Jordan Horston

[bballnut90]

Has she publicly trimmed the list beyond 7? Otherwise I'd rank them as:

T1. UCONN-doesn't seem to be an obvious spot for her here with Williams and Walker as the likely 2/3 combo for the next few years, although UCONN may utilize Walker as a 4 and go with a single post offense in ONO. Upside for her here is top coaching, likely a title contender every year and she'll be playing with really good players. Downside is she likely isn't going to ever be a go to player or really standout from her teammates...she's a big fish in a pond with a lot of other big fish. Not necessarily a bad thing by any means, but depends on how you look at it. I'm by no means a UCONN fan, but this would be one of my top choices if I were her.

T1. South Carolina-she'd have a great opportunity to get big minutes early, be coached by one of the better ones in the country and South Carolina appears to be putting together pieces to stay a strong team for a long time to come. If she comes here and 1-2 other top recruits come, SC will be a handful for the duration of her career. This would also be a top choice if I were her.

3. Louisville-another spot where she'll likely get big minutes early and can have a team built around her. Coaching is good but team results have been inconsistent. The pro here is she'd have a good shot to be a centerpiece at Louisville and help take this program to the next level of either winning a title or being a consistent Final Four threat. She'd also be very close to home (3hr). I'd rank this option just slightly behind UCONN and South Carolina.

4. Tennessee-on the plus side, she will have some talented teammates and likely starts from day 1. Tennessee isn't too far either and the school offers great fan support and national recognition. Big downside is Holly Warlick...players do not improve under her and teams consistently underachieve. I'd put this as a big step down from Louisville.

5. Ohio State-plus side is she's staying home and will likely get Kelsey Mitchell treatment. Downside is she likely never competes for a Final Four and gets mediocre coaching.

6. UCLA-good program on the west coast. Fan support will be weak though and coaching is okay but nothing special. She'd be a star from day 1 but I don't see her playing in Final Fours here. UCLA is a fantastic school and has a great campus, but basketball wise it doesn't make sense for Horston.

7. North Carolina-no idea what the draw is here, the program has been bad for several years and doesn't appear to be on the upswing. With all the NCAA academic issues and poor team results, I'm not sure I'd want to go here for women's basketball.


Realistically, I'm guessing she picks UCONN or Ohio State. No inside info but more often than not UCONN lands the kids they recruit. I could also see Horston excited at the prospect of being the next Kelsey Mitchell right after she graduates. While team results weren't fantastic, Kelsey broke many records at OSU, kept the program a consistent top 15-20 team and I'm sure was somewhat of a celebrity in the basketball world of Columbus. Horston could be the 2nd coming of that and might believe she can take OSU to the next level.

 

[DEpup]

Has she publicly trimmed the list beyond 7? Otherwise I'd rank them as:

T1. UCONN-doesn't seem to be an obvious spot for her here with Williams and Walker as the likely 2/3 combo for the next few years, although UCONN may utilize Walker as a 4 and go with a single post offense in ONO. Upside for her here is top coaching, likely a title contender every year and she'll be playing with really good players. Downside is she likely isn't going to ever be a go to player or really standout from her teammates...she's a big fish in a pond with a lot of other big fish. Not necessarily a bad thing by any means, but depends on how you look at it. I'm by no means a UCONN fan, but this would be one of my top choices if I were her.

T1. South Carolina-she'd have a great opportunity to get big minutes early, be coached by one of the better ones in the country and South Carolina appears to be putting together pieces to stay a strong team for a long time to come. If she comes here and 1-2 other top recruits come, SC will be a handful for the duration of her career. This would also be a top choice if I were her.

3. Louisville-another spot where she'll likely get big minutes early and can have a team built around her. Coaching is good but team results have been inconsistent. The pro here is she'd have a good shot to be a centerpiece at Louisville and help take this program to the next level of either winning a title or being a consistent Final Four threat. She'd also be very close to home (3hr). I'd rank this option just slightly behind UCONN and South Carolina.

