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A blog on UConn women's basketball.

Friday, May 18, 2012

UConn recruiting targets taking their time


UConn recruiting targets Courtney Ekmark (No. 34) and Erica McCall (No. 41)  apply
defensive pressure during the U.S. -17 national team trials at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.

I know that there are fans out there getting a tad bit antsy because three Class of 2013 players who were heavily recruited by UConn have committed elsewhere in the last couple of weeks.

However, Linnae Harper, Erica McCall and Jannah Tucker are still relatively early in the recruiting process so don't expect them to be committing any time in the immediate future.

McCall, a 6-foot-3 forward/center from Bakersfield, Calif., is probably the furthest along of the three since she made a visit to the UConn campus. It doesn't hurt that her father is the head women's basketball coach at CSU Bakersfield and her sister is Phoenix Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner.

Bonner made her sister's day by giving her the phone number of former UConn great Diana Taurasi (who is Bonner's teammate with the Mercury) with instructions to call her if she has any questions concerning what UConn is all about.

"I have her number in my phone and I am excited about that just to have her name on my phone," McCall said on Friday after finishing up the second session at the U.S. U-17 training camp. "I hope I get to talk
to her and get a feel for UConn."

McCall said "right now I am open."

Harper and Tucker said pretty much the same thing. Tucker said she'd like to take some unofficial visits in June and could start narrowing her list of schools beginning in July.

Another Class of 2013 UConn recruiting target is also out in the Colorado Springs but Saniya Chong is attempting to make the U-18 team and those tryouts don't begin until tomorrow.

Right now those are the four prospects I know UConn is still involved with. The list of prospective recruits has been narrowed with the decisions of Diamond DeShields (North Carolina), Taya Reimer (Notre Dame) and Karlie Samuelson (Stanford) to commit elsewhere.

I would think UConn would be happy to get a combination of any of the two players mentioned above and will focus on landing a larger class the following year. The Huskies are involved in the recruitment of top Class of 2014 players Courtney Ekmark and Brianna Turner. Sierra Calhoun is another talented member of that class and her father has said he'd like her to go to the same school as his son Omar Calhoun who will be a freshman on the UConn men's team. Another possible name to look at it LaJahna Drummer who listed UConn among her top schools in her USA Basketball bio.

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3 Comments:

Anonymous Mike Davis said...

You think it is good that UConn is trying to recruit only 3 players now, while Auriemma is spending 100% of his time on the Olympics?

You honestly believe UConn will land 2 of these 3, even though these 3 players know they are all UConn's "2nd choices"?

You honestly believe UConn will land 2 of these 3, even though these 3 players are probably wondering why 0 of UConn's "1st choices" went to the Huskies direct competition?

What makes you so positive about 2014 recruits, considering UConn's recent history:

2008 - world class Xfer blunder (Auriemma knew about EDD's sister) with "No backup" plan whatsoever.

2009 - another blunder with only 1 because 2008 was supposed to be a "sure thing".

2010 - 2 Xfers and 1 you honestly know "never had a chance" to play.

2011 - 1.5 players and 1.5 with no playing time.

2012 - so over hyped that Auriemma already bragged about an "undefeated 8th NC".

2013 - 0 for 3, which probably has to do with the "sure thing" of 2012.

You know exactly why UConn failed to advance to the championship the last 2 seasons. In 2010, 4 stood around and watched Maya, while the rest were glued to the bench. In 2011, Auriemma's screaming and throwing at least 3 of his 6.5 players under the bus yielded a team that literally "panicked and choked" in all 5 losses.

Getting to the Final Four is still "too easy" for UConn and Stanford because the landscape is "5 and everyone else". If the FF is what "satisfies" Auriemma, then UConn will never win an 8th.

Do you not think Auriemma is wearing too many hats? FIBA WC and the Olympics have been a huge distraction. And this latest board of directors thing also shows Auriemma is not focused on UConn.

I don't see the "drive" in Auriemma to win the 8th. I see a coach with 7 NCs and nothing left to prove in WCBB. I see a coach who "admits to not knowing" how to get thru to this generation. I see a coach who has a lfetime job "waiting for him in his backyard" after he leaves UConn.

5:03 PM 
Anonymous Chris Saran said...

Mike Davis doesn't know what he's talking about. When you win 7 championships, you know how to coach.The players who committed elsewhere know they stand a good chance of not playing a lot of minutes. With Bria Hartely, Kaleena Mosqueda Lewis, Stefanie Dolson, Kiah Stokes, Breanna Stewart, Morgan Tuck, Brianna Banks, and Moriah Jefferson on the team, where would their minutes be? They'll sign two players, which is all they will need. Then they will target the class of 2014. Geno and his staff will get an eighth, ninth and possibly tenth title.

8:42 PM 
Blogger DoYour DueDilligence said...

Ummm I bet Mike felt real sick about that 8th championship... Not to mention know your facts, if you think Geno is ever "SATISFIED" you know nothing about Uconn Women's Basketball LOL!

4:47 PM 

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