Walker and Westbrook

[CocoHusky]

LOL. Oh come on now... you say this as if SC has been ducking and dodging UCONN for the past few years. Sure, we lost both times and the first game was hardly competitive, but give SC credit for being willing to play UCONN during a period of time when they had arguably their best player ever and their best point guard ever.
Being bold isn't new in that regard, it was bold when SC agreed to the game a few years ago.

True story!. Mad props to SC for stepping up to UCONN, but is a single digit MOV too much to ask for? There are plenty of cowards still out there though (Stanford, Duke, Baylor).

would say it's working out well for A'ja Wilson. She's only a 1st-team All-American, Naismith POY finalist, SEC POY and DPOY, SEC Regular Season and Tournament Champion a few times over.... as a sophomore.

I just wish A'Ja was a bigger fan of jewelry. She could have two rings by now and favored to win her third.

LL. Again, Oh come on now. You guys seriously expect to get every elite recruit? There isn't a sport on this planet where every elite player ends up on one team. UCONN has had an impressive stranglehold on WCBB for the last 20 or so years, and that may well continue, but you can't blame the rest of us (non-UCONN fans) for being excited at the possibility that I might not...

Yes. It's not the last 20 years I'm focused on it's the next 20.

 

[Charliebball]

LOL. Oh come on now... you say this as if SC has been ducking and dodging UCONN for the past few years. Sure, we lost both times and the first game was hardly competitive, but give SC credit for being willing to play UCONN during a period of time when they had arguably their best player ever and their best point guard ever.

LOL. Again, Oh come on now. You guys seriously expect to get every elite recruit? There isn't a sport on this planet where every elite player ends up on one team. UCONN has had an impressive stranglehold on WCBB for the last 20 or so years, and that may well continue, but you can't blame the rest of us (non-UCONN fans) for being excited at the possibility that I might not...

I enjoy your posts and appreciate your views from the South Carolina perspective..........as you've no doubt heard a thousand times, for the vast majority of folks here, choosing any other college to reach the pinnacle of a player's personal and team goals is absolutely crazy...........if it's about pure basketball you'd have to be living under a rock to not come to that conclusion..........but alas for some "misguided" recruits, their college choice might be determined by other factors..............we know that happens but we feel that those players are missing out on the ultimate basketball experience.................

 

[MilfordHusky]

Back to the original topic--Walker and Westbrook--how likely is it that both have decided to choose ND, the only school on both lists, and are waiting until Evina's official visits at Maryland and SC are completed? Many thought that Megan would announce last week, but she has not. Is she waiting because she's still undecided? Is she waiting to coordinate with something else, such as a family birthday, UConn's First Night, or someone else's announcement?

 

[Orangutan]

It is amazing how brave and bold WCBB teams & their fans are becoming in the Post Stewie era. So this going some where else and being a "pain" for UCONN how that working out for: A'Ja Wilson & SC, B.Turner & ND , A. Durr "ville, Diamond Deshields & The Entire SEC, Neka & her sister, KLS's older sisters, Xylinda McDaniels, Stephanie Mavunga, Taya Reimer, Sierra Calhoun and the entire Heart and Soul Duke Program, Kalani Brown, ..?

This space reserved for :Lauren Cox and any other recruit not willing to leave Texas.

I don't know if I've ever heard a recruit say that they chose another school over UConn because they wanted to beat UConn. That's a total message board narrative. For example, Brianna Turner cited ND's academics, the experience of the coaches, friendliness of the players, and the campus itself as reasons she chose Notre Dame. How is it working out for her? As far as one can tell from social media, she appears to be very happy at ND and has received some individual awards for her play (2nd team AP All-America last year).

Also some of those examples are just funny. Durr? It's been a year and she was injured most of that year. Nneka? She has a Stanford degree and an MVP award. I think she's doing ok!

One might very easily turn it around and ask - how did choosing UConn work out for Ekmark? Edwards? Boykin? Better to figure out that UConn is not where you will be happiest during recruitment than to find out the hard way after you arrive on campus.

 

[CocoHusky]

I don't know if I've ever heard a recruit say that they chose another school over UConn because they wanted to beat UConn.

"We have to, first and foremost, continue to convince players and families that they want to come to Maryland to beat UConn," she said. "I think that is a big piece in our game, convincing women that 'I want to be the team and the next dynasty to be able to beat UConn.'"

Brenda Frese

Auriemma offers no apologies for UConn dominance

 

[ricky]

LOL.

This answer is exactly why I hope she goes to Notre Dame, SC or Tennessee and becomes a pain in UCONN's arse for a few years.

The only pain in the arse is UConn practice.

 

[Orangutan]

"We have to, first and foremost, continue to convince players and families that they want to come to Maryland to beat UConn," she said. "I think that is a big piece in our game, convincing women that 'I want to be the team and the next dynasty to be able to beat UConn.'"

Brenda Frese

Auriemma offers no apologies for UConn dominance

Ok, now find me where a recruit says it.

I have no doubt it's part of the sales pitch.

 

[Ozimoto]

Especially with Brenda....

 

[Alydar]

How the patter changes:

Just a "message board narrative"

to:

"I have no doubt it's part of the sales pitch"

So we have a whole bunch of schools saying: come here and beat UConn.

And one school saying: come here and win championships.


No one questions why top scholars choose academic schools like Duke or Stanford. But when an unusually large percentage of top basketball players choose to go to UConn some of those same people cry unfair, or else accuse UConn of underhanded tactics. Well, Auriemma and Daley have been building their "Brand" for over 30 years and it's gotten to the point where opponents value a win over them nearly as much as a title.

