UConn Recruiting Speculation

[Bone Dog]

Interesting pipeline of bigs Geno may have lined up: Jana 2024, Gandy 2025, and if we’re lucky the Big O 2026

 

[Cuango]

Interesting pipeline of bigs Geno may have lined up: Jana 2024, Gandy 2025, and if we’re lucky the Big O 2026

If Jana is (as I believe) a star, if Ice works hard over the summer, our post problems will no longer be an issue for the foreseeable future. They will take care of things for the next three years and will be joined by Gandy after next season and hopefully, by the Big ”O” the following year! Gandy, who was initially described as a “long shot project” is beginning (to my untrained eye) to show signs that, by the time she actually gets to Storrs, she may be a significant addition!

As for the Big “O”, she is being talked about as the most promising post in years. Further down the road we are apparently looking at eighth graders Sydney Bean and Ella Peper, (6’6” & 6’4” rspectively) ! Meanwhile, we are also looking at Leah Macy, Lara Somfai, Brynn McGaughey, & McKenna Woliiczko who are all 6’2”-6’4”!

As it stands right now, assuming good health, (a dangerous assumption, I know) we are imo, looking good in the post for at least three years And if we can get The Big “O”, then “Katy bar the door!“ we could be looking at a seven year run of dominant post play with exciting possibilities for an even longer stretch!

I realize that, at some point we are looking at the sad inevitability of Geno retiring. However, I believe he will stay as long as the job continues to “put some pep in his step” (I’m hoping for five more years). Perhaps that is foolish, wishful thinking, but there it is. Regardless though, I have confidence that he will be followed by as good a coach as can be found.
It‘s no secret that I’m hoping for Shea or Carla.

The material point though, is that (Knock on wood), it looks as though we are set for a possible several year stretch of a roster that could compare favorably to any roster in UConn’s legendary history!

 

[darrell]

I don’t mean to be the bearer of bad news, especially after an intense game, but Sarah Strong just followed another Duke player. Hate to be a pessimist, but I’m thinking she ends up a Blue Devil.

 

[Cuango]

I don’t mean to be the bearer of bad news, especially after an intense game, but Sarah Strong just followed another Duke player. Hate to be a pessimist, but I’m thinking she ends up a Blue Devil

Love to have her, but I think we’ll be all right! She’s a great player and if she does go to Duke, they’re gonna be a tough team to beat, but with or without Sarah Strong, UConn is going to have an incredible roster for these next few years! We’ll be fine.

 

[Conndog]

Hope Sarah comes here, but if she doesn't and we get, let's say, Lara Somfai from Australia instead, I won't be unhappy

 

[darrell]

Hope Sarah comes here, but if she doesn't and we get, let's say, Lara Somfai from Australia instead, I won't be unhappy

Lara is a ‘25, so I don’t think it’s either/or. I do think that Coach Valley will try and find some size and/or experience through the portal to fill the last roster spot.

 

[HuskyNan]

Hope Sarah comes here, but if she doesn't and we get, let's say, Lara Somfai from Australia instead, I won't be unhappy

Lara is a 6-4 G/F, not a center or power forward

 

[FormerCTrez]

I don’t mean to be the bearer of bad news, especially after an intense game, but Sarah Strong just followed another Duke player. Hate to be a pessimist, but I’m thinking she ends up a Blue Devil.

I personally would love for Sarah Strong to join the Huskies. But if she decides to attend another institution, I’d wish her nothing but the best just the same. The decision is hers, as the ball now lies in her court. Go UConn! Go Huskies!

 

[MilfordHusky]

Somfai is #3 on ASGR, Kelis is #13, and Gandy is now #26!

 

[ABCDFE]

Somfai is #3 on ASGR, Kelis is #13, and Gandy is now #

Not familiar with the evaluators at these ranking sites. Does anyone in the boneyard have a sense of which site typically has the best rate of success accuracy on the actual production of the recruit in college?

Maybe someone has done a spreadsheet analysis of some sort

 

[cferraro04]

I don’t mean to be the bearer of bad news, especially after an intense game, but Sarah Strong just followed another Duke player. Hate to be a pessimist, but I’m thinking she ends up a Blue Devil.

