Thanks !!

Kansas State dismisses Eternati Willock, cites rules violation


3:33 PM CT


MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Kansas State has dismissed Eternati Willock, a member of the Big 12 all-freshman team a year ago, from its women's basketball program for repeated violations of team rules.
Wildcats coach Jeff Mittie announced the move Wednesday.
Willock appeared in 31 games last season, helping the Wildcats beat Drake in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to Stanford. The 6-foot-4 forward from Scarborough, Canada, averaged 6.6 points and 5.1 rebounds in 19.9 minutes, and was expected to be a key piece of this year's team.
Willock was suspended in April after being accused of criminal trespass and liquor purchase by a minor.
Mittie said Willock "struggled with many things associated with being a student-athlete" and "her continued violations of team rules and standards has led to her dismissal."

bowdedg said:

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Kansas State dismisses Eternati Willock, cites rules violation


3:33 PM CT


MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Kansas State has dismissed Eternati Willock, a member of the Big 12 all-freshman team a year ago, from its women's basketball program for repeated violations of team rules.
Wildcats coach Jeff Mittie announced the move Wednesday.
Willock appeared in 31 games last season, helping the Wildcats beat Drake in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to Stanford. The 6-foot-4 forward from Scarborough, Canada, averaged 6.6 points and 5.1 rebounds in 19.9 minutes, and was expected to be a key piece of this year's team.
Willock was suspended in April after being accused of criminal trespass and liquor purchase by a minor.
Mittie said Willock "struggled with many things associated with being a student-athlete" and "her continued violations of team rules and standards has led to her dismissal."

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Wow, what a waste. Hopefully she can get things turned around.

KANSAS

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OKLAHOMA



9 of the 11 players pictured above are active for this season

October 10, 2017

"When Oklahoma women's basketball guard Peyton Little graduated, she left a void on the defensive end after plucking 56 steals in 2016. OU coach Sherri Coale isn't just looking for one person to fill that role.

"I think it's a wholesale buy-in, where our guys have to fall in love with guarding people," Coale said. "We had however many games last year where we scored 80-plus points and you lose the game. We're scoring plenty of points to win. We've gotta fall in love with guarding people. It's not a magical formula. It's guys who are convicted about guarding and find a way even if they have to trick themselves to enjoy getting stops and value that time together. We're trying to build on that right now."

Senior guard Maddie Manning is a notorious offensive threat, but understands the defensive commitment Coale wants.

"It's all about pride. If you get scored on, you're not letting that person score on you in the same way [again]. That kind of creates a game inside the game for you," Manning said.

Rich's absence
Manning understands what guard redshirt-sophomore guard Morgan Rich is experiencing.

Rich tore her anterior cruciate ligament during an offseason practice and will miss this season. Manning, a senior and OU's leading returning scorer, has suffered through two ACL tears.

"That second one is hard to take. Morgan tore one in high school," said Manning. "Just being there for her during the rehab, that was the biggest thing for me. You're alone that whole time you're rehabbing. Just not letting her be alone and not letting her feel like she's not part of the team."

Rich's absence meant OU held its first full-length practice Monday with just 9 players. It required an adjustment, Coale said.

"That means setting up drills a little differently sometimes, balancing where things happen in your practice. We have a great core of scout guys, which is very helpful," Coale said.

Senior center Vionise Pierre-Louis views the shorthanded roster as a chemistry-building opportunity.

"[With fewer players] you know each other in detail, in-depth," Pierre-Louis said. "I feel like I can communicate more and I can relate more with the girls."

Knowing expectations
Manning returns as OU's leading scorer after averaging just over 12 points per game last season.

She said wanting the ball and looking to score more has been a focus during the offseason.

"Everybody in Norman, Oklahoma, has told me they wanted me to score more in the past two years. It's no secret. That's what the coaches want, that's what my team needs," Manning said. "But now it's inside me. It's part of my DNA. I get mad if I don't get the ball, which is a good thing for our team."

A good sign
Players voiced disappointment with committing 13 turnovers during a 90-minute span of Monday's workout.

Coale was tickled by that response. OU averaged 15.6 turnovers a game in 2016.

"[Thirteen] times in a game is pretty good. Twelve is kind of the magic number. If you can keep it under 12 you're gonna beat most people, especially the way we shoot it," Coale said. "I like them thinking 13 is awful. That's a good sign."

- article by Tyler Palmateer, CNHI Sports Oklahoma
- photo from Oklahoma WBB twitter account

I love Maddie Manning, but with only 9 players I fear it is going to be a very tough season for the Sooners.

WEST VIRGINIA

Gracious, she is a beautiful young lady.

Pale Rider................her mother played for Kim at Louisiana Tech.

I was just looking at the OU picture and did not see Nancy Mulkey... Where is she? Did she transfer?

Scottdye said:

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I was just looking at the OU picture and did not see Nancy Mulkey... Where is she? Did she transfer?

