October Recruiting Thread | Page 3 | The Boneyard

October Recruiting Thread

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Also from the Wooten 150 camp: Cunningham, Avant-Roberts, McGill


Breya Cunningham 6-3 Post California – Overall MVP – She gets 2 of my take aways because she’s that good. We talk about impactful transcendent players and she’s what we talk about. Someone who was a pro walking into the gym. Yup, she was really good. 6-3 great size, hands, and feet extremely active with a good motor – someone who knows she’s good and just keeps getting better and giving effort when she doesn’t have to. She’s my overall MVP


Quick Take 11 – 2024 MVP Tajianna Avant-Roberts – California – Big time athlete who can score the ball and leader her team a lot of 2024’s had trouble exerting their personality over older players to get reps with the ball but Roberts did just that looking like an elder player at a camp where she was one of the youngest players. Obvious why we have her in our Top 10 in 2024 look for her to be a future pro and star in the game as the 2024 class continues to move forward.

2024 MVP Runner Up – Alivia McGill, Mikayla Blakes & Lexi Blue


jrallstar.com

Takeaways from the Wooten Top 150 - Jr. All-Star Basketball

I spent the better part of Saturday and Sunday in Dallas at the Wooten Top 150, which was the second year of the event and […] More
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oldude said:
Before we all hang our heads in defeat, let me just point out that these two guys know no more than the BY does when it comes to Rice. In fact, they probably know less. The moderator admits several times to information on Rice’s recruitment being, “foggy.” He also doesn’t know the 3rd school she has visited. One of the reasons for this is that unlike some HS recruits, Rice doesn’t post everything she does on Twitter & Instagram.

Finally, he makes the case for Rice to Stanford based on all the young guards at UConn, and goes on to list Paige, Azzi & Caroline. What he fails to mention, and perhaps isn’t aware of, is that Stanford’s incoming freshman class includes 4 guards, and they’re all pretty good.

I’m not giving up on Rice to UConn just yet, and I strongly suspect that Geno hasn’t given up yet either.
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"Sober" look? These guys are just offering an opinion.

The opinion at least for one of them runs contrary to the near many players that have always come to UCONN.

Schools on her list are great choices as is UCONN. I have no idea if UCONN is behind or up on any of them and all opinions welcome (and it's great they set up a forum to discuss. Any discussion is good.). But while one of the guys stated he would go to Stanford, if I were recommending, I would push for UCONN.


If you are a player and make mention of National Championships, and of the WNBA,; well every year, even in UCONN's worst years in the last 15-plus, unlike any other program throughout the Nation, UCONN is playing in the final week of the season for A National Championship. And if we're talking WNBA; what did we just see in the Olympics? And what have we seen over the years of even non-Olympians - the number of UCONN players in the league?

In addition, while UCONN hasn’t won it all for about 5 years, in 2 of the last 3, UCONN still had WNBA Rookie of the Year. And oh, by the way, one was a point guard.

So to sum it up: UCONN is a fine educational school, that is in the hunt for National Titles year-over-year more than any other school in the country, and that puts more players in the WNBA more than nay other and has more Olympians than any other. For me, looking at this in terms of WCBB (and not Men's College Basketball in which one-and-done is prevalent for super-prime recruits) that school from Storrs, would be number 1.
 
I just don't think people are keeping it real with Stanford's chance of landing Rice. This talk of Stanford bringing in 4 guards in the 21 class is also not correct because Demetre although listed as a guard on the roster is not a guard. Rice is a day one starter at the PG position if she picks Stanford. Stanford would have Prechtel, Brink, Belibi Jones and Rice as starters. That is 4 starters that have Championship experience. Plus Betts, Iriafen and Demetre coming off the bench.
Betts remains number 1 in the 2023 class and Iriafen and Demetre. were top 10 players in class of 2021 before dropping into teens in the final rankings.
That's quite the squad for anyone to beat and the UCONN front court would have to dramatically improve to match up. A back court matchup of Jones and Rice vs Bueckers and Fudd is also very close because Rice is the best defender among the 4. I hope Rice picks UCONN but I've always been worried that she might pick Stanford.
 
