Ogunbowale top 5

[Sluconn Husky]

KLS, Collier and Boykin had UCONN ON their lists - heh heh.

That might be it.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

The difference is that they never had a big lead up and press conference for the announcement of their finalists like Ogunbowale, so it is not really odd at all.

When did Ogunbowale have a press conference? To my knowledge all she did was tell her Twitter followers that she would be revealing something which turned out to be this. Seems completely harmless.

 

[UConnCat]

Pretty odd if that was directed at Ogunbowale considering numerous UConn recruits have publicly revealed their shortened lists including KLS, Collier, and Boykin.

Interestingly their decisions to commit to UConn were made with little fanfare. #notacoincidence

 

[jennyo70]

While I think all the fanfare around verbals and commitments is over the top a one line zinger in a very public forum (most likely ) as a result of a 16 y/o decision is offensive and does not put him in a good light. Do I agree with him? Sure. Is it appropriate? No, not in my opinion.

I am curious why the majority of folks are letting him off the hook yet roast JP McCallie for her inappropriate tweets?
Maybe b/c this is the first inappropriate one? I realize she has a very public history of doing this. However, in his position, once is too much, in my mind.

 

[UConnCat]

While I think all the fanfare around verbals and commitments is over the top a one line zinger in a very public forum (most likely ) as a result of a 16 y/o decision is offensive and does not put him in a good light. Do I agree with him? Sure. Is it appropriate? No, not in my opinion.

I am curious why the majority of folks are letting him off the hook yet roast JP McCallie for her inappropriate tweets?
Maybe b/c this is the first inappropriate one? I realize she has a very public history of doing this. However, in his position, once is too much, in my mind.

Who roasts McCallie for inappropriate tweets? Some of her tweets are mocked on this forum but I don't recall anyone saying they're inappropriate. Dopey? Yes.

 

[JS]

When did Ogunbowale have a press conference? To my knowledge all she did was tell her Twitter followers that she would be revealingsomething which turnesd out to be this. Seems completely harmless.

Well there's the question, isn't it?

Several posters are assuming "by all accounts" or "most likely" it's personal to AO, but I haven't seen why that's the case.

He's been on this press conference thing for some months now and has contrasted the little fanfare option as one he likes (e.g. Stewie's LOI).

 

[ucdt3]

Wow some of you take WAAAAAAAAY too serious. Geno probably wasn't directing it towards any ONE player, but rather the generation of players in general. #lightenup

 

[Wonkster]

Wow some of you take WAAAAAAAAY too serious. Geno probably wasn't directing it towards any ONE player, but rather the generation of players in general. #lightenup

nota bene: Some of them aren't UConn fans. Nothing of the sort would be tolerated on their own team's boards, at least by visitors.

 

[iri10]

Oh, Twitter. So easy to put out one's snap impressions. And for a public figure, they will be examined as closely as a politician's campaign speech.

Whether Geno's Tweet was directed only at any one recruit or is the result of long-building annoyance with "final lists" is irrelevant, because now it has and will be assumed to be the former.

Make no mistake: CD will whop him on the head the next time she sees him.

 

[rocky rococo]

Hmmm. Geno's tweet specifically referred to players having press conferences, but Ogunbowale didn't have one.

 

[Kibitzer]

My view is that Geno's sarcastic comments were NOT aimed at Ogunbowale or any other teen age girl.

For her or any other recrui to schedule and hold a press conference it would be done with the contrivance and support of adults -- parents, coaches, school officials, etc. Geno's comments were surely aimed at them. And they deserved his snarky tone for putting one of these young ladies in such a position.

Back to Ogunbowale.

We know only a couple things: Geno recruited her and she announced a list of five finalists that did not include UConn. Then the speculation begins.

We are (at least I am) uncertain if he actually had offered her a scholarship. There is a protocol to the effect that recruits who hold offers should notify those schools (the finalists, or those visited officially) once a decision has been made to go elsewhere. It is the same as notifying schools that have accepted an applicant -- they should be told if/when the applicant has decided to go elsewhere. Coaches and school officials are surely aware of this. It is possible (speculating now) that Geno offered and learned he was an unsuccessful suitor by twitter instead of by the traditional phone call.

