UConn (only) Recruiting (only) Speculation | Page 8 | The Boneyard

UConn (only) Recruiting (only) Speculation

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oldhusky said:
I would reverse that order, mostly because of one year vs two, but regardless at this point I don't think we can be that picky. If any one of those three is ready to commit you take them. Without knowing details on the player's preferences, or who we are competing with, except that Dauda was supposedly contacted by 20 schools, we can't be sure we will get any of them.

In some ways getting the next tier player could be harder than pursuing Beers or Iriafen. They didn't have to worry about playing time or starting, and knew that wherever they went they would be on a championship contender. With this group the championship contender is a given with us, but their role is likely to be less than it was, and many players don't want that. The well is almost dry, so I just hope we get one of them and we see a Skim picture of a husky soon.
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Good point on 1 vs 2 years. Barker was born in 2003, so technically, she could declare for the draft in 2025. Dauda redshirted in 2021-22, so she may also be a 2003.
 
Between Barker, Dauda, and Karlen, you would think we could recruit one. No?
 
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BRS24 said:
www.courant.com

Can UConn women’s basketball still land a transfer portal post player? Three potential targets

After missing on Oregon State forward Raegan Beers, UConn women’s basketball has limited options as it looks for a transfer post player.
www.courant.com www.courant.com

Barker, Dauda, and Karlen listed. I'd take them in that order.
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I’m not convinced we need them. But I think any one of them could be important contributors in Storrs. I also wonder which of them is prepared to take a backseat to Jana. She is the future of the program, and I expect Geno will prioritize her getting at least rotation minutes if not being the primary starter for much of the season. And all of them still need to learn his system, though perhaps Karlen least of this group, while Jana has had some experience of it in practices.

Maybe I like Liza the best just because she may be the most mature. Barker is a superb athlete, but perhaps not yet an entirely formed basketball player, and that’s a distinction that really matters to Geno.
 
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I don't have personal knowledge of any of these three but would lean towards whoever has the highest basketball IQ. We have so much offensive potential at the guard and Strong positions (whatever position she ends up playing), that having another taller player who has the experience to seamlessly plug into the UConn system would be ideal. While the basketball gods owe UConn an injury free season, even one or two sprained ankles would create a need for this role.
 
I am amazed at the obsession with another post player, 6' 5" or taller, or for that matter, any front court player.

Beers decides its Oklahoma. Fine. Then all these other names pop up as a must get. It's insane.

The big thing is rebounding. We always get our rebounded. Just FYI, rebounding is about 20 - 25% technique and the rerst is pure desire. Examples have been cited as to those UConn rebounders who were not 6' 5".

There is only one opinion that counts - Geno's. And Geno knows what he has and what he needs.
 
AmeriConn said:
Between Barker, Dauda, and Karlen, you would think we could recruit one. No?
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If UConn had wanted any of them, they could’ve recruited them coming out of HS. They weren’t unknowns. But they didn’t.
 
Bone Dog said:
I’m not convinced we need them. But I think any one of them could be important contributors in Storrs. I also wonder which of them is prepared to take a backseat to Jana. She is the future of the program, and I expect Geno will prioritize her getting at least rotation minutes if not being the primary starter for much of the season. And all of them still need to learn his system, though perhaps Karlen least of this group, while Jana has had some experience of it in practices.

Maybe I like Liza the best just because she may be the most mature. Barker is a superb athlete, but perhaps not yet an entirely formed basketball player, and that’s a distinction that really matters to Geno.
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I do think we need an experienced big. Aubrey will be coming back from injury even though she’s really a 3/4, Jana also coming back from injury and no experience playing college ball, Ice looks more like a 4 and seems like she needs a little more time to grow and adjust.
Most of the best teams have great bigs; South Carolina, UCLA, USC now with the addition of Kiki, NC state just added that big girl from Boston, LSU has Morrow and that girl coming back from injury who I thought looked really good (blanking on her name). IMO we need an experienced big to be up on that tier with them. If Jana does pan out and turns out to be a great freshman that’s awesome. But we’ve all seen it takes freshman awhile to adjust.
 
