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

[Js1 85372]

Just now, Pato del Muerto said:

Could they airbrush her any more?

They had to photoshop out the horns and tail 

[Firemans4Horn 18094]

[kingkoopa6 8368]

Noice !

[Blotto 23538]

33 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

Could they airbrush her any more?

Here's the photo espn is rolling with. They are almost identical 

 

[Cairn Horn88 8265]

2 hours ago, Js1 said:

Official. Huge coup for LSU and huge break for Vic - Texas immediately has the best coach in the conference 

 

Adios, Mofo.

[Kel Varnsen 8527]

[Js1 85372]

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. 

[Js1 85372]

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 

[Js1 85372]

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. 

 

[Cairn Horn88 8265]

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

[Js1 85372]

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). 

[Cairn Horn88 8265]

40 minutes ago, Js1 said:

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). 

Thx.

[Js1 85372]

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

[texasstrong12 4668]

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

[Js1 85372]

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. 

[Js1 85372]

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 April 27, 2021 by Js1

[texasstrong12 4668]

I think Texas is going to have another assistant coaching position to fill. 

[Js1 85372]

Lovato removed all of her Texas stuff. Wonder if she’s going to Auburn 

[texasstrong12 4668]

1 minute ago, Js1 said:

Lovato removed all of her Texas stuff. Wonder if she’s going to Auburn 

Could be or Schaefer just thinks he needs some staff changes. 

[Js1 85372]

3 minutes ago, texasstrong12 said:

Could be or Schaefer just thinks he needs some staff changes. 

With her JUCO and P5 assistant experience, I hope she’s getting a mid major job. 

[Js1 85372]

Texas WBB insta account now follows Cardoso and she liked Brian Davis’ tweet about the Moody Center construction 

🤔

[Pancho 44856]

1 hour ago, Js1 said:

Texas WBB insta account now follows Cardoso and she liked Brian Davis’ tweet about the Moody Center construction 

🤔

[Js1 85372]

Texas Associate AD for Creative Development just started following Cardoso. Feels like an announcement with a bad ass video is imminent

[Pato del Muerto 52510]

2 minutes ago, Js1 said:

Texas Associate AD for Creative Development just started following Cardoso. Feels like an announcement with a bad ass video is imminent

We can’t make a video unless we do it after she signs, right?

[texasstrong12 4668]

Just now, Pato del Muerto said:

We can’t make a video unless we do it after she signs, right?

Probably already signed. Just waiting for her to announce it. 

[Pato del Muerto 52510]

1 minute ago, texasstrong12 said:

Probably already signed. Just waiting for her to announce it. 

Right. Some do commitment announcements, but anything involving the school would have to be a signing announcement. 

[Js1 85372]

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 April 29, 2021 by Js1

[texasstrong12 4668]

Sounds like it will be Joni Taylor.

 

[Js1 85372]

So underwhelming. Someone ran a list of the top recruits in Georgia during her tenure and she landed almost none of them. 

[texasstrong12 4668]

Just now, Js1 said:

So underwhelming. Someone ran a list of the top recruits in Georgia during her tenure and she landed almost none of them. 

That is an extremely underwhelming hire. 

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

[Js1 85372]

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. 

[texasstrong12 4668]

If Joni Taylor doesn’t want the Baylor job it sure seems like Baylor is about get a reality check on how attractive they are for head coaches. 
 

 

[texasstrong12 4668]

Yikes. I never thought Baylor was a "top 5 job" but thought they could hire somebody like Taylor. 

 

[Js1 85372]

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 

[texasstrong12 4668]

UCLA fans want Close gone. So that wouldn't all that shocking. 

Close isn't terrible but I view her much like Aston. 

[Js1 85372]

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 April 29, 2021 by Js1

[perfectchaos007 6672]

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

[Js1 85372]

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. 

[Js1 85372]

Also, Karen would not fit into the demo that they want to hire.  IYKWIMAITYD

[Js1 85372]

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)

Edited April 29, 2021 by Js1

[texasstrong12 4668]

Rueck is by far the best coach out of that list. 

[Pancho 44856]

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.

[texasstrong12 4668]

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. 

[Js1 85372]

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 

[Pancho 44856]

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. 

[Js1 85372]

Oof that would not get Baylor back to prominence. So I hope they hire her 

[Js1 85372]

Well damn, Cordoso chose SCe.  I guess she wants to role play as Boston has 2-3 years of eligibility left  

The richest get richer 

Edited April 30, 2021 by Js1

[Js1 85372]

And Amy Wright ended up at OU. 

I'm just gonna sit back and let Vic do whatever he is going to do this offseason.  

[perfectchaos007 6672]

The portal taketh more than it has giveth for Texas

[Machinator 32099]

It's balancing out what's happening with the men's program.