UConn recruiting Speculation, part 3 | Page 4 | The Boneyard

UConn recruiting Speculation, part 3

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BRS24

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And to add the crazyness (dates hidden for space) -
  1. Portal overlaps NCAAT completely (how many players will portal while team is still in tourney?)
  2. Portal (45 days) overlaps NLI signing period (29 days) for 15 days
View attachment 95279
Ok, so I've seen two different timings on the deadline for Final Four participants to declare. Wikipedia says 24 hrs after final game, an ESPN says 48, however 48 hrs after the championship puts it on draft day?
 
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Hello Boneyard! It has been a while. I am going to throw a name out - Lillie Graves - McCutcheon High School in Indiana. Freshman tha has to be averaging close to 30 per game. High IQ, good ball handler, and rebounds with intensity. Going to be fun to watch her continue to develop the next three years.
 
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The conversion I get is 190 cm = 74.8", or very nearly 6'3"
HELLO! Well, I must stand corrected. The conversion ratio for both you and I is 1 inches = 2.54 cm.
But with I plugged in 190 cm (i.e. Fiba stat) I asked for the conversion from 190 cm to FEET, not inches.
So, I got the answer as 190 cm = 6.23355958 = "FEET" I mistook the .23355958 as being in inches! MY BAD!
So, we agreed that SARAH, by FIBA's reconning, is your 74.8 inches. Now we just have to guess whether the
190 cm was rounded UP or rounded DOWN... with shoes or without shoes, with socks or without socks, and how Sarah
was wearing her hair on that particular day... etc., etc., etc. Either way Sarah Strong will be SIGNIFICANT
plus to the program of her choice... GO, UCONN! GO, Sarah.
 
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HELLO! Well, I must stand corrected. The conversion ratio for both you and I is 1 inches = 2.54 cm.
But with I plugged in 190 cm (i.e. Fiba stat) I asked for the conversion from 190 cm to FEET, not inches.
So, I got the answer as 190 cm = 6.23355958 = "FEET" I mistook the .23355958 as being in inches! MY BAD!
So, we agreed that SARAH, by FIBA's reconning, is your 74.8 inches. Now we just have to guess whether the
190 cm was rounded UP or rounded DOWN... with shoes or without shoes, with socks or without socks, and how Sarah
was wearing her hair on that particular day... etc., etc., etc. Either way Sarah Strong will be SIGNIFICANT
plus to the program of her choice... GO, UCONN! GO, Sarah.
As always, I never believe any measurement not expressed in Hartley units.
 
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Thanks for this info. What I worry about is losing a great potential addition because of timing of player's decisions. I have no idea what Sara's timeline is, but could we lose out on a major portal addition because we are holding a position for her, she ultimately goes elsewhere, and we missed the boat on the portal because those decisions have been made? Yes, unfortunately that is the reality.

The same is true of our extra year candidates. If we go deep into the tournament and they don't decide until just before the draft, we might be late pursuing someone who has already entered the portal. We have to the best of our knowledge 6 players with decisions they have to ultimately make. Four with an optional year, and two outstanding offers to Strong and Rodriquez.

The players don't have to make decisions before the quagmire of deadlines, but for teams that don't have any idea if they have an available roster spot or not (like us) it would be a tremendous benefit if they did. Our existing players with the option can help Geno in that regard.

If hypothetically Nika and Aaliyah had made a decision to not use their optional year, it helps a lot to make sure Geno knows now, even if you don't declare it publicly. I presume to the extent they know, they are probably doing that. But if he knew two were not coming back, at least at that point he would know he had one spot to offer, be it Sarah, Rodriquez, or a portal addition, but only one of those three. If Sarah said yes, then no portal or Rodriguez in that scenario, but if Sarah declined it might be a decision between pursuing Rodriquez or using the portal.

Senior night might be a significant clue. I am hoping Paige chooses not to participate which would be a clear indication she was returning. I am guessing Nika and Aaliyah probably will, but who knows, and Aubrey because of the injury might now have greater chance of returning than before the injury.

My best case scenario is Paige and Aubrey return, we have one spot and Sarah takes it. If Sarah comes but Aubrey leaves, then use the portal option on a big. If we lose out on Sarah, I think I would prefer my chances in the portal to Rodriquez, but if Aubrey doesn't come back you could try for both or two portal additions.

Too many permutations and combinations combined with incredible uncertainty over how many roster spots if any we have. Hopefully some of these decisions can happen soon and start to provide some clarity.
Very tough to decide between Rodriguez and the portal but assuming no Strong, I believe I’d have to go with Rodriguez over the portal. I have to believe there’s a reason Geno offered her! She certainly passes the eye test as she looks a lot like Strong imo. Big, strong and skilled! What's not to like! Obviously, there are a couple of portal possibilities that ould be very tempting if they entered but there’s no guarantee they will And even if they did, it’s basically a one year deal. I think Rodriguez could be the real deal!
 
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Very tough to decide between Rodriguez and the portal but assuming no Strong, I believe I’d have to go with Rodriguez over the portal. I have to believe there’s a reason Geno offered her! She certainly passes the eye test as she looks a lot like Strong imo. Big, strong and skilled! What's not to like! Obviously, there are a couple of portal possibilities that ould be very tempting if they entered but there’s no guarantee they will And even if they did, it’s basically a one year deal. I think Rodriguez could be the real deal!
I probably agree with most of your assessment of Rodriquez, and four years of a good player is better than 1 or 2 years from a portal pickup. My main reason for considering the portal vs. Rodriquez is position need. If Aaliyah departs and we don't get Sarah then the need for a 4 or even better 5, is way higher than for other positions, and an experienced plug and play type more valuable to us next year, than a freshmen learning the ropes.

