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January Recruiting Thread

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Take with however many grains of salt you want:


#9 – The Battle for #1 in 2023 and 2024


In 2023 its a four way race and really depends on flavor, connection, and circuit you have:


Mikayla Williams – LA – Plays for Arkansas Mavericks who a Top 25 college coach told me is the next Mya Moore


Ciera Toomey – PA – Plays for Independent NEPA Elite and a legendary scout told me is the next Elena Delledonne


Judea Watkins – CA – Who for the longest has been the Top player in her class and is highly connected to basketball royalty in Southern California and plays with Cal Swish.


Breya Cunningham – CA – Who doesnt make flashy highlight videos but is a generational traditional post who is a lock sure things at the next level.


In 2024 I see it as a 3 way race between


Joyce Edwards 6-3 F SC – And this might be a one way race because every time I see Edwards I am more impressed. Despite being so good, much of the peripheral nonsense does not seem to affect her she’s very very good.


Olivia Olson 6-2 W MN – One of the greatest players ever from Minnesota is pro ready right now can shoot it from anywhere has a strong physical frame and is a competitor.


Jaloni Cambridge 5-8 G TN – And when you have a premium position like Point Guard it gets more value and Cambridge as a freshman was one of the best if not the best point guard in the country playing against 3 different graduating classes and passed every test. Hard to imagine what her future and upside look like.


#10 – Keep an Eye on Our #1 Player in the 2025, 2026, and 2027 Classes


Lauren Hassell 6-3 F 2027 TN – Ok maybe you know her but this is the next great player in the country stay tuned and make sure if you can you watch her. 6-3 Guards are hard to come by they’re even harder to come by in middle school.


Jenica Lewis 5-10 2026 IA – We did a pretty good article on the best 2026’s nationally which got a lot of traction. Lewis has the offers of a Top 10 rising junior and the game to back it. Playing 16U last year its not hard to see why we have her #1 in 2026.


Zakiyah Johnson 5-11 2025 G – Watched highlights from Naples this weekend and she’s the real deal just a killer and our #1 2025.


jrallstar.com

The 10 Biggest Questions for 2022 in Club Basketball - Jr. All-Star Basketball

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Mikayla sure does looks like a sure thing at the college level. A player who can create her own offense maybe even better than Paige in that regard. A rare talent.
 
I worry about both Stanford and SC next year. Betts is next year's freshman of the year and maybe even player of the year. She's that good. She puts an all american on the bench potentially. Imagine a front court of 6 7" Betts as a generational talent, Brink, Belibi and Prectel? I don't see any team with a better front court.

Edwards is favored to go to SC right in 2 years? No decision yet but projected as likely SC. Just what they need is a guard maybe better than Cooke and Henderson. A healthy Raven Johnson coming back is a big plus for them also. She was getting a lot of PT for a freshman at the start of the year. Edwards would be in 2 years but still a major obstacle eventually if she signs with SC.

Those 2 teams are going to be loaded potentially. We really need a Mikayla level talent. I did some research once and the difference between some students who score 800 on the SAT is often great than the students who score between 725 and 800. There is a difference between outstanding and the top 3 minds in the country. The same appears to be true for athletes. We all can see it can't we? Some players are just off the charts good. Paige, Boston, Betts...etc.

Usually Uconn overcomes a statistical anomaly like a Betts with sheer volume of great players. Ciera Toomey would be in that discussion. A top 5 player who FITS at Uconn. Really a player mold Geno has a lot of experience with ( Breanna Stewart for example ). As long as the TEAM has enough talent overall, they have a great chance to win the NC. They can potentially overcome the statistical anomaly talent of an individually fantastic player. Such a TEAM is great fun to watch as well.
 
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TeamFirst! said:
I worry about both Stanford and SC next year. Betts is next year's freshman of the year and maybe even player of the year. She's that good. She puts an all american on the bench potentially. Imagine a front court of 6 7" Betts as a generational talent, Brink, Belibi and Prectel? I don't see any team with a better front court.

