Women's Recruiting

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Kent Brockman: So Professor  would you say it's time for everyone to panic?

I, for one, WELCOME our new Phoenix overlords!
"I, For One, Welcome Our New Insect Overlords" - The Simpsons

[valpo4life]

Our best leader hasn't been asked to lead yet.

Leaders do it without being asked to, just saying. So whoever you had in mind, clearly isn't one.

[jack]

Not entirely true. Some must wait until it's there time to lead. Last year's leaders have moved on. Let's see what happens.  I have my eye on a couple. I don't suppose it really matters if we don't get them all some help though.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

And people say there's no interest in WBB on this board...look at us!  We're averaging more than FIFTY PPR (posts per recruit)

[jack]

I'm praying we hear we're getting some help this season to spark even more interest. I still like our core group. It hurt losing Tab and Scott prematurely, but things happen for a reason, and it may give others a chance to step up. I think we'll see Weidmann moving into more of a 3 / 4 roll. We will need to lean on Horton a lot this season, and we have to get Dean going with many more minutes. I still feel she's one of our better defenders. I still see a Carr, Richardson, and Milller rotation, along with our new guard pick up. One of them will have to take charge and run the floor. I think we'll have enough speed on both sides of the ball to make things interesting, but we MUST get some help on the boards to replace Tab, and because we haven't shown yet that we can be consistent making buckets. I think Dean will help out a bit more this season with that as well. If we can just start knocking down some perimeter shots it could open up a lot of opportunities for us.
Just thinking out loud here.

[FWalum]

Jack, love your support and enthusiasm for the Women's team.  Based on Mark's track record with hiring coaches, I think we need to give Coach Dorow a chance to settle in find her stride along with some of the younger players.

[covufan]

Jack, love your support and enthusiasm for the Women's team.  Based on Mark's track record with hiring coaches, I think we need to give Coach Dorow a chance to settle in find her stride along with some of the younger players.

I would agree with this.  Coach Dorow will need some bodies on the practice floor come October. 

[jack]

I'm certainly all about giving these coaches there time to settle in. Rome wasn't built in a day, and it's a given she lost some players she hadn't planned on for next year. I also agree, we have to have some help on the practice floor. We need bigs on our bigs (not sure who those are yet) to get them ready for league play. There has to be some athletes on campus that can help out - volley ball, softball, and once again, the men's squad.
My concern is the lack of either interest from prospects, or tenacious recruitment, which ever the case may be. I think we all learned some things from last season, including the coaching staff. I would have bet on more "W"s then we ended up with. This squad needs a productive summer and fall. With the new rule changes, we can get started earlier, and need to.

[valporun]

I'm willing to give Coach Dorow and the staff some time to build a recruiting resume. This feels a little like what Coach Carlson had to deal with in "building from the ground up" because of the length of losing records and recruiting struggles had from Freeman's last few seasons to Coach Dorow's first year coaching record at VU. Sure, she can discuss her D-II coaching career, but what a D-I recruit needs is a D-I record to look at. Right now, this coaching staff only has a one-year sample size. That is an adversity this coaching staff has to work with until they have a sample size of a couple of seasons. We'll just have to look at this in the same means as we did in the first three seasons of Coach Carlson's recruiting means, regardless of the differences in sport, coaching ability, and roster size.

[valpopal]

I am told that Valpo has received a verbal commitment from Anne Hamilton, a 6' shooting guard from Minnetonka MN, class of 2014:

http://www.minnesotafury.com/girls/profile.php?player=653

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Huzzah!  She's a matchup nightmare at the guard position...

any chance she can graduate THIS year? :/

[jack]

What is it about Valpo that seems to only attract guards, on the ladies side? Or is it, that is where our recruiting gravitates to? Near as I can tell, we will have 6 unused scholarships next season. I'm not sure how that works, but can someone enlighten me to whether or not we lose some because of this? I know back in the day it worked that way on the mens side.
Do players today have far too high of expectations, or is it something else? Knowing that most women players not only won't, but don't have the desire to play on beyond college, how can we have 6 - 200k scholarships that don't spark any interest? It's a quality edjucational facility, that is recognized everywhere. A degree from Valpo can open countless doors to valuable employment opportunities, but yet................... I just don't get it. There has to be something I am missing here. Someone please enlighten me. Seriously, I'd like to hear some other opinions about this.

