2025 Recruiting: - Lara Somfai | Page 4 | The Boneyard

2025 Recruiting: Lara Somfai

Lara represents a potential "big" change in next year's lineup. If we get her, for once the option of going really big will be there. Both she and Sarah have perimeter skills, so we could use three bigs with those two joining Jana. Sarah could be quite comfortable at the 3 or 4, and Lara might be able to play some there too. Conceivably those three could start with two guards, or possibly those three could be a tight big rotation at the 4 & 5, that didn't even have to go to players like Ice, Ayanna or Gandy unless they matched the output of those three.

Many assumptions there, namely that all of Lara, Sarah and Jana are the real deal and we get Lara, but I think all of those questions have pretty good odds at the moment.
 
I thought Lara was UConn lean for a long time, and predicted her coming our way. However, after her Stanford visit she's been liking a lot of their social media on Instagram, and not seeing her liking UConn's anymore.

I know social media doesn't tell the whole story, but just trying to read the ole tea leaves. I'm sure we will know soon enough.
 
Rings R Us said:
I thought Lara was UConn lean for a long time, and predicted her coming our way. However, after her Stanford visit she's been liking a lot of their social media on Instagram, and not seeing her liking UConn's anymore.

I know social media doesn't tell the whole story, but just trying to read the ole tea leaves. I'm sure we will know soon enough.
Expand ...

I noticed myself that she’s active with each of her three finalists on social media. She’s liked a bunch of recent posts on the UConn page, most recently of Jana & Sarah posted about an hour ago.
 
.-.
Wednesday can’t come soon enough
Nervous The Big Bang Theory GIF
 
GenoWept said:


Lara Somfai to announce her commitment on November 13th!
Expand ...

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.
 
Last edited:
BlueSkyGLW said:
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.
Expand ...
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.
 
DEpup said:
Sarah could easily move over to the 3 if the front court got crowded.
Expand ...
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.
 
.-.
BobbyJ said:
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.
Expand ...
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?
 
Last edited:
BlueSkyGLW said:
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.
Expand ...
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.
 
Bone Dog said:
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.
Expand ...
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.
 
.-.
I thought Lara Somfai was a "natural" for UCONN.
Given her WEST COAST interest with Stanford, I
would guess UCLA, but just... M A Y B E?
 
.-.
uconnever said:
Would love to have her off the bench because with Sarah, Blanca and the O, we have an awesome frontline. Need a stud 2 guard more.
Expand ...
Big O will have to earn a starting spot.
 
donalddoowop said:
Big O will have to earn a starting spot.
Expand ...
I'm not worried about that. If im Geno, Somfai has to be head and shoulders better than O to start. She said no to us the first time and O said yes first. Unless she's markedly better she comes off the bench, there will be plenty of playing time there. I'll say it again, we need a slashing scoring athletic defensive minded two guard. That's all we really don't have. Blanca is a little too tall and slow of foot for the elite two guards. She isn't necessarily slow of foot, just for certain players we will end up facing when it matters. KK is an option but someone taller.
 
For those that need a refresher course on the "mix" of
talents that Lara Somfai would bring to UCONN: google=
"Lara Somfai Basketball Stanford Highlights 2025-2026"
YouTube. As the oldies record declares: "I'm a
Believer". For example: Three pointers, interior
passing (good hands and instincts), Shares the ball,
buzzer beaters, blocks, intermediate distance scoring,
etc. Recall that she has been a member of many
Australian national youth teams... and .... Lara was
on the same team as "BIG FISH" Kelis Fisher at IMG
Academy.... Instant Chemistry!! Does anyone know of
some communication between those two
H.S. teammates??
 
I wondered all year if LS would t-fer after the end of this year. Why come to the usa on a BB scholly and go to a school where the chances of playing for a championship is slim to none. Now some will say the education. Well, from friends of mine and others I know who went there many years ago and some who work there now, they say it is not nearly the same in scholastic rigor that it use to be nor the diversity of thought.

If she comes to Uconn, we have a 5 big rotation on three spots (120 minutes per game), not counting Gandy, Yanna or Ice. GA can also go small but I doubt he will do so as much next year. KK and Shade at the guards. GA can also go big with SS and BQ at off guard.

I am hoping that Popovic is a player and as good a shooter as she has shown in Europe. That should take some sting out of losing Azzi.

The team needs a lesson in handling physical players as this is the only realistic chance most teams have at beating UCONN. I hope that GA tells the practice guys to push, hold and shove to get them use to it. This physical play will also wear you down as well which means they miss more shots.
 
Last edited:
uconnever said:
I'm not worried about that. If im Geno, Somfai has to be head and shoulders better than O to start. She said no to us the first time and O said yes first. Unless she's markedly better she comes off the bench, there will be plenty of playing time there. I'll say it again, we need a slashing scoring athletic defensive minded two guard. That's all we really don't have. Blanca is a little too tall and slow of foot for the elite two guards. She isn't necessarily slow of foot, just for certain players we will end up facing when it matters. KK is an option but someone taller.
Expand ...
On the "starting" issue. IMHO that is one of those "to be determined"
issues. Olivia is very good, but she will be a freshman. Lara is
a rising Sophomore with quite a bit of playing time at Stanford
playing (in the regular conference season) against very good
ACC teams: N.D. ("great eight"), Duke ("great eight"),
UNC ("sweet sixteen"), Louisville ("sweet sixteen"). See my
thread note #118 for the link to Lara's Stanford's Season
Highlights. Anyway, I see Olivia has a POST with an
"ALL Position" capacity at the high post etc. Lara, to
my way of thinking, is a POWER FORWARD. Lara will
free up Sara Strong to "do Sarah Strong" things all
over the court. About the "slow of foot" comment...
maybe so (I've seen the boxscores and Somfai's tendency
to pick up fouls), but on offense her quick accurate passing
requires "good hands" and a good "basketball IQ" which I think
the highlight reel will support. GO LARA! COME TO STORRS!
 
.-.
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
168,285
Messages
4,561,396
Members
10,455
Latest member
UConnGabby


Top Bottom