Saylor Poffenbarger in Transfer Portal [merged thread] | Page 8 | The Boneyard

Saylor Poffenbarger in Transfer Portal [merged thread]

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Gotta think this young lady would be a primary target for Shea Ralph's Vanderbilt program..
 
Stoli said:
www.fredericknewspost.com

Middletown's Saylor Poffenbarger transferring from UConn

Saylor Poffenbarger graduated from Middletown High in the middle of last school year to get started on her college career at Connecticut in 2021. Now, not a year later, she’s
www.fredericknewspost.com www.fredericknewspost.com

not just basketball
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IDK what her major is, but if the academics are engaging enough for folks like Molly Bent and Briana Pulido, I have to wonder what’s missing for Saylor on that front. I know she’s said that she wants to become a mortician, but that’s mostly a two year program. I don’t know if any big time schools where she’ll be able to get that degree while she’s playing.

Morgan Tuck ended up joining a sorority on top of her basketball obligations, so the opportunity has been there in the past to get more traditionally involved. I wonder what the team rules are regarding COVID and social functions on campus. While Storrs isn’t a booming metropolis, there is never a shortage of parties. I’ve been to many and remember some… lol.

Best of luck, kiddo. I hope your next stop is the experience you’ve dreamed of.
 
mbr33ct said:
“It’s been a conversation, and it’s not all basketball,” Amy Poffenbarger said regarding Saylor’s decision. “The academic [side] wasn’t super-engaging, there wasn’t much to the campus life, and there wasn’t the ability to get out and meet a lot of people. Unfortunately that part of college life ... that part wasn’t happening for her.”
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See ya.
 
If you watch that "virtual campus tour" of UConn on youtubeTV you can see that there is alot to do on campus. If she wants things to engage in off campus activities, then Storrs isn't the place. I think that the basketball situation was indeed the primary reason and good old mom decided ( her ex coach ) she wanted more for her daughter than a non vital role on this team. I wish her the best of luck and hope she finds a great school with an opportunity to play much and in a city that will make mom happy.
 
I have to wonder now if it wouldn’t have been better for Saylor to finish HS with her class in MD, even though her HS season was largely cancelled. When she showed up at UConn in January she was the odd man out, so to speak, not quite part of last season’s freshman class and not quite part of this season’s either.

Between campus life being significantly curtailed by pandemic protocols and her basketball development being curtailed by various injuries I can understand how Saylor might have felt somewhat isolated at Storrs.

Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to admit to yourself that you’re unhappy, understand why and take steps to fix the problem. It sounds like Saylor is heading in the right direction, wherever she ends up.
 
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GoCardinal said:
Having a parent bash a school’s academics and campus life isn’t necessarily the best look, good luck to her though. Hopefully where she lands next is the right place for her.
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Amy Poffenbarger's comments were confusing. Acedemics not engaging? Didn't have the opportunity to meet others? Huskies traveled throughout the US, had a diverse group of players, and got visiters from around the US and world. Not worth alot of commentary but seems like she was trying to justify her daughter's change and didn't have the proper words.
 
Taking advantage of going to collage, playing, practicing, getting a handle on what she needs to work on, half way into the regular season ahead of her fellow classmates had the potential of moving her ahead of her fellow freshman for playing time.

Injuries! Dang Injuries! The wheels came off the axle. Instead of being ahead of her fellow freshman, she is looking at competing with next year's class for playing time.

To me, plan A was good, just didn't work. Plan B is a good idea. I hope it works well for her and the team/school she goes to.

And yes, it would cause me to smile if she went to Vandy. Players with her potential are needed there.

Just-Say-N
 
I wondered if Geno called Shea to give her a heads up before the news was released. I think it would really piss off VolNation if she eventually chose Vandy. I think that would be a great choice for Saylor as Shea could really use her help, plus the best academics, vibrant city, and a very good BB conference.
 
I wish Saylor nothing but the best, she is a very nice person. I reffed a few of her high school games. She was a very good player, but when I saw she committed to UConn, I was skeptical. I had also reffed the Jones sisters, Brionna & Stephanie for Aberdeen high school. They were in a much higher skill class. Would LOVE to see her transfer to Mt St Mary's so I can watch her play, but I think she as higher aspirations.
 
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Ralph was the first person Saylor met who was associated with the team; in a sense her recruiting began with their meeting:
In the summer leading up to her freshman season, Saylor was playing in an AAU tournament in Chicago when she bumped into Ralph in a Starbucks. Saylor proceeded to mug for pictures with Ralph, who actually had tabbed Saylor as one of the players she wanted to scout at the tournament. Soon after the tournament, Ralph touched base with Saylor, marking the beginning of UConn’s recruitment of the 6-foot-2 guard.
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Knights' Poffenbarger commits to UConn

It makes sense that Vandy would be a viable destination for her.
 
It was inevitable that players would transfer. That's what the minutes breakdown on BY over the summer showed: a number of very talented players simply could not get anywhere near an appropriate number of minutes commensurate with their talent. But what surprises me is that she transferred so soon. I suspect that the combination of isolation- a kid from Maryland a long way from home in a Covid-restricted environment- injuries, which must not only be painful, but depressing for such a talented young athlete, and the prospect of never breaking through weighed on her emotionally. She left not halfway through the season after competing to the fullest and coming to the realization that she wasn't going to bet her big break, but after the first game of the season. And she's a coach's kid, meaning she's been taught to be a team player, and learn all she can. I'm guessing that this was much more an emotional decision than a basketball decision.

What remains to be seen is whether she will fully recover from the injuries that plagued her from last year, and finally become the player she's expected to be. Wonder how she transfers when she's in a boot, and suffers from a chronic back injury? Likely sit out the remainder of the season hoping to recover? But why not redshirt at UConn while thinking it through?

