McCoy Announces Final 6 (no UConn)

[Kibitzer]

Hart also 'out-statisticked #4 ranked Taya Reimer. I'd take Hart in a hart-beat over Reimer on my team. Clearly the basketball experts missed the boat with these kids. And MANY others.

Obviously, numbers don't tell the whole story. Coaching, teammates, conference, and schedule all certainly matter. How to weigh those factors in, I do not know

Ahem.

I admire your gift for creative prose (e.g., out-statisticked and hart-beat). More important, I agree with your persuasive analysis and comparison of Hart, Reimer, Stevens, and Westbeld.

How to weigh all the statistical factors? Geno's solution is basic and sound - he applies the old-fashioned eye test and seeks the answer to the Bill Russell question:

"Can she play?"​

 

[Huskies Rule]

Regarding Tori McCoy, who had ACL surgery just this past January 2015... maybe after all the difficult struggles Gabby and Morgan went through rehabbing their career-threatening knee injuries (two ACL's for Gabby and the even dicier Osteoarticular Transfer for Morgan) and the uncertainty of not knowing for certain if either would ever be able to play basketball again at an elite level, or at any level... it would be understandable if the mere sound of the words "knee injury" would give Geno nightmares and good reason to take a pass, even on a top rated player like McCoy.

 

[hjoerring]

Im just thinkin. Who is the ace in the hole. Cox??? McCoy not coming tells me UConn just may have someone in the wings. Maybe maybe not but I like what Im readin.

Please Holy One tell us what you are "reading" because your followers are getting nervous, as the gates are closing rapidly. Have we chosen to pick flowers instead harvesting fruits?

 

[HuskyNan]

I thought I read on the Boneyard once that Geno only "offers" to players who visit UConn. Does anyone know if this is true or not? (since this post originally started with quesitons over McCoy /Cox were offered a scholly by Geno)

Not true. Tiff Hayes committed without having ever setting foot on campus.

 

[HuskyNan]

I have been keeping an eye on her by attending games and talking to AAU and high schools coaches about Fee. There is growing consensus that she needs to make a giant leap to even be a UCONN contributor. Most would bet against it happening.

I was told by a very knowledgable and respected AAU coach that Stefanie Dolson would be a valuable role player for UConn but nothing more.

 

[CocoHusky]

I was told by a very knowledgable and respected AAU coach that Stefanie Dolson would be a valuable role player for UConn but nothing more.

My youngest Daughter played against Stefanie's team in AAU 4 times at Boo Williams-2, Gym Rats,USJN and after watching I didn't see Stefanie contributing at UCONN either. I was dead wrong & I hope I am about Fee as well if she decides to come to UCONN.

 

[CocoHusky]

Regarding Tori McCoy, who had ACL surgery just this past January 2015... maybe after all the difficult struggles Gabby and Morgan went through rehabbing their career-threatening knee injuries (two ACL's for Gabby and the even dicier Osteoarticular Transfer for Morgan) and the uncertainty of not knowing for certain if either would ever be able to play basketball again at an elite level, or at any level... it would be understandable if the mere sound of the words "knee injury" would give Geno nightmares and good reason to take a pass, even on a top rated player like McCoy.

No reason for Geno to back off McCoy because of the knee injury. Geno has access to the best in the business for surgery and rehab-Amanda. Caroline Doty and Gabby are most recent best examples of this.

 

[CocoHusky]

There are going to be so many people on this board trashing her if she doesn't pick UCONN, I can already tell. SGamecock July 7th,2015.

Dear SGamecock,

In reference to your quote above and just in case you were unaware, Tori McCoy decided on August 5th that she will not be attending UCONN. That same day this thread was started on the Boneyard. 70 post into this thread and the trashing you so adamantly predicted has not materialize. I only remind you of this so that we can both accurately record that there is no trashing of McCoy on the Boneyard and there will not be any for Cox if she decides to go elsewhere. SC remains on McCoy’s list of possible schools and good luck to Dawn in landing her.

 

[mcannon1]

I can not help but wonder is Cox is planning to come to UCONN; Dawn knows it and doesn't like it; and that's why she played so little. It's also true that A'ja, Jatarie, and Stevens are older and more experienced. However, if a player is good enough to make the team, I would think even a younger player would see playing time if a game isn't close. I also admit, blatant supposition on my part in regard to Cox's lack of USA playing time.

