Lexi Will Be A Husky!

[Fairfield Fan]

Yes - I trust the Geno Auriemma rating service.

I am constantly amazed at how many top talents in this country decide not to play for Coach Geno. Cannot understand why. He is without any doubt the best coach in the nation, he takes excellent players and makes them great, he takes good players and makes them excellent. And signing on to UConn means that you will be in the running for a national championship. What else could a top talent want?

You're right about the Geno Rating Service. Seems as though kids he signs have a way of jumping up the rating charts post signing. Funny that.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

I'll also address @pvdoggy on this reply as well...

First, regarding Ekmark, her rankings were all over the map. outside of the top 30 for Hoopgurlz and PN, but inside the top 15 for BS and ASGR. She was touted as a tremendous shooter, with solid guard skills and as a coaches daughter, high BBIQ. Problem is most of her first season was marred with injuries and she struggled with the speed of the game and her fitness, which is essential for a kid who is already a step slow (see Maria Conlon). Bottom line, she is what she is - a solid role player, and there is zero wrong with that.

Where I see Lexi as being different is that she's seen a meteoric rise in the rankings in just one year. If someone has her at 78, they have not seen her lately. Now I have no idea where she will end up as most services will probably re-work their numbers over the coming months. We will know more is she's invited to Team USA tryouts and if she actually makes any of those teams. Where will she end up? How good can she be? I have no idea.

Side note - we heard several times from people out of NY that Andra Hunter was "just average". Also, her rankings dropped - possibly because she was playing out of position and had a fairly average year last season. Fast forward, and suddenly she makes the Team USA U16 squad and is one of the better players on the team. Blue Star still has her at #3 (but that's Mike Flynn, who she plays for, so it's probably way skewed). Bottom line - is she a legit top 10 or top 20 kid? I think so - anyone who makes Team USA is a legit player. Lexi is only a junior this season so we will have plenty of time to see what she does over the summer and get a better feel.

I would disagree with some who say "Geno thinks she's great so she must be". I'm not sure how much potential Geno thought Ekmark has/had, or Irwin and Bent, but clearly those kids will LIKELY be role players (possibly not but more probably just role players). Just because Geno offers does not mean he thinks the kid has AA potential. I'm excited about Gordon for 2 reasons - primarily because she accepted a scholly offer to UCONN. But also because she's skyrocketed up the rankings in just 1 year, and that's a great indication to me that she has a load of potential. Hopefully a Kalana Greene type of player (pre-injury).

And btw great post by @rugbymate . I was going to add something like that but no need to as he said it really well.

I have faith in Eckmark. She is big, strong, she's hitting 37% of her 3-pointers, and 50% of her total shots. She is not confident on the court, but she certainly has the tools. She could wind up being very good next season.

Also have great confidence that Chong will come through. I watched several of her high school games on SNY, and she was absolutely amazing! She hits three's, she drives, she can't miss free throws, she gets steals. She is not playing at UConn the way she played on offense in high school. Geno has said several times that he knows what Sanaya is capable of doing. When she gets her leg issue straightened out with a few months' rest, she could be a huge surprise.

 

[southie]

I am constantly amazed at how many top talents in this country decide not to play for Coach Geno. Cannot understand why. He is without any doubt the best coach in the nation, he takes excellent players and makes them great, he takes good players and makes them excellent. And signing on to UConn means that you will be in the running for a national championship. What else could a top talent want?

Because there is only one basketball and just not enough minutes available per game as the majority of elite players want to play/start as freshmen. And, not every university / coaching staff is a good fit for every elite player.

 

[CocoHusky]

I am constantly amazed at how many top talents in this country decide not to play for Coach Geno. Cannot understand why. He is without any doubt the best coach in the nation, he takes excellent players and makes them great, he takes good players and makes them excellent. And signing on to UConn means that you will be in the running for a national championship. What else could a top talent want?

You're right about the Geno Rating Service. Seems as though kids he signs have a way of jumping up the rating charts post signing. Funny that.

There at least a thousand perfectly valid reasons why kids say no to Geno and UCONN and we had fun with some of then. Just like every kid is not for UCONN, every talented kid is not for Geno. There is no a single player that I can think of who jumped up the rating charts just because of a UCONN signing, quite the opposite. Kids have actually dropped after signing with UCONN Boykin & Courtney did. The vast majority stay exactly where they were. A rise in rankings is due to performance at USA basketball or AAU or High school.

