Strong at every position!

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longtimebear
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7:02p, 1/20/19
Would it be wrong of me to suggest that this years team may be one of Kim's best. There just isn't a definable weakness on this team. Certainly the starters are great but there isn't much weakness on the bench.

They just blitzed West Virginny. Once they got comfortable on the court they just put it in 2nd and 3rd gear and Mountaineers had no chance. Awesome performance.
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WacoKelly83
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7:35p, 1/20/19
What will be interesting to me will be how we play in Morgantown. Always a tough out. And a great test for our team going into B12 tournament and NCAA's
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geewago
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In reply to longtimebear • 7:36p, 1/20/19
longtimebear said:
Would it be wrong of me to suggest that this years team may be one of Kim's best. There just isn't a definable weakness on this team. Certainly the starters are great but there isn't much weakness on the bench.

They just blitzed West Virginny. Once they got comfortable on the court they just put it in 2nd and 3rd gear and Mountaineers had no chance. Awesome performance.
We will know in a couple more months.
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Bearprof
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7:45p, 1/20/19
Interesting game today.

Jackson wasn't shooting well but a 5:1 assist to turnover ratio was a major key to the victory. Her defense, as well as Moon's, on WV's PG was impressive. No ticky-tack fouls and fighting through screens like crazy.

Cox had some very impressive outlet passes to start the break. Solid defensive effort.

Loved seeing DiDi making an outside shot. Again, if she can develop a reasonably consistent 15-footer, she will provide far more offensive firepower than we can appreciate. She's also beginning to dribble drive more and with her length, will be a tough matchup for the opposition.

Loved seeing the freshmen in there and their collective energy and effort was noticeable. I think the light bulb may be coming on slowly for the three other than Egbo and Smith.
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setshot
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10:04p, 1/20/19
Good posting, as usual, Bearprof.

The frosh have an advantage that few have, and that is practicing against veteran talent every day and then sitting on the bench and watching what they accomplish under pressure. Not all highly recruited players become the collegiate players that their prep careers indicate for them, and that may be true for this group. What we can expect from them is a quantum leap in their sophomore years, when they will be needed as Brown and Jackson depart.

We have seen that Ursin made such a leap in this, her second year, and has become a significant contributor off the bench. It is clear that Smith and Egbo are already contributing and will only get better as the season goes along, but how the other three frosh will respond to this year of learning remains to be seen.

I think that we are going to like Jordyn Oliver a lot when she arrives on the scene. She is a strong guard, good size and a high level of skill. It may be that we will have another grad transfer, though that is an unknown at this point. Jackson has worked out even better than we could have hoped and Mulkey may want to build on that if the opportunity presents itself.

The 2020 class is particularly strong and I suspect that the staff is going to hold an extra scholarship or two back for that, but again, I have no connections to the inner workings of the minds of the Lady Bear staff.
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bunation
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In reply to setshot • 10:18p, 1/20/19
setshot said:
Good posting, as usual, Bearprof....

The 2020 class is particularly strong and I suspect that the staff is going to hold an extra scholarship or two back for that, but again, I have no connections to the inner workings of the minds of the Lady Bear staff.


This is a very strong team, top to bottom, but probably not Mulkey's deepest bench.

Setshot,
Do you see Mulkey signing a talented big in 2020? I read earlier where you mentioned Gusters from Duncanville, but your comments just now suggest that we have some good players ready to commit for 2020.
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LadyBears42
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In reply to setshot • 11:47p, 1/20/19
Just because Baylor chooses not to use the other thee frosh does not mean they're prep careers was not a true reflection of who they are as players at the collegiate level. I am a huge fan of all the frosh and I beg to differ when you say we have yet to see production out of them. I've seen production out of Smith, Egbo and Scott-Grayson early on in the season. I just think the posts are being given the opportunity to play and produce more because their size is hard to come by and Kim don't want to jeopardize losing them. If anyone of the other frosh leave our program and go somewhere else, they will dominate there just as much as they would here. They're just not the chosen ones.

