[qwerty49]

I am definitely very cautiously optimistic, but I'm not the type to count chickens before they hatch. I agree that this is definitely Tara's best recruiting swing since the Wiggins-Appel-Pederson-Ogwumike x2 stretch from the mid 2000s to early 2010s.

But with that said... let's wait and see how everyone settles in. I am a little skeptical as to whether Brink and Demetre will remain ranked as high as they presently are when everything shakes out, based on what I've seen from their play and others in their year. At one point Brink was No. 1 in her year, then slipped to No. 2, and now No. 3. Based on what I've seen of her play and others in her year from Team USA games, etc, I would not be surprised if she lands more in the low (5-10) top ten when it all shakes out. Still a top recruit, but I don't think she'll be transformational the way Bueckers will be for UConn (who, unfortunately, really looks like the next coming of Diana Taurasi).

And just remember, for every Appel we've had, we've had a Michelle Harrison, for every Wiggins a Cissy Pierce - very highly ranked recruits who didn't have much impact at the college level. Anyone remember a single highlight moment from Ashley Cimino, the McD's A-A back in 2007? And recall that Kailee Johnson was once one of the top 3 (and I think at one point early on in her sophomore year #1) ranked recruits, and she wasn't even the best "Johnson, K.," on the floor from the minute her much-less-regarded name twin Kaylee Johnson stepped foot on the Farm.

But that also means we can get pleasant surprises the other direction. Would anyone have thought it'd be Lacie Hull who'd be the starter among our three frosh last season? Does anyone think Carrington isn't a top 20 player in her class (she was 34th)? Both Brittany McPhee and Alanna Smith stepped up in ways that their recruiting profiles would not have suggested.

In the end, for me, the rankings matter less once we can see firsthand how they play against D1 level competition, and in that regard, I'd put Belibi above Brink in terms of who is likely to have an immediate impact at Stanford. Entirely independent of her dunks, if she were a stock, I'd buy long, long, long. She will do big things on the Farm, whatever her recruiting rank.

you make lots of great points. i heartily agree.

i might add that dijonai was very highly ranked as a hs freshman and sophomore (i don't remember the exactly ranking, but i recall top 10 and maybe top 5) and fell in the rankings only after her 2 knee injuries.

alanna is australian and therefore did not have many eyes on her. espn had her as #60. chris hansen of prospect nation, who actually worked with her at a camp, had her as the #4 recruit in the nation.

Alanna will go down as one of our all-time greats.  And one can argue that she didn't really reach her potential until her last two years.

[qwerty49]

I am definitely very cautiously optimistic, but I'm not the type to count chickens before they hatch. I agree that this is definitely Tara's best recruiting swing since the Wiggins-Appel-Pederson-Ogwumike x2 stretch from the mid 2000s to early 2010s.

But with that said... let's wait and see how everyone settles in. I am a little skeptical as to whether Brink and Demetre will remain ranked as high as they presently are when everything shakes out, based on what I've seen from their play and others in their year. At one point Brink was No. 1 in her year, then slipped to No. 2, and now No. 3. Based on what I've seen of her play and others in her year from Team USA games, etc, I would not be surprised if she lands more in the low (5-10) top ten when it all shakes out. Still a top recruit, but I don't think she'll be transformational the way Bueckers will be for UConn (who, unfortunately, really looks like the next coming of Diana Taurasi).

And just remember, for every Appel we've had, we've had a Michelle Harrison, for every Wiggins a Cissy Pierce - very highly ranked recruits who didn't have much impact at the college level. Anyone remember a single highlight moment from Ashley Cimino, the McD's A-A back in 2007? And recall that Kailee Johnson was once one of the top 3 (and I think at one point early on in her sophomore year #1) ranked recruits, and she wasn't even the best "Johnson, K.," on the floor from the minute her much-less-regarded name twin Kaylee Johnson stepped foot on the Farm.

But that also means we can get pleasant surprises the other direction. Would anyone have thought it'd be Lacie Hull who'd be the starter among our three frosh last season? Does anyone think Carrington isn't a top 20 player in her class (she was 34th)? Both Brittany McPhee and Alanna Smith stepped up in ways that their recruiting profiles would not have suggested.

In the end, for me, the rankings matter less once we can see firsthand how they play against D1 level competition, and in that regard, I'd put Belibi above Brink in terms of who is likely to have an immediate impact at Stanford. Entirely independent of her dunks, if she were a stock, I'd buy long, long, long. She will do big things on the Farm, whatever her recruiting rank.

you make lots of great points. i heartily agree.

i might add that dijonai was very highly ranked as a hs freshman and sophomore (i don't remember the exactly ranking, but i recall top 10 and maybe top 5) and fell in the rankings only after her 2 knee injuries.

alanna is australian and therefore did not have many eyes on her. espn had her as #60. chris hansen of prospect nation, who actually worked with her at a camp, had her as the #4 recruit in the nation.

Alanna will go down as one of our all-time greats.  And one can argue that she didn't really reach her potential until her last two years.