Non-UConn Recruiting Information

[Orangutan]

I already knew there was a girl named Poffenbarger coming up. Now you're telling me there's a Wolfenbarger, too?

 

[Dillon77]

I already knew there was a girl named Poffenbarger coming up. Now you're telling me there's a Wolfenbarger, too?

"....Poffenbarger, Wolfenbarger, Tomato, Potato...let's call the whole thing off.." *

* It's that time of year...

 

[Plebe]

She isn't listed by the recruiting services as far as I can tell, but Rhyle McKinney (5'9" shooting guard from Argyle, TX, class of 2020) just announced her commitment to SMU.

She could be an under-the-radar gem. She's the best player on a team that just won its 5th consecutive 4A state title:

Girls basketball: Argyle knocks off Hardin-Jefferson, claims fifth straight state title

SAN ANTONIO — Legendary Canyon coach Joe Lombard, who coached against Argyle in a Class 4A Region I semifinal, said Rhyle McKinney is one of the five toughest players he’s

www.dentonrc.com

A really cool article about her background:

Born with a cleft palate and legally deaf, she is one of the best basketball players in Texas

One of the top high school basketball players in Texas is Argyle, TX, junior Rhyle McKinney, who was born with a cleft palate and is legally deaf.

www.star-telegram.com

 

[Lwrc]

Really big get for Rueck. His past three domestic recruits have come from Arkansas, Kansas, and Texas. Interesting to see both Oregon and Oregon State expanding their horizons.

Really surprised Arkansas didn’t land Sasha. With Mike’s history and reputation you know he’s building a great program. Sasha is an in state girl that could have been a key cog in the future Razorbacks machine. Besides Gusters a lot of top 40 recruits going out of state it seems? Maybe a good sign for women’s basketball? The ladies are taking the basketball part more seriously and less interested in just getting through college for free?

 

[nwhoopfan]

Really surprised Arkansas didn’t land Sasha. With Mike’s history and reputation

I don't think he's exactly known for his recruiting. Plum had already committed to UW while McGuff was still the HC. She obviously stuck w/ the commitment after the coaching change. He actually signed a couple of McD's AAs while at UW but neither really panned out (Katie Collier and Deja Strother). He did get some hidden gems like Chantel Osahor and Aari McDonald. I think his best player so far at Arkansas is a transfer from Oklahoma and his second best player was already on the roster when he arrived.

 

[NWHoopFan2]

Emily Bessoir, 6’4” wing out of Germany just announced her commitment to UCLA.

 

[Charliebball]

Emily Bessoir, 6’4” wing out of Germany just announced her commitment to UCLA.

oh no...................Coco is not going to be a happy camper.............

 

[CocoHusky]

Emily Bessoir, 6’4” wing out of Germany just announced her commitment to UCLA.

oh no....Coco is not going to be a happy camper...

What the hell Emily! UCLA?

 

[LoTrader]

PAC-12 WBB recruiting is off the charts.

 

[DaBball]

Emily Bessoir, 6’4” wing out of Germany just announced her commitment to UCLA.

I’m not a fan of UCLA as a destination for Bessoir, because I’m not sure Close can use her skillset the same way I think Graves, Rueck, or Geno could have, but I’m not sure how seriously any of those 3 recruited her. Very talented and a very unique skillset though.

 

[ochoopsfan]

Emily Bessoir video. Is she really 6'3"? Athletic if she is.

 

[Charliebball]

What the hell Emily! UCLA?

it seems she prefers the sunny climate of Los Angeles to perfecting her craft and winning championships............

 

[nwhoopfan]

it seems she prefers the sunny climate of Los Angeles to perfecting her craft and winning championships..

Well, since the class with KLS and Collier, Storrs has not been the place to go to win Championships. And those 2 rode the coattails of Stewie/Jefferson/Tuck to get their Championship.

 

[Charliebball]

Well, since the class with KLS and Collier, Storrs has not been the place to go to win Championships. And those 2 rode the coattails of Stewie/Jefferson/Tuck to get their Championship.

fair enough..................I'll rephrase it to a place to go where you have a chance to win championships....................unless I've missed something that's not often been the case at UCLA recently

 

[nwhoopfan]

fair enough...I'll rephrase it to a place to go where you have a chance to win championships.....unless I've missed something that's not often been the case at UCLA recently

I will definitely give you that. Much better chance to win a Title at some point at UConn vs. UCLA based on past history.

 

[UConnCat]

Well, since the class with KLS and Collier, Storrs has not been the place to go to win Championships. And those 2 rode the coattails of Stewie/Jefferson/Tuck to get their Championship.

So where is the place to go to win championships? What’s the criteria?

 

[nwhoopfan]

So where is the place to go to win championships? What’s the criteria?

Well, 3 different Champions the last 3 years. I think the pool of possible places to go where you might win a Title is expanding. I think Dangerfield is at risk of being the first 4 year player at UConn without at least 1 Championship in a long time, correct me if I'm wrong.

