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pilight
Joined: 23 Sep 2004
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 Posted: 03/04/08 10:12 am ::: A change is gonna come |
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A couple of days ago, bballfan2005 said (somewhat in jest)…
| bballfan2005 wrote: |
Why Randy Moss??? He hasn't improved a lick basketball-wise since his high school days. 
Oh wait a minute...I guess that makes him a perfect WNBA prospect, then.  |
That got me thinking a little more seriously about something I posted in passing on another board. Preparing women for potential professional basketball careers hasn’t been an issue for WCBB coaches until quite recently. Many, if not most, of the old time coaches want to fit a player into a system rather than broaden their skill base. That was fine when players were just looking for a free education, but nowadays the top players are looking for something more. The hot High School recruits want a coach who can make them a first round pick as much, or sometimes more, than they want to play for a program with a winning tradition. That, in turn, is what has fueled the recent wave of retirements among long time, successful WCBB coaches like Jody Conradt, Marsha Sharp, and Joe Ciampi. They wouldn’t, or couldn’t, make the changes needed to prepare players for the next level. I saw Tiffany Jackson with the Lib. She looked like she’d never had a day of coaching in her life. Even Rene Portland, who seemed impervious to external pressure, was shown the door when recruits started noticing that her best graduates were just role players in the W (along with the official reason, which somehow wasn’t sufficient the previous 15 years). Today’s recruits weren’t even born when Ciampi and Conradt were F4 regulars. What they see is very few players from those programs making an impact as pros, so they go to schools like UConn, Tennessee, and Georgia that have regularly turned out first round picks and impact players. This, in turn, has led to the dramatic increase in D-I coaches with WNBA experience. Co Washington and Tia Jackson have had rough first seasons, but knowing what makes a pro player will bring success in the long run. That’s what will ultimately break up the recruiting logjam of all the top 10 High Schoolers going to UConn and Tennessee, and improve the quality of WCBB overall.
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eyevolley4
Joined: 27 Apr 2006
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| Posted: 03/04/08 10:22 am ::: |
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I like that you mention Georgia, because there must be something in the water there.
Georgia really hasn't experienced the same success they were known for in the past recently, but Landers sure has made a name for himself in terms of producing WNBA talent.
From Teresa Edwards to Sherill Baker, he has a long tenure of players who have made it in the league.
Not positive this is an all-encompassing list, but I do know that the Georgia Bulldogs website has one if anyone is interested.
Teresa Edwards, Keisha Brown, Kedra Holland-Corn, Coco Miller, Kelly Miller, Deanna Nolan, Christi Thomas, Kara Braxton, Sherill Baker, and Cori Chambers.
This list includes WNBA Champions, Olympians, starters, backups, posts, and guards. Landers also will likely add to the list Tasha Humphrey and possibly Meghan Darrah after this season who I see as a possible sleeper, though Humphrey is likely a lock.
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pilight
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| Posted: 03/04/08 11:08 am ::: |
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| Georgia has turned out seven first round picks in seven seasons. They had starters on both sides in the finals. I don't know that Landers is really developing his players into WNBA talent as opposed to recruiting WNBA caliber kids, but whatever he's doing seems to work.
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sbjules
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| Posted: 03/04/08 11:16 am ::: |
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Do other schools put their WNBA players' pictures in their media guide? I'll bet they do.
Interesting topic.
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Rothum
Joined: 07 Jul 2005
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| Posted: 03/04/08 11:40 am ::: Re: A change is gonna come |
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| pilight wrote: |
| That’s what will ultimately break up the recruiting logjam of all the top 10 High Schoolers going to UConn and Tennessee, and improve the quality of WCBB overall. |
Clearly UConn is putting low level pros out, so why would anyone want to go there under pilight's theory?
Taurasi, Bird, Cash, Lobo, Abrosimova, Jones, T. Williams, Schumacher, R. Williams....
No All stars, Olympians, or champions in that group.
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gopher5
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| Posted: 03/04/08 12:01 pm ::: |
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| sbjules wrote: |
Do other schools put their WNBA players' pictures in their media guide? I'll bet they do.
Interesting topic. |
Lindsay, Janel and Carol Ann (Shudlick - who played in the ABL) are featured in Minnesota's media guide.
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eyevolley4
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| Posted: 03/04/08 12:10 pm ::: Re: A change is gonna come |
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| Rothum wrote: |
| pilight wrote: |
| That’s what will ultimately break up the recruiting logjam of all the top 10 High Schoolers going to UConn and Tennessee, and improve the quality of WCBB overall. |
Clearly UConn is putting low level pros out, so why would anyone want to go there under pilight's theory?
