Morgan Tuck - 5th Year

[DobbsRover2]

Not sure there's an iota of anything new that's worth having much of an argument over. In the summer-fall of 2014 Tuck said she was considering the option of going pro after her senior year but wanted to stay, and then last April she said she was planning to stay. Three months ago she apparently told Altavilla, "I've been trying to weigh both sides. But right now I am planning to stay in school." Now she is apparently saying she is definitely planning to stay. Doesn't appear that anything has changed much except the insertion of the word "definitely," attached to that "planning" verb. Since no BYer is in Tuck's mind, or more importantly, in her mind when April rolls around, no one can know anything more than that at this point she feels she is definitely planning to stay after weighing the pros and cons.

 

[Sonny44]

Isn't this is a fan forum where the whole point is to SPECULATE?

I suppose you speculate on what Lincoln said in the Gettysburg address also?

 

[Biff]

I suppose you speculate on what Lincoln said in the Gettysburg address also?

 

[Monte]

I hadn't seen this before - and it's the most first person definitive positioning I've seen (from Voepel article on ESPN).

"This is Tuck's fourth year at UConn, so she would be eligible for the 2016 draft, just like Stewart and Jefferson. But she expects to be at UConn in 2016-17, too.

"My plan is to stay, definitely," Tuck said. "I know basketball isn't going to last forever, and I could get my master's in a year by being on scholarship. And that's looking really appealing.

"It allows me to be in that leadership role for another year, and get my game where I really want it to be. Being here, they make you better. They hold you very accountable and put you in the best position possible for the next step."

Absolutely great if that's what happens.

 

[Monte]

If Morgan wants to be a better basketball player she faces a true dilemma. Improve by remaining at UConn and under the tutelage of the game's best coach or go pro and improve by competing against the game's best players. Taking a two year time slice, which is really the crux of the decision, will she be a better player two years after this season by spending one year at UConn and one as a pro, or two years as a pro? Of course her actual decision is not nearly as one-dimensional as my example, but if being the best basketball player is her goal, will she achieve that by staying or leaving? I don't know the answer. Maybe I'll start a poll.

In my opinion, she should stay.....the only thing which bothers me is her proneness to injury.
I would hate to see her stay, get hurt, and not be able to continue her basketball career.
I wish her the best of luck!

 

[msf22b]

Or MBA.

Three reasons Morgan Tuck WILL stay at UConn for next year:

1. She gets a graduate degree for free. (I'm not going into the manifold advantages of this, but for someone as cerebral as Morgan, it's a no-brainer--pardon the pun)
2. She will have an excellent chance of becoming the only individual in NCAA basketball to have earned five national championships (with her returning, Natalie at center, and our new forwards/wings, UConn will be the force again next year)
3. She will go higher in the draft next year than she will this year (which means more exposure/hype which means higher future earning potential overseas)

And she has a much.much better chance of being hoisted up onto the wall of honor, than this year with that stupid rule.
And we all know that she is ambitious for that to happen.

 

[Icebear]

Isn't this is a fan forum where the whole point is to SPECULATE?

No.

 

[Icebear]

I'm with you on this one...if there was no speculation, the board would be totally boring. Having said that, I can understand why some posters take exception to speculating on an issue that is at odds with a respected players direct quote. In that case , it's almost as if speculation challenges the veracity of the player. IMO, that is clearly not your intention. One thing we can all agree on is that we want Morgan back next year!!!

Boards are not boring with or without speculation. Boards are boring when people are inarticulate and without insight or humor.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Man would this place be a total snooze if all we had to do was comment on the marvelous artistry of the Husky program and the dogged attempts of their opponents to somehow beat them. Throw in all that fun media stuff, OT asides, historical anecdotes, stat summaries and notes, player quotes, and all those other things and the BY would still be a tomb if we couldn't indulge in idle speculation about what the players and coaches were thinking, even if it had no foundation. That would be just no fun, and totally unAmerican.

 

[pvdoggy]

From https://www.sny.tv/uconn/news/uconn-uses-balanced-attack-to-get-past-florida-state/159470138 so as recent as it can be

Tuck, as a fourth-year player, is eligible to enter the 2016 WNBA Draft. And during ESPN's broadcast of the UConn-Notre Dame game a week ago, the announcing crew speculated she would do just that.

When asked about it Friday night, Tuck laughed and noted that she did not talk to anyone at ESPN about it and has had one conversation about it -- six weeks ago -- with coach Geno Auriemma.

"Right now, I'm planning on staying," Tuck said. "It's something that I do think about but I'm trying to put it on the back burner. I still think getting a masters degree, and it would be for free, would be best for me."

The Huskies will support any decision Tuck makes.

