We are Down to Four (4) 2013 Prospects! Where are My Meds?

[meyers7]

Not too worried, Chong, Harper and McCall and that would be fantastic.

 

[MilfordHusky]

That Poster B guy is very good looking.

That's merely your opinion.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Ok, to make things concrete, here are 2 hypothetical--and extreme--lineups for the 2015-16 team:

Scenario 1:

Seniors: Stewart, Jefferson, Tuck start. Juniors: Tucker and Harper start. Chong and McCall come in off the bench. Maybe the sophomore class is loaded, maybe it's small and lackluster. Our first 7 is very good. And we have depth.

Scenario 2:

Seniors: Stewart, Jefferson, Tuck start. Juniors: None. Two sophomores start. Maybe the sophomore class is loaded, maybe it's small and lackluster. If those 2 starters are Brianna Turner and Sierra Calhoun, we may be fine, though perhaps not deep. If the 2 starters are #40 and #60 ranked players, we will be vulnerable at those positions. With 3 studs and 2 so-so players starting, we'll be competitive, but not a prohibitive favorite at all. The following year, we may be lucky to make the Elite 8. Another NC may be 2 or more years down the road.

Points:

1. The 2013 class still could be very good, or it could be a total bust (or in between). If a bust, we are vulnerable for sure by 2016 and perhaps very weak by UConn standards in 2017.

2. The weaker the class of 2013, the larger and better the 2014 class needs to be. Plus, they need to be up to speed by day 1 of their sophomore years, because up to 2 of them could be in the starting lineup.

 

[doggydaddy]

That's merely your opinion.

No, it's fact. Ask his grandchildren!

 

[Sonny44]

You saw me at WalMart?

Guess I didn't recognize you in your underwear.

 

[doggydaddy]

Guess I didn't recognize you in your underwear.

You've seen him without his underwear? Too much information.

 

[Sonny44]

You've seen him without his underwear? Too much information.

Uh, er, umm, didn't mean it exactly that way.

 

[Icebear]

Recruiting is a concern for all fans, so I completely get it. A weak recruiting year or two can have a big impact.

Quite honestly not me because it has always been fun to watch the kids we get.

 

[doggydaddy]

With 3 studs and 2 so-so players starting, we'll be competitive, but not a prohibitive favorite at all.

I guess it depends on what "so-so" means.

And I'd ask you to look at the last two Taursai seasons and see how Stewart, Tuck and Jefferson along with 2 so-so players would match up with thse NC teams.

 

[cohenzone]

That's your opinion.

Who asked you?

 

[doggydaddy]

Uh, er, umm, didn't mean it exactly that way.

That's what they all say.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I guess it depends on what "so-so" means.

And I'd ask you to look at the last two Taursai seasons and see how Stewart, Tuck and Jefferson along with 2 so-so players would match up with thse NC teams.

Yeah, it depends on "so-so." Diana had far better than so-so talent as a supporting cast. We won those 2 years obviously, but the games were close. I prefer something like the 2009 team that was head and shoulders better than all others rather than a team that is about even with 3-4 others. Some of us are looking not just to be competitive, but to be the clear favorite--with as large a margin for error as possible. The 2012 kids give us a big step in that direction. To maintain that edge, we need continued good recruiting, though obviously not necessarily at the level of 2012.

 

[Wonkster]

That Poster B guy is very good looking.

That "opinion" of yours is patently ridiculous.

 

[connboy77]

Obviously when the 2012 recruits are seniors the well is not going to be dry. I'll take any bets right now that UCONN will have other outstanding players on that team. UCONN has been an elite team since I believe 1994, the year before they won their first National Championship. I don't see any indication that this is going to change. Geno will probably be the coach for the next five to ten years so I'm confident that UCONN will remain very, very good.

 

[MilfordHusky]

No, it's fact. Ask his grandchildren!

Are you brainwashing those poor kids? I've had little success with mine.

 

[doggydaddy]

Are you brainwashing those poor kids? I've had little success with mine.

Unconditional love, baby.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Unconditional love, baby.

