UConn has won the Transfer Portal.....Again

[oldude]

There is a 1983 Sci-Fi film called WarGames where a HS kid unknowingly hacks into a Defense Department supercomputer named Joshua. He thinks he is playing video games, but has inadvertently set in motion a process that will lead to global thermonuclear war. In the end nuclear holocaust is averted when the computer learns the ironic truth that, “The only winning move is not to play.”

In similar fashion, I would argue that UConn won the transfer portal prior to last season and for this coming season by essentially not playing the game of creating a revolving door for outbound and inbound players. On the outbound side that starts with keeping all your core players. Prior to this past season, UConn was the only D1 school in the nation that did not lose a single outbound transfer. After winning a championship this year (Not a coincidence), UConn only lost Q, the last player off the bench. Keeping your existing core roster is absolutely critical to maintaining continuity for any WBB program.

On the inbound side, UConn is not looking for the shiniest new toy. Since the implementation of the Transfer Portal, the Huskies have now brought in 5 smart, talented, team-oriented players who complement the existing roster. Next season, Serah and Kayleigh will give UConn the deepest, most versatile roster in WBB. The 3 players that came before Serah & Kayleigh were Dorka, Lou & Kaitlyn. They were all stars at their former schools. They had all completed their undergraduate degree. All were willing to accept supporting roles at UConn to pursue their championship dream. Serah and Kayleigh are cut from the same cloth. They are not coming to UConn to become stars or get paid a bundle of money. They just want to get better and win championships.

So what is happening elsewhere in WBB? We are seeing wholesale roster changes as both starters and key reserves are heading for greener pastures. There are teams that have lost their entire rosters. Schools are scrambling to fill voids, sometimes engaging in bidding wars for top players. Coaches have become commodity traders, negotiating NIL payouts with parents and agents, while having little time for player development.

I sometimes feel sorry for college coaches. None of them got into coaching to negotiate transactional contracts with players while losing a significant portion of their roster every year. The joy and satisfaction that coaches receive from developing a young person to reach their potential as a player and a human being over multiple seasons is being lost to NIL, immediate transfer eligibility, player agents and the pressure to win.

Top programs load up on talent from the transfer portal every year. The problem for many of these teams is that it takes years to build a roster into a cohesive unit, and if you are engaged in a major roster overhaul every season with a bunch of free agents, it becomes nearly impossible to execute like a team must execute to win a championship. UConn walloped everyone during the Big Dance with flawless execution at both ends of the court. Yes, UConn had several new faces this past season. But the collective basketball IQ of this Husky team was off the charts, and every single player bought into what Geno was trying to accomplish. After winning championship #12, Geno commented that his team, “fell in love with each other.” That is difficult to achieve if players are always asking, “What about me?”

Next season many teams will set their sights on a national championship. They will work hard to integrate their players into their respective systems in the hopes of creating a smooth and effective team. As for the Huskies, they will not need to hope. UConn has won the Transfer Portal…..again, by adding 2 excellent complimentary players to an experienced and talented roster that will be firing on all cylinders come March.

 

[Just.A.Fan]

Spot on ... once again and as always!

 

[Bald Husky]

It will be interesting if ESPN renews its portal top ten. UConn isn't listed at all, but with these two signing I can't believe they cannot crack the top 5. I don't know if this is a good thing, I would think not, but SMU as 10 new players from the portal. Talk about desperation, that is a sad situation if so many players left, whether it be graduation or transferring. UConn and Genos reputation has players think twice before making that move, so we can thankfully look forward to next season with a roster that may be our best ever, or at least pretty close.

 

[Boreifs]

The reigning “Coach of the Year” lost six of her players to the Portal. What is wrong with that picture? (Cough)

 

[oldude]

It will be interesting if ESPN renews its portal top ten. UConn isn't listed at all, but with these two signing I can't believe they cannot crack the top 5. I don't know if this is a good thing, I would think not, but SMU as 10 new players from the portal. Talk about desperation, that is a sad situation if so many players left, whether it be graduation or transferring. UConn and Genos reputation has players think twice before making that move, so we can thankfully look forward to next season with a roster that may be our best ever, or at least pretty closed.

ESPN is only concerned with inbound transfers. The obvious problem with that kind of thinking is that the door to the Transfer Portal swings both ways.

 

[Boreifs]

ESPN is only concerned with inbound transfers. The obvious problem with that kind of thinking is that the door to the Transfer Portal swings both ways.

