If you don’t mind me saying–and I don’t mean to be insulting though I probably am–your opinion is exceptionally uninformed.
Juddy had a great team last year with a big three that became one this year.
“Too much talent to finish 5th in WCC play”? BYU’s roster has one senior and two juniors. The rest are freshmen and sophomores.
Recruiting: BYU women’s team just–and I say just because it seems like every few weeks we get more good news–capped the best recruiting class (some prognosticators say in the 20s or better–that it ever has had. Including:
Ali’a Matavao: 2021-22 Gatorade Nevada Player of the Year
Amari Whiting: The No. 33 overall prospect in ESPN’s Top 100 recruiting rankings for the 2023 class
Kailey Woolston: the 6A Deseret News and Daily Herald Player of the Year
Jennah Isai: The No. 36 overall prospect in ESPN’s Top 100 recruiting rankings for the 2022 class
Judkins team would have performed better but not much. Gonzales would have stayed but the other players would have been the same and would have, imho, performed the same or not as well.
As someone from Arizona, you know better than I whether Whiting recruited Miyah Verse, Khamil Pierre, Navine Mellon, or any of the other great Arizona players this year. If so, she struck out on them. But, Whiting has an eye for talent. Next years roster will be a lot different than this year’s. Of course, the competition will also be tougher. I wish that Gustin had two more years to play; unfortunately, next year is her last if I’m not mistaken.
Excellent post. Gustin is like Fousse. Undersized but has great sense of how the ball comes off the rim to grab rebounds. She’s better at putting the ball back up after a rebound. More experience. The women need to find a 6-5 center like Hamson girls.
Sorry to admit, but I know nearly nothing about the womens team so the info is interesting. Honestly will likely never watch a game. Maybe if they get to a final four or something.
Having said that tho’, reading about Gustin breaking Tina Gunn’s rebounding record got me looking up info on Tina Gunn Robinson because I graduated with her in Chem Eng in 1980. Really didn’t know her that well, but I suggest everyone should look up her story. Quite amazing. What a great person! I did not remember that she was SO accomplished. Her number is retired in the Marriott Center, opposite Danny Ainge’s. Converted to Church senior year. 2-time all american. Really a good read. Sounds like she has done amazing things post BBall too.
You and I were students at BYU around the same it sounds like. My experience with Tina: I was shooting some baskets in the Fieldhouse one afternoon. I’m not very good at basketball. I was approached by a female who asked if I wanted to play a game of one on one. I said sure since if I wasn’t good but she was then it would be an even match.
She was better than good and we called the game when it was 10-0 or 12-0. A few days later I saw a picture of the female player in the Daily Universe. And, yes, I had been playinng against Tina Gunn…or let’s just say she was toying with me.
HAHAHA!!! Tina was in a few of my classes as well. She sat behind me In Kinesiology class. Karen Kennington sat beside me. Both were great persons. We used to correct each other’s quizzes. We had to sign our names. So, I kept the quizzes of both just in case they became great Pro Tennis and basketball players. Karen didn’t want to play on Sundays and not sure what happened with Tina.
The women’s basketball coach at the time, Courtney Leishman, used to substitute for Coach Arnold in the basketball class for coaching class. He would tell stories of things like your experience. Sometimes 5 of the team would get some gym rat guys to play them and the women would slaughter them.
Hey there no worries about being insulting I really love the conversation and dialogue…can I just say I am not trying to compare last years team to this years team- what I am saying is I believe with the players we have right now that there are glaringly open coaching opportunities that don’t look like they are being addressed - like I said I have coached for 7 years - I know that doesn’t mean I know everything there is to know about coaching but my coaching tips above seem valid to me based on my lens…I don’t want to accept and hide behind the youth of the team and our future recruitment instead of looking for ways to better the current team right now especially as they head this week into WCC tournament play….maybe my expectations are to high but in my mind the coaching gaps I have called out seem reasonable….I have called out those coaching opportunities in my above posts and I am open to your feedback or insults as you like to call them where I may be wrong???
I have a long history of my own with women’s basketball at BYU- will tell that full story another day- but I watch every women’s game at BYU for many many years- i am a fan through and through despite the record or accolades…I am very passionate about BYUs women’s basketball program - in fact I coach HS girls basketball because of my own story with Women’s basketball at BYU…that experience had such a huge personal impact in my life- short story is at one time I was a part of the BYU women’s program, that role was as a practice player and friends of many on the team at that time in my life…I don’t see how I am exceptionally misinformed
I love the recruits that are coming and I cannot wait to see what they will bring - entering the big 12 is going to be really tough despite all these great recruits - I hope to be eating my words someday but a true test of her coaching is going to be when she has those recruits if she can win- what I have seen so far is that she wont be able to…again happy to eat my words one day…good coaches can win with talent - great coaches can win by leveraging the strengths of every player despite their talent
Actually let me make it really easy for you to reply to my coaching observations in one summary so you don’t have to read through multiple posts to find them all- feel free to insult away
One of their current strengths on the team right now- and yes even in despite of their youth is that of their guard play - Nani, Mackey Williams, Smiler - they all are great off the bounce and attacking the basket- they can all finish at the rim look to leverage their strengths more in two ways
A dribble drive motion attacking offense in the half court- or more of a read and react offense
More emphasis on transition and getting easy points in transition- to me they pull back and settle to much for half court sets and they mainly run that high low action which is getting predictable and easier for teams to defend
Allow rose as much rope as you give Emma- Rose has many strengths that are being under utilized - yes even despite her being a sophomore being a sophomore has nothing to do with it- she needs more freedom granted her by her coach to go out and make mistakes and allowed to keep playing through them just like Emma gets I believe if that was granted to her you would see more consistency out of rose then what Emma is bringing
Build player confidence- Amanda is the example I used- yes I know I know she is only a freshman- but guess what she has strengths that are being underutilized- she needs to be a threat on the court- I beg you to pull up any game this year and watch when Amanda is in- on offense she cannot wait to pass the ball fast enough and run away from the offensive action faster - this is not an Amanda thing it’s a coaching thing….Amanda is a flat out stud…she played here in AZ and her strengths are being under utilized.
I could go on but just stuck to these three- please insult away-
Now of course I have no insight to their practices and what they coach to etc. I am only basing this opinion on what I see in the court and sidelines during games- I view it like I view my team as a coach and how we can better leverage the strengths of my players and not being married to my system- I need to adapt to the skill set of my team and try to bring out each players strengths and not try to make them fit my system- my system needs to fit the strengths of my players
Yeah tough loss- Gonzaga is a tough team and played an almost flawless 3rd qtr. proud of the cougars though- they had a good tournament saw a lot of great play and heart from them in this tournament
Yeah LG didn’t play great- however again Gonzaga had a good game-plan so you have to give it to them… and BYU is a bit too predictable with their high low offensive and did not make good in game adjustments(again another coaching thing I think is lacking)- makes it easier to defend when they run the same thing over and over and don’t make enough adjustments…go back and watch the game and you can see that Gonzaga defenders knew right where to be to disrupt the flow of BYUs offense - easy to defend if you already know where they want to go with the ball
where I may be wrong???