Edwards is favored to go to SC right in 2 years? No decision yet but projected as likely SC. Just what they need is a guard maybe better than Cooke and Henderson. A healthy Raven Johnson coming back is a big plus for them also. She was getting a lot of PT for a freshman at the start of the year. Edwards would be in 2 years but still a major obstacle eventually if she signs with SC.

Those 2 teams are going to be loaded potentially. We really need a Mikayla level talent. I did some research once and the difference between some students who score 800 on the SAT is often great than the students who score between 725 and 800. There is a difference between outstanding and the top 3 minds in the country. The same appears to be true for athletes. We all can see it can't we? Some players are just off the charts good. Paige, Boston, Betts...etc.

Usually Uconn overcomes a statistical anomaly like a Betts with sheer volume of great players. Ciera Toomey would be in that discussion. A top 5 player who FITS at Uconn. Really a player mold Geno has a lot of experience with ( Breanna Stewart for example ). As long as the TEAM has enough talent overall, they have a great chance to win the NC. They can potentially overcome the statistical anomaly talent of an individually fantastic player. Such a TEAM is great fun to watch as well.
Expand ...
Betts is good but certainly not that good.
 
TeamFirst! said:
I worry about both Stanford and SC next year. Betts is next year's freshman of the year and maybe even player of the year. She's that good. She puts an all american on the bench potentially. Imagine a front court of 6 7" Betts as a generational talent, Brink, Belibi and Prectel? I don't see any team with a better front court.

Edwards is favored to go to SC right in 2 years? No decision yet but projected as likely SC. Just what they need is a guard maybe better than Cooke and Henderson. A healthy Raven Johnson coming back is a big plus for them also. She was getting a lot of PT for a freshman at the start of the year. Edwards would be in 2 years but still a major obstacle eventually if she signs with SC.

Those 2 teams are going to be loaded potentially. We really need a Mikayla level talent. I did some research once and the difference between some students who score 800 on the SAT is often great than the students who score between 725 and 800. There is a difference between outstanding and the top 3 minds in the country. The same appears to be true for athletes. We all can see it can't we? Some players are just off the charts good. Paige, Boston, Betts...etc.

Usually Uconn overcomes a statistical anomaly like a Betts with sheer volume of great players. Ciera Toomey would be in that discussion. A top 5 player who FITS at Uconn. Really a player mold Geno has a lot of experience with ( Breanna Stewart for example ). As long as the TEAM has enough talent overall, they have a great chance to win the NC. They can potentially overcome the statistical anomaly talent of an individually fantastic player. Such a TEAM is great fun to watch as well.
Expand ...
Scouts are calling Betts the "Tim Duncan of Women's Basketball" high praise.
 
With USA basketball last year Betts was the best player on that team and a year younger than almost everyone else. It wasn't even close. She will be an all american next year. Bank on it. I think a better paradigm for her would be the Lew Alcindor of women's basketball or maybe Bill Walton ( Their college names ). At 6'7" she's basically taller than almost everyone and she is very skilled. She's better than Boston was at the same age in my opinion. She led the world in field goal percentage by .40 and she was playing with Azzi, Caitlan Clark, Citron...etc. She's a huge problem.
 
TeamFirst! said:
With USA basketball last year Betts was the best player on that team and a year younger than almost everyone else. It wasn't even close. She will be an all american next year. Bank on it. I think a better paradigm for her would be the Lew Alcindor of women's basketball or maybe Bill Walton ( Their college names ). At 6'7" she's basically taller than almost everyone and she is very skilled. She's better than Boston was at the same age in my opinion. She led the world in field goal percentage by .40 and she was playing with Azzi, Caitlan Clark, Citron...etc. She's a huge problem.
Expand ...
:eek: Betts will likely not even start for Stanford next year much less be an AA. That is an awfully tall paradigm you are putting forward. BTW 1) Kareem and Bill were not eligible as freshman players 2) If you are searching for a tall female basketball players to compare Betts to there was also former #1 Mercedes Russel 3) Betts DID NOT lead U19 team in FG% nor was she second-Amari DeBerry was-perhaps you have heard of her. 4) Bill Walton still goes by Bill Walton -I think 5) You need to add a zero in front of your decimal point as in "She led the world in FG% by .04..... 6). U19 version of Boston can operate more than 6 feet from the basket U19 Betts did not . Betts is going to be a very good players, she is hardly a "huge problem".
 