Well, my response is simply this...why would Sara Strong go through all the trouble to keep her decision close to the chest only to signal her choice by who she follows on facebook? I think kids just follow other kids and don't necessarily pay too much attention as to the team they play for. I think Sara's eventual choice will have little to do with who she follows on facebook.

 

[oldhusky]

Somfai is #3 on ASGR, Kelis is #13, and Gandy is now #26!

I have been waiting for Gandy to pop up on lists for some time now, so this is very encouraging. With Somfai as well, knowing we are in the mix for a top rated recruit, and even with Kelis, her rating is quite a bit better than previous ones. Good news on all of them.

 

[Zarathustra]

Somfai is #3 on ASGR, Kelis is #13, and Gandy is now #26!

Lara Somfai, POI class of 2025, has listed five finalist WBB teams: UCONN, Stanford,
Tennessee, Duke, and Virginia Tech. For the Boneyarders who are Math/logic
aficionadoes, provide a logical (?) argument to contradict this syllogism (i.e..
deductive reasoning). Major Premise: Lara Somfai likes H.C. Kenny Brooks
Minor Premise: Kenny Brooks likes the University of Kentucky
Conclusion: Lara Somfai likes the University of Kentucky. My conclusion
is that Kentucky is (probably) " in the mix" but NOT competitive.... UCONN is
THE "LOGICAL" (non-mathematical) CHOICE! My argument is as follows (INDUCTIVE reasoning): based on inductive
"evidence" (i.e. the scientific reasoning based on the empirical "fact" of years of experiments/experience of
superiority on the courts). Thus, the new conclusion is: Empirical EVIDENCE trumps Mathematical Logic. Any Boneyard discussion?

 

[HuskyNan]

Not familiar with the evaluators at these ranking sites. Does anyone in the boneyard have a sense of which site typically has the best rate of success accuracy on the actual production of the recruit in college?

Maybe someone has done a spreadsheet analysis of some sort

I worked for a while with HoopGurlz so I have some insight on ranking methodology. We had a long-ish conversation on the criteria. Some examples of the difficulties:

• I, personally, object to ranking point guards and centers on the same list because the skill sets are so different. I think it makes no sense.
• What makes a player “great” is open to individual preferences. For example, some people look for athleticism while others think strong fundamentals are more important. Is a fabulous scorer a “better” player than a shut-down defender? How do you quantify those qualities?
• How do you factor on-court demeanor, effort, and attitude? Sone people wanted to see a good teammate that’s active and engaged, even on the bench, while others felt it was a non-factor
• Identifying the top 3-5 is somewhat easy but what makes #10 better than #15? Or #5 vs #25? What specific, quantifiable criteria can be used to decide which is which? (Hint, there are none)
• Do we rank based on the skill sets/abilities we see today or are we looking for potential? Do we consider what schools are recruiting her? One criterion we considered was whether or not the recruit was a potential WNBA player. Does it look like the kid has reached her ceiling or does she have upside and, if so, how much?

Every ratings service has its own criteria. So, there are no services that can be considered more accurate than another, IMO. I suggest finding one that has opinions that align with your thinking and then follow them.

 

[Bone Dog]

I worked for a while with HoopGurlz so I have some insight on ranking methodology. We had a long-ish conversation on the criteria. Some examples of the difficulties:

• I, personally, object to ranking point guards and centers on the same list because the skill sets are so different. I think it makes no sense.
• What makes a player “great” is open to individual preferences. For example, some people look for athleticism while others think strong fundamentals are more important. Is a fabulous scorer a “better” player than a shut-down defender? How do you quantify those qualities?
• How do you factor on-court demeanor, effort, and attitude? Sone people wanted to see a good teammate that’s active and engaged, even on the bench, while others felt it was a non-factor
• Identifying the top 3-5 is somewhat easy but what makes #10 better than #15? Or #5 vs #25? What specific, quantifiable criteria can be used to decide which is which? (Hint, there are none)
• Do we rank based on the skill sets/abilities we see today or are we looking for potential? Do we consider what schools are recruiting her? One criterion we considered was whether or not the recruit was a potential WNBA player. Does it look like the kid has reached her ceiling or does she have upside and, if so, how much?

