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UConn Recruiting

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I wrote some comments about Pania Davis, 6 ' 6", Aussie now playing at NEW
MEXICO JUNIOR COLLEGE on the " recruiting " thread. Suggest anyone interested
to look at that thread and make comments here. One thing that I highlighted on my
comments there was that Pania's birthday is September 152003... Therefore, she is now
20 years old (but in her freshman year at N.M.). She also, if I read the JUNIOR
COLLEGE STAT page properly, has 35 blocked shots in 13 games, which apparently
leads the nation for JR COLLEGE teams: # 1 in the country??? She is Australian, having
played 27 games in her " career" with the ROCKINGHAM FLAMES in Australia. 17 games in
the 2023 season.
 
FYI: Pania Davis's nickname is "P", and her first name is pronounced:"Pawn nee uh".
Her hometown is Perth, Australia. The N.M. Junior College team, "THE THUNDERBIRDS" are
from HOBBS, N.M. (severe southeast N.M., near Texas). The Women's roster has eight
foreign players: Mozambique, Angola, Ivory Coast, Columbia, Sweden, Spain, Uganda and,
of course, Australia. More stats and info at www.nmjc.edu and scroll to "community" and to "sports".
 
Zarathustra said:
I wrote some comments about Pania Davis, 6 ' 6", Aussie now playing at NEW
MEXICO JUNIOR COLLEGE on the " recruiting " thread. Suggest anyone interested
to look at that thread and make comments here. One thing that I highlighted on my
comments there was that Pania's birthday is September 152003... Therefore, she is now
20 years old (but in her freshman year at N.M.). She also, if I read the JUNIOR
COLLEGE STAT page properly, has 35 blocked shots in 13 games, which apparently
leads the nation for JR COLLEGE teams: # 1 in the country??? She is Australian, having
played 27 games in her " career" with the ROCKINGHAM FLAMES in Australia. 17 games in
the 2023 season.
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I live in New Mexico and even I didn't realize NMJC was still operating. I thought the New Mexico JCs had all been phased out or converted to CCs. Hobbs is oil and gas country, so much of what NMJC does is train people to work the oil fields. I wonder what Pania is studying.
 
Bone Dog said:
I live in New Mexico and even I didn't realize NMJC was still operating. I thought the New Mexico JCs had all been phased out or converted to CCs. Hobbs is oil and gas country, so much of what NMJC does is train people to work the oil fields. I wonder what Pania is studying.
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The answer to your last question is easy: BASKETBALL! Her team, THE THUNDERBIRDS, has
players from 8 nations: Mozambique, Angola, Ivory Coast, Columbia, Sweden, Spain,
Uganda, and , of course, Australia. On the roster page it listens one of "P"'s interests as "reading"
along with " going to the gym"...... An honest lady!
 
Some more background on "P". Her Australian team, the Rockingham Flames, was
14-6 in the Australian NBL ONE WEST league. The ages for the FLAMES' rotation
were: 26, 28, 29, 29,29, 32, etc... you get the idea! : a professional team. The Flames
came in 4th or 5th? in their division (it's a large division). More information is available at
Australiabasket.com. At the end of the 2023 season "P" won the FLAMES' "WOMEN'S
RISING STAR" award. She is a young (20 years old) lady on a senior professional team.
I think of her like Juste Joycte on that French professional team (LYONS, I believe). The
assumption is that players like Juste, Pania can play as an amateur and maintain her
NCAA eligibility. She's a lady to keep in mind. Note: The Hobbs, N.M. junior college
has a very nice "stats" page if you dig down to review the team's and "P"'s progress.
 
I've been trying to keep up with other teams recruiting forums to see what they are saying about Sarah Strong.

Someone on UNC board is claiming to hear from someone close to Sarah's high school that UConn is out of it.

Again, this is all just speculation. Really hope it just a fake source. Way too many rumors out there!
 
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Rings R Us said:
I've been trying to keep up with other teams recruiting forums to see what they are saying about Sarah Strong.

Someone on UNC board is claiming to hear from someone close to Sarah's high school that UConn is out of it.

Again, this is all just speculation. Really hope it just a fake source. Way too many rumors out there!
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Jamelle just went to see her on the 28th of last month (all the way in South Carolina). So unless something’s happened since then, I’d say it’s just chatter.
 
UConn has been out of it on Sarah Strong for a long time now. Everybody should just move on from that.
 
