Possible Grad Transfers Next Year?

[Urshurak]

Hi all, any idea who could possibly be available to UConn next year as a Grad transfer? I think they will need one. It would certainly help anyway.

 

[Boreifs]

Taboo topic?

 

[EricLA]

Taboo topic?

Only if we are speculating about kids transferring OUT of UCONN.

To answer @Urshurak (and there are others who are more in touch with who UCONN is recruiting), I don't think we would necessarily know till the end of the season. It would have to be a kid who probably sat out at least 1 season with injuries but who has finished her degree, and then decides to transfer to a new school for a year or 2. I'm not sure who falls into that category, or if there's a way to figure it out...

I know UCONN is looking at options given they lost out on all their top targets. That would include grad transfers, regular transfers, and foreign kids. I'm betting UCONN has more than just 1 new player coming in next year (aside from Griffin, who should be terrific), but where that player(s) come from I don't know at this time...

 

[DEpup]

Mompremier is my top grad transfer possibility.

 

[DaBball]

Mompremier is my top grad transfer possibility.

Mine too, but she seems likely to stay home in Miami, especially given the recent loss of her father. Really would help.

 

[ochoopsfan]

Not a Grad transfer but a possible Juco player.
First, does a Juco have to play 2 years to transfer? This girl only has played the current season at Central Arizona.
She was a 98 rating, 5 star from ESPN Hoopgurlz. She is a 6'3" PF.
She didnt graduate on time from HS(didnt pass all of her classes), so she couldnt go to the Pac 12 school she verballed too.
Since I dont know if we can name a name here I wont, but if you look at the Central Arizona roster you can figure out who it might be.
I also do not know if she has interest in going back east or if the school she verballed too is still interested.

2018-19 Vaqueras Roster - Central Arizona College Sports

 

[DaBball]

Doubt Geno would take her. Great player, but BAGGAGE from what I’ve heard.

 

[Plebe]

Not a Grad transfer but a possible Juco player.
First, does a Juco have to play 2 years to transfer? This girl only has played the current season at Central Arizona.
She was a 98 rating, 5 star from ESPN Hoopgurlz. She is a 6'3" PF.
She didnt graduate on time from HS(didnt pass all of her classes), so she couldnt go to the Pac 12 school she verballed too.
Since I dont know if we can name a name here I wont, but if you look at the Central Arizona roster you can figure out who it might be.
I also do not know if she has interest in going back east or if the school she verballed too is still interested.

2018-19 Vaqueras Roster - Central Arizona College Sports

Why does her name need to be a secret?

 

[ochoopsfan]

Why does her name need to be a secret?

I thought we arent supposed to name people as possible recruits or transfers.

 

[ochoopsfan]

Doubt Geno would take her. Great player, but BAGGAGE from what I’ve heard.

Her HS(coach and admin) did not thing for her to make sure she got help so she could pass her classes.
Perhaps the baggage is behind her. She was a McDonalds AA too.

 

[nwhoopfan]

First, does a Juco have to play 2 years to transfer?

I'm pretty sure that occasionally there are juco transfers that are only a soph eligibility wise.

 

[Lorcan]

Probably not for UConn, but Marta Sneizek of Stanford will probably be available if she actually redshirts this year.

 

[willtalk]

She is about as far removed from the type of player that Uconn would normally recruit as it gets. I doubt Geno would even consider her.

 

[rip7774]

I coach at our local juco, there are full qualifiers and non-qualifiers. Full qualifiers can go after year 1 to a D-1 (or what level they want) school. Non-qualifiers two years at juco. She sounds like two years.

 

[HopJim]

Grad Transfers - too early to have this conversation until season is over.

 

[Dillon77]

Mompremier is my top grad transfer possibility.

Mine too, but she seems likely to stay home in Miami, especially given the recent loss of her father. Really would help.

Hey there. By "really would help," do you mean it would really help UConn for Mompremier to come to Storrs or really help her to stay home, given the loss of her father?

Mompremier cited a desire to get closer to home when she transferred from Baylor.
"Chose Miami because of the environment, the proximity to home and the quality of business school … Committed to Miami over Florida State" says her bio at UMiami.
She has a younger brother and sister. Given her father's passing, I'd think the ties that bind are even stronger.

She's having a solid year at Miami under Katie Meier, working with the solid Dutch power forward Emese Hof. Meier does a good job mixing local and far-flung recruits and from what I hear, creates a solid environment. Perhaps that's something she needs/wants now.

(BTW, I'm aware of everything that UConn could bring to her basketball-wise, but sometimes....)

 

[veryolddog]

Why would Geno even play or let a transfer start with only a one year commitment? They would have to be in the class of AZ. Geno well knows that this would be a gamble that this person could perform within his UConn system. If this theory is true, then this discussion goes no where.

What seems to be more a realistic discussion is, given the recruiting situation in the USA, to look to Europe or Asia for recruits with the potential for excellence. USF does very well with this approach and mixed with some top recruits from the USA, UConn would have a more solid approach to competition.

