Rich: Ekmark High on UConn

[MilfordHusky]

Morgan committed in mid-November, 2010. Remember she was at the Nov 16, 2010 game against Baylor (sitting next to Stewart, btw) and committed either during that trip to Storrs or immediately thereafter. Stewart committed while in Storrs for the game against Duke on Jan 31, 2011.

As for Reimer's desire to commit to UConn during her soph year, which blog reported that? I suspect it was removed at the request of the UConn staff.

I think it was Jim Fuller (not 100% sure, but it was cited in BY posts that day), and I also think it was removed.

 

[JS]

I think it was Jim Fuller (not 100% sure, but it was cited in BY posts that day), and I also think it was removed.

No it wasn't. The link from the Boneyard thread still works.

 

[MilfordHusky]

No it wasn't. The link from the Boneyard thread still works.

Is that article still listed under the blogs? It may be an incomplete removal.

 

[cferraro04]

And here I thought this thread was about Courtney Ekmark...

 

[JS]

And here I thought this thread was about Courtney Ekmark...

Good heavens. Topic drift!

That never happens here. We'll launch a full investigation.

p.s: New to the Boneyard, cferr? Welcome.

 

[cferraro04]

Just doing my part to try and pull the thread back to Courtney Ekmark. She is currently being recruited. Reimer has made her decision...she is no longer relevant to UConn recruiting. Niether is Diamond DeShields.

 

[MilfordHusky]

The May 19 blog from Jim is no longer listed at the Register site.

Though the subject line cites Ekmark, the thread is more broadly about recruiting underclassmen, which is the current context for Courtney. The drift here is fairly minor; others make Continental Drift look like nothing.

 

[cferraro04]

Believe me no big deal here...It is Memorial Day weekend and I am bored...

 

[Kevin G]

Just doing my part to try and pull the thread back to Courtney Ekmark. She is currently being recruited. Reimer has made her decision...she is no longer relevant to UConn recruiting. Niether is Diamond DeShields.

Agree!

 

[JS]

Believe me no big deal here...It is Memorial Day weekend and I am bored...

Ha. I gave you a hard time just because, but I know exactly where you're coming from. Your preference is:

1. Don't talk about recruits that got away. Stay positive and look to the future.

2. Don't say "we could have had her" or (I suppose) "UConn lost interest before she committed elsewhere." Those sound like sour grapes.

The "lost interest" one is particularly difficult to keep quiet about no matter how reliable one's source. No one will say it publicly unless UConn first goes public that it's no longer recruiting the player. (That's one of the only two things they can say publicly -- the other being "We are recruiting her.")

Talking in a partisan-sounding way about ex-recruits could conceivably have unwanted repercussions, or at least be bad internet politics. On the other hand, on a reasonably open board, not everyone feels, or should be subjected to, a need to be governed by these considerations.

P.S. On edit, there's a third reason some people don't want former recruits discussed -- that they're mad when someone turns down a UConn offer and don't want to hear anything more about that person. It's like "Begone with you, ingrate! And never darken our board again!"

Not ascribing that to cferr as I don't think that's his personality. But must say it's a less appealing motive than the two more "politic" motives above.

 

[JS]

Agree!

Disagree. UConn's experience with former recruits is certainly relevant to UConn recruiting, at least as discussed here and no doubt as discussed among the recruiters.

What I'm diddling around with here is that ol' board debbil, telling others what they should discuss.

 

[doggydaddy]

Disagree. UConn's experience with former recruits is certainly relevant to UConn recruiting, at least as discussed here and no doubt as discussed among the recruiters.

What I'm diddling around with here is that ol' board debbil, telling others what they should discuss.

I just don't get the "getting this thread back on topic" and then never talking about that topic and only say "I'm trying to get this thread back on topic".

If there is something to say about the Ekmark recruitment, then why not just say it. Won't that get it back on topic?

We all get a little silly here.

 

[Kevin G]

Disagree. UConn's experience with former recruits is certainly relevant to UConn recruiting, at least as discussed here and no doubt as discussed among the recruiters.

What I'm diddling around with here is that ol' board debbil, telling others what they should discuss.

What difference does it make to discuss that Taya received a scholarship from Geno her sophomore year? She chose ND and good for her. I am sure she is a great kid and will see up close the talent she possesses. I understand bringing up other recruits and the process of how it all went down, but why talk so much about a player that is not playing for UCONN. To each their own, but I would rather focus on those players who still have UCONN on the radar

 

[JS]

If there is something to say about the Ekmark recruitment, then why not just say it.

Because, as I intimated above, it's not really about staying on topic. You could start a new thread about a recruit who got away, and no matter how much it stays on that topic some people wouldn't be happy about it.

It's not an outrageous thing. Just differing attitudes, as to which we all need to be respectful.

