Nika Muhl to UCONN

[pvdoggy]

New ESPN article today about Nika's recruiting. Nothing really new, new in it, but good read regardless.

When UConn called, it was game on for Croatian recruit Nika Muhl

 

[hoopsdiva]

I'm glad we have Nika onboard but I can't help but wonder what changed for UCONN two months ago that would cause UCONN to start looking at another combo guard in the 2020 class. Any guesses? Was Nika just too good to pass up regardless of where she was in the recruiting class?

Maybe Geno was looking overseas for a post and stumbled across Nika? Whatever the reason, I'm glad she's on board.

 

[Orangutan]

The thing is UConn was very late on Muhl having only contacted her a first time in January. It appears as if Muhl had UConn near the top of her list way before they got involved.

I guess if you're going to be late to contact her, be early to Croatia and send the big guns (Geno). Gotta be annoying to be the other schools and watch UConn swoop in at the last minute and get added to her finalists list with one email from Chris Dailey.

 

[eebmg]

New ESPN article today about Nika's recruiting. Nothing really new, new in it, but good read regardless.

When UConn called, it was game on for Croatian recruit Nika Muhl

Well, I thought this is a nice quote which I did not see anywhere in print before.

Of course, at the time of those scrimmages, Bueckers had no idea Muhl was a couple of days away from committing to UConn, and thus the two young stars never formally met.

Even so, Bueckers said she had "no problem" with another guard joining the Huskies for 2020.

"I consider myself a combo guard," Bueckers said. "And from what I've heard, [Muhl] is unselfish and a pass-first point guard who will put the team first. I'm looking forward to getting to know her."



Also, can't go wrong bringing a smile to Pop's face.

 

[meyers7]

Connecticut has had only one previous European player -- Svetlana Abrosimova, a Russian who became a three-time All-American for the Huskies from 1997 to 2001.

Oops. Not only has UCONN had another European, they've had another Croatian. Tihana Abrlic. Although she came via Florida Central Community College.

 

[eebmg]

Connecticut has had only one previous European player -- Svetlana Abrosimova, a Russian who became a three-time All-American for the Huskies from 1997 to 2001.

Oops. Not only has UCONN had another European, they've had another Croatian. Tihana Abrlic. Although she came via Florida Central Community College.

We had a brief thread on this.

International Huskies

 

[meyers7]

We had a brief thread on this.

International Huskies

That was like 4.5 years ago. The old codgers on here can't remember back that far.

 

[Kaizen]

I like this:

Added Muhl: "[Bueckers] is a great player. It's going to be fun. I think we are going to make each other better. Hopefully, we can win championships together."

 

[Sluconn Husky]

New ESPN article today about Nika's recruiting. Nothing really new, new in it, but good read regardless.

When UConn called, it was game on for Croatian recruit Nika Muhl

Paige's reaction is new. Fun article.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Also this bit of scouting report:


She hopes to finally visit Storrs in July or August, but when she arrives for good in 2020, the Huskies will be getting a great prospect, according to Galligan.


"She has great vision and court awareness," Galligan said. "Her handle is impressive. She does a lot with side steps and Eurosteps. She can knock down an open 3, but where she is elite is how she gets to the rim and creates for herself or a teammate.


"When she gets to the open floor, it's game over."

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I guess if you're going to be late to contact her, be early to Croatia and send the big guns (Geno). Gotta be annoying to be the other schools and watch UConn swoop in at the last minute and get added to her finalists list with one email from Chris Dailey.

View attachment 42397

Same thing happened with Kia Nurse's recruiting - the swoop down.

The more I see if Nika the more I like. She's straightforward and tough. Confident, yet humble enough to share the moment of opening Chris Dailey's e-mail. Would have liked to be in that living room.

"I was speechless," Muhl said of the email she received in January. "My mom [Roberta] cried. I cried, oh yeah, I cried. My dad [Darko] was speechless. We all just sat in silence in our living room for five minutes."

Having looked at everything on her on YouTube I agree with the scout 100% ... she gets free in open court best you just watch.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Another thing about Muhl is that based on video she likes to cut, both on handoffs and without the ball. UConn has gone away from that a bit in recent years. She seems to have the smarts to be really good at that.

 

[Vowelguy]

I guess if you're going to be late to contact her, be early to Croatia and send the big guns (Geno). Gotta be annoying to be the other schools and watch UConn swoop in at the last minute and get added to her finalists list with one email from Chris Dailey.

Yeah I was stunned to hear that UConn's first contact was in late January.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Yeah I was stunned to hear that UConn's first contact was in late January.

And the first contact came with an offer, apparently.

