UCONN with the # 5 Incoming Recruiting Class for the 2023/2024 Season according to HoopSeenW

[Fairfield Fan]

The simple way to rank the best recruiting class would be to take the players rank totals and average them out to get Avg Rank for class... hey it's as good as any other method out there.

With the above metrics, this would look like as follows;

T#1 ND and UConn tied for first (not including Jana) with an average rank of 13,
#3 Arizona (avg rank 14.66)
#4 South Carolina (avg rank 25.5)
#5 Stanford (avg rank 27.33)
#6 LSU (avg rank 27.75)
#7 NC State (avg rank 32.75)
#8 North Carolina (avg rank 41.75)
#9 USC (avg rank 45.5
#10 Duke (avg rank 55)
....didn't bother with the other 15 teams

Or weight the rankings to give greater weight to, say, #1 through #5, and less for #6-12? Something like that. ESPN's ranking based simply on the number of ranked players joining a program doesn't make sense.

 

[diggerfoot]

One important variable is how well a recruiting class fits a program’s needs. In this case UConn has a short roster so a large class fits our needs well, particularly since their talents/positions spread out well and we can use reinforcement at each position. Indeed, if you now count Brady along with this incoming class it is near perfection in terms of filling allthe various needs.

But you cannot recruit a 5 player class every year and real perfection would be a class of 3 elites, with all talents/positions covered over each two year cycle, with some hardworking role players sprinkled in.

Recruitment will never be perfect for even the most elite programs and too much elite talent sometimes concentrate in too few talent/position needs, subtracting chemistry if anything. Much was made by some of our string of number ones from Samuelson to C. Williams, but they were all of the SG/SF talent/position needs. Meanwhile both our PG and C needs were filled by elite but undersized talent for their positions.

More striking was a recruitment stretch by Tennessee when they were constantly getting the most elite, athletic talent, but the overlap and skills lessened the value.

This variable of filling the existing roster need would be impossible to rank, outside of just focusing on maybe the top ten programs for any particular year. Each program’s fans can be aware though, and its easy for a UConn fan to be excited about our class for next year, especially when you throw Brady into the mix.

 

[Bone Dog]

Yet, that is also imperfect because you are only including the rankings average for one service. ASGR. To get a clear picture, you need to also include Hoopgurlz and Prospect NTiin - at least. Maybe even BlueStar and Prepgirls.

I’m to lazy to do everybody so I’m just gonna compare 3 recruits from SC and UConn using ASGR, Hoopgurlz and prospect nation

KK 6-9-6= 7.66
Ashlyn 15-12-8 =11.66
Quadance 41-18-40ish= 33
El Alfy UR

Fulwiley 13-4-3 = 6.66
Kitts 17-31-4= 17
Tessa 25-53-40ish = 40.2
Jah 40-14-40ish = 31.3

Scar total top 3 is 54.86
UConn total three is 52.22
UConn wins on top three ( but did ASGR really watch Kitts? 31? really?)

then the question becomes is El Alfy better than Tessa’s average rating of 40? Based on my eyeballs, I would say that she’s at least as talented as the 40th best recruit this year. Indeed, I think she has more offensive talent than LSU’s Del Rosario though unsure about defensive wanna bang in the post necessary for NCAA top level.

In other words: who really knows, but I would give the edge to UConn while being perfectly satisfied with our class. We both got enough talent to stay around the top 4, just gotta win two games when you are at that level.


It’s all bs anyway. Dawn’s happy. Geno’s happy. Y’all are happy.

If you find math error above, remember what Barbie said.

Interesting. One side question: I followed Tessa Johnson as a freshman and sophomore (she played against Paige in HS) and was very impressed by her game on both ends. How tall is she now? I've seen her listed at 5'10", which is how I remember her. I really look forward to seeing her at the next level.

 

[Bone Dog]

Meanwhile both our PG and C needs were filled by elite but undersized talent for their positions.

Can you be undersized for pg? I know the temptation is to look for players in the 6' range. But they often get outplayed by players in the 5'7" range, Like MoJeff, of course, but more recently Crystal, Dana, Charisma, Lauren Park-Lane, and of course, Rory... and maybe Diamond. It's often harder to guard them precisely because they're smaller... and quicker.

Speaking of Tennessee, part of their problem the last few years was being oversized. They were big and slow -- out rebounded almost everyone, and still lost. If big means slow, it can be a liability. Oregon also suffers from this occasionally, for example the year PaoPao had to sit out and they became a slow team.

 

[SCspur]

Interesting. One side question: I followed Tessa Johnson as a freshman and sophomore (she played against Paige in HS) and was very impressed by her game on both ends. How tall is she now? I've seen her listed at 5'10", which is how I remember her. I really look forward to seeing her at the next level.

She should be about 5’11” to 6’0” now. I think she’s going to be very good at the next level. She can definitely find a niche as a Shooter at SC that’s for sure. I too was impressed how calm and poised she played against Paige and #1 Hopkins even as a freshman. Hopkins was loaded with Elite 100 recruits down the roster and she saw different defenders but she stayed calm, remained poised and scored quite well against them.

 

[diggerfoot]

Can you be undersized for pg? I know the temptation is to look for players in the 6' range. But they often get outplayed by players in the 5'7" range, Like MoJeff, of course, but more recently Crystal, Dana, Charisma, Lauren Park-Lane, and of course, Rory... and maybe Diamond. It's often harder to guard them precisely because they're smaller... and quicker.

Speaking of Tennessee, part of their problem the last few years was being oversized. They were big and slow -- out rebounded almost everyone, and still lost. If big means slow, it can be a liability. Oregon also suffers from this occasionally, for example the year PaoPao had to sit out and they became a slow team.

Short answer, yes, size at the PG matters. All other things being equal in terms of talent you would take a Magic Johnson over a Mugsy Bogues. A taller guard can see and execute over the defense better, while making it more difficult for an opposing guard to see an execute over them.

Long answer, it depends on the situation. For most college teams a smaller, quicker guard with better skill will prevail over taller guards. But the best teams, the ones most likely to stand in the way of a championship, are more likely to have a Faris type athlete and/or a well coordinated defense that switches well, thus nullifying the quickness of a smaller guard..

The same argument applies in slightly different ways to center. I have taken your side in this before, pointing out how our 2002 team had a bunch of 6’2” players, along with the height challenged Texas AM team with Adams or the first Baylor championship team with Young.

Yet this is still a situational thing, as I have pointed out with Collier previously. As an elite talent, elite of the elite if you will, she dominated most centers she was up against and very deserving of her AA status. But her worst games came against big, elite centers that often proved to be one of the obstacles to our championship goals. Once she got to the WNBA she became even more elite because she played positionally more suited to her height.

 

[Cuango]

Not sure I’m understanding their ranking system. They have KK as the No 1 point guard nationally yet have Fulwiley, another point guard ranked No 2 nationally, ranked 4th to KK’s 9th overall. I’m lost!

 

[visitingcock]

Not sure I’m understanding their ranking system. They have KK as the No 1 point guard nationally yet have Fulwiley, another point guard ranked No 2 nationally, ranked 4th to KK’s 9th overall. I’m lost!

They list Fulwiley as no 2 SG behind Watkins - not PG. They list KK as a PG