I've said it before and I'll say it again. I think Rice will pick to UCONN. I'm guessing she will go to Duke this weekend and end up at Uconn for her final visit which is the weekend of First Night festivities. The good guys will seal the deal.

My inside source? Women's intuition ;)
 
Rings R Us said:
I've said it before and I'll say it again. I think Rice will pick to UCONN. I'm guessing she will go to Duke this weekend and end up at Uconn for her final visit which is the weekend of First Night festivities. The good guys will seal the deal.

My inside source? Women's intuition ;)
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As good a source as any, maybe better...
 
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DEpup said:
So Stanford did pick up a top 75 point guard in the 22 class. Is this an insurance policy if Kiki Rice doesn't come or do they know she isn't coming?
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More connected Stanford fans can confirm this but I'm fairly certain Tara always tries to fill her roster and use up the scholarships every season if she can. I think she doesn't like to let a chance at a free education go to waste. I think this would put them at 12 for next year (potentially 11, since Jenna Brown is a RS-Junior and could graduate).
 
Rings R Us said:
I've said it before and I'll say it again. I think Rice will pick to UCONN. I'm guessing she will go to Duke this weekend and end up at Uconn for her final visit which is the weekend of First Night festivities. The good guys will seal the deal.

My inside source? Women's intuition ;)
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Its a shame that fans other than students cannot attend First Night. Recruits are always impressed with the attendance and craziness of the fans at this event, and are in awe that this many fans would show up at a non-game situation. If KiKi loves fan adoration as Paige does, this could likely seal the deal.
 
CBus13 said:
More connected Stanford fans can confirm this but I'm fairly certain Tara always tries to fill her roster and use up the scholarships every season if she can. I think she doesn't like to let a chance at a free education go to waste. I think this would put them at 12 for next year (potentially 11, since Jenna Brown is a RS-Junior and could graduate).
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All of Stanford’s 15 WBB scholarships are endowed by well-healed alumni. Tara does her best to fill every single one. For this coming year Stanford has 17 players on the roster. I don’t know if that means 2 are non-scholarship players or if Stanford has a temporary increase in scholarships due to the pandemic.
 
Stanford roster size is not a concern now nor will it ever be, in neither quality or quantity, as it pertains to the potential addition of Kiki Rice. Stanford's philosophy is to let their graduates get on with life and this year's team has 6 players that are either seniors (2X), Redshirt Junior, a graduate student, a fifth year student & and a 6th year student. Projected Stanford roster size at the start of the '22 season is only between 12 or 13 depending on Brown and Rice's decision.
Kiki Rice is a day starter at any of the 11 schools on her list the only possible exception being UCONN and Louisville.
 
A couple of items here:

We often hear that opposing coaches may mention Geno's age in terms of recruiting.
I would expect that they would have enough sense to do it in a respectful way...some might not...to their own
disadvantage I hope. Well...Geno is 67...Tara is.....68.

Somewhere I read here that the Duke women's program is 'great'. They sure have been
'excellent' over the years...but it would seem to me that to be 'great' you would need to have won a National Championship...at least one... in the 40 or so years there has been that competition. Have they?
The answer is 'no'. Duke's men program is great...the women not.
 
Something that troubles me in these discussions:
If I’m one of the top ranked talents in the nation
(agreed, totally subjective), shouldn’t my mind set be “I’m going to report to the college of choice and SEIZE my position and playing time, not WAIT MY TURN?
Where does it say I have to wait?
I play myself onto the court.
I play myself off.
 