Taurasi, Bird, Cash, Lobo, Abrosimova, Jones, T. Williams, Schumacher, R. Williams....
No All stars, Olympians, or champions in that group. |
I highly doubt pilight's theory includes a complete abandonment of UConn and Tenn by top 10 high schoolers.
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spikeybedhead
Joined: 16 Dec 2005
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| Posted: 03/04/08 12:37 pm ::: |
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| Quote: |
| This, in turn, has led to the dramatic increase in D-I coaches with WNBA experience. Co Washington and Tia Jackson have had rough first seasons, but knowing what makes a pro player will bring success in the long run. That’s what will ultimately break up the recruiting logjam of all the top 10 High Schoolers going to UConn and Tennessee, and improve the quality of WCBB overall. |
I hope so. I also think the urge to be seen and showcase your skills has to be a factor.
I wonder if how a player like Alicia Manning will find minutes playing behind Amber Gray/Bjorklund/Stricklen and Brewer behind Baugh/Johnson/Fuller?
Assuming the WNBA is that popular and will grow in popularity, it might encourage players to go somewhere where they can be seen and make an impact. (Fowles/Augustus/Paris/Beard/Latta)
In the men's game, certain schools (other than the perennial powers of UNC/Duke/Kansas/Kentucky) have begun to build or built reputations for churning out certain positions. (Illinois and Villanova turning out great guards from guard-heavy tourney runs, Georgetown attracting great frontcourt players with the graduation of Green, Durant making Barnes look great, UConn + Memphis with athletic posts..etc.) It'll be refreshing to see that in the women's game and definitely helps spreading the talent around.
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accommodatingly
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| Posted: 03/04/08 1:27 pm ::: |
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Sherill Baker and Teresa Edwards are both from Georgia, so Landers was recruiting local talent-- though he somehow got Nolan to come from Flint. I've more or less assumed that his success in placing kids in the pros had as much to do with the high level of Georgia high school competition as with whatever he did with the kids once they got to UGA. But I don't know enough about UGA to say more.
Other way around: why do so few Stanford stars become WNBA stars? (Wiggins will obviously be an exception.)
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eyevolley4
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| Posted: 03/04/08 1:34 pm ::: |
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| accommodatingly wrote: |
Sherill Baker and Teresa Edwards are both from Georgia, so Landers was recruiting local talent-- though he somehow got Nolan to come from Flint. I've more or less assumed that his success in placing kids in the pros had as much to do with the high level of Georgia high school competition as with whatever he did with the kids once they got to UGA. But I don't know enough about UGA to say more.
Other way around: why do so few Stanford stars become WNBA stars? (Wiggins will obviously be an exception.) |
Nicole Powell is also an exception. Honestly, I would assume both Appel and Pederson to make it and be successful as well - Pederson esepcially. I don't want to go overboard, but I think Ros and JJ have at least a shot as well - at least with how they've been defending and shooting as of late. We will see more of their development and talents next season with Wiggins graduating this year.
Kristen Folkl had all the ability and only half the desire. Even with that, she had a WNBA career that probably would have continued had she wanted it to. She's a happy mom now, by the way!
Starbird, Wideman, and Yamasaki all made it into the league with varrying degrees of impact, but none too exciting. I still am a bit confused as to what happened with Starbird. Yamasaki was little more than a shooter. Wideman was small and basically a dribbler who had an occasional scoring outburst when the ball magically found it's way through the hoop. Newlin and Smith I suppose may both have another opportunity to make it back into the league this season. We will see.
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pilight
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| Posted: 03/04/08 1:40 pm ::: |
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| 19 Stanford players have played in the W. Five (Azzi, Mulitauopele, Powell, Steding, Wideman) have been first round picks. None of them have been All Stars.
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PRballer
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| Posted: 03/04/08 1:43 pm ::: |
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| However, Azzi, Henning and Whitting had fine professional careers in both the WNBA and ABL. Stanford has stocked the pro ranks well.
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beknighted
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| Posted: 03/04/08 1:53 pm ::: |
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Rutgers isn't up there with some of the other programs, but the players who have made have had some success - Tammy Sutton-Brown, Cappie and Chelsea Newton, who was a 2nd round draft choice and ended up starting for the Monarchs her rookie season. (Also, two of them have won WNBA titles.)
