I like Scott-Grayson and hope she pans out, but I am surprised at the questioning of her not getting more playing time, especially if one has watched the games. She has been lackluster in her performances, at best. Turns the ball over WAY too much for a position where the ball is going to be in her hands a lot. Turning the ball over is probably the #1 basketball sin, as it is hard to recover from (as opposed to grabbing an offensive rebound after a poor shot). She doesn't seem particularly concerned about her effort, either, though certainly, as an observer I don't know squat about what her real attitude is like. May just be her personality, but I compare that to Moon's attitude last year and there was determination and passion to go along with Ursin's frustration. The latter, alone, won't lead to improvement.

And in the Tech game, Bickle looked lost running the offense in the few minutes she was in. This is conference. Plenty of time in non-con to learn the plays and understand where you are supposed to be on the floor.

Don't know why DeCosta didn't play, but perhaps her previous injury has re-emerged or there was something Coach didn't like in practice or off court. Who knows?

Listen to Mulkey's post game interview. She intends to hold these freshmen accountable. They are not end of bench practice only players. They can help this team make a deep run, but ONLY if they advance and mature as basketball players. No matter how great they were in high school, their level of play must get better and better because they are putting in the work, or they cannot expect to get significant minutes on a Division 1 elite team. The ball is in their court....

Not sure what to expect from the rest of the big 12 yet, and every team is going to want to put a Baylor "trophy" on their wall, but I think there should be meaningful minutes to be had for even the end of bench players, IF they can get themselves physically and mentally prepared. As Maggie Davis-Stinett said on post game show, "Be prepared so you don't have to get yourself prepared."

The young 'uns will be okay, if they let themself be coached, even if that means learning how to react to "tough love."

Where can we find CKM press conference?

I am not sure yet that DeCosta is ready for a lot of playing time at this level. She played meaningful minutes at Stanford, but except for a three point shot, made on her first attempt but not close on the next two), she did not do much that was noteworthy, and she was not up on her assignment and gave up a critical three pointer that slowed our comeback effort to a crawl. She played a zone in high school and is still learning how to play defense at this level. I think that she is a fine prospect, but I would be surprised to see her play major minutes except in "clear up, garbage time." It did surprise me to see that she did not get into the game until the very last minute, however.

Grayson does not appear to me to have a position right now. When Jackson is off the floor, Landrum is likely to move to the PG position, and if Morris returns next year she will move back to that slot, and we know her capabilities. Grayson is a nice shooter, and I think has some good skills, but right now she is struggling to find a role and to fill it. Her propensity for turning the ball over can be overcome (Landrum and Ursin both had this problem as frosh players), but Jordyn Oliver arrives next year and I suspect that she will be on the floor quite a bit.

Bickle is a tough, gritty player, but she, too, is facing a very tough assignment. Richards is a high level defender and a good ball handler who does not make many mistakes, and she can really rebound. Smith is a PF or SF either, and Bickle is going to have a hard time finding minutes this year and possibly next, as well. Trinity Oliver is another who fits that category.

These are all fine players and capable of becoming assets, but to play at this level a player needs to be good at defending and have some skill that is needed for specific situations, whether shooting, rebounding, or assisting. Above all, they must not be detrimental by turning the ball over, and frosh players are often not ready for that kind of responsibility.

We surely are spoiled, and boy, it's nice!! Years ago no one would be questioning why the freshman aren't playing. Since our advancement in recruiting, we are blessed to be able to even question why the girls aren't playing. However, we must never forget that they are still young freshman. They are thrown into a top program that is tough! Many girls out of high school lack defensive skills and are not in shape for the fast pace college game. As long as these girls give the coaching staff time to work with them, they will all see playing time in the future. Our future looks great, especially if Morris makes it back.

Did you mean to say you hope Egbo doesn't digress? It helps readability when you break into paragraphs.

