January UConn Recruiting Thread | Page 6 | The Boneyard

January UConn Recruiting Thread

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Saylor has one of the prettiest jump shots I’ve seen in HS. She squares to the basket, goes straight up, with a perfect release and a beautiful arc on her shot. She’s gonna make a bunch of 3’s once she gets to Storrs.
 
CTisballers said:
Saylor looks really good and have a great feel and IQ for the game. Steal of the class maybe??
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oldude said:
Saylor has one of the prettiest jump shots I’ve seen in HS. She squares to the basket, goes straight up, with a perfect release and a beautiful arc on her shot. She’s gonna make a bunch of 3’s once she gets to Storrs.
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Sailor is the complete package. Athletic, handles, passing, and a top shelf defender.
 
BobbyJ said:
And she plays hard.
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[I meant this to be a reply to Bobby 'Js posts # 148 and 150]. One thing I saw is that Saylor did not run back down court after her first make. Does this mean that she has a low motor? Or that she doesn't care about defense? Or is the fairer conclusion that she did not hustle on that particular play? My point is that it is impossible to meaningfully assess Saylor's game, let alone Mir's, from such a small and selective sample size. I happen to believe that both players are underrated, and will bring it on both ends of the court when they play for UCONN. More importantly, the coaches have made that bet, and I daresay their assessment was based on more than a mixtape.
 
Crossover said:
[I meant this to be a reply to Bobby 'Js posts # 148 and 150]. One thing I saw is that Saylor did not run back down court after her first make. Does this mean that she has a low motor? Or that she doesn't care about defense? Or is the fairer conclusion that she did not hustle on that particular play? My point is that it is impossible to meaningfully assess Saylor's game, let alone Mir's, from such a small and selective sample size. I happen to believe that both players are underrated, and will bring it on both ends of the court when they play for UCONN. More importantly, the coaches have made that bet, and I daresay their assessment was based on more than a mixtape.
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Did not see Saylor fail to run down court at any point.
 
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Crossover said:
[I meant this to be a reply to Bobby 'Js posts # 148 and 150]. One thing I saw is that Saylor did not run back down court after her first make. Does this mean that she has a low motor? Or that she doesn't care about defense? Or is the fairer conclusion that she did not hustle on that particular play? My point is that it is impossible to meaningfully assess Saylor's game, let alone Mir's, from such a small and selective sample size. I happen to believe that both players are underrated, and will bring it on both ends of the court when they play for UCONN. More importantly, the coaches have made that bet, and I daresay their assessment was based on more than a mixtape.
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Think it is also fair to say Mir did not give any effort on a few plays during that highlight. Also fair to say we would not be talking about this if Mir was not a signed UCONN recruit. Geno does not teach effort.
 
oldude said:
Saylor has one of the prettiest jump shots I’ve seen in HS. She squares to the basket, goes straight up, with a perfect release and a beautiful arc on her shot. She’s gonna make a bunch of 3’s once she gets to Storrs.
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and she has very deep range, like Crystal Dangerfield deep. seems like a very good passer as well. Not to put too much pressure on Saylor, but I only hope she will be as good or better than KLS :p
 
pvdoggy said:
and she has very deep range, like Crystal Dangerfield deep. seems like a very good passer as well. Not to put too much pressure on Saylor, but I only hope she will be as good or better than KLS :p
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Then I guess she should start with winning National Gatorade POY this year, and go from there...
 
Didn't Aubrey also (at times) have the similar effort thingy as many saw in the few clips of Mir at the high school level. Maybe taking a play off here or there. Regardless, I suppose that they know better than to try that once they arrive to Storrs.
 
DaBball said:
Didn't Aubrey also (at times) have the similar effort thingy as many saw in the few clips of Mir at the high school level. Maybe taking a play off here or there. Regardless, I suppose that they know better than to try that once they arrive to Storrs.
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Yes. I watched Aubrey fill up a stat sheet in 4 straight HS games with 30+ pts, rebounds, assists and steals. As good as she was, I was very concerned with her inconsistent effort on defense. Much to my delight, Aubrey’s defensive effort since she arrived at Storrs has been exceptional. Frankly, if you watch Paige’s games, you will also see her take plays off on defense.