4. Tennessee-on the plus side, she will have some talented teammates and likely starts from day 1. Tennessee isn't too far either and the school offers great fan support and national recognition. Big downside is Holly Warlick...players do not improve under her and teams consistently underachieve. I'd put this as a big step down from Louisville.

5. Ohio State-plus side is she's staying home and will likely get Kelsey Mitchell treatment. Downside is she likely never competes for a Final Four and gets mediocre coaching.

6. UCLA-good program on the west coast. Fan support will be weak though and coaching is okay but nothing special. She'd be a star from day 1 but I don't see her playing in Final Fours here. UCLA is a fantastic school and has a great campus, but basketball wise it doesn't make sense for Horston.

7. North Carolina-no idea what the draw is here, the program has been bad for several years and doesn't appear to be on the upswing. With all the NCAA academic issues and poor team results, I'm not sure I'd want to go here for women's basketball.


Realistically, I'm guessing she picks UCONN or Ohio State. No inside info but more often than not UCONN lands the kids they recruit. I could also see Horston excited at the prospect of being the next Kelsey Mitchell right after she graduates. While team results weren't fantastic, Kelsey broke many records at OSU, kept the program a consistent top 15-20 team and I'm sure was somewhat of a celebrity in the basketball world of Columbus. Horston could be the 2nd coming of that and might believe she can take OSU to the next level.

I think there is something more to add to your evaluation. Horston can play PG so I think there are minutes for her in that spot as a change up to Danger for a big line up and then after Danger graduates PG minutes until the young guns are ready and then she can slip over as Walker graduates. She is really versatile so in a UConn offense there are always minutes for a good versatile player with handles and size. And if she works hard, she can earn a starting role. Its up to her.

 

[sivad40]

The probable reason UNC made Jordan's F7 is that UNC assistant coach Sylvia Crawley is her mom's first cousin.

 

[TitleTown]

I think a little longer like first week or so in November.

The early signing period starts on November 14th, I would imagine most will have committed by/around then.

 

[oldude]

Has she publicly trimmed the list beyond 7? Otherwise I'd rank them as:

T1. UCONN-doesn't seem to be an obvious spot for her here with Williams and Walker as the likely 2/3 combo for the next few years, although UCONN may utilize Walker as a 4 and go with a single post offense in ONO. Upside for her here is top coaching, likely a title contender every year and she'll be playing with really good players. Downside is she likely isn't going to ever be a go to player or really standout from her teammates...she's a big fish in a pond with a lot of other big fish. Not necessarily a bad thing by any means, but depends on how you look at it. I'm by no means a UCONN fan, but this would be one of my top choices if I were her.

T1. South Carolina-she'd have a great opportunity to get big minutes early, be coached by one of the better ones in the country and South Carolina appears to be putting together pieces to stay a strong team for a long time to come. If she comes here and 1-2 other top recruits come, SC will be a handful for the duration of her career. This would also be a top choice if I were her.

3. Louisville-another spot where she'll likely get big minutes early and can have a team built around her. Coaching is good but team results have been inconsistent. The pro here is she'd have a good shot to be a centerpiece at Louisville and help take this program to the next level of either winning a title or being a consistent Final Four threat. She'd also be very close to home (3hr). I'd rank this option just slightly behind UCONN and South Carolina.

4. Tennessee-on the plus side, she will have some talented teammates and likely starts from day 1. Tennessee isn't too far either and the school offers great fan support and national recognition. Big downside is Holly Warlick...players do not improve under her and teams consistently underachieve. I'd put this as a big step down from Louisville.

5. Ohio State-plus side is she's staying home and will likely get Kelsey Mitchell treatment. Downside is she likely never competes for a Final Four and gets mediocre coaching.

6. UCLA-good program on the west coast. Fan support will be weak though and coaching is okay but nothing special. She'd be a star from day 1 but I don't see her playing in Final Fours here. UCLA is a fantastic school and has a great campus, but basketball wise it doesn't make sense for Horston.

