Megan Walker Goes Pro [merged thread] | Page 3 | The Boneyard

Megan Walker Goes Pro [merged thread]

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eebmg said:
I am flabbergasted. Why turn pro if the chance of a pro league running is negligible? US or international. Finish her degree, work on some parts of her game, enter the draft with a weaker class, play with her best friend while being the unquestioned leader of the team. etc. etc. :confused::confused::confused::confused::confused:
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UCONN isn't like North Carolina, the players actually are required to go to class. I'll keep saying this until someone understands my point. A lot of kids just don't like being in college, that is the reason the dropout rate is so high.
 
Lucelab113 said:
Unmmm is Geno spending enough time with these players?
how could he misread Azura and Megan so wrong?!? He just said yesterday he didn’t anticipate this happening.
and I’m sorry but why is this becoming such a trend to forgo your college eligibility for pro basketball that simply doesn’t generate the attention and star power of the college game?! I couldn’t name any of the pro teams current UConn players play on.
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You are either spitballing or venting here, either way I don't think Geno spending more time with the players would have changed anything. I 'm not sure the players would want that either.
 
oldude said:
Unless it’s a true impact player, Geno should stand pat. Even before Megan’s announcement, I felt Aaliyah could earn the starting spot at PF, moving Megan to the W. That PF job will now be a battle between Aaliyah & Aubrey. Anna, Christyn, Evina & possibly Mir will battle it out for PT at W.
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Stand pat with 10 players? Sorry but I 100% disagree and in fact I think this would be borderline negligent. 2 injuries and a freshman in GA’s doghouse and you now essentially have 7 players would better not get into foul trouble. Look at ND this past season you have to prepare for everything and unfortunately that includes AEH and EDD type transfers where they show up on campus then bolt after a few weeks.

You fill as many scholarships with your type players as you can and don’t worry about PT or making players happy or loyalty for the sake of it...especially in today’s landscape.
 
I’m sure Diana T, Maya, Stewie, Aja, Sabrina, Lou, Pheesa, Arike, etc could have made a “fortune” abroad too after 3 years.

These players will never be as big or have it as good as they have it in college. Especially UConn. I mean the big deal 5 years ago was Skylar Diggins and I haven’t heard a word about her in years.

We used to avoid these situations. Maybe when Geno talks about recruiting mistakes he’s not just talking talent. Regardless of what some will have you believe in this thread it is highly unusual for UConn players to leave eligibility on the table when there is unfinished business. Perhaps kids are changing. Or the coaches have let their guard down.
 
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CL82 said:
If she is among the top 5 picks, it makes sense for her to leave. She likely will be. Personally, I'd have loved for her to stay as I feel we'd be a very, very tough team with her but it is her call. I wish her well.
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Napheesa Collier was pick #6 in her draft class and was WNBA Rookie of the Year.
The opportunity to play is far more important than the position in which the player is drafted. Megan will be fine in the WNBA.
 
Dang huge loss for you guys but congrats to Megan. I posted that she was draft eligible a couple of times but never saw her leaving after this year unless UCONN won a title. Another year probably wouldve helped her stock and overall game, but she'll still be a high pick and can make big bucks right away. All the best to her.
 
Lucelab113 said:
I’m sure Diana T, Maya, Stewie, Aja, Sabrina, Lou, Pheesa, Arike, etc could have made a “fortune” abroad too after 3 years.

These players will never be as big or have it as good as they have it in college. Especially UConn. I mean the big deal 5 years ago was Skylar Diggins and I haven’t heard a word about her in years.

We used to avoid these situations. Maybe when Geno talks about recruiting mistakes he’s not just talking talent. Regardless of what some will have you believe in this thread it is highly unusual for UConn players to leave eligibility on the table when there is unfinished business. Perhaps kids are changing. Or the coaches have let their guard down.
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You must not follow the players after college if you havent heard about Diggins since she was in college.
 
Lucelab113 said:
I’m sure Diana T, Maya, Stewie, Aja, Sabrina, Lou, Pheesa, Arike, etc could have made a “fortune” abroad too after 3 years.

These players will never be as big or have it as good as they have it in college. Especially UConn. I mean the big deal 5 years ago was Skylar Diggins and I haven’t heard a word about her in years.

We used to avoid these situations. Maybe when Geno talks about recruiting mistakes he’s not just talking talent. Regardless of what some will have you believe in this thread it is highly unusual for UConn players to leave eligibility on the table when there is unfinished business. Perhaps kids are changing. Or the coaches have let their guard down.
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I suspect Skylar makes way more money off the court than on the court.
 