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It's simple if they have the best biggest player, say like Wilt, just recruit Bill Russell ;)
 
jchuskie said:
Scouts are calling Betts the "Tim Duncan of Women's Basketball" high praise.
Expand ...

I got to know,while working camps, and became friends with,the coach who was an assistant at Wake Forest that recruited Tim Duncan. Duncan was from Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. On his scouting trip to watch Duncan play the tournament was being played on the beach where they had rolled and packed the sand, and set up bleachers around the court. He told me that the marijuana smoke was so thick in the stands that he was having trouble following the action, but it was obvious Duncan was a rare talent. At any rate Tim Duncan was a quiet, unassuming person who was hard to read, but that he called this coach’s office at 11 pm one night and told him “I’m coming to Wake Forest”, which was about the extent of the conversation. The rest is history, but this coach has a tremendous sense of humor and his extended version of this recruitment is very entertaining.
 
Sluconn Husky said:
Take with however many grains of salt you want:


#9 – The Battle for #1 in 2023 and 2024


In 2023 its a four way race and really depends on flavor, connection, and circuit you have:


Mikayla Williams – LA – Plays for Arkansas Mavericks who a Top 25 college coach told me is the next Mya Moore


Ciera Toomey – PA – Plays for Independent NEPA Elite and a legendary scout told me is the next Elena Delledonne


Judea Watkins – CA – Who for the longest has been the Top player in her class and is highly connected to basketball royalty in Southern California and plays with Cal Swish.


Breya Cunningham – CA – Who doesnt make flashy highlight videos but is a generational traditional post who is a lock sure things at the next level.


In 2024 I see it as a 3 way race between


Joyce Edwards 6-3 F SC – And this might be a one way race because every time I see Edwards I am more impressed. Despite being so good, much of the peripheral nonsense does not seem to affect her she’s very very good.


Olivia Olson 6-2 W MN – One of the greatest players ever from Minnesota is pro ready right now can shoot it from anywhere has a strong physical frame and is a competitor.


Jaloni Cambridge 5-8 G TN – And when you have a premium position like Point Guard it gets more value and Cambridge as a freshman was one of the best if not the best point guard in the country playing against 3 different graduating classes and passed every test. Hard to imagine what her future and upside look like.


#10 – Keep an Eye on Our #1 Player in the 2025, 2026, and 2027 Classes


Lauren Hassell 6-3 F 2027 TN – Ok maybe you know her but this is the next great player in the country stay tuned and make sure if you can you watch her. 6-3 Guards are hard to come by they’re even harder to come by in middle school.


Jenica Lewis 5-10 2026 IA – We did a pretty good article on the best 2026’s nationally which got a lot of traction. Lewis has the offers of a Top 10 rising junior and the game to back it. Playing 16U last year its not hard to see why we have her #1 in 2026.


Zakiyah Johnson 5-11 2025 G – Watched highlights from Naples this weekend and she’s the real deal just a killer and our #1 2025.


jrallstar.com

The 10 Biggest Questions for 2022 in Club Basketball - Jr. All-Star Basketball

No one covered the national scope of club basketball in 2021 like Jr All Star we touched topics people were scared to think about and […] More
jrallstar.com jrallstar.com
Expand ...
I appreciate your report as always............my only area of disagreement is calling Cunningham a "generational" post...........she looks like a pretty talented wide body but I haven't seen enough to view her as an all-time game changer.....
 
Twolf said:
#10 – Keep an Eye on Our #1 Player in the 2025, 2026, and 2027 Classes


This is a tough assignment for me, since at my age I don’t even buy green bananas anymore!
Expand ...
It is strange seeing the posts about 2023 through 2027 POI's and thinking I may not be around to see them. I'll be thankful to see the 2022 recruits.
 
