2025 Recruiting: Lara Somfai

[BobbyJ]

Currently, with Jana, Sarah both freshmen in eligibility and both Ayanna and Ice sophomore (redshirted for a year)...as well as an incoming big from Ireland next year with only Paige, Kaitlyn, Aubrey leaving, would she decide for UConn? Well, it is possible that Azzi might leave but that doesn't change the crowded frontcourt.

As for the notion of having multiple bigs on court at the same time, for UConn's style of play, these will have to be bigs who can run, preferably fast. Sarah, Ice and Ayanna are moderate bigs who can move quickly and run fast and Jana is a big, big who can do the same. If a big, big who is slow and ponderous, is that good for the UConn style of playing fast as well as read and react switching defense? I don't think so.

I haven't seen her and UConn has heavily recruited her, so she probably can move and for all I know she is moves faster than Jana.....though I believe only Stewie definitely could (e.g, those chase down blocks), maybe Kiah, too?, though she is not your idea of a big, big.

The only big at UConn who might be quicker and more athletic than Somfai is Patterson but Somfai is bigger and more skilled. Somfai is a stretch 4 who can shoot.

 

[BlueSkyGLW]

Sarah could easily move over to the 3 if the front court got crowded.

For that matter, Sarah can play 2 but what's the point? There are so many really good players already waiting to be worked into effective lineups.

At 6'2" and her speed of movement, Sarah is an ideal secondary big to someone like Jana and in the little sample we saw in that first game, they are very effective together and both do run the court.

As I said, I haven't seen LS, so my comments here is not directed against her. Rather, given UConn's style of playing fast, the recruit has to be big and can run fast downcourt and for them not to bottle up the middle on offense as well as move quickly on switching defense to cover the perimeter. Just having two 6'7" players on court is not enough.

The current combination of UConn frontcourt players will be able to rebound with anybody, especially Jana and Sarah - it is just in the effort of how they go after the ball that you see this. Both Ice and Ayanna should be learning the same level of effort. After all, if Paige can do it playing 4 last year, they should be able to.

 

[BlueSkyGLW]

The only big at UConn who might be quicker and more athletic than Somfai is Patterson but Somfai is bigger and more skilled. Somfai is a stretch 4 who can shoot.

I just looked at some of her highlights. I think it is a footrace between her and Jana with her having a good chance of winning. The other three are at least as fast. But yes, her shooting skills is similar to Sarah's but I haven't seen much of her passing skills, which I have seen a lot of Sarah's.

And yes, this kind of big does fit well in UConn's style of play.....and she is only 6'3", 6'4", so not the kind of big, big I am cautioning about.

It's entirely up to her, then, whether she wants to be part of a crowded frontcourt with another incoming. From what little I have seen, she is a fit but her size is not the priority but her skill set, movement and vision.

If she comes, there might be someone transferring from UConn. Hmmmm....several Australians went to Stanford, yes?

 

[Bone Dog]

Currently, with Jana, Sarah both freshmen in eligibility and both Ayanna and Ice sophomore (redshirted for a year)...as well as an incoming big from Ireland next year with only Paige, Kaitlyn, Aubrey leaving, would she decide for UConn? Well, it is possible that Azzi might leave but that doesn't change the crowded frontcourt.

As for the notion of having multiple bigs on court at the same time, for UConn's style of play, these will have to be bigs who can run, preferably fast. Sarah, Ice and Ayanna are moderate bigs who can move quickly and run fast and Jana is a big, big who can do the same. If a big, big who is slow and ponderous, is that good for the UConn style of playing fast as well as read and react switching defense? I don't think so.

I’ve seen Lara play a few times in the FIBA games. She is a quick, very skilled big. If she chooses Storrs, she probably won’t start her first year, but she would be above Gandy on the depth chart. Also, she’s big enough to play center, but skilled enough to play power forward.

By her sophomore year (Ice and Ayanna’s final year) she’ll probably split time as Jana’s sub and Sarah’s sub. I wonder if we’d even occasionally see a 3 big lineup with Lara Jana and Sarah on the floor at the same time.

By her junior year, once Azzi and Caroline, Ash KK Ice and Ayanna have all graduated, I suspect we’ll see a lot of that 3 big lineup with Sarah and Allie as the primary perimeter threats, Kelis as the PG.

Will that be an attractive proposition for Lara? She’d get backup minutes for her first two years, and starter’s minutes for the last two. And all 4 years she’d be contending for an NC. I’m not sure Duke or Stanford offer anything better than that.

 

[BlueSkyGLW]

I’ve seen Lara play a few times in the FIBA games. She is a quick, very skilled big. If she chooses Storrs, she probably won’t start her first year, but she would be above Gandy on the depth chart. Also, she’s big enough to play center, but skilled enough to play power forward.

By her sophomore year (Ice and Ayanna’s final year) she’ll probably split time as Jana’s sub and Sarah’s sub. I wonder if we’d even occasionally see a 3 big lineup with Lara Jana and Sarah on the floor at the same time.

By her junior year, once Azzi and Caroline, Ash KK Ice and Ayanna have all graduated, I suspect we’ll see a lot of that 3 big lineup with Sarah and Allie as the primary perimeter threats, Kelis as the PG.

Will that be an attractive proposition for Lara? She’d get backup minutes for her first two years, and starter’s minutes for the last two. And all 4 years she’d be contending for an NC. I’m not sure Duke or Stanford offer anything better than that.

Having seen a few highlights - they are highlights - I do agree that she will fit and a Jana, Sara, Lara (ohhhh, I like the way that rolls off the tongue) rotation withe deadly outside shooting can maximize high-low deployment of the bigs.

If she can see her way clear to your proposition, the only stumbling blocks are the competing schools, which are superior academically. For basketball, Coach G does have the advantage.....but geez, the Duke coach is Kara, rolls off the tongue as easily as Lara.

But it's better to be part of a UConn WBB trio of Jana, Sarah and Lara. That trio has enough guards and wings on the roster to take multiple NCs like the runs from the turn of the century but probably not four straight like Stewie's class.

There! I have jumped in feet first, with enthusiasm for her to come in and join the crowd.

 

[BRS24]

Good luck to Lara, committed to Stanford!