It's clear by reading some of the posts on here, it seems the kids on the roster that are not from Texas, get absolutely no love. Which is extremely sad being as though they chose our program. All of those kids are skilled, strong and ready to go. It looks like they just may have made the wrong choice in coming to Baylor.
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LadyBears42
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In reply to setshot • 12:01a, 1/21/19
Oh and thanks for the inner workings and thoughts of the Baylor staff (which you deny having access to) because, you speak in confidence in what you say so, clearly you either are on the staff (pretending not to be) or speak closely with someone on the staff. Hopefully the kids and/or relatives of kids see your post and know that Kim has no plans on using them in the future and realize their hard work and dedication to this program is not appreciated.
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3rdgenbear
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12:09a, 1/21/19
One thing that really stuck out to me is what an amazing team effort that we are seeing each game. Chloe's shot was off today and they just made the adjustment offensively and really clamped down on defense. Efforts like these make them look pretty unstoppable. They don't seem to panic with temporary momentum swings. The coaching staff makes the adjustments and the players buy in and execute.

Though they came up short, the huge comeback against Stanford in the second half seems to have given them even more confidence in the system.

Loved seeing the majority of the bench get some meaningful minutes today and contribute in such a positive way. That'll give them and CKM a lot of confidence which will result in more playing time and more rest for our starters.

One game at a time, but this could be a very special year!

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Brian Ethridge
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In reply to LadyBears42 • 12:32a, 1/21/19
Staff
LadyBears42 said:
Oh and thanks for the inner workings and thoughts of the Baylor staff (which you deny having access to) because, you speak in confidence in what you say so, clearly you either are on the staff (pretending not to be) or speak closely with someone on the staff. Hopefully the kids and/or relatives of kids see your post and know that Kim has no plans on using them in the future and realize their hard work and dedication to this program is not appreciated.
I'm not sure how you read such in both of your posts from what anyone posted.

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LadyBears42
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In reply to Brian Ethridge • 12:35a, 1/21/19
I'm talking about throughout multiple topics on this forum, not just under this one particular topic.
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setshot
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2:43a, 1/21/19
42, if you received the impressions from my posts that you reference above, then we are on different wave lengths entirely. I never intended to leave you with those impressions, and certainly would never want to give cause for any parent to feel that I am anything but supportive of their child while at Baylor.

With only a scant few exceptions, frosh players have always had to wait their turn in this program. Lauren Cox was the #1 ranked player nationally in her class, but did not play that way as a first year player, and no one was more surprised than I at that, but that has happened to top ranked first year players in other programs over the years. Generally speaking there are two major bursts of improvement in a player's career, between the first and second year, and again, between the second and third year. We have seen that time and again, most recently with Cox and Landrum and now with Ursin.

We have had some excellent players from out of state over the Mulkey era at Baylor, and favoritism has never been a part of Mulkey's approach to her players. It just so happens that all three of the current out of state frosh players either arrived hampered by injuries or suffered a setback shortly after arriving. This not only slows their development, but it affects conditioning. DeCosta, for instance, was our top-rated recruit. I watched videos of several of her highschool games and her coach played zone entirely and posted her out on the free throw line to use as a facilitator. He misused her badly. She had a lot to learn when she arrived, but had great talent - then she suffered an injury that has set her back, as we know. I think that a healthy Aquira DeCosta will be a major factor for us next year.

Grayson has shown skill with the ball in her hands, but turned the ball over more than Coach Mulkey likes, just as Ursin did for much of last season. I think that she still has promise, with a feathery touch on her shot and an ability to see the floor, but playing catchup as she, Caitlin Bickle, and Aquira DeCosta are having to do does not work well in terms of minutes for the #2 ranked team in the country. I expect to see more playing time for them up ahead, but there are no gimmes in this conference so they will have to earn time on the floor, as will Trinity Oliver, and that comes with good practices and disciplined play on the floor when they have the opportunity. That is just how the system works, not only at Baylor but in any really good program.

