Mikayla Coombs to Transfer

[j66kicker]

He shouldn't post this. Could hurt future recruiting #'s if upcoming players see posts like this from such a trusted source.

That's what he wants - he hates UConn.

 

[Buzzyboy]

They were referring to this one class, where Mikayla will be the 3rd of the four person class to transfer, assuming she actually does leave. That plays out to 75% but it suggested that 75% of all players coming in lately have transferred.

 

[Plebe]

I'm hoping it becomes overcrowded. Or at least a little crowded.

For next year's roster, moderately populated would be an improvement from now.

 

[Buzzyboy]

The OP was commenting on the one class wherein three out of four left. Hence 75% and to bemoan that is not unreasonable. That is all I meant.

Based on that, what if, in a one player class, that player left ..... should we lament that 100% of UConn classes are transferring, making it sound like Geno and the staff are somehow driving everyone away from UConn and that there might be a need for a change at the top of the program????? Using a very small tidbit of stats to make a statement can really distort someone's views.

 

[Buzzyboy]

I realize Geno is Geno.. he’s the goat!! His record speaks for itself. But times are changing, players are changing...these players deserve a chance .. if u recruited them there was a reason for it. Let kids make mistakes let them play through it, give them a chance ... if u can handle the most demanding program in the nation and the hardest practices in the nation then there is no reason the effort isn’t there. Geno needs to change to the new level of the game.. old school isn’t working anymore and until he changes a little UCONN will continue to have small classss and lose out on recruits... it’s just my opinion but kids don’t want to sit the bench and that’s just it. Players want to play and not ride the bench.... UCONN is really in serious trouble and if they don’t fix it soon next season is going to be a very disappointing season . Very sad and schocking day ... I get 2020 is already looking like a great class but forget about 2020 it’s 2 years away it won’t help us next season... 8 player roster is just horrendous .... injuries long season I don’t even want to go there. All I can say is wow!!!

I really think that Geno is living in the past and has actually turned into a diabolical monster ...... Obviously I'm being facetious but if Shea and Maya and Rebecca and Breanna and Diana and Tina and more recent players like KLS and Ms Collier were able to tolerate it, why can't these other kids????? If KLS got tough love from Geno, with her enormous talent, why shouldn't a less gifted athlete be as willing or more willing to put in the effort to maximize your talents and hustle, hustle, hustle???? Geno's expectations of players efforts didn't vary depending on a players talent level ........ It's silly and disrespectful ...... maybe every player should get a number on the wall in Gampel ..... or a trophy, like in Pee Wee league ..... very condescending, in my view ....

 

[Buzzyboy]

Not sure I buy that. When she first joined the program she could barely run the floor. I remember it was her passing abilities that he talked about.

Steph ran the floor but she was really heavy and not in the best of shape but that started changing drastically after her freshman year ..... The Steph you remember hustled but with the additional weight and conditioning issues (and if I remember correctly, she had issues with her feet or legs as a freshman), she was slow of foot.

 

[Buzzyboy]

Raoul:
"UConn WBB signed 14 players out of HS in the 2014 through 2017 recruiting classes. Mikayla Coombs leaving would make 6 who have transferred, amounting to a 43% attrition rate. If you look at just those ranked in the top 100, it's 6 out of 12 transferring, or 50%."

Raoul (@Raoul_000) | Twitter

Sometimes some of these HIGHLY RATED players are not rated appropriately and when they see their numbers in those recruiting sites, assume that they're the next superstar and spend less time putting in the effort to improve and play hard 100% of the time, which is what Geno demands! Well, maybe Geno would accept playing hard 95% of the time.

 

[Jmsdawg]

I think that Geno (and some other coaches) makes a point of not guaranteeing anyone anything but a chance for playing time, based on their skill and their effort and when they're in the midst of their visit or visits, they come in contact with present players who I'm sure have no problem sharing stories about how difficult things are and the expectations that Geno and the staff have. These kids can't be that naive or sheltered, can they????

I have always felt BBall was a game of confidence, there were times when I played when I just could not miss and I knew the ball was going in the net, however for me those games did not occur often. Most of the kids that make a college team were great in HS and probably went into the college game believing in themselves. However, the talent level at college is much better and if the player has problems they can end up on the bench. The bench can be a motivator for some, they want to play so they work hard to make it happen, but it can also work the other way, you may feel you are just not good enough to play and the desire goes away. That is a dilemma for a coach, how can you get that kid to regain confidence and desire so they are playing up to their ability? Great coaches are great motivators!

 

[Buzzyboy]

Millenials. They all want their participation trophies. You can't blame them. They were raised in that particular culture where everybody gets to play.

I couldn't agree more ..... That's maybe acceptable in junior high school but eventually, you have to learn that you need to be exceptional in major programs in order to get playing time ..... I'm not suggesting that in a blowout, you shouldn't give out some playing time to bench players but only if they play hard and hustle and have stellar attitudes.

