Who will Sarah Strong pick?
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Duke has 5 of the Top 15 Men's recruits coming in including 3 of the top 10. They must be working that NIL. Maybe on Women's side too? Best teams money can buy.
It's a 2 part choice. You pick between NC and Duke (less than 10 miles down the road from each other, as I recall) and then you play that choice against Uconn. I suspect she already has a strong lean on the first choice - some say Duke. And then you pick your final choice, The important thing is that it her choice and no amount of external analysis counts, so you just roll with the outcome
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1. Has Coach Auriemma changed his MO regarding recruiting and offering? According to his book, once he offered, he did not wait around for a commitment. Times and circumstances change. Has it changed at UConn?
2. Ms Strong's father is an NC State alum and they are not in the mix. One would never expect Harvard to be in the running. Thus, it would be hard to imagine Ms Strong hearing heaping praise of Carolina and Duke growing up; respectful praise, maybe?
3. IMO, it is between Duke and UConn. Not quite the Brittany Hunter conundrum. In the end, it is going to be about relationships with Duke getting the prize.
4. Coach Lawson has been garnering significant social media props for her "Handle Hard Better" statements/speech/narrative. This is 2024.
5. What makes a coach great? I do not believe for a second that coaching is overrated, it is definitely essential. My contention is that there are a ton of very good coaches who are a great player or two short of greatness. Which is to say great players make great coaches.
2. Ms Strong's father is an NC State alum and they are not in the mix. One would never expect Harvard to be in the running. Thus, it would be hard to imagine Ms Strong hearing heaping praise of Carolina and Duke growing up; respectful praise, maybe?
3. IMO, it is between Duke and UConn. Not quite the Brittany Hunter conundrum. In the end, it is going to be about relationships with Duke getting the prize.
4. Coach Lawson has been garnering significant social media props for her "Handle Hard Better" statements/speech/narrative. This is 2024.
5. What makes a coach great? I do not believe for a second that coaching is overrated, it is definitely essential. My contention is that there are a ton of very good coaches who are a great player or two short of greatness. Which is to say great players make great coaches.
HuskyNan
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The women have slim to none of the NIL the men have. So that’s definitely not going to play a factor.
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I'd suggest you'd do the same before painting an entire program with a wide brush.
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As a late 60s, retired Coast Guard Officer, I can't begin to guess what motivates a High School Basketball Player (male or Female) in their selection of where to go to college. BUT, if we are to believe the article in the original post in this thread, it would seem that UCONN offers Sarah everything she might/could want. Assuming Aaliyah moves on to the WNBA, as is considered highly likely, Sarah would enter into a perfect situation for her. There are no "Bigs" remaining on the roster who have proven themselves to be the ONE for the position of Post or PF.
a. Ice showed some good stuff in the last two games of the Big East Tournament, but not a body of work to make her a guaranteed starter in the Fall.
b. Geno has expressed some great expectations of Jana, but she has not been able to show what she can do in NCAA D1 Basketball and that she will be fully recovered from her injury to be a guaranteed starter....but if she is fully healed and lives up to Geno's expectations, she will be the Post....not what Sarah wants.
c. Ayanna was full of energy and an active player last season, but has not shown herself to be Starter material and has to show that she has recovered from her knee injury.
d. Aubrey is not really a PF based on her build and height, but she can play there if needed. Yes, she can jump out of most gyms, but she isn't the "power" player that Sarah is/can be.
e. Amari remains a mystery after 3 years on the Team. She has the appearance of someone who should be dominant at the Post with her height and wingspan, but her play continues to confound us. As with Jana, Amari is a Post...again not what Sarah wants to play.
Sarah could presumably come to UCONN in the Summer of 2024 and immediately make strides to be the PF in the UCONN line up, with let's say, Jana at the Post, Paige at PG, Azzi at SG, and either Aubrey, or Ash at the Wing, with KK, Morgan and Allie as back ups.
In addition, Sarah would be joining a great program with a rich history of National Championships, Olympic Gold Medalists, and WNBA Stars. She will play the best OOC schedule in the Country and go up against the best players all across the Country.
