Mir in transfer portal

[Charliebball]

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.

yes a 6'2" forward who can dunk the basketball with great ease........

 

[Charliebball]

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.

playing in the Ivy League wouldn't be too shabby for a serious student athlete.........she could do well in that basketball environment....

 

[Carnac]

I'm not surprised (maybe by the timing), but still sad to see her leave. She was one of my favorites. I hope she finds a school that's a good fit for her both academically and basketball-wise. I'll be rooting for her wherever she lands.

Me too.

 

[EdSaid]

You could also add Arizona State, which is where Courtney Ekmark transferred and became a two-year starter. They aren't so good now, but they were Top 25 and Sweet 16 level for a number of years, including (I believe) the years when Courtney played for them.

Courtney Ekmark was a great student and she had a great plan. She finished her undergrad in less than 4 years and was in Law School while she was playing. If you know where you stand and you know you are not going to play after college, it makes a lot of sense to set yourself up with some education and no student debt.

I remember reading about her in the Alumni magazine.

 

[BobbyJ]

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.

Agreed. And the idea of a bunch of website amateur gurus trying to rank them is even crazier.

 

[eebmg]

Courtney Ekmark was a great student and she had a great plan. She finished her undergrad in less than 4 years and was in Law School while she was playing. If you know where you stand and you know you are not going to play after college, it makes a lot of sense to set yourself up with some education and no student debt.

I remember reading about her in the Alumni magazine.

I think she diverted from law and is a Graduate Assistant Coach for a Men's team.

 

[arch]

I think she diverted from law and is a Graduate Assistant Coach for a Men's team.

Seattle U men’s basketball grad assistant Courtney Ekmark is both a student and a teacher of the game

Courtney Ekmark wants to be a coach, and that’s the reason you see her at Seattle U, listening and learning from coach Jim Hayford, who Ekmark has known for many years.

www.seattletimes.com

 

[oldude]

playing in the Ivy League wouldn't be too shabby for a serious student athlete.........she could do well in that basketball environment....

Agree, but no athletic scholarships in the Ivies, and depending on qualified academic aid, the price tag for an Ivy League degree can be as much as $60k per year.

 

[Zonepress]

Coach GA recruited 9 players in the past
Which Was not the norm but
After missing out on some very highly
Regarded players the previous two years
it seems he took a bit different approach
And while prudent imho would lead to
Multiple transfers
Fortunately the rules have changed
And transfers no longer have to sit out a year
I’m sure Mir McLean will find a school
Where she can play basketball and
Optimize her reported superb academic abilities!!

 

[PJCLaw]

A little change, which UConn transfers has a just OK WNBA career? (EDD excludes)

So far, none! EDD is oviously not counted becasue she never suited up for even a preseason game. Very few even made it to the W, let alone had an "ok" career. Actually, I am hard pressed to recall any who made the W in the past 15 years. Help anyone....?!

 

[MilfordHusky]

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.

Calling Coach Berube!

 

[Argonaut]

Recent coaches/recruiting coordinators to follow her on IG are from:
Virginia Tech
Tulsa
George Washington
Ohio Valley
Mississippi State

 

[HopJim]

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.

Great idea but would refocus the position to be a true point guard. Even Paige often plays the SG role so having a backup that can run the team and play defense as needed seems ideal.

 

[dtbtbtb]

This one is probably one of the least surprising transfers ever...it was clear that she is not developing and not playing and any role she would have is limited. All the best to Mir!

 

[Kaizen]

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.

And her parent are really quiet too ...

 

[HopJim]

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.

Mir committed at a time when UConn had a very thin lineup. May have been a motivator in coming to UConn., not knowing how the great recruiting classes would affect her playing time.

 

[Kaizen]

So far, none! EDD is oviously not counted becasue she never suited up for even a preseason game. Very few even made it to the W, let alone had an "ok" career. Actually, I am hard pressed to recall any who made the W in the past 15 years. Help anyone....?!

Agree with you. I cannot name a UConn transfer ever into the WNBA.

 

[Boreifs]

Great idea but would refocus the position to be a true point guard. Even Paige often plays the SG role so having a backup that can run the team and play defense as needed seems ideal.

Sounds like Nika.

 

[JellyBean]

Sad to see Mir go but understandable. Wishing her all the best with her future plans.

 

[YSRFrisbee]

It always saddens me when a UCONN player transfers but in the end I hope they find happiness. Mir has incredible athletic and academic abilities and I hope she finds the right fit. I will certainly miss her insane hops and contagious smile

"In a world where you can be anything...be KIND"

 

[oldude]

Mir committed to UConn in June of 2019. At that time SBNation called her the most athletic “wing” in the country. From that point on, UConn received commitments from the following players all potentially capable of playing the 3-spot: Aaliyah, Saylor, Caroline, Azzi, Ice & Ayanna.

 

[Aluminny69]

Courtney Ekmark was a great student and she had a great plan. She finished her undergrad in less than 4 years and was in Law School while she was playing. If you know where you stand and you know you are not going to play after college, it makes a lot of sense to set yourself up with some education and no student debt.

I remember reading about her in the Alumni magazine.

Courtney also took a year off from basketball her senior year. I'm not sure that was a good idea.

 

[Longtime fan]

Not unexpected at all

I agree. She never really seemed to fill out a spot that made any sense. She was a slightly smaller version of Aubrey, and she had no reputation as a great shooter. When she was given no role in the latest "under-manned" game ( UCLA ), it was clear something was afoot. None of us like to see a recruited talent leave. Particularly, when we never really got to see that talent. There are two sides to that; either it isn't there or Geno didn't feel she earned court time. But when Mir looks around what does she see? A. She isn't a guard, so that position is not available to her B. The forwards are all trending bigger and must be able to shoot from 12 feet or deeper. C. The specialist defender, who might come in, and be a momentary disrupter, is already Aubrey's job. D. Her classmate just opted for the
portal. I think she also saw the potential in DeBerry, the looming size and strength off Piath, and the records ( and size ) of the two commits for next year's class. And, of course, she wants to play. There remain plenty of Division I teams for whom she can start and thrive in her natural position. I wish her luck. I am sorry to see her go. But it seemed inevitable.

 

[WFFL]

She decided to leave that’s her choice. Let’s not start the she wasn’t a good fit lecture bc she decided she didn’t wanna be here. She’s def a player that could have helped us next year and the year after I’m sad to see her go

 

[Stymie]

Gabby was very different from Mir. In fact, Gabby was unique in our program. She was nearly an Olympian in the high jump at age 15 or so. Jay Bilas called her the best player in America. She's much stronger than Mir. She made more super-human plays than anyone except maybe Maya. Gabby is improving her jump shot and doing very well in Europe. I expect her to have a breakout season in I loved, loved l

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."

“Extremely smart and athletic and she has a lot of potential?”
What else is there?
Sounds like a coaches dream.
Couldn’t tap that potential?