I think RU is going to start having more of an impact going forward, as Carson and Ajavon seem to be on most people's lists for the WNBA and Prince is coming down the road. That brings to mind the question of whether WNBA teams look at defense, relatively speaking, more than college coaches when deciding who they like.
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eyevolley4
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spikeybedhead
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| Posted: 03/04/08 2:45 pm ::: |
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| beknighted wrote: |
Rutgers isn't up there with some of the other programs, but the players who have made have had some success - Tammy Sutton-Brown, Cappie and Chelsea Newton, who was a 2nd round draft choice and ended up starting for the Monarchs her rookie season. (Also, two of them have won WNBA titles.)
I think RU is going to start having more of an impact going forward, as Carson and Ajavon seem to be on most people's lists for the WNBA and Prince is coming down the road. That brings to mind the question of whether WNBA teams look at defense, relatively speaking, more than college coaches when deciding who they like. |
RU also has a reputation of being a well-conditioned team. I've never been to a practice after a loss, but C. Viv. is supposed to be brutal. There's a reason they can make up leads in the second half.
When Michael Cooper won his championships with the Sparks, he introduced Leslie/Mabika/Teasley/DMJ to a professional training regimen--which translated to success.
While she may not shoot he ball all that well, being in great physical condition allowed Newton to stick to a team. And while TSB/Kia Vaughn are big girls, they've never looked as winded as Courtney Paris has in some games.
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ladydawgs96
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| Posted: 03/04/08 2:58 pm ::: |
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| accommodatingly wrote: |
Sherill Baker and Teresa Edwards are both from Georgia, so Landers was recruiting local talent-- though he somehow got Nolan to come from Flint. I've more or less assumed that his success in placing kids in the pros had as much to do with the high level of Georgia high school competition as with whatever he did with the kids once they got to UGA. But I don't know enough about UGA to say more.
Other way around: why do so few Stanford stars become WNBA stars? (Wiggins will obviously be an exception.) |
Sherill , Teresa, Keisha Brown and Christi are from Georgia, but still a lot of out-of state talent has played for Georgia. Tawanna McDonald was from flint and I think that may have been a big reason why Tweety came to Georgia. Landers also had a good run for a while in the Twin Cities getting the Millers and Tracry Henderson (with Brandi Decker). He also plucked Lakeshia Frett out of Virginia and Kedra Holland-Corn out of Texas. Landers has been able to get California kids (Alexis Kendrick) and New York kids (Chambers) to come as well. I think that his national recruiting took a huge hit when Michael Shafer left for Richmond. There is hope Kim Harriston will help return some recruiting magic to Georgia.
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beknighted
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spikeybedhead
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pilight
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| Posted: 03/04/08 3:10 pm ::: |
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| beknighted wrote: |
| One of the things RU fans always notice is the difference in players between frosh and sophomore years. On the current team, Vaughn, Prince and Junaid all gained a lot of lean body mass (how's that for indirect?) in that time. |
I was thinking last night that Vaughn, in particular, seemed in better shape than a year ago.
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eyevolley4
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| Posted: 03/04/08 3:12 pm ::: |
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| pilight wrote: |
| beknighted wrote: |
| One of the things RU fans always notice is the difference in players between frosh and sophomore years. On the current team, Vaughn, Prince and Junaid all gained a lot of lean body mass (how's that for indirect?) in that time. |
I was thinking last night that Vaughn, in particular, seemed in better shape than a year ago. |
Yes, but she needs to learn to make one-dribble moves from a few feet out and beat her defenders. She has to create better shots and MORE shots for herself.
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beknighted
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| Posted: 03/04/08 3:26 pm ::: |
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| eyevolley4 wrote: |
| pilight wrote: |
| beknighted wrote: |
| One of the things RU fans always notice is the difference in players between frosh and sophomore years. On the current team, Vaughn, Prince and Junaid all gained a lot of lean body mass (how's that for indirect?) in that time. |
I was thinking last night that Vaughn, in particular, seemed in better shape than a year ago. |
Yes, but she needs to learn to make one-dribble moves from a few feet out and beat her defenders. She has to create better shots and MORE shots for herself. |
Well, that's a whole other topic. I'm beginning to think that Vaughn could be seriously challenged by Junaid next year, as Ra seems to be progressing faster than Kia right now.
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gpark33
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| Posted: 03/04/08 3:44 pm ::: |
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| pilight wrote: |
I was thinking last night that Vaughn, in particular, seemed in better shape than a year ago. |
And does anyone remember the difference in Cappie from the time she came back from her leave of absence to graduation? She dropped a ton of weight once she got back into that program.
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