I am a UCONN Fan...but I can't think of any better situation for Sarah than she will find wearing UCONN Blue and White.
a. Ice showed some good stuff in the last two games of the Big East Tournament, but not a body of work to make her a guaranteed starter in the Fall.
b. Geno has expressed some great expectations of Jana, but she has not been able to show what she can do in NCAA D1 Basketball and that she will be fully recovered from her injury to be a guaranteed starter....but if she is fully healed and lives up to Geno's expectations, she will be the Post....not what Sarah wants.
c. Ayanna was full of energy and an active player last season, but has not shown herself to be Starter material and has to show that she has recovered from her knee injury.
d. Aubrey is not really a PF based on her build and height, but she can play there if needed. Yes, she can jump out of most gyms, but she isn't the "power" player that Sarah is/can be.
e. Amari remains a mystery after 3 years on the Team. She has the appearance of someone who should be dominant at the Post with her height and wingspan, but her play continues to confound us. As with Jana, Amari is a Post...again not what Sarah wants to play.
Sarah could presumably come to UCONN in the Summer of 2024 and immediately make strides to be the PF in the UCONN line up, with let's say, Jana at the Post, Paige at PG, Azzi at SG, and either Aubrey, or Ash at the Wing, with KK, Morgan and Allie as back ups.
In addition, Sarah would be joining a great program with a rich history of National Championships, Olympic Gold Medalists, and WNBA Stars. She will play the best OOC schedule in the Country and go up against the best players all across the Country.
I am a UCONN Fan...but I can't think of any better situation for Sarah than she will find wearing UCONN Blue and White.
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From what I’ve read she is absolutely NOT a post!
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I was wrong in thinking it was going to be South Carolina and now I'm hoping to be wrong again as I also selected Duke........as somebody mentioned, it reminds me of the Toomey recruitment where she was all UConn until the last minute when she chose UNC......looking forward to another incorrect pick!!
triaddukefan
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She would be better suited to play at UCONN. I'm keeping my toes crossed it's UCONN. If it's Duke so be it. If she chooses UNC, kiss the chance of ever reaching the final 4 goodbye. Banghart is proving not to be a superior coach, plus rumor has it, players are going to transfer out. We'll see....
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I think UConn thinks so!
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That’s simply ludicrous! A healthy UConn would be a dominant team in any conference! Would they be undefeated every year? No, but they would still be a dominant team!
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I agree that the position Sarah would naturally aim at is wide open for competition. She hasn't proven herself either... yet. But this only means that the competition for starting minutes will be keen and really satisfying for all the girls.
Just to be clear, Sarah is a power forward with a smooth perimeter shooting game who prefers to pass from the high post. I expect she knows this is a regular role in Geno's offense -- he likes to station a big at the top of the key as one way to initiate half court sets. It's a familiar image, from Aaliyah to Dorka to Liv to Katie Lou to Steph to Tina to Kara to Rebecca. I'm sure Sarah is aware of this history. She's also quick enough at 6'2" to be able to dominate the glass against pretty much anyone in D1.
What may be even more interesting for a skilled passer like her is to experience how quickly the transition offense develops. Picture Sarah running the floor with Azzi Paige KK Ash Q and Aubrey. Picture Jana or Ice or Sarah or Ayanna or Caroline grabbing a rebound and firing an outlet pass to the finest backcourt in D1. Think about the pressure on opposing players when they shoot once they see how quickly a miss turns into 2 points at the other end.
What I see unfolding if she comes to Storrs is a really strong front court consisting of some rotation of Ice Jana Sarah Ayanna Aubrey and Caroline. Obviously Aubrey and Caroline will also spend some time in the backcourt, especially on D. Pair this front court rotation with a back court consisting of Paige Azzi Ash KK Q Allie and Morgan and you have a really deep team. The primary competition will be among themselves to see who can pass shoot defend and rebound the most effectively. In most games, the other team will be the secondary set of competitors for our girls.
Who will be the first team of starters? Who will come off the bench? Impossible to say right now. But I expect this distinction won't matter as much to this team as it does to most teams. Also, I don't expect the regular rotation to settle down before February, when Jana Ayanna Aubrey and Azzi will have had a chance to shake off the rust. Somehow, I think they'll be allowed to take their time and ease their way back in to the lineup.