I may write with a more confident tone than I really feel, and I certainly do not have any connection with anyone in the program there. What I do have is a history of watching Kim Mulkey's teams for almost two decades now, so I understand how she runs her program and the demands that she makes on the athletes that are in it. I also listen to those who are closer to the program than most of us, and some of those folks are on this board as contributors. If I come off to some as a know-it-all, then I apologize for that. Like most of the posters here, I have opinions, but guess what -- so do the coaches, the difference being that theirs are the ones that count, whereas those on this board are for enjoyment without much risk or cost except for emotional stress at times.
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Florda_mike
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In reply to LadyBears42 • 5:47a, 1/21/19
LadyBears42 said:
I'm talking about throughout multiple topics on this forum, not just under this one particular topic.


42 you need to PM setshot and meet him

He's all in for anything and everything Baylor since the 50s when played BB at Baylor. I'll stop there but he's all for each and every young woman on the team I'm positive

And thanks for your loyalty to women's team too

Sic em
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57Bear
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In reply to setshot • 7:41a, 1/21/19
setshot said:
... We have had some excellent players from out of state over the Mulkey era at Baylor, and favoritism has never been a part of Mulkey's approach to her players. ...
And even from out of country.
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bunation
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In reply to Brian Ethridge • 8:00a, 1/21/19
Brian Ethridge said:
LadyBears42 said:
Oh and thanks for the inner workings and thoughts of the Baylor staff (which you deny having access to) because, you speak in confidence in what you say so, clearly you either are on the staff (pretending not to be) or speak closely with someone on the staff. Hopefully the kids and/or relatives of kids see your post and know that Kim has no plans on using them in the future and realize their hard work and dedication to this program is not appreciated.
I'm not sure how you read such in both of your posts from what anyone posted.



Not sure at all!

Edit: ...but I loved reading your feisty support for our outstanding lady-student-athletes. I wish every poster had your moxie & loyalty!
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The Old BEAR
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8:15a, 1/21/19
Glad to see LadyBear42 express her feelings.
It's good to get opinions out in the open.
It's foolish to think everyone is going to be in agreement on everything.
(Not talking about you Setshot)
We have a few on here who consider themselves the "Inside" and have a tendency to police the rest.
(You reading this Lion82...??)
Those antics have run off more than a handful from this page.
My feeling... If you buy a ticket, your opinion is as good as the next guys.
I bet if Kim bought a ticket, she'd second guess some decisions too.
Preacher... keep their butts in line...!!!
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longtimebear
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8:30a, 1/21/19
I agree that sometimes Freshman have to wait there turn....but still, in a blow out game, I would still like to see more time allotted for the others. Especially I would like to see more Trinity Oliver. When she DOES get some play time she always seems to be dialed in and hustling.

Like my kids, I love them but they don't always do what I wish they would. Kim is no exception, love her to death but she still angers me sometimes.
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bunation
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In reply to LadyBears42 • 8:41a, 1/21/19
LadyBears42 said:
I'm talking about throughout multiple topics on this forum, not just under this one particular topic.


I've read most of your 22 posts. You always make excellent observations. You are right to defend our student-athletes with your opinions.

I like what "willtalk" said in support of your opinions:

"That I believe is one point LadyBears42 was making and in that I agree. While there is nothing wrong with singing certain players praises, it is not so if it comes at the expense of diminishing other players unfairly."

As you must know, there is a line, sometimes a fine line, between giving honest opinions on specific players & being too critical of these hard-working, highly gifted Lady Bears.

It's been my observation that most all of the posters on the women's basketball forum believe they are expressing fair & honest opinions without meaning to criticize an individual player too harsh or inappropriate.

I can see where one may view some opinions as seemingly improper, especially trying to analyze a true freshman's game...as few really understand what a frosh's true potential will become under Kim Mulkey.

