Non-UConn Recruiting Information

[Go/huskies]

A number of McGraw's Bench participants who live in the DC area went to a number of Paul VI games the past year and came away with much the same impression: when she's on, great; but blink and she'll disappear from the action for long stretches of time. One writer thought she might be the fourth most effective player on that Paul VI team behind (in no particular order) Osuwu (committed to your Terps), Amira Collins (committed to Tennessee) and Mikki Vaughn (a frosh at Notre Dame).

Isn't Cara Ursin, the oft-injured but shoot-first point guard from Louisiana, also a frosh at Baylor? Will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Baylor also has Morris, who committed to UCLA then de-committed and picked Baylor.

 

[Dillon77]

I'm pretty sure Malina Howard choosing Maryland was part of the downfall of Foster. Ohio and the Midwest has enough talent to be a solid enough top25 program, but so far, what I've heard is a no. It's getting harder and harder with every miss of a recruit. Because how can a player, such a Jordan Horston, picture her playing for the Buckeyes...when she'll have no one to pass to. I just hope it doesn't take until the 2019 class has signed elsewhere for him to get the boot..if that's what is going to happen.

It kind of becomes something of an un-virtuous circle, right? The program currently seems to be kept alive by Mitchell and transfers (Harper, Mavunga, Calhoun), but one would think it's got to be supported/complemented by freshmen.

Re: 2018, they could salvage it by getting Engstler (who has taken OVs to her three listed finalists) or Coombs. Or have they looked at/hosted 6'3" post Valencia Myers, who is from Solon, Ohio?

As for 2019, it's a bumper crop of guards and wings in Ohio, from Jordon Horston (in Columbus, no less) and Zia Cooke to Kierstan Bell. And also in the Midwest, there's Rickea Jackson and Breanna Beal.

But will the lack of recruiting success in prior years be a a yellow/red flag? If so, at some point, OSU AD Gene Smith will use his department's deep pockets to hit "reset."

 

[nwhoopfan]

THIS WAS HIS DREAM JOB!!!!!!

...or was that Washington?...

Based on the recent trend, I don't think Washington is anyone's dream job. More of a stepping stone.

 

[CBus13]

It kind of becomes something of an un-virtuous circle, right? The program currently seems to be kept alive by Mitchell and transfers (Harper, Mavunga, Calhoun), but one would think it's got to be supported/complemented by freshmen. With so much potential future playing time (current playing time) you'd think more recruits who considered OSU would go there but clearly there are other issues they see that make even promised immediate playing time undesirable.

Re: 2018, they could salvage it by getting Engstler (who has taken OVs to her three listed finalists) or Coombs. Or have they looked at/hosted 6'3" post Valencia Myers, who is from Solon, Ohio? Last I heard, Myers and OSU wasn't a thing. But they may have changed. Engstler and Crooms are options still but it's got to be hard to want to go to Ohio State knowing they'll barely have enough for a full practice scrimmage.

As for 2019, it's a bumper crop of guards and wings in Ohio, from Jordon Horston (in Columbus, no less) and Zia Cooke to Kierstan Bell. And also in the Midwest, there's Rickea Jackson and Breanna Beal.

But will the lack of recruiting success in prior years be a a yellow/red flag? If so, at some point, OSU AD Gene Smith will use his department's deep pockets to hit "reset."

Last I heard, Myers and OSU wasn't a thing. But that may have changed. Engstler and Crooms are options still but it's got to be hard to want to go to Ohio State knowing they'll barely have enough for a full practice scrimmage.

 

[Plebe]

Based on the recent trend, I don't think Washington is anyone's dream job. More of a stepping stone.

On Mike Neighbors' new podcast, he had McGuff as his guest and they talked about how Ohio State was his dream job.

 

[Plebe]

With all due respect, you haven’t seen my happy dance. It’s quite spectacular.

Video or it didn't happen.

 

[easttexastrash]

But it was not one of the UCONN AA that was beasting Baylor though. She was a Freshmen that you are going to have to tangle with for 3 more years.
Wait, I almost forgot Baylor is taking a year off-to regroup no doubt!

I am not sure who you are talking about, but OK.

 

[easttexastrash]

Still hurtin' huh?

Nah...I'm accustomed to E8s. I recover quickly and bury my head in the sand again quite quickly.

 

[easttexastrash]

A number of McGraw's Bench participants who live in the DC area went to a number of Paul VI games the past year and came away with much the same impression: when she's on, great; but blink and she'll disappear from the action for long stretches of time. One writer thought she might be the fourth most effective player on that Paul VI team behind (in no particular order) Osuwu (committed to your Terps), Amira Collins (committed to Tennessee) and Mikki Vaughn (a frosh at Notre Dame).

