Recruiting Recruiting Recruiting

[CocoHusky]

Watched Azzi Fudd on TV yesterday playing for what ESPN2 claimed was the HS national championship. I was not all that impressed. Her team lost, and she looked lost. Of course it's one game. But was more impressed by her sophomore counterpart Jada Walker:

jada-walker

You are probably one of three people in the whole world that share that opinion about Azzi.
All she did this year was become the first player EVER to win the Naismith as a sophomore in HS. You have heard of the Naismith, right?

 

[Go/huskies]

Meg doesn’t handle the ball that well, that’s my only hold up with her moving to the wing in college.

 

[BroadwayVa]

He played CW because she was his best option. It’s a tough life having to play the Naismith player of the year as a freshman. Good thing he’s had a lot of experience with it.

I agree---CW was GENO's Best and ONLY option and a """"" Terrible Choice""""". In many of the more recent years he had the luxury of Sophs and above to plug holes and to allow Frosh to slip in and gain experience without great pressures. CW, whom I thought then and now is top player Frosh or not, was by Geno's former standards "thrown to the wolves" if you will. Early this season I compared CW to DT, obviously I was wrong. Yet, I believe by a Junior or Senior year she will come very close.
""

 

[BroadwayVa]

Your right, Geno hasn't gotten another big and it hurt us this year.
Pheesa and Stevens was a great combo last year mixed in with Gabby's athletic ability. But none of them were enforcer type.
Emphasis next two years should be find 1 mobile Big and 1 stabilizer big to play along side ONO for her last two years.

I'm either selling ONO too highly or you are selling her to short. If Geno can get an EFFECTIVE Defensive Big I'd be thrilled. The games I have seen ONO in, including 2 ND games, she wasn't pushed off the blocks. Her defense, with Frosh limitation, was almost outstanding. Stevens was an outstanding scoring machine but not one cent for defense, to reuse an old phrase. I doubt she would have added much to the first Baylor game--may have kept the scoring closer I'll admit. Try as Geno may have he couldn't make Center out of a forward.

 

[BroadwayVa]

She would be great. Buffalo, though, is closer to 8-9 hours by car. I think she’d be flying.

I made that trip regularly by car to visit Fillmore Hospital and Doctor Giddi Doktar, (loved that name). She'd be smart to fly.

 

[TheFarmFan]

You are probably one of three people in the whole world that share that opinion about Azzi.
All she did this year was become the first player EVER to win the Naismith as a sophomore in HS. You have heard of the Naismith, right?

Those two things are possible to both be true - she can have a bad game where she looked uninspired and unimpressive, and she could also be the national POY. Think of games like Lauren Cox vs. Stanford compared to Cox vs. Oregon this weekend. They're practically different players.

This gives me a lot of sympathy for the recruiting services that have to rate and rank players all across the country facing different kinds of competition and being just one player in a team sport. How much of their performance is based on their talent? On their team and HS coaches? On the kinds of sets and plays prevalent in high school? Will that talent, ability and desire/focus translate to college, which presents a whole different set of challenges and opportunities? Will they grow into their bodies well, or not? It's a wonder the top high school players generally regularly translate their game to being top college players.

And I'll say this - I watched the Hull twins win the same HS national championship game last year and they both looked terrific on offense - moving around the basket at will. This year? Guess what - being 6'0 and probably 150 ain't going to let you push too many people around in the paint in the PAC-12. Different competition, different sets to learn, new challenges.

It's clear Fudd is a top recruit. It's also clear that a 16 year old has good days and bad ones. I know I sure did. I was just lucky that my bad ones didn't happen to air on national TV.

 

[eebmg]

Agree, we lost from lack of rebounding giving away many second and third chances. Hxxl, we almost lost to Buffalo for the same reason!
As I've said so many times the biggest and best of the bigs are coming out of the south. We haven't been able to figure out how to get them to leave family and friends and come north. I don't know if there is an answer.

I guess another Civil War is too drastic?

 

[Geesworld]

I'm either selling ONO too highly or you are selling her to short. If Geno can get an EFFECTIVE Defensive Big I'd be thrilled. The games I have seen ONO in, including 2 ND games, she wasn't pushed off the blocks. Her defense, with Frosh limitation, was almost outstanding. Stevens was an outstanding scoring machine but not one cent for defense, to reuse an old phrase. I doubt she would have added much to the first Baylor game--may have kept the scoring closer I'll admit. Try as Geno may have he couldn't make Center out of a forward.

