Strong is the No. 1 ranked player in his high school class. The school will also take No. 7 overall pick Allie Ziebel and No. 11 overall pick Morgan Celli.
STORRS, Conn. — Retirement is on UW women's basketball head coach Geno Auriemma's mind as the Hall of Famer brings the No. 2 overall recruiting class to Storrs this fall, according to ESPN He doesn't seem to be thinking about it. Freshmen Allie Ziebel and Morgan Celli are joined by Sarah Strong, and Auriemma announced the completion of the valuable Class of 2024 on Tuesday.
“I think we filled a lot of needs with this class,” Auriemma said in a release from the University Athletics Department. “Our players can play multiple positions. Allie, Morgan and Sarah are all versatile. They can all put the ball in the basket, and that's a top priority for any program. They make an immediate impact on the team. It's very unique to have three players who can give us so much. I'm very excited and can't wait to get started in June.”
At the top of the incoming freshman class is Strong, a 6-foot-2 forward from Fuquay Varina, North Carolina. ESPN ranks Strong as the No. 1 overall women's basketball player in the 2024 high school class.
Strong is a versatile forward with the ability to hit deep threes while passing and facilitating at an elite level. Auriemma announced Tuesday that Strong's signing as a member of UConn's 2028 class is official, completing the 2024 signing class.
“We've been very close with Sarah for a long time and have watched her grow and develop into as good a player as we've ever seen coming out of high school,” Auriemma said in the release. “Her skill set is brand new and fits perfectly into today's game and is also a throwback to a time when a player's size didn't matter and they played the whole game. They passed, they handled the ball and they rebounded. I think we're getting a very special player and a special person.”
Strong was named the 2024 Naismith High School Athlete of the Year and is recognized as the best high school girls basketball player in the sport. She was also named an All-American by McDonald's, Naismith, SLAM, and Jordan Brand.
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At North Carolina State, Strong was named Miss Basketball and Gatorade Player of the Year in 2023 and 2024. At the McDonald's All-America Game, she was named MVP.
In his three seasons at Grace Christian School, Strong averaged 23 points, 16 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 3.3 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game, leading the team to its third consecutive NCISSA state title, and leading the team to its third straight NCISSA state title. He finished with 41 consecutive wins.
In addition to being a strong paint scorer and reliable 3-point shooter, Strong has an uncanny ability to find open teammates. She is good at both accurate passing and outlet passing.
ESPN says Strong has a “sixth sense” on offense and expects her production to improve when surrounded by other elite players like guards Paige Backers and Azzie Fudd. points out. Her strong rebounding will also benefit the team right away. At the end of the day, Strong could be one of the greatest players this program has produced.
While Strong's addition has garnered attention from college fans in recent weeks, many have missed out on Siebel, a 6-foot guard and wing known for his calm and level-headed demeanor, incredible fundamentals, and good decision-making. must not.
ESPN has Siebel listed as the No. 6 prospect for the 2024 high school selection. The Neenah, Wis., native can put the ball in the bucket when needed, whether it's off the catch or by creating space. After Auriemma decided to attend UConn, he spoke fondly of Siebel in an interview with UConn Wbb Weekly, speaking about his ability to single-handedly take over the top game and win games during the Summer Ball. Ta.
“She's one of those kids who knows who she is and isn't afraid,” Auriemma said of Ziebel. “She has that Azzi (Fadd), Paige (Bueckers)-like thing where she's like, 'Every time the ball leaves my hands, I think it's going to go in.'” So she scores. She's a ya…she scores points. ”
Last season, Ziebel averaged 26.8 points and 8.3 rebounds while shooting 51.2% from the floor and 44.4% from 3-point range, and was named Miss Basketball by the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association and the Wisconsin Gatorade Player of the Year. was also selected. She was also named a McDonald's and Naismith All-American in 2024.
Cheri, a 6-foot-2 guard who is ranked the No. 11 prospect in the 2024 high school class by ESPN, will attend the University of Connecticut from San Jose, California. According to The UConn Blog, Celli chose the University of Connecticut over more than 40 Division I schools, including defending champion University of South Carolina.
Ceri played guard on his high school team, but his size makes him versatile and can play inside or on the perimeter as a wing if called upon. Ceri is known for his competitive nature and improving the game of his teammates. She has a refined ability to drive to the hoop, but she can also score on pull-up jump shots, and her 3-point shooting is also improving over time.
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Auriemma asked UConn Wbb Weekly how many 6-foot-2 guards there are on the team before answering his own question with “zero.” He believes Celli will fill an important hole for the Huskies.
“Morgan fills a huge need for us. And how many great rebounding guards did you see (in the loss to North Carolina State)? Zero. Morgan, I think more than anyone she's fearless. I think she's a rebounder, for whatever reason, because she doesn't look like that, but she is. She doesn't necessarily need to score points to impact the game. No,” Auriemma said.
Cheri was also selected as a McDonald/Naismith All-American in 2024.
Strong is the most talented recruit coming to Storrs this fall, but both Ziebel and Celli should make a big impact on the program early on. As for Siebel and Ceri, Auriemma praised what they bring off the court in an interview with UConn Wbb Weekly.
“The most rewarding thing about hiring both Morgan and Allie was that it was an amazing fit. This is where they wanted to be. We knew that too,” Auriemma said. “There was no extraneous (nonsense) in the recruitment process. It was very frank, very candid, very transparent with parents and children. There was complete buy-in almost from the beginning. So we knew we were going to have kids who were both very passionate about women's college basketball and what it meant.”
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Heading into the 2024-2025 season, Siebel and Celli will have a chance to earn playing time, and Strong will have a chance to be a star as a freshman.
If healthy, the college backcourt will be anchored by Buccaneer and Fudd, but KK Arnold and Ashlyn Shade will also have a chance to start. Caroline Ducharme, Aubrey Griffin, and transfer student Caitlin Chen also battle Siebel and Cheri for several minutes.
Strong could start right away, joining forward Aliyah Edwards. Ice Brady will also compete for playing time. Center Yana El Alfi, returning from injury, should get significant minutes down the line as a rim protector.
For those interested, ESPN ranks Southern California as the only program with a better recruiting class than UConn.
Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer for FOX61 News. You can contact him at: dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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