Shea Ralph

[Icebear]

Agree in terms of recruiting - but I think you have to look at the school she is working for. There is almost no chance a highly ranked HS player is going to consider Hartford even with Jen as coach over the other alternatives that would be available to her. I however like the reaction most of the USA players have had to Jen, and that suggests that if she had a school with better prospects behind her she would probably have success. And in comparison to Jen, any assistant has had much less success in recruiting as the headliner of a program. While Shea and Tonya, and Jamelle, and Marisa, and even CD the elder have been involved with recruiting top flight players, the bottom line has always been GENO.

Agreed but that is exactly why I think the time has come for Jen to move on from Hartford to a bigger stage. She needs to prove that she can bring in those students somewhere. She has not done that either as an assistant nor as a head coach. Shea, Jamelle, and Tonya have all helped to do that recruiting at UCONN.

 

[msf22b]

Let's be realistic: Geno has just inked a 5-year agreement and isn't going anywhere.

Sylvia has the greatest recruiting class since the invention of sliced bread.

Unless she (or they) completely mismanage their expectations (not impossible), she is not exiting Chapel Hill for the foreseen future.

If Shea is going to get head coaching experience (if that what she deems necessary to advance her career),
it will have to be elsewhere.

 

[CCinCT]

"Smoking hot" is exactly what I was going to post. She looked great the last game.

Noted that to my wife - Shea looks to be in better shape than more than a few of the players !

 

[alexrgct]

So...is she single???

 

[IUbbfan]

of all the all americans that have played in Uconn unies i think that Shea maybe the epitomy of what a Husky is all about...she played such intensity and desire...doing every thing she could to win...and she seemed to be a great teammate...if she can teach players to play as she played she will be one of the all time great coaches...Shea Ralph is the kind player that makes coaches want to coach...just my opinion...greatest player maybe not...but if you measure heart she is in that discussion

 

[Fiftyish]

of all the all americans that have played in Uconn unies i think that Shea maybe the epitomy of what a Husky is all about...she played such intensity and desire...doing every thing she could to win...and she seemed to be a great teammate...if she can teach players to play as she played she will be one of the all time great coaches...Shea Ralph is the kind player that makes coaches want to coach...just my opinion...greatest player maybe not...but if you measure heart she is in that discussion

Can't disagree that Shea was always a intense player and did everything she could to win but lets not forget that Jen was the prototype of the UConn super intense, athletic, full out hustle, basketball smart, floor leader. She was, in my opinion, the original. While she has not been able to recruit top ten high schoolers I would bet if she assumed the head coach positon at UConn her abiltiy to recruit would improve exponentially.

 

[OneTrickPony]

So...is she single???

It never hurts to ask...!

 

[bballnut90]

of all the all americans that have played in Uconn unies i think that Shea maybe the epitomy of what a Husky is all about...she played such intensity and desire...doing every thing she could to win...and she seemed to be a great teammate...if she can teach players to play as she played she will be one of the all time great coaches...Shea Ralph is the kind player that makes coaches want to coach...just my opinion...greatest player maybe not...but if you measure heart she is in that discussion

Haven't commented much here lately--and I'm not a UCONN fan, but man I loved watching Shea Ralph at UCONN. I think Shea Ralph might be the most underrated/forgotten about Huskie of all time, definitely in the top 5 (forgotten about in terms of she's not recognized as in contention for being one of the best ever at UCONN.)

Her junior season was remarkably special. Statistically her numbers were unreal--62% Fg shooting for a guard, 40% 3pt, 82% FT, 15 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 2.5 steals, 2:1 assist/TO, and she was flawless in the championship game both offensively and defensively. She had something like 15 points on 7-8 shooting to go with 7 steals in that game, she really set the tone early with her hounding defense and aggressive play. One of the most tenacious/aggressive defenders I've seen, similar to Kelly Faris this year.

Her last season at UCONN, she was just a shadow of the player she was the previous year, but if you ask me, the 2000 season she had should rank right up there as one of the finest ever by a UCONN player alongside Diana/Charles/Moore/Bird/Lobo/etc.

 

[UcMiami]

Absolutely agree about Shea the player - she was to her last minute on the court as intense as any Uconn player ever. Such a bummer about her knees.
But as Uconn fans, we have been blessed to have so many great, great players. And a coach who does not ever let them rest on their previous success or athletic skill, but pushes them beyond where they though possible.
And yes - Jen was probably the prototypical Uconn player. I don't go back before 1995 so can't really speak about the earlier players. But since then there are so many to admire, and not just the stars or the AAs but also a bunch of lunch pail players and role players who have given us fans and the program countless hours of joy.

 

[Icebear]

Can't disagree that Shea was always a intense player and did everything she could to win but lets not forget that Jen was the prototype of the UConn super intense, athletic, full out hustle, basketball smart, floor leader. She was, in my opinion, the original. While she has not been able to recruit top ten high schoolers I would bet if she assumed the head coach positon at UConn her abiltiy to recruit would improve exponentially.

I expect that her ability to recruit if at UCONN would go up but it doesn't mean she or the school wouldn't' benefit from her proving it before trying to take over the reigns. It is the hole in her resume. Something she has never even done as an assistant at a big program. Recruiting is where it all starts and is where it can be lost.