I also doubt the WNCAA writers are in line for Pulitzers anytime soon.

 

[Huskee11]

The analogy of coach as commodity trader is a good one as applicable to coaches at many institutions. Lots of screaming and hand waving going on in the pit.

On the other hand, I don't think that UConn could have done any better than they did this time around. To only lose one player from a deep roster while strategically improving our post play and depth at the point guard position was pure genius. Plus some good luck, with the Moseley connection in one case and geographic proximity in the other.

And to top it all, we still have room to add to the roster next year from the outstanding class of 2026.

UConn is bad for basketball again and unlike most coaches and programs, Geno is operating from a position of strength.

 

[JavaMan]

oldude said:​

UConn has won the Transfer Portal.....Again​

Perhaps Geno and Coaches should get a ring for this also.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

At the very least…a banner!

 

[LwrcasefaN]

Summary.

This oldude laces up his Chuck Taylors, kicks door down …swings nunchucks. The END.

 

[oldude]

…or a statue

Careful. We don’t want to stir up our good friends from SC………

 

[faninwisc]

I'm confused. When did Uconn previously win the transfer portal? Geno doesn't even typically bring in transfers and I don't recall any year (up until this year), where he has taken more than one player out of the portal. I love what Uconn brought in and think that Williams and Heckel helped to address some needs that we had but I don't think we won the portal this year either. My vote would go to Ole Miss. They brought in eight transfers and all but one of them, were starters on their previous team.

 

[Bone Dog]

Top programs load up on talent from the transfer portal every year. The problem for many of these teams is that it takes years to build a roster into a cohesive unit, and if you are engaged in a major roster overhaul every season with a bunch of free agents, it becomes nearly impossible to execute like a team must execute to win a championship. UConn walloped everyone during the Big Dance with flawless execution at both ends of the court

So what is happening elsewhere in WBB? We are seeing wholesale roster changes as both starters and key reserves are heading for greener pastures. There are teams that have lost their entire rosters. Schools are scrambling to fill voids, sometimes engaging in bidding wars for top players. Coaches have become commodity traders, negotiating NIL payouts with parents and agents, while having little time for player development.

This is a pattern we've seen over the past few years, teams scrapping to put a team together out of transfers, and achieving scant success. There have been a few notable exceptions -- UCLA, USC and LSU -- and many failures. UCLA and USC became powerhouses and LSU even managed to get a title. And this coming year, UCLA and LSU will continue to be powerhouses, again largely on the strength of transfers. But the vast majority of teams that go this route never achieve greatness, certainly not in a sustained way.

This year, UCLA has to be counted as one of the main contenders for a title after UConn and SC. They lost their recruiting class from last season, which is certainly noteworthy. They have Lauren's little sister coming in, but not much else in the way of recruiting success. But in terms of transfers, they have been busy in prior seasons, effectively building a team out of the portal, and adding Kneepkens this season will skew the numbers in their favor again. Perhaps their overall success comes from seeking longer term transfers like Dugalic, Betts, and Gardiner, and not merely one-year transfers like Kneepkens. Program building depends on having a group for more than one season, so we might look at this as a feather in HC Close's cap. She's managed mainly to hold on to many of her transfers.

But the primary spectacle of settled powerhouses like UConn and SC dismantling patchwork teams in March will continue this coming season and probably for a few more after that. I'm sure the head coaches would like to get off the transfer carousel. But this appears to be easier said than done. Geno and Dawn have long track records of success to show high school recruits and to get the ones they can build a program around. But few other coaches have this. Perhaps if the championship becomes the property of teams like UConn and SC for the next few years, the wisdom of sticking with a 4 year commitment might begin to spread among future high school athletes. [I know, this is wishful thinking.]

 

[oldude]

I'm confused. When did Uconn previously win the transfer portal? Geno doesn't even typically bring in transfers and I don't recall any year (up until this year), where he has taken more than one player out of the portal. I love what Uconn brought in and think that Williams and Heckel helped to address some needs that we had but I don't think we won the portal this year either. My vote would go to Ole Miss. They brought in eight transfers and all but one of them, were starters on their previous team.

Take some time to read the OP. My argument is that the door to the Transfer Portal swings both ways. A team wins the transfer portal by both holding onto their core players while bringing in 1-2 complimentary players to enhance their existing roster.