Rings R Us said:
I've been trying to keep up with other teams recruiting forums to see what they are saying about Sarah Strong.

Someone on UNC board is claiming to hear from someone close to Sarah's high school that UConn is out of it.

Again, this is all just speculation. Really hope it just a fake source. Way too many rumors out there!
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I also remember a couple months back when someone that went to Sarah’s high school had said Sarah was going to UConn. I’d say it’s safe to say that wasn’t true, so I’m choosing to not put much value into this new rumor. Also have heard that she’s definitely committed to LSU and nothing ever came of that.
 
GenoWept said:
I also remember a couple months back when someone that went to Sarah’s high school had said Sarah was going to UConn. I’d say it’s safe to say that wasn’t true, so I’m choosing to not put much value into this new rumor. Also have heard that she’s definitely committed to LSU and nothing ever came of that.
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Nobody seems to know, and I am more pessimistic than optimistic, but if I was looking for a reason for her to wait and still pick us, it would be the Covid year option, and waiting to see if Aaliyah declares for the WNBA draft. If I was one of the top couple of HS prospects, I might not want to spend even one year coming off the bench. If Aaliyah leaves she probably doesn't have to. Paige coming back, on the other hand, might be a positive affect on her decision.
 
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oldhusky said:
Nobody seems to know, and I am more pessimistic than optimistic, but if I was looking for a reason for her to wait and still pick us, it would be the Covid year option, and waiting to see if Aaliyah declares for the WNBA draft. If I was one of the top couple of HS prospects, I might not want to spend even one year coming off the bench. If Aaliyah leaves she probably doesn't have to. Paige coming back, on the other hand, might be a positive affect on her decision.
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This is what I was thinking too. Aaliyah is the only variable for someone like her. And if Sarah comes to Storrs and gets 10 mins/g in November, she’ll have 20 by the end of December.
 
oldhusky said:
Nobody seems to know, and I am more pessimistic than optimistic, but if I was looking for a reason for her to wait and still pick us, it would be the Covid year option, and waiting to see if Aaliyah declares for the WNBA draft. If I was one of the top couple of HS prospects, I might not want to spend even one year coming off the bench. If Aaliyah leaves she probably doesn't have to. Paige coming back, on the other hand, might be a positive affect on her decision.
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KK was a top recruit as well. She didn't go elsewhere, figuring she wouldn't get playing time because Paige was here. She wanted to learn from the best.

I would hope that Sarah doesn't figure playing time isn't the only factor in raising her game and preparing for the WNBA. Great coaching, great peers and great competition are major factors. It's the reason so many Huskies are pro-ready after college.
 
Jaml said:
KK was a top recruit as well. She didn't go elsewhere, figuring she wouldn't get playing time because Paige was here. She wanted to learn from the best.

I would hope that Sarah doesn't figure playing time isn't the only factor in raising her game and preparing for the WNBA. Great coaching, great peers and great competition are major factors. It's the reason so many Huskies are pro-ready after college.
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Excellent point. Very much in line with Geno’s recruiting philosophy. He does not guarantee freshmen PT. In the past when players sought assurances that they would start at UConn, Geno stopped recruiting them.
 
oldude said:
Excellent point. Very much in line with Geno’s recruiting philosophy. He does not guarantee freshmen PT. In the past when players sought assurances that they would start at UConn, Geno stopped recruiting them.
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Man do I agree whole heartedly with you guys. Most kids coming to college have alot to learn. Some think they dont and some know they do and want to get better. Fundamentals especially. To get better, you have to make a total commitment to change from what your doing wrong to what you need to do to do it right. Those kids who dont want to change and think they can get by with the skills they had in high school in most cases never get any better and some get worse. Practicing the wrong things over and over again only in grain poor habits. Its doing the same thing over and over and thinking things will change.

Coming to UConn and playing with the best and for the best coach will make you better. You will compete with the best which can only make you better. The key is to be coachable. Willing to change. Repetition is the mother of skill however practicing the wrong way will not make you better it will lock in those bad skills and cause you to always lack what you need to get better. Being able to work with someone like Geno who will be on your case until you get it right is exactly what you need if you wanna get better. If you disagree just look at Genos records. If you wanna start for a team there are plenty of schools out there for you to go to. But if you want to get better and be the best you can be then UConn might be for you.
 