If she recovers from injury, I'd bet she will help a very good team become excellent. All the best to her.
 
Bald Huskie said:
If you watch that "virtual campus tour" of UConn on youtubeTV you can see that there is alot to do on campus. If she wants things to engage in off campus activities, then Storrs isn't the place. I think that the basketball situation was indeed the primary reason and good old mom decided ( her ex coach ) she wanted more for her daughter than a non vital role on this team. I wish her the best of luck and hope she finds a great school with an opportunity to play much and in a city that will make mom happy.
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...and Bald Husky returns it with a backhand...
 
Not to bash Saylor or anything but I knew she would eventually transfer just didn’t know it’ll be this soon. You have a skilled 6’3 and a super athletic 6’1 player coming in. Toomey seems to be leading UConn way. Azzi and Caroline seem to be getting a lot of minutes. I think she just didn’t want to be buried on the beach. But to talk about UConn as if all these great former and current players didn’t go through college life at UConn and made out to be awesome woman is just mind blowing. I’m not buying that at all but also wish Saylor the best.
 
If she had been playing or thought she had a chance to play a significant amount of minutes she wouldve stayed. Lets face it. With our roster full of top players, and with more top players coming in next season who are coming here to play not sit. Saylor is a very very good player and came here early last season to get a jump on those coming in this season IMO. IMO she came here to be ready in hopes of getting play time this season. She got hurt and didnt play and IMO saw the writing on the wall. Shes good enough to play at another top school and I believe thats why shes leaving. Nothing else written means much so I'll leave it at that. Take a look at our roster and we have alot of kids ranked in the top 10 who expect to play and Geno has to find time for them or they too will leave. Thats why we're 9 deep right now and thats why our chemistry against Arkansas didnt look as good as we're used to seeing because all those kids need to play. Looking at where we're at now we are playing 9 deep. Basically we have 4 positions Saylor could play because she aint playin center. Looking at next season we have Paige Azzi Nika and Caroline. Then Edwards Griff Mir and Patterson Ice playing positions other then the center/post. Next season the post will be Dorka DeBerry and Piath. We are deep at every position with really good players. Saylor would get minutes next season but how many compared to playing for another school where they have less competition for playtime. Saylor will be top 6 player at most other schools. I think she is a very good player, who wants to play and she will at most other schools. She will get offers from alot of other schools that are top 25 in the country and she will play more minutes then she does at UConn. One other point. We dont know who else will commit or transfer to UConn over the next year or two. You can bet who ever does will be a top 5-10 player who will want to play right away and that too will take minutes away from everybody else. Saylor is a very good player and wants to play/start sooner then UConn can offer her so imo this is whats best for her. Good Luck Saylor.
 
LarryLegend said:
Sounds like the family jumped at a UCONN offer before fully considering all factors.
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Lol I’m sure they spent years thinking about this decision and evaluating, but sure based on 1 or 2 posts/comments you can conclude that they didn’t give it due diligence.

Btw what will powerball be this week?
 
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It's not surprising that someone on the team decided she would have better luck with playing time elsewhere. The Huskies are loaded and it's not going to change in the near future. She will hopefully find herself in a better position to play and excel at her next stop. From the sound of it she has the potential to do well.
 
RedStickHusky said:
Not for nothing but did you hear Kara W go off on this topic Sunday? "What happens when you have two kids on a team getting paid? Does that start affecting who you pass to?" Not the popular position but she's a hard no.
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I'm with Kara. IMO it is only a matter of time before something like this happens, whether at UConn or somewhere else. Envy is never pretty.
 
But wouldn't Saylor have had much more opportunity to play in a year or two? We lose, what, three players, perhaps four, next year? And she isn't the typical UConn transfer, who is mediocre and moves to a lower-talent team (Penn State, Wisconsin, Boston College) to get more minutes. She was a top talent and a big, capable of shooting three's. [ ]
 
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Being from Frederick County, and only a few miles from Middletown, this is pretty disappointing news but not surprising given the overall situation of injuries and potential playing time.

I did have a Carnac moment when I looked back at the "Saylor eligibility" thread, I wrote "Dollars to donuts and credits aside, she will not be listed as a So. on the roster come January." ;)
 
Beemer said:
I'm with Kara. IMO it is only a matter of time before something like this happens, whether at UConn or somewhere else. Envy is never pretty.
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... and how long before NIL tentacles get into recruiting? It's a real can of worms.
 
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MdStang said:
Being from Frederick County, and only a few miles from Middletown, this is pretty disappointing news but not surprising given the overall situation of injuries and potential playing time.

I did have a Carnac moment when I looked back at the "Saylor eligibility" thread, I wrote "Dollars to donuts and credits aside, she will not be listed as a So. on the roster come January." ;)
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Curious that her mom mentions the lack of social life at UConn. I mean, this kid grew up in Frederick, Maryland! Hello!! Not Manhattan exactly! It's a recent developing town whose biggest draw in the past had been its proximity to the site of the Battle of Antietam. UConn is closer to metro Hartford than Frederick is to Washington, D.C.

But disappointing to lose such a fine talent, and so soon. Hope she heals soon and finds her center again.
 
Bald Huskie said:
I wondered if Geno called Shea to give her a heads up before the news was released. I think it would really piss off VolNation if she eventually chose Vandy. I think that would be a great choice for Saylor as Shea could really use her help, plus the best academics, vibrant city, and a very good BB conference.
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I doubt any LV fan would care LOL . Go to vandy , their not winning anything anytime soon LOL.
 
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