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Stymie said:
Something that troubles me in these discussions:
If I’m one of the top ranked talents in the nation
(agreed, totally subjective), shouldn’t my mind set be “I’m going to report to the college of choice and SEIZE my position and playing time, not WAIT MY TURN?
Where does it say I have to wait?
I play myself onto the court.
I play myself off.
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I'm not sure why that would be "troubling" or which post/opinions have been contrary to the mind set of a highly regarded recruit "playing their way onto the floor". Kiki Rice has the potential to play 3 different positions for UCONN-same as Evina Westbrook. Rice will play a lot for UCONN, she would start and play a lot more for just about everyone else. Her stated goals are to be in championship contention every season, to be in an environment where the basketball standards are very high and demanding which prepares you for the next level (WNBA) and an education that prepares you for success beyond basketball. She can get all three from UCONN and as much as I hate to admit it she can also get all three from Stanford.
 
Stymie said:
Please.
You know the point I’m making.
“I’m here now, they gotta worry about THEIR playing time”.
That should be the mind set.
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Actually I'd didn't know the point you were making.
The confusing part was this sentence: "Where does it say I have to wait?"
I now realize that may have been one of them rhetorical questions and hopefully you realize that such questions can be confusing on a message board as it appears you were having a conversation with yourself. BTW I happen to agree with you and have said as much in these terms: As long as Paige and Azzi are on the UCONN roster it is going to take other Alphas to push them. Kiki Rice is an Alpha.
 
Stymie said:
Something that troubles me in these discussions:
If I’m one of the top ranked talents in the nation
(agreed, totally subjective), shouldn’t my mind set be “I’m going to report to the college of choice and SEIZE my position and playing time, not WAIT MY TURN?
Where does it say I have to wait?
I play myself onto the court.
I play myself off.
Expand ...
Unfortunately, the most obvious thing learned from the general chaos of the transfer portal is that everyone expects minutes no matter the circumstances or how good the players ahead of them are. Kiki is often described as 'mature beyond her years' by coaches so while I think she could potentially be patient on the bench at first you can't just do what Geno sometimes has done in the past and expect her to wait there until her Junior season. I'd love to see him rotate players early and often given the depth of this squad especially against Big East teams. It also benefits us in the long run to have players log decent playing time in case a starter gets injured or say Liv' again can't score against the big teams when March comes around.
 
8daysaweek said:
Unfortunately, the most obvious thing learned from the general chaos of the transfer portal is that everyone expects minutes no matter the circumstances or how good the players ahead of them are. Kiki is often described as 'mature beyond her years' by coaches so while I think she could potentially be patient on the bench at first you can't just do what Geno sometimes has done in the past and expect her to wait there until her Junior season. I'd love to see him rotate players early and often given the depth of this squad especially against Big East teams. It also benefits us in the long run to have players log decent playing time in case a starter gets injured or say Liv' again can't score against the big teams when March comes around.
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That not correct or even close. Kiki Rice is #2 player in her class. Every single player ranked #1 or #2 successfully recruited by UCONN has become a starter by the beginning of their sophomore year.
That list of players would include Maya, Tina, KML, Stewie, Moriah Jefferson, KLS, Christyn Williams, Megan Walker, ONO & Paige. The list would also include several players not ranked #1 or 2 who were regular starters by their sophomore campaign (Faris, Doty, Hartley, Collier, Dolson). Who did you have in mind from past teams that Geno made wait until junior season?
 
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KiKi Rice is a long, exceptionally athletic and versatile combo guard/wing who will be an excellent player wherever she ends up. It’s a little premature to assume that, as a freshman, Rice will start at Stanford, but maybe not at UConn. Both schools posess deep rosters this year as well as next, so there are lots of different scenarios that could play out.

As for UConn’s deep pool of guards, I think a deeper dive might be in order. Whether we’re talking about a 3 or 4 guard lineup, it’s hard to envision any starting combination in 2022-23 that does not include Paige & Azzi. Is Nika the 3rd guard? She’s a fierce competitor and certainly isn’t going to cede a starting spot without a fight. After those 3 there’s Saylor & Caroline. Pending their development this season, I’m not certain either one is a guard in D1 and not better suited for a W/F role. Time will tell.