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The Portal circus didn’t affect me as much as the amusing preoccupation on the Boneyard.
  • My one consideration was I felt that one Portal addition would maximize the TASSK first year similarity, allow Geno to play 5+4+ right from the start and maximize player development with 10-player quality practices.
  • Geno and the team confirmed that with the addition of Kaitlyn, which also allows him to easily recreate his 2023 offense.
The later pursuit of a post player, which totally consumed some members, was for me an ambiguously tell, which only Geno and the players can resolve given they know best.
  • is the pursuit mainly an insurance (good to have) to the asterisked best-in-class on-paper roster?
  • is the pursuit an absolute necessity given information only they know?
  • is the pursuit to make a more formidable roster (Raegan)?
My post-hoc rationalization on the lack of last-minute frantic buys, is that the post player pursuit is mainly insurance. I am relieved that this is probably the case.

Looking forward to the season.
 
I don't think getting a guard like Chen was ever the first priority, it was the second one. We probably were looking for one of each, a big and a small. The big was a far greater need and if we had obtained Beers or Iriafen it would have been many times more important than the Chen pickup.

But Chen was an obvious good choice, available and willing to fill the lesser of the two goals. We struck out on huge difference making bigs, are still pursuing players that could be more than just injury insurance, because at least a few appear to be upgrades over Ayanna and Ice on paper in addition to being insurance.

If we don't get one of those, then the possibility of pursuing a next tier lower that would pretty much be injury insurance only is possible, but we are not there yet IMO.
 
oldhusky said:
I don't think getting a guard like Chen was ever the first priority, it was the second one. We probably were looking for one of each, a big and a small. The big was a far greater need and if we had obtained Beers or Iriafen it would have been many times more important than the Chen pickup.

But Chen was an obvious good choice, available and willing to fill the lesser of the two goals. We struck out on huge difference making bigs, are still pursuing players that could be more than just injury insurance, because at least a few appear to be upgrades over Ayanna and Ice on paper in addition to being insurance.

If we don't get one of those, then the possibility of pursuing a next tier lower that would pretty much be injury insurance only is possible, but we are not there yet IMO.
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We have no way of knowing if any of the currently available frontcourt transfers are any better than Ice or Patterson...........none of the transfers were rated anywhere near as highly as the two UConn players who are still in the early stages of their development........I expect Ice to come into her own next season and hopefully a fully healthy Patterson may finally show us why she was such a coveted recruit just a couple of years ago......
 
One last thought on the transfer talk:

I think it makes most sense to look for mature players, and we found one in Kaitlyn. Late in the season and in the tournaments, when Geno had to go to the bench, he only had first year players there. This was the glaring need last season, not a big or a little. Maturity. Geno & Co can coach the players they have and get them to a final four -- this much is clear -- but they can't make them more mature than they are. Only time and experience can do that. This is why Kaitlyn is a good addition, because she will be one more steadying influence on the floor besides Paige. This is also why instead of thinking of the next player's height, we should think about their maturity, and this makes Liza a good candidate. No, she doesn't solve any particular height issue. She's merely a talented resolute medium-big with a lot of experience and maturity. She was always outplayed by Aaliyah when they matched up. But there were lots of times last season when Geno would have loved to have someone like her to bring in off the bench.
 
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Charliebball said:
We have no way of knowing if any of the currently available frontcourt transfers are any better than Ice or Patterson...........none of the transfers were rated anywhere near as highly as the two UConn players who are still in the early stages of their development........I expect Ice to come into her own next season and hopefully a fully healthy Patterson may finally show us why she was such a coveted recruit just a couple of years ago......
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Actually Barker was # 3 the same year that Ayanna and Ice were 4/5, but all three have significantly under-performed their high school ranking thus far. For that matter Amari didn't come close to her #15 either.