 

[Buzzyboy]

I never worry about transfers other than providing depth from the team perspective. I always say how many of them went on to become a star (or even make a difference) at their new school? I can't really think of one. Which means you're left with the question of did Geno and Co. blow it when they recruited them, or did the recruits have a different expectation or role in mind, and when it didn't work out the way they had envisioned they transferred?

EricLA has always been a very awesome contributor and so very enjoyable to follow. Obviously there are others but he certainly comes to mind.

 

[Buzzyboy]

Really? Playing the millennial card?

She worked hard for two years without any hint of complaint or trouble. By every indication, she bought into the system, but it just didn’t work out for her. Her whole life has been centered around basketball and I don’t think it’s fair to fault her for wanting to live out that dream to its fullest.

And, let us not forget, it was our (yes, our, because I’m a millennial, too) parents’ generation who started that whole participation award thing. Contrary to popular belief, we didn’t hop out of the womb demanding trophies and medals.

There are enough parents that feel even if their child has little or no talent, everyone deserves playing time. You assume she worked hard and I'm not in a position to verify that, one way or another but are you???? I have no doubt she was an exemplary teammate but is that enough to automatically assure she should get playing time at THIS PROGRAM??? Other programs don't compete against the same level talent as does UConn and so maybe there would be a lot higher likelihood that the same level of effort or talent would lead to a lot more playing time. Some players prefer playing a lot at a lesser program than playing little at a stellar program. Nothing wrong with that outlook but there's a suggestion by some that Geno shouldn't be so tough or so demanding and a lot more tolerant of playing people who aren't as talented or hard working and give them playing time of players WHO ARE!

 

[UConnNick]

I couldn't agree more ..... That's maybe acceptable in junior high school but eventually, you have to learn that you need to be exceptional in major programs in order to get playing time ..... I'm not suggesting that in a blowout, you shouldn't give out some playing time to bench players but only if they play hard and hustle and have stellar attitudes.

It's a tough adjustment for players from HS to college. In HS, every single college bench player was a star, many times the focal point of their HS team. Then they're freshmen in college and suddenly every other player is almost as good or better than them, and a 50 mph game becomes 100 mph. It's a shock at first for all but the handful of elite players that make the transition seamlessly. Some players eventually adjust and thrive in college, some never do. A lot of those players that never do are on the bench. They're stuck there for the whole four years, or they have to transfer down to a lower level of competition if they want to play, and everybody wants to play.

 

[FanHam]

I'm sad, but I'm happy there is a probability I'll get to see her play a LOT more often now. I love to watch her play: speed to burn, great defense, hops galore! This is one of those teary moments which is probably advantageous to both parties. More PT for other guards at UConn. More PT for Mikayla, to be sure, and immediate improvement for whatever program she blesses. Sorry to see her leave, happy to see her spread her wings. We'll be looking for you, Mikayla!

 

[S1836]

Do you think this means another guard transfer is coming in?

I hope so!!

 

[HuskyNan]

What about her? She never even made it to the first day of school. I don't really count her as a kid who transferred - heck, she didn't even play hoops at Deleware in the beginning - she played volleyball.

Some of you people (not saying this to you @hoopsfan22) want to pigeon-hole everything into a nice tidy box. It doesn't work that way. There's not a single player who transferred from UCONN who has gone on to play professionally. Not a single one. Unless you want to count Delle Donne, which I don't.

Some of the kids were drafted, but never really made teams (Michala Johnson, Samarie Walker maybe?). Anyway go back and look at the transfers out, where they went, and how "good" they were at their new teams. Most of these kids didn't even make all conference teams.

1990s - 1 National Championship

1. Tammy Arnold
2. Marci Glenney
3. Clark (forget her first name)
4. Kennitra Johnson (Purdue)

2000's - 5 National Championships

1. Gillian Goring (NC State)
2. Liz Sherwood (Vandy)
3. Kiana Robinson (Cumberland)
4. Kia Wright (SJU)

2010's - 5 National Championships, but a string of 12 straight final 4's dating back to 2007

1. Samarie Walker (Kentucky)
2. Michala Johnson (Illinois)
3. Lauren Engeln (BCU)
4. Brianna Banks (Penn State)
5. Courtney Ekmark (ASU)
6. Sadie Edwards (USC)
7. De'Janae Boykin (Penn State)
8. Andra Hunter (Mississippi State)
9. Lexi Gordon (Texas Tech)
10. Mikayla Coombs

Of the top 20'ish kids who transferred (Walker, Edwards, Boykin, Coombs, Banks), one left for very personal reasons, 2 were basically dismissed from the team (more or less), Coombs is the latest, and I suspect like Banks, just wanted more PT.

The reason i listed the final 4's and NC's is that UCONN's dominant run has lasted 12 years going back to 2007. The amount of top 10 and top 5 talent UCONN has amassed on its' roster is mind boggling. When you have as many as 6 or even 7 top 10 kids on a roster, the others just won't get the PT.

