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Texas Women's Basketball 2020-2021 "A New Era"


LTtxfan

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Interested to see how Mulkey leaving plays out.  Players seem crushed, their sole 2021 recruit has allegedly asked out of her NLI, Baylor's top 2023 commit, Sammi Wagner (#3 overall by ESPNW already, 6'1 W, Ronald Reagan San Antonio) has decommitted from Baylor. 

If I am Vic, I start backchanneling interest in the following: 

  • NaLyssa Smith (play one more year in your home state and would likely beat out Warren at the 4 on day 1)
  • Hannah Gusters (6'5 post would play immediately with Charli gone) 
  • Queen Egbo (play one more year in your home state and you liked Texas so much, it was your #2 choice)
  • Jaden Owens (PG transfer from UCLA) and see if the NCAA will give a waiver due to a coaching change (was supposed to sit out this year past season but the NCAA blanket waiver made her eligible)
  • Bill Brock, who has been the post developer for Mulkey.  Offer him the chance to stay in Texas - his daughter is married to the Mary Hardin-Baylor WBB coach, so his grandkids are close.  Better Austin than Baton Rouge for that. 
  • Hook 'Em 2
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Neither Brock nor Messer were mentioned today in the list of staff going with her.  Baylor boards say Messer will interview for the HC job and has a spot open in BR (sort of like Vic did with Johnnie)

Vic needs to go full court press for Brock. Associate HC and offer him triple his salary to stay in Texas 

  • Hook 'Em 1
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As suspected, the NCAA will allow waivers for coaching changes even if you don't qualify for the one-time rule because you aleady transferred.  Really not opposed to Vic reaching out someone like Jaden Owens at Baylor. 

 

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4 minutes ago, Cairn Horn88 said:

Mulkey had a son who played baseball at LSU...Kramer Robertson......previous marriage?

Yes, she got divorced in 2006.  Both her kids are Robertsons (or Fuller, for her daughter who got married to Baylor football player Clay Fuller). 

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The Texas WBB twitter account has now started following Kamilla Cardoso (6'7 post transfer out of Syracuse).  They rarely follow a player unless something is eminent. 

Cardoso - 6'7 C - #5 overall and #1 post in the 2020 class from Chattanooga, TN

1 season so far as Syracuse, but would have 4 more seasons due to COVID

57.6% from the field
60.2% FT
13.6 ppg / 8.0 rpg
65 blocks, 15 steals in 24 games

Some notable games:

13 points and 11 rebounds against Louisville the first time
10 points and 7 rebounds against Louisville the second time
12 points and 7 rebounds against UConn in the R32

Had 9 blocks in a game against ND

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Just now, texasstrong12 said:

Cardoso is by far the best player in the portal. To say that would be a huge get would be an understatement. 

Agreed.  They did start following our 2021 recruits like Harmon, Moore and Hunter right before they announced commitments. 

Vic knows something.  Would be a huge get to pair with Gaston/Moore/Ebo.   Would probably push Precious Johnson into the portal.  

Besides, Vic did amazing things with 6'7 Teaira McCowan at MSU.  By her senior year, she was averaging 18.4 and 13.5 on 66.2% shooting. 

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We have 2 scholarships left right now.  Cardoso would drop that down to 1.  Another player into the portal, such as Johnson, would put us back at 2 open slots that could be saved for the 2022 class. 

2020-2021 season: 12 players

Departures: Collier (draft), Coleman (transfer), Lambert (graduation), Ortiz (transfer), Taylor (transfer) - 7

Incoming: Harmon (FR), Hunter (FR), King-Hawea (SO), Matharu (JR), Moore (FR), Sikuzani (SO) - 13

Edited by Js1
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If Elena Lovato is actually gone - current A&M assistant coach Amy Wright is apparently headed out of College Station for a "P5 Associate Head Coach" job

She works with the wings, coordinates in-bounds plays and is the A&M recruiting coordinator.   Which is almost the same as Lovato's job duties (wings/guards and recruiting coordinator)

3 years as USF
1 year at Western Kentucky
3 years at Cleveland State
1 year at ASU
9 years at A&M

She'd be a great fill-in for Lovato - Gary Blair seal of approval and has been recruiting the state of Texas for 9 years as the lead recruiter/coordinator. 

