Recruiting Players these days

[Bajan Best]

As with most Husky fans I too am elated at landing yet another #1 rated HS player to the hallow halls of Harry A. Gampel Pavilion.. It Should be somewhat entertaining to watch PB mature in the next 4 years.

However I wish we could find players more in the mold of Mo Jeff or Kia Nurse as far as their ability to play individual lock down defense and great team defense.. Our team is still filled with players who on any given night can give you 20+ points, what is missing in the past two years is our ability to consistently stop other teams from scoring, so that even if we are having an off night scoring the ball, the other teams are still having a tough time scoring against us... That combination is what truly made us dominant in the past...

There is a video out there highlighting Paige vs her good friend Azzi Fudd, but I couldn't help but notice the effort or lack there of from Azzi Fudd especially, in that tape. it seemed her opponent just blew by her on more than one occasion, whilst on the opposite end of the floor her energy level seemed up to par...

IDK, maybe i'm totally wrong here, as I truly haven't watched enough of any recruit to make a fair assessment, but this seem to be a trend worth looking at considering what we have done recently...

 

[CocoHusky]

As with most Husky fans I too am elated at landing yet another #1 rated HS player to the hallow halls of Harry A. Gampel Pavilion.. It Should be somewhat entertaining to watch PB mature in the next 4 years.
However I wish we could find players more in the mold of Mo Jeff or Kia Nurse as far as their ability to play individual lock down defense and great team defense.. Our team is still filled with players who on any given night can give you 20+ points, what is missing in the past two years is our ability to consistently stop other teams from scoring, so that even if we are having an off night scoring the ball, the other teams are still having a tough time scoring against us... That combination is what truly made us dominant in the past...
There is a video out there highlighting Paige vs her good friend Azzi Fudd, but I couldn't help but notice the effort or lack there of from Azzi Fudd especially, in that tape. it seemed her opponent just blew by her on more than one occasion, whilst on the opposite end of the floor her energy level seemed up to par...
IDK, maybe i'm totally wrong here, as I truly haven't watched enough of any recruit to make a fair assessment, but this seem to be a trend worth looking at considering what we have done recently...

Keep in mind that when Geno was recruiting Moriah Jefferson, Kia Nurse is was not their defense prowess that stood out. The UCONN reality is that you have to be able to do both-defend you position and be a consistent offensive threat. Consider Kiah Stokes and Mikayla, both have an outstanding defensive tool box but time on the floor was limited by their inability to be a consistent offensive threat. Some have opined similar to you that UCONN has enough scorers and say things like "Mikayla doesn't need to score". As long as she's on the floor she needs to be threat.
To your specific point about UCONN recruiting defensive minded kids, those kids are definitely out there.
In the 2019 class Laeticia Amihere before her injury, was the most versatile defender I have ever seem for her size. She had the ability to defend PG, Centers and everything in between the full lenght of the court.
Jordan Horston also has an elite defensive tool kit. The tragedy of Jordan going to TN is that elite skill set would have been wasted under Holly. Despite recruiting multiple AA in her time as HC of TN Holly has not produced a single player on the All- SEC defensive team. If Horston had chose UCONN she would be a multiple time DPOY under Geno.
The player to keep an eye on in the 2020 class is Leilani Kapinus as I wrote in another post: Kapinus has Gabby Williams athleticism and Kelly Faris defensive technique and intensity. Don't know where Kapinus stands in the UCONN recruiting pecking order but she would be a perfect back court mate to Paige. As a matter of fact those two (Paige & Leilani) were matched up against each other in a ProspectNations? showcase event. The outcome? They both had outstanding moments. Leilani did a better job of checking Paige than Paige did at checking Leilani. Leilani Kapinus tore her ACL in December I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a full recovery and that she suits up for UCONN.

 

[UConnCat]

Keep in mind that when Geno was recruiting Moriah Jefferson, Kia Nurse is was not their defense prowess that stood out. The UCONN reality is that you have to be able to do both-defend you position and be a consistent offensive threat. Consider Kiah Stokes and Mikayla, both have an outstanding defensive tool box but time on the floor was limited by their inability to be a consistent offensive threat. Some have opined similar to you that UCONN has enough scorers and say things like "Mikayla doesn't need to score". As long as she's on the floor she needs to be threat.
To your specific point about UCONN recruiting defensive minded kids, those kids are definitely out there.
In the 2019 class Laeticia Amihere before her injury, was the most versatile defender I have ever seem for her size. She had the ability to defend PG, Centers and everything in between the full lenght of the court.
Jordan Horston also has an elite defensive tool kit. The tragedy of Jordan going to TN is that elite skill set would have been wasted under Holly. Despite recruiting multiple AA in her time as HC of TN Holly has not produced a single player on the All- SEC defensive team. If Horston had chose UCONN she would be a multiple time DPOY under Geno.
The player to keep an eye on in the 2020 class is Leilani Kapinus as I wrote in another post: Kapinus has Gabby Williams athleticism and Kelly Faris defensive technique and intensity. Don't know where Kapinus stands in the UCONN recruiting pecking order but she would be a perfect back court mate to Paige. As a matter of fact those two (Paige & Leilani) were matched up against each other in a ProspectNations? showcase event. The outcome? They both had outstanding moments. Leilani did a better job of checking Paige than Paige did at checking Leilani. Leilani Kapinus tore her ACL in December I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a full recovery and that she suits up for UCONN.

