The False Recruiting Dichotomy

[UcMiami]

I find it interesting that after 33 or so posts (some addressing different issues) that Cialante's second point is virtually unaddressed…the negative effect of the extraordinarily weak conference, especially after
Rutgers and L'ville depart. His (I assume a gent) quote is:

besides the UCONN faithful who love watching 30-40 pt blowouts it wont be of much interest to other girls

Does this point strike one as having merit?

I am just glad we no longer have to suffer through Providence and Seton Hall and Pitt! Uconn on average has played maybe four or five competitive regular season games per year the last 5 years. I am not sure that will change significantly in the next five years. But they do tend to play a very nice brand of basketball that I can take pleasure in even when the score is not competitive.

 

[Sonny44]

I guess I disagree on what legacy means.

How many top recruits followed EDD to Delaware? None.
Where is Delaware projected to be in the CAA, their conference for this coming season? 5th.

She was a great college player. GREAT. But she didn't leave a legacy IMO.

I was waiting for someone to say this. Legacy at Delaware. You gotta be kidding.

 

[caramel]

It's a tough choice----stay close to home,go to a school that you can accumulate several personal achievements recognition,or go to where the odds are that every bit of potential that you have will be bought out and molded into more than you even thought you could be.The most important thing,for her,is to listen to her heart where she will go,and not the press,her father,or coaches and players from schools she has interest in.She will never be truly satisfied at any college,if she doesn't decide by her own doing.A good example is Samarie,who really had her heart in another arena.No matter where she hangs her hat for four years,I truly hope it is her that makes the final decision,from the heart.I know I will follow her throughout her college career,because she has been true to her word as to waiting to commit,and she appears to be genuine and full of class.Would I like it if she attends Connecticut for four years?Of course I would.It is my belief though,that what will be best for her must come from inside,and I hope she stays true to that in making her decision.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

However, UConn will play the toughest Out of Conference Schedule and that will make up for the weaker conference schedule. I suspect it will only take Houston a couple of years to get considerably better due to the talent level in Texas. USF is also an improving program and will on their way to be a team that makes the tournament on an annual basis. It will be interesting to see what Temple is able to do in the new conference.

Why Houston? I would have suggested SMU, if anyone from Texas. A longer history.

USF is questionable. The head coach is 211 - 195 in 13 seasons, but a better 186 - 138 if we take the first 3 years off. Still, they were under .500 for 2010 and 2011, so I'm not sure how well they will do. Their RPI will probably suffer as well, as their best opponents this season look to be Maryland and Oklahoma State.

I too will be interested in Temple going forward. The strongest of the new teams, FWIW.

 

[triaddukefan]

Come back and ask that question after UCONN beats Duke, Stanford, Maryland, and PSU by 30-40 points.

Fixed that for you

 

[doggydaddy]

Fixed that for you

Wow....you think it will be worse????

 

[ciarlante]

Why Houston? I would have suggested SMU, if anyone from Texas. A longer history.

USF is questionable. The head coach is 211 - 195 in 13 seasons, but a better 186 - 138 if we take the first 3 years off. Still, they were under .500 for 2010 and 2011, so I'm not sure how well they will do. Their RPI will probably suffer as well, as their best opponents this season look to be Maryland and Oklahoma State.

I too will be interested in Temple going forward. The strongest of the new teams, FWIW.

UT is scooping up all the top talent in Texas

 

[msf22b]

UT is scooping up all the top talent in Texas

About to change.
Give it two years.

 

[triaddukefan]

Wow....you think it will be worse????

If its worse, then I will just have to get a hotel room in Durham and spend the night... cause I would be in no condition to make the 45 minute drive home

 

[ThisJustIn]

Look, I realize I'm being played, but what the heck it is fun.
.

It's sorta cute when someone appears claiming to be one thing and quickly revealing themselves to be the opposite, isn't it? I can only imagine what a pill (a mom term) they must be in real life.

 

[Scotter]

I think the op's definition of legacy is unusually narrow and the way Aja used the word far more common. Jackie Stiles left a legacy. Lindsay Whalen left a legacy. EDD left a legacy. And so have even less noteworthy players. They helped their programs achieve things never achieved by the programs previously and helped attract significant attention for both the programs and the schools. It is a legacy ff for no other reason that thousands of people carry forward the memories of being part of those experiences.

And when I see UConn fans be critical of recruits who say they might want to go somewhere where they can create their own legacy I always think back to the many times that Rebecca Lobo has said she chose UConn instead of the likes of Stanford was because she could help build a program. If you take her at her word she may not have chosen to come to the UConn of today.

 

[johnnyc]

I find it interesting that after 33 or so posts (some addressing different issues) that Cialante's second point is virtually unaddressed…the negative effect of the extraordinarily weak conference, especially after
Rutgers and L'ville depart. His (I assume a gent) quote is:

besides the UCONN faithful who love watching 30-40 pt blowouts it wont be of much interest to other girls

Does this point strike one as having merit?

