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Some thoughts on UConn's recruiting
With Breanna Stewart, the nation's top-rated high school junior, expected to be at Gampel Pavilion tonight I figured it would be worth taking a look at the uncommitted players in the Class of 2012 who are being recruited by UConn.
Leading the list of prospects is a pair of players who were teammates of UConn commit Morgan Tuck on the U.S. Under-17 national team - Stewart and Jewell Loyd - as well as Texas guard Moriah Jefferson, South Carolina forward Xylina McDaniel and Hillhouse wing Bria Holmes.
Stewart, a 6-foot-4 forward at Cicero-North Syracuse (N.Y.) High, Breanna Stewart, is averaging 23 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.7 steals and 3 blocks per game. I watched some of the practices of the U.S. Under-17 national team and came away extremely impressed with the versatility a player like Stewart brings to the court as she seemed equally at ease at the low post or playing out away from the basket.
Getting the complete stats for Loyd, a 5-foot-10 guard at Niles West High in Skokie, Ill., was a bit more challenging. I couldn't track down her scoring totals in four games this season but in the 21 games I found for her has her averaging 30.3 points per game including four 40-point efforts, two more games of 39 points and a triple-double with 42 points, 15 rebounds and 10 steals in a Dec. 14 win over Deerfield. During one recent stretch, Loyd had 125 points in games against Lake Zurich, St. Francis and Glenbrook South.
The 5-foot-8 Jefferson is a home schooled kid who plays for THESA out of Ft. Worth, Texas and is vying with Stewart for the right of being the nation's most highly-touted high school junior.
McDaniel, a 6-foot-1 forward at Spring Valley (SC), is averaging 18.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2.7 steals and 1.6 blocks. McDaniel, the daughter of former NBA star Xavier McDaniel, scored in double figures in last 19 games and has nine 20-point games this season. During UConn's recent trip to play at North Carolina, UConn coach Geno Auriemma stayed behind to watch McDaniel play.
Holmes, a 6-foot-1 guard/forward, is averaging 17.4 points per game and has been the picture of consistency by scoring between 13-26 in every game this season for the Academics.
While dynamics in recruiting is an ever evolving process, those appear to be at the top of UConn's wish list at the current time. Jordan Adams, a high school teammate of UConn incoming freshman Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, seems like more of a long shot with each passing week even though when I spoke to her during Mater Dei's recent game in Springfield, Mass. she did say UConn was still in the picture. It seems likely that Adams would stay in California and with the improvement shown by UCLA and USC in the last season or two as well as perennial Pac-10 power Stanford, Adams won't lack for viable options. Mater Dei coach Kevin Kiernan did say that Tennessee was making a push for Adams so it will be interesting to see if Tennessee coach Pat Summitt can work her recruiting magic. It should be noted that while looking for info on Loyd, one recent story mentioned that Summitt took in one of her recent games.
I can't have a good feel for how seriously California post players Imani Stafford and Alyson Beebe are considering UConn.
Finally, this is merely my opinion but it is beginning to look unlikely that Australian teenager Gretel Tippett would leave her home country and a chance to play in the WNBL in Australia to play collegiately. Had Tippett remained with the Australian Institute of Sport, perhaps I've feel stronger about the liklihood of her coming over but the fact that she has yet to come over to the U.S. to visit potential colleges should be a bit of a red flag. Since joining the Logan Thunder, Tippett is averaging 4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game so she won't lack for opportunities to earn money in Australia's pro league. Unlike the others mentioned above, Tippett would be a part of the incoming freshman class is she opts to head to the U.S. Now, if she makes a decision to come over to visit a school like UConn in the next month, certainly that would be a pretty fair indication of her intentions. I have attempted to contact Gretel's parents via e-mail but have not heard back yet but I will continue to monitor this situation.
Leading the list of prospects is a pair of players who were teammates of UConn commit Morgan Tuck on the U.S. Under-17 national team - Stewart and Jewell Loyd - as well as Texas guard Moriah Jefferson, South Carolina forward Xylina McDaniel and Hillhouse wing Bria Holmes.
Stewart, a 6-foot-4 forward at Cicero-North Syracuse (N.Y.) High, Breanna Stewart, is averaging 23 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.7 steals and 3 blocks per game. I watched some of the practices of the U.S. Under-17 national team and came away extremely impressed with the versatility a player like Stewart brings to the court as she seemed equally at ease at the low post or playing out away from the basket.