Lucelab113 said:
I’m sure Diana T, Maya, Stewie, Aja, Sabrina, Lou, Pheesa, Arike, etc could have made a “fortune” abroad too after 3 years. These players will never be as big or have it as good as they have it in college. Especially UConn. I mean the big deal 5 years ago was Skylar Diggins and I haven’t heard a word about her in years.

We used to avoid these situations. Maybe when Geno talks about recruiting mistakes he’s not just talking talent. Regardless of what some will have you believe in this thread it is highly unusual for UConn players to leave eligibility on the table when there is unfinished business. Perhaps kids are changing. Or the coaches have let their guard down.
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Ok I can by that you haven't heard of about Skylar Diggins in years but do the names Jewell Loyd and Jackie Young ring a bell?
 
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Lucelab113 said:
Nope. I find the WNBA unwatachable as I also much prefer men’s college hoops to the bad product that is the NBA.
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Diggins is a bonafide star in the league. All WNBA and All Star awards. Married with a kid, massive social media following (1m+ on instagram). Should be on the Olympic team. I think she (and many others) is as popular and recognizable as she was in college.
 
Deuce said:
Stand pat with 10 players? Sorry but I 100% disagree and in fact I think this would be borderline negligent. 2 injuries and a freshman in GA’s doghouse and you now essentially have 7 players would better not get into foul trouble. Look at ND this past season you have to prepare for everything and unfortunately that includes AEH and EDD type transfers where they show up on campus then bolt after a few weeks.

You fill as many scholarships with your type players as you can and don’t worry about PT or making players happy or loyalty for the sake of it...especially in today’s landscape.
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Just to be clear, UConn somehow managed this season with only 9 players, and UConn has never filled all their available scholarships. The other real problem with bringing in transfers is that it shortchanges the players who are already there while sending a mixed message.
 
CocoHusky said:
UCONN isn't like North Carolina, the players actually are required to go to class. I'll keep saying this until someone understands my point. A lot of kids just don't like being in college, that is the reason the dropout rate is so high.
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BINGO!
 
CocoHusky said:
Ok I can by that you haven't heard of about Skylar Diggins in years but do the names Jewell Loyd and Jackie Young ring a bell?
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The situations of Jackie Young or Morgan Tuck are not remotely similar to Walker’s case. They won championships and went out with their starters with nothing to prove. Walker had a lot left to accomplish.

All im saying is there are plenty of talented young Women who dream of going to UConn. Hopefully we do a better job identifying the ones that want to leave their mark which has been the norm of the program since it’s existence.
 
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CocoHusky said:
Morgan herself told us "as of right now my plan is to return for a 5th season". That was in January and many (most) of us ignored the "as of right now" part of her statement.
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Yea. Not sure if Morgan was truly undecided at that time or that she didn’t want to become a distraction during UConn’s 4th straight championship run.

I do recall during the post game championship celebration when a reporter asked Morgan about turning pro that Stewie jumped into the middle of the conversation to deflect the question. I knew then that Morgan was turning pro and she confirmed it next day with her announcement on ESPN.
 
Lucelab113 said:
The situations of Jackie Young or Morgan Tuck are not remotely similar to Walker’s case. They won championships and went out with their starters with nothing to prove. Walker had a lot left to accomplish.

All im saying is there are plenty of talented young Women who dream of going to UConn. Hopefully we do a better job identifying the ones that want to leave their mark which has been the norm of the program since it’s existence.
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Before you continue down this rabbit hole, maybe take a look at Geno's statement and see if you change your mind.

Statement from Geno Auriemma
During a player's college career, they're working towards certain goals, and when you have an opportunity to reach a certain goal that you set for yourself, I think it's important that you have an opportunity to take it. Meg's decided this is the right time for her to take advantage of this opportunity. Obviously, she had an incredible season this year and is incredibly talented. We support her 100 percent and we're going to support her going forward. We wish her the best of luck as she begins her pro career.
 
Was expecting this for a while and have posted as much.....Hopefully she plays in the WNBA's AAC division as she hasn't done well against the very top teams...unfortunately her personality does not lend itself to endorsement deals..but she made her choice and I hope she does well...we fans will move on quickly..........anyone know where I can buy toilet paper?
 
Lucelab113 said:
The situations of Jackie Young or Morgan Tuck are not remotely similar to Walker’s case. They won championships and went out with their starters with nothing to prove. Walker had a lot left to accomplish.