You suggest that Ole Miss won the Transfer Portal this year, and they did bring in 8 players. At the same time the Rebels lost practically their entire roster with 7 outbound transfers along with graduating seniors. So their entire roster next season will be free agents and freshmen, with no continuity. That’s not a recipe to win a championship.

 

[Charliebball]

many teams have done well in the transfer portal while others have been decimated......we won't know who really "won" in the transfer portal until next April.....

 

[Bone Dog]

many teams have done well in the transfer portal while others have been decimated......we won't know who really "won" in the transfer portal until next April.....

I think we'll learn the same old lesson, that the teams who "won" the portal really lost because of it. It's not only like Wargames, where the only winning move is not to play. It's also like those Chinese finger cuffs where the only escape is not to pull but to push. The programs that win this game are the real losers.

 

[oldude]

This is a pattern we've seen over the past few years, teams scrapping to put a team together out of transfers, and achieving scant success. There have been a few notable exceptions -- UCLA, USC and LSU -- and many failures. UCLA and USC became powerhouses and LSU even managed to get a title. And this coming year, UCLA and LSU will continue to be powerhouses, again largely on the strength of transfers. But the vast majority of teams that go this route never achieve greatness, certainly not in a sustained way.

This year, UCLA has to be counted as one of the main contenders for a title after UConn and SC. They lost their recruiting class from last season, which is certainly noteworthy. They have Lauren's little sister coming in, but not much else in the way of recruiting success. But in terms of transfers, they have been busy in prior seasons, effectively building a team out of the portal, and adding Kneepkens this season will skew the numbers in their favor again. Perhaps their overall success comes from seeking longer term transfers like Dugalic, Betts, and Gardiner, and not merely one-year transfers like Kneepkens. Program building depends on having a group for more than one season, so we might look at this as a feather in HC Close's cap. She's managed mainly to hold on to many of her transfers.

But the primary spectacle of settled powerhouses like UConn and SC dismantling patchwork teams in March will continue this coming season and probably for a few more after that. I'm sure the head coaches would like to get off the transfer carousel. But this appears to be easier said than done. Geno and Dawn have long track records of success to show high school recruits and to get the ones they can build a program around. But few other coaches have this. Perhaps if the championship becomes the property of teams like UConn and SC for the next few years, the wisdom of sticking with a 4 year commitment might begin to spread among future high school athletes. [I know, this is wishful thinking.]

UCLA is an interesting example. Most certainly they will be among the top 3 teams chasing a national championship next season. They have mostly kept their core players and Kneepkins is a big addition. But the Bruins lost their entire freshman class to the portal along with top reserve Janiah Barker. So I would have to say it’s a mixed bag in Westwood when it comes to the Transfer Portal.

 

[Boreifs]

I'm confused. When did Uconn previously win the transfer portal? Geno doesn't even typically bring in transfers and I don't recall any year (up until this year), where he has taken more than one player out of the portal. I love what Uconn brought in and think that Williams and Heckel helped to address some needs that we had but I don't think we won the portal this year either. My vote would go to Ole Miss. They brought in eight transfers and all but one of them, were starters on their previous team.

Did you read the post?!

 

[MooseJaw]

Careful. We don’t want to stir up our good friends from SC………

Yea, I think we kinda do want to stir them up. What's a little aggravation between 2 top teams, but fun. No knockouts or physical altercations but why not pull Dawns' tail feathers and see how many "F bombs" fly from her mouth. After all what can SC say, we would have won if you guys weren't so darn good. Lay it on us SC, maybe if you come up with a good jab you can have another banner. SC is a very good team with an outstanding coach however they lost their last game. A game that will burns SC for at least a year. We are in the penthouse; anything less puts you in the outhouse. Looking forward to next season where the Huskies will be known as defending National Champs, SC will be known as the team who got rolled over. Shot fired?
If you chose to comment, please keep your posts towards SC fun and clean.

 

[Dabber]

There is a 1983 Sci-Fi film called WarGames where a HS kid unknowingly hacks into a Defense Department supercomputer named Joshua. He thinks he is playing video games, but has inadvertently set in motion a process that will lead to global thermonuclear war. In the end nuclear holocaust is averted when the computer learns the ironic truth that, “The only winning move is not to play.”

In similar fashion, I would argue that UConn won the transfer portal prior to last season and for this coming season by essentially not playing the game of creating a revolving door for outbound and inbound players. On the outbound side that starts with keeping all your core players. Prior to this past season, UConn was the only D1 school in the nation that did not lose a single outbound transfer. After winning a championship this year (Not a coincidence), UConn only lost Q, the last player off the bench. Keeping your existing core roster is absolutely critical to maintaining continuity for any WBB program.