Isn't Cara Ursin, the oft-injured but shoot-first point guard from Louisiana, also a frosh at Baylor? Will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Maybe you can share the details of Ursin's multiple injuries. I am not familiar with that but she stayed healthy enough to be the 3-time POY in the state of LA.

And I don't have a problem with shoot-first players, as long as they are good shooters.

 

[CocoHusky]

I am not sure who you are talking about, but OK.

So now I'm going to have to send you a daily reminder?

 

[easttexastrash]

So now I'm going to have to send you a daily reminder?

Ahhhhh...her. She was the first one to expose Baylor's weakness...speedy guards. Then the little guard from MSU took it to an entirely new level.

 

[swimswam]

Ahhhhh...her. She was the first one to expose Baylor's weakness...speedy guards. Then the little guard from MSU took it to an entirely new level.

Alexis Morris will not only be a quality PG for Baylor offensively she’s also a really good defender.

 

[SCspur]

Alexis Morris will not only be a quality PG for Baylor offensively she’s also a really good defender.

I like her passing ability. It remains to be seen if she can defend on a D1 level. Especially quick PGs like Dangerfield, Canada, and McCarty.

 

[ed4ourgirls]

Very true. UCONN had three first team AAs last season and look what that got you.

A spot in the final four and the best record (36-1) in WCBB (D1).

No, they didn't win a national championship, but they had a better year than most
professional prognosticators (and UConn fans) expected at the start of the season.

Oh, and by the way, those three first team AAs are returning this year - with reinforcements.
What do you think they'll get this year?

 

[Dillon77]

Kevin is kind of a vagabond, encourage him to find his next stop quickly and you will be fine.

On Mike Neighbors' new podcast, he had McGuff as his guest and they talked about how Ohio State was his dream job.

I was intrigued about some of the observations on Kevin McGuff because I remember his assistant coach stint at Notre Dame (he was around for MM's one National Championship) and his subsequent, initial head coaching gig at Xavier were for fair amounts of time (for coaching), as you can see below.

So, it looked like he had a cup of coffee as a first-year assistant, which is hardly unusual, with the one glaring short-term HC gig being at Washington. However, if OSU was his dream job, who can blame him? (He is a mid-westerner.)

As SCGamecock (I believe) brought up, the main issue at OSU is that something could be awry within the program, whether it's recruiting, inefficiencies/tensions on the coaching staff. While the overall head- coaching record of McGuff looks pretty good, the individual parts of the program don't seem be firing on all cylinders and adding up and the whole's output could be affected down the road. After Mitchell, Harper and other transfers graduate, who fills the void -- more transfers?

1995–1996 Miami (OH) (Asst.)
1996–2002 Notre Dame (Asst.)
2002–2011 Xavier
2011–2013 Washington
2013–present Ohio State
Head coaching record
Overall 350–143 (.710)

 

[Dillon77]

Maybe you can share the details of Ursin's multiple injuries. I am not familiar with that but she stayed healthy enough to be the 3-time POY in the state of LA.

And I don't have a problem with shoot-first players, as long as they are good shooters.

Mea culpa, mea culpa. I read an article about her once that said she was fighting off a sprained ankle and turned that into a constant issue. Darn, I've got to stick to my credo of breathing a bit and/or searching for back-up.

So, let me revised that to, "Ms. Grayson will be joining a backcourt that will include 2017 frosh and three-time Louisiana State Player of the year, Cara Ursin. Ursin, who is alternately described as a combo-guard and/or a lead-guard who looks for her shot, is a dynamic presence who plays well above her 5' 7" stature."

My point in all this is to show that Honestly will honestly have some competition for playing time. Good catch.

Enjoy the class of 2018. As the fan of one team that is down in numbers of players, I'm interested to see how another one (Baylor) handles it this year. You don't have a lot of bigs, but you have one very big one (Brown) and one potentially very good one (Cox). We may be the land of off-guards/wings this year!

 

[SCGamecock]

I thought she was going to be the next Asia Durr to be honest (on purpose). But she tends to disappear in games. I think her 2019 teammate might be a better player (Ashley Osuwu).

She is. McCray really wanted Owusu at SC but backed off quickly because Owusu knew she wanted to go to Maryland for awhile.

 

[Canuck]

So I went to the Baylor board and they've already cleared their trophy case for several National championship trophies due to the commitments of Decosta, HSG, and Smith. I honestly haven't seen any of them play so are they that good? According to one member C.Williams, Prince, Walker, and Collier aren't even comparable to them.