And just to be even clearer: even if Sarah doesn't pick Storrs, I expect UConn to be ranked in the top 3 preseason, and if she does choose Storrs, I expect UConn to be the consensus preseason #1. Paige & Co will be the team to beat next year.
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Sarah's parents are well qualified having extensive BB backgrounds and have seen UConn with all it's benefits reach unbelievable achievements!
When you weigh all the facts the #1 player in this class would also soar at UConn!
When you weigh all the facts the #1 player in this class would also soar at UConn!
Agreed! Her NOT going to South Carolina or LSU is a win.
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Well said! This is an exciting time! This roster is (even without Strong) just unbelievable! With her however, it has to be (on paper) one of the best ones I’ve ever seen! We’re looking at multiple quality backups at every position but center, and truly exceptional starters at every position but center. If Jana and Ice can just be competent, we’re looking at the beginning of a special time for UConn fans!! Imagine if those two turn out to be stars! I can’t wait!
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Nope, our NIL game is weak on the women's side.
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True. I forget the rose colored glasses here sometimes. I call it like I see it, no sugar from me. Lol
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Sarah Strong: At UCONN no one is an "automatic start"... but like Paige and Azzi, and
surely some notable others.... I would not bet against Sarah...SO....IF SHE REALLY WANTS IT...
GO FOR IT SARAH!
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I was thinking that the BEST TEAM MONEY CAN BUY was LSU!!??
There is an old saying: " $$ does not buy happiness ". Get some
Geno and Paige and Husky love at Storrs, Sarah!!
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Yes, NOT a POST.... but the next link in Sarah's (and UCONN's, of course) chain of success!
Please don't argue merely the "Ws" and "Ls" of the last couple of years.... I'm thinking
of that wonderful thread in the BONEYARD about Lou Lopez Senechal and her visit
to that young girls' BB team in EUROPE. A good read for Sarah! === Join the Tradition of
wonderful players and wonderful young women!!
Sarah has as good a chance to start as any of our front-court options, and a smaller chance she could even start at the 3. Her biggest obstacle to starting was an Aaliyah return. Aubrey is the only proven option up front, and she probably won't be a factor when the season begins. All of the other front-court options have had significant injury issues, and the ones that were highly rated coming in (Ayanna, Ice and Amari) have not yet performed up to their HS rankings.
A number 1 recruit with a versatile skill set, and no known injury issues should project higher than any of our big options with the possible exception of Aubrey when she is ready.
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She might very well be waiting for a roster position to be open, but I don't think playing time is as much a consideration as poisoning the waters with another school. If she came out and said "UConn" and then had to walk that back and pick either Duke or UNC I don't think anyone at either school would be overjoyed at playing second fiddle. In fact, if I was Geno I would advise her to avoid that situation. Better to let Duke/NC believe they are her dream school if she had to go there.
A scholarship is charity from the university. Every scholar/athlete enrolled at UConn, or any other university, has taken the place that another less athletically gifted potential student will never get to occupy. Do scholar/athletes personally lack self-respect for accepting that charity?
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I wonder how Mulkey and Staley feel about Strongs final three? I reaaalllyyy licensure chances. Plus, her mom is so close to her at Boston..
Let's say the charitable person is Paige. The 16th person would have to face Paige every single day in the locker room. What kind of strained relationship would that be? That's a little different than accepting an athletic scholarship. As far as the kid who just misses getting a scholarship, they ain't in the locker room either.
HuskyNan
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No pity here. Cooper Flagg isn’t going to Duke because of the weather. But, he can count his money while he’s reading about the Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden in front of 19,000 screaming people, 70% of them UConn fans, while the crickets sing at the ACC tourney.
I’m in NYC now and it’s unbelievable. And, looky, they lit up the Empire State Building to honor UConn’s win last night (yes, really)
Enjoy the peace and quiet in North Carolina, Cooper
oldude
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I don’t buy that Strong’s decision comes down to where she has the best chance to start. I think she is genuinely weighing the options of either staying close to home at one of two NC universities or making a “leap of faith” to the basketball capital of the world.
She’s probably getting pressured by friends and perhaps family members to stay closer to home. Hopefully, Geno & UConn are in her heart, and will ultimately win her decision.
She’s probably getting pressured by friends and perhaps family members to stay closer to home. Hopefully, Geno & UConn are in her heart, and will ultimately win her decision.
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