 

[CocoHusky]

Not a Grad transfer but a possible Juco player.
First, does a Juco have to play 2 years to transfer? This girl only has played the current season at Central Arizona.
She was a 98 rating, 5 star from ESPN Hoopgurlz. She is a 6'3" PF.
She didnt graduate on time from HS(didnt pass all of her classes), so she couldnt go to the Pac 12 school she verballed too.
Since I dont know if we can name a name here I wont, but if you look at the Central Arizona roster you can figure out who it might be.
I also do not know if she has interest in going back east or if the school she verballed too is still interested.

2018-19 Vaqueras Roster - Central Arizona College Sports

Major BAGGAGE! Go back and look at the 2017 McDonalds' game. She has more baggage than Rellah Boothe who play in the same McDonalds' game.

 

[JordyG]

Major BAGGAGE! Go back and look at the 2017 McDonalds' game. She has more baggage than Rellah Boothe who play in the same McDonalds' game.

Can't agree more. Yet perhaps she's ready to shed some of that baggage for entry back into the big girls club. If she's planning to play in the Association she has to know her chances increase the further from Central Arizona she gets.

 

[HuskyFan1125]

Mompremier is my top grad transfer possibility.

Great player but Mompremier isnt leaving Miami.

 

[CocoHusky]

Grad Transfers - too early to have this conversation until season is over.

Not really. We kind of have already started the conversation with an assumption. The conversation started by identifying top 100ish players for whom next season would be their 5th year of college. The assumption being that those players have completed their degree, therefore eligible to transfer and be immediately eligible to play at a new school.
That list of players would include:
SG: Hannah Friend 6’1” Sacramento State
SG: Aliyah Jeune 6’1” Morehead State
PG: Ali Patberg 5’10” Indiana
SF: Kia Gillespie 6’1” MD Florida State
SG: Borislava Hristova 6'0" Washington St.
SG: Haley Gorecki 6’1” Duke
SG: Kitija Laska 6’1” South Florida
SG/W Brenna Wise 6'0" Indiana
P: Beatrice Mompremier 6’4” Baylor, Miami.
P: Erin DeGrate 6’4” Louisville, Texas Tech.
PG: Taja Cole 5’7” Louisville, UGA
F: Jordan Hosey 6’2” Texas
F: Victoria Gaines 6’1” Michigan State
F: Ayana Mitchell 6’2” LSU
G: Laura Cornelius Miami

To your point this is only a partial list because many more players will complete their degrees in 3 years and be in the same situation stated above: "eligible to transfer and immediately eligible to play". That list of players will not be fully available until summer. Any recruiting visits prior to receiving a diploma requires the permission and coordination with the school from which the player is departing.

To @rip7774 point above we need to have a separate conversation about JUCO players. If we use top 100ish players coming out of HS there are two such players in the JUCO ranks.
F: 6’4” Natasha Mack Huston
F: 6’4” Eterniti Willock Kansas State.
There has been much debate on the BY regarding Geno's aversion to JUCO players and specific to these players as in- "could they help UCONN"? My Basketball answer to that question is yes. IMO either player would give UCONN an upgrade at F position over Batouly (may not be returning) or Kyla. The Non-basketball answer would have to factor in things like team fit and Geno tolerance for pain: Willock was dismissed from Kansas state after being arrested for under age drinking and Mack had her motor questioned when she was being recruited coming out of HS. Mack recently published her final 7? and UCONN was not on the list-no surprise there. I believe 2 AAC schools were on Mack's list including the latest member of the AAC Wichita State. If Mack has professional aspirations UCONN would propel her much further than Wichita State or anyone else on her current list. Mack will also likely end up be the National JUCO player of the year.

 

[CocoHusky]

Why would Geno even play or let a transfer start with only a one year commitment? They would have to be in the class of AZ. Geno well knows that this would be a gamble that this person could perform within his UConn system. If this theory is true, then this discussion goes no where.

What seems to be more a realistic discussion is, given the recruiting situation in the USA, to look to Europe or Asia for recruits with the potential for excellence. USF does very well with this approach and mixed with some top recruits from the USA, UConn would have a more solid approach to competition.

Several very good reasons:
1) 2019 recruiting class netted 1 player.
2) The UCONN roster for 2019-20 season could be as small as 8.
3) Other successful programs (ND and Baylor) to be specific have had graduate transfers in the starting lineups recently while facing UCONN.
4) Graduate transfers are a 1 year commitment allowing UCONN to recover with the loaded 2020 class.

 

[Fightin Choke]

Several very good reasons:
1) 2019 recruiting class netted 1 player.
2) The UCONN roster for 2019-20 season could be as small as 8.
3) Other programs (ND and Baylor) to be specific have had graduate transfers in the starting lineup the last time they faced UCONN in the regular season.

What grad transfer played on Dec. 3rd in South Bend? The only grad transfer of which I am aware is Lili Thompson, but that was Dec. 2017.

 

[CocoHusky]

My

What grad transfer played on Dec. 3rd in South Bend? The only grad transfer of which I am aware is Lili Thompson, but that was Dec. 2017.

My mistake I was thinking indeed of Lili Thompson who played pretty well and the game was at UCONN.

 

[CocoHusky]

Great player but Mompremier isnt leaving Miami.

The mock drafts I have seen project Mompremier as a second round draft pick. To go to the WNBA means she's definitely leaving Miami. Heading to UCONN for a year might get her into the 1st round and better position her to support her Family.