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oldude said:
I’m still looking forward to paying off the bet.
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Just Do It Ted Lasso GIF by Apple TV
 
Tonyc said:
Man do I agree whole heartedly with you guys. Most kids coming to college have alot to learn. Some think they dont and some know they do and want to get better. Fundamentals especially. To get better, you have to make a total commitment to change from what your doing wrong to what you need to do to do it right. Those kids who dont want to change and think they can get by with the skills they had in high school in most cases never get any better and some get worse. Practicing the wrong things over and over again only in grain poor habits. Its doing the same thing over and over and thinking things will change.

Coming to UConn and playing with the best and for the best coach will make you better. You will compete with the best which can only make you better. The key is to be coachable. Willing to change. Repetition is the mother of skill however practicing the wrong way will not make you better it will lock in those bad skills and cause you to always lack what you need to get better. Being able to work with someone like Geno who will be on your case until you get it right is exactly what you need if you wanna get better. If you disagree just look at Genos records. If you wanna start for a team there are plenty of schools out there for you to go to. But if you want to get better and be the best you can be then UConn might be for you.
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To be fair - the kids can make the decisions based on whatever they want and it doesn't make them right or wrong. You can have the mindset and commitment to be the best you can be, while also wanting playing time. Those things aren't mutually exclusive. Also, at this point I think it's definitely unfair to act like UConn is the only school to go to get to that level. It's more about the person, than the school. Does Geno recruit this mindset? Absolutely. Does that mean every kid with that mindset wants to go to UConn? Nope. Does that mean that other coaches don't also recruit for that? Nope. Does it mean that other coaches/programs can't develop the same caliber player? Nope.

I've been a fan for 30+ years and I think it's amazing what this program has done, but some of the UConn piousness is a little overdone sometimes. Also, Geno's record is an indication of a lot of things but again, everything I stated above is still true. His success is undeniable but acting like we're the only game in town at this point is just tiring.
 
wbbhoops278 said:
To be fair - the kids can make the decisions based on whatever they want and it doesn't make them right or wrong. You can have the mindset and commitment to be the best you can be, while also wanting playing time. Those things aren't mutually exclusive. Also, at this point I think it's definitely unfair to act like UConn is the only school to go to get to that level. It's more about the person, than the school. Does Geno recruit this mindset? Absolutely. Does that mean every kid with that mindset wants to go to UConn? Nope. Does that mean that other coaches don't also recruit for that? Nope. Does it mean that other coaches/programs can't develop the same caliber player? Nope.

I've been a fan for 30+ years and I think it's amazing what this program has done, but some of the UConn piousness is a little overdone sometimes. Also, Geno's record is an indication of a lot of things but again, everything I stated above is still true. His success is undeniable but acting like we're the only game in town at this point is just tiring.
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I agree we are not the only program and kids can make their own decisions on what they want and they should. However IMO Geno is the best at what he does and if you want to learn from the best come work under Geno.
 
There are "bad" coaches out there. Not just ineffective ones, but tyrannical ones, explosive tempers, unfair ones, coaches who play favorites so that it's impossible to earn PT once you get "in the doghouse." HS players have either met coaches like this or heard about them from friends. It's natural for them to try to spot them based on the limited information they have.

Playing time is only one of the things they'll think about, but I suspect it serves as a gauge for lots of other things too. If a HS kid watches a team for a season, does she see freshmen getting real chances to play? For example, Dawn made a point of playing a long rotation most of last season. This season, Kitts took a chance and came early and is now getting substantial playing time, and not just because of injuries. And Fulwiley has gotten playing time even though the guard spot at SC is already loaded. These have to be positive indicators for potential recruits.

And even injury-based opportunities mean something. It must be clear that Geno sorted through his freshmen and decided to give KK and Ash starting spots, and their performance showed he'd made a careful assessment. It's should also be clear that he's working on a slightly slower schedule with Ice and Q, but his intention is clear. This has to say to a recruit that he makes judgments based on performance, not favoritism or temper.
 
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wbbhoops278 said:
To be fair - the kids can make the decisions based on whatever they want and it doesn't make them right or wrong. You can have the mindset and commitment to be the best you can be, while also wanting playing time. Those things aren't mutually exclusive. Also, at this point I think it's definitely unfair to act like UConn is the only school to go to get to that level. It's more about the person, than the school. Does Geno recruit this mindset? Absolutely. Does that mean every kid with that mindset wants to go to UConn? Nope. Does that mean that other coaches don't also recruit for that? Nope. Does it mean that other coaches/programs can't develop the same caliber player? Nope.