On the inbound side, UConn is not looking for the shiniest new toy. Since the implementation of the Transfer Portal, the Huskies have now brought in 5 smart, talented, team-oriented players who complement the existing roster. Next season, Serah and Kayleigh will give UConn the deepest, most versatile roster in WBB. The 3 players that came before Serah & Kayleigh were Dorka, Lou & Kaitlyn. They were all stars at their former schools. They had all completed their undergraduate degree. All were willing to accept supporting roles at UConn to pursue their championship dream. Serah and Kayleigh are cut from the same cloth. They are not coming to UConn to become stars or get paid a bundle of money. They just want to get better and win championships.

So what is happening elsewhere in WBB? We are seeing wholesale roster changes as both starters and key reserves are heading for greener pastures. There are teams that have lost their entire rosters. Schools are scrambling to fill voids, sometimes engaging in bidding wars for top players. Coaches have become commodity traders, negotiating NIL payouts with parents and agents, while having little time for player development.

I sometimes feel sorry for college coaches. None of them got into coaching to negotiate transactional contracts with players while losing a significant portion of their roster every year. The joy and satisfaction that coaches receive from developing a young person to reach their potential as a player and a human being over multiple seasons is being lost to NIL, immediate transfer eligibility, player agents and the pressure to win.

Top programs load up on talent from the transfer portal every year. The problem for many of these teams is that it takes years to build a roster into a cohesive unit, and if you are engaged in a major roster overhaul every season with a bunch of free agents, it becomes nearly impossible to execute like a team must execute to win a championship. UConn walloped everyone during the Big Dance with flawless execution at both ends of the court. Yes, UConn had several new faces this past season. But the collective basketball IQ of this Husky team was off the charts, and every single player bought into what Geno was trying to accomplish. After winning championship #12, Geno commented that his team, “fell in love with each other.” That is difficult to achieve if players are always asking, “What about me?”

Next season many teams will set their sights on a national championship. They will work hard to integrate their players into their respective systems in the hopes of creating a smooth and effective team. As for the Huskies, they will not need to hope. UConn has won the Transfer Portal…..again, by adding 2 excellent complimentary players to an experienced and talented roster that will be firing on all cylinders come March.

Great Post!

 

[oldude]

Yea, I think we kinda do want to stir them up. What's a little aggravation between 2 top teams, but fun. No knockouts or physical altercations but why not pull Dawns' tail feathers and see how many "F bombs" fly from her mouth. After all what can SC say, we would have won if you guys weren't so darn good. Lay it on us SC, maybe if you come up with a good jab you can have another banner. SC is a very good team with an outstanding coach however they lost their last game. A game that will burns SC for at least a year. We are in the penthouse; anything less puts you in the outhouse. Looking forward to next season where the Huskies will be known as defending National Champs, SC will be known as the team who got rolled over. Shot fired?
If you chose to comment, please keep your posts towards SC fun and clean.

I will say this about Dawn and SC. She does almost as good a job as Geno in managing the portal. Her 2 inbound transfers are the nation’s leading scorer along with a solid Big who can rebound and play defense. On the outbound side she lost an “end of the bench” Big. Unfortunately she also lost a player she described as a “generational talent”

Fulwiley’s departure was not a given. That’s where the idea of recruiting over someone comes into play. It’s a concept that is really in the “eyes of the beholder.” Once Latson announced she was heading to SC, it became pretty clear that Fulwiley would be coming off the bench for the 3rd season in a row.

 

[topogigio]

There is a 1983 Sci-Fi film called WarGames where a HS kid unknowingly hacks into a Defense Department supercomputer named Joshua. He thinks he is playing video games, but has inadvertently set in motion a process that will lead to global thermonuclear war. In the end nuclear holocaust is averted when the computer learns the ironic truth that, “The only winning move is not to play.”

In similar fashion, I would argue that UConn won the transfer portal prior to last season and for this coming season by essentially not playing the game of creating a revolving door for outbound and inbound players. On the outbound side that starts with keeping all your core players. Prior to this past season, UConn was the only D1 school in the nation that did not lose a single outbound transfer. After winning a championship this year (Not a coincidence), UConn only lost Q, the last player off the bench. Keeping your existing core roster is absolutely critical to maintaining continuity for any WBB program.