Anyway, as I said in another post, I'll start worrying when our legit top 10 kids start leaving. Until then, when you have so much talent on the roster, kids who feel they want/need/deserve more PT simply won't last.

It’s Jean Clark. Kennitra left a Purdue and finished her career at Illinois State, I believe

Gillian didn’t transfer; she never matriculated. She had academic issues because she came from, um, Trinidad and Tobago I think, and ended up as a prep school graduate student.

 

[HuskyNan]

Going back a little farther, Jamie Carey went from Stanford to Texas, but part of that was because the Stanford docs wouldn't clear her. Also, JJ Hones left early, but involuntarily. These situations are obviously different. Will Marta Sniezek be a grad transfer?

I think she was a graduate student that played her last year of eligibility at Texas

 

[oldude]

We were returning to the US today from Greece. We met a young woman at the Athens airport who went to U of Dayton and is playing pro hoops in Europe. She mentioned her name but I don’t remember. She’s aPG about 5’10. We chatted about UConn. She said it takes special kids to play for UConn and modern players willing to stick with Geno’s approach are not that easy to find despite the fact that he’s pretty selective in recruiting.

She was on the Dayton team that led UConn at the half a few years ago she said they were exstatic. Didn’t last long.

The player you met was probably Kelley Austria who plays professionally in Hungary. I was at the Regionals that year in Albany. That Dayton team and their band was fun to watch. In the Sweet 16 game they stunned Louisville. As usual, the TUC was largely filled with UConn fans who started rooting loudly for Dayton as the upset unfolded.

In the Elite 8 game Dayton came out on fire taking it right to the Huskies, leading by one at the half. Their bubble burst in the 2nd half as UConn eventually pulled away, but Dayton impressed everyone, including Geno who indicated that Dayton’s team reminded him of UConn’s first NCAA tournament team the way they hustled and played hard the entire game.

 

[Mooch82]

Do not speculate on other transfers or bring rumors here of UConn transfers. Please read the rules

Even for players who have already entered the transfer portal? It’s the same as speculating on high school recruits at that point.

 

[chrissaran]

Mikayla had her chance to play. When UConn was on offense, it was like playing 4 on 5. She either wouldn't shoot, or when she did, she would miss. Aubrey Griffin will be a much better fit for the Huskies. Now they need to recruit 2 or 3 players for depth.

 

[HuskyNan]

Even for players who have already entered the transfer portal? It’s the same as speculating on high school recruits at that point.

I’m talking about saying,”I hear others may transfer” or “she doesn’t play much. I bet she’s going to transfer”

 

[Mooch82]

I’m talking about saying,”I hear others may transfer” or “she doesn’t play much. I bet she’s going to transfer”

Ok yes, understood there. That’s the way I always interpreted it, just hadnt seen any of that in this thread but could’ve missed it.

 

[Argonaut]

There are enough parents that feel even if their child has little or no talent, everyone deserves playing time. You assume she worked hard and I'm not in a position to verify that, one way or another but are you???? I have no doubt she was an exemplary teammate but is that enough to automatically assure she should get playing time at THIS PROGRAM??? Other programs don't compete against the same level talent as does UConn and so maybe there would be a lot higher likelihood that the same level of effort or talent would lead to a lot more playing time. Some players prefer playing a lot at a lesser program than playing little at a stellar program. Nothing wrong with that outlook but there's a suggestion by some that Geno shouldn't be so tough or so demanding and a lot more tolerant of playing people who aren't as talented or hard working and give them playing time of players WHO ARE!

You're right, there are a lot of parents that feel that way, but have we heard a disparaging peep from Mikayla or her parents? Nope.

There is nothing wrong with her wanting more playing time, realizing she wasn't going to get it at UConn, and deciding to go somewhere that she would be a better fit in their rotation. Had she, being the #17 player in the 2017 class, felt like she wasn't going to be an impact player, she likely would have chosen to go to another program.

And I never said that she was assured playing time. Based on what we hear, no one is assured playing time. She came to the program, like everyone else, with an idea of how she was going to impact the program. When she didn't get playing time her freshman year (combined with the blood clot during the tournament), she stuck it out another year. If she didn't work hard, she'd NEVER get off the bench. I think we all know enough about Geno to know that. I think her playing time was commensurate with a player who is working hard, but isn't progressing in a way that Geno needed. It happens.

You're right, there is a suggestion by some that Geno shouldn't be so tough, but we don't see that suggestion from anyone who has been part of the program. The players who stick around a while and transfer often talk highly of the lessons they learned about what it takes to be part of a championship caliber program and how they will apply those lessons to their new situation.

 

[HuskyNan]

Ok yes, understood there. That’s the way I always interpreted it, just hadnt seen any of that in this thread but could’ve missed it.

It’s been deleted.

 

[Shorty Dee]

I wish Mikayla the best wherever she may attend school. She was a special player. I will follow her career like I do all the other Huskies.

 

[meyers7]

Here is the box score. Does it jog your memory about who it was?

View attachment 42558

Geez Louise. Didn't get much output from the bench, did we??