Thursday Cardinal Couple -- Erin Boley...The Next "Big" Thing?

THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

- E'Town's Erin Boley gathering national attention

Erin Boley is a 6'2" forward that will enter her junior year at Elizabethtown, KY high school this fall. She is gathering national attention and recently narrowed her list of college considerations down to seven.

This group of schools looks like it could be seven of the Elite Eight next year for the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament:

Connecticut, Notre Dame, Stanford, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Louisville and Kentucky.

Toss in someone from the PAC 12 or BIG 12 and play ball...

Why the fuss over a 2016 candidate?

Elizabethtown went to the Kentucky Girls High School Tournament finals last year....gathering a runner-up finish. 

All Boley did was average 20.3 points a game, 9.4 rebounds, 54.3 % from the floor, 84.6% from the charity stripe and hit 43 of her 98 three-pointer attempts.

As a sophomore.

ESPN ranks her eighth in the 2016 class. They also say about her:

Boo Williams Invitational-April 2014: Consistent faceup-4 performer extends the defense to the arc; handles and attacks in transition; versatile on both ends of the floor; continues to develop into one of the elite prospects in the 2016 class.


Erin plays her club ball for the powerhouse Kentucky Premier squad. They consistently turn out D1 prospects and are considered one of the elite programs in the nation.

Imagine being a sophomore in high school and having the following tossed to you:

Legendary women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma gave Erin Boley a lot to think about Sunday on her flight home to Kentucky from Hartford, Conn.

During the final day of Boley’s three-day unofficial visit to the University of Connecticut, the Huskies’ championship-winning coach offered the Elizabethtown High School sophomore forward a future roster spot.

“I guess I didn’t know what to say,” Boley said Monday evening. “But I was thankful and I said, ‘thank you.’ It was hard to explain.”


How are Louisville's chances at landing this probable "4" (power forward) for the 2016-17 season?

Rumors have it that Boley leans at times toward attending out-of-state for her college years. Soon-to-be juniors have a propensity for changing their minds, though. Also, a potential 2016-17 UofL roster would have Emmonnie Henderson, Myisha Hines-Allen, Syd Brackemyer and who knows who from the 2015 recruiting class. Plenty of room for a talented freshman to come into the program and compete right away for a starting position.

College rosters are full of Geno-type potentials that may have drew his interest, declined his offers or spent a brief period at UConn and transferred out. (see Elena Delle Donne). And, by 2016-17...Jeff Walz might very well be on his way to being the next Geno of women's college basketball. Some say he is the heir apparent.

This Delaware grad did pretty
well for herself after leaving UConn

With the schools listed, it's clear that Boley is thinking about excellent academic institutions in addition to top-flight basketball programs. Louisville isn't quite up there with several of her choices academically yet...but gaining on them at a rapid rate.

Nevertheless, we'll be watching her final two years at E'Town with interest and keeping our ear to the keyhole for any further information.

paulie