On the inbound side, UConn is not looking for the shiniest new toy. Since the implementation of the Transfer Portal, the Huskies have now brought in 5 smart, talented, team-oriented players who complement the existing roster. Next season, Serah and Kayleigh will give UConn the deepest, most versatile roster in WBB. The 3 players that came before Serah & Kayleigh were Dorka, Lou & Kaitlyn. They were all stars at their former schools. They had all completed their undergraduate degree. All were willing to accept supporting roles at UConn to pursue their championship dream. Serah and Kayleigh are cut from the same cloth. They are not coming to UConn to become stars or get paid a bundle of money. They just want to get better and win championships.

So what is happening elsewhere in WBB? We are seeing wholesale roster changes as both starters and key reserves are heading for greener pastures. There are teams that have lost their entire rosters. Schools are scrambling to fill voids, sometimes engaging in bidding wars for top players. Coaches have become commodity traders, negotiating NIL payouts with parents and agents, while having little time for player development.

I sometimes feel sorry for college coaches. None of them got into coaching to negotiate transactional contracts with players while losing a significant portion of their roster every year. The joy and satisfaction that coaches receive from developing a young person to reach their potential as a player and a human being over multiple seasons is being lost to NIL, immediate transfer eligibility, player agents and the pressure to win.

Top programs load up on talent from the transfer portal every year. The problem for many of these teams is that it takes years to build a roster into a cohesive unit, and if you are engaged in a major roster overhaul every season with a bunch of free agents, it becomes nearly impossible to execute like a team must execute to win a championship. UConn walloped everyone during the Big Dance with flawless execution at both ends of the court. Yes, UConn had several new faces this past season. But the collective basketball IQ of this Husky team was off the charts, and every single player bought into what Geno was trying to accomplish. After winning championship #12, Geno commented that his team, “fell in love with each other.” That is difficult to achieve if players are always asking, “What about me?”

Next season many teams will set their sights on a national championship. They will work hard to integrate their players into their respective systems in the hopes of creating a smooth and effective team. As for the Huskies, they will not need to hope. UConn has won the Transfer Portal…..again, by adding 2 excellent complimentary players to an experienced and talented roster that will be firing on all cylinders come March.

Dr. Steven Falken, would be proud of that post!

 

[Bone Dog]

It looks to me like coaches are squeezed on both sides. And I think you have to distinguish between a team (a season long project) and a program (a decades long project).

For many coaches, the goal is to have a winning record, and as long as they don't commit the AD to drumming up millions for a team that usually goes 20-14, their job is probably secure. They'll never contend for a ring, but that may not be their goal. This they can accomplish by getting less highly sought after transfers and middling recruits. But if the AD and the President want to use the program to raise money from alumni donors for the endowment or some other purpose, then they need the coach to produce a contender, and probably to do it for several years. This forces them more decisively into the portal game and to spending NIL money.

But you can't build a program that way. Alumni donors may think you can just throw money at it. What Geno and Dawn and Tara and others have amply demonstrated is that programs are built by recruiting the right sort of kids and teaching them some hard lessons. Brenda Frese has hung on for many years, lurking at the edge of program-level competitiveness, and she did it mainly through recruiting and without a huge NIL budget. Eventually, she got burned by the portal starting with Angel going to LSU, and she's tried to fix it through the portal, but has not succeeded so far. Her last great recruit who stayed the course was Sheyanne Sellers, and I wonder if she can have a success like her again. And no transfer has been enough to bail the program out. Before the portal era, this was Kim as well. She seemed to play the game better than Brenda. But now she too is entangled in the portal trap and will only succeed if she makes the rumors of vast NIL offers actually come true.

I had some hope for Lindsay Gottleib. She launched what could be the beginning of a program-level contender with one superstar recruit and a bunch of transfers. Other than Rayah Marshall, I can't think of any longterm recruits who made her rotation two seasons ago. And on the strength of that season, she brought in one of the best recruiting classes in D1, probably the best one in USC history. But she accepted transfers over it with Iriafen and von Oelhofen and as a result seemed to have lost almost all her transfers. She's landed another good recruit in Jazzy, though not much else, and even that was before the end-of-season debacle emerged. We'll see if she can manage to recruit another good class. If not, I think USC will not achieve lasting success as a program.

