Betts to UCLA (merged)

[Galaxyshooter]

Great pick up. Should be early favorites for big ten titles.

still sounds crazy saying UCLA winning the Bog 10 title like Uconn winning the Mountain West although I'd like to see Uconn in the SEC

 

[Carnac]

Don’t forget, she also has her top player Charisma Osborne coming back as she withdrew from the draft in order to play one more year. We’ll see, but certainly there’s no shortage of talent on that roster.

I didn't know Osborne withdrew her petition. UCLA will play Stanford two times this coming year. Those games should be very interesting to watch. UCLA and USC will leave the PAC-12 after next year for the BIG 10, so this coming year is the only time the Bruins and Cardinal will meet while Betts is at UCLA.

 

[Carnac]

still sounds crazy saying UCLA winning the Bog 10 title like Uconn winning the Mountain West although I'd like to see Uconn in the SEC

I'd like to see them in the ACC. Do you think we'll ever see the day that UConn gets invited to join a P5 conference?

 

[MilfordHusky]

I didn't know Osborne withdrew her petition. UCLA will play Stanford two times this coming year. Those games should be very interesting to watch. UCLA and USC will leave the PAC-12 after next year for the BIG 10, so this coming year is the only time the Bruins and Cardinal will meet while Betts is at UCLA.

And the only time that Lauren will get to play back in Colorado.

 

[jabstep]

Play for one of the best coaches in the game fresh off a national championship, and I believe they are one of the best places to go for NIL claiming perhaps the highest paid student-athlete. Not a bad landing spot for her.

I just wonder how she will jell with Reese who is the big dog on that team. She could try and fill Morris's spot on that team but I don't think she is as good as Morris especially on defense.

 

[JellyBean]

Don’t forget, she also has her top player Charisma Osborne coming back as she withdrew from the draft in order to play one more year. We’ll see, but certainly there’s no shortage of talent on that roster.

The talent is there, that is for sure. Now they just need to put it all together in one nice package. Watching some of their games last year, you could see the potential to becoming a pretty solid team. I hope this addition of Betts, along with Kiki Rice going into her second year, this is something to build on for UCLA women's basketball.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Can't have enough of these I guess:

 

[hoopsnloops32]

So UCLA wins the PAC 12 next season and then the BIG 10 next August. Then takes out everyone in that Conference for the following 2 years. Don't see them winning it all for at least the next couple of years, UConn is it until Azzi leaves.

I think you are overrate Close as a coach here. Maybe that happens but there is a still quite a bit of player development and offensive and defensive schemes that need to happen for that to come to fruition imo.

 

[Bone Dog]

The person I feel for in all of this is Jada Williams. The poor kid had her heart set on UCLA a year and a half ago, and even had a couple of very sharp looking videos made about her process of choosing them. It was so touching to see.

Then Kiki Rice and Londynn Jones signed NLIs for UCLA and Jada saw her dreams of leading the Bruins to glory suddenly eclipsed. The only thing to do was switch her heart’s desire to Arizona which, frankly, isn’t that much further away from La Jolla. Plus her HS buddy Breya Cunningham was going there.

Now UCLA is looking like an NC contender and I really hope Jada isn’t regretting her decision(s).

All kidding aside, Jada Williams has some spark in her and, if she can settle into the hard work of practices and schoolwork, she can be a star anywhere. I look forward to seeing her play at the D1 level.

 

[Happydad745]

If Betts is not a Husky, then having her at UCLA makes her much less a threat to UConn than she could have been on many other teams.

 

[Carnac]

The talent is there, that is for sure. Now they just need to put it all together in one nice package. Watching some of their games last year, you could see the potential to becoming a pretty solid team. I hope this addition of Betts, along with Kiki Rice going into her second year, this is something to build on for UCLA women's basketball.

It’s a good bet that Lauren will be much happier at UCLA, and will be their starting center on day one. Most players that transfer usually make a better decision the second time they assess potential schools to attend.

 

[Shenandoah]

A good get for UCLA. I'm a little disappointed as I thought that she would be a good fit at UConn, and thereby allow Aaliyah to move to her more natural power forward spot, where she will most likely be in the pros. Ms. Deberry, the ball, literally, is in your court, now. You've shown glimpses, however limited, as to the talent that you possess. It's up to you to put it all together, and force a certain head coach to play you.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

A good get for UCLA. I'm a little disappointed as I thought that she would be a good fit at UConn, and thereby allow Aaliyah to move to her more natural power forward spot, where she will most likely be in the pros. Ms. Deberry, the ball, literally, is in your court, now. You've shown glimpses, however limited, as to the talent that you possess. It's up to you to put it all together, and force a certain head coach to play you.

I never thought Bett's would be a great fit for us offensively. Yes she'd let Aaliyah play the four but she'd clog the paint up too much doing it, not give Aaliyah or anyone else the open paint to drive like Dorka did being a perimeter threat. I've watched a lot of basketball this year maintain at Amari has the potential to give us the higher ceiling. The only other center with the right skill set to elevate us offensively IMO is Brink but that was never an option on the table.

 

[Hist-teacher]

Just happy Betts didn't land at Notre Dame! That was a distinct possibility and perhaps the biggest piece of the puzzle that they're missing.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

Just happy Betts didn't land at Notre Dame! That was a distinct possibility and perhaps the biggest piece of the puzzle that they're missing.

Agree with this. That or Iowa. Both those programs I think would do more in the way of utilizing Betts than I think UCLA will so not sad she's out west.

 

[uconnfan68]

Can't have enough of these I guess:

Stanford doesn't want poor spellers.

 

[asuwish]

Geno may go the Europe route again. There are some bigs in Portugal France and elsewhere.

 

[UCTitleTown]

Not a great couple days for UConn hoops, Men's or Women's. Really wanted Betts.

 

[hoopsfan22]

Not a great couple days for UConn hoops, Men's or Women's. Really wanted Betts.

So you wanted Geno to recruit over the players already here?

 

[wingsfan055]

The transfer portal & NIL together is like free agency on steroids. It's become a joke really, considering the original intent of each.

 

[uconnfan68]

So you wanted Geno to recruit over the players already here?

Coaches all do that every year. It’s how they keep their jobs.

 

[Carnac]

Not a great couple days for UConn hoops, Men's or Women's. Really wanted Betts

I doubt UConn was ever being seriously considered.

 

[jabstep]

One of the problems for Betts in playing for UCLA is they really don't have good outside shooting and Teams will play the South Carolina defense Pack it in and Let them shoot from the outside. She will be double and triple teamed. Close needs to find some 3 point shooters. Osborne and Rice are not the answer.

 

[ucbart]

One of the problems for Betts in playing for UCLA is they really don't have good outside shooting and Teams will play the South Carolina defense Pack it in and Let them shoot from the outside. She will be double and triple teamed. Close needs to find some 3 point shooters. Osborne and Rice are not the answer.

Agree, 100%. I watched UCLA a lot last year and their games were sloppy and ugly. It boggles my mind when coaches, year in, and year out, never have any shooters on their roster.

 

[Bone Dog]

Not a great couple days for UConn hoops, Men's or Women's. Really wanted Betts.

I think we’re better off not adding anyone. Geno already has the talent to make another run. Amari Jana Ayanna and Ice have all the motivation they need to become awesome in the backcourt they’ll be playing with.