Just looking at some of the players A&M has landed, they've racked up a bunch of 4 and 5 star recruits in and out of state, including players like: Courtney Williams, Jordan Jones, Peyton Little, Courtney Walker, Jada Terry, Khaalia Hillsman, Danni Williams, Anriel Howard, Chenney Carter, N'Dea Jones, Kayla Green, Sahara Jones and Jada Malone. 

 

If Vic theoretically replaced Harris with Bill Brock and Lovato with Amy Wright - I would be very gruntled with that staff.  That's a legit staff. 

Edited by Js1
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3 minutes ago, texasstrong12 said:

That is an extremely underwhelming hire. 

Taylor isn't terrible but she's nowhere close to the top tier either. 

Really opens the door for Vic. Winning the conference and keeping the top talent in Texas. 

  • Hook 'Em 1
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Mulkey was Baylor. Baylor has no history outside of Kim. It’s going to be someone unhappy with their current job or (despite laughing at Westwood to Waco) a big raise to someone who is “big on faith” like Cori Close 

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Close has been at UCLA since 2011.  For the amount of talent she has amassed, her 196-104 record is not that impressive.

2012 - #12, #66, #99
2013 - #94
2014 - (#1 class) #4, #8, #19, #26, #38  -- #19 transferred to Tech
2015 - #15, #22
2016 - #35, #58
2017 - #10, #15, #37
2018 - #31
2019  - #13, #22 - #13 transferred to Baylor
2020 - no top 100 recruits
2021 - #26

And through all those good recruits - 

3 Sweet 16s, 1 Elite 8, 0 Pac 12 titles

 

Edited by Js1
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1 minute ago, perfectchaos007 said:

If Karen Aston didn’t accept the UTSA job, Baylor might have looked at her. Crazy 

Looked, maybe.  But they would have seen a coach who couldn't beat any of the top 5 teams with top 5-10 talent every year and should have passed.  Or Mack Rhodes would have had A LOT of explaining to do for going from Kim -> Aston

Let's just look at Karen against the top programs she faced. Mostly our peer ground in terms of amassing top 5-10 talent and facing them multiple times over multiple seasons: 

Baylor: 1-18, average margin was a 14 point loss
UConn: 0-3, average margin was a 30 point loss
UCLA: 1-2, average margin was a 7 point loss
Stanford: 3-3, average margin was a 2 point loss
Tennessee: 4-4. average margin was a 1.4 point loss
SC/MSU: 1-3, average margin was an 8.25 point loss

Baylor fans would revolt. 

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SicEm boards said the list was this and Mack Rhodes could name the new coach as soon as next week:

-Joni Taylor - SAID NO THANKS 119-65, 3 NCAA tournaments, 0 SEC titles

-Cori Close (UCLA) - 215-110, 3 Sweet 16, 1 Elite 8 (over Aston), 0 Pac 12 titles

-Megan Duffy (Marquette) - 43-15 at Marquette, 1 NCAA tournament + 44-20 at Miami (OH), 2 WNIT appearances

-Scott Rueck (Oregon State) - 240-113 at OSU, 2 Sweet 16, 1 Elite 8, 1 Final Four, 4 Pac 12 titles (3 regular season, 1 postseason)

-Sytia Messer (Baylor assistant)

-Bill Brock (Baylor assistant)

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6 minutes ago, Pancho said:

Isn’t he a OSU alum? Why go to Baylor when you e shown you can make FFs at a place like Oregon State?

Rueck is already home, which is what KM left for.

Seems unlikely that Rueck would leave but Oregon State is lil sister to Oregon. Rueck has also had some success recruiting Texas so maybe he thinks he can build a better roster at Baylor. 

I say it's still unlikely it happens though. 

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I think Close is the best hire if they don’t just promote Messer and convince Brock to stay on for continuity.  Which would be a better option, if Miss St is a case study in hiring after an elite coach leaves on their own 

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2 minutes ago, texasstrong12 said:

Seems unlikely that Rueck would leave but Oregon State is lil sister to Oregon. Rueck has also had some success recruiting Texas so maybe he thinks he can build a better roster at Baylor. 

I say it's still unlikely it happens though. 

I don't know the little sister thing is applicable since OSU was built up before Oregon in women's basketball.  Unless he's just not getting something he thinks he deserves like money or facilities, there's really no reason to leave your alma mater. 

Sic'Em message board is now talking up the coach at Grand Canyon.  They really like her, mostly because she's outwardly Christian.  I don't know that her time in D2 (which was good) and what she did at a WAC school will automatically translate to the Big 12. 

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