Well then.....UConn will just have to create a new legacy.....

 

[Alydar]

UT is scooping up all the top talent in Texas

And they used to do well in Georgia too.

"The moving finger, having writ, moves on"

 

[tomcat]

anything not drinking the kool aid is labeled "ignorant"..which is where this post began...

I'm late to this discussion, but had to weigh in on this comment. I've seen true believers -- Kool Aid drinkers, if you will -- in a number of different environments. The Boneyard is not one of them. It's been my experience here that there are people who are wildly enthusiastic about the team, but who generally can have reasonable discussions and will acknowledge others' points of view. True, there are those who are experts at sarcasm -- I've been known to indulge a little, myself -- but the level of discussions is generally pretty high.

To give ciarlante the benefit of the doubt, the thing about this year is that it is hard to argue that anyone outside of UConn should be regarded as a favorite to win the championship (Unless you are Clay Kallam, and he is the definition of an outlier). Unlike last year, when prior to the season numerous games were seen as up for grabs (and, in fact, were lost), this year you can make a cogent argument that UConn could (not will, but could) run the table. They are at least even-up in every game and heavy favorites in most. So a relative newcomer like this person, might think we're all operating under a couple of "givens" when it comes to how it'll all turn out at the end. And truth be told, most of us are. But that doesn't mean there's Kool Aid involved. Geez, hit the TN board if you want to see irrational exuberance. Otherwise, you just might want to hold your fire until you get a better handle on the people here and how they operate.

For myself, I don't have time to hear the same crap over and over. In other words, if there were a lot of Kool Aid around here, I'd be long gone. Folks here are knowledgeable, generally friendly and welcoming (at least they were to me) and trying to be a part of a community of like minds. I guess Ciarlante will have to decide whether he/she wants to do the same.

 

[uconn34]

ciarlante;
brave drivel, but still drivel. Perhaps the best reason to come to UConn is the fan support. Outside of Tenn, perhaps, we appreciate and care for our Husky ladies (thank you Chris Dailey). There may be no other place in the US where the fans care so much and are so involved. Check out this msg board, is there any other schools that care this much about their women's team. Frankly, I'd think someone would rather play where the fans wear their heart on their sleeve. Do you think SC will suddenly turn around and become a women's basketball Mecca.

 

[pksundevil]

I was waiting for someone to say this. Legacy at Delaware. You gotta be kidding.

Jury is out. Delaware's roster is 12 freshmen and sophomores out of 15 players and they have their first top-100 recruit besides EDD probably ever in this years freshman class. The other thing is the majority- and majority means more than 50%- of season ticket holders apparently stuck around because attendance is still far more than double the pre-EDD days. 2,400 a game early in the season (half of arena capacity) is nothing to sniff at in the CAA. My guess is they will be back in the NCAAs next season and will be borderline top 25 next year or the year after. If a legacy is expanding the program's fan base and increasing the quality of recruits for several years, EDD has left a legacy at Delaware.

 

[choochoo]

More arrogance from the UCONN faithful..so no one can be great unless they play at UCONN.. where they would be surrounded by stars... I think anyone with half a basketball brain would realize that Elena created a legacy at Delaware (and nationally) as one of the best players EVER.. and is by far the most popular player on the scene these days (and guess what she shunned UCONN).. nobody on UCONN..not even Stewey , could go to Delaware and put them on the map like EDD..despite being a great achievement winning a NC is not the only goal of a collegiate athlete..this sounds like the reporters who judge QBs based on winning Super Bowls which would make Trent Dilfer a better QB than Dan Marino..maybe its a little more challenging to an athlete to try and be successful somewhere other than UCONN.. have fun playing in the new conference where it will be like the USA Team playing Panama..besides the UCONN faithful who love watching 30-40 pt blowouts it wont be of much interest to other girls BBall fans nor will it do much for trying to raise the interest of the womans game as a whole..

Man you are a bitter pill!! Who pooped on your party. This is a Uconn board if you don't like our opinions please crawl back under that rock you came out from under. Thanks for your interest in the 8 time WCBB national champion Uconn Womens Basketball Team!

 

[Geno-ista]

Additionally, SC has not recruited any elite players during Staley's tenure there. There are only a few top kids left in 2014 and I don't know if any are considering SC, but in Aja's freshman year, the highest rated recruits would be Sr. Welsh (#88), Jr. Sessions (#40), Sophomore Coats (#75) and Freshman Duckett (#32).

In a way it reminds me of Delaware. Even EDD's senior year, when there were 4 other players who were all starters her junior year, UDel could do no better than the sweet 16. Now, to be fair, I think SC has much better coaching, and better players as I'm not sure UDel ever got anyone in the top 100. But unless Staley were to start recruiting gangbusters in 2015 and beyond, I don't see how SC makes it far in the NCAA's, never mind in the SEC with teams like aTm, Kentucky, Georgia, Vandy, Tennessee, etc.

