| De'janae Boykin |
Forgotten? Well, not really, but there are times she seems like an afterthought when fans talk about UConn's incoming players. But with her missing most of her senior season with a wrist injury and her two incredibly talent classmates joining her along with a great transfer......well....you can understand why there hasn't been much talk about her contributions this upcoming season.
This is about to change. Starting here.
Time to meet De'janae. Here is a video from USA basketball with an interview with this lovely young woman. What an intelligent young lady. And a great smile!!!
Similar to Morgan Tuck dropping in the rankings after her knee injury, De'janae dropped from No. 10 to No. 23 (ESPN) after missing most of her senior season with a wrist injury.
So let's look at her last full season, her junior year. She was named the 2014 Maryland Gatorade Player of the year and averaged 21.1 points per game, 15.8 rebounds per game, 7.1 assists per game, 3.2 steal per game and 3 blocks per game. Her stats remind me of Kalana Greene in HS. She sure can fill up a stat sheet.
Here is another video of Boykin. It's a little grainy, but you can certainly see her skill level. I was pleasantly surprised by her outside shooting ability. I'm a big fan of players that shoot with a high arc and De'janae's shot is so high the ball leaves the picture almost every time.
| Signing her LOI |
"I never really thought, me personally, that I would get recruited by them because they were such a high major school. But it feels great. I thought it was the best place for me to push me and challenge me and, of course, win championships. I just felt like it was a great decision for me."
“Of course I’d like to win, and I felt like that was the best place to challenge me and push me. It’ll push me, especially in the beginning, but I felt like that was the best place to develop my skills and show my skills and show what I can do.”
As usual, there is height questions about a recruit. De'Janae is listed anywhere from 6'1" to 6'3". It really doesn't matter. She has a college ready body, strong and long.
She played with fellow freshman Napheesa Collier, Katie Lou Samuelson on the 2014 USA 3-3 team in the youth games winning a gold medal. She also started on the 2014 U17 team averaging 5 points, 6 rebounds and 2.3 assists. All this before her injury plagued senior season. Now 100% healthy, she is really looking forward to playing for the Huskies.
You know, there are many ways to look at a recruit. Stats, awards, size, quickness. But Geno looks for a certain type of player. Selfless. Players that put the needs of their teammates ahead of their own. Here is a link to a video about De'janae and what makes her just that kind of player and person when she transferred from Riverdale Baptist to C.H. Flowers to help her legally blind brother, Josh.
UConn fans will enjoy her contributions this season. Geno is going to be pressed to find her minutes in the very crowded bench. I can't wait to see her in person.
Articles about De'janae
Full Court Profile - FCP
Boykin Commits to UConn - NH Register
USA Basketball: De'Janae Boykin - USA Basketball
UConn recruit Boykin happy to be playing again NH Register
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