7. North Carolina-no idea what the draw is here, the program has been bad for several years and doesn't appear to be on the upswing. With all the NCAA academic issues and poor team results, I'm not sure I'd want to go here for women's basketball.


Realistically, I'm guessing she picks UCONN or Ohio State. No inside info but more often than not UCONN lands the kids they recruit. I could also see Horston excited at the prospect of being the next Kelsey Mitchell right after she graduates. While team results weren't fantastic, Kelsey broke many records at OSU, kept the program a consistent top 15-20 team and I'm sure was somewhat of a celebrity in the basketball world of Columbus. Horston could be the 2nd coming of that and might believe she can take OSU to the next level.

Agree with DEpup on this one. As good as the crop of pg’s in the 2020 class are, I’d take Horston at pg over all of them. She could learn the ropes behind Danger for a year and then start driving the Ferrari as a sophomore.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I think there is something more to add to your evaluation. Horston can play PG so I think there are minutes for her in that spot as a change up to Danger for a big line up and then after Danger graduates PG minutes until the young guns are ready and then she can slip over as Walker graduates. She is really versatile so in a UConn offense there are always minutes for a good versatile player with handles and size. And if she works hard, she can earn a starting role. Its up to her.

I'd add another thing. Jordan likes to play defense. Though it may not be glamorous, Geno could make Jordan a strong DPOY candidate.

 

[SCspur]

Cooke posted on her instagram that she’ll be committing soon. Not sure if they will be packaged or not but I think she and Jackson may commit the same day as Horston. I’m on pins and needles about this one!

 

[TitleTown]

Cooke posted on her instagram that she’ll be committing soon. Not sure if they will be packaged or not but I think she and Jackson may commit the same day as Horston. I’m on pins and needles about this one!

All 3 of them end up at Tennessee

 

[SCspur]

All 3 of them end up at Tennessee

I would rather see them be coached up at this point rather than waste their abilities at UT. Something tells me EVERYONE will be surprised when they decide though.

 

[Charliebball]

I would rather see them be coached up at this point rather than waste their abilities at UT. Something tells me EVERYONE will be surprised when they decide though.

Dawn could sure use a big haul like that, her recruiting hasn't been the best recently................certainly makes more sense then Tennessee from a player's perspective

 

[ballhawk]

Watching the FIBA final today four of the five starters were former Huskies. If Jordan's primary goal in selecting a college is to be the best player that she can be and play in the W there is only one university that meets these goals.

 

[Boxerpups4me]

All 3 of them end up at Tennessee

That would be a shocker, but i wonder if the renewed uconn-tenn rivalry is playing any kind of part in where they might end up..

 

[Boxerpups4me]

I dont think holly is necessarily a bad coach, but i dont think she is good at all in motivating her players..most championship head coaches are master motivators

If holly somehow does pull this trifecta, then it will help Tennessee big time at least match up better with uconn next season

 

[SCGamecock]

All 3 of them end up at Tennessee

Oh dear lord please no.

 

[HopJim]

Has she publicly trimmed the list beyond 7? Otherwise I'd rank them as:

T1. UCONN-doesn't seem to be an obvious spot for her here with Williams and Walker as the likely 2/3 combo for the next few years, although UCONN may utilize Walker as a 4 and go with a single post offense in ONO. Upside for her here is top coaching, likely a title contender every year and she'll be playing with really good players. Downside is she likely isn't going to ever be a go to player or really standout from her teammates...she's a big fish in a pond with a lot of other big fish. Not necessarily a bad thing by any means, but depends on how you look at it. I'm by no means a UCONN fan, but this would be one of my top choices if I were her.

T1. South Carolina-she'd have a great opportunity to get big minutes early, be coached by one of the better ones in the country and South Carolina appears to be putting together pieces to stay a strong team for a long time to come. If she comes here and 1-2 other top recruits come, SC will be a handful for the duration of her career. This would also be a top choice if I were her.