In any event, I believe he was ridiculing adults who put young ladies up to such preposterous behavior (i.e., press conferences to announce finalists). And if I am correct, I wish he had said so.

 

[UcMiami]

I would also say it is as much about the media and their hyping of 'media events' as it is about players

 

[Sluconn Husky]

We are (at least I am) uncertain if he actually had offered her a scholarship.

He offered.

http://snyuconn.com/uconn/ogunbowale-has-uconn-offer-to-visit-in-spring/

 

[connboy77]

As of now I believe Asia Durr is the only remaining 2015 recruit that UCONN is recruiting.

 

[JS]

He offered.

Someone else noted a possible relationship between this recruitment and that of Asia Durr. There are offers, and there are offers contingent on what someone else does, and I've long thought this was such a situation (JMO).

Doesn't mean AO thinks AD is necessarily headed to UConn (although they've obviously talked recently on the U17). Could be enough that it's not a first come first served situation and is for a spot that might be considered a bit crowded to begin with based on the prior class.

 

[genosguy]

t

She had mentioned she was considering UConn, don't know if Geno was considering her. Will be hard for Geno to get Guards with last years recruiting class. Not impossible, but difficult.

I know its a bit much to expect kids this age to think--but 4 5 or `10 guards are what Geno ]7\thrives on. Isn t it better to be on a championship team as ONe of 7 guards---if you have what it takes you'll play at Uconn

 

[RadyLady]

I think you're right. It wasn't that UConn didn't make the cut (she was a longshot for UConn) but that he learned about it via twitter. Plus, there was the build-up. The tweet that news was coming, the tweet that the announcement would be Sunday and then the big announcement...of a top 5.

Geno isn't done and he isn't wrong:

Geno AuriemmaVerified account ‏@genoauriemma
Players have press conferences to "announce " which schools they are considering. #whatajoke

I get Geno's frustration with this whole grandiose news conference announcement thing as sometimes for all the noise it ends up meaning very little a la Elena who also had a public signing of her letter of intent to Connecticut, and we all know how that turned out (water under the bridge let's not go after her).

You know there's some talk , here about parents and coaches and other people wanting to have this type of display for a signing of letter of intent for a kid, and I have to wonder if some of these kids are being coerced into doing this kind of public display, or at least sold a bag of goods about fame. I also wonder if it is a method used as cement to ensure a kid goes to a school the parents want her to go to regardless if the recruit has another preference.

Mind you I'm just speculating about this. I have no proof. I haven't any facts. I just am scratching my head at all of this need for publicity. Then I have to remind myself that we live in a sound bite, headline news no substance kind of tabloid mentality.

"reality" show anyone? [gaahhhhh]

I also feel it shows a lack of respect for a coach, especially for a coach who belongs to a school you have decided not to choose. They have to find out in this public forum, dangled like the rest of us. I mean how are these guys even able to recruit or know how to plan their recruiting if they have to wait with baited breath for a news conference that isn't even going to give them the information they need and that they should have been given when the decision was made. I sympathize and it must be frustrating....

still...

I'm not a huge fan of Twitter I have an account and I use it rarely. When I saw this Tweet yesterday I actually replied to him and asked him if his account has been hacked

 

[Kibitzer]

I mean how are these guys even able to recruit or know how to plan their recruiting if they have to wait with baited breath for a news conference.

ahem.

bated breath.

(suspenseful)

 

[UConnCat]

I don't think Geno's tweets were necessarily directed to Ogunbowale but were directed at what's become of the recruiting process. Her announcement likely pushed him over the edge to repeat things he's already said on this topic. He would have been well-advised to pick a different day/hour and different medium to comment but Geno's filter doesn't always work well. Geno + twitter is not the best of combinations.

