Shmermerer1
Joined: 04 Aug 2014
Posts: 284
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 Posted: 05/10/19 5:39 pm ::: |
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| PRballer wrote: |
| PUmatty wrote: |
| ucbart wrote: |
| CamrnCrz1974 wrote: |
| PUmatty wrote: |
| As a reminder, Versyp has never had a players has recruited drafted. Versyp has never take a team of her own players to the Sweet 16. |
Versyp took over in 2006. with her first season as Purdue's HC being 2006-2007.
In terms of her recruiting (players who signed with Purdue while she was/is the head coach), there have been 13 recruiting classes (including the 2019 class).
As far as I can tell, her best players, in terms of recruiting rankings, were:
--- Sam Ostarello (2009 - HG #15)
--- Dominique McBryde (2015 - HG #30)
--- Tiara Murphy (2015 - HG #31)
--- Lamina Cooper (2015 - HG #41)
--- Ae'Rianna Harris (2016 - HG #20)
--- Kayana Traylor (2018 - HG #41)
--- Rickie Woltman (2019 - HG #25)
Only 7 signees have been ranked in the top 50 of the ESPN/Hoopgulz/Dan Olson rankings (two others --- Samantha Woods in the HS Class of 2007 and Brittany Rayburn in the HS Class of 2008 --- were ranked 51st in their respective classes).
And yes, ESPN/Hoopgurlz/Dan Olson is only one such rating service -- and I believe it has been publishing the WBB HS player rankings since approximately 2007.
But, as a comparison, Purdue used to pull in players ranked in the top ten of Blue Star Report's and ASGR's respective rankings (Kelly Komara - 1998; Erica Valek - 2000; Cherrise Graham - 2000), as well as McDonald's All-Americans (Katie Gearlds - 2003; Erin Lawless - 2003).
*** Side note -- 2002 was the first year that a MCDAA game was held for girls HS basketball players.
As far as I can tell, in the 13 recruiting classes signed by Sharon Versyp, she has never had a McDonald's All-American player commit to her out of high school. The only MCDAA player who came into her program (not counting Gearlds and Lawless, whom she inherited) was Drey Mingo, who transferred from Maryland.
Versyp's best seasons (2006-07 and 2008-09, in which her teams made the Elite Eight both years) had the benefit of another coach's players in some part.
--- In the last 10 years, she has finished in the top three of the Big Ten once.
--- In the last 10 years, her teams have averaged 13 losses per season.
--- In the last five years, her teams have averaged 14.8 losses per season.
--- In 9 seasons as HC, Lin Dunn had a total of 68 losses (against 206 wins). In 7 seasons as HC, Kristy Curry had a total of 51 losses (against 179 wins). But in the last 4 years, Sharon Versyp has had 54 losses -- and 74 losses in the last 5 years.
The inability to sign elite talent (MCDAAs, top 25 players) -- or at least top 40/50 talent -- has led to a once-proud Purdue program and a contender on the national stage for the better part of 16 years before Versyp's arrival to mediocrity at best.
While Purdue returns its top five scorers from 2018-19, that team went 19-15 (8-10 in the Big Ten). I cannot see Versyp surviving another year, absent a top ten recruiting class nationally, a top-three Big Ten finish, and a Sweet 16 berth (or at least being given one of the top four seeds in a region). |
One tough thing for Purdue, in regards to recruiting, is that in state prospect Skylar Diggins completely changed Muffet's program. Yes, she won a NC in 2001, but for a good ten years was really just a mediocre at best team. As a result, most of the best Indiana talent chose ND instead of Purdue. In the late 90's, early 2000's a lot of those top in state players went to Purdue. In addition, Louisville is probably poaching some of the areas that Louisville might've had success in too. |
But Diggins impact at Notre Dame coincides with Versyp killing Purdue. Neither should be seen as taking place in a vacuum - Purdue's fall has helped ND as much as ND's rise has hurt Purdue. Maybe more. |
Have to wonder, does the rise of Indiana under Teri Moren also factor in? She has Miss Indiana coming in this year and is getting nice traction with in-state recruits.
Meanwhile, Michigan and Michigan State have also recruited pretty well in Indiana more recently, so it seems there are several factors that have led to Purdue's demise. Losing committed recruits post Curry (ew) coaching change with Harris and TaShia Phillips to Xavier didn't help - Alex Bentley chose Penn State, I'm sure there are many more players that chose to go elsewhere.
As mentioned before, in the last decade, Louisville and Kentucky have also taken some Indiana talent south to their schools.
You all know better than I but it is interesting. Purdue used to have a lock on a lot of the talent in the region. |
DePaul also picks up quite a few recruits in Indiana as well.
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