if you hear 'uconn is my dream school'

[PacoSwede]

how many high school girls (and younger) have said that through the years? if i were resourceful, and not lazy and addled, i might even research this.

the quote gets fans excited, at least when the girl is touted as 'uconn material' -- but how many of those kids have realized their dream?

most don't, surely. it could be because the 'tout' is off base, or another college is very persuasive, or the kid simply has a change of heart.

or faces reality: they just won't succeed.

maybe uconn finds they aren't 'uconn material' nor are they a good fit for the program (despite some fans' judgments). maybe they were beat out by a player uconn finds more impressive -- or foolishly waited too long on their dreamed-for golden ticket from geno.

how many wise ones grabbed that ticket as soon as it came, and rejoiced?

guess we will never know, but we ca be befuddled by the recruiting decisions. ... we are all just speculaters.

i think it would be fascinating to know the behind-the-scenes stories. ... we won't get that, of course.

 

[BobbyJ]

how many high school girls (and younger) have said that through the years? if i were resourceful, and not lazy and addled, i might even research this.

the quote gets fans excited, at least when the girl is touted as 'uconn material' -- but how many of those kids have realized their dream?

most don't, surely. it could be because the 'tout' is off base, or another college is very persuasive, or the kid simply has a change of heart.

or faces reality: they just won't succeed.

maybe uconn finds they aren't 'uconn material' nor are they a good fit for the program (despite some fans' judgments). maybe they were beat out by a player uconn finds more impressive -- or foolishly waited too long on their dreamed-for golden ticket from geno.

how many wise ones grabbed that ticket as soon as it came, and rejoiced?

guess we will never know, but we ca be befuddled by the recruiting decisions. ... we are all just speculaters.

i think it would be fascinating to know the behind-the-scenes stories. ... we won't get that, of course.

Not hard to research. There are 4 within the last year: KK Arnold in 2023, Allie Ziebell and Morgan Cheli in the 2024 class, and Kelis Fisher in the '25 class so far and there will be more in the coming years. And don't forget Ice Brady and Ayanna Patterson in the '22 class. All said UConn was their favorite school growing up and proved it.

 

[Carnac]

Sometimes dreams do come true.

 

[pvdoggy]

There have been a few who realized their dream to come to Uconn only to find out later that the dream turned out to be a nightmare for whatever reason and left.

 

[PacoSwede]

Not hard to research. There are 4 within the last year: KK Arnold in 2023, Allie Ziebell and Morgan Cheli in the 2024 class, and Kelis Fisher in the '25 class so far and there will be more in the coming years. And don't forget Ice Brady and Ayanna Patterson in the '22 class. All said UConn was their favorite school growing up and proved it.

yeah, that's great, but what about the dreamers, like van Lith and many others, who never get to be a husky. what are their tales?

 

[Carnac]

There have been a few who realized their dream to come to Uconn only to find out later that the dream turned out to be a nightmare for whatever reason and left.

Most of us know that UConn is not for everyone. I don’t believe that Geno or CD has ever suggested it is.

 

[pvdoggy]

Most of us know that UConn is not for everyone. I don’t believe that Geno or CD has ever suggested it is.

what's your point? did I say anything that contradicts what you said?

 

[BobbyJ]

yeah, that's great, but what about the dreamers, like van Lith and many others, who never get to be a husky. what are their tales?

I don't really care about Van Lith or the others. I never saw them claim that UConn was their "dream" school and they obviously didn't want to go to UConn. Go back and look at your question that I bolded in your original post. I answered that question with at least 6 that did.

 

[Charliebball]

Unfortunately, with not winning an NC for a number of years many younger girls are starting to say they want to go to South Carolina or LSU......

 

[hoopsfan22]

Unfortunately, with not winning an NC for a number of years many younger girls are starting to say they want to go to South Carolina or LSU......

Another year or two of not winning one means we are slipping into Tennessee territory where recruits won't be old enough to remember UConn winning it all.

 

[Charliebball]

Another year or two of not winning one means we are slipping into Tennessee territory where recruits won't be old enough to remember UConn winning it all.

exactly my concern although if Paige, Azzi and others play up to their potential, plenty of youngsters will want to be like them even if they don't win it all.....

 

[JellyBean]

I am happy to hear a player mention UConn and wanting to play at UConn. However, like others have stated, UConn isn't for everyone & everyone isn't for UConn. Once a player gets to UConn, as we have seen over the years, they have that "Jesus take the wheel" moment and face reality.

 

[Alydar]

UConn was America's team for a long time and lots of 10-12 year old girls watched them play beautiful basketball and fell in love. The commitment necessary to fulfill that dream is the reality that some under-estimate.

