2026 Recruiting: - Olivia Vukosa | Page 8 | The Boneyard

2026 Recruiting: Olivia Vukosa

CTK has been very close to Geno and that had alot to do with Coach Vince Cannizaro their Hall of Fame coach who passed away. I know Nika and her sister are friends with the Big O. From what Ive seen and been told and you can watch the videos the Big O at UConn would mean multiple NCs. She is a force much like Stewie. I do know Texas is in the running with UConn. Playtime will be a factor in where she goes. You watch the videos and there is no doubt in my mind where ever she goes playtime will not be a factor. With that said imo UConn being so close to NYC and UConn with UConns TV exposure I would think UConn leads. Things could change however Genos retirement will be put on hold if Oliva commits.
 
Tonyc said:
The Big O is special. When I hear opposing coaches knocking Geno and UConn in their pursuit of The Big O I have to laugh. Geno's development of players like Kara Rebecca Tina Kiah Stewie Steph Dorka and now incoming Serah only shows that these great players want to be developed, made better, want to win and are willing to make the commitment to do that while playing for the most decorated coach in WCBB. Genos goals of winning national championships is second to none. He is a legend that other coaches seek advice and try to duplicate what he does. To do that takes time. To do that takes drive motivation and a winning attitude. Having a chance to play for the best with the best and to become the player that is recognized is a privilege that many dream. While you look at UConns roster and their accomplishments there are only comparisons and wishes. To do what Geno has done at UConn and to be able to maintain and exceed it for over 25 years, well there is no comparison. Those who choose UConn will be looked up to and those who dont will be looking up at UConn.
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Dang Tontc: this is so good, so well put together and so darn true. I love it. Do you do side work? What an amazing piece you could write when we next beat SC. What never mind, you have already done that. Tony, you keep on writing, and I'll keep on reading.
 
MooseJaw said:
Dang Tontc: this is so good, so well put together and so darn true. I love it. Do you do side work? What an amazing piece you could write when we next beat SC. What never mind, you have already done that. Tony, you keep on writing, and I'll keep on reading.
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@Tonyc has developed so much as a writer over the last 4 or 5 years, it’s amazing and fun to read . Now, he still needs to be mindful of that paragraph thingie . . .
 
visitingcock said:
@Tonyc has developed so much as a writer over the last 4 or 5 years, it’s amazing and fun to read . Now, he still needs to be mindful of that paragraph thingie . . .
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And…someday, in a far distant universe on a Thursday that falls on a weekend with a full moon…he will demonstrate the difference between playing time and playtime.

IMG_2880.jpeg
 
Playing time is a non-issue. If Olivia comes to Storrs, she'll probably get backup minutes to Jana in her freshman season, though they'll be while games are still competitive. I'd guess she might even get 10-15 mins. In her sophomore season, she'll probably platoon with Jana and play ~15-20 mins. And by her junior season, she'll be the starter and get as much playing time as she has the stamina for. She will not get more minutes at any other top-10 school.
 
Bone Dog said:
Playing time is a non-issue. If Olivia comes to Storrs, she'll probably get backup minutes to Jana in her freshman season, though they'll be while games are still competitive. I'd guess she might even get 10-15 mins. In her sophomore season, she'll probably platoon with Jana and play ~15-20 mins. And by her junior season, she'll be the starter and get as much playing time as she has the stamina for. She will not get more minutes at any other top-10 school.
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@Bone Dog, I think that you are going to get a lot of pushback on this take regarding Olivia. I think that she would get starter minutes at a number of the Top 10 schools during her Freshman season. I fully expect Jana to continue to develop and Gandy to make strides, but Geno has been unafraid to start a stellar Freshman (e.g., Paige/Sarah) if they make a great impression. Time will tell regarding Olivia's continued development at the High School level and ultimate college choice.
 
RoadWarrior said:
@Bone Dog, I think that you are going to get a lot of pushback on this take regarding Olivia. I think that she would get starter minutes at a number of the Top 10 schools during her Freshman season. I fully expect Jana to continue to develop and Gandy to make strides, but Geno has been unafraid to start a stellar Freshman (e.g., Paige/Sarah) if they make a great impression. Time will tell regarding Olivia's continued development at the High School level and ultimate college choice.
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I tend to agree......she's really, really good and has the kind of two-way skills and strong physical presence that Geno has always treasured.....she may not start the first few games, but I think once she gets minutes it will be hard to keep her on the bench.......now if Jana actually becomes the player that Geno thinks she can be that might change my opinion on this....
 
