Ireland’s 6'5" Gandy Malou-Mamel, class of 2025, commits

[Cuango]

There once was a baller named Gandy
Whom the Boneyard thought was quite dandy
She said yes to Geno
He drank up some vino
Cause with a basketball she was quite handy!

 

[DEpup]

She's only been in the US for less than a year, no time to really get on the rankings. I'm sure now she'll get attention and we'll eventually see her make her way up the rankings. I'm just glad to see a player from Jersey pick UConn over Notre Dame.

 

[NYCHUSKIES]

Super excited to hear this news. I agree with everyone in that Geno just has an eye for raw talent. This player has absolutely no pressure in becoming a scorer on a team that will soon have uber offensive players. Go Huskies. This is a great pick up, and she is freaking 6'5 yall. Nothing wrong with that at all.

 

[Alydar]

She's only been in the US for less than a year, no time to really get on the rankings. I'm sure now she'll get attention and we'll eventually see her make her way up the rankings. I'm just glad to see a player from Jersey pick UConn over Notre Dame.

Maybe her AAU team isn't a travel team.

Geno has the media and the fans in semi-shock.

 

[EricLA]

Late to the party. Welcome Gandy! I'm thrilled you have decided to join the UCONN family. Given that you are from out of the country and have only been playing hoops in the US for a year-ish, you may not realize that you are part of the family forever. The best fans in the world will think you of an extension of our family. So welcome!!

On to the BY'ers... it seems like all we have seen is about a 30 second vide of her getting a few boards, running up the court, laying the ball into the basket. We have almost no frame of reference as to how good she will be. We've read some great things and given that she's newer to basketball, I'm hopeful that her ceiling is as high as the comments we've read about her on twitter.

Love the stories about her and she seems like a high quality and caliber kid no matter what the talent level. Can't say enough about recruiting the right kids to the program, that's for sure.

I am hopeful that this is just a diamond in the rough, not an indication that there is not enough mutual interest in all the other top post prospects we are looking at over the next 2-3 years. Who knows how good she can become, but the question remains - is she closer to Piath or to Tina?

 

[Crossover]

I hope this does not mean UConn has failed to gain the interest of the other bigs they are recruiting.

I hope it means that Geno and company see potential in her that they don't see in the usual suspects.

 

[Crossover]

I know Plath didn’t work out. She just didn’t show the improvement Geno was looking for. Gandy already looks to be aggressive in her video.

Path was injured much of her time at UConn.

 

[uconnever]

I hope we get Woliczko as well.

But the one I was referring to is Olivia Vukosa, from Christ the King in New York (alma mater of Sue Bird and Tina Charles). She is rated number 2 on Hoopgurlz 2026, and Woliczko is number 4. Both outstanding difference-makers. Vukosa has an offer from UConn.

She scores over Vukosa in one of the videos. She looks good. A lot to work with it looks like.

 

[The CDR-Ret]

A BIG that can score through contact. Don't you just love it? Christmas in July.

Twin Towers with Jana El Alfy - I already feel sorry for the weak side help on the opposition....

It will not go well for the "also rans"...

 

[jabstep]

Wow I am so surprised at how many of the yarders are poetic in nature!!!
4 pages based on a 30 second video. Our rants for bigs recruiting has been rewarded for now but our hunger for bigs who can score thru contact still can never be fully quenched.

 

[HuskyNan]

STOP using Piath as an example of a “bad” post player. As pointed out here, she was injured for most of her tenure as a Husky.

Your post will be deleted if you go down that road

 

[Skeets]

There once was a baller named Gandy
Whom the Boneyard thought was quite dandy
She said yes to Geno
He drank up some vino
Cause with a basketball she was quite handy!

This is bizarre even for the boneyard. I suppose we'll hear "Walk Like an Egyptian" followed by "Sweet Caroline" all year. We need a good Irish song. Although considering she's most recently from Verona NJ, maybe some music from the Godfather.

 

[Amashutcha]

On the topic of starting basketball late, my favorite NBA player Timmy D turned out to be pretty good despite starting later than most basketball prospects. Besides, the trend right now seems to be playing more than one sport while growing up + not playing in the AAU = being less injury prone and more fundamentally sound.

 

[Blakeon18]

Mentioned above is a possible Irish connection: Mel Thomas!

 

[HuskylnSC]

Wow I am so surprised at how many of the yarders are poetic in nature!!!
4 pages based on a 30 second video. Our rants for bigs recruiting has been rewarded for now but our hunger for bigs who can score thru contact still can never be fully quenched.

Have you met Jana El Alfy?

 

[Rowdy831]

This recruit reminds of Hakeem Olajuwon when he was being recruited by Houston back in the day. He was very raw but extremely athletic and a hard worker. You don't get a chance at too many players with her size and athleticism so when you find one you offer. UCONN usually has enough talent to bring in a player that needs development and let her grow before they throw her out there.

But more important than talent, she has the size everyone has been clamoring for lately in the Boneyard. Just kidding.

 

[Bone Dog]

I have high hopes for Amari. Jana will push her to greater heights, and later Jana and Ice will push Gandy to greatness too.

 

[HuskyNan]

No news in this Irish article but there are some pictures we haven’t seen. Oh, and there’s this:

UConn - the most successful women's college basketball team ever - dominated the sport for much of the 2000s, winning 10 of their 11 national titles.

Limerick's Gandy Malou-Mamel Becomes UConn's First Ever Irish Recruit | Balls.ie

Limerick's Gandy Malou-Mamel has become the first ever Irish player to be recruited by the UConn women's basketball programme.

www.balls.ie

 

[oldude]

No news in this Irish article but there are some pictures we haven’t seen. Oh, and there’s this:

UConn - the most successful women's college basketball team ever - dominated the sport for much of the 2000s, winning 10 of their 11 national titles.

Limerick's Gandy Malou-Mamel Becomes UConn's First Ever Irish Recruit | Balls.ie

Limerick's Gandy Malou-Mamel has become the first ever Irish player to be recruited by the UConn women's basketball programme.

www.balls.ie

So are all the basketball teams in Ireland nicknamed the Celtics?

 

[wingsfan055]

Moves very well for a true Big. Very athletic. Looks like a prospect with a very high ceiling.

 

[Carnac]

She's from Limerick!

There once was a baller named Gandy,

Whom the Boneyard thought was quite Dandy ....

Et tu Milford?

 

[Skeets]

So are all the basketball teams in Ireland nicknamed the Celtics?

I thought some were nicknamed "The Fighting Irish".

 

[Fossil]

On Edit: DO NOT trash Piath in this thread. She has moved on - we need to move on too

Stats for St. Bernard’s High this past season

View attachment 89811

Piath was limited but she hustled and put in the effort. Solid Husky culture. Only the best wishes

 

[The CDR-Ret]

On Edit: DO NOT trash Piath in this thread. She has moved on - we need to move on too

Stats for St. Bernard’s High this past season

View attachment 89811

62 blocks in 27 games, NICE!

Second on the team in blocks was Sidney Quinn (sophomore like Gandy) - both of them had 22 steals (0.8 per game)...