 

[Orangutan]

How the patter changes:

Just a "message board narrative"

to:

"I have no doubt it's part of the sales pitch"

OF COURSE, coaches are going to say "Come here and beat UConn"? What else are they going to say? "We'll roll over and die to UConn but you'll get a great education!"

I just think it is pointless to use the "how is that working out for you?" line on players who chose their school based on other criteria than simply who gives them the best chance to win a national title. The "message board narrative" assumes it is always about going to UConn (to win a national title) or going to another school (to beat UConn). In reality, many things go into a college decision and expected team success is just one of them

Coco mentioned Cox. Cox said that the "biggest factor that put Baylor over the top" was its proximity to home. Well, Waco is going to be 120 miles from Flower Mound regardless of whether she wins a national championship or not.

No one questions why top scholars choose academic schools like Duke or Stanford. But when an unusually large percentage of top basketball players choose to go to UConn some of those same people cry unfair, or else accuse UConn of underhanded tactics. Well, Auriemma and Daley have been building their "Brand" for over 30 years and it's gotten to the point where opponents value a win over them nearly as much as a title.

Who is saying that it is unfair or accusing UConn of underhanded tactics? Someone in this thread?

 

[Nuyoika]

LOL.

This answer is exactly why I hope she goes to Notre Dame, SC or Tennessee and becomes a pain in UCONN's arse for a few years.

I actually would be perfectly fine with her going to Notre Dame since it seems Muffet is one of the few who can coach her team up to compete and her players get better over 4 years as well as are prepared when they are headed for the WNBA or playing overseas. South Carolina, I'm not really sure what they are doing just yet but it wouldn't bother me for her to go there. As for Tennessee I'm fairly certain you can send all the best guards in the country there and they still wouldn't be able to beat UConn if they ever did get the chance to play each other again.

It's not all about who you get its also about what you get out of them. A lot of kids leave college the same player they came in as, no new skills, no better shooting percentage, same endurance & fitness level as high school. I truly enjoy watching a kid come into UConn #1 and leave #1 (also with a few rings, some hardware in a case on campus, and maybe even with an xx-0 record thrown in there somewhere). I'm not sure she is going to be pain to anyone anywhere... but I can't wait to find out.

 

[CocoHusky]

Ok, now find me where a recruit says it.

I have no doubt it's part of the sales pitch.

"I think everybody wants to beat UConn, of course," she said. "I think it is important that people come out and try to challenge them, because they've been on top for a very, very long time."

Kiah Gillespie

Why 5-star forward Kiah Gillespie picked Maryland

 

[Alydar]

OF COURSE, coaches are going to say "Come here and beat UConn"? What else are they going to say? "We'll roll over and die to UConn but you'll get a great education!"

I just think it is pointless to use the "how is that working out for you?" line on players who chose their school based on other criteria than simply who gives them the best chance to win a national title. The "message board narrative" assumes it is always about going to UConn (to win a national title) or going to another school (to beat UConn). In reality, many things go into a college decision and expected team success is just one of them

Coco mentioned Cox. Cox said that the "biggest factor that put Baylor over the top" was its proximity to home. Well, Waco is going to be 120 miles from Flower Mound regardless of whether she wins a national championship or not.



Who is saying that it is unfair or accusing UConn of underhanded tactics? Someone in this thread?

There is a cadre of wbb fans who have been saying that for over a decade. No one in this thread.

My point is this:

If you want to be a diplomat you want to go to Georgetown. If you want to be a Wall St banker you look at Duke and Notre Dame. And if you want a career in basketball you look at UConn. And it's more than just winning a title. Several times a year I read a quote from some WNBA coach saying that UConn grads are way ahead of those from other schools in terms of preparation for the pros. Yeah, UConn recruits a lot of elite talent. But they do more with the talent they get than any other D1 school.

And yes, there are a lot of reasons for picking a school. But if you are an elite BB player looking ahead to a possible pro career then it is as crazy to reject a UConn scholarship as it is for an aspiring California lawyer or politician to decline a Stanford education over, say, one from Long Beach St.

 

[Orangutan]

"I think everybody wants to beat UConn, of course," she said. "I think it is important that people come out and try to challenge them, because they've been on top for a very, very long time."

Kiah Gillespie

Why 5-star forward Kiah Gillespie picked Maryland

But also - "I chose Maryland because it's a great coaching staff and a really good program that's built on tradition," Gillespie said at the team's media day Tuesday. "They have great support, a great educational program, and I feel that they have a lot of tools that's going to help me be successful later on in my life."

additionally - "UConn hadn't offered Gillespie a scholarship at the time she committed to Maryland"

 

[CocoHusky]

But also - "I chose Maryland because it's a great coaching staff and a really good program that's built on tradition," Gillespie said at the team's media day Tuesday. "They have great support, a great educational program, and I feel that they have a lot of tools that's going to help me be successful later on in my life."

additionally - "UConn hadn't offered Gillespie a scholarship at the time she committed to Maryland"

Exactly. So there is more than one reason why a recruit will pick a school. Among the "other" reason is an opportunity to Beat UCONN. From your own back yard:

“I wanted my own destiny, my own story,” said Loyd, currently playing overseas for Galatasaray M.P. Istanbul in Turkey. “I’ll never forget when I was going through the (recruiting) process, Geno wrote me a handwritten letter saying how he was excited to coach against me and he wished me the best of luck. …

Will there finally be parity in women's basketball after this UConn run?
Do you think Jewell is talking about beating UCONN here? I sure do because right above that Chinney says the reason Jewell chose ND was to be close to home.
So is your theory is that the coaches pitch the message and all the recruits ignore it?