2021 Recruiting - WBB

In looking at the top 60 ESPN Hoopgulz rankings for 2021, only 7 have committed so far. Most of those are not near the top. I believe that Aayila Moore at 9 out of Oklahoma is the only one in the top 10 that Texas has been mentioned with. Rori Harmon is at 20 and Jada Malone is down the list. So if Aston stays, there is still lots of time with the top recruits. Or she may choose to take under the radar players ranked lower as she did in 2020. If Aston leaves, then there is time for the new coach to make inroads with the remaining 53 and others.
 
Ellis21d said:
VanSickle commits to Washington Huskies! Aston has lost all credibility at recruiting at the highest level!
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Of course she has. She has no contract to coach at Texas next season. CDC needs to act. Give Aston a contract or announce that she is not returning. In that case, look for a coach even if all preliminary interviews are by phone and/or video conference. If I were Aston, I would only accept a credible multi-year contract. She has no chance to recruit without that. Texas can afford that even if it puts them in the position of buying Aston out in a year or two.
 
The 2021 recruiting landscape has been turned completely upside down as it relates to Texas/Schaefer.

All of Karen's 2021 & 2022 offers are probably a mute point until the pandemic abates and Schaefer can actually begin his evaluations of HS players that he was not already recruiting to MSU.
 
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I am hopeful that we hang onto most of the returning players particularly Allen-Taylor, Ortiz and Warren. I think Vic is focused on Celeste and Charlie for sure. If you have those 5 and can hold the recruiting class together along with the Harvard transfer that gives you 10 to be competitive with in 2020/21. With no seniors other than the Harvard transfer, IMO that sets Texas up to get it going in 2021/22 if he can land some key recruits.

Is Bradley's commitment out the window? As a legacy UT girl, I'd really like to see him honor that commitment. Karen and Vic had 3 girls they bother offered, so if we have 3 spots it would seem those 3 girls would rise to the top.

Texas 2021
Commitments:
Paige Bradley 5-10 SG
Mutual Offers:
Rori Harmon 5-6 PG
Sara Puckett 6-1 W
Jersey Wolfenbarger 6-1 SG

Vic's Offers @MSU-
Teonni Key 6-3 W (MSU was in her final list)
Clarice Akunwafo 6-6 C
Bree Hall 6-0 G
Raven Johnson 5-8 PG

Karen's Evaporated Offers-
Sonia Citron 6-1 G
Maryam Dauda 6-4 F
Kyndall Hunter 5-8 PG
Jada Malone 6-3 F
Aayliah Moore 6-3 F
Trinity Slocum 5-7 PG
 
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Louisville got a commitment today from a player. No 8 in ESPNW HOOPGULZ for 2021 out of Kansas. Can’t remember her name.
 
TempestHorn said:
Texas 2021
Commitments:
Paige Bradley 5-10 SG
Mutual Offers:
Rori Harmon 5-6 PG
Sara Puckett 6-1 W
Jersey Wolfenbarger 6-1 SG

Vic's Offers @MSU-
Teonni Key 6-3 W (MSU was in her final list)
Clarice Akunwafo 6-6 C
Bree Hall 6-0 G
Raven Johnson 5-8 PG

Karen's Evaporated Offers-
Sonia Citron 6-1 G
Maryam Dauda 6-4 F
Kyndall Hunter 5-8 PG
Jada Malone 6-3 F
Aayliah Moore 6-3 F
Trinity Slocum 5-7 PG
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Great post Tempest! Well researched and informative. We may need to pin this to the top as 2021 recruiting plays out. As regards Paige Bradley, I believe her style of play will have much more influence with Schaefer than her legacy status.
 
With the commitments of Gaston and Lambert and decommitment of Benzan this week, that changes the conversation for 2021. You could point out that Lambert for Benzan is a wash as both are graduate transfers and doesn't change 2021. Gaston and Ebo are intriguing in that it shows that players follow the coaching staffs rather than to the schools (primarily). There are so many unknowns but that has never kept me from theorizing. I think there will be 2-3 open spots next year. It doesn't help to point out who from the current team. I am hypothesizing that Paige Bradley for 2021 is at risk. She is an offensive player so may not be the right fit for Schaeffer. Looking at the above Tempest lists, it is apparent that Schaeffer has not been recruiting Texas like he may in the future. Of the three mutual offers, only Harmon is from Texas. Of the four MS offered alone, none are from Texas. There are 2 from Cali, 1 from Ohio and 1 from Georgia. All four of his sole offers range between 27 and 13 in the ESPNW Hoopgurlz rankings. So those four do not have any state or regional ties to Mississippi and could be options for Texas. I think of the four the one he would REALLY want is the 6'-6" big Clarice Akunwafo. He loves long bigs. So that takes up the big. A. Moore from Arkansas is a take and apparently the staff has been following her now and is a power forward type. Of the total 2-3 openings, one has to be a point guard. So that means one of Harmon, Wolfenbarger, or Raven Johnson. So its anybody's guess for point guard. So my early guess for 2021 is Akunwafo (5), Moore (4) and Johnson (1). That is a big, a forward and a point guard and again none is from Texas. And there are some other great players mentioned above. And doesn't consider the transfer market. And the staff will recruit Texas more in the future. How the 2020 high school recruits fit in will change things as well. Fun to speculate.
 