Charliebball said:
I appreciate your report as always............my only area of disagreement is calling Cunningham a "generational" post...........she looks like a pretty talented wide body but I haven't seen enough to view her as an all-time game changer.....
Expand ...
I think you are misreading that two different ways.
It (generational) was not @Sluconn Husky assessment I believe he was just passing on someone else assessment.
Second, you skipped a very important word in that assessment the word was "traditional". I took that to mean back to the basket post player. In that sense there aren't many significant "traditional" post players in WCBB anymore. Today's post want to stretch to the perimeter- without first developing the skills to dominate at the basket. I think what they are saying with Cunningham is that you are getting a very polished back to the player to start with. Other teams have to account for a player like this at or near the basket. Ayoka Lee of Kansas State is that kind of traditional post. Not that I want to give her any credit but MM also turned Jessica Shepard into a "traditional" post player vs what Jessica was (wanted to be) when she played two seasons at Nebraska.
 
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Charliebball said:
I appreciate your report as always............my only area of disagreement is calling Cunningham a "generational" post...........she looks like a pretty talented wide body but I haven't seen enough to view her as an all-time game changer.....
Expand ...
I agree. Another guy generating hype for his website. Thinks generational players are all over the place out there.
 
TeamFirst! said:
I worry about both Stanford and SC next year. Betts is next year's freshman of the year and maybe even player of the year. She's that good. She puts an all american on the bench potentially. Imagine a front court of 6 7" Betts as a generational talent, Brink, Belibi and Prectel? I don't see any team with a better front court.

Edwards is favored to go to SC right in 2 years? No decision yet but projected as likely SC. Just what they need is a guard maybe better than Cooke and Henderson. A healthy Raven Johnson coming back is a big plus for them also. She was getting a lot of PT for a freshman at the start of the year. Edwards would be in 2 years but still a major obstacle eventually if she signs with SC.

Those 2 teams are going to be loaded potentially. We really need a Mikayla level talent. I did some research once and the difference between some students who score 800 on the SAT is often great than the students who score between 725 and 800. There is a difference between outstanding and the top 3 minds in the country. The same appears to be true for athletes. We all can see it can't we? Some players are just off the charts good. Paige, Boston, Betts...etc.

Usually Uconn overcomes a statistical anomaly like a Betts with sheer volume of great players. Ciera Toomey would be in that discussion. A top 5 player who FITS at Uconn. Really a player mold Geno has a lot of experience with ( Breanna Stewart for example ). As long as the TEAM has enough talent overall, they have a great chance to win the NC. They can potentially overcome the statistical anomaly talent of an individually fantastic player. Such a TEAM is great fun to watch as well.
Expand ...

I actually think Edwards is equally as likely to go to Stanford. She has visited recent, was offered and seems excited about it. She also has been very vocal about how important academics are for her. So, that may make her lean more toward Stanford if that does play a major role in her decision.
 
saywho said:
I actually think Edwards is equally as likely to go to Stanford. She has visited recent, was offered and seems excited about it. She also has been very vocal about how important academics are for her. So, that may make her lean more toward Stanford if that does play a major role in her decision.
Expand ...
I don't know about "equally" but Stanford is definitely a real player in the game. That gal loves her academics but she loves her hometown Gamecocks, Dawn and family too.
 
CocoHusky said:
:eek: Betts will likely not even start for Stanford next year much less be an AA. That is an awfully tall paradigm you are putting forward. BTW 1) Kareem and Bill were not eligible as freshman players 2) If you are searching for a tall female basketball players to compare Betts to there was also former #1 Mercedes Russel 3) Betts DID NOT lead U19 team in FG% nor was she second-Amari DeBerry was-perhaps you have heard of her. 4) Bill Walton still goes by Bill Walton -I think 5) You need to add a zero in front of your decimal point as in "She led the world in FG% by .04..... 6). U19 version of Boston can operate more than 6 feet from the basket U19 Betts did not . Betts is going to be a very good players, she is hardly a "huge problem".
Expand ...
Amari was 3rd string. 3rd on the center depth chart and played on average 6.7 minutes a game. Betts qualified to lead the entire world in field goal percentage among starting level players. Hello, was she not the top rated player in high school this year? Are you saying that if Kareen could play in his freshman year he wouldn't have been an all american? If you want to continue to insult my opinion I could certainly respond. We will see yet again, won't we. I think she will rival Boston as the top center in women's college basketball next year. She may not start but she will be their best center next year, and they already have a lot of great ones.
 