I know Geno says that he doesn’t teach effort, but the fact is that many players will tell you that one of the things they learn when they get to UConn is to go hard, all the time in practice as well as games. So yes, Geno does in fact teach effort.
 
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In a big game, it is rare for a high school coach to sit their best player because of effort. In this day where coaches are publicly second guessed for everything, coaches will ignore lack of effort even though ithey know they shouldn’t. The players know this unfortunately.
 
victor64 said:
In a big game, it is rare for a high school coach to sit their best player because of effort. In this day where coaches are publicly second guessed for everything, coaches will ignore lack of effort even though ithey know they shouldn’t. The players know this unfortunately.
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It's also common for HS coaches to want to keep their stars out of foul trouble by telling them to play soft defense and putting them on softer players.

For the most part I have yet to see any high school player even come close to matching these highlight videos as freshmen. I enjoy watching them but I also realize they are basically ads produced by friends, family and coaches.

KLS was very soft on defense.
 
Alydar said:
It's also common for HS coaches to want to keep their stars out of foul trouble by telling them to play soft defense and putting them on softer players.
For the most part I have yet to see any high school player even come close to matching these highlight videos as freshmen. I enjoy watching them but I also realize they are basically ads produced by friends, family and coaches.
KLS was very soft on defense.
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KLS was not a very good defender in HS because of poor technique and lack of footspeed. KLS improved her technique greatly while at UCONN and became a much better defender. Mir is among the best and most versatile defender in her HS class. Mir's lack of effort in those highlights was very surprising. People can continue to search for explanations (excuses really) but that level of "effort" would have been equally surprising for any past or present UCONN WBB player in any HS game.
 
CocoHusky said:
KLS was not a very good defender in HS because of poor technique and lack of footspeed. KLS improved her technique greatly while at UCONN and became a much better defender. Mir is among the best and most versatile defender in her HS class. Mir's lack of effort in those highlights was very surprising. People can continue to search for explanations (excuses really) but that level of "effort" would have been equally surprising for any past or present UCONN WBB player in any HS game.
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Coco, as I pointed out, I watched Aubrey in person on 4 separate occasions, and she took more than a few plays off on defense, including loafing back in transition. I’ve also watched several complete game videos of Paige and her Hopkins teammates and I can say unequivocally that the #1 player in the class of 2020 doesn’t always play hard on defense.

As for Mir & Saylor it would be nice if we had the complete game video to evaluate. I do note that Mir put up more than half her teams points in a nail biter.
 
DaBball said:
Didn't Aubrey also (at times) have the similar effort thingy as many saw in the few clips of Mir at the high school level. Maybe taking a play off here or there. Regardless, I suppose that they know better than to try that once they arrive to Storrs.
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I can't remember the last time I saw a high school player in person over time (even the good ones) not take a play off now and again (boredom, anger, loss of focus, tired)................I'd be far more more concerned if they did it at an important time in the game...............
 
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One more point on why highlights can be deceiving. Mir evidently takes a few defensive possessions off and Saylor scores. For the entire game Saylor had 13 points to Mir’s 27.

So I have a couple questions. If Mir was guarding Saylor the entire game, and she held one of the best shooters in the nation to only 13 pts, wouldn’t it be worthwhile to see all the other possessions in the game to understand just how effective Mir was defensively in limiting Saylor‘s ability to score?

Second question. Who exactly was guarding Mir? Did they take defensive possessions off? Mir put up 27 of Roland Park’s 47 points. If someone had done a better job containing Mir, maybe Saylor doesn’t have to block a last second shot to win the game 49-47. Just sayin......

Personally, I am delighted that both Mir and Saylor will be Huskies, and I have no doubt that both will play hard like UConn WBB players are expected to play.
 
oldude said:
One more point on why highlights can be deceiving. Mir evidently takes a few defensive possessions off and Saylor scores. For the entire game Saylor had 13 points to Mir’s 27.

So I have a couple questions. If Mir was guarding Saylor the entire game, and she held one of the best shooters in the nation to only 13 pts, wouldn’t it be worthwhile to see all the other possessions in the game to understand just how effective Mir was defensively in limiting Saylor‘s ability to score?