3. Louisville-another spot where she'll likely get big minutes early and can have a team built around her. Coaching is good but team results have been inconsistent. The pro here is she'd have a good shot to be a centerpiece at Louisville and help take this program to the next level of either winning a title or being a consistent Final Four threat. She'd also be very close to home (3hr). I'd rank this option just slightly behind UCONN and South Carolina.

4. Tennessee-on the plus side, she will have some talented teammates and likely starts from day 1. Tennessee isn't too far either and the school offers great fan support and national recognition. Big downside is Holly Warlick...players do not improve under her and teams consistently underachieve. I'd put this as a big step down from Louisville.

5. Ohio State-plus side is she's staying home and will likely get Kelsey Mitchell treatment. Downside is she likely never competes for a Final Four and gets mediocre coaching.

6. UCLA-good program on the west coast. Fan support will be weak though and coaching is okay but nothing special. She'd be a star from day 1 but I don't see her playing in Final Fours here. UCLA is a fantastic school and has a great campus, but basketball wise it doesn't make sense for Horston.

7. North Carolina-no idea what the draw is here, the program has been bad for several years and doesn't appear to be on the upswing. With all the NCAA academic issues and poor team results, I'm not sure I'd want to go here for women's basketball.


Realistically, I'm guessing she picks UCONN or Ohio State. No inside info but more often than not UCONN lands the kids they recruit. I could also see Horston excited at the prospect of being the next Kelsey Mitchell right after she graduates. While team results weren't fantastic, Kelsey broke many records at OSU, kept the program a consistent top 15-20 team and I'm sure was somewhat of a celebrity in the basketball world of Columbus. Horston could be the 2nd coming of that and might believe she can take OSU to the next level.

Appreciate the thought that went into this post but disagree on 1st point. One of UConn's key strengths that has contributed to so many top pros has been Geno's ability to involve multiple players in all facets of the game. Unlike other programs you reference that have a limited number of "go to" pieces, Geno develops every member of his team multiple ways. In a sense, everyone has a key role and the net result is often 3 top draft picks a year. With so may key games throughout the year, UConn provides an unique opportunity for players to demonstrate and show off skills.

 

[bballnut90]

Appreciate the thought that went into this post but disagree on 1st point. One of UConn's key strengths that has contributed to so many top pros has been Geno's ability to involve multiple players in all facets of the game. Unlike other programs you reference that have a limited number of "go to" pieces, Geno develops every member of his team multiple ways. In a sense, everyone has a key role and the net result is often 3 top draft picks a year. With so may key games throughout the year, UConn provides an unique opportunity for players to demonstrate and show off skills.

Agree with what you're saying, the point I was trying to make though is she'll likely share the spotlight at UCONN since Geno has so much talent on his roster where at other schools she'll have a chance to be the star player for her program and elevate her team to the next level, sort of how Wilson did at SC, how Diggins did it at ND, and how Ionescu appears to be accomplishing this at Oregon. Those players are credited with bringing their program over the hump and accomplishing a lot of firsts in program history while also being the best player on her team all 4 years. That type of opportunity to make a new impact on a program isn't available at UCONN since UCONN is such a steady powerhouse in the sport. It's not a bad thing by any means, but players sometimes opt for less traditionally strong programs in hopes to be able to elevate them to the next level. If that's appeals to Jordan, UCONN might be lower on the totem pole then.

 

[Charliebball]

Agree with what you're saying, the point I was trying to make though is she'll likely share the spotlight at UCONN since Geno has so much talent on his roster where at other schools she'll have a chance to be the star player for her program and elevate her team to the next level, sort of how Wilson did at SC, how Diggins did it at ND, and how Ionescu appears to be accomplishing this at Oregon. Those players are credited with bringing their program over the hump and accomplishing a lot of firsts in program history while also being the best player on her team all 4 years. That type of opportunity to make a new impact on a program isn't available at UCONN since UCONN is such a steady powerhouse in the sport. It's not a bad thing by any means, but players sometimes opt for less traditionally strong programs in hopes to be able to elevate them to the next level. If that's appeals to Jordan, UCONN might be lower on the totem pole then.