So, there are no services that can be considered more accurate than another, IMO. I suggest finding one that has opinions that align with your thinking and then follow them.

Excellent behind the scenes insight, @HuskyNan. Thanks for this.

I’m often reminded of something Geno has said from time to time about his way of ranking kids. It’s something to the effect that scoring is less important to him than defense. Lots of hs kids can score, but he can’t build a team around that alone. But defense by its very nature requires a commitment to the team.

 

[ERWUC65]

I don’t mean to be the bearer of bad news, especially after an intense game, but Sarah Strong just followed another Duke player. Hate to be a pessimist, but I’m thinking she ends up a Blue Devil.

Perhaps she will attend the game in Portland. Great opportunity to see both teams, coaches and supporters in competitive action. I see choice coming soon after that event.

 

[UcMiami]

Ranking services are probably getting better for women's basketball since the money involved in the game has gotten better. But there are still thousands of teams across a vast country, some who travel and others who don't, and there are some built in biases based on geography for most of the services. And that is before we deal with international players. So ... there are cracks in each ranking services where players can get missed. If you are looking at players on the top 50 HS teams, who also play on one of the top 'AAU' teams, then they are seen often and in competitive games and the rankings are likely pretty close between services.

And however good or bad a ranking service, the projection to the college ranks is problematic, because the college landscape is not homogeneous. Horses for courses as they say - great talent, wrong school, disappointing result, moderate talent, right school, surprising result.

How good are the final big boards in the NFL draft, and how well do they hold up four years later? That industry invests 100s of millions in the evaluation process of a much more limited field of college players and hits at maybe 30% of the top 32. And how much is that hit rate is a result of the right fit of player to team vs the inherent talent?

 

[cferraro04]

Perhaps she will attend the game in Portland. Great opportunity to see both teams, coaches and supporters in competitive action. I see choice coming soon after that event.

Ha...I knew it the sweet sixteen game between the Huskies and the Dukies will be renamed as the Sara Strong Sweepstakes (SSS).

 

[BRS24]

Excellent behind the scenes insight, @HuskyNan. Thanks for this.

I’m often reminded of something Geno has said from time to time about his way of ranking kids. It’s something to the effect that scoring is less important to him than defense. Lots of hs kids can score, but he can’t build a team around that alone. But defense by its very nature requires a commitment to the team.

Geno has also said that players either have/want to pass the ball, or learn to pass the ball, or it won't work at UConn.

 

[Charliebball]

Excellent behind the scenes insight, @HuskyNan. Thanks for this.

I’m often reminded of something Geno has said from time to time about his way of ranking kids. It’s something to the effect that scoring is less important to him than defense. Lots of hs kids can score, but he can’t build a team around that alone. But defense by its very nature requires a commitment to the team.

true but unless you are a post with great rebounding and shot blocking talent you're not going to play much if you can't shoot the ball......

 

[WiseWillie]

Interesting forum discussion but what is left unsaid is reasons why any recruit would hold out for so long. What would they be looking for that hasn't already been covered in visits, evaluations, various discussions over many weeks and months? You almost want to give a deadline and say if we don't hear from you within x, the offer is withdrawn. To me I would prefer someone who knew exactly pretty quickly that they wanted to play for UConn and be part of the Standard than someone who acts more like a prima donna. No thanks.

 

[Charliebball]

Ranking services are probably getting better for women's basketball since the money involved in the game has gotten better. But there are still thousands of teams across a vast country, some who travel and others who don't, and there are some built in biases based on geography for most of the services. And that is before we deal with international players. So ... there are cracks in each ranking services where players can get missed. If you are looking at players on the top 50 HS teams, who also play on one of the top 'AAU' teams, then they are seen often and in competitive games and the rankings are likely pretty close between services.

And however good or bad a ranking service, the projection to the college ranks is problematic, because the college landscape is not homogeneous. Horses for courses as they say - great talent, wrong school, disappointing result, moderate talent, right school, surprising result.

How good are the final big boards in the NFL draft, and how well do they hold up four years later? That industry invests 100s of millions in the evaluation process of a much more limited field of college players and hits at maybe 30% of the top 32. And how much is that hit rate is a result of the right fit of player to team vs the inherent talent?