The flip side is we've read that A'ja is worried about being homesick and staying close to home to her family is something she seems to be considering strongly. Maybe UNC would be a good compromise for her.

Eric- I think So Car just got a really high commit and really jumped into the upper crust- top 4-5 recruiting classes-----#7 or # 8 I think!

 

[Geno-ista]

Jury is out. Delaware's roster is 12 freshmen and sophomores out of 15 players and they have their first top-100 recruit besides EDD probably ever in this years freshman class. The other thing is the majority- and majority means more than 50%- of season ticket holders apparently stuck around because attendance is still far more than double the pre-EDD days. 2,400 a game early in the season (half of arena capacity) is nothing to sniff at in the CAA. My guess is they will be back in the NCAAs next season and will be borderline top 25 next year or the year after. If a legacy is expanding the program's fan base and increasing the quality of recruits for several years, EDD has left a legacy at Delaware.

If all that is so- that is a really positive change- go Blue Hens- not being sarcastic!

 

[choochoo]

I agree with pretty much everything you all have said about your own team, about the opportunities for players at UConn, the development, etc. No argument from someone who saw it somewhat close-up for 15 years.

But one thing about fan bases and fans on message boards - it is very difficult to view things from somewhere else. Sue Wicks and Cappie have left legacies at Rutgers, where their history is honored. EDD left a legacy at Delaware and yes, various players have put teams "on the map" whether or not they have won national championships. There is way to much judging of players based on their NC / pro championships and their ability to lead their team there - it wasn't happening for Delaware and that was a given. Not everyone does that on the BY, but there is an undercurrent throughout sports.
Kinda like Maggie Lucas or Kelly Mazannte who I loved to watch play and prosper. Conversely I am a Uconn fan for 24 years and I still relish when say Hartly shuts them down and frustrates them into tantrum.
The other thing that I think is hard for folks to see is that while it is at least arguably true that if it is good for UConn WBB it is good for WBB in general, it is absolutely good for the development of WBB for other teams to rise. Even if I knew they were not going to win a NC, I enjoyed watching EDD at Delaware, I enjoyed in the past stars at other schools, some of whom at Stanford and Duke had at least chances. And in some cases they have built solid bases for fandom - even Arizona has a solid base built in the Bonvincini that would come back if there was some success.

 

[Geno-ista]

Have to point out there is one Elite recruit Staley had recruited, IMO.
Staley came to South Carolina in May of 2008 and Kelsey Bone verballed at the McDonald's game the following March, 2009. Bone only stayed at Carolina for one year then transferred to TAM.
First round WNBA pick and played well for NY this past year as a rookie.

She just landed a monster power forward 6'4" - cant remember her name--- #7 or # 8 recruit I think-

 

[mrmojack]

She just landed a monster power forward 6'4" - cant remember her name--- #7 or # 8 recruit I think-

Jatarie White 6'4"

 

[Icebear]

Yes, Jatarie White.

 

[ocoandasoc]

Leaving "a legacy" is something a 60+ year-old worries about... not a 17 year old. All a top high school player has to do is look at the number of former UConn players in the WNBA and the success they have had. Geno develops players... they are pro-ready when they graduate... and the WNBA folks know this and draft them. And then these players have less of an adjustment at the next level -- they get more playing time faster -- and that's important when you see how many WNBA players don't last more than a year or two.
I think what Aja's father is referring to would more accurately be described as "do you want to be a big fish in a little pond.... or are you good enough to be a BIG fish in a BIG pond?"
Most of the top HS players really don't have an idea of how tough it is at the next level... and how tough it needs to be to succeed at that level, on both a team and individual basis.
A player choosing UConn is not assured of success...they are assured of the opportunity of success.. the opportunity to get to their full potential if they are willing to work at it.... with no roadblocks due to poor coaching, inferior teammates, lack of conditioning, academic problems, etc.
And, oh yeah, you'll get to be on TV a lot!

 

[herbiep]

More arrogance from the UCONN faithful..so no one can be great unless they play at UCONN.. where they would be surrounded by stars... I think anyone with half a basketball brain would realize that Elena created a legacy at Delaware (and nationally) as one of the best players EVER.. and is by far the most popular player on the scene these days (and guess what she shunned UCONN).. nobody on UCONN..not even Stewey , could go to Delaware and put them on the map like EDD..despite being a great achievement winning a NC is not the only goal of a collegiate athlete..this sounds like the reporters who judge QBs based on winning Super Bowls which would make Trent Dilfer a better QB than Dan Marino..maybe its a little more challenging to an athlete to try and be successful somewhere other than UCONN.. have fun playing in the new conference where it will be like the USA Team playing Panama..besides the UCONN faithful who love watching 30-40 pt blowouts it wont be of much interest to other girls BBall fans nor will it do much for trying to raise the interest of the womans game as a whole..

ciarlante, you have walked into the hornets nest. You have disagreed with the "BONEYARD". You are entitled to your opinion, just not here.