Honestly, there's nowhere you can go where you're guaranteed to win a Championship. Baylor has 3 in 15 years, kinda spread out. Notre Dame has 2 in 18 years, really spread out. Tennessee has a bunch but none since 2008. Stanford has a couple but none since 1992. UConn might still be the most likely place to go but it seems like a different era where they aren't quite as dominant as they have been in the past. Of course Geno had a bit of a lull between his '04 and '09 Titles before coming back with a vengeance, so maybe he's got one more streak like that left in his career.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

UConn might still be the most likely place to go but it seems like a different era where they aren't quite as dominant as they have been in the past.

I mean, if UConn doesn't lose two national semis on last second OT baskets they might have won 6 straight titles and had a winning streak of 152 coming into this past season. Not quite as dominant is certainly scale-based.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I mean, if UConn doesn't lose two national semis on last second OT baskets they might have won 6 straight titles and had a winning streak of 152 coming into this past season. Not quite as dominant is certainly scale-based.

You have a point. History is probably full of subtleties like that where something easily could've have turned out a different way, but didn't. 107-5 in the last 3 years is ridiculous, but 0 Titles in that span after 4 straight and 6 of 8 certainly is "different." Other programs feel like they actually have a chance of cutting down the nets now and it's not a foregone conclusion UConn will win it all.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Other programs feel like they actually have a chance of cutting down the nets now and it's not a foregone conclusion UConn will win it all.

That's true, but I don't think it's going to take a lot for UConn to get back to that nearly unbeatable state. The '16 and '17 recruiting classes essentially produced just Dangerfield and Walker as productive players, and that helped bring them back to the pack to at least some extent. It's hard to hit on every player and classes tend to go in cycles. But if you look at what they've done over the last two months (Bueckers, Muhl, Makurat, Westbrook) and see the number of players they are heavily involved with including Prince, it's possible they could stack the deck again.

 

[CocoHusky]

Well, since the class with KLS and Collier, Storrs has not been the place to go to win Championships. And those 2 rode the coattails of Stewie/Jefferson/Tuck to get their Championship.

Let's see:
KLS and Napheesa have only been gone a few months now and you come at them like that?
Last time UCLA won a National Championship in WCBB= 12th of NEVER.
Last time UCLA WBB made a final four=NEVER EVER.
Last time UCLA WBB won a conference Championship=1999.
Last time UCLA WBB won a conference tournament =2006.
Fall back and keep reppin that UCLA WNIT championship in 2015 with that under achieving 2014 #1 recruiting class.
At least UCONN has coattails that someone can ride on.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I not surprisingly struck a nerve. But nowhere in any of my comments am I even slightly hyping up UCLA.

 

[Charliebball]

I not surprisingly struck a nerve. But nowhere in any of my comments am I even slightly hyping up UCLA.

UCLA is a really good school academically and socially along with a wonderful climate but only slightly above average as a WBB basketball program..................just saying that if her decision was mostly based on her basketball career, she could have made a number of better collegiate choices with UConn near or at the top of the list.........

 

[CocoHusky]

I not surprisingly struck a nerve. But nowhere in any of my comments am I even slightly hyping up UCLA.

Fine!.
Now I'll take aim at your whole conference.
Pac 12 teams appearances in FF of WBB=20=UCONN appearances in the FF
WBB National Championships Pac 12 =4;UCONN=11.
Last Pac 12 WBB National Championship was 1992. UCONN first WCBB championship was 1995.
AP players of the year in WCBB since 1995, UCONN=11 times. Pac 12 =1 time.
Here is something for your conference to be really proud of or not. The Pac 12 has had 4 different teams win the WNIT (Oregon, California, UCLA and Arizona). Keep hope alive for your conference if you must, but also be sure to kiss the queens (KLS and Napheesa) ring & pay homage when their names comes out of your mouth.

 

[jonson]

Fine!.
Now I'll take aim at your whole conference.
Pac 12 teams appearances in FF of WBB=20=UCONN appearances in the FF
WBB National Championships Pac 12 =4;UCONN=11.
Last Pac 12 WBB National Championship was 1992. UCONN first WCBB championship was 1995.
AP players of the year in WCBB since 1995, UCONN=11 times. Pac 12 =1 time.
Here is something for your conference to be really proud of or not. The Pac 12 has had 4 different teams win the WNIT (Oregon, California, UCLA and Arizona). Keep hope alive for your conference if you must, but also be sure to kiss the queens (KLS and Napheesa) ring & pay homage when their names comes out of your mouth.

I think the comments you are responding to with such vigor? simply speak to hopes (by other teams, players) and possibilities. Recent history is the reason for both, with that history highlighted by the UCONN dominance that preceded it. That's just the nature of competitive sports. Whether the next (say) 4-6 years will continue that trend--or the hopes will be fulfilled and the possibilities actual--is, of course, yet to be determined. But it seems to me obvious that--rightly or wrongly--a player like Bessier would at this point be more optimistic about winning a national championship at someplace other than UCONN than she would have been 5 or 6 years ago.