 

[triaddukefan]

There are going to be so many people on this board trashing her if she doesn't pick UCONN, I can already tell. SGamecock July 7th,2015.

Dear SGamecock,

In reference to your quote above and just in case you were unaware, Tori McCoy decided on August 5th that she will not be attending UCONN. That same day this thread was started on the Boneyard. 70 post into this thread and the trashing you so adamantly predicted has not materialize. I only remind you of this so that we can both accurately record that there is no trashing of McCoy on the Boneyard and there will not be any for Cox if she decides to go elsewhere. SC remains on McCoy’s list of possible schools and good luck to Dawn in landing her.

Define trashing

 

[CocoHusky]

Define trashing

In swimming it is the upward and downward movement of the legs. On this board it is posting disparaging or hurtful remarks about a player or recruit or stuff you would NOT have the nerve to say to a player's face or to their parents.

 

[Orangutan]

Holland was actually ranked in the top 40 in the nation. http://espn.go.com/high-school/girls-basketball/recruiting/player/_/id/121912/kianna-holland

Holland was Class of 2013, so that might be why you did not see her listed on ESPN.

Yeah, I originally forgot she was a transfer. Figured it out eventually.

 

[SCGamecock]

There are going to be so many people on this board trashing her if she doesn't pick UCONN, I can already tell. SGamecock July 7th,2015.

Dear SGamecock,

In reference to your quote above and just in case you were unaware, Tori McCoy decided on August 5th that she will not be attending UCONN. That same day this thread was started on the Boneyard. 70 post into this thread and the trashing you so adamantly predicted has not materialize. I only remind you of this so that we can both accurately record that there is no trashing of McCoy on the Boneyard and there will not be any for Cox if she decides to go elsewhere. SC remains on McCoy’s list of possible schools and good luck to Dawn in landing her.

Thanks for the reminder, however bizarre it may be considering that post was in a thread about Cox and not McCoy. (which you noted, which makes it more strange).

Either way, I look forward to tBY proving me wrong. I have no problem being wrong. I've been wrong before. Life will continue..

 

[BigBird]

When Coach Staley refused to insert Cox into the USA games at crunch time told me that there is something missing in her game...I do not know enough about her to make any judgements....I wish her well wherever she goes to school.....

I had the same thought as I watched the game. Maybe she was ill, or perhaps there was some other explanation for why the number one-rated prep in the country looked confused, slow, and not terribly proficient. Wherever she goes to school, I hope she becomes a better player and ultimately the best she can be.

 

[BigBird]

I had been wondering about Tori.

Her decision doesn't surprise me too much. I would bet she had an offer, but relative to UConn, the silence locally was deafening. I could be absolutely wrong here, but I think her injury plus the less-than-stellar quality of HS competition factored in. Just exactly how, I don't claim to know. Odd (and slightly amusing) that folks all over the country probably have more information than I do on a player whose school is a five minute drive from my house. Welcome to the sports Internet.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

I would think the healthy and productive comebacks of Tuck and Williams from knee surgeries would embolden UConn to recruit a player with a knee injury, not the opposite.

 

[BigBird]

I would think the healthy and productive comebacks of Tuck and Williams from knee surgeries would embolden UConn to recruit a player with a knee injury, not the opposite.

But what if SHE had doubts pertaining to the injury? I was careful not to say that Geno backed away. I have no such information. Nor do I know that it was a factor at all. But sometimes we focus in on some aspect of recruitment while missing the thing that really was the tipping point. But this is a small town in terms of its behaviors. If she had ever been a UConn lean, everybody from here to Rantoul would have known it (or claimed they did).

As to the caliber of competition, I know that she played (well) in some tournament games against better schools. But the meat and potatoes of her BB schedules has been playing programs that really aren't very good. Could this tip a player's decision? Not for a five-star kid, I think. But stranger things have happened.

I think she may end up doing the most seemingly improbable, and pick Illinois. Matt Bollant was in on her very early, and she might like the challenge of rescuing the UI program that is in dire need while staying very close to friends and family.