Thanks Zig for the correction. Oklahoma and Arkansas are kinda the same direction and culture to me. I get confused.
 
As of now, we only have one opening for 2021. There is no way Vic only adds one additional player in 2021 with Bradley, so I think of the 14 we have now, 3-4 will transfer out.

Jada Malone was also a big target for him at MSU.
 
If the roster stands as is then that would leave us with 2 open spots after this season as we have one open spot already and Lambert is the only "senior" on the team. If Vic fills the last spot this upcoming season then we would have one scholarship available after this season. If players are not happy and decide to transfer the only person I see doing that are Isabel Palmer & Shae Routt. Allen-Taylor will not leave simply because of her major so only two left out are those two. Which leaves us open for the players mentioned above or just two.
 
It's been said by others on different boards that the 2021 class of players is not on the level of the 2022 and 2023 classes; forget if that was in-state only, or also nationally. If that is accurate, I'm certainly in favor of signing a small 2021 class in order to bolster our upcoming roster with instant contributors, and to have more slots open for 2022 and 2023.

Still, I'd love to get one or both of those two guards from Cypress Creek for 2021.
 
Moooooo said:
It's been said by others on different boards that the 2021 class of players is not on the level of the 2022 and 2023 classes; forget if that was in-state only, or also nationally. If that is accurate, I'm certainly in favor of signing a small 2021 class in order to bolster our upcoming roster with instant contributors, and to have more slots open for 2022 and 2023.

Still, I'd love to get one or both of those two guards from Cypress Creek for 2021.
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Yes in the Austin area alone there are some very highly talented players for the 2023 class. One for example is Gisella Maul who attends cedar park. She is being looked at by over 30 d1 programs and will for sure be a top 20 player in her class. Some other players with alot of potential are Shanel Reid, Aubrey Reid and Jade clack. Those three attend Austin High school. Aubrey and Shanel are twin sisters who can do it all and Jade is the daughter of former Texas basketball superstar Kris Clack. So much talent in Texas in the 2023 class.
 
Texas has been particularly weak in recruiting in DFW recently. In the DFW area, the best players ARE 2022 and 2023. Catalon is especially intriguing. The following are a few:

First Team All-Area
  • Desiree Wooten, 5’-9” point guard, Sophomore at Mansfield Timberview, First Team All-Area, District 5-5A MVP.
  • Jazzy Owens-Barrett, 5’-7” guard, Sophomore at Frisco Liberty, MVP of the 2019 Class 5A state championship game, District 9-5A MVP.
Second Team All-Area
  • Ja’Mia Harris, 5’-9” guard, Sophomore at DeSoto, District 7-6A offensive MVP.
Injured
  • Sa’Myah. 6’-3” forward, Sophomore at DeSoto, Missed season with ACL
Area Newcomer of the Year
  • Savannah Catalon, 5’-9” guard, Freshman at Mansfield Legacy, District 5-5A Offensive Player of the Year.
 
Something I've not seen mentioned on this board is this: Charlie Collier based on her age could declare for the WNBA draft after the 20-21 season even though she will only be a junior. Will she consider it? I have no idea. But how many UConn fans though Megan Walker would go early.
 
She certainly needs to get stronger. However her range and size translates. If she develops exponentially that Johnny Harris can do with her, it is possible. I may have a nightmare tonight over that thought.
 
Her game reminds me of San Antonio's Amber Ramirez, a McDonald's All American, who could shoot 3's from anywhere and played two years at TCU before transferring to Arkansas.

At the time, I did not think Ramirez' game would translate to college because her release was so low. Same concerns with Shavers. To her credit, Ramirez figured it out in her fourth year at Arkansas and put together a nice RS-Jr season.
 
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flash34 said:
Texas has been particularly weak in recruiting in DFW recently. In the DFW area, the best players ARE 2022 and 2023. Catalon is especially intriguing. The following are a few:

First Team All-Area
  • Desiree Wooten, 5’-9” point guard, Sophomore at Mansfield Timberview, First Team All-Area, District 5-5A MVP.
  • Jazzy Owens-Barrett, 5’-7” guard, Sophomore at Frisco Liberty, MVP of the 2019 Class 5A state championship game, District 9-5A MVP.
Second Team All-Area
  • Ja’Mia Harris, 5’-9” guard, Sophomore at DeSoto, District 7-6A offensive MVP.
Injured
  • Sa’Myah. 6’-3” forward, Sophomore at DeSoto, Missed season with ACL
Area Newcomer of the Year
  • Savannah Catalon, 5’-9” guard, Freshman at Mansfield Legacy, District 5-5A Offensive Player of the Year.
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Of course our recruiting had fallen off, just as myself and another said it would. And we know the reason why now. Aston had just lost credibility in the AAU circuit. BUT...thank goodness we don't have to worry about that anymore. Vic Schaefer and his staff are going to be all over recruiting in this state... Good things ahead for sure...
 
Bobcat said:
Of course our recruiting had fallen off, just as myself and another said it would. And we know the reason why now. Aston had just lost credibility in the AAU circuit. BUT...thank goodness we don't have to worry about that anymore. Vic Schaefer and his staff are going to be all over recruiting in this state... Good things ahead for sure...
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Especially with Elena Lovato and her connections in Texas.:hookem::hookem:
 
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