I've been a fan for 30+ years and I think it's amazing what this program has done, but some of the UConn piousness is a little overdone sometimes. Also, Geno's record is an indication of a lot of things but again, everything I stated above is still true. His success is undeniable but acting like we're the only game in town at this point is just tiring.
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And yet, if you took a poll of WNBA coaches on what school sends the most well prepared players to the League, UConn would certainly win that poll. To be fair, Dawn has moved SC into that conversation over the last five years or so but UConn would still win. So, tiring though you may find it, any player who possesses all the attributes that make up the typical “UConn recruit” can be fairly well assured, (to a higher degree than any other school imo) that she will be better prepared for her Pro career than (nod to Dawn) virtually any player in the draft. That is something to be proud of and though it raises the hackles of some people, being a proud fan of your team does not necessarily mean that you think all other programs are trash! Admittedly, there are exceptions though!:rolleyes:
 
oldude said:
Excellent point. Very much in line with Geno’s recruiting philosophy. He does not guarantee freshmen PT. In the past when players sought assurances that they would start at UConn, Geno stopped recruiting them.
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Geno wouldn't guarantee Sarah playing time either, I agree with that completely, but from Sarah's standpoint her probable playing time as she might assess it could be substantially different if Aaliyah returned, and her chance of a national championship in her first year would be greater if Paige did return. One problem for any 2024 prospect considering Uconn is the makeup of next year's team is a big unknown at this point.

For many that might not make any difference to them, but for some it could be a sizable factor is my point. Another reason I speculated on that point is it is a little hard to figure out other possible explanations for Sarah waiting this long. There could be plenty of other reasons that we don't know about, but few that pop out as likely reasons. But I know Geno doesn't guarantee playing time, just a chance to compete for it.
 
oldhusky said:
Geno wouldn't guarantee Sarah playing time either, I agree with that completely, but from Sarah's standpoint her probable playing time as she might assess it could be substantially different if Aaliyah returned, and her chance of a national championship in her first year would be greater if Paige did return. One problem for any 2024 prospect considering Uconn is the makeup of next year's team is a big unknown at this point.

For many that might not make any difference to them, but for some it could be a sizable factor is my point. Another reason I speculated on that point is it is a little hard to figure out other possible explanations for Sarah waiting this long. There could be plenty of other reasons that we don't know about, but few that pop out as likely reasons. But I know Geno doesn't guarantee playing time, just a chance to compete for it.
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One other issue that really concerns me with any top recruit right now is money. Specifically, some recruits are looking for the best NIL guarantee up front prior to committing to a school. It’s clearly affecting MBB & FB, and I have no doubt that it is also a factor in WBB. LSU & SC have been stockpiling talent for the past few years. Both schools have set up NIL collectives that are well-funded by alumni donors.

While I hope that Strong’s decision comes down to basketball and education related considerations, in this day and age, who’s offering the most $$$ should not be underestimated.
 
oldhusky said:
... it is a little hard to figure out other possible explanations for Sarah waiting this long. There could be plenty of other reasons that we don't know about, but few that pop out as likely reasons. But I know Geno doesn't guarantee playing time, just a chance to compete for it.
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Yup. I don't know why folks think kids can't speculate, or that if they do it means Geno must have promised something. And her weighing the likelihoods is a reasonable explanation of her delaying a decision.

Sarah can hardly help suspecting that if Aaliyah is part of a front court that includes Jana Ice and Ayanna, it will be that much harder for her to earn minutes. This might not discourage her, but it is bound to be a factor. Without Aaliyah, she'd be the only front court player not coming back from injury other than Ice.

The other thing she is likely to notice is how dynamic the backcourt that supports her will be -- not just the possibility of Paige and Azzi, but KK Ash Q Morgan Allie, and maybe Caroline. She is a great passer herself, so she surely knows how to appreciate great guard play, and UConn will have great guard play next year.

Also the chance to join a dynamic group that will be together for 3 or 4 years would be attractive. She'd play with Jana Morgan and Allie for 4, with Ice Ayanna KK Ash Q Kelis and Gandy for 3. This is the stuff dynasties are made of. The added benefit of maybe playing with Azzi and Caroline for 1 or 2, and Paige for 1 might even seem magical. Who wouldn't dream of storming to an NC next to Paige and Azzi?
 
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