Hidden Gem Recruit: Who turned out to be the biggest surprise?

[ThisJustIn]

So, looking back across the years, which recruit grew into a better player than you expected?

 

[Bonpland]

Without a doubt for me it was Dolson. Other unheralded players developed and made valuable contributions but she went (in my mind) from being a large, somewhat clumsy, average big girl to being an AA; one that became as loved a player as the program has produced.

We've had better players, but I can't think of another who made as much progress as she did.

 

[Kaizen]

I say it is Kia Nurse.

 

[HuskyFan1125]

Good question! It's hard to think too far back for me as I don't remember all the rankings of past players.

Dolson is a great choice but I gotta go with Kelly Faris. I thought she was a steal.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Maria Conlon. Tough, unflappable and rising to every challenge - true she had a great running mate, but Maria carried her own water. 2d place Ms. Purple Hair. Kaizen it is nice to meet a Boneyarder who does not now claim he/she knew from the jump that Kia was a star in the waiting/making!

 

[choochoo]

kara Wolters

 

[diggerfoot]

I think Dolson was ranked as high as 30 by one recruiting service and was not that big of a surprise to me, particularly after what this program did for Wolters and Jessica Moore. Speaking of Wolters, here are my potential candidates.

Wolters: went from a player that not even BC wanted as a legacy (her Dad was a star for BC), to POY
Rizzotti: for that matter, what coach in the land would have guessed Rizzotti would be POY someday, but I do believe she was a little more highly regarded coming out of high school than Wolters
Jessica Moore: no where near as highly ranked as Dolson, but has three championship rings and a career in the WNBA
Conlon: even less regarded than Moore (but probably not less regarded than Wolters coming out of high school, except by BBall*****), but I place her behind Moore because she did not have a WNBA career.

 

[UcMiami]

Good list digger - you hit all my highlights - I think Jessica Moore is it for me - the ONLY healthy red-shirt player in Uconn history I believe - not deemed talented/experienced enough as a freshman to contribute, but ended as starting center with three NCs and a long pro career - second would probably be Conlon - but Wolters is certainly a fine choice as well.
Jen was pretty well regarded coming out of HS I think as was Stef - neither predicted for AA but still not chopped liver.

One thing is there are a lot more people beating the bushes for talent these days compared to the 1990s or even early 2000s so there are probably fewer players truly flying under the radar than there used to be.

 

[Wbbfan1]

My initial thought was Maria Conlon, while not having great stats compared to many of the other UConn All Americans she was a valuable player. My other player is Jessica Moore out of Alaska. Loved how she played injured during the Final Four.

 

[DobbsRover2]

All good choices above, and likely the best.

Another name I would put out there partly because I don't want her to be quitting my avatar and leaving CD hung up in the air all alone is Kaili McLaren. I know she was a McD's and the MD player of the year in 2006 and was generally well thought of, but I don't remember thinking she was someone who would come in and give the Huskies 239 assists as a post player. It likely would have been more except for the injury that pushed back her final season to 2010-11. She gave UConn a great curveball presence as a post player that helped open up the offense, often when Tina needed a break. Kaili did a lot of things for UConn.

Another player who did a lot of things for UConn and is a name you always think of as the consummate one in the 6th-man is Ashley Battle. She too was decently heralded coming out of HS and was not a huge surprise, but she was just a pleasant case to watch as she developed her many talents and often set the tough scrappy tone of DT's championship teams. And I never would have guessed that she would hold the record for most career games played for a while, mainly because of the 5 games played in her curtailed freshman season that gave her 5 years at UConn.

 

[UCAP_Fan]

Maria.

 

[Bonpland]

I like all of the choices. They take us down memory lane. I picked Dolson because I thought she went the furthest from where she started but these other girls are just as deserving of being considered as being surprising for what they acheived. I wonder who Geno or CD would consider to be their biggest positive surprise.

 

[Kibitzer]

I wonder who Geno or CD would consider to be their biggest positive surprise.

Geno would pick CD. CD would select Geno.

No way did either of them expect to be on the same coaching bench when they signed on together 900+ victories and 10 NC's ago.

 

[HuskerDo]

Meghan Gardler. She came as a favor to Geno's former coach, and at first was a shooting guard who couldn't shoot. Not close to UConn-caliber. But she transformed herself into a tough, physical post player who contributed some key minutes here and there. Completely unexpected (by me at least).