Most college coaches use twitter to (indirectly) suck up to recruits; there will be none of that at UConn! Seriously, I was thinking last night about what happened yesterday. Here's Geno, HOF coach, USA BB coach, winner of 9 national championships, a World Championship and a Gold Medal, having to tune in to twitter to find out if a kid he has recruited (visited, traveled to watch play) will include UConn in her top 5. While he's doing that, he gets to read tweets about drum-rolls, her announcement coming in a few minutes, etc. There is a level of ridiculousness about the whole thing.

 

[Orangutan]

Top recruits are local celebrities. They are on local news and in newspapers regularly and are frequently being asked where they are going to college. So, I don't have a problem with them making having a press conference to announce their school.

First of all, this is already ubiquitous in other sports, particularly men's basketball and football. Second, they couldn't do this stuff if nobody cared. Media and fans are interested. They wouldn't do this stuff if nobody showed up to their press conferences or cared about their tweet.

As for Ogunbowale, any of those teams would be fortunate to get her, some more than others. I find it very hard to believe a player of her caliber would go to Wisconsin or Ohio State.

 

[hjoerring]

I dunno - clearly he is following players' twitter accounts (or has a staff member doing it). Not quite sure what his issue is - yes, it's goofy. But yes, it is also a reflection of more interest in women's basketball. He, of any of the current coaches, should know how important that is.

Reply to Geno: Hall of Fame coach takes to twitter to insult high school basketball players #whatadingbat

Personally, I would not have done it, but we are making all kinds of assumptions and supplying answers to them. One of the things I find amusing is this relentless talk about 16/17 y.o. HS girls as if they are immature kinds. For some reasons -- unknown to me-- we should not criticize them- they should be free to do and say what they will. At 18 y.o I received notice that the military wanted me- should I have said 'oh no, please I am only a kid!' I find it hard to believe that any coach would take to the media because a recruit decided to go in another direction. Having recruited her officially for some time, it's common courtesy that the recruit inform, personally, coaches that s/he wishes to move in another direction before going public. Doing it the other way around is disrespectful. Regardless of intent. Also, many have forgotten that the decision to go to college is a family affair. My wife and me are very much involved in our children college decisions. I would think there are numerous others over and under the board when it omes to a D1 prospect deciding on which of the scholarships is best for them. This is not a defense of Geno- he an do that himself, as it is a cry for critical voices regarding 16/17/18 y.o kids and their behavior. Critique yes, criticism- no.

 

[bschwartz]

For those of you down on Geno's Tweets. He retweeted this picture a few minutes ago. This might make you happy (unless you think Maya is trying to crush him.)

LINK

 

[Fiftyish]

@genoauriemma
Stay tuned for my list of the 5 players I saw the past 7 days that I have zero interest in recruiting.... #whatajoke

Blunt but truthful. Announce when you pick a school but top 5s or 10s is a little much I think and nice to see Geno agrees with me.

Wow, it took me awhile to understand his tweet. On first reading I thought he was being rude and disrespectful of HS kids he has just watched. Now understand he was commenting on the whole press release, list announcement, press conference hype. Much different meaning then what I originally thought.

 

[pinotbear]

ahem.

bated breath.

(suspenseful)

as opposed to baited breath (Wendy's)

 

[j66kicker]

Oh, Twitter. So easy to put out one's snap impressions. And for a public figure, they will be examined as closely as a politician's campaign speech.

Whether Geno's Tweet was directed only at any one recruit or is the result of long-building annoyance with "final lists" is irrelevant, because now it has and will be assumed to be the former.

Make no mistake: CD will whop him on the head the next time she sees him.

Suspect Geno has quite a collection of knots on his head from those (well-deserved) CD whops. Although he has mellowed, and in later years seems to have much more self-discipline about thinking before speaking, twitter cannot be a good thing for him. Agree that regardless of the true meaning of his tweet, it's out there now for all to interpret, misinterpret, bash, speculate, assume the worst - good fodder for rival recruiters. No biggie in the grand scheme of things, but CD probably ought to put him on twitter probation for a week.