 

[DEpup]

I'd rather see a grading process similar to professional drafting and trades so a more quality criteria over quantity can be applied. If an already great team like UConn gets the 1 or maybe 2 of the top ranked portal players to fill their exact needs then that is an A+ in my book regardless of the quantity of players.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

This is fun and all, but the reality is that you win if you get what your team needs…to win. Some of these portal picks don’t really move the needle for a team as much as it keeps them from sinking. Overall, only a few teams can make claims here IMO.

 

[chuck.r]

It looks to me like coaches are squeezed on both sides. And I think you have to distinguish between a team (a season long project) and a program (a decades long project).

For many coaches, the goal is to have a winning record, and as long as they don't commit the AD to drumming up millions for a team that usually goes 20-14, their job is probably secure. They'll never contend for a ring, but that may not be their goal. This they can accomplish by getting less highly sought after transfers and middling recruits. But if the AD and the President want to use the program to raise money from alumni donors for the endowment or some other purpose, then they need the coach to produce a contender, and probably to do it for several years. This forces them more decisively into the portal game and to spending NIL money.

But you can't build a program that way. Alumni donors may think you can just throw money at it. What Geno and Dawn and Tara and others have amply demonstrated is that programs are built by recruiting the right sort of kids and teaching them some hard lessons. Brenda Frese has hung on for many years, lurking at the edge of program-level competitiveness, and she did it mainly through recruiting and without a huge NIL budget. Eventually, she got burned by the portal starting with Angel going to LSU, and she's tried to fix it through the portal, but has not succeeded so far. Her last great recruit who stayed the course was Sheyanne Sellers, and I wonder if she can have a success like her again. And no transfer has been enough to bail the program out. Before the portal era, this was Kim as well. She seemed to play the game better than Brenda. But now she too is entangled in the portal trap and will only succeed if she makes the rumors of vast NIL offers actually come true.

I had some hope for Lindsay Gottleib. She launched what could be the beginning of a program-level contender with one superstar recruit and a bunch of transfers. Other than Rayah Marshall, I can't think of any longterm recruits who made her rotation two seasons ago. And on the strength of that season, she brought in one of the best recruiting classes in D1, probably the best one in USC history. But she accepted transfers over it with Iriafen and von Oelhofen and as a result seemed to have lost almost all her transfers. She's landed another good recruit in Jazzy, though not much else, and even that was before the end-of-season debacle emerged. We'll see if she can manage to recruit another good class. If not, I think USC will not achieve lasting success as a program.

In Mulkey's defense, her current transfer strategy has dovetailed with the recent switch in programs from Baylor to LSU. At Baylor I would argue she had built the kind of sustainable program culture off traditional recruiting you refer to, accomplishing 3 titles on a fairly regular 6-7 year cycle and being a consistent 1-2 seed in NCAA regionals. At LSU she had to jumpstart an underachieving program, with aggressive recruiting of transfers & HS grads. She did win a title ahead of schedule in year two, but, as you note, is still on the transfer treadmill to date. I suspect the pressure to tread water with SC and Texas (and now Tenn.) contributes to that.
(Edit: and now that I've mentioned Texas, it would appear Schaeffer is building through a sustainable program strategy)

 

[huskeynut]

There is a reason that Dawn and Geno have built quality teams over their tenures. They recruit well. Their expectations are consistent and high. Both teams are well schooled in basketball fundamentals and expected to execute these fundamentals consistantly.

Players are coached to improve beyond their expectations. To perform at a level they never imagined. Both coaches are successful at this.

Also included in the program dynamics are life skills and lessons. Both Dawn and Geno care deeply about each player as a athlete, a student and a person. Community service is a big one for UConn. We see it consistently. I'm sure our SC friends will chime in that Dawn does the same.

Both are very selective as to who they will recruit from the portal. Both know the specific needs of their respective programs. They not only recruit talent but young ladies of character.

So yea, UConn wins the transfer portal prize and so does South Carolina.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

There is a 1983 Sci-Fi film called WarGames where a HS kid unknowingly hacks into a Defense Department supercomputer named Joshua. He thinks he is playing video games, but has inadvertently set in motion a process that will lead to global thermonuclear war. In the end nuclear holocaust is averted when the computer learns the ironic truth that, “The only winning move is not to play.”

