So What is the Recruiting Strategy for the 2020 Recruiting Class>

[HopJim]

that's a lot trickier then it sounds....you can't alienate the ones you really want by making offers willy nilly but on the other hand UConn needs a minimum of four players...they are in a tough spot.....

We only need a strong point guard, particularly one that can shoot 3's, and a 6'2" or above inside player. Not unreasonable.

 

[HopJim]

I understand Geno will sit down with Jeff Walz and learn the wide net strategy. It worked very well for Jeff this year. An old dog can learn new tricks.

If Geno just looks at all of Jeff's future transfers, he could fill the rooster.

 

[JellyBean]

Somebody said it best, the strategy is the same it has always been; recruit the players that fit the UConn standard that Coach Auriemma and Coach CD have built the program on.

 

[hoopsfan22]

If Geno just looks at all of Jeff's future transfers, he could fill the rooster.

Several teams signed five players from this class. I think there are going to be some players looking for new homes in a year or two from now. Dawn signed five players from the 2019 class, 4 in the top 20 I believe, that cover each position on the floor. She basically just signed a brand new totally stacked team in one recruiting cycle. I can't recall the last time I saw something like that. Maybe UNC when they signed Diamond et al, and we all know how that story ended.

 

[Charliebball]

I understand Geno will sit down with Jeff Walz and learn the wide net strategy. It worked very well for Jeff this year. An old dog can learn new tricks.

Geno doesn't need as big a net but I guess it out worked pretty well for South Carolina and Tennessee

 

[Charliebball]

Geno is set in his ways and I don’t see that changing soon. Have to focus on getting a PG and bigs, so that means Van Lith, Andrews, Kapinus, Daniels, and Gusters.

Marshall is all in with ND, if she goes anywhere else I would be surprised (based upon what have been discusssed on this board). Although I would like to see Paige go to UConn, I think she will follow in the footsteps of Whalen and stay home, and give Minnesota a few glory years

I thought Marshall was a serious ND lean too, that's why I was surprised to see her at First Night.................CT is certainly a lot closer to home then Indiana...............I assume UConn is going to look to take advantage of that advantage plus all the playing time they can offer.......

 

[ladybird]

I have to say i am a bit confused on the recruiting of the 16 and 17 classes. Yes you haven’t needed them until now. You have only one real contributor in 16 and one in 17 so now you count on
Crystal
Meg
CW
Ono
And a new freshman to be your team next season? This is all you will have for 19 i will be shocked if Geno doesn’t go hard for a grad transfer

 

[Shorty Dee]

I agree with what Meg Culmo and Eric Frede said. Start recruiting outside the U.S.A., and look at graduate students.

 

[DefenseBB]

Geno is going to enjoy this. He will now have the opportunity to really coach for the first time in a long while. Won’t be able to rely on pure skills.

Needless to say kiss those undefeated seasons goodbye for 3-4 years.

Also UCONN might want to think about articulating either a Geno succession plan or getting him to affirm commitment for the next X years. I think that other coaches may be using his age as a recruiting lever and it might be working.

OMG!
The sheer audacity of the entitlement and unreal expectations on this board is truly confounding.
To wit: Geno and staff actually coach EVERY YEAR, otherwise you would see 35+ wins a year. Not one collegiate team nor one pro team can rely solely on skill and win a Championship or Title and to say something like this diminishes all the hard work Stewie, Tuck, Dolson,Jefferson KML and others all put in.
Undefeated season ARE INCREDIBLY HARD. Your side remark as a throwaway is also very insulting.
As far as the succession plan, I think too many people on this board are SIGNIFICANTLY more concerned than Geno, the school or the players are.
The sense of entitlement and lack of appreciation and joy on what we have been witnessing is just so disrespectful. This years forum are becoming VolNation light and is not as a enjoyable as it should be.
This years team just Played a really nice game with all 5 starters showing offense, defense, passing and flair. This years team is really, really good and all most people want to harp on is “lack of depth” or “lack of height” or “next year we are in trouble”. Live a bit more in the moment. The only team that worries me from winning a title this year is the team we play on Sunday. Oregon, Baylor, MSU and Louisville are all notches down from ND/UConn level. Let’s appreciate that.

Ok, rant over. I feel better now.

 

[Dillon77]

I thought Marshall was a serious ND lean too, that's why I was surprised to see her at First Night.......CT is certainly a lot closer to home then Indiana.....I assume UConn is going to look to take advantage of that advantage plus all the playing time they can offer..