Getting the complete stats for Loyd, a 5-foot-10 guard at Niles West High in Skokie, Ill., was a bit more challenging. I couldn't track down her scoring totals in four games this season but in the 21 games I found for her has her averaging 30.3 points per game including four 40-point efforts, two more games of 39 points and a triple-double with 42 points, 15 rebounds and 10 steals in a Dec. 14 win over Deerfield. During one recent stretch, Loyd had 125 points in games against Lake Zurich, St. Francis and Glenbrook South.
The 5-foot-8 Jefferson is a home schooled kid who plays for THESA out of Ft. Worth, Texas and is vying with Stewart for the right of being the nation's most highly-touted high school junior.
McDaniel, a 6-foot-1 forward at Spring Valley (SC), is averaging 18.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2.7 steals and 1.6 blocks. McDaniel, the daughter of former NBA star Xavier McDaniel, scored in double figures in last 19 games and has nine 20-point games this season. During UConn's recent trip to play at North Carolina, UConn coach Geno Auriemma stayed behind to watch McDaniel play.
Holmes, a 6-foot-1 guard/forward, is averaging 17.4 points per game and has been the picture of consistency by scoring between 13-26 in every game this season for the Academics.
While dynamics in recruiting is an ever evolving process, those appear to be at the top of UConn's wish list at the current time. Jordan Adams, a high school teammate of UConn incoming freshman Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, seems like more of a long shot with each passing week even though when I spoke to her during Mater Dei's recent game in Springfield, Mass. she did say UConn was still in the picture. It seems likely that Adams would stay in California and with the improvement shown by UCLA and USC in the last season or two as well as perennial Pac-10 power Stanford, Adams won't lack for viable options. Mater Dei coach Kevin Kiernan did say that Tennessee was making a push for Adams so it will be interesting to see if Tennessee coach Pat Summitt can work her recruiting magic. It should be noted that while looking for info on Loyd, one recent story mentioned that Summitt took in one of her recent games.
I can't have a good feel for how seriously California post players Imani Stafford and Alyson Beebe are considering UConn.
Finally, this is merely my opinion but it is beginning to look unlikely that Australian teenager Gretel Tippett would leave her home country and a chance to play in the WNBL in Australia to play collegiately. Had Tippett remained with the Australian Institute of Sport, perhaps I've feel stronger about the liklihood of her coming over but the fact that she has yet to come over to the U.S. to visit potential colleges should be a bit of a red flag. Since joining the Logan Thunder, Tippett is averaging 4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game so she won't lack for opportunities to earn money in Australia's pro league. Unlike the others mentioned above, Tippett would be a part of the incoming freshman class is she opts to head to the U.S. Now, if she makes a decision to come over to visit a school like UConn in the next month, certainly that would be a pretty fair indication of her intentions. I have attempted to contact Gretel's parents via e-mail but have not heard back yet but I will continue to monitor this situation.
Labels: Alyson Beebe, Breanna Stewart, Bria Holmes, Gretel Tippett, Imani Stafford, Jewell Loyd, Morgan Tuck, Moriah Jefferson, Xylina McDaniel
posted by Jim Fuller at
3:36 PM
5 Comments:
How would you compare Stewart's face up game versus Elena Delle Donne? Does she have EDD's range, quick release, and accuracy? Is there anyone you would compare sinmilarly to Stewart's game with her back to the basket? Thanks.
Hmm, someone who scores 30 ppg in high school might not like the change she'd have to endure at UConn, like playing defense and passing....I see that EDD is scoring a lot while her team loses....
It's always difficult to compare a high school junior to a current college or pro player. If I were to try, I might say she reminds me of Asjha Jones - not in physical appearance but in basketball IQ and the ability to be just as comfortable playing in either the high or low post.
In terms of Stewart vs. Delle Donne, it would be kind of like comparing Skylar Diggins and Chiney Ogwumike, they don't play the same position. Delle Donne, despite her height, is really a guard who is not comfortable inside while Stewart is a forward who has no problem mixing things up down low. Although Stewart has five 3-pointers in 13 games, she does not have the range on her jumper that Delle Donne does but has the ability to score in a variety ways in the paint.
Jim Fuller - thank you for taking the time to respond to my questions and thank you for the detailed analysis.
I was impressed to see the rest of Stewart's stat lines, I had not seen it yet when I posted earlier....quite a balanced player between rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. A much better fit than I first suspected. thanks for the follow-up details. I enjoy your blog (though I still wish you would question Geno more closely on why he is having the team play more zone defense this year than in prior years. He said that it was to eliminate the dribble-drive plays, but the interviewer did not follow up on that comment with the next logical question....)
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