Soares Commits

That's the best gift ISU can give Joens for her returning for another season. She needs to keep improving her perimeter skills (which are already very good) for her future WNBA prospects. She can still pick and choose times to post up, but she needs to develop and show off her perimeter skills and mid-range game. Sticking on a WNBA roster is extremely difficult (way fewer roster spots than in the NBA) and acting more like a 2G on offense will help.
It might have been part of what Bill offered her when they were discussing whether it was best for her to stay or go.
 
I have been critical of WBB, BF and his system. Not that it hasn't been successful, but just that there's a major ceiling with the type of players he usually gets. This and getting the Crooks girl will likely change my opinion. Not that they have to be dominant, but just knowing that they are not so outmatched in the post is a major thing to me. If they can hold their own down low, there are enough other really good players that they really won't lose many games at all.
 
I have been critical of WBB, BF and his system. Not that it hasn't been successful, but just that there's a major ceiling with the type of players he usually gets. This and getting the Crooks girl will likely change my opinion. Not that they have to be dominant, but just knowing that they are not so outmatched in the post is a major thing to me. If they can hold their own down low, there are enough other really good players that they really won't lose many games at all.
You know Crooks is only 1 of 3 6'3" players for that class.
 
Don’t think MEM starts unless she improves her D.
Healthier legs might result in better D. But after stress injuries the past two seasons, I don't know if we can count on healthier legs.

I do believe Diew/Fritz have that spot locked up regardless, and MEM will likely continue to be a solid rotation player.
 
She was a starter in the spot occupied last season by Diew/MEM/Aubrey. I don't know whether Diew or Fritz will be the starter at the beginning of the season, but I expect both to get plenty of minutes. Fennelly is clearly very high on Fritz, and Diew really came on strong toward the end of the season.

If everyone is healthy and Dawkins can be counted on for PG minutes, the rotation might look something like this:

PG: Ryan 32, Dawkins 8
2G: Donarski 32, MEM 8
3G/W: Joens 32, Diew 6, MEM 2
4G/W/PF: Fritz 20, Diew 12, Vick/post player 8
P: Soares the primary starter, but minutes shared with Kane/Jordao/Zingaro depending on matchups/hot hand

Step one is getting BF to trust the reserves enough to let Ryan/Donarski/Joens take more frequent breaks.
yes....absolutely yes...get those 3 short, but more rests....so they can be more effective when they are at the end of games. I was really impressed w/Diew's improvement last year. I hope Ashley is the 3, and can maybe post up a smaller guard now and then. Wasn't Ashley primarily the 4 last year? Or is that where we want her? Love her outside shot.
 
Two questions:
1. SInce I've never seen her play...what is Fritz's game like?
2. Would we ever play Soares and Jordao at the same time? Maybe no advantage to do so, just wondering.
 
yes....absolutely yes...get those 3 short, but more rests....so they can be more effective when they are at the end of games. I was really impressed w/Diew's improvement last year. I hope Ashley is the 3, and can maybe post up a smaller guard now and then. Wasn't Ashley primarily the 4 last year? Or is that where we want her? Love her outside shot.
As often as Ashley gets her shot blocked she's going to be defended by the 4 if Diew is opposite of her. We could use a big athletic 4 in the rotation to avoid this.
 
As often as Ashley gets her shot blocked she's going to be defended by the 4 if Diew is opposite of her. We could use a big athletic 4 in the rotation to avoid this.

There were like two teams in the Big 12 with a 4 that could beat her inside and those gals are gone. Not a lot of NaLyssa Smith's out there in college hoops.
 
The big room is growing in more ways than one. Soares, Kane, Jordao, Izzy, and Vick. If they do land the Brown sister from OrSU, that makes six. Will someone decide to head for the transfer portal?

Then again, if we play more with two bigs, we will see Ashley more as a true 3. Coming back for another year, makes me think we’re going to see her working more on her outside game. It’s not bad, but to stick in the WNBA, it could be better.
 
The big room is growing in more ways than one. Soares, Kane, Jordao, Izzy, and Vick. If they do land the Brown sister from OrSU, that makes six. Will someone decide to head for the transfer portal?

Then again, if we play more with two bigs, we will see Ashley more as a true 3. Coming back for another year, makes me think we’re going to see her working more on her outside game. It’s not bad, but to stick in the WNBA, it could be better.
Mixed opinions by me. Three of those bigs only have this year, so it clears out fast. Unclear to me if we are recruiting Brown. Has anybody heard anything - or just speculation based on her sister? If she comes, I could see some leaving - as l think a couple of our players have a pretty low ceiling. Audi is just a year away and I think will get immediate minutes.
 
Mixed opinions by me. Three of those bigs only have this year, so it clears out fast. Unclear to me if we are recruiting Brown. Has anybody heard anything - or just speculation based on her sister? If she comes, I could see some leaving - as l think a couple of our players have a pretty low ceiling. Audi is just a year away and I think will get immediate minutes.

I believe some of the coaches have followed Kennedy Brown on social media, but no one has mentioned her planning a visit, and someone mentioned her visiting Baylor a week or so ago, so if there is mutual interest you'd think she'd be visiting soon.
 

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