 

[Sonny44]

There at least a thousand perfectly valid reasons why kids say no to Geno and UCONN and we had fun with some of then. Just like every kid is not for UCONN, every talented kid is not for Geno. There is no a single player that I can think of who jumped up the rating charts just because of a UCONN signing, quite the opposite. Kids have actually dropped after signing with UCONN Boykin & Courtney did. The vast majority stay exactly where they were. A rise in rankings is due to performance at USA basketball or AAU or High school.

Boykin missed lots of PT because of injuries. Eckmark skipped her senior year. Of course their rankings dropped.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Boykin missed lots of PT because of injuries. Eckmark skipped her senior year. Of course their rankings dropped.

I don't remember Ekmark's rating dropping. She finished #31 at HG, #13 at BS, #26 at PN, and #8! at ASGR.

 

[easttexastrash]

Because there is only one basketball and just not enough minutes available per game as the majority of elite players want to play/start as freshmen. And, not every university / coaching staff is a good fit for every elite player.

I am surprised that Geno doesn't land the top 4 players in every class.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

If he goes with one more... Say Walker... then have a class of three that year.... he would have 7 scholarships if I am not mistaken for 2018... I doubt he would go for a recruiting class of over 5.
Has UCONN ever had a class of over 5? Personally I say get 2...Walker and one of the Williams (Jade).... then take 4-5 in 2018... say 2 guards 2 forwards... or three of one and 2 of the other...

Do you get egg roll with that? I want a big - a real big - in the 2018 mix . I keep hoping he'll find a big from Europe for 2017.

 

[ucalum]

Do we know if Geno has been recruiting the big from Europe, Julia R?

 

[j66kicker]

I am surprised that Geno doesn't land the top 4 players in every class.

I know. Seriously. Nick Saban does (Nick: "In the NFL the worst team gets the top draft choice. In the NCAA the best team gets the top TEN.") What's WRONG with Geno????

 

[Sluconn Husky]

New local article on Gordon:


“My emotions when Coach Auriemma offered were just ecstatic, and kind of taken aback. It takes a special kid to play for Connecticut and the fact that they saw that in me made me confident in myself that I had what it took,” Gordon said.

....

“I love what UConn is all about, their culture, and interactions within the team,” she said. “I love how tight knit they are. I feel like Coach Auriemma will push me and shape me into the best basketball player and person I can possibly be.”

....

“Growing up for me it’s always been basketball. Of course UConn has always been a program that’s been successful and that I’ve watched ever since I was a kid,” she said.


http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/high-school/article61833957.html#storylink=cpy

 

[HuskiesU]

Now I know someone on here saying Megan Walker retweeted Lexi Gordon on her signing to Uconn but she also follows Crystal Daingerfield (interesting)

Meg W. retweeted
5m5 minutes ago
Crystal Dangerfield ‏@_CrystalD32
Gotta open your eyes to what's really important

 

[CocoHusky]

Do we know if Geno has been recruiting the big from Europe, Julia R?

There has been no indication that UCONN is recruiting Julia nor has Julia been linked with any other schools.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Mid-March update:

Lexi Gordon participated in the She's Ballin Showcase in Texas last week. Here's a report followed by a video with a few clips of her in action.


Lexi Gordon (Fort Worth, Texas), LD Bell – 2017

The recent Connecticut commit has a calmness about her game and the expectations that have come with her national ranking and her high profile verbal haven’t changed that. She’s an elite shot maker and in a setting like this, with defenses unable to scout, her ability to punish the defense for mistakes, like sloppy closeouts or going under ball screens, demonstrated why she is one of the best in the country. The sports cliché of the game slowing down for players seems to be dead on with Gordon.

http://prospectsnation.com/story/shesballin-showcase-upperclass

 

[Geew1992]

For her to personally call all the coaches and let them know her decision before tweeting..... that to me speaks volumes about the type of kid she is. Very impressed by that alone. I haven't watched a second of video on her but that right there is a UConn kid through and through.

When my daughter was being recruited, I told her as she decided not to go to a school to let the coach know and once she made her decision, to tell them.