Mir in transfer portal

[oldhusky]

Looking down the road a little, this could wind up opening up our interest in using the portal. We are still deep "if" healthy, but we could use another wing that might not start because of Azzi and Caroline, but could get significant minutes backing up both of them. If we had landed Kiki, she could have filled that role, but since that didn't happen, we should be watching for opportunities there.

 

[uconnfan68]

Aubrey is about 2" taller with a much longer reach. Those few inches make a difference.

And Aubrey is no Gabby.

 

[GoCardinal]

Doesn’t UConn have a similar but taller and arguably more athletic freshman coming in next year? I think she could see the writing on the wall.

 

[BRS24]

From uconnhuskies.com:

"Mir is extremely smart and athletic and she has a lot of potential," Auriemma said. "We wish Mir and her family the best as she continues her collegiate career."

 

[Charliebball]

This one on paper seemed like a dubious fit. Mir has skills that so mirror Aubrey, but she is two inches shorter. Both may have figured there was some guard play in her future if she rounded out her game, but what Geno recruited was a 5-11 PF.

Having said that I am pretty sure she can contribute quite well at a school that is willing to accept her minuses in exchange for her strength's. Unlike some other transfers, she was productive in her limited minutes last year. With the returnees and additions, however, she still was at best third on the depth chart at PF behind Aaliyah and Aubrey, probably fourth behind using Dorka there as well, and possibly fifth if Geno used a wing at that position as he did often last year.

I think your quote also could apply to the situation with Caroline and Saylor. Very similar players, Caroline ranked a little higher, probably only room for one not two. In that case I think Saylor may have committed first, but once Caroline signed on a similar situation existed there.

with the two physically dominant front court players coming in next season, she would likely have a hard time getting on the court..........as somebody already posted, she would fit in fine at another of the Big East programs...........

 

[Charliebball]

Wonder what her conversation is like with her teammates about her decision to transfer.

what could they possibly say other then they'd understand if she feels it's time for a change......................ultimately if you want to play and you've given it your all at UConn to no avail, it's time to move on to greener pastures......

 

[oldude]

Recruiting is seldom “cut & dried” even at top programs. I recall Geno discussing the recruiting of Mo. His assistants all liked her because she was “really fast.” Geno started asking questions about her other skills like shooting and passing, and the response he got was, “she’s really fast.”

Geno recruited Mo because she played hard and she was really fast. As a freshman Mo came off the bench. She played tough defense and she was really fast, but her offensive skills left a lot to be desired. She could have been an earlier version of Mikayla Coombs.

Fast forward to her sophomore year, Mo became a fixture at PG. Her offensive skills improved every single year. She was a 2-time AA and the NDPOY. Some kids develop at the next level and others hit a brick wall. You can never be sure.

 

[CocoHusky]

You just described Gabby Williams

Not really. Gabby was a gifted ball handler and passer. One of the things that made her move to the post possible was Gabby was a great interior passer.

 

[Aluminny69]

Sorry I am all thumbs today. While she certainly was the best to leave the program it was more than ten years ago.

It's hard to believe it was that long ago. Another big loss was Laura Harper, who I believed signed a letter of intent, but changed her mind at the last minute, and took Crystal Langhorne with her to play for Brenda Freese at Maryland, and win a NC.

 

[MilfordHusky]

It's hard to believe it was that long ago. Another big loss was Laura Harper, who I believed signed a letter of intent, but changed her mind at the last minute, and took Crystal Langhorne with her to play for Brenda Freese at Maryland, and win a NC.

I think Laura changed her mind after verbaling (not signing), though I'm not sure.

 

[Vowelguy]

It's hard to believe it was that long ago. Another big loss was Laura Harper, who I believed signed a letter of intent, but changed her mind at the last minute, and took Crystal Langhorne with her to play for Brenda Freese at Maryland, and win a NC.

Harper verballed only. She decommitted well before LOI stage.

 

[MilfordHusky]

McLean to Transfer from UConn - University of Connecticut Athletics

Sophomore forward Mir McLean will transfer from the UConn women's basketball program, head coach Geno Auriemma announced Monday.

uconnhuskies.com

 

[MilfordHusky]

Mir had 10 points and 6 rebounds on 4-7 shooting and 2-2 FTs in 11 minutes against UMass Lowell. Her first game was probably her best game.

 

[Postie]

When Mir got her offer from UConn she should have framed it and moved on.She does not have guard skills.I have no idea what her off season training is like.All players need to work on their weaknesses not their strengths.There is a video of Geno yelling at KLS telling her so what you can make threes can you rebound defend find the open man.It just doesn’t seen Mir did that.Their is a picture of Azzi as a young girl and her mother taped her right arm to her side forcing her to learn to dribble with her left hand.I think the perfect fit for Mir is Howard it is Division 1 in women’s basketball.She may be able to play in Europe with her athleticism in up tempo transition kind of game.I wish her the best.And Mir had the most beautiful smile.