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June 7, 2017
transfer from University of Oklahoma




April 14, 2016
transfers from Pepperdine University

Thank you for the response.

1 last thing. What happened it Joyner Holmes? Why is she not able to play until Jan?

Scottdye said:

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Thank you for the response.

1 last thing. What happened it Joyner Holmes? Why is she not able to play until Jan?

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Statement from UT Athletics on Joyner Holmes

July 15, 2017

"University of Texas sophomore women's basketball player Joyner Holmes will not be enrolled at UT or compete during the fall 2017 semester due to a university violation, it was announced Saturday. She will be able to rejoin the team on December 23, 2017. Holmes is currently participating with the USA Basketball U19 National Team at the FIBA U19 World Cup in Italy.

Joyner Holmes
"I take full responsibility for my mistakes and I am disappointed in my actions. I understand what a great privilege it is to be a student-athlete at The University of Texas and that is not something I take lightly. I am committed to using this time to focus on myself, academics, and improving as a basketball player. I am looking forward to returning in December to help our team reach our goals on the court."

Head Coach Karen Aston
"Although I am disappointed that Joyner will not be with us in the fall semester, I am firmly convinced that she will learn and grow through this process. She will re-join us as a better version of herself and a more mature student-athlete. We will welcome her back with open arms when she returns in December."

- University of Texas WBB website

scuttle butt is that she was caught cheating on an exam or a paper

DFW Bill said:

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Pale Rider................her mother played for Kim at Louisiana Tech.

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Interesting.
It will be fun to follow these teams throughout the season.

OKLAHOMA



September 16, 2017

"The University of Oklahoma Athletics Department announced Saturday that it will welcome back women's basketball great Courtney Paris during OU's season opener against Belmont on Nov. 10. The university will honor Paris' No. 3 jersey at halftime of the 7 p.m. CT contest at Lloyd Noble Center.

Paris, the 2007 AP National Player of the Year and three-time Big 12 Player of the Year, is the program's all-time leading scorer and rebounder with 2,729 points and 2,034 rebounds. In 2009, Paris became the first player regardless of gender or division to accumulate 2,500 career points and 2,000 career rebounds.

The first-ever four-time AP All-American in women's college basketball history, Paris set the NCAA record for consecutive games with a double-double at 112 and concluded her career with 20 NCAA and 69 OU records.

"The University of Oklahoma and the four years I spent there mean so much to me," Paris said. "It's more than where I played college basketball, it's more than my alma mater, it has become my home. To be a part of a small group of players to have their jersey honored at the Lloyd Noble Center means everything to me. November 10 will be a night that I will never forget and I'm extremely humbled by this honor."

Playing alongside her twin sister, Ashley, and under head coach Sherri Coale, Paris led the Sooners to three Big 12 regular season titles (2006, 2007, 2009), two Big 12 tournament championships (2006, 2007), three Sweet 16 appearances (2006, 2007, 2009) and a berth in the 2009 Final Four.

"Courtney Paris left an indelible mark on Oklahoma women's basketball," Coale said. "She was a Wooden Award Finalist and the NCAA's first ever female four-time consensus All-American, she led us to multiple conference titles and a Final Four in her senior season, but even those accolades don't do her justice.

"Courtney changed the game. She was a warrior inside the lines a consummate teammate who did her job with astounding consistency, while deflecting praise and passing credit. Courtney could score and rebound and block shots, but in my opinion her greatest gift was always her hands. You couldn't throw a pass she couldn't catch. She made the game look easy, and made her teammates and coaches look good. We are honored to hang her jersey inside the Lloyd Noble Center."

Paris immediately caught attention of the college basketball world by putting together arguably the best freshman campaign in NCAA history, leading the Sooners to the 2006 Big 12 regular season and tournament championships. Paris became the first player in OU history to be recognized as the USBWA National Freshman of the Year and was the first NCAA player to record 700 points, 500 rebounds and 100 blocks in a single season. Her 539 rebounds also set the NCAA single-season and freshman record.

As a sophomore, Paris set OU single-season records with averages of 23.5 points, 15.9 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per game leading the Sooners to the 2007 Big 12 regular season and tournament championship. Among her career accolades, Paris was a four-time Naismith and Wooden Award finalist, three-time Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and the 2009 SENIOR Class Award winner.

"The University of Oklahoma is excited to have this opportunity to honor the outstanding accomplishments of Courtney Paris," OU Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Programs and Director of Athletics Joe Castiglione said. "Courtney's career was extraordinary as she was a four-time All-American, earned multiple conference player of the year honors, led our women's basketball program to a combined five Big 12 titles and the 2009 Final Four, while setting numerous records that may never be broken. We've closely followed the wonderful career she's had in the WNBA and look forward to a tremendous night to celebrate one of the all-time Sooners."