Point well taken. I don't think of Marshall as an ND lock, by any means.
However, regarding the geography point: Marshall's family has moved around a lot and they spent time in Chicago, which -- as you know -- a short drive from South Bend.

But to one of your earlier points, some very prominent programs will be pursuing many of the same prospects and it will take some pointed efforts.

 

[Charliebball]

I agree with what Meg Culmo and Eric Frede said. Start recruiting outside the U.S.A., and look at graduate students.

sad to see such desperate measures are necessary for UConn basketball at this time.........

 

[Scud49]

I agree with what Meg Culmo and Eric Frede said. Start recruiting outside the U.S.A., and look at graduate students.

I need a little help - when it comes to xfers, what exactly is meant by a "graduate student"..?

 

[Dillon77]

Ironically, no player from "recruitapalooza" has committed elsewhere yet and two people from that gathering have since committed to Notre Dame (Brunelle & Campbell).

With Bueckers, Clark, Marshall, Parrish, Burke, and Watson coming up in the class of 2020, it will be interesting to see exactly how much fruit that gathering bears for ND.

But yes...it turns out those jokes among the U17 starting 5 that they might all go to the same school were just that...jokes...even though for a moment I seriously thought (read: feared) that it might really happen.

There was a article or a tweet indicating that it was Paige and Azzi's idea to make sure Aliyah and Haley had a good visit. Either way, and again this is in hindsight, UCONN should have said no IMO.

Coco:
As your probably recall, the "Recruitapalooza" was primarily aimed at 'young 'uns," who were all taking unofficials to be there. Even Anaya Peoples, who had already committed, was pre-official visit.

As Orangutan pointed out. the Irish have reaped two commitments thus far out of the group that attended. Ali Campbell came back to campus for a game, then a summer camp and MM/Niele and staff saw her on the AAU circuit with the Philly Belles Deal.

We'll see who else comes from that particular "orientation," if you will. The majority of those visiting were in the Class of 2020 (Bueckers, Campbell, Clark, Marshall, Watson, Parrish), so it will be interesting to keep track of who else comes (or not) and if the staff thinks it was worth the effort.

But I see your point about bringing in an extended cast of players for an official visit. An OV, in some cases, might be needed to focus on specific individual/family interests/concerns and having friends -- although welcome in some aspects -- could be a bit of distraction. For Boston's visit -- as well as Malu Tshitenge-Mutombo -- ND also had Brunelle and Peoples taking their OV's. Maybe a slight distraction, given Sam and Anaya were already "done deals?" Or maybe coincidence?

 

[meyers7]

I need a little help - when it comes to xfers, what exactly is meant by a "graduate student"..?

Means the student has graduated already. i.e. cap and gown. Either they completed everything in 3 years or maybe they had a redshirt year. Either way, they have graduated from college, but still have 1 year of basketball eligibility left. They are free to transfer and play immediately.

 

[meyers7]

Geno is going to enjoy this. He will now have the opportunity to really coach for the first time in a long while. Won’t be able to rely on pure skills.

Needless to say kiss those undefeated seasons goodbye for 3-4 years.

Also UCONN might want to think about articulating either a Geno succession plan or getting him to affirm commitment for the next X years. I think that other coaches may be using his age as a recruiting lever and it might be working.

didn't seem to effect Tara's recruiting and she's 65......

And Muffett will be 63 next week. For reference Geno is 64.

Vic is only 57, though he looks older to me. Kim is 56. Karen is 54, and Walz is 47.

 

[Scud49]

Means the student has graduated already. i.e. cap and gown. Either they completed everything in 3 years or maybe they had a redshirt year. Either way, they have graduated from college, but still have 1 year of basketball eligibility left. They are free to transfer and play immediately.

Thanks Meyers. I'm guessing there may not be too many kids in this category available?

 

[meyers7]

Thanks Meyers. I'm guessing there may not be too many kids in this category available?

No, not usually more than a handful. And they have to be able to contribute right away. Ohio State used them this year. I believe they picked up 5 grad transfers.

 

[CTBballfan243]

Geno and Co. just need to send offers to every high school basketball player in the country. If we're lucky, maybe one or two players will decide they want to come play hoops at UConn.

 

[Dillon77]

No, not usually more than a handful. And they have to be able to contribute right away. Ohio State used them this year. I believe they picked up 5 grad transfers.