[covufan]

What is it about Valpo that seems to only attract guards, on the ladies side? Or is it, that is where our recruiting gravitates to? Near as I can tell, we will have 6 unused scholarships next season. I'm not sure how that works, but can someone enlighten me to whether or not we lose some because of this? I know back in the day it worked that way on the mens side.
Do players today have far too high of expectations, or is it something else? Knowing that most women players not only won't, but don't have the desire to play on beyond college, how can we have 6 - 200k scholarships that don't spark any interest? It's a quality edjucational facility, that is recognized everywhere. A degree from Valpo can open countless doors to valuable employment opportunities, but yet................... I just don't get it. There has to be something I am missing here. Someone please enlighten me. Seriously, I'd like to hear some other opinions about this.

I think this is the sentiment of most on the board.  Why?  With little to no information, we are left to our own devices, or is it vices?. 

[LaPorteAveApostle]

What is it about Valpo that seems to only attract guards

Hey, she's 6 foot.  Probably end up in the front court anyway

But yeah, we don't have a lot of info here.  Oh well.

You don't lose scholarships for their lack of use...it just looks dumb, like grenades left on your ammo belt after the firefight.

[valpopal]

Nice to see that Hamilton, in addition to being a good basketball player, is also the team captain as well as a great student with a 4.0 GPA and membership in various honor societies. A nice combination of athleticism, academics, and leadership skills!   

[IndyValpo]

I am told that Valpo has received a verbal commitment from Anne Hamilton, a 6' shooting guard from Minnetonka MN, class of 2014:

http://www.minnesotafury.com/girls/profile.php?player=653

This sounds like a good get.  Nice way to start off the next class.  Looking at the rosters for this program there are several posts currently undecided.  Hopefully we are looking at them as well.

I see Hamilton playing a SF for us.

[vu72]

Another transfer who will redshirt (sorry if this has been posted earlier)

http://www.mtexpress.com/index2.php?ID=2005147693

[bbtds]

Another transfer who will redshirt (sorry if this has been posted earlier)

http://www.mtexpress.com/index2.php?ID=2005147693

I thought I had heard of Jerry Finkbeiner, the coach of Utah State who released Haylee Thompson of her scholarship, before. He is the former women's coach at Oral Roberts. With a name like Finkbeiner it's hard to forget.

http://www.newson6.com/story/17756558/finkbeiner-leaving-oru-to-coach-at-utah-state

The NCAA should really look into each case of a student/athlete being released from their scholarship. Jared Drew from Saint Louis (screwed by Crews) and Haylee Thompson from Utah State should be able to play immediately.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Yeah, this is why the NCAA sucks.

Did you have any idea that the NCAA voted to allow 4-year scholarships?  Not much has changed, though, because the kids don't really know they can ask for that.

Great section of the article, after she is described as able to suit up next year for a D2 school:

But she found the redshirt year playing on a Valparaiso "scout team" attractive.

     She liked Valparaiso's second-year coach Tracey Dorow, the former Illinois State/Northern Michigan player who led the Crusaders to a 11-20 record last winter after spending 14 years at Division 2 Ferris State in Michigan with a 232-163 mark.

     At Utah State, Thompson said she was mainly a post player in the No. 5 position, guarding an opponent's best post player and only picking up her offensive responsibilities toward the end of the 2012-13 Aggies' campaign.

     "I definitely felt like I could have done more on offense than I was allowed to do (at Utah State). I made a high percentage of my shots. I know I can be a great offensive player but just didn't get the chance," she said.

     "The main thing is I like making a team better and doing the little things to make a team successful," Thompson said.

     Haylee added, "Valparaiso's offense is centered around their posts—a lot like we did at Wood River—while Utah State's offense was guard-oriented. I hope to play more of the No. 4 power forward where I can post up and also play outside."

     At Utah State this past season, Thompson played 31 games and started nine of them. But Aggies coach Jerry Finkbeiner told her in April that she didn't fit into the team's future plans.