Oh hold up, come on now, let's be perfectly clear here..without Scott-Grayson on the floor this team is averaging double figure turnovers. She is the least of our worries in turning the ball over. Jackson and a few others have been turning the ball over faithfully, but she (Jackson) obviously has a longer leash. Scott-Grayson is a great player and has had 2 break out games so far...1 leading the team in scoring (player of the game) and another where she was second in leading the team. It's just not emphasized as much as the other girls success thus far. Scott-Grayson can compete, it just looks like she's been handed a short leash this year. She has been playing with and against the Elite of the Elite since day one, she knows how to adjust and adjust quickly. In watching her play, it just looks like she's overthinking things right now. Once she gets past that, she will be perfectly fine. Tough competition is nothing new to this kid. The lack luster comment, I have to disagree...She is a competitor who is just waiting for the opportunity to be able to play through her mistakes like the others. Lets be Honest, there is no perfect player on any team.

Remember what Moon looked like last year, a great athlete but simply a little lost. This year she is a viable off the bench payer and may even get some point minutes. Let the freshmen be freshmen and develop.

This thread is speculative and silly. To think in only 11-12 games we are commenting on the abilities of certain players at the highest level of college basketball is absurd.

I remember watching LC just 2 years ago and how rough (awkward) she looked as a freshman. Her footwork and defensive skills were maybe above average at the time. I think she averaged 10-15 mins per game as a freshman, which was pretty good but, you could still see how she needed to develop. Well, fast forward to now and we see how she developed AFTER (and through) her freshman year and, because of that hard work and development in her defensive footwork, she has become one of the best defensive bigs in the country.

So, for us as fans to comment on the negatives rather then the developmental positives of all our freshman recruits, is frustrating for me to read. I am 100% for Kim calling out ALL of her players, (bench and starters) even Kalani and LC after Stanford, (it's called coaching). So, let's see how the next 20-plus games this season go for the freshman and, how they respond to Kim's coaching. My bet is that they will do great.

We have two seniors, two juniors, and one sophomore in the starting lineup and playing most of the minutes against the tougher teams on the schedule, with the two frosh interior players as the likeliest players to get on the floor for significant minutes. Neither Landrum nor Jackson come off the floor for lengthy periods, almost not at all against the stronger opponents, until the game is fully secured. I think that Coach Mulkeys obvious disappointment about the way the second unit performed against Tech speaks to the issues we are discussing here.

No one is suggesting that these young players are not talented and that they should be judged with finality. Quite the contrary; these players have talent and they are all capable of steady improvement. Both of the interior players, Smith and particularly Egbo, have shown steady progress, and minor injuries have played a role in slowing some of the others.

What is normal in the development of frosh players in almost any sport is inconsistency and some degree of discomfort in terms of defensive assignments and a lack of familiarity with the offensive schemes. This is even more difficult when it involves perimeter players charged with ball handling and creating shooting opportunities, both for themselves and for their teammates. We saw that with Ursin and Landrum, and as noted above, even Cox struggled her first year, something that was a surprise to anyone who had seen her play in her high school years.

It is rare that a player can make the transition from one level to another in basketball without going through this period of adjustment. The fact that NaLyssa Smith has done so is extraordinary and speaks to just how unique her understanding of the game is for one so young. She is not the norm, but most of her incoming class are very much so. Pointing that out is by no means demeaning them. Their talent level is much higher than their understanding of their role, and that is the usual dilemma that young players must deal with once they move to the next level of play. Things that worked for them before now become less successful and that can be confusing and a challenge to adjust to the new reality.

It is also one of the problems of having six talented frosh players coming into the program at one time. That is forty percent of the roster vying for playing time and there are not enough minutes for everyone once the preconference schedule is done. The rivalries within the conference are much more difficult to deal with and the level of intensity involved is very different, as the younger players discovered out at Lubbock. This is the "new normal" that requires a different response than the ones which they formerly employed, and that is the learning experience that Mulkey tries to address in the practices and which she holds them to when they are representing Baylor on the floor of play.

She wants them to play hard and to play smart, and for young players in the early stages of development hard is easier than smart. The harder and faster that they play the more likely they are to get beyond their level of understanding and to fail the "smart test." That is always the problem for bench players trying to make their limited minutes meaningful and successful. It is amazing what a quantum leap a player often makes with a year or two of experience.