 

[MilfordHusky]

And Aubrey is no Gabby.

No one else is Gabby.

 

[rt bb fan]

Mikayla Coombs checks every box you would want from a basketball player except one. She just isn't a good shooter. But she is most definitely one of the toughest on ball defenders I've seen.

Didn't Coombs have a wierd shooting form? Or maybe someone else who transferred.

 

[LarryLegend]

Didn't Coombs have a wierd shooting form? Or maybe someone else who transferred.

it was Coombs

 

[willtalk]

Tansfers out of programs will become even more common placed with time. Players used to not mind riding the bench and waiting for their time. They would figure their time would come when players head of them graduated or their own game improved. With how easy it has become to transfer and not lose a year it is not just graduate transfers that will throw a rock into the old wait your turn system.

A player can have a transfer jump over them at any time. Players that have been getting playing time in lesser programs transfer to a better team and fill a gap that might ordinarily be filled in by a player waiting their turn. That player who has been playing in games would be naturally farther ahead of someone who just sat on the bench during games. More and more players are taking the route of playing on lesser teams to assure them selves of early playing time, knowing that they can transfer during their last or last two years to high profile team that will give them the exposure for their professional career. This throws a monkey wrench into the old process of high school players picking teams with seemingly needs at their postitions. They commit expecting to see their minutes expand in the future. Intead the end up being jumped over by experienced players via transfer year after year. It is unfair because they can never get on the court to show what they are capable of.

Now lets not delude ourselves into believing that coaches always know the level a player is capable of attaining when they come out of high school. Some players peak early while others are late bloomers. It is possible for a late bloomer to never get an opportunity because they are transfered over year after year. Even great coaches will have blind spots and play favorites. If a player does not get much playing time as a freshman, in todays WCBB scenario, it is to their best interests to transfer out.

 

[UcMiami]

Sorry that it didn't work out, but not surprised. Best wishes for wherever she lands.

The idea that recruiting HS players at 15-17 years old is an exact science is a little crazy. Geno runs a complex offense and defensive system, and projecting most HS players 'basketball IQ' when they are almost always the best player on their team and the best player on the floor each night is really hard. The HS competition is terrible, and most of the coaching is the same. So everything in recruiting is projection of how a player will react in an environment where they are not the most athletic, not the most talented, and certainly not the most experienced player on their team and on the floor each night. Add in an completely new social and academic environment, and generally a much more intense practice and coaching environment and it is almost surprising how few players transfer.

What can be seen in recruiting is effort, individual skills, and how they interact with their teammates, fans, and coaches and this is a hallmark of Geno's recruiting philosophy. But that only goes so far - and most of the transfers out of Uconn have had issues with picking up the system that Geno teaches.

And the ones that have been the surprises at Uconn have taken their weaknesses and addressed them - Stef going all-in on conditioning during the off season, MoJeff spending 8+ hours in the gym daily in the off season putting up shots, Gabby and Tina and countless other players expanding their jump shot range.

People who just say the bench should get more minutes don't really get the philosophy at Uconn - I loved seeing Pulido and Lawlor (walk-ons) getting in games, because while they might not have the required skills to play major minutes, you could see that they really understood the system and were playing the best game they were capable of.

 

[Boreifs]

Didn't Coombs have a wierd shooting form? Or maybe someone else who transferred.

She did.

 

[oldude]

Didn't Coombs have a wierd shooting form? Or maybe someone else who transferred.

Yes it was Coombs. She sort of slung the ball up from her waist when she shot it.

 

[Boreifs]

When Geno was down to three guards and he didn’t put her in at the three, the handwriting was on the wall. She was the last option at the four with two studs coming in next fall. In today’s game, it is really difficult to play at her height without a three-point shot, no matter how athletic she is. I wish her the best, though; if she has the grades, Ivy would be a great option for her.

 

[CL82]

Mir would fit nicely on Seton Hall's team

Shhhh.

I wish Mir the best. She seems like a nice kid and hasn’t complained at all, at least publicly, about her lack of playing time. I hope she finds a place that’s a good fit for her athletically academically and socially.

 

[EdSaid]

I would love to see her go to Vanderbilt. Not sure how her academics are but I think that she would do well with Shea.

Mir is an excellent student. Her mother is a school principal and she was named after the Mir Space station.

Sitting out then playing the extra year Mir could set her self up very nicely academically. She could easily pull off a double major and an M.S., the whole time getting everything paid for.