Preaching for the night concluded.

_____________________

Well, not quite. Kevin asked, while I was writing this, why all the attention to Reimer?

To which I respond, first, as Milford noted above, the discussion is of offers to underclassmen. The recruiting discussions with Reimer when she was a soph are on that topic.

And second, there's another unusual element here -- a published report of something that's rarely if ever seen the light of day on the Boneyard, namely a deflected verbal by a top player who's counseled to wait until she's older and still certain.

Reading between the lines, some here don't think it should have seen the light of day.

Kevin also commented, "I would rather focus on those players who still have UCONN on the radar."

To which I respond: You're free to do so. Go to it.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Explicitly tying the ideas together:

1. Ekmark may want to commit this summer, before her junior year.

2. Reimer may have wanted to commit during her sophomore year, but Geno reportedly thought it was premature.

3. If Ekmark does try to commit, will Geno accept it? If so, is it because she is a little further through high school than Taya was? Does Geno sense that the kid or situation is different?

4. Morgan committed in the fall, before her junior season began. Kaleena may have committed even earlier in her career. My guess is that Geno will agree in September, if not earlier.

 

[EricLA]

one other thing to add - not necessarily "WHY" we might talk about recruits who got away, but we currently have 0 verbals for the 2013 class. it's very possible that the next verbal MAY come from a kid in the class of 2014. that would be highly unusual for UCONN's recruiting. in fact, i'd go so far as to say it's never happened before (a verbal from a kid in a younger class BEFORE the class ahead of her is settled on).

in discussing early verbals, we've certainly gotten "bitten" by the likes of Gemelos, who verbaled without ever visiting UCONN, and subsequently recanted and ended up at USC. so far for 2013 UCONN has lost out on Karlie, Diamond and Taya. Russell apparently looked at UCONN (and vice versa) and passed. UCONN's "interest" in other recruits has bounced around quite a bit. Saniya seemed to come out of nowhere. we had early interest in Tucker, then seemed to lose interest, only to be going after her again. We've been on McCall for a while, but very recently we apparently are interested in Harper. BUT it appears none of these kids may decide till October or November.

Anyway, there's a reason Geno didn't want to accept Taya's verbal when she was ready. Apparently Bree wanted to verbal early as well, and Geno asked her to hold off. it worked out for her, but did not for Taya. My point was i WISHED Geno had accepted Taya's verbal when she apparently was ready. After all, she came to campus, met the players, met the coaches, saw the campus, and Geno saw her play, met with her, and presumably her family. That's why an offer was made to her. So it's not like it was the Gemelos situation.

Because we lost out on 3 other kids, and there's no guarantee UCONN will get even 1 of the 4 we seem to be interested in (worst case scenario of course), I voiced the opinion that i wished Geno had accepted Taya's verbal. "A bird in the hand..." was my thinking.

Maybe hindsight being 20-20, things will work out and it's possible Geno lost interest and perhaps she would not h ave been a good fit for UCONN. But as fans, we've seen UCONN miss out on 2 very high profile recruits from 2013, and 1 not so high profile. so i guess that's why i brought up my wishful thinking for Taya.

UCONN could "afford" to land no one in the class of 2013 IF they were to land Turner, Calhoun, Ekmark, and one other stud from 2014. but a class of 0 is not exactly what anyone wants to see. Do i think we will get zero? no. but it's possible of course. there's lots of competition for these kids, and they are playing behind Stokes, KML, Bree, Moriah and Morgan - probably a starting lineup together for at least 1 year, and probably playing ahead of anyone we'd get from 2013.

 

[MilfordHusky]

"A Bird in the hand," especially if it is named Sue.

Perhaps the most obvious measure we have is the number of times a recruit gets cited in the media as a UConn recruit. With Tucker, for example, she was mentioned fairly early and again more recently. During the middle if that period, why was she cited less often? She lost some interest? UConn lost some interest? Others made news of various types? The media overlooked her? It's often hard to say with any precision, because we have rather sketchy information.

I've liked what I have read about Jannah Tucker all along. As a big guard, she really can shoot. Her favorite players are Diana and Maya. She lives in the Northeast. I think she would be a great Husky.

 

[cohenzone]

A verbal is hardly a bird in the hand. Even a signed commitment isn't necessarily a firm commitment, as we've a couple of notable times. Teenagers fall in and out of love constantly, and the love, while it's on, is pretty intense, as I'm witnessing in my own household right now. The point being, or two points, it makes sense to get kids to wait a little if they are under junior year, and even then, who the hell knows if it will stick. I like watching the kids who actually hit the court for us.