RoadWarrior said:
@Bone Dog, I think that you are going to get a lot of pushback on this take regarding Olivia. I think that she would get starter minutes at a number of the Top 10 schools during her Freshman season. I fully expect Jana to continue to develop and Gandy to make strides, but Geno has been unafraid to start a stellar Freshman (e.g., Paige/Sarah) if they make a great impression. Time will tell regarding Olivia's continued development at the High School level and ultimate college choice.
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I could be wrong, but could you give some examples? By top-10, I was originally thinking UConn, SC LSU UCLA Texas USC, but maybe I should have said top-5 because I can’t think of any others. And it occurs to me that Niele at ND has already shown she’ll start a pretty good freshman. Of course, that didn’t take much more than half a season before Koval fell out of the starting lineup. When I look at the others in the list I just gave, mainly what I see is teams that would prefer to find a big with experience through the portal. Is Geno an exception? He didn’t start Stewie for most her freshman year, in part because Stef was already pretty far along in her development. Now maybe Olivia is a talent on an even bigger scale than Stewie — and I really hope she is — but I’m assuming the usual exaggerations are at work here.
 
BRS24 said:
Sorry, I don't have a scrip for this one ... trying to cut down.

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I'm not thrilled that the "Big O" is even considering all of these other schools, however, since good things come to those who wait, I hope that Storrs CT is her last stop.......
 

With four of her seven finalists competing in the Southeastern Conference, Vukosa also highlighted the perks of possibly playing in the SEC. However, regardless of conference, the talented big is seeking top-level competition and a winning culture. “It’s very competitive,” Vukosa said. “Very. And I like being competitive. I like winning, and I know everyone in that conference likes to win, too. So I know, wherever I go, I’ll have a winning team.”
 
www.fiba.basketball

Olivia Vukosa - Croatia - Player Profile - FIBA U20 Women's EuroBasket 2025, Division B | FIBA Basketball

All detailed statistics, points, assists and rebounds of Vukosa - Croatia from FIBA U20 Women's EuroBasket 2025, Division B
www.fiba.basketball www.fiba.basketball

The European U20-Division B championship took place last week. The Big O took part, with Croatia finishing in 3rd place. Attached are the statistics for Olivia, who wears number 15, and if you scroll down the page you can click on: vs BUL, 10/08/2025 for the video of the game. She played her best game yesterday in the bronze medal match. Lena Bilic who is usually part of this team is absent, she will be lining up with UCLA next season. Petra Bozan, who wears number 4, will be part of the University of Nebraska team. In closing, I'd like to point out that Ireland also took part in this championship and finished in 7th place. Gandy was not part of this summer's team.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
 
southie said:

With four of her seven finalists competing in the Southeastern Conference, Vukosa also highlighted the perks of possibly playing in the SEC. However, regardless of conference, the talented big is seeking top-level competition and a winning culture. “It’s very competitive,” Vukosa said. “Very. And I like being competitive. I like winning, and I know everyone in that conference likes to win, too. So I know, wherever I go, I’ll have a winning team.”
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I think she ends up at UNC.
 
WFFL said:
I think she ends up at UNC.
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I still like the UCONN / Croatia connection. I
also just watched the replay of the U20B Fiba game of
Croatia beating Bulgaria 82 -78 for third place in
the tournament in Hungry ( team Hungry being the winner ). As noted
in earlier posts: Olivia 35 points and 22 rebounds (with
++ passing, blocks, and 13/13 from the charity stripe.)
I did not know that Olivia had fouled out at 4:59 of the
fourth quarter (a 'soft' foul??). The Croatians need to
make their free throws to seal the deal. This tournament
had many U20 Europeans who are or will be playing in
the USA e.g. U of Nebraska, Wyoming. A 6'3 player with
Croatia, Bozan with the Cornhuskers and two
6'4" players from Iceland and another Scandinavian country
. Fiba is a great source for evaluating future NCAA women's talent.
 
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