 

[Huskies Rule]

No reason for Geno to back off McCoy because of the knee injury. Geno has access to the best in the business for surgery and rehab-Amanda. Caroline Doty and Gabby are most recent best examples of this.

Really? Michelle Smith noted:" Senior UConn guard Caroline Doty has endured three surgeries to repair the torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee and rehabilitated after each procedure. It's been a series of stops and starts that have robbed her of practices, games and the entirety of the basketball skills she once had."
Coming out of Germantown Academy, Caroline was ranked #10 overall and the #1 guard in the nation (ESPN). She started games her senior year only because Geno absolutely loved her incredible toughness and fight in the face of endless knee adversity, her skills long diminished by those ACL's.

We don't yet know the final story with Gabby's twice torn ACL. We all hope for the best, but you just don't know. Two of my kids played college basketball, both had ACL surgery (twice each), done by the top doc at the highly rated NYC Hospital for Special Surgery, and as insanely hard as they worked rehabbing to get it back, neither was ever the same.

There is ALWAYS reason to be exceedingly circumspect when considering athletes with ACL injuries.

 

[Orangutan]

Stevens and Hart are going to get better, and Westbeld likely will, too, but going into her third year, I can't see Reimer ever justifying that #4 ranking.

Reimer has started in two National Championship games, which isn't a bad start as far as justification goes. You make it sound like Reimer has peaked at 20 years old ...she may never be top-4 in her class, but she still has room to grow, too.

Anyhow, luckily for ND, Turner is better than all 4 of them (as projected). However, I didn't watch OSU that closely, so this thread has brought to my attention just how good Hart was as a freshmen.

 

[triaddukefan]

Reimer has started in two National Championship games, which isn't a bad start as far as justification goes. You make it sound like Reimer has peaked at 20 years old ...she may never be top-4 in her class, but she still has room to grow, too.

Anyhow, luckily for ND, Turner is better than all 4 of them (as projected). However, I didn't watch OSU that closely, so this thread has brought to my attention just how good Hart was as a freshmen.

Turner is better than which 4 ?

 

[Orangutan]

Turner is better than which 4 ?

Stevens, Hart, Westbeld, and Reimer. I suspect you'll disagree regarding Stevens, though.

 

[triaddukefan]

Stevens, Hart, Westbeld, and Reimer. I suspect you'll disagree regarding Stevens, though.

You sir are correct

 

[Sluconn Husky]

However, I didn't watch OSU that closely, so this thread has brought to my attention just how good Hart was as a freshmen.

Got to see OSU a few times last year. Alexa Hart is really good. OSU has top-5 potential if not this year then next.

 

[Huskies Rule]

Reimer has started in two National Championship games, which isn't a bad start as far as justification goes. You make it sound like Reimer has peaked at 20 years old ...she may never be top-4 in her class, but she still has room to grow, too.

Anyhow, luckily for ND, Turner is better than all 4 of them (as projected). However, I didn't watch OSU that closely, so this thread has brought to my attention just how good Hart was as a freshmen.

Reimer was the fifth piece on the 2013 team ('behind' Loyd, McBride, Achonwa and Allen). She was the fourth piece (after Loyd, Turner and Allen) last year. And she has played like it. Her NCAA tournament numbers the past two years are nothing to write home about, scoring six points in each of the Championship games. Last year, Reimer made the first two ND baskets of the game and then disappeared, shooting 1 for 9 for the rest of the game (with 6 turnovers and 11 rebounds). She has never been the difference-maker you might expect a projected top-4 kid to become. I do agree however, she still has room to grow but half her college career is already done, and the clock keeps ticking.

As for Turner being the best of the four... It depends upon what you want... If you prefer a great interior defender, shot blocker and rebounder who has an offensive range from 4 feet in (at best!), then Turner, yes. But if you want an incredibly versatile talent, extraordinary length, excellent ball skills, dynamite 3-point shooter (who can also defend, rebound, and go to the hoop), and who, if she gets stronger and tougher, may very well develop a game not dissimilar to Breanna Stewart's , then it's Stevens. With a solid, not spectacular kid to play in the paint, I'd take Stevens every day over Turner. And until and unless Turner develops an offensive game beyond 2 ft. putbacks and transition layups, I much prefer the more complete, scary good Stevens with the out-of-sight upside.