the good news is that we don't have much longer to wait and find out so we can speculate about the last two hold outs

 

[Golden Husky]

Has she publicly trimmed the list beyond 7? Otherwise I'd rank them as:

T1. UCONN-doesn't seem to be an obvious spot for her here with Williams and Walker as the likely 2/3 combo for the next few years, although UCONN may utilize Walker as a 4 and go with a single post offense in ONO. Upside for her here is top coaching, likely a title contender every year and she'll be playing with really good players. Downside is she likely isn't going to ever be a go to player or really standout from her teammates...she's a big fish in a pond with a lot of other big fish. Not necessarily a bad thing by any means, but depends on how you look at it. I'm by no means a UCONN fan, but this would be one of my top choices if I were her.

T1. South Carolina-she'd have a great opportunity to get big minutes early, be coached by one of the better ones in the country and South Carolina appears to be putting together pieces to stay a strong team for a long time to come. If she comes here and 1-2 other top recruits come, SC will be a handful for the duration of her career. This would also be a top choice if I were her.

3. Louisville-another spot where she'll likely get big minutes early and can have a team built around her. Coaching is good but team results have been inconsistent. The pro here is she'd have a good shot to be a centerpiece at Louisville and help take this program to the next level of either winning a title or being a consistent Final Four threat. She'd also be very close to home (3hr). I'd rank this option just slightly behind UCONN and South Carolina.

4. Tennessee-on the plus side, she will have some talented teammates and likely starts from day 1. Tennessee isn't too far either and the school offers great fan support and national recognition. Big downside is Holly Warlick...players do not improve under her and teams consistently underachieve. I'd put this as a big step down from Louisville.

5. Ohio State-plus side is she's staying home and will likely get Kelsey Mitchell treatment. Downside is she likely never competes for a Final Four and gets mediocre coaching.

6. UCLA-good program on the west coast. Fan support will be weak though and coaching is okay but nothing special. She'd be a star from day 1 but I don't see her playing in Final Fours here. UCLA is a fantastic school and has a great campus, but basketball wise it doesn't make sense for Horston.

7. North Carolina-no idea what the draw is here, the program has been bad for several years and doesn't appear to be on the upswing. With all the NCAA academic issues and poor team results, I'm not sure I'd want to go here for women's basketball.


Realistically, I'm guessing she picks UCONN or Ohio State. No inside info but more often than not UCONN lands the kids they recruit. I could also see Horston excited at the prospect of being the next Kelsey Mitchell right after she graduates. While team results weren't fantastic, Kelsey broke many records at OSU, kept the program a consistent top 15-20 team and I'm sure was somewhat of a celebrity in the basketball world of Columbus. Horston could be the 2nd coming of that and might believe she can take OSU to the next level.

Do kids choose a school or do they pick a coach? I know the obvious answer is "both" but if the latter is more important, then how well the personalities of player and coach mesh--something we really don't know--may be the deciding factor. I'm not opposed to the speculation--in fact, I enjoy it--but some of these choices may be based on factors we don't truly understand.

 

[bballnut90]

Do kids choose a school or do they pick a coach? I know the obvious answer is "both" but if the latter is more important, then how well the personalities of player and coach mesh--something we really don't know--may be the deciding factor. I'm not opposed to the speculation--in fact, I enjoy it--but some of these choices may be based on factors we don't truly understand.

Very true....every player's mindset and priorities are different. Fun to speculate about even if we really have little to zero actual information besides what floats around on here.