With that said, I’m very impressed that Rice appears to be following a recruiting process that is both deliberative and comprehensive. I’m sure her parents have encouraged her to gather as much information as possible before making her final choice.

Rice has culled her original list from 11 to 5. We know 4 of the 5, and Rice can’t go wrong with any of them. I suspect that Rice has a favorite in her own mind, but she probably wants to spend time with her potential future teammates and coaches before making a final decision.

If Rice doesn’t believe she can start at UConn next season, I have greatly misjudged her motivation and she shouldn’t come to Storrs. I can envision Geno saying something to her like, “You’re not guaranteed a starting spot or playing time at UConn. You’ll earn every minute you’ll get here.” That’s the kind of challenge that brought a lot of really talented players to UConn.

Fingers crossed……..
 
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oldude said:
KiKi Rice is a long, exceptionally athletic and versatile combo guard/wing who will be an excellent player wherever she ends up. It’s a little premature to assume that, as a freshman, Rice will start at Stanford, but maybe not at UConn. Both schools posess deep rosters this year as well as next, so there are lots of different scenarios that could play out.

As for UConn’s deep pool of guards, I think a deeper dive might be in order. Whether we’re talking about a 3 or 4 guard lineup, it’s hard to envision any starting combination in 2022-23 that does not include Paige & Azzi. Is Nika the 3rd guard? She’s a fierce competitor and certainly isn’t going to cede a starting spot without a fight. After those 3 there’s Saylor & Caroline. Pending their development this season, I’m not certain either one is a guard in D1 and not better suited for a W/F role. Time will tell.

With that said, I’m very impressed that Rice appears to be following a recruiting process that is both deliberative and comprehensive. I’m sure her parents have encouraged her to gather as much information as possible before making her final choice.

Rice has culled her original list from 11 to 5. We know 4 of the 5, and Rice can’t go wrong with any of them. I suspect that Rice has a favorite in her own mind, but she probably wants to spend time with her potential future teammates and coaches before making a final decision.

If Rice doesn’t believe she can start at UConn next season, I have greatly misjudged her motivation and she shouldn’t come to Storrs. I can envision Geno saying something to her like, “You’re not guaranteed a starting spot or playing time at UConn. You’ll earn every minute you’ll get here.” That’s the kind of challenge that brought a lot of really talented players to UConn.

Fingers crossed……..
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Has she paired her list or we just know 4 off the official visits she may very well do unofficial visits also ?
 
oldude said:
KiKi Rice is a long, exceptionally athletic and versatile combo guard/wing who will be an excellent player wherever she ends up. It’s a little premature to assume that, as a freshman, Rice will start at Stanford, but maybe not at UConn. Both schools posess deep rosters this year as well as next, so there are lots of different scenarios that could play out.

As for UConn’s deep pool of guards, I think a deeper dive might be in order. Whether we’re talking about a 3 or 4 guard lineup, it’s hard to envision any starting combination in 2022-23 that does not include Paige & Azzi. Is Nika the 3rd guard? She’s a fierce competitor and certainly isn’t going to cede a starting spot without a fight. After those 3 there’s Saylor & Caroline. Pending their development this season, I’m not certain either one is a guard in D1 and not better suited for a W/F role. Time will tell.

With that said, I’m very impressed that Rice appears to be following a recruiting process that is both deliberative and comprehensive. I’m sure her parents have encouraged her to gather as much information as possible before making her final choice.

Rice has culled her original list from 11 to 5. We know 4 of the 5, and Rice can’t go wrong with any of them. I suspect that Rice has a favorite in her own mind, but she probably wants to spend time with her potential future teammates and coaches before making a final decision.

If Rice doesn’t believe she can start at UConn next season, I have greatly misjudged her motivation and she shouldn’t come to Storrs. I can envision Geno saying something to her like, “You’re not guaranteed a starting spot or playing time at UConn. You’ll earn every minute you’ll get here.” That’s the kind of challenge that brought a lot of really talented players to UConn.

