I have a strange feeling they’ll be playing UALR in the WNIT, but that’s undetermined.
I knew when the last play in game came and went and it was St. Johns we were out.
Oh well.
These women need to go and win the NIT. WIN the thing. Create some momentum for next year when almost everyone returns (unless some hit the portal…and I predict Jersey does just that).
Not sure where Jersey thinks she’s gonna find a soft landing place as a 6-5 non-big who can’t shoot.
I’m more worried about Dauda.
The team needs to focus. They played good ball early in games but couldn’t close early in the year and that followed all the way through conference play. The LSU loss at LSU was by far the best the team played all season long.
Sometimes things are best left unsaid.
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Let’s hope that we can win some games in the NIT.
Mulkey needs a big in Baton Rouge and has a good record of developing them. Plus she has Dauda committed to Baylor before she left for LSU. If Dauda hits the portal, I bet LSU is the place.
WNIT bracket will be released this afternoon. And games begin Wednesday.
I saw our gals beat UALR by 40+ points early this season…and it really wasn’t that close.
All I’m saying is, Jersey needs to figure out what she is and develop it. If she insists on being a wing, then she needs to develop her shot. If she’s going to surrender to the fact she’s 6-5 and play as a big, she needs to develop that. I know there are big-men camps for guys to work on those skills; I presume the same thing exists for the women, and she needs to do that.
Do they teach foot movement and lifting heels off the floor before moving to step two…an actual jump or two, Our two bigs both lack conformableness in jumping. Perhaps it’s a remnant of growth spurts, but whatever it is they are not battlers…MN might be helpful in hiring Kamani Johnson as a mentor for both in battling without great size inside.
UALR is a different team now. They have their best player at full fitness now. They are a different team.
What do you view the role of our coaches to be in this process? I believe that falls into the category of development.
I agree. Coaches need to develop that. But the player has to put in the work, often when the coaches aren’t/can’t be there. Which is why I mentioned a summer big-girl camp. I’ve heard Muss talking about players being in the gym getting in shots at all hours of the day and night. I have not heard any of this about our women, and I think they need to be doing the same thing.
Hogmaestro and I were discussing this last night. We agree that Mike’s seat is pretty warm entering next season. If nobody leaves, he’ll have three 5-stars and a high 4-star (Saylor P) on the roster next year and WNIT with that kind of talent ain’t gonna cut it.
I think Mike communicates differently than Muss, who has no problem telling the negatives going on. So these girls might be working out on their own and we might never know it unless the press were to cover it in some way.
No doubt there are issues with both players and coaches in how the team collapsed after a stellar start.
One of my main issues is there were players who had a green light way before they showed they could shoot threes. I will not name names, but there was one that shot us out of games. Mike’s explanation was he knew she could make them in practice. That did not translate into games.
I do think this team needs to have a coach who can develop 4s and 5s. One writer here said they can’t jump. And that is true. But the lack of power in all their games, and I am talking everyone from Barnum to Ellis is limiting their games.
So there are two things I would do, turn off the green light until they prove they can actually shoot in games and hire a bigs coach, because it is clear they don’t have one.
One last thing, from what I have heard Barnum’s significant improvement was credited to her in the off season, so that actually makes your point.
Yeah Erynn absolutely made big strides this year, and I’m glad she’s apparently coming back. She’s not a defensive force but she has become a much better post scorer, and if she improves her FT shooting she will be even more formidable.
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I know there’s no team like South Carolina, but MN needs an inside game similar to SC with the players he got or go find some.