UConn recruiting its way to a national championship

[alexrgct]

I've been thinking about the year-over-year development of how UConn builds a monster, and I'm enjoying it. Given that, I figured I'd share it and divulge where I hope UConn is going yet again.

So, in 1991, Rebecca Lobo decided to follow the success of UConn's Final Four run and help take an up-and-coming program to the top. Geno worked to build a champion in successive years with great prospect evaluation of other New England girls (Jen Rizzotti in 1992, Kara Wolters in 1993), and great fortune in that 1994 wrought a #1 national high school prospect who just happened to be from Bloomfield, CT (Nykesha Sales). That's four years, four recruits, three NPOY winners, and four names on the Huskies of Honor wall. That's how you build a national champion.

Of course, UConn took a while to win another one. Graduation cost UConn those four players, with each player leaving in four successive years (and Sales bowing out earlier in her senior season due to injury). Meanwhile, the injury bug certainly hurt each of UConn's seasons between 1997 and 1999. Nevertheless, UConn was building a monster yet again with great successive recruiting: Shea Ralph in 1996, Svetlana Abrosimova in 1997, and the recruiting bounty known as the TASS(K) Force in 1998. Since Keirsten Walters didn't go the distance, the final tally from 1996-98 recruiting is six players, one NPOY winner, four names on the HoH wall, and two national championships.

Now, UConn had great timing in the midst of this second championship build by recruiting Diana in 2000, so UConn managed two more NCs around possibly the best UConn player of all time. But with Shea and Svet departing in 2001, the TASS Force graduating in 2002, and Diana graduating in 2004, there was nothing left. Annie Strother didn't quite live up to her national #1 billing (though she did contribute well to the 2003 and 2004 NCs), godsend Maria Conlon graduated in 2004, super elite recruit Nicole Wolff had injury issues, and other super elite recruit Charde Houston didn't quite pan out. And yet, while this run resulted in an inevitable dropoff, it was followed by another run of three consecutive great recruiting years: Renee Montgomery in 2005, Tina Charles in 2006, and Maya Moore in 2007. Had it been the four-year run of EDD in 2008, who only knows what would have happened, but 2005-2007 was more than good enough. Three names on the wall, a combined four NPOY awards, two NCs, and 90 wins in a row.

Despite a miss or two, we can enjoy the fourth recruiting monster as well from 2010-12: Stef, Bria, KML, Stewie. That's one NPOY, four names destined to be on the wall by 2016, and two more NCs! Meanwhile, 2014-15 may result in another NC on top of that string.

Of course, I'd love to see Geno build one more recruiting monster. 2013 was a strange year, but it did yield one player who, despite an up-and-down freshman campaign, could be a valuable contributor. 2014 has yielded four players with high expectations. And just last night, we received word that Napheesa Collier has committed to UConn. She is very highly touted in her own right and may inspire other recruits who were part of the same recruiting visits to hop on board as well. Can 2013-15 turn into the monster I'd like to see? Stay tuned- this could serve as ample evidence that Geno has another run in him...

 

[doggydaddy]

I've been thinking about the year-over-year development of how UConn builds a monster, and I'm enjoying it. Given that, I figured I'd share it and divulge where I hope UConn is going yet again.

So, in 1991, Rebecca Lobo decided to follow the success of UConn's Final Four run and help take an up-and-coming program to the top. Geno worked to build a champion in successive years with great prospect evaluation of other New England girls (Jen Rizzotti in 1992, Kara Wolters in 1993), and great fortune in that 1994 wrought a #1 national high school prospect who just happened to be from Bloomfield, CT (Nykesha Sales). That's four years, four recruits, three NPOY winners, and four names on the Huskies of Honor wall. That's how you build a national champion.

