McCoy Announces Final 6 (no UConn)

[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

 

[Orangutan]

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.

Right, but being the 5th piece as a true freshman on a 37-1 team and the 4th piece as a sophomore on a 36-3 team is pretty darn good. She has only lost to one team in her college career, UConn. Against all other teams, she is 72-0 (sat out the loss to Miami and win over BC last year).

How about her line in the national semifinal against South Carolina - 16 pts (7-10 FG, 2-2 FT), 6 reb, 4 ast, 3 blk? I take your point that she "has never been the difference maker you might expect a projected top-4 kid to become", but she didn't make the rankings. She doesn't have to justify anything. It's sad that her career will be defined by the narrative of her rankings. If she had been ranked #30, people would see her as a success. Instead, she is seen as a disappointment even though she has been a major contributor to highly successful teams.

I know that isn't responding to what you wrote exactly, but this is one of my soapbox topics.

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.

Stevens shot 28.3% from 3 last year. That's not "dynamite" to me. As for Turner's supposed 4-foot offensive range, she gets the job done. She scored more (on a per-minute basis) and more efficiently than Stevens (led the NCAA in FG%).

Stevens is more versatile and a better passer, to be sure. Turner is just a straight-up low post beast. Nothing fancy, just blocks, rebounds, and buckets. And she has an offensive game beyond just putbacks and transition. I know this because I saw her post up and score on Breanna Stewart in the NC game. Her post-up game is effective already and will get better and more nuanced with time.

It's certainly possible that Stevens will eventually be better, but Turner was a more effective player as a freshman and the stats back it up.