Paris recently completed her eighth season in the WNBA, helping the Dallas Wings secure a playoff berth. She has twice won the WNBA Peak Performance Award for rebounding, leading the league in total rebounds during the 2014 and 2015 seasons."

- Oklahoma WBB website

So sweet!

UPDATE

2 graduate transfer players in the Big 12

A J Alix
TCU > Florida State

"This is pretty surprising news, and a huge blow to a TCU program that has been trying to turn the corner. Coach Pebley will have to find some production elsewhere.

Quote:

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Guard AJ Alix, who led the TCU women in points and assists last season, will play for Florida State next season, the Seminoles announced Monday.
Florida State said Alix, two-time all-Big 12 honorable mention, will use the graduate transfer rule and be a senior. The 5-foot-6 Houston native, who averaged 13.1 points and 4.6 assists last season, will join a backcourt that lost two players Brittany Brown and Leticia Romero to graduation.

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- Melissa B Triebwasser, frogsowar.com, 2 May 2017

McKenzie Calvert
USouthern Cal > Kansas > Texas Tech > left TT team after 5 games played

Link
http://www.kansan.com/sports/kansas-women-s-basketball-s-mckenzie-calvert-intends-to-transfer/article_c0520f68-39a8-11e7-b75f-d7c50b70f849.html

http://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-women/article/2017-10-23/womens-basketball-preview-will-baylor-or-texas-prove-be

I am ok with the idea of both tournaments being in the same place. It's awesome when you can go to both.

I also think moving the location around is probably the best solution. (I can't speak in terms of financial analyses I have never seen as to whether that would be profitable over the long run). I would say rotate between about 4 locations every year so that once in every student athlete's tenure, they would have a short travel distance to the tournament**. This is also more fair in terms of not giving the same schools the home court advantage year after year.


**mostly. I think we would have to give West Virginia the short end of the stick. It is hard to justify sending the entire conference 1,300 miles for a tournament, and I seriously doubt fans would travel well. I feel bad for their student athletes saying this, but I also have to think that their school's administration understood what they were signing up for when joining the Big 12.

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fujobear said:

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The Epicenter of WCBB for the next four years shifts from Storrs to Central Texas with a heated rivalry between two schools in the same conference in and the Big 12 moves moves the conference championship to Kansas City, a state that doesn't have a Big 12 school... and a location so far that Baylor and Texas fans won't commute.

Why not? Dallas? San Antonio? Dallas. Ft Worth. OKC... though I'm sick of it, is a better venue...

dumb. dumb. dumb.

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Bob Blowsme

Quote:

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slimecap


3. fujobear nailed it in the discussion of the intensification of the rivalry between Baylor and Texas.
2020 Destination should be Dallas or San Antonio. The 3rd possibility is Oklahoma City.
Time to drag out all that great analytics research and determine where the large pockets of fans are located. Simple math calculations like travel distance. As a native Texan, I might travel an hour to get a great steak dinner ... but I am not going to travel more than 8 hours just to get blue cheese sprinkled on my Angus filet at the Webster House.

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I would rather the tournament be played at Reed Arena. Just think of the butthurt in collie station when the sips and scrubby little Baylor invade their campus and take over their town. It would be worth whatever economic boost they might receive lol.

https://instagr.am/p/BawV_PVFkpA

ckilpatrick,
Thank you very much for information on Kalani Brown Nov 2 invitation to ESPN WBB National Media Day. We will be tuned in!

Slimecap,
No problem! I wish I could find out the others who will be attending but I couldn't find anything!

While I would go to both the MBB and WBB tournament, I think I am the exception.

I would guess the local hotels love it since it creates more demand for rooms, driving up prices and their profitability. Has anyone experienced before?

I would definitely attend both women and men's games if at the same location and same week, if I had the chance to go. Love Both!

ckilpatrick said:

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Slimecap,
I wish I could find out the others who will be attending but I couldn't find anything!

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Hi ckilpatrick,
Looks like this is the rest of the squad:

ESPN Women's Basketball National Media Day Attendees

Representation
Both player & coach Mississippi State, Oregon, South Carolina & UConn
Player only Baylor & Louisville
Coach only Notre Dame & Texas

Representation 2017 NCAA Tournament
3 Final Four Mississippi State, South Carolina & UConn
3 Elite 8 Baylor, Notre Dame & Oregon
2 Sweet 16 Louisville & Texas

Players
Baylor Kalani Brown JR Center
Louisville Asia Durr JR Guard
Mississippi State Morgan William SR Guard
Oregon Sabrina Ionescu SO Guard
South Carolina A'ja Wilson SR Forward
UConn Gabby Williams SR Forward

Coaches
Mississippi State Vic Schaefer
Notre Dame Muffet McGraw
Oregon Kelly Graves
South Carolina Dawn Staley
Texas Karen Aston
UConn Geno Auriemma