Didn't Kapinus release a list of schools that did not include UConn?

 

[bob neal]

As with most Husky fans I too am elated at landing yet another #1 rated HS player to the hallow halls of Harry A. Gampel Pavilion.. It Should be somewhat entertaining to watch PB mature in the next 4 years.

However I wish we could find players more in the mold of Mo Jeff or Kia Nurse as far as their ability to play individual lock down defense and great team defense.. Our team is still filled with players who on any given night can give you 20+ points, what is missing in the past two years is our ability to consistently stop other teams from scoring, so that even if we are having an off night scoring the ball, the other teams are still having a tough time scoring against us... That combination is what truly made us dominant in the past...

There is a video out there highlighting Paige vs her good friend Azzi Fudd, but I couldn't help but notice the effort or lack there of from Azzi Fudd especially, in that tape. it seemed her opponent just blew by her on more than one occasion, whilst on the opposite end of the floor her energy level seemed up to par...

IDK, maybe i'm totally wrong here, as I truly haven't watched enough of any recruit to make a fair assessment, but this seem to be a trend worth looking at considering what we have done recently...

Nurse was still here a year ago !!!!!

 

[CocoHusky]

Didn't Kapinus release a list of schools that did not include UConn?

I'm not sure. @Sluconn Husky or anyone else recall that?
Found it. List of 15 UCONN NOT included.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Nurse was still here a year ago !!!!!

Was Nurse on the team that played Nd? Young went off on Uconn for 30 points and Nurse couldn't stop her?? Geez.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Was Nurse on the team that played Nd? Young went off on Uconn for 30 points and Nurse couldn't stop her?? Geez.

Geno knew he could handle 2 of the guards, but not all 3. So he focused on Mabrey and Arike. I'm not sure who guarded Jackie, but it may have been Lou on a bad ankle.

 

[huskyd]

2 points: first, when players enter a program like UConn's, defense is emphasized; often star HS players aren't asked to play much D. In the Husky program, some develop defensive skills along the way because it's in their nature (Kia) or because they have to. Lou is an example of the "have to," and there are others--Stewie comes to mind. Second, failure to sign true centers and bigs (as Baylor has with Brown and Cox) limits the kind of D UConn plays. The Huskies at one time (think Stokes) played a "layered" defense in which one player picked up another passing through the lane. If you got past Mo, Stewie was waiting. We don't get that kind of help at the moment. Perhaps Liv will become a solid impediment, as her size suggests she might. It would help a lot, though, to sign a BIG. We didn't get Aja, or Cox, or Collier, or Boston; those hurt. Danger will be graduating as PB comes aboard, so that's a good thing. Maybe the next one . . .

 

[BroadwayVa]

Geno knew he could handle 2 of the guards, but not all 3. So he focused on Mabrey and Arike. I'm not sure who guarded Jackie, but it may have been Lou on a bad ankle.

Seems that at some point Geno may have switched off and put Nurse on Young. Everyone looks at AO as the UConn killer, no, it was YOUNG. That kid has game. Who will have Young on Friday?? Arike? Shepherd? Mabrey? I'm sure some are thinking trying Coombs on Young, hey, I'd try anything to slow one of them down. Geno, I'm sure doesn't trust Coombs on this the biggest stage.

 

[uconnell]

The only way Geno will find out is to play Coombs. If she can’t handle it take her out. Never know until you try. Give her a shot.

 

[HGN]

I'm not sure. @Sluconn Husky or anyone else recall that?
Found it. List of 15 UCONN NOT included.
View attachment 41771

That list may have changed since the injury. Some schools may have dropped out. Thus, UCONN could be added at some point if they show interest.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Geno knew he could handle 2 of the guards, but not all 3. So he focused on Mabrey and Arike. I'm not sure who guarded Jackie, but it may have been Lou on a bad ankle.

The way Young is playing I'm sure she won't be overlooked this time. ND is like Ct, pick your poison: Danger, Collier, KLS, Walker, CW, ONO each on a given day can kill you.