One more thing, what is it with Baylor and violence? One member posted a gif of a man violently kicking someone and they labelled it "Take that, Karen!!!! " (Referring to Aston). Sighhhhhhh

 

[Sluconn Husky]

So I went to the Baylor board and they've already cleared their trophy case for several National championship trophies due to the commitments of Decosta, HSG, and Smith. I honestly haven't seen any of them play so are they that good? According to one member C.Williams, Prince, Walker, and Collier aren't even comparable to them.

That's probably skilled up. To him, I think it's the best group since the Beatles.

 

[Canuck]

That's probably skilled up. To him, I think it's the best group since the Beatles.

You're correct...it was skilledup

 

[southie]

So I went to the Baylor board and they've already cleared their trophy case for several National championship trophies due to the commitments of Decosta, HSG, and Smith. I honestly haven't seen any of them play so are they that good? According to one member C.Williams, Prince, Walker, and Collier aren't even comparable to them.

One more thing, what is it with Baylor and violence? One member posted a gif of a man violently kicking someone and they labelled it "Take that, Karen!!!! " (Referring to Aston). Sighhhhhhh

They get it from Mulkey and her "punch them in the face" mantra . . .

 

[Charliebball]

So I went to the Baylor board and they've already cleared their trophy case for several National championship trophies due to the commitments of Decosta, HSG, and Smith. I honestly haven't seen any of them play so are they that good? According to one member C.Williams, Prince, Walker, and Collier aren't even comparable to them.

One more thing, what is it with Baylor and violence? One member posted a gif of a man violently kicking someone and they labelled it "Take that, Karen!!!! " (Referring to Aston). Sighhhhhhh

they may win plenty of basketball games but I don't think anybody at Baylor is winning any awards for their tact

 

[CocoHusky]

So I went to the Baylor board and theyclass 've already cleared their trophy case for several National championship trophies due to the commitments of Decosta, HSG, and Smith. I honestly haven't seen any of them play so are they that good?

No. A very reliable measure of how good a recruit is is how much UCONN gets involved. With the exception of and in home visit for Smith and some very early interest in HSG (#1 in the class at the time) UCONN has not been very involved with these three. Another reliable measure is participation in USA age group basketball. HSG played on the 2015 USA Basketball U16 National Team and played well but that team won a bronze medal with AEH being arguably the best player. HSG is defensively indifferent and has a tendency to be like Casper at times on the basketball court.
Every evaluation of Smith contains the words "freak athlete" , sometimes that's code for "could be a better basketball player. Smith has yet to make a USA Basketball team.
DeAcosta has been on the radar since she was a freshmen in HS at a historically great HS program St. Marys (Chelsea Gray's HS). She played on 2016 U17 & 2015 U16 teams winning Bronze each time. She is also very athletic but the worst kind of tweener. She is listed at 6'1" probably more like 6ft not a good enough shooter to play SG or SF and not tall enough to play PF.
Three very nice player but not the type of player that someone should be thinking NC. This Baylor class reminds me of UCLA's 2014 class of Caldwell, , Canada, Billings, Hayes & Drunner. Like that UCLA's 2014 class Baylor will probably be the #1 class. That 2014 UCLA class might graduate this spring without a FF appearance or a player from that class being named AA.

 

[Canuck]

Thank you for the analysis. I was skeptical when I read "Honesty gave Walker the blues" and "Decosta...made Collier and prince look like they didn't belong on the court with her."

 

[Charliebball]

No. A very reliable measure of how good a recruit is is how much UCONN gets involved. With the exception of and in home visit for Smith and some very early interest in HSG (#1 in the class at the time) UCONN has not been very involved with these three. Another reliable measure is participation in USA age group basketball. HSG played on the 2015 USA Basketball U16 National Team and played well but that team won a bronze medal with AEH being arguably the best player. HSG is defensively indifferent and has a tendency to be like Casper at times on the basketball court.
Every evaluation of Smith contains the words "freak athlete" , sometimes that's code for "could be a better basketball player. Smith has yet to make a USA Basketball team.
DeAcosta has been on the radar since she was a freshmen in HS at a historically great HS program St. Marys (Chelsea Gray's HS). She played on 2016 U17 & 2015 U16 teams winning Bronze each time. She is also very athletic but the worst kind of tweener. She is listed at 6'1" probably more like 6ft not a good enough shooter to play SG or SF and not tall enough to play PF.
Three very nice player but not the type of player that someone should be thinking NC. This Baylor class reminds me of UCLA's 2014 class of Caldwell, , Canada, Billings, Hayes & Drunner. Like that UCLA's 2014 class Baylor will probably be the #1 class. That 2014 UCLA class might graduate this spring without a FF appearance or a player from that class being named AA.

Agree on HSG but Smith could be a monster with the right coaching...............that's why it was disappointing she didn't want to come north...................don't underestimate deCosta.........she is not a great shooter but is great on the dribble drive and is a better rebounder then one would think for someone her size...........