What’s That About a Roster Problem?
The Story: Don’t worry: Geno Auriemma still knows how to put a team together. He landed another player for next season as Evelyn Adebayo, a 6-foot-1 forward formerly of Murray State and Gardner-Webb, wrote on Twitter yesterday that she’ll transfer to UConn.
WHO IS SHE? You may think it’s curious that of all the potential big-name players who have planned to transfer this summer, the Huskies grabbed one from Murray State, but Adebayo’s resume is fairly solid. She averaged 18.2 points and 11.4 rebounds per game last season for the Racers — totals that not only led the team but also the entire Ohio Valley Conference. She had 19 double-doubles, including nine in a row at one point, and endured herself to Geno before she even knew it when she scored a career-high 28 points in a loss at Tennessee on Dec. 28.
A native of London, she played her first two seasons at Gardner-Webb before transferring to Murray State, which is a heck of a rise in profile. She showed last year she has a knack for turnovers, but she’s a presence in the paint and can also pull up and knock ’em down from distance.
WILL SHE START? The Huskies have three starters returning in point guard Crystal Dangerfield and forwards Megan Walker and Christyn Williams, and it seems likely that Olivia Nelson-Ododa, entering her sophomore year, would slide into a starting role. The question then comes down to who the fifth starter would be, and with a dire need for someone to crash the boards, Adebayo may be the best fit.
POWER OF 10: It’s time to breathe easy, though it didn’t look possible there for a while. The Huskies will be back up to 10 players for next season after the additions of Adebayo, shooting guard Aubrey Griffin, a high school senior from upstate New York who signed her letter of intent in November, and Ania Makurat, a shooting guard from Poland who went public with her Easter commitment on Wednesday. Their additions come after the graduations of Napheesa Collier and Katie Lou Samuelson and the decision last month by Mikayla Coombs to transfer, which left the Huskies with just eight players at the time.
IF YOU BUILD IT…: Although Geno landed just one high schooler, he got crafty in filling out his roster. He convinced a foreign player to bypass an immediate professional career in favor of playing collegiately in the United States and landed another who, had her team played better, would have been in contention to be the player of the year in the OVC. That’s not to mention the commitments from Paige Bueckers, the No. 1 junior in the country, and Nika Muhl, a guard from Croatia who will also join next season, so yeah, things are looking pretty good right now.
And, with only 10 players in the fold and Division I women’s basketball teams allowed to offer 15 scholarships (though UConn never does), Geno may not be done. Hearst Connecticut Media reported that sophomore Evina Westbrook, the starting point guard at Tennessee the last two seasons and the second-best high school player in the country in 2017 behind Walker, is also considering a move to Storrs. After Holly Warlick‘s firing, there’s a chance Westbrook, wherever she ends up, could apply for a waiver that would allow her to be immediately eligible at her new school next season. It’s a long shot, especially with Dangerfield entrenched and Bueckers on the way, but it would be a huge get.
So, rest easy. Geno’s got this one under control.
Ollie, UConn Meet with NCAA
The Story: Kevin Ollie and UConn officials met with the NCAA Committee on Infractions — its version of the Inquisition — yesterday in Indianapolis with others appearing by video conference.
WHAT’S THE MEETING FOR? UConn fired Ollie for “just cause” last year if you haven’t forgotten, and that was for several NCAA violations including shooting baskets with recruits, putting an NBA alumnus on the phone and also having players participate in prohibited workouts and travel. UConn was given notice of those infractions in the fall. The Huskies imposed their own penalties, incluing reducing their scholarships available next year by one. This committee will determine if those sanctions are appropriate.
OLLIE HAS MOST TO LOSE: UConn self-imposed sanctions, but Ollie was hit with a Level 1 offense, including an unethical conduct charge related to not being entirely truthful with the investigation, per the NCAA. That means Ollie could be facing a “show-cause” sanction, which would make him toxic to hire as a coach in the next several years. Coaches under a show-cause sanction would require schools to actively convince the NCAA why they should be allowed to hire them.
A ruling against Ollie could also hurt his case against UConn, which he is suing for his buyout money of approximately $11 million. UConn terminated his employment and has made zero payments to him, citing “just cause” for the firing.
UCONN HAS SOME TO LOSE: Will UConn face any more sanctions from the Inquisition? We can never rule anything out with the NCAA. UConn does not seem to be on the hook for the alleged payment of $30,000 to the moth of former player Shonn Miller. The only one to ever utter payment to a player is former assistant Glen Miller, who is being sued by Ollie for slander. UConn did not report that violation and did not use that information as a reason to terminate Ollie (at least officially). Miller testified to the NCAA yesterday, but it is worth noting the NCAA did not include the alleged payments to Miller’s mother as an actual violation.
Morning Reads
WHO NEEDS TICKETS? Starting in the fall, the Huskies are doing away with student tickets, offering admission to all football, basketball, soccer and hockey games on a first-come, first serve basis. (UConnHuskies.com)
MAYALA GOES EIGHTH: Wide receiver Hergy Mayala, who grew up dreaming of playing in the CFL, was selected eighth overall in the CFL Draft by the Calgary Stampeders. (Stampeders.com)