Far more important is their actual track record in college. Ayanna and Ice only have one year but their overall numbers adjusted for minutes and level of competition are not close to the players we are still pursuing at the moment. The players we are pursuing were also better in their first year. I am hopeful that Ayanna and Ice will make a quantum leap from their first year, but the existing track record is not encouraging and the portal prospects have already achieved at a much higher level.
 
oldhusky said:
Actually Barker was # 3 the same year that Ayanna and Ice were 4/5, but all three have significantly under-performed their high school ranking thus far. For that matter Amari didn't come close to her #15 either.

Far more important is their actual track record in college. Ayanna and Ice only have one year but their overall numbers adjusted for minutes and level of competition are not close to the players we are still pursuing at the moment. The players we are pursuing were also better in their first year. I am hopeful that Ayanna and Ice will make a quantum leap from their first year, but the existing track record is not encouraging and the portal prospects have already achieved at a much higher level.
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I'm going to stick with the players Geno felt so strongly about out of high school over any of the remaining transfers........Beers would have been extremely impactful, but I don't buy that any of the other candidates would be game-changers going forward......
 
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oldhusky said:
Actually Barker was # 3 the same year that Ayanna and Ice were 4/5, but all three have significantly under-performed their high school ranking thus far. For that matter Amari didn't come close to her #15 either.

Far more important is their actual track record in college. Ayanna and Ice only have one year but their overall numbers adjusted for minutes and level of competition are not close to the players we are still pursuing at the moment. The players we are pursuing were also better in their first year. I am hopeful that Ayanna and Ice will make a quantum leap from their first year, but the existing track record is not encouraging and the portal prospects have already achieved at a much higher level.
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Before making this judgement, can we give them some time to play? Yanna was injured her freshman year and sat out her sophmore year. Ice sat out her freshman year, so technically she was a freshman this year. She played really well as the year went on. I say give them a few years before making that judgement.
 
Clips from what many of you have written, and a bit of my thoughts:

"Maybe I like Liza the best just because she may be the most mature." She is a grad student, with the most experience. I don’t know her ‘maturity’, but gut feeling is that she would be outstanding along side Jana, Ayanna and Ice next season.

"…having another taller player who has the experience to seamlessly plug into the UConn system would be ideal. While the basketball gods owe UConn an injury free season, even one or two sprained ankles would create a need for this role." “The experience to seamlessly plug into the…” TEAM is who I would be after. I honestly do not know who would be the best team player. It may be one who is willing to patiently sit on the bench, it may be one who would push others out of their minutes of play.

"Most of the best teams have great bigs; South Carolina, UCLA, USC now with the addition of Kiki, NC state just added that big girl from Boston,…" UConn has Jana! Unfortunately, as of yet, we have not seen her play other than video of international tournaments where she did not square up against any players like a Cardosa, or a Betts, or an Iriafen, or a Kitley. Jana played very well against Qingyang Li last summer but (who??) is she the same as those others? We do know Toby Fournier from Canada who is going to Duke next season. Fournier is the real deal! FWIW, she collected 15 rebounds in the game against Egypt.
 
"IMO we need an experienced big to be up on that tier with them. If Jana does pan out and turns out to be a great freshman that’s awesome. But we’ve all seen it takes freshman awhile to adjust." I have confidence in Jana, I think the probabilities are high that she will turn out to be the next Breanna Stewart. I am also realistic and know that it very well may take a while, And the first 1/3 of the season is when we will need her to be outstanding; it is the nonconference games that we will be playing the powerhouse teams. The FIRST 1/3, and I don’t know for certain that UConn will have Patterson as an available backstop!

"My post-hoc rationalization on the lack of last-minute frantic buys, is that the post player pursuit is mainly insurance. I am relieved that this is probably the case." I would like to have an available backstop for the first 1/3 of the season. If that player turns out to be better than Jana, better than Ice, better than Ayanna then so be it and those other three get less playtime. If that player is on the team for just a single season it would have less of a negative impact to those other three than if the player were taking minutes for multiple years.
 
"We struck out on huge difference making bigs, are still pursuing players that could be more than just injury insurance, because at least a few appear to be upgrades over Ayanna and Ice on paper in addition to being insurance." Assume this refers to Raegan Beers. She would have been more than just an ‘insurance policy’ and she has two years left in her collegiate career. Perhaps it will turn out for the best that she made the decision against UConn; it will reduce the probability that one (or more) of our current players would enter into the portal next season.