Fingers crossed……..
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Agree that by 22-23 virtually everyone has penciled in Paige at PG and Azzi at SG. To a certain extent that handicaps our ability to recruit players who expect to start at either of those positions for a couple of years. Coco is right that most all number 1 or 2 recruits have started by their sophomore years. What's different is that Kiki has just recently moved up to #2 on one rating service. She is far from a consensus number 2. On the other hand Paige and Azzi have often been tagged with the generational label. Not just a consensus #1 in their class, but considered considerably better than the number 1's in most recruiting years.

It is possible that Paige and Azzi would be harder to bump from the starting lineup than any backcourt pair ever! I don't know how she feels about it, but with Uconn, Kiki's easiest path to a starter at first is at SF. It could happen there, and even if it doesn't, I see the worst case for her would be getting significant minutes at SF and SG, and possibly some at PG, but of course Nika could be a factor there. With any significant injury of course she could be a great solution at all three positions.

It is also worth noting that being a key backup on a great team does not in any way rule out a WNBA career. Any Uconn player that succeeds in a backup role behind other future WNBA players gets noticed, and as much exposure as if they were the star on a mediocre team, and of course Uconn has a great track record preparing players for the league.
 
oldude said:
Rice has culled her original list from 11 to 5. We know 4 of the 5, and Rice can’t go wrong with any of them. I suspect that Rice has a favorite in her own mind, but she probably wants to spend time with her potential future teammates and coaches before making a final decision.
Fingers crossed……..
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Has there been something (Social Media) linked to Kiki that confirms she is down to 5 schools?
Everything I've seen read including here on the BY and specifically in the video posted by @Alydar was based on speculation and optimism with only confirmation of three official visits so far. The major speculation and optimism was her two remaining visits would be to Duke and UCONN on First Night. Do we really know?
 
Bald Huskie said:
Its a shame that fans other than students cannot attend First Night. Recruits are always impressed with the attendance and craziness of the fans at this event, and are in awe that this many fans would show up at a non-game situation. If KiKi loves fan adoration as Paige does, this could likely seal the deal.
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I also believe that prospects like to see attendance and fan craziness. Well, we had at least one significant recruit in the house last Friday night to see our intra squad scrimmage. I believe the timing of her OV was intentional. Certainly intentional on our Dawn's part . . . if not on the recruit's.

1633453789035.png
 
visitingcock said:
I also believe that prospects like to see attendance and fan craziness. Well, we had at least one significant recruit in the house last Friday night to see our intra squad scrimmage

View attachment 70176
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:eek: Who was the recruit? That's not fan crazy, that is just a bunch of SC fans waving surrender flags in unison.
This is fan crazy:
1633454425755.png

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Zanzman said:
Has she paired her list or we just know 4 off the official visits she may very well do unofficial visits also ?
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CocoHusky said:
Has there been something (Social Media) linked to Kiki that confirms she is down to 5 schools?
Everything I've seen read including here on the BY and specifically in the video posted by @Alydar was based on speculation and optimism with only confirmation of three official visits so far. The major speculation and optimism was her two remaining visits would be to Duke and UCONN on First Night. Do we really know?
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These are both good questions. After going back and listening to the speculation from the 2 guys on the podcast, it’s clear that they are speculating that the favorites include UCLA & Stanford where Rice had official visits, a 3rd unnamed school with an official visit and Duke & UConn which they assume will be Rice’s last 2 officials.

Since Rice has generally refrained from much of the social media posts we see from other recruits, we really don’t know for sure if she’s down to 5 schools or she’s still looking at 11.

In any event, I will feel pretty good if we see Rice at 1st Night. It would be a real kick in the behind if Rice ends up at the other CT school where her mom & dad went, the one with the Cole Porter fight song:

“Bulldog! Bulldog!
Bow wow wow…….”
 
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