In similar fashion, I would argue that UConn won the transfer portal prior to last season and for this coming season by essentially not playing the game of creating a revolving door for outbound and inbound players. On the outbound side that starts with keeping all your core players. Prior to this past season, UConn was the only D1 school in the nation that did not lose a single outbound transfer. After winning a championship this year (Not a coincidence), UConn only lost Q, the last player off the bench. Keeping your existing core roster is absolutely critical to maintaining continuity for any WBB program.

On the inbound side, UConn is not looking for the shiniest new toy. Since the implementation of the Transfer Portal, the Huskies have now brought in 5 smart, talented, team-oriented players who complement the existing roster. Next season, Serah and Kayleigh will give UConn the deepest, most versatile roster in WBB. The 3 players that came before Serah & Kayleigh were Dorka, Lou & Kaitlyn. They were all stars at their former schools. They had all completed their undergraduate degree. All were willing to accept supporting roles at UConn to pursue their championship dream. Serah and Kayleigh are cut from the same cloth. They are not coming to UConn to become stars or get paid a bundle of money. They just want to get better and win championships.

So what is happening elsewhere in WBB? We are seeing wholesale roster changes as both starters and key reserves are heading for greener pastures. There are teams that have lost their entire rosters. Schools are scrambling to fill voids, sometimes engaging in bidding wars for top players. Coaches have become commodity traders, negotiating NIL payouts with parents and agents, while having little time for player development.

I sometimes feel sorry for college coaches. None of them got into coaching to negotiate transactional contracts with players while losing a significant portion of their roster every year. The joy and satisfaction that coaches receive from developing a young person to reach their potential as a player and a human being over multiple seasons is being lost to NIL, immediate transfer eligibility, player agents and the pressure to win.

Top programs load up on talent from the transfer portal every year. The problem for many of these teams is that it takes years to build a roster into a cohesive unit, and if you are engaged in a major roster overhaul every season with a bunch of free agents, it becomes nearly impossible to execute like a team must execute to win a championship. UConn walloped everyone during the Big Dance with flawless execution at both ends of the court. Yes, UConn had several new faces this past season. But the collective basketball IQ of this Husky team was off the charts, and every single player bought into what Geno was trying to accomplish. After winning championship #12, Geno commented that his team, “fell in love with each other.” That is difficult to achieve if players are always asking, “What about me?”

Next season many teams will set their sights on a national championship. They will work hard to integrate their players into their respective systems in the hopes of creating a smooth and effective team. As for the Huskies, they will not need to hope. UConn has won the Transfer Portal…..again, by adding 2 excellent complimentary players to an experienced and talented roster that will be firing on all cylinders come March.

The transfer portal shocker for me this spring was the team that got to the Final 4 for the first time in the NCAA era, UCLA. 6 players hit the portal from Cori Close's team including her entire freshman class. For years and years her teams had pretty ragged seasonal records, but she as coach of the year this year mostly I suspect on the back of a certain big. If anyone has any insight here I'd love to hear it.

 

[visitingcock]

Yea, I think we kinda do want to stir them up. What's a little aggravation between 2 top teams, but fun. No knockouts or physical altercations but why not pull Dawns' tail feathers and see how many "F bombs" fly from her mouth. After all what can SC say, we would have won if you guys weren't so darn good. Lay it on us SC, maybe if you come up with a good jab you can have another banner. SC is a very good team with an outstanding coach however they lost their last game. A game that will burns SC for at least a year. We are in the penthouse; anything less puts you in the outhouse. Looking forward to next season where the Huskies will be known as defending National Champs, SC will be known as the team who got rolled over. Shot fired?
If you chose to comment, please keep your posts towards SC fun and clean.

Actually, it doesn’t really burn. I thought we fell to an Elite 8 level team when we lost Ashlyn in January. We ended up with our first runnerup ranking. I felt like we punched above our weight class. I’m good with Number two for last year because we weren’t worthy of number 1.

See you in 26

 

[The CDR-Ret]

The reigning “Coach of the Year” lost six of her players to the Portal. What is wrong with that picture? (Cough)

Now is the time to have a Boneyard sponsored award, "Coach of the Five Weeks that Matter!" for the time period that contains Conference Championship week and the NCAA tournament. Geno would have at least 16 of those, particularly in reaching the Final Four or NC game when outside the top 8 in anyone's ranking system.

Coach of the Year should be only considering the Coaches who won both their Conference regular season and Conference Tournaments.

There should be a separate "Coach of the Most Improved Team" that makes the NCAA tournament or wins the other two tournaments if they did not qualify for any tournament in the previous year.

Go Huskies!!!