Keeping all of the recruits is a very good question. Geno has traditionally complained year after year that the bench does not contribute. This may be the fact. However, Geno and his coaching staff picked that bench and the other outstanding recruits that became the starters and perhaps the one person off of the bench.
In terms of playing people that have been recruited, I kind of like the approach that Doug Bruno has taken with respect to platooning five players at a time. If UConn has chosen such a large group of elite players, then these players should be given an opportunity to perform. Just my opinion which is just worth Sh......t from the cow pasture.
Let's face, it the recruits who transferred were once regarded as very good players prior to their acceptance of a scholarship to UConn. Something happened along the way. Anyone can speculate. Unless a recruit is a top 5, nothing is guaranteed. But if a recruit is a top 20 why is that recruit potentially discarded? Why are not the flaws known before the scholarship offered? Say what you want, but why are offers made to Kyla and Molly? I do not know the answers and the only one that does is Geno, so your comments are not worth any more than mine on this subject.
Bottom line: people want to learn; people want to excel; people want to PLAY! They do not want to languish on a bench and be a spectator.
I've never heard of Geno "discarding" a recruit in his 34 years of coaching.
Notwithstanding the lower rated recruits who left (Phillips, Engeln, Gordon, etc), the "mid level" recruits (15-30 range) left for a host of reasons. Several were totally personal (Delle Donne, Walker) and the rest mostly because of lack of playing time...
- Michala Johnson was injured, then behind Dolson, Stokes, and Tuck/Stewie.
- Brianna Banks simply never developed the ability to score and ended up behind Hayes, Doty, Faris, Hartley, then Jefferson, and Chong.
- Ekmark was supposed to be a great 3-point shooter. She was not, and wasn't fleet of foot either. Playing behind KML, Jefferson, Chong, Williams, Nurse, etc. there was no room for her to earn PT
- Edwards was a bit of a "problem child" as Geno was quoted as saying something along the lines of "If i tell a player to do something over and over and over again, and they don't do it, eventually they won't be here"
- Boykin was also not really healthy, and simply couldn't carve out a role on the team of more talented players.
- Coombs and Gordon - neither developed enough to earn PT
- Andra Espinosa Hunter - lots of stories swirled around regarding her departure and no one has officially told the entire story.
All the kids who transferred enjoyed some to moderate success at their new schools with the exception of Edwards who was a starter for USC and was a big time scorer for them. It remains to be seen how well AEH does at Mississippi State.
Nobody "languishes" on the bench unless either they haven't put the effort forth in practice, or they simply aren't good enough. IMHO there will always be debates over PT for players at UCONN. It's a common theme of people who complain about it here on the BY. Personally, I'd rather see the reserves play more, but i have 0 national championships and Geno has 11.
Additionally, not a single player who left was a starter and not already behind someone better on the depth chart. Some players develop in college, others not so much. The cream rises to the top. IMHO we will always be susceptible to kids in the 15-30 ranking range deciding to transfer - they feel they should be good enough to start, or play lots of minutes, but with so much talent at UCONN, it doesn't always happen.