 

[JellyBean]

Unfortunately, with not winning an NC for a number of years many younger girls are starting to say they want to go to South Carolina or LSU......

Really? I am not seeing or hearing that. I still hear young players mentioning UConn, the Lady Vols, South Carolina, Notre Dame, USC, UCLA, and Duke as well as LSU. These young players, with the assistance of their parents/coaches/trainers & the usage of social media, are in the loop and are always looking at programs across America. UConn will be fine. Coach Auriemma, with the help of CD and the rest of the coaching staff & current and former players, has built a brand at UConn.

 

[Cuango]

Unfortunately, with not winning an NC for a number of years many younger girls are starting to say they want to go to South Carolina or LSU......

There will never be a shortage of girls that want to come to UConn as long as Geno & Chris are still in charge!

 

[Bigboote]

how many high school girls (and younger) have said that through the years?

212.67

The 0.67 is from one who said she'd dreamed of UConn twice and Notre Dame once.

 

[HuskyNan]

Wasn’t UConn Kara Lawson’s dream school?

 

[PacoSwede]

Wasn’t UConn Kara Lawson’s dream school?

i think you're right, and her daddy said no way, hon'

kind of like brit hunter, though maybe she didn't 'dream' of being a husky, but just preferred to play with them. (parents roadblocked that and i believe pop said on the BY that geno is a jerk. i think it's interesting to know that kind of history.)

 

[Carnac]

what's your point? did I say anything that contradicts what you said?

Pull your fangs in Doggy. I agree with your comment. My point is what you said is true, but Geno has said in several on-camera interviews that I’ve viewed here in the yard and on TV that: “UConn is not for everyone.”

I was not attacking your comment. Sometimes things are not quite what they appear to be once we see or experience them personally or up close. Sometimes dreams come true, but sometimes they don’t, and you transfer.

 

[Blueconn]

At age 6, at a family picnic in Watertown, I found a weathered utility pole with Nana’s clothesline attached…and a dangling rusty rim nailed at least a million feet in the air. Rummaging in the cellar I found a nearly smooth, 25% inflated basketball. It took all afternoon to finally make a shot…just when they hollared “watermelon”. But the adults said sumthin’ bout sumthin’ bout the UConn Huskies. Almost 66 years later I can remember it clearly. I was 6 and UConn was already my alma mater. End of story…except for this year and every year. Commodify, quantify, speculate, calculate, survey, construct, modify, and power to the people and Godspeed ! Throw the peace sign up, it’ll do you no harm.
For thousands the noise and money of now doesn’t hold a candle to what’s real…our UConn. More anon.

 

[Rowdy831]

Another year or two of not winning one means we are slipping into Tennessee territory where recruits won't be old enough to remember UConn winning it all.

Tennessee didn't slip as much as their legendary coach retired. They had a three or four year drought coming off a back to back NC run. Pat Summit wasn't herself the last year or so either. I think that UCONN will have the same challenges when Geno retires as would any program that loses a coach of that caliber.

The second point I would make is UCONN has still been to every final four since their last win except last year and they are in good shape to compete for one this year. UCONN is not down and hasn't been down the last couple years as much as they just weren't good enough to overcome a couple of great players and teams.

 

[meyers7]

Another year or two of not winning one means we are slipping into Tennessee territory where recruits won't be old enough to remember UConn winning it all.

Ummm TN territory? TN not only hasn't had a NC in 15 years (UCONN is at 7), they haven't even been to a FF in 15 years (UCONN is at 1).

They're not in the same territory.

 

[Zarathustra]

There have been a few who realized their dream to come to Uconn only to find out later that the dream turned out to be a nightmare for whatever reason and left.

I have taken " dream jobs" only to learn some very important life lessons and "moved on"!!
Some very nice things can be " behind DOOR B ". And, for some people I know, behind door "C" or " D"!!

 

[Carnac]

Wasn’t UConn Kara Lawson’s dream school?

Yes, it was. And for some others too. I remember viewing a video here featuring Ashlyn Jackson, a HS freshman from Hardin-Jefferson High in China Texas. t UConn was her school of choice (at that time). She wound up committing to Duke, and will begin her sophomore year next month. Things (the landscape) had changed during the next 3 years. She knew if she wanted to see the floor at all, she could not come to UConn. Too many high profile guards in front of her. Dreams do come true, but they also change along the way.

 

[pvdoggy]

I have taken " dream jobs" only to learn some very important life lessons and "moved on"!!
Some very nice things can be " behind DOOR B ". And, for some people I know, behind door "C" or " D"!!

No doubt about it. You never know what reality is like until you are in the middle of it.