Also in the same article,

They entered the game knowing they would be without Saniya Chong (IT Band Syndrome), Natalie Butler (thumb) and De'Janae Boykin(Achilles/academics)

 

[ChicagoGG]

I too would hate to see Tuck get hurt any any point - here or playing professionally. But if she did get hurt, heaven forbid, that free masters degree would come in handy for her next career choice.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Tuck, as a fourth-year player, is eligible to enter the 2016 WNBA Draft. And during ESPN's broadcast of the UConn-Notre Dame game a week ago, the announcing crew speculated she would do just that.

Wait a minute, are you accusing an ESPN crew of doing poorly researched speculation for the purpose of stirring up some controversy? That would be so ESPNish.

 

[easttexastrash]

Wait a minute, are you accusing an ESPN crew of doing poorly researched speculation for the purpose of stirring up some controversy? That would be so ESPNish.

Watch it. That ESPN crew included Lobo. I can tell you first hand that questioning what she says on TV or twitter is not a good idea on this board.

 

[easttexastrash]

I think that Tuck may be leaning toward staying but I also think that it may depend on how well she plays this year and whether or not she thinks she has progressed to the point where she has hit her ceiling playing against college players. At some point to continue to improve she will have to play against better talent and she is showing that she is at the top of the college game.

She is certainly in an interesting position since UCONN is going for a fourth consecutive title. I am wondering if she may not make up her mind until after the FF.

 

[Goodgood]

She is saying all the right things and she'll make up her mind after the season. Just too many factors to consider. No one in his/her right mind would announce that she is leaving, imagine what her coaches, teammates, fans, etc... would think. And if she had a bad season..she would be in nowhere's land.

 

[WestCoastFan]

Having a different OPINION is fine. Making things up when there are other facts that are simply black and white is just silly.
And Chong or Boykin could choose to change their mind and transfer. And Dangerfield could change her mind and decommit. And Butler could decide her injury is too much, change her mind and quit hoops. And Geno could change his mind and decide tomorrow to retire. And I could decide to cross the wrong street and be hit by a bus.

Of course Morgan COULD change her mind. And we'd all be disappointed, miss her terribly, but love her all the same and root like hell for her to succeed wherever she goes. The point is there is ZERO evidence that she's even considering that, and this comes from her own lips.

Well, Boykin is gone. What did you do Eric?

Why doesn't everyone just relax and focus on this year. Next year will be here soon enough. As Sheriff Buford T. Justice said: "One **** at a time!!"

 

[JoePgh]

One factor that Morgan may be thinking about, which is even more true with Dejenae's departure, is that next year UConn will clearly be HER team. She will be the #1 star; the plays will be designed to get her open as the first option; the publicity will focus on, "UConn will go as far as Morgan Tuck can lead them." That is not true this year, and has never been true in her entire tenure here.

That may well be an appetizing prospect to her.

 

[Hongster]

One factor that Morgan may be thinking about, which is even more true with Dejenae's departure, is that next year UConn will clearly be HER team. She will be the #1 star; the plays will be designed to get her open as the first option; the publicity will focus on, "UConn will go as far as Morgan Tuck can lead them." That is not true this year, and has never been true in her entire tenure here.

That may well be an appetizing prospect to her.

Who wants that unless you're DT or BS.
I think Tuck should go pro, have a chance to play sport that she loves while she's healthy.
Hang out with friends and travel the world playing basketball.
Who needs and MBA degree when you can be an assistant coach and makes over 6 figures.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

For those who aspire to be a leader, take a moment to digest this statement about Morgan.

"She will say what has to be said -- but nothing that doesn't."

 

[ricky]

I hadn't seen this before - and it's the most first person definitive positioning I've seen (from Voepel article on ESPN).

"This is Tuck's fourth year at UConn, so she would be eligible for the 2016 draft, just like Stewart and Jefferson. But she expects to be at UConn in 2016-17, too.

"My plan is to stay, definitely," Tuck said. "I know basketball isn't going to last forever, and I could get my master's in a year by being on scholarship. And that's looking really appealing.

"It allows me to be in that leadership role for another year, and get my game where I really want it to be. Being here, they make you better. They hold you very accountable and put you in the best position possible for the next step."

Absolutely great if that's what happens.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Without Boykin, it is imperative that Tuck return. Otherwise our presence in the frontcourt is severely limited.

There would also be a leadership void that Kia Nurse may or may not be able to fill.

Despite her comments, I still think it's more likely than not that she will leave. Of course during the season she will say that she's coming back, to avoid sparking controversy or distracting from the task at hand.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

When I talked to her on First Night/Autographs she said "she's having the time of her life now that's she's healthy and can play BB the way she knew she could! Also why wouldn't she want to prolong the best time, the pros won't be like UCONN!"

 

[Monte]

True, but there is no reason to speculate about that until she gives some other indication of her intentions. She has said she is coming back on multiple occasions.

I agree; it seems like some people are trying to "suggest she leave?????"

 

[Gus Mahler]

Sure are a lot of quotation marks in this thread. A veritable plethora, as they say.