Agreed...got to really scour the rosters to find players that can fit a roster's needs, step in and produce. After all, both team and player only have one year to make it work.
Along those lines, the two players that graduated from Texas A&M and had one year of eligibility left had good games in their "one and done" teams' victories last night:
- Danni Williams scored 22 for Texas
- Anriel Howard had 16 points and 9 rebounds for Mississippi State.

 

[ABCDFE]

Agreed...got to really scour the rosters to find players that can fit a roster's needs, step in and produce. After all, both team and player only have one year to make it work.
Along those lines, the two players that graduated from Texas A&M and had one year of eligibility left had good games in their "one and done" teams' victories last night:
- Danni Williams scored 22 for Texas
- Anriel Howard had 16 points and 9 rebounds for Mississippi State.

Yeah I saw those stat lines. I thought Danni Williams definitely could've contributed.

 

[jonson]

as Notre Dame, MD, Miss St and other programs have proven, you don't need every player to be a top ten recruit..there's nothing wrong with a skilled second tier player (30 -100) that has some of the skills and the mind set that UConn is looking for.....for example ND has been playing Abby Prohaska due to injuries and she was ESPN #73....Taylor Mikesell is playing well at Maryland and she was rated #33...and I won't even go into Dara Mabrey who wasn't even rated in the ESPN 100.....bottom line..yes fight for the top kids but don't forget that there are talented recruits a bit farther down the line that may provide a bit of insurance when things don't work out as planned...focus on a couple of the best of them and make an offer.....

And Ruthy Hebard at Oregon was rated #40.

 

[BroadwayVa]

I'm not going to start with the I told you so's even though I spent months suffering the slings and arrows of the UConn cognoscenti as they derided my pleas for additional 2019 recruiting offers ....let's just say that I hope Geno and Co will cast a somewhat wider net for this ultra important 2020 class...next year's team will be short in stature and short on players...they'll still be a good and competitive team but I wouldn't expect them to win the championship......many of us know the big names in the 2020 class..Bueckers, Van Lith, Clark, Andrews, Kapinus, Marshall, Daniels, Gusters...each and every one of these players will get multiple offers from most of the big programs...I really am curious how Geno will handle these recruits.....in the meantime, I'm going to be looking at some of the other "lesser" ranked players that still may offer UConn some great value in the days to come

I hate for Uconn to lose, that's just me. But I get over the losses quickly, even the Last April ND loss. It is good for the game to have a team or 3 to have beaten the Giant. Uconn will be in the mix and regardless whether they are 1 or 5 they will remain the team to beat. Think UTenn! As Pat was dying and her teams were losing; her team was still great to play and beat. How great does it feel to beat Tulsa?

I sincerely hope for a great recruiting year this next one.

I don't think Geno is too picky. It has, until recently worked well for him. Yet, as some say (with a smattering of truth) times change and kids change. What worked in 2010 may not be working in 2019. There is absolutely, if not fact, truth: Talented kids today have much higher belief in themselves. The media, local or national (look at all the rating systems for HS kids), tells them their value. They can preach how much they want to be taught (mostly the words they were taught to say) and play at a high level.

Geno has not pulled punches, no ice cream on top, they are told they shall work and EARN PT. Truth may not be what they are hearing from other coaches. If they are told they'll start; when the time comes they may not and it's fairly certain they won't practice as hard as a Geno team.

So if they want to play and they know with their talent they are headed to the Wnba anyway WHY go to the place that is cold in the winter, not close to any big town/city, where you'll have to work hard--take the easy road and play for one of the other coaches and still be seen by the scouts of the WNBA/Europe.

 

[BroadwayVa]

didn't seem to effect Tara's recruiting and she's 65......

Women don't age like men. Have ever seen a women with a grey mustache?

 

[oldude]

Women don't age like men. Have ever seen a women with a grey mustache?

My grandmother....

 

[BroadwayVa]

I had no idea Geno had so much talent these past few seasons that he was just rolling out the balls and letting the kids play. I mistakenly believed he was coaching his ass off. Who would’ve guessed.

Last season Geno was stressed to the limits. He was defensive. And it wore on him.
This year he is more loosey goosey with the entire team. Geno's coaching in the last few years was less visible. This year--he is teaching a lot. Last year Danger was blessed by his teaching but few other--I'm speaking visibly. Real coaching is done out of my sight I know that. But I can only speak to what I see and I like what I see this year.