Rodriquez seems to me to be more of a 3/4 who could play some 4. In the portal we might get a more natural or bigger 4 or 5. With Sarah's delay the potential options for another big in the class of 2024 were just about gone, nobody left in the top 100 uncommitted, maybe a late foreign recruit, but the portal was starting to look like the last chance for a big if Sarah went elsewhere.

When I look at the videos that have been posted, Rodriquez looks like someone that should be ranked in the top 100, perhaps more toward the top of that list than the bottom. Perhaps that is because this was her first year in this country and she was off the radar a bit. Same thing might explain the lack of ranking for Gandy for example.

I hate not knowing if we have any available spots, and if so how many. If for the sake of argument you assume we wind up with just one spot, and Aaliyah moves on, then given the choices, my priority would be Sarah first, my chances in the portal second, and Rodriquez third. I think she would be a fine addition, but IMO we are in a position where taking one player means we are likely closing the door on other options. If we were several players under the limit the opportunity cost would not be nearly as great. But in terms of your question, "What's not to like!", the answer is nothing, I like your analysis of her skills and talent.
 

HuskyNan

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Recruiting topics for non-UConn teams goes on the General Women’s board, available at the link at the top of the UConn (only) board. Non-UConn discussion will be removed
 
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I probably agree with most of your assessment of Rodriquez, and four years of a good player is better than 1 or 2 years from a portal pickup. My main reason for considering the portal vs. Rodriquez is position need. If Aaliyah departs and we don't get Sarah then the need for a 4 or even better 5, is way higher than for other positions, and an experienced plug and play type more valuable to us next year, than a freshmen learning the ropes.

Rodriquez seems to me to be more of a 3/4 who could play some 4. In the portal we might get a more natural or bigger 4 or 5. With Sarah's delay the potential options for another big in the class of 2024 were just about gone, nobody left in the top 100 uncommitted, maybe a late foreign recruit, but the portal was starting to look like the last chance for a big if Sarah went elsewhere.

When I look at the videos that have been posted, Rodriquez looks like someone that should be ranked in the top 100, perhaps more toward the top of that list than the bottom. Perhaps that is because this was her first year in this country and she was off the radar a bit. Same thing might explain the lack of ranking for Gandy for example.

I hate not knowing if we have any available spots, and if so how many. If for the sake of argument you assume we wind up with just one spot, and Aaliyah moves on, then given the choices, my priority would be Sarah first, my chances in the portal second, and Rodriquez third. I think she would be a fine addition, but IMO we are in a position where taking one player means we are likely closing the door on other options. If we were several players under the limit the opportunity cost would not be nearly as great. But in terms of your question, "What's not to like!", the answer is nothing, I like your analysis of her skills and talent.

WE NEED A BIG CENTER !!! WE have enough guards and forwards . We need bigs first, we are short on scholarships.
 
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With UConn not being a finalist for Jazzy Davidson, I believe the chances of landing a Top 10 for ‘25 are a lot more slim. My prediction is that a bunch of them stay local.

IMG_8872.jpeg


Landing Sarah Strong would soften the blow for sure. Lara Somfai seems most likely of those offered in ‘25, Leah Macy (8) and Brynn McGaughy (15) are still on my shortlist. They’d be amazing to pair with the Ashlynn & KK and Allie & Morgan.
 
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I've seen this one before.. Plays with Katie Fiso in Washington...
I double-checked the link
 
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With UConn not being a finalist for Jazzy Davidson, I believe the chances of landing a Top 10 for ‘25 are a lot more slim. My prediction is that a bunch of them stay local.

View attachment 95480

Landing Sarah Strong would soften the blow for sure. Lara Somfai seems most likely of those offered in ‘25, Leah Macy (8) and Brynn McGaughy (15) are still on my shortlist. They’d be amazing to pair with the Ashlynn & KK and Allie & Morgan.
Soften the blow? What blow?
 
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Vukosa is obviously the best big in the ‘26 class but as for the most sought after, there will be a lot of opinions. I can’t think of any recent classes as strong from 1-15 as this one. UConn has offers out to #1,2,3, and 8 plus #15 is a POI. Robinson, Vukosa, Hall, Bjorn, and Green. And there might be others that I’m not aware of. Plus Hassell, Palmer, and Kaleena Smith in ‘27 is another strong group.
Vukosa may be the best big in the '26 class but she is also the BEST big for UConn. Surround her with the army of great UConn shooters who also play great defense and that team would be special.
 
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BYers much ado here about not much. Strong is weighing her options and that is about all that can be said. She'll go where she and her family feel she has the best chance to play and develop to the next level.
 
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I think Sara may be waiting for an opening on the roster as well as a position where she is going to get alot of playtime and not have to wait for someone to graduate. Waiting one season is one thing but having to wait longer may not be. Sara is the number 1 player in the class and will make a difference. We need her and she likes us.
Why do you say in your last sentence “she likes us”.
 
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Ok, so I've seen two different timings on the deadline for Final Four participants to declare. Wikipedia says 24 hrs after final game, an ESPN says 48, however 48 hrs after the championship puts it on draft day?

WNBA draft is April 15th.
NCAA final is April 7th.
Players have until 48 hours after the end of their season.
 

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Jana is a stud ! but we need another center or big forward at least. Especially if Jana gets hurt again. We can't rely on any of our bigs that are on the bench .
I really hope Geno gets at least 3 quality bigs from the portal this year especially if Edwards is not coming back. Imho the post players we have for next year are projects. The post will need some help again
 

HuskyNan

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I really hope Geno gets at least 3 quality bigs from the portal this year especially if Edwards is not coming back. Imho the post players we have for next year are projects. The post will need some help again
Here you go. See if you can find three “quality” bigs

 
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