All im saying is there are plenty of talented young Women who dream of going to UConn. Hopefully we do a better job identifying the ones that want to leave their mark which has been the norm of the program since it’s existence.
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Jackie Young is exactly the same as Megan. They both left after 3 years. Morgan is different. She left after 4, with a degree, after missing most of a season with knee problems.
 
oldude said:
Just to be clear, UConn somehow managed this season with only 9 players, and UConn has never filled all their available scholarships. The other real problem with bringing in transfers is that it shortchanges the players who are already there while sending a mixed message.
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Next year looks a lot tougher now IMO. Guessing the lineup will be:

Backcourt-Bueckers/Westbrook/Makurat/Williams
Frontcourt-ONO/McLean/Edwards/Griffin

But that is also assuming freshmen pick up the learning curve quickly which hasnt been the case for a while. Players like Walker, ONO, Griffin and Dangerfield never seemed to really find their flow as freshmen even though their performance was needed IMO. Next year you'll need good production from your freshmen.

Transfers are another option but recently they have not assimilated all that well at UCONN (ex. Butler, Adebayo, Camara, Stevens). Westbrook's ability to assimilate in Geno's system remains to be seen.
 
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Good luck to Meg. I don’t think her game is ready for WNBA but hope I’m wrong. I also wonder if the issue is mute: will there be a WNBA season?

Actually, I don’t think losing Meg hurts UConn all that much. She was primarily a great shooter who felt the pressure to score that she took too many bad shots.

Those of you who object to me praising Anna can stop reading now. Even before I learned of Meg’s decision, as an old coach I would have built the team around Anna next year. She has the makings of a Sabrina. She has every shot in the book, she is a tremendous passer, a very good rebounder who has shown a vertical standing leap (as in taking the ball away from Hebard demonstrated), and a much better defender than given credit for. And she is a team player.

Anna will see to it that Christyn lights up the scoreboard and she will feed Liv under the basket. I see an opposing team screwing themselves into the floor as Anna and Paige play catch with each other before delivering the dish. I see both feeding a cutting Aubrey to the basket or Evina. I see Edwards and Muhl blossoming. And the Fudd I see in the future ain’t Elmer. The good times are coming.
 
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bluedevil said:
Was expecting this for a while and have posted as much.....Hopefully she plays in the WNBA's AAC division as she hasn't done well against the very top teams...unfortunately her personality does not lend itself to endorsement deals..but she made her choice and I hope she does well...we fans will move on quickly..........anyone know where I can buy toilet paper?
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Low blow.
 
oldude said:
Just to be clear, UConn somehow managed this season with only 9 players, and UConn has never filled all their available scholarships. The other real problem with bringing in transfers is that it shortchanges the players who are already there while sending a mixed message.
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That is rather short sighted. The roster is not at nine by design, it is actually at 11 with some major scrambling to get it there. That major scrabbling included the addition of Evelyn as a graduate transfer and the addition of Evina as a transfer_BOTH players were expected to be contributors to this team. Batouly was reinjured after having a healthy summer and was also expected to be a contributor. The scrambiling also included the signing of Anna well after the American recruits had committed. Most importantly even with a roster size of 11 Sedona Prince visited UCONN as a transfer from Texas. UCONN needs player, this idea of standing pat is going to get UCONN run over at a minimum or cause us to lose out on some very good players.
 
bballnut90 said:
On the plus side it opens up ample opportunity for Griffin and Makurat to get starting minutes. And the team will be loaded headed into 2021


Next year looks a lot tougher now IMO. Guessing the lineup will be:

Backcourt-Bueckers/Westbrook/Makurat/Griffin
Frontcourt-ONO/McLean/Edwards

But that is also assuming freshmen pick up the learning curve quickly which hasnt been the case for a while. Players like Walker, ONO, Griffin and Dangerfield never seemed to really find their flow as freshmen even though their performance was needed IMO. Next year you'll need good production from your freshmen.

Transfers are another option but recently they have not assimilated all that well at UCONN (ex. Butler, Adebayo, Camara, Stevens). Westbrook's ability to assimilate in Geno's system remains to be seen.
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Aubrey will play up front next season in all likelihood.
 
eebmg said:
I am flabbergasted. Why turn pro if the chance of a pro league running is negligible? US or international. Finish her degree, work on some parts of her game, enter the draft with a weaker class, play with her best friend while being the unquestioned leader of the team. etc. etc. :confused::confused::confused::confused::confused:
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I'm surprised she made the decision so quickly especially with everything going on. She could always change her mind too since the draft likely ain't happening for a while and who knows if the WNBA happens at all this year.
 
Sorry to see Meg leave but her call. Any athlete in any sport has a right to do it for a living if there is a market for their services. From a strictly fan perspective I find rooting for a team less enjoyable when rosters turn over quickly. On the men's side the best players are gone after a year or two and it's basically a new team every year. As pro opportunities expand for the women we'll see more leave early to the pros or even directly from HS as the men do. The opportunities aren't there yet but I have to say I wouldn't enjoy or be as invested in rooting for UConn if they became like the best men's team. From the athlete's point of view this shouldn't matter.
 
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