 

[Oldbones]

That fact this is even a discussion topic with so many nominations illustrates once again to me the identification and recruiting talent and player development skills of GA and CD. Kudos!

 

[Kaizen]

Maria Conlon. Tough, unflappable and rising to every challenge - true she had a great running mate, but Maria carried her own water. 2d place Ms. Purple Hair. Kaizen it is nice to meet a Boneyarder who does not now claim he/she knew from the jump that Kia was a star in the waiting/making!

Here is the ESPN 2014 class ranking:
14 Gabby Williams
17 Sadie Edwards
31 Courtney Ekmark
33 Kia Nurse

When Geno signed Kia and then uses her as a starter. Honestly I was questionable. But I know Geno has a different eyes then me.

 

[alexrgct]

Kerry Bascom

Jamelle Elliott

Sue Bird (should've been ranked at least 10 places higher)

Maria Conlon

Jen Rizzotti

Kara Wolters

Kelly Faris

Stef Dolson

Note: none of these kids were top-10 ranked recruits. But all did amazing things for UConn.

 

[lanieer]

I'm have to go with Kara Wolters POY. The recruits we get now are mostly elite players and don't surprise me when their names appear on the Huskies of Honor.

 

[pinotbear]

Just to throw a name out there, for at least an "Honorable Mention" - Rita Williams.

 

[HuskyFan1125]

Anyone remember where Ketia Swanier was ranked coming out of high school. She had a pretty good career and several seasons in the WNBA.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Just to be different: Maya Moore. Everyone knew she was good, but few knew she was THAT good. 3,036 points good. 90-0 good. 150-4 good. Consensus 4-time All-American good. 3 Wade trophies good. Though Candace Parker and Courtney Paris were already established, Maya Moore was as good as anyone from the first time she hit the floor for UConn. The steal against DePaul. The long-distance barrage against Syracuse. Taking over the national championship game against an excellent Stanford squad. The bar was set very high for Maya, and she soared over it with room to spare.

 

[BroadwayVa]

So, looking back across the years, which recruit grew into a better player than you expected?

I can't believe that anyone would think of someone other than Dolson. A big girl not highly recruited. A bit over weight and out of (Uconn) shape. Early in her Freshman year she is thrown against a highly mobile 6 fto8 in Center --baptism by the fires of hell.
Then the next three years she turns into super woman--lighter, faster, more stamina and a great BB player--shooting 3's on a regular basis and a bull under the basket---going up against the most elite centers in America and winning.
It is definitely STEFF DOLSON!!! Big Mama!!!

 

[BroadwayVa]

Geno would pick CD. CD would select Geno.

No way did either of them expect to be on the same coaching bench when they signed on together 900+ victories and 10 NC's ago.

\
CD and Geno has to be almost shocked to see where they have come since where they have been. 18,400 dollar a year job to multi Millions per year (Geno) Chris probably went for 3000 (a guess) to 200,000 (another guess --I think she deserve a million) Plus as you have stated 900 plus victories and 10 NC's (Geno didn't do that alone)!! Two good catches!!

 

[alexrgct]

I'm have to go with Kara Wolters POY. The recruits we get now are mostly elite players and don't surprise me when their names appear on the Huskies of Honor.

the Jen Rizzotti-Kara Wolters duo from 1992 and 1993, plus Jamelle- I mean, what a trio! Rebecca was a coveted recruit, and Geno was fortunate that the #1 a high school recruit of 1994 just happened to hail from Bloomfield, CT, but in between the 1991 and 1994 recruiting years, he built his team up into a formidable one. Throw in Pam Webber and Carla Berube, and it's not hard to tell how perfectly Geno evaluated and coached a national championship team. Things would only move on up from there.

 

[alexrgct]

Just to be different: Maya Moore. Everyone knew she was good, but few knew she was THAT good. 3,036 points good. 90-0 good. 150-4 good. Consensus 4-time All-American good. 3 Wade trophies good. Though Candace Parker and Courtney Paris were already established, Maya Moore was as good as anyone from the first time she hit the floor for UConn. The steal against DePaul. The long-distance barrage against Syracuse. Taking over the national championship game against an excellent Stanford squad. The bar was set very high for Maya, and she soared over it with room to spare.

I think some players are six-star, program changing recruits, and Maya was perceived as one of them.