Second question. Who exactly was guarding Mir? Did they take defensive possessions off? Mir put up 27 of Roland Park’s 47 points. If someone had done a better job containing Mir, maybe Saylor doesn’t have to block a last second shot to win the game 49-47. Just sayin......

Personally, I am delighted that both Mir and Saylor will be Huskies, and I have no doubt that both will play hard like UConn WBB players are expected to play.
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Well said, I would like to see the complete stat sheet. Highlight videos are deceptive, everyone is acting like Saylor made every shot. I do not know how well Saylor played but based on a highlight video with 13 (?) points it may be to a little bit early to compare her to KLS.
 
Checkmate 2.0 said:
Well said, I would like to see the complete stat sheet. Highlight videos are deceptive, everyone is acting like Saylor made every shot. I do not know how well Saylor played but based on a highlight video with 13 (?) points it may be to a little bit early to compare her to KLS.
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Its not to early. BYers love to compare.
 
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Charliebball said:
I can't remember the last time I saw a high school player in person over time (even the good ones) not take a play off now and again (boredom, anger, loss of focus, tired)................I'd be far more more concerned if they did it at an important time in the game...............
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This game was a rivalry game that ended 49-47. I'd say the whole game was important.
 
I wanted to make sure I accurately captured the excuses being made for Mir's lack of effort in the posted highlight:

1) @Crossover : "Saylor did not run back down court after her first make. Does this mean that she has a low motor?" My point is that it is impossible to meaningfully assess Saylor's game, let alone Mir's, from such a small and selective sample size.
2) @DaBball : "Didn't Aubrey also (at times) have the similar effort thingy as many saw in the few clips of Mir at the high school level.
3) @oldude : As good as she (Aubrey) was, I was very concerned with her inconsistent effort on defense.
"if you watch Paige’s games, you will also see her take plays off on defense."
4) @victor64 : In a big game, it is rare for a high school coach to sit their best player because of effort. In this day where coaches are publicly second guessed for everything, coaches will ignore lack of effort even though they know they shouldn’t.
5) @Alydar : It's also common for HS coaches to want to keep their stars out of foul trouble by telling them to play soft defense and putting them on softer players. KLS was very soft on defense.
6) @Charliebball : I can't remember the last time I saw a high school player in person over time (even the good ones) not take a play off now and again (boredom, anger, loss of focus, tired).

Regardless of the sample size (53 seconds of video) or circumstances (big game, blow out, close game, tired. not tired..) the level of effort displayed by Mir in that video was lacking. I would have said the same of ANY UCONN prospect, recruit or walkon. I said the same of Angel Reese almost a year ago when it was reported that she had a UCONN offer. When did people start believing it was OK for a UCONN recruits to start taking plays off-surely I missed that memo?
Geno was critical of Megan Walker because in her final HS game she coasted for a few quarters and then had to play hero to rescue her HS team and secure a championship.
 
Supplying reasons doesn’t make it OK. It also doesn’t mean that Mir will display lack of effort at UConn. Her battle for playing time will be substantial. It would be foolish to create additional hurdles
 
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CocoHusky said:
I wanted to make sure I accurately captured the excuses being made for Mir's lack of effort in the posted highlight:

1) @Crossover : "Saylor did not run back down court after her first make. Does this mean that she has a low motor?" My point is that it is impossible to meaningfully assess Saylor's game, let alone Mir's, from such a small and selective sample size.
2) @DaBball : "Didn't Aubrey also (at times) have the similar effort thingy as many saw in the few clips of Mir at the high school level.
3) @oldude : As good as she (Aubrey) was, I was very concerned with her inconsistent effort on defense.
"if you watch Paige’s games, you will also see her take plays off on defense."
4) @victor64 : In a big game, it is rare for a high school coach to sit their best player because of effort. In this day where coaches are publicly second guessed for everything, coaches will ignore lack of effort even though they know they shouldn’t.
5) @Alydar : It's also common for HS coaches to want to keep their stars out of foul trouble by telling them to play soft defense and putting them on softer players. KLS was very soft on defense.
6) @Charliebball : I can't remember the last time I saw a high school player in person over time (even the good ones) not take a play off now and again (boredom, anger, loss of focus, tired).