 

[Alydar]

Agree with what you're saying, the point I was trying to make though is she'll likely share the spotlight at UCONN since Geno has so much talent on his roster where at other schools she'll have a chance to be the star player for her program and elevate her team to the next level, sort of how Wilson did at SC, how Diggins did it at ND, and how Ionescu appears to be accomplishing this at Oregon. Those players are credited with bringing their program over the hump and accomplishing a lot of firsts in program history while also being the best player on her team all 4 years. That type of opportunity to make a new impact on a program isn't available at UCONN since UCONN is such a steady powerhouse in the sport. It's not a bad thing by any means, but players sometimes opt for less traditionally strong programs in hopes to be able to elevate them to the next level. If that's appeals to Jordan, UCONN might be lower on the totem pole then.

That's true for a lot of great players. But the next level for Ionescu's and Diggens' teams was not the level of UConn, and with apologies to our S Car friends, I doubt Wilson would have a ring if not for Miss St. But if you watched the U17 games this past summer the one thing that was apparent to me was that that bunch truly seemed to have no egos on the court. Horston is a highly skilled scorer but led the team in assists despite not playing the point. And she was but one of many who played that way. I truly believe that the U17 team would have beaten the U18 team rather easily. In that regard I view the 2019/20 classes as uniquely gifted in that respect and is why I am hoping to see a bunch of them choose UConn.

 

[JordyG]

I dont think holly is necessarily a bad coach, but i dont think she is good at all in motivating her players..most championship head coaches are master motivators

If holly somehow does pull this trifecta, then it will help Tennessee big time at least match up better with uconn next season

From the Tenn games I've watched over the last two years Holly's teams have played hard on offense and defense. So where is the lack of motivation? What her teams have lacked are discipline, and an offensive scheme that's more than "dump it into the post(s) and if that doesn't work you guys figure it out". This is opposed to good coaches like Geno, Walz, Muffet, Bruno and others who not only teach defense, but also the myriad of offensive variations off of every position, how to effectively run the break, how to play with pace in the offensive end etc. In other words their variations off of a motion offense. Most championship coaches are not only master motivators, but master innovators as well. Holly is not a bad coach. In fact, she's proven that she's a great recruiter. She'll just never be a coach that's capable of developing players and make them ready for the next level. She'll just never be a great coach that leads her teams to championships.

 

[Boxerpups4me]

From the Tenn games I've watched over the last two years Holly's teams have played hard on offense and defense. So where is the lack of motivation? What her teams have lacked are discipline, and an offensive scheme that's more than "dump it into the post(s) and if that doesn't work you guys figure it out". This is opposed to good coaches like Geno, Walz, Muffet, Bruno and others who not only teach defense, but also the myriad of offensive variations off of every position, how to effectively run the break, how to play with pace in the offensive end etc. In other words their variations off of a motion offense. Most championship coaches are not only master motivators, but master innovators as well. Holly is not a bad coach. In fact, she's proven that she's a great recruiter. She'll just never be a coach that's capable of developing players and make them ready for the next level. She'll just never be a great coach that leads her teams to championships.

I agree with all you say, especially about discipline. If holly had any kind of motivational skills, i dont think they lose that debacle at Notre Dame. Tennessee needed some kind of motivational force to keep Notre Dame from storming back, holly just stood there most of the time with her arms crossed

 

[JordyG]

I agree with all you say, especially about discipline. If holly had any kind of motivational skills, i dont think they lose that debacle at Notre Dame. Tennessee needed some kind of motivational force to keep Notre Dame from storming back, holly just stood there most of the time with her arms crossed

I didn't see that as much as an inability to motivate her team, but more her inability as a coach to tell her team specifically what to do to counter what ND was doing and stop the bleeding, Just listen to her repetitive post game interviews and you can hear how she consistently has no answers.

 

[donalddoowop]

It's possible to be a great recruiter and not be a great coach. It's possible to be a great recruiter and not be even an above average coach. Holly W. may be somewhere in between.

 

[Alydar]

I agree with all you say, especially about discipline. If holly had any kind of motivational skills, i dont think they lose that debacle at Notre Dame. Tennessee needed some kind of motivational force to keep Notre Dame from storming back, holly just stood there most of the time with her arms crossed

Not much different from what MM did the year before when the Irish had a similar collapse in the 4th period at TBA.