TeamFirst! said:
Amari was 3rd string. 3rd on the center depth chart and played on average 6.7 minutes a game. Betts qualified to lead the entire world in field goal percentage among starting level players. Hello, was she not the top rated player in high school this year? Are you saying that if Kareen could play in his freshman year he wouldn't have been an all american? If you want to continue to insult my opinion I could certainly respond. We will see yet again, won't we. I think she will rival Boston as the top center in women's college basketball next year. She may not start but she will be their best center next year, and they already have a lot of great ones.
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:eek:My apologies for "insulting" your opinion by presenting easily verifiable facts.
i-hate-it-when-that-happens-i-hate-it-when.gif
 
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Alydar said:
Duncan had an outstanding college career but his team never got past the sweet 16.
One scout has called Toomey the next EDD. Hope she stays in Storrs longer. ;)
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It is 2022, can we be a little bit more considerate of these great female basketball players by comparing them to some other great female basketball players.
 
BobbyJ said:
But you disagreed with him. That's very insulting. You done good though. At least you got him down from "may be player of the year" to "may not start".
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Yea. I'm just trying to nip this in the bud because I can already see where this is heading. Betts becomes the new Boston and we get to spend the next 5 years hearing how Geno screwed up by not getting Betts.
UConnCat said:
Can we not talk about a Stanford-bound player in a UConn recruiting thread?
Expand ...
works-for-me-shrug.gif
 
jchuskie said:
Scouts are calling Betts the "Tim Duncan of Women's Basketball" high praise.
Expand ...
I think I’ll withhold judgement on Betts until after she plays a few college games! Not surprising that a 6’7” player that moves well should be a dominant player in high school. If she maintains that dominance in college then Tara really has something.

As for Boston, she is a very good post but imo still has not reached the “generational” level. I believe she is very good but not (yet) great. She is playing in a very depressed post market. As far as I can see, she has no truly dominant player to be compared to. Cunane, Brink, ONO, are all clearly a step or two below her, making her the preeminent post in the game yet she rarely performs to that standard. I think she’s got the physical ability but have doubts about how much she wants it.
All too often she appears to play only as well as she needs to, rather than showcasing the dominant play she appears to be capable of.

Note to SC fans; I have great respect for her but I just think she should/could be a lot better than what she has shown so far. Let’s face it, 14 and 10 from the best post in the country are not mind blowing numbers. Of course, to her credit, she has raised that to 17 and 10 so far this season and seems to be in better shape as well.she has also raised her three point percentage to a respectable 36%. If she maintains this trajectory, she may well become for real what many writers anointed her (imo) prematurely; a generational talent.
TeamFirst! said:
With USA basketball last year Betts was the best player on that team and a year younger than almost everyone else. It wasn't even close. She will be an all american next year. Bank on it. I think a better paradigm for her would be the Lew Alcindor of women's basketball or maybe Bill Walton ( Their college names ). At 6'7" she's basically taller than almost everyone and she is very skilled. She's better than Boston was at the same age in my opinion. She led the world in field goal percentage by .40 and she was playing with Azzi, Caitlan Clark, Citron...etc. She's a huge problem.
Expand ...
Sure, Tim Duncan, the greatest power forward in NBA history isn’t good enough so let’s compare her to the greatest center (many say player) Kareem and the greatest passing big man in the history of (yep, you guessed it) the NBA! As for your comparison to Boston, all I can say is, she would have to be wayyyy better than her to warrant any kind of comparison to all-time NBA greats! This is ludicrous! She hasn’t played a minute in college yet!
 
Cuango said:
greatest center (many say player) Kareem and the greatest passing big man in the history of (yep, you guessed it) the NBA
Expand ...

Well hold on there, Pard'ner. If you would be so kind to allow me to take this thread off line one more time. I do believe the greatest center (statistically) is the guy who could average 50 points per game and the greatest passing big man would have to be the guy who averaged 20 assists per game for a whole season. And yup, they are the same guy.
 
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