Oh, maybe I'll try that.

 

[Suebird10fan]

How good did the 2002 and 2008 classes look coming in? Stuff happens. We have every reason to be optimistic about the six kids who project to be on the roster in 2014-15, but three of those kids haven't yet played a minute of college ball, Banks has not proven yet that she can be a consistent contributor, Kiah has all the potential in the world but needs to improve steadily to be a championship-caliber starting post by 2014-15, and even KML, who's got a ton of star power already, has a ways to go herself. Injuries, attrition, and kids simply not being as good as we thought they'd be out of high school are all simply things that are par for the course. Even if all six kids are as good as we hope they'll be, you're still treading on very thin ice without significant contributions from the next two classes.

It's not like you have to go that far back in the past to see this. From the ostensibly great 2008 class, you had one defection, one very, very good but not great player, one oft-injured player, and one kid who never really blossomed into what she was expected to become. UConn then followed that class up with a one-player class in 2009. The lack of depth and the reliance on underclassmen came with a price. It's a price many programs would aspire to pay, to be sure, but if we're talking championships, especially multiple championships, you cannot have lost recruiting classes. If Breanna, Moriah, and KML turn into Tina, Renee, and Maya? Then it almost doesn't matter who else is on the team. But until that kind of development becomes a reality, you need more pieces.

Of course stuff happens. But you have to keep a few things in mind. First of all, as you yourself have pointed out, the top five to seven in every class tend to be at a different level than the rest of the class. And all three of the incoming freshmen are in that tier. Further, over the last seven or eight years, players rated 98 by Hoopgurlz have a great track record of becoming dominant players. We have two of those coming in. So, I don't think the comparison with 2002 and 2008 works. This class may not be deep but I think the odds that at least two of them are going to be very special players is high.

Beyond that, if, in any given year, your team's prospects are leaps and bounds better than any team in the country (which I think you have to concede UConn's 2014-15 prospects are), and you're still worried, I humbly suggest you're setting the bar too high. Stuff happens, and UConn is hardly a lock to win the championship that year, but the chances are about as high as you could ever reasonably expect two plus years out.

Finally, I would note that you and I seem to disagree on Kiah. I think she was one of the top five freshman in the country. Yes, she could be more consistent, but in my mind she is extremely close to being a championship caliber starting post right now. You obviously had a different opinion and I respect that.

 

[John Glass]

this is a great thread, one out of every 10 messages are about 2013 recruits

 

[easttexastrash]

this is a great thread, one out of every 10 messages are about 2013 recruits

Then the average has been hit.

 

[doggydaddy]

this is a great thread, one out of every 10 messages are about 2013 recruits

You said "We are, along with Baylor/Stanford, the only elite schools without a ranked 2013 commit."

Not true. Not even close.

As I noted and you didn't reply -

Top twenty from last year

Baylor - zero
ND - 4,21,33
Stanford- zero
UConn - zero
Maryland - 55
Duke - 26
Tennessee - zero
Kentucky - zero
Penn State - zero
Georgia Tech - zero
Miami - zero
Texas A&M - zero
Green Bay - zero
Delaware - zero
St. Johns - zero
Louisville - 51
GTown - zero
Purdue - zero
Gonzoga - zero
Georgia - zero

Unranked UNC has 3,7,15,17,30.​

 

[pinotbear]

That "opinion" of yours is patently ridiculous.

Oh, Goody! We can get a patent on crap like this!

 

[Bestiarius]

Oh, Goody! We can get a patent on crap like this!

No. Go for a copyright instead. Good for 75 years!

 

[Bestiarius]

I'm worried that we will end up with a good recruiting class. A poor one would be better. Then, the following year, the top recruits will flock to Uconn because they will get oodles of playing time.

 

[John Glass]

You said "We are, along with Baylor/Stanford, the only elite schools without a ranked 2013 commit."​

​

Not true. Not even close.​

​

As I noted and you didn't reply -​

Unranked UNC has 3,7,15,17,30.​

WTH are you talking about ?