 

[triaddukefan]

As for Turner being the best of the four... It depends upon what you want... If you prefer a great interior defender, shot blocker and rebounder who has an offensive range from 4 feet in (at best!), then Turner, yes. But if you want an incredibly versatile talent, extraordinary length, excellent ball skills, dynamite 3-point shooter (who can also defend, rebound, and go to the hoop), and who, if she gets stronger and tougher, may very well develop a game not dissimilar to Breanna Stewart's , then it's Stevens. With a solid, not spectacular kid to play in the paint, I'd take Stevens every day over Turner. And until and unless Turner develops an offensive game beyond 2 ft. putbacks and transition layups, I much prefer the more complete, scary good Stevens with the out-of-sight upside.

That sounds like a topic that could be a separate thread. Stevens, Turner or Wilson.

 

[CocoHusky]

Really? Michelle Smith noted:" Senior UConn guard Caroline Doty has endured three surgeries to repair the torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee and rehabilitated after each procedure. It's been a series of stops and starts that have robbed her of practices, games and the entirety of the basketball skills she once had."
Coming out of Germantown Academy, Caroline was ranked #10 overall and the #1 guard in the nation (ESPN). She started games her senior year only because Geno absolutely loved her incredible toughness and fight in the face of endless knee adversity, her skills long diminished by those ACL's.

We don't yet know the final story with Gabby's twice torn ACL. We all hope for the best, but you just don't know. Two of my kids played college basketball, both had ACL surgery (twice each), done by the top doc at the highly rated NYC Hospital for Special Surgery, and as insanely hard as they worked rehabbing to get it back, neither was ever the same.

There is ALWAYS reason to be exceedingly circumspect when considering athletes with ACL injuries.

Both Caroline and Gabby had ACL injuries in High school. Gabby had two ACL injuries. I think the UCONN physician performed Gabby 2nd surgery and I know that he performed Caroline's first. I know that Amanda rehabbed Caroline because I saw it with my own two eyes in the basement of Germantown Academy. The point is UCONN backed off neither player in HS. The rehab was good enough for Caroline to start in two NC games for UCONN and for Gabby to play a full season without a brace. Of Course any ACL rob the player athleticism but UCONN is perhaps best equipped to hande it.

 

[meyers7]

My youngest Daughter played against Stefanie's team in AAU 4 times at Boo Williams-2, Gym Rats,USJN and after watching I didn't see Stefanie contributing at UCONN either. I was dead wrong & I hope I am about Fee as well if she decides to come to UCONN.

I only saw Dolson play in the McD AA game. But I thought she was gonna be a really good player for UCONN. Won't claim I thought she'd be an AA, but I thought she'd be really good.

 

[Bonpland]

Coming out of high school I thought that Turner was the most talented member of her class. That's not meant to be a put down of Wilson, I just thought that top teams can usually find a way to negate the dominance of a post more easily than they can corral an athlete of Turner's statue. I actually now think that Wilson is every bit as good as advertised and that she will be a first team AA, but I completely missed how good Stevens could be. I think as Triad suggests that the discussion of the members of that class will center on the comparisons that will be made about those three. Which will keep the ND, SC and Duke fans busy while our members of that class (Nurse, Williams, Ekmark with Butler graduating the same year) are celebrating National Championships.

 

[Gus Mahler]

That sounds like a topic that could be a separate thread. Stevens, Turner or Wilson.

Sounds good to me.

 

[triaddukefan]

Coming out of high school I thought that Turner was the most talented member of her class. That's not meant to be a put down of Wilson, I just thought that top teams can usually find a way to negate the dominance of a post more easily than they can corral an athlete of Turner's statue. I actually now think that Wilson is every bit as good as advertised and that she will be a first team AA, but I completely missed how good Stevens could be. I think as Triad suggests that the discussion of the members of that class will center on the comparisons that will be made about those three. Which will keep the ND, SC and Duke fans busy while our members of that class (Nurse, Williams, Ekmark with Butler graduating the same year) are celebrating National Championships.

possibly