Kizmet: USA Basketball & UConn

[RockyMTblue2]

Mike Anthony has written a nice follow up piece about the UConn USA connection.

“It’s just understanding winning culture and understanding how to do it,” said Breanna Stewart, who won four national titles at UConn and Olympic gold in 2016. “If I didn’t go to UConn and if I didn’t play for Coach Auriemma and [Chris Dailey], getting pushed by them in a way I had never been pushed before, I don’t think I would be in this situation. Do I think I would have had a successful career? Sure. But going to UConn helps you understand how to be the best at all times, instills that mindset that I expect nothing but to win and I’m going to work my ass off to make it happen.”

Mike Anthony: In Geno Auriemma era, UConn and USA Basketball have been perfect partners

Three walls on the UConn women’s side of the Werth Center are just about completely covered in banners. One collection highlights the Huskies’ 11 national championships. One lists every…

www.courant.com

 

[EricLA]

That's a tremendous quote. Point being - sure you can go to any school, and if you are talented enough, you will be successful at the pro and Team USA levels. BUT... no program pushes you as hard or gets you to expand your game as much as the UCONN program.

It's a sentiment that players like Fudd need to think about IMHO...

 

[Carnac]

That's a tremendous quote. Point being - sure you can go to any school, and if you are talented enough, you will be successful at the pro and Team USA levels. BUT... no program pushes you as hard or gets you to expand your game as much as the UCONN program.

It's a sentiment that players like Fudd need to think about IMHO...

Eric, you beat me to it. I was going to make this same comment! There are lots of reasons recruits choose one program over another. If you are a deadly serious athlete determined to be successful at the college and professional level, then you want to choose your college training program wisely. Some are better than others. Recruits should be made to understand that recruiting is the life blood of all college athletic programs, and will go out of their way to make THEIR program look attractive. Some of them even make "guarantees".

Every head coach in America knows their job depends on finding and recruiting the best athletes they can find to keep their program competitive. All of the top (elite) ten programs recruit the same kids. I remember a high school coach saying that a college recruiter once told him that once they realized that UConn and some other elite colleges were also recruiting a player they were interested in, they knew they did not have any chance on landing her.

The highly coveted recruits generally go to elite programs. You seldom see a top ten ranked recruit go to a mid-major program. Geno and Chris Daley have an incomparable track record of success in recruiting and developing top tier athletes. Girls that want to be pushed and developed into the very best player and person the can be.

Speaking of Azzi Fudd (a walking bucket), I'll be surprised and very disappointed if we don't get her. She appears to be a serious UConn lean. Another UConn lean is 6'0" G Ashlon Jackson (2022-China Tx) that wants to come here that I really really hope we get. She's the top ranked 2022 player in Texas. She checks all the boxes of the perfect UConn recruit. Hardin-Jefferson freshman Jackson already has big time offers on the table.

One need to look no further than the number of players UConn "consistently" sends to the professional ranks. Look at the number of players that have gone on to become successful in the business world. Some players want to play immediately upon arrival on campus and not be pushed or expected to work too hard, or beyond their perceived limits. Most of them have done their homework. They know/heard what the expectations and challenges are at UConn versus other colleges. They also know that Geno and Chris Daley have an "non-comparable" track record that speaks for its self.

Stewie said something that ALL recruits need to seriously think about before committing to any program.
She said: "if I didn’t play for Coach Auriemma and [Chris Dailey], getting pushed by them in a way I had never been pushed before, I don’t think I would be in this situation. Do I think I would have had a successful career? Sure. But going to UConn helps you understand how to be the best at all times, instills that mindset that I expect nothing but to win and I’m going to work my ass off to make it happen.”

If the college program they're looking at doesn't make them feel that way, then perhaps they should look else where. It's been said many times that Geno won't let any of his players cheat their potential. How many times have we heard a UConn player say that they didn't know what hard work (workouts) was until they got to UConn? That they had been pushed way beyond their perceived limits in terms of growth and development?I'll always remember what Crystal Dangerfield said in an interview about a week after official practice began. She said "Nothing I did or experienced in high school or AAU basketball prepared me for what I'm going through now."