Oh no I m not selling low. I'm Definitely selling high on ONO. In fact I wanted more ONO. Call me crazy but I even thought she should have started and CW come of the bench. CW would have brought energy and offensive surge coming off the bench and also made for better rotations. My point was more about moving forward and giving her another big to relieve some of the load she will have to carry next season. She is fouled prone and will not be able to play as aggressive defensively as she did this year because our depth at PF/C is weak. Another Defensive Big will also free up ONO who I believe is very athletic and has more range than what we seen this season. I thought she was a good passer at the high post and showed the ability to maybe hit a elbow shot to keep others bigs honest. Remember, ONO will be on an Island next year. No Pheesa to draw attention away from her.

 

[Artifact]

Geno was counting on Stevens as his big & the recruiting seemed to center around her being on board. When she suddenly departed that left a big whole in the rebounding game. The staff was unprepared, after all the training time & effort had been put into her. Injured, Camara, was unable to provide much because of her injuries. Enough !

 

[CocoHusky]

Meg doesn’t handle the ball that well, that’s my only hold up with her moving to the wing in college.

If MW is the UCONN full time PF next year UCONN is in trouble. UCONN offense is not that dependent on perimeter ball handling. Megan led the team in 3pt shooting %, UCONN is going to need that from the wing next year.

 

[UConnCat]

UConn and Azura should have been more aggressive in seeking a waiver. Geno said he didn’t think there was a case to be made. As the Shepard case showed, that doesn’t matter. There’s an Indy Star story out over the weekend in which Shepard’s family says they have no idea why the waiver petition was successful.

Geno probably thought there would be no way the NCAA would allow Azura to play immediately on the heels of 4 straight NCAA championships. He was probably right.

 

[Geesworld]

Geno was counting on Stevens as his big & the recruiting seemed to center around her being on board. When she suddenly departed that left a big whole in the rebounding game. The staff was unprepared, after all the training time & effort had been put into her. Injured, Camara, was unable to provide much because of her injuries. Enough !

Great points!

 

[j66kicker]

Watched Azzi Fudd on TV yesterday playing for what ESPN2 claimed was the HS national championship. I was not all that impressed. Her team lost, and she looked lost. Of course it's one game. But was more impressed by her sophomore counterpart Jada Walker:

jada-walker

Wasn't she playing hurt?

 

[cohenzone]

I made that trip regularly by car to visit Fillmore Hospital and Doctor Giddi Doktar, (loved that name). She'd be smart to fly.

I worry if I had a giddy doctor.

 

[pvdoggy]

Watched Azzi Fudd on TV yesterday playing for what ESPN2 claimed was the HS national championship. I was not all that impressed. Her team lost, and she looked lost. Of course it's one game. But was more impressed by her sophomore counterpart Jada Walker:

jada-walker

I can almost guarantee that you would not want Fudd to commit to ND.

 

[TheFarmFan]

I can almost guarantee that you would not want Fudd to commit to ND.

Exactly. She should commit to Stanford.

 

[pvdoggy]

Exactly. She should commit to Stanford.

Better than ND. Did I mention I hate ND? I have no idea why, but I have always hated ND.

 

[j66kicker]

Better than ND. Did I mention I hate ND? I have no idea why, but I have always hated ND.

I can give you a lot of reasons, if you need to justify it. I’m good with just plain old un-thought-out straight-from-the-heart hate, though.

 

[trb123]

In the past, criticizing Geno's recruitment always brought a host of defenders on you and it may continue to do so. It is easier for a camel to pass thru the eye of a needle than for a HS player to meet Uconn recruitment standards. Only if we knew where they are falling short!

 

[Kurebeach5]

Better than ND. Did I mention I hate ND? I have no idea why, but I have always hated ND.

You really don't need a reason !! But they are numerous.

 

[Kurebeach5]

In the past, criticizing Geno's recruitment always brought a host of defenders on you and it may continue to do so. It is easier for a camel to pass thru the eye of a needle than for a HS player to meet Uconn recruitment standards. Only if we knew where they are falling short!

1- Talent
2- Attitude

 

[NewCorn]

I guess another Civil War is too drastic?

Yes, and the South might win!

 

[Charliebball]

Wasn't she playing hurt?

yes she had an ankle injury but still played...................

 

[ucbart]

She would be great. Buffalo, though, is closer to 8-9 hours by car. I think she’d be flying.

I live in Syracuse, which is 2 hours from Buffalo. I takes 4 hours to get to Storrs from here. Buffalo to Storrs is not an 8-9 hour car ride.

 

[UConnNick]

I can give you a lot of reasons, if you need to justify it. I’m good with just plain old un-thought-out straight-from-the-heart hate, though.

Hate gives life purpose and meaning, especially when you hate ND.