 

[Charliebball]

Yeah I was stunned to hear that UConn's first contact was in late January.

apparently recruits aren't as jaded in Europe as they are in the States..........

 

[Checkmate 2.0]

I'm glad we have Nika onboard but I can't help but wonder what changed for UCONN two months ago that would cause UCONN to start looking at another combo guard in the 2020 class. Any guesses? Was Nika just too good to pass up regardless of where she was in the recruiting class?

based on the video I watched Nika was much too good to pass up.. . . she plays defense, rebounds, passes, shoots well and scores

 

[Sluconn Husky]

ESPN may not have Nika Muhl ranked yet but Dan Olsen's description of her probably means she's held in high regard.


Oregon becomes the third school with multiple top-40 commitments in the 2020 class. Notre Dame has verbals from No. 12 Natalija Marshall and No. 24 Allison Campbell, and Stanford has verbals from No. 2 Cameron Brink and No. 37 Jana Van Gytenbeek. UConn has a pair of commitments from No. 1 Paige Bueckers and European superstar Nika Muhl.

Kelly Graves draws elite junior recruits Sydney Parrish, Angela Dugalic to Oregon

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Yeah I was stunned to hear that UConn's first contact was in late January.

She was stunned too - though a different kind of stunned. She had not dared to dream and suddenly it was reality.

 

[MilfordHusky]

ESPN may not have Nika Muhl ranked yet but Dan Olsen's description of her probably means she's held in high regard.


Oregon becomes the third school with multiple top-40 commitments in the 2020 class. Notre Dame has verbals from No. 12 Natalija Marshall and No. 24 Allison Campbell, and Stanford has verbals from No. 2 Cameron Brink and No. 37 Jana Van Gytenbeek. UConn has a pair of commitments from No. 1 Paige Bueckers and European superstar Nika Muhl.

Kelly Graves draws elite junior recruits Sydney Parrish, Angela Dugalic to Oregon

I like the wording: "European superstar."

 

[BobbyJ]

I like the wording: "European superstar."

Have to believe he’s using the term relatively, meaning relative to European amateur competition. I doubt that she’s been playing against kids as good as Bueckers and Fudd.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Have to believe he’s using the term relatively, meaning relative to European amateur competition. I doubt that she’s been playing against kids as good as Bueckers and Fudd.

I agree that the term may be used somewhat generously, but really there are no kids comparable to Bueckers and Fudd anywhere else. They are probably the 2 best players in the world under age 18.

 

[Alydar]

Have to believe he’s using the term relatively, meaning relative to European amateur competition. I doubt that she’s been playing against kids as good as Bueckers and Fudd.

She isn't, but then Bueckers & Fudd aren't either.
I wouldn't be surprised if Geno got a tip from his Croatian buddy Popovich who had seen Muhl play.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Nika on the NBA Tampa 3 day event:

 

[Gus Mahler]

Pleasant to hear her speak.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Pleasant to hear her speak.

She comes across a lot more grown up than most 18-year-olds.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

She comes across a lot more grown up than most 18-year-olds.

She knows what she wants. She's on a mission.

 

[UConnNick]

The time Geno was mic’d, Svet missed a wide open layup on a fast break. That when he [in]famously said,”That’s it, no more damned Europeans” for everyone to hear. That’s why we think of Svet as European. That’s also why Geno won’t wear a mic anymore

Svet is a European. She's from St. Petersburg (f/k/a Leningrad) in western Russia, which is considered part of the European continent. Any place in Russia west of the Ural Mountains is part of Europe.

 

[UConnNick]

Probably I should drift back off and bring closure to my little game.

The other two schools I was thinking are The Pennsylvania State University and The Johns Hopkins University. As cited near the beginning of this thread, people often include the "the" and pronounce it "thee" for emphasis. I think it's done by non-OSU people as a light-hearted mocking of the name. OSU people might say it in the spirit of distinguishing themselves from other, peer schools, or as the school in Ohio (implication being the Ohio is a superior state). All in good fun as far as I'm concerned.

I don't think I've ever heard Penn State adopt that mindset but maybe they do. I've heard some academic types refer to JHU in a way similar to OSU, only from the academic prestige point of view. It is, after all, a highly regarded school.

And there you have it.

The American University and The College of William and Mary are two others.

Most flagship state universities and many non-flagship ones have official names starting with the word "The", as in "The University of ______________". Two notable exceptions are Indiana University and West Virginia University.

 

[chrissaran]

Just as happy with an assist as a basket. Impressive.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

And it runs in the family. Here is her younger sister. Early on watch her run through a pick! Tough kid with an engine and a shot or two. MVP of a recent age group championship.