[Hoops9092]

Kara Lawson UNFOLLOWED KiKi Rice on Instagram last night (ouch!). This would suggest Duke was notified of her decision to go elsewhere last night. I had anticipated Duke to be a very probable destination being a strong academic, “close to home” storyline with a like able, young coach seeking to return their program to prominence. Interesting. 

Meanwhile, Adia Barnes went on Instagram and started posting some cryptic, celebratory “story” of her recruiting coordinator with clapping/dancing hands. I consider Arizona to be the least likely destination of the 5 finalists. 

All so fascinating. Thankfully it’s over today.

Well, as much as I am strongly predicting a Stanford outcome, weirder things can happen....  

Like Adia Barnes could have given Kiki RICE the sales pitch that she will mold her into the next Aari McDONALD who, this time around, will successfully lead Arizona to a national championship, and that somehow greatly appealed to the kid.  Plus the Wildcats also have an elite post player in 6'4 Maya NNAJI coming in, who is ranked #4 overall by the just released evaluation by Prospect Nation (Chris Hansen and Brandon Clay), #7 overall by ASGR and #9 overall by ESPN. 

Yup, you never know....

I am just relieved we dodged Duke. Remember just last year, new head coach Niele Ivey and Notre Dame snagged top PG Olivia Miles, who perhaps otherwise was headed out West. While I imagine Rice likes the young energy of Barnes and Coach Close and the potential for those two schools, at the end of the day, it's going to be awfully hard for a young lady who was raised by Ivy leagures (and attending a DC private high school where the tuition is nearly 50K!) to pass up a Stanford education. Simple as that. 

One new story line, however is her brother is a freshman on the Yale basketball team. Storrs, CT and New Haven are merely an hour or so apart so the siblings being in close proximity could certainly be appealing to them and their parents. Not sure that makes up for the lack of playing time behind Bueckers and Fudd as well as the total difference in academic appeal.

I initially thought Duke may have the slight edge, if anywhere else, simply on the "close to home" tug with a reputable university and the connections of Kara Lawson being from DMV and having played the PG spot (even attended the same school as Rice for a year, Sidwell).

[Hoops9092]

Kara Lawson UNFOLLOWED KiKi Rice on Instagram last night (ouch!). This would suggest Duke was notified of her decision to go elsewhere last night. I had anticipated Duke to be a very probable destination being a strong academic, “close to home” storyline with a like able, young coach seeking to return their program to prominence. Interesting. 

Meanwhile, Adia Barnes went on Instagram and started posting some cryptic, celebratory “story” of her recruiting coordinator with clapping/dancing hands. I consider Arizona to be the least likely destination of the 5 finalists. 

All so fascinating. Thankfully it’s over today.

Well, as much as I am strongly predicting a Stanford outcome, weirder things can happen....  

Like Adia Barnes could have given Kiki RICE the sales pitch that she will mold her into the next Aari McDONALD who, this time around, will successfully lead Arizona to a national championship, and that somehow greatly appealed to the kid.  Plus the Wildcats also have an elite post player in 6'4 Maya NNAJI coming in, who is ranked #4 overall by the just released evaluation by Prospect Nation (Chris Hansen and Brandon Clay), #7 overall by ASGR and #9 overall by ESPN. 

Yup, you never know....

I am just relieved we dodged Duke. Remember just last year, new head coach Niele Ivey and Notre Dame snagged top PG Olivia Miles, who perhaps otherwise was headed out West. While I imagine Rice likes the young energy of Barnes and Coach Close and the potential for those two schools, at the end of the day, it's going to be awfully hard for a young lady who was raised by Ivy leagures (and attending a DC private high school where the tuition is nearly 50K!) to pass up a Stanford education. Simple as that. 

One new story line, however is her brother is a freshman on the Yale basketball team. Storrs, CT and New Haven are merely an hour or so apart so the siblings being in close proximity could certainly be appealing to them and their parents. Not sure that makes up for the lack of playing time behind Bueckers and Fudd as well as the total difference in academic appeal.

I initially thought Duke may have the slight edge, if anywhere else, simply on the "close to home" tug with a reputable university and the connections of Kara Lawson being from DMV and having played the PG spot (even attended the same school as Rice for a year, Sidwell).