"I’m not convinced we need them. But I think any one of them could be important contributors in Storrs." Agreed, and there is a roster spot to be filled. No matter how much I type into this thread, the coaching staff still does not give me a single dang vote on who that spot may go to? Gosh!
 
Dugway said:
"IMO we need an experienced big to be up on that tier with them. If Jana does pan out and turns out to be a great freshman that’s awesome. But we’ve all seen it takes freshman awhile to adjust." I have confidence in Jana, I think the probabilities are high that she will turn out to be the next Breanna Stewart. I am also realistic and know that it very well may take a while, And the first 1/3 of the season is when we will need her to be outstanding; it is the nonconference games that we will be playing the powerhouse teams. The FIRST 1/3, and I don’t know for certain that UConn will have Patterson as an available backstop!

"My post-hoc rationalization on the lack of last-minute frantic buys, is that the post player pursuit is mainly insurance. I am relieved that this is probably the case." I would like to have an available backstop for the first 1/3 of the season. If that player turns out to be better than Jana, better than Ice, better than Ayanna then so be it and those other three get less playtime. If that player is on the team for just a single season it would have less of a negative impact to those other three than if the player were taking minutes for multiple years.
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I agree but I don’t really think we need her to be “outstanding“, though that would be nice, but if she can just be solid, we should be fine. We have plenty of talent on this team, and while her being outstanding is obviously the best case scenario, if she can just give us a good 25-30 minutes of solid post play; 12-15 pts, 8-12 boards, a block or two, and decent defense in the paint, I’m pretty sure we’ll be a load for any team out there!

Let’s face it, offense is not something this team is likely to struggle with. The real key to fulfilling the potential of this team is going to depend on whether Geno continues last season’s renewed focus on suffocating defense! That is what turned our season around last year and that will (imo) be the single biggest determinant (aside from injuries, of course) as to whether this team can fully realize the full sum of its parts!

I have seen several posts downplaying the probability of us going to the press. I don’t claim to have the knowledge to speak on whether we could/should do that but I do wonder why, assuming everyone were to be fully healthy, that would not be an option? We are looking at having 14-15 contributing players! I look at our roster and there is not a single player out of that 14-15 that is not capable of being a solid player next season! We have size, speed, incredible shooting, and perhaps the “closest” team I’ve ever seen! Their love and respect for each other was something that really stood out last season, and given the outstanding leaders they clearly have, I would expect this group to be the same.

I know many here on the Boneyard are shellshocked from the last three or four years and seem to almost expect a continuation of that nightmare but there is another possibility as well. Imagine if all our players are finally healthy and stay that way ! Imagine if Jana plays like some believe she is capable of? Ice steps up and plays like the player Geno originally recruited! Sarah shows up in top shape and plays like Maya, Paige & Azzi finally play (together) up to their joint capabilities, KK, Ash, & Q all make a big sophomore jump, KC has a Lou like year, and Morgan and Allie play like KK and Ash did last season, and finally, imagine Aubrey, Yanna and Caroline show no signs of the injuries that held them back last year?

Do we get one more player to add to our overflowing cup? Will it be Dauda or Karlen? I don’t know, but I am sure that Geno will only make that move if he is absolutely sure that it will be a net positive for the team and that he player will fit seamlessly in with the incredible roster he has so carefully assembled.

Some will say I’m dreaming, living in a fantasy land but remember this; nothing I said in my admittedly rose colored assessment, is impossible! To quote Robert Kennedy: “Some men see things as they are and ask “”Why?”” I dream of things that never were and ask “”Why not?””
The truth is, Geno & Co have put together the best roster I’ve ever seen in all the time I’ve followed women’s basketball! Likely or not, the fact is, it is possible that all of these young women could be fully healthy next season! It’s also possible that every one of them has a career year next season! Just sit back for a moment and think about that! It’s pretty enjoyable!:)
 
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