Of course, UConn took a while to win another one. Graduation cost UConn those four players, with each player leaving in four successive years (and Sales bowing out earlier in her senior season due to injury). Meanwhile, the injury bug certainly hurt each of UConn's seasons between 1997 and 1999. Nevertheless, UConn was building a monster yet again with great successive recruiting: Shea Ralph in 1996, Svetlana Abrosimova in 1997, and the recruiting bounty known as the TASS(K) Force in 1998. Since Keirsten Walters didn't go the distance, the final tally from 1996-98 recruiting is six players, one NPOY winner, four names on the HoH wall, and two national championships.

Now, UConn had great timing in the midst of this second championship build by recruiting Diana in 2000, so UConn managed two more NCs around possibly the best UConn player of all time. But with Shea and Svet departing in 2001, the TASS Force graduating in 2002, and Diana graduating in 2003, there was nothing left. Annie Strother didn't quite live up to her national #1 billing (though she did contribute well to the 2003 and 2004 NCs), godsend Maria Conlon graduated in 2004, super elite recruit Nicole Wolff had injury issues, and other super elite recruit Charde Houston didn't quite pan out. And yet, while this run resulted in an inevitable dropoff, it was followed by another run of three consecutive great recruiting years: Renee Montgomery in 2005, Tina Charles in 2006, and Maya Moore in 2007. Had it been the four-year run of EDD in 2008, who only knows what would have happened, but 2005-2007 was more than good enough. Three names on the wall, a combined four NPOY awards, two NCs, and 90 wins in a row.

Despite a miss or two, we can enjoy the fourth recruiting monster as well from 2010-12: Stef, Bria, KML, Stewie. That's one NPOY, four names destined to be on the wall by 2016, and two more NCs! Meanwhile, 2014-15 may result in another NC on top of that string.

Of course, I'd love to see Geno build one more recruiting monster. 2013 was a strange year, but it did yield one player who, despite an up-and-down freshman campaign, could be a valuable contributor. 2014 has yielded four players with high expectations. And just last night, we received word that Napheesa Collier has committed to UConn. She is very highly touted in her own right and may inspire other recruits who were part of the same recruiting visits to hop on board as well. Can 2013-15 turn into the monster I'd like to see? Stay tuned- this could serve as ample evidence that Geno has another run in him...

One word. Tuck. It makes the 2013 class two players.

 

[UcMiami]

One word. Tuck. It makes the 2013 class two players.

And one more word. Jefferson. It makes the 2012 class two players both destined for the wall.

 

[Zorro]

What year was the Jackie Gemelos fiasco?

 

[HGN]

And one more word. Jefferson. It makes the 2012 class two players both destined for the wall.

I agree. I too think MoJeff will be up on that wall before its all said and done. It's hard to ignore her Sue Bird-like numbers and 2 NC's thus far, with 2 years to go.

 

[HuskyPhan]

The New Tuck Rule......

If Morgan comes back 100% I feel we will be absolutely unbeatable next year. If she can give us 50-70% we will be nearly or maybe unbeatable. I don't want to think about less than 50%, just for her sake-although our Huskies will be very strong in any event! Go Huskies-less than 6 months to First Night

 

[MilfordHusky]

I agree about MoJett. The 7th grader driving the Ferrari was a key this year. She even guarded players when the clock wasn't running. She'll be a AA and a likely Lieberman winner.

 

[MilfordHusky]

What year was the Jackie Gemelos fiasco?

She was in the same class as Tina, 2006-10, and committed as a soph, which would have been 2004.

 

[Geno-ista]

The New Tuck Rule.

If Morgan comes back 100% I feel we will be absolutely unbeatable next year. If she can give us 50-70% we will be nearly or maybe unbeatable. I don't want to think about less than 50%, just for her sake-although our Huskies will be very strong in any event! Go Huskies-less than 6 months to First Night

The above is one extremely intelligent and accurate statements IMO ! I pray she doesn't come back like Brittney Hunter- who was courageous and gave us everything she had left. I hope for her sake we get to see what Morgan is really capable of in a full season- and not just little glimpses. We have BB , Chong and 4 new guards(3 guards & a wing) to fill Hartley's big sneakers. A healthy Tuck goes a long long way to filling Steph's shoes, especially on the offensive end!