 

[EricLA]

A verbal is hardly a bird in the hand. Even a signed commitment isn't necessarily a firm commitment, as we've a couple of notable times. Teenagers fall in and out of love constantly, and the love, while it's on, is pretty intense, as I'm witnessing in my own household right now. The point being, or two points, it makes sense to get kids to wait a little if they are under junior year, and even then, who the hell knows if it will stick. I like watching the kids who actually hit the court for us.

Of all the kids that have committed to UCONN, how many actually changed their minds before they came to school? i can think of 2 - Harper and Gemelos. Goring was academically ineligible and when she became eligible she went to NC State. i'm not sure if UCONN recruited her after we discovered she wasn't eligible. even EDD quit the program AFTER coming to a summer school session (as didi Kia Wright who was not only unable to keep up after trying to recover from a torn ACL her senior year, but was also terribly homesick). So i'd say the chances of a kid changing her mind AFTER a verbal is extremely small.

Many more kids transfer than rescind verbals. so yeah i stand by my "a bird in the hand" comment. Since 1995 (that's all the data i have handy), 2 kids rescinded verbals (unless i missed any) and 12 actually left the program to quit it or transfer (Arnold, Glenney, Clark, Johnson-Kennitra, Sherwood, Robinson, Wright, Sadiq, Phillips, DelleDonne, Walker, Johnson-Michala). I'm not sure how to count McCormack who was supposed to transfer to UCONN, but opted to go back to New Zealand.

of course there are no guarantees, but once a kid verbals, MOST coaches won't continue to recruit them, and those kids pretty much stop taking official and/or unofficial visits. Again, i'm not saying that Taya was a right fit for UCONN. But she had an offer and was apparently ready to verbal - so the staff and team, at some point, thought she was a "right" fit...

 

[Icebear]

Actually, eric, that would not be infinitesimally small but about a 5+% rate, 2+ for the last 40 players.

I have a kid whose is like a son to me and whose wedding I am doing in July who lives in Bakersfield and works for Chevron there who is keeping me up to date on Ekmark happenings.

 

[EricLA]

Actually, eric, that would not be infinitesimally small but about a 5+% rate, 2+ for the last 40 players.

I have a kid whose is like a son to me and whose wedding I am doing in July who lives in Bakersfield and works for Chevron there who is keeping me up to date on Ekmark happenings.

actually going back to 1995, we've had 69 players. either way i think 2 out of whatever is extremely small. and one of those kids verbaled without ever having seen the campus, meeting the players, or practicing with the team (Jackie).

I suppose i could have said instead "How many kids have rescinded a verbal after visiting UCONN, having a home/home with the coaches, and after meeting the players?" that would have been 1 out of 69. Does 1.4% count as extremely small?

anyway, looking forward to hearing any updates on the Ekmark recruitment!

 

[Tonyc]

If we look at the UNC situation. If everybody thats been talked about commits there will be transfers and no schollys. If some of the kids that are talked about in this thread had committed to UConn early, what kids that we have verballed already might have gone elsewhere? How many kids did we lose because Gemelos deceided not to come? Geno knows who wants to come and who is on the fence. He knows also that if someone commits for that position we may not get the other. Its a game of chess. Yeah we lost out on Diamond. We are in position to win a couple of NCs without her and most likely make the next 4 FFs. Do you think UNC is in the same position as UConn? We cant have everybody. We are the best program in WCBB and alot of kids want to play for UConn but we cant have them all. There isnt enough room. Going back to the UNC debacle. Rostered kids will leave. If Breanna Morgan and MJ didnt commit and some of the others in this thread did, do you think those who are being discussed in this thread would decommit because they wouldnt get PT? I do. I like what Geno is doing. He's not taking all the top kids and then letting them sit the bench. He's bringing kids in to fill positions that will be vacated by graduation within the next couple of years. Thats good public relations with parents and coaches. This is not a game of getting all the top players and letting them sit. Its about showing how much you care about the kids who you know arent going to play who could play somewhere else. It appears to me Geno has the kids who come and those who are lookings best interests in mind all the time. This is not about an accumulation of all the best talent. Its about building relationships with players and kids whether they deceide to come to UConn or not. Here is something to think about. What if things dont work out at UNC for Diamond and she deceides to transfer to UConn in a year???????? Just something to think about.

 

[Wonkster]

... a kid ... who lives in Bakersfield and works for Chevron there who is keeping me up to date on Ekmark happenings.

So Ekmark is fracking for oil near Bakersfield? Any chance she's going into the petroleum business with McCall?

 

[Icebear]

So Ekmark is fracking for oil near Bakersfield? Any chance she's going into the petroleum business with McCall?

Sorry, you're right its McCall who is from Bakersfield. Ekmark is from Phoenix, I have Sun Devils following her.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Sorry, you're right its McCall who is from Bakersfield. Ekmark is from Phoenix, I have Sun Devils following her.

Make sure the Western Bear Cub doesn't try to steal her for ASU!