That's why I don't get too upset over the coveted recruits we don't get (I thought we had Boston in the bag, but she choose not to come here). Even though they were great high school players, they may or may not have been a good fit at UConn. We have had some recent transfers that didn't workout and moved on. Sometimes you swing and miss in the recruiting game. I'm very excited over the signees and verbal commitments we have coming in over the next two classes, with more to come (that want to come here). My sources tell me the best is yet to come.

 

[eebmg]

and the more direct quote

“There’s no secret,” Taurasi said. “If you’re good at basketball, you go to UConn. And if you go to UConn and you’re good at basketball you’re probably going to get better.”

 

[meyers7]

Speaking of Ashley Fudd, I'll be surprised and very disappointed if we don't get her. She appears to be a serious UConn lean.

Sorry, but let's make sure we get this one right. Azzi, as in Jennifer.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Sorry, but let's make sure we get this one right. Azzi, as in Jennifer.

I suspect that's autocorrect being overbearing and misguided.

 

[meyers7]

I suspect that's autocorrect being overbearing and misguided.

Just want to make sure if any of her peeps are reading, we know who she is.

 

[baggerbob]

Eric, you beat me to it. I was going to make this same comment! There are lots of reasons recruits choose one program over another. If you are a deadly serious athlete determined to be successful at the college and professional level, then you want to choose your college training program wisely. Some are better than others. Recruits should be made to understand that recruiting is the life blood of all college athletic programs, and will go out of their way to make THEIR program look attractive. Some of them even make "guarantees".

Every head coach in America knows their job depends on finding and recruiting the best athletes they can find to keep their program competitive. All of the top (elite) ten programs recruit the same kids. I remember a high school coach saying that a college recruiter once told him that once they realized that UConn and some other elite colleges were also recruiting a player they were interested in, they knew they did not have any chance on landing her.

The highly coveted recruits generally go to elite programs. You seldom see a top ten ranked recruit go to a mid-major program. Geno and Chris Daley have an incomparable track record of success in recruiting and developing top tier athletes. Girls that want to be pushed and developed into the very best player and person the can be.

Speaking of Azzi Fudd (a walking bucket), I'll be surprised and very disappointed if we don't get her. She appears to be a serious UConn lean. Another UConn lean is Ashlon Jackson (2022-China Tx) that wants to come here that I really hope we get. She checks all the boxes of the perfect UConn recruit.

One need to look no further than the number of players UConn "consistently" sends to the professional ranks. Look at the number of players that have gone on to become successful in the business world. Some players want to play immediately upon arrival on campus and not be pushed or expected to work too hard, or beyond their perceived limits. Most of them have done their homework. The know/heard what the expectations are at UConn and other colleges.

Stewie said something that ALL recruits need to seriously think about before committing to any program.
She said: "if I didn’t play for Coach Auriemma and [Chris Dailey], getting pushed by them in a way I had never been pushed before, I don’t think I would be in this situation. Do I think I would have had a successful career? Sure. But going to UConn helps you understand how to be the best at all times, instills that mindset that I expect nothing but to win and I’m going to work my ass off to make it happen.”

If the college program they're looking at doesn't make them feel that way, then perhaps they should look else where. It's been said many times that Geno won't let any of his players cheat their potential. How many times have we heard a UConn player say that they didn't know what hard work (workouts) were until they got to UConn? That they had been pushed way beyond their perceived limits in terms of growth and development?

That's why I don't get too upset over the coveted recruits we don't get (I thought we had Boston in the bag, but she choose not to come here). Even though they were great high school players, they may or may not have been a good fit at UConn. We have had some recent transfers that didn't workout and moved on. Sometimes you swing and miss in the recruiting game. I'm very excited over the signees and verbal commitments we have coming in over the next two classes, with more to come (that want to come here). My sources tell me the best is yet to come.

As Geno said when Stewie and Sue won in Seattle in 2018. I knew Stewie would get it figured out.

 

[Carnac]

I suspect that's autocorrect being overbearing and misguided.

Fixed it, thanks. When I compose comments using my iPhone (which is 50% of the time), I have that problem constantly, more so than when I'm on my desktop. Sometimes it's to hard to proof read long posts to ensure grammatical correctness.

 

[victor64]

I still remember Geno being miked during practice and complaining to Chris about how Stewie never listens to anything anybody says. He commented how great a player she is but man, she is stubborn.

I am sure there were many days when the wildly successful coach and the uber-talented player had stressful interactions.

Of course, they both ended up getting what they wanted.