become big time WNBA stars if their playing time was limited to 10-15 minutes per game during college? Would KK or Ash have developed as far and fast as they did with less playing time?

 

[Inthepaint]

One can develop strategies to cope with one’s back being against the wall, or one can take steps to prevent one’s back from being against the wall.
Geno has demonstrated the latter
Welcome to UCONN , K9

 

[Geew1992]

I’m happy Heckel is coming but my happiness is in conflict with sadness for Qadence.

Why? She chose to enter the portal

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Interesting that GA didn't recruit her out of HS. He has now righted that wrong. She may not be a superstar, and that is ok, but she is really good and hasn't scratched her ceiling to reach her potential. I think this is a real good get by GA. When she hits a big shot or two, everybody will be singing her praises.

I think it would have been unusual for Geno not to have taken a hard look given her close to home and stellar credentials. An article lost in memory listed 5 schools as being her likes. So it could have been her who ended an early inquiry with I wanna get far away from home. A desire she certainly accomplished. Or maybe it was in Geno's mind to stay away from very pale guards for a while. Or maybe with a parent with St. Johns ties her mind had to be shocked awake with a drubbing at Geno's hands. Or maybe she told her coach she was leaving and Gottlieb pointed her Geno's way. Or maybe ....

 

[GabbyLee]

Why? She chose to enter the portal

Will Qadence be transferring or does she still have an opportunity to return to UConn???

 

[Geew1992]

Will Qadence be transferring or does she still have an opportunity to return to UConn???

She can return, but there aren't any scholarships left so she won't be playing ball if she does

 

[EricLA]

Will Qadence be transferring or does she still have an opportunity to return to UConn???

She can return, but there aren't any scholarships left so she won't be playing ball if she does

Technically, she could forego a scholarship and become a walk on, correct? Doubtful that happens. I'm not sure of why the delay has occurred in her decision process, and we've also not really heard about her being out and about visiting schools. My friend @MilfordHusky suggested she may enjoy staying close to home and Georgetown would be an excellent landing spot IMHO. Maryland is also closer to home, but she may end up getting DeBerry minutes should she go there...

I hope Q lands at a good place for her. I was hugely impressed at how much she was linked to the team, even after announcing her transfer. She showed up (with the rest of the team) to support Paige at the WNBA draft. I'm sure she's done other "team" activities with her (former) teammates. She seems like a great kid and rooting for her big time.

Anyway sorry to get off topic for the Kayleigh news. So I'll just add again - welcome K9! LOVE the name and wish you incredible success at UConn. Also can't wait to see the camera pan over to your parents and family when they come see you play in person (hopefully often!!!).

 

[HuskyNan]

She can return, but there aren't any scholarships left so she won't be playing ball if she does

She could be a walk on but you are correct that there are no scholarships available

 

[hoy-ah!]

She could be a walk on but you are correct that there are no scholarships available

Could NIL money fund her way?

 

[jaundicedeye]

Starting and playing time at UConn is never guaranteed. Tough practices which should be by nature tougher than games are guaranteed until "the game slows down" for players' anticipation and then intuition takes over.

The larger roster allows for "dinged up" players to rest (and rehab) for certain games to have them ready when the games truely matter (March AND April). The work ethic for all this next year's "kennel" of Huskies appears to be off the charts in a good way, and I look to KK's response as the leading indicator for the rest of the team. Definitely NOT luke-warm!!!

My advice (which you can feel free to disregard, as this is the Boneyard after all): Don't look for problems that are not there. Leave that for UCLA, Notre Dame & Tennessee, et al.

In the famous words of that great philosopher, Woody the Cowboy in the original Toy Story (voice of Tom Hanks): "Be happy Slink!"

Go Huskies!!!

...this next year's "kennel" of Huskies

I like that CDR!

Just as a team of sled dogs our young women are in harness and pulling together for the long haul!

 

[HuskyNan]

Could NIL money fund her way?

Q can use any NIL money she’s earned any way she likes but UConn’s NIL office can’t pay her way

 

[uconnfan68]

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!

I have to disagree a little with “Allie needs to show a lot more” sentiment. Allie was caught in a numbers crunch while Geno was trying to get his lineups in order. She wasn’t going to play ahead of Paige or Azzi. While she did show a need for more quickness, she also showed much promise as a shooter, and we know how much Geno likes to think they’ll always go in.

 

[cabbie191]

Why? She chose to enter the portal

You have posed a very short and succinct question. My answer will not be so short.

1) Having followed this team for decades, I am convinced that the players the coaching staff recruits are without exception not only good basketball players but also pretty decent human beings. They don't all live up to the hoped for basketball success but they all graduate and by and large have proven to be good teammates, and represent the team and university well.

2) Yes, she made the decision to enter the portal. We don't know the circumstances - it may well be that after the season the coaches told her that her future with the team in terms of playing time would likely be quite limited. She and the team had high expectations tha won't be realize and I can feel sadness for that.

3) We don't know yet whether or not this will be a good decision for her. She might not be playing ball next year, and for someone who had the skills and personality traits to offered a scholarship to UConn, this must be very hard.

4) Qadence is barely out of her teens. If this turns out to be a bad decision for her, it is something that comes with the territory of being a young person. Hopefully she learns well from it. Lord knows I made some really bad decisions when I was a teen but I was fortunate to have family that believed in me and got me through a rough patch.

5) I think college fans can approach the players on the teams they represent in one of two ways - either as persons who have joined a family of sorts, or as a commodity. I don't know you personally and I know there is a risk of my misinterpreting your words, but your response implies to me that you're more in the latter camp - she chose the portal so she's out of here, end of story.

Just because she'll no longer be wearing our uniform doesn't mean I won't hope the best for her future.