I think there's not necessarily a big talent gap between players ranked 40 and above and some who aren't ranked at all.......

 

[darrell]

Well, my response is simply this...why would Sara Strong go through all the trouble to keep her decision close to the chest only to signal her choice by who she follows on facebook? I think kids just follow other kids and don't necessarily pay too much attention as to the team they play for. I think Sara's eventual choice will have little to do with who she follows on facebook.

Instagram, not Facebook. And why are we acting like following/interacting with more and more of your future teammates this late into your recruitment isn’t an indicator as to where a player might end up going? For those who follow closely, but on the outside looking in, this is the best way to tell and has often been a telltale sign of what’s to come.

Nothing’s set in stone yet, but following 3 current players and a ‘24 commit (all recently) obviously means something and is no coincidence, so I guess we’ll see.

 

[Geew1992]

Interesting forum discussion but what is left unsaid is reasons why any recruit would hold out for so long. What would they be looking for that hasn't already been covered in visits, evaluations, various discussions over many weeks and months? You almost want to give a deadline and say if we don't hear from you within x, the offer is withdrawn. To me I would prefer someone who knew exactly pretty quickly that they wanted to play for UConn and be part of the Standard than someone who acts more like a prima donna. No thanks.

So someone waiting it out acts like a prima donna?? Maybe, just maybe, she wanted to finish her high school career before committing. Or maybe, just maybe she doesn't know where she wants to go. Calling someone a prima donna that hasn't made any kind of fuss about her recruiting or any kind of fuss at all is just wrong on every level. I'm not sure what you are saying no thanks to?? Ya know Geno recruit Reese, right??

 

[Ladeeeeda]

Interesting forum discussion but what is left unsaid is reasons why any recruit would hold out for so long. What would they be looking for that hasn't already been covered in visits, evaluations, various discussions over many weeks and months? You almost want to give a deadline and say if we don't hear from you within x, the offer is withdrawn. To me I would prefer someone who knew exactly pretty quickly that they wanted to play for UConn and be part of the Standard than someone who acts more like a prima donna. No thanks.

I don't know. When a kid holds out this long, I tend to think the issue is the stress of the decision and having to tell a bunch of coaches, "No, sorry I'm going somewhere else." I think this may be the issue given how quickly she ruled out SC and LSU after the debacle. It gave her an easy out. My biased Duke fan self says, she is choosing Duke and is nervous to tell the schools that have been recruiting her for years that she is going with the Dark Horse. LOL

 

[Zonepress]

Interesting forum discussion but what is left unsaid is reasons why any recruit would hold out for so long. What would they be looking for that hasn't already been covered in visits, evaluations, various discussions over many weeks and months? You almost want to give a deadline and say if we don't hear from you within x, the offer is withdrawn. To me I would prefer someone who knew exactly pretty quickly that they wanted to play for UConn and be part of the Standard than someone who acts more like a prima donna. No thanks.

Not enough space to comment on how foolish a post this is

 

[HuskyNan]

Excellent behind the scenes insight, @HuskyNan. Thanks for this.

I’m often reminded of something Geno has said from time to time about his way of ranking kids. It’s something to the effect that scoring is less important to him than defense. Lots of hs kids can score, but he can’t build a team around that alone. But defense by its very nature requires a commitment to the team.

Geno prefers versatile, multi-position players with good passing skills. He also looks for team-first players that hate to lose. And Geno has been pretty clear that consistent effort is required, no turning it on only when they feel like it

 

[Sifaka]

While most players make earlier decisions than Ms. Strong, that gives us supposed adults no cause to criticize her. She has chosen, perhaps with parental guidance or with personal preference alone, to be deliberate and thoughtful in making a decision that may have serious consequences for the next many years of her life.

I hope she chooses UConn. Whatever her choice, I respect her way of making that choice.

 

[CTBballfan243]

She certainly can't go wrong with any of her school options.

 

[WiseWillie]

"Calling someone a prima donna ... is just all wrong ..."

Yes, mea culpa. Calling someone who is still in high school seems a bit harsh and poor selection of words but there can be little doubt she is most certainly aware she is talented and sees how much publicity she has received while being the centre of attention as the #1 recruit. So we will all wait while she - and her parents no doubt - make up their minds. May the best school/team win.