     She averaged 12 minutes per game, 2.4 rebounds and 2.3 points; ranked second on the team in field goal percentage, .484, on 31-of-64 shooting; ranked fourth in offensive rebounds, 32; and ranked seventh in free throw shooting, 8-for-12, .667, on the country's second-best free throw shooting squad, 80%.

     Utah State (18-14) set a school record for points scored in a season and ranked fifth nationally in 2012-13 with a 76.5 ppg scoring average.

That's a highly effective shooter, and she's only 18 NOW.  That's 7.9 reb/40 and 7.7 pts/40, btw.  And she's still "new" to basketball...

[bbtds]

Yeah, this is why the NCAA sucks.

Did you have any idea that the NCAA voted to allow 4-year scholarships?  Not much has changed, though, because the kids don't really know they can ask for that.

Yes, but nobody wants to tie down for 4 years, the coaches or the student/athletes. That is why I suggested 2 year scholarships with no option for 1 year.  One chance to transfer but if you make a second mistake you either don't play the sport or stick with your mistake.

[covufan]

Another transfer who will redshirt (sorry if this has been posted earlier)

http://www.mtexpress.com/index2.php?ID=2005147693

I thought I had heard of Jerry Finkbeiner, the coach of Utah State who released Haylee Thompson of her scholarship, before. He is the former women's coach at Oral Roberts. With a name like Finkbeiner it's hard to forget.

http://www.newson6.com/story/17756558/finkbeiner-leaving-oru-to-coach-at-utah-state

The NCAA should really look into each case of a student/athlete being released from their scholarship. Jared Drew from Saint Louis (screwed by Crews) and Haylee Thompson from Utah State should be able to play immediately.

Looks like a good fit for VU. 

A freshman player who plays every game, averages 12 minutes a game, and is then released from their scholarship.  She should be able to play immediately.  No questions asked.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Yes, but nobody wants to tie down for 4 years, the coaches or the student/athletes

Dude, the athlete is ALREADY tied down, remember?  The coach/institution has ALL the cards.  Look at the dude trying to transfer from Oklahoma State in football, or that guy who wanted to leave Wisconsin in basketball a year or so back.  Look at Eddie Vanderdoes NOW for cripey.

A freshman player who plays every game, averages 12 minutes a game, and is then released from their scholarship.  She should be able to play immediately.  No questions asked.

Can I give a freakin' AMEN.

[ARCInsider]

LAA, would you do away with letters of intent all together?  I do agree that athletes sometimes get the short end of the stick...but when a guy like Vanderdoes takes up a scholarship (and as a result turns ND away from recruiting other players) and THEN decides he wants out (with a shaky at best story), what is the school to do?  On the flip side, when a school treats an athlete like Thompson was treated, what is the athlete to do?


How would you fix the system?

[LaPorteAveApostle]

LAA, would you do away with letters of intent all together? 

I'm glad you asked!  Yes!

"In exchange for something, here is some nothing" -- the NCAA to the student-athlete

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-football/news/20130604/eddie-vanderdoes-national-letter-of-intent/

[ARCInsider]

LAA, would you do away with letters of intent all together?

I'm glad you asked!  Yes!

"In exchange for something, here is some nothing" -- the NCAA to the student-athlete

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-football/news/20130604/eddie-vanderdoes-national-letter-of-intent/

Not that I disagree that the NLI system is broken...BUT, regarding EV...

1) Why bother signing the NLI?  He wasn't forced to.  It's a contract, just like any other contract...the language in the contract is clear.  His age is irrelevant, just like it would be if he signed on a car loan or a mortgage or any other contract.  (I know coaches breaking contracts will be mentioned...the specific language of those contracts matter...not every contract is created equally.)
2) Why did the NCAA deny his request when they have granted many others?
3) If he really wants to be closer to home to be near a sick relative, why UCLA?  Six hours from home is hardly different than a plane ride home.  He could have picked Cal or Stanford and been much closer to home.

If we did away with NLIs, would you be okay with Bryce having to continue to recruit Davidson/Yeo/Williams/Adekoya up until school starts?  Ultimately, that's what he would have to do. 

Let's come up with a system that works well for everyone...what would you do instead of NLIs?