I agree with @Voldopia. Fudd is on record as saying it might be more fun to play against Paige. At this stage, not even the commits are a lock - see Charlie CollierThat's not my understanding...
One offhanded comment about playing against Beckers does not deserve a comment saying she is not a lock for UConn.I agree with @Vo;ldopia. Fudd is on record as saying it might be more fun to play against Paige. At this stage, not even the commits are a lock - see Charlie Collier
agree, it looks like UConn. But After Collier, I don't count'em until they sign, seal, and deliver and then they can pull an EDDOne offhanded comment about playing against Beckers does not deserve a comment saying she is not a lock for UConn.
No one is ever a lock but the signs are seriously pointing to a UConn verbal sooner rather than later.
It would take a long time to go through each class and point out who were top players and who were not. Sabally of Oregon was number 36 she is definitely a top ten player. Cooper was number 12 in her class she is doing a little better this season, but not her first three. I don't think she was a top fifty maybe a top 100. Hayes was number seven ended up as Middle Tennessee not that great a player probably a top 75. You could definitely argue three star Willard at Missouri State is a top 50 player her last two seasons. She wasn't even on a list. There are many players that were ranked lower in the top fifty through the years that were much better and players in the top ten or 15 that didn't achieve that status. If I had the time I could go through each class year to year and point out many top 50 players that were at least top 15 to 20 and top 10 that should've been ranked a lot lower. Russell was never a number one player although she was ranked number one. I would say she was more like 25 to 30. I can't remember where Simmons was ranked she turned out to be a top 30 player wasn't ranked that high I don't believe. The list could be long of top 20 players that were below top 50 and top 50 players that excelled to the point of 20 of above.How many times has that happened for Tennessee? Or Kellie?
Here's a little context for a team that rarely, if ever, recruits any of the top twenty high school players:
NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen 2006, 2011, 2014, 2016
NCAA Tournament Second round 1990, 1992, 1996, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
NCAA Tournament Appearances 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
That's a pretty good record. The team is DePaul. I believe those very good results with less than stellar (ranked) student athletes is due in large measure to Doug Bruno's far better than average coaching.
To get to the final four, even a coach as good as Bruno needs better players.
It would take a long time to go through each class and point out who were top players and who were not. Sabally of Oregon was number 36 she is definitely a top ten player. Cooper was number 12 in her class she is doing a little better this season, but not her first three. I don't think she was a top fifty maybe a top 100. Hayes was number seven ended up as Middle Tennessee not that great a player probably a top 75. You could definitely argue three star Willard at Missouri State is a top 50 player her last two seasons. She wasn't even on a list. There are many players that were ranked lower in the top fifty through the years that were much better and players in the top ten or 15 that didn't achieve that status. If I had the time I could go through each class year to year and point out many top 50 players that were at least top 15 to 20 and top 10 that should've been ranked a lot lower. Russell was never a number one player although she was ranked number one. I would say she was more like 25 to 30. I can't remember where Simmons was ranked she turned out to be a top 30 player wasn't ranked that high I don't believe. The list could be long of top 20 players that were below top 50 and top 50 players that excelled to the point of 20 of above.
If you want to win the NCAA women's basketball tournament, you need, at least one (preferably more), top 5 ranked recruit.
Just look at the teams that have won the championship over the last 20 years: ND, Baylor, uconn,
TENNESSEE, etc.). Even Texas A&M had Kelsey Bone.
Danielle Adams was a first team AA that year. She easily qualified as a star player.They had good players but no “star” players. Their best player was a undersized junior college transfer who played in the post. She didn’t last long in the WNBA but she went to work in the tourney.
It most definitely could've happen at Tennessee would have to check a lot of seasons to find out. I know we had a lot of top ten players that turned into top 50 players or worse could name a huge list.In other words, a top 50ish recruit turning into a top 10 player in college is pretty rare and it has never happened at Tennessee...