Regardless of the sample size (53 seconds of video) or circumstances (big game, blow out, close game, tired. not tired..) the level of effort displayed by Mir in that video was lacking. I would have said the same of ANY UCONN prospect, recruit or walkon. I said the same of Angel Reese almost a year ago when it was reported that she had a UCONN offer. When did people start believing it was OK for a UCONN recruits to start taking plays off-surely I missed that memo?
Geno was critical of Megan Walker because in her final HS game she coasted for a few quarters and then had to play hero to rescue her HS team and secure a championship.
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Coco, I agree with pretty much every point you make in the preceding post. It is the one comment from your prior post that I respectfully disagree with.
CocoHusky said:
Mir's lack of effort in those highlights was very surprising. People can continue to search for explanations (excuses really) but that level of "effort" would have been equally surprising for any past or present UCONN WBB player in any HS game.
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While Mir’s lack of effort in a handful of defensive sequences may well be concerning to some, based on my observations of Aubrey, Paige and countless other UConn WBB recruits, it is hardly “surprising.”
 
oldude said:
Coco, I agree with pretty much every point you make in the preceding post. It is the one comment from your prior post that I respectfully disagree with.

While Mir’s lack of effort in a handful of defensive sequences may well be concerning to some, based on my observations of Aubrey, Paige and countless other UConn WBB recruits, it is hardly “surprising.”
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The reason it was surprising to me is because everything I'd read and seen indicated to me that her motor and competitiveness were her major assets. I too would like to see the full game to see if she's picking her spots to play hard. HS games are only 32 minutes and they usually only play a couple a week other than tourneys. If a coach lets any of his kids pick spots, he's cheating the kid on their future development and the kid's teammates in that game. With any of these HS stars, if the coach isn't demanding effort non stop they're not doing his/her job.
 
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Or Mir could have been dealing with the nasty cold that is sweeping through the Baltimore area. And Saylor may have been spreading the ball around to her team mates because they had more and better open looks. Isn't speculation fun?

Since I don't think any of us were there to watch the entire game we really just don't know now, do we?
 
Ozimoto said:
Or Mir could have been dealing with the nasty cold that is sweeping through the Baltimore area. And Saylor may have been spreading the ball around to her team mates because they had more and better open looks. Isn't speculation fun?

Since I don't think any of us were there to watch the entire game we really just don't know now, do we?
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On the former, nah, she had plenty of energy on the offensive end(27 pts). On the latter, probably.
 
BobbyJ said:
The reason it was surprising to me is because everything I'd read and seen indicated to me that her motor and competitiveness were her major assets. I too would like to see the full game to see if she's picking her spots to play hard. HS games are only 32 minutes and they usually only play a couple a week other than tourneys. If a coach lets any of his kids pick spots, he's cheating the kid on their future development and the kid's teammates in that game. With any of these HS stars, if the coach isn't demanding effort non stop they're not doing his/her job.
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While I agree with your comments in general, I have a couple related thoughts. One has to do with watching highlights vs full game videos.

If Saylor had 13 pts in the game, at most she had 6 made shots, and less if she hit more than one 3-pt shot or more than 1 ft. If she was 6/10 or even 6/15 vs tough competition, that’s pretty good. But if Saylor was 6/20+, either Mir did a pretty good job of defending her or she had a really poor shooting night.

My second point has to do with our expectations of teenagers. Many of us here on the BY are senior citizens. Teenagers minds work far differently than old farts like us. Who knows what in the hell Mir might have been thinking about for the handful of sequences when Saylor scored? Thinking back to the dark ages, when I was once a teenager, I was known for a lot of things. Consistency was not one of them.

One last example of what I’m talking about. With Geno in attendance, during Megan Walker’s 3rd straight VA State HS championship with her Monacan HS teammates, Megan was downright pedestrian for 3 qtrs of the game, and Monacan fell behind by double digits entering the 4th qtr. In the 4th qtr Megan woke up, took over the game and scored 20+ pts as Monacan won their 3rd straight state championship.

After the game Geno congratulated Megan and gave her a big hug. He also told her that, “If you can do that in the 4th qtr, you can also do that in the first three qtrs.”

One of the reasons why top recruits come to UConn is because they know that Geno will get the very best out of them. Unlike HS, and many college programs as well, nothing but your best is acceptable at UConn.
 
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