It's a fine line. But, we post here because we love each and every one of Kim Mulkey's Lady Bears & want only the very best for them as players, students, and individuals!
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geewago
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8:54a, 1/21/19
Juicy went through the same thing the frosh are going through this year. She played very little, was constantly pulled when she did get on the floor, and was primarily a bench warmer. Now she spends more time on the floor than all the rest. She has learned the system and is solid as a rock.
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1975bear
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In reply to geewago • 9:12a, 1/21/19
geewago said:
Juicy went through the same thing the frosh are going through this year. She played very little, was constantly pulled when she did get on the floor, and was primarily a bench warmer. Now she spends more time on the floor than all the rest. She has learned the system and is solid as a rock.
Great post and very true. Juicy is a great example of what incoming players will experience in Kim's program.
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Lion82
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9:54a, 1/21/19
I'm not trying to police the board. There are some on here that have a blame Kim first mindset and that irritates me.

A soft kid transfers-Kim' was too hard on her. Freshmen who don't know the offense yet get no minutes-Kim doesn't know how to develop players.
The opponent makes 3 point shots-Kim can't defend the three. Baylor has an incredible inside presence-why doesn't Kim jack up threes?

Most coaches never get close to winning a national
title. Kim has two and I bet she wins another before she is done. She dominates UT. Her program is at a level unprecedented in the history of Baylor sports yet the nitpickers and naysayers can't wait to throw shade on her and the program for the slightest infraction.

This board is for opinions and facts about Lady Bears basketball. We all have things to contribute. When I see information I know to be incorrect posted on here about the dismissal of a player I will correct it.
None of us wanted to see Morris go and some on here had a hard time accepting it. Just know the program went to unprecedented lengths for her to be here next year and in the end , she couldn't walk the straight and narrow.
WNIT in '23
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The Old BEAR
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In reply to Lion82 • 10:50a, 1/21/19
Lion82 said:
I'm not trying to police the board. There are some on here that have a blame Kim first mindset and that irritates me.

A soft kid transfers-Kim' was too hard on her. Freshmen who don't know the offense yet get no minutes-Kim doesn't know how to develop players.
The opponent makes 3 point shots-Kim can't defend the three. Baylor has an incredible inside presence-why doesn't Kim jack up threes?

Most coaches never get close to winning a national
title. Kim has two and I bet she wins another before she is done. She dominates UT. Her program is at a level unprecedented in the history of Baylor sports yet the nitpickers and naysayers can't wait to throw shade on her and the program for the slightest infraction.

This board is for opinions and facts about Lady Bears basketball. We all have things to contribute. When I see information I know to be incorrect posted on here about the dismissal of a player I will correct it.
None of us wanted to see Morris go and some on here had a hard time accepting it. Just know the program went to unprecedented lengths for her to be here next year and in the end , she couldn't walk the straight and narrow.
There you go again....
Assuming your opinions are correct and others are wrong... that's wrong.
No one ever said Morris wasn't dismissed. Many just wanted proof of the fact.
Evidently you find fault with ANYONE who questions your "supposed" facts, but I guess you are going to have to accept it.
Morris name being listed on the Transfer Portol made it FACT.
Post away. But recognize most are going to accept it as your opinion ONLY, unless you got facts to back it up.
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Born_A_Bear
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11:17a, 1/21/19
Fify
"Kids and coaches that are not from Texas, get so much love".

We all love and appreciate Kim, Kalani, Moon, Chloe and the this year's freshmen. Kim recruited internationally when first building the program.
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Bone Squad
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12:17p, 1/21/19
If there is any tendency among any posters to favor Texas kids over the others, I sure have not seen it. Some of the most beloved all-time players include the likes of Nina Davis (Tennessee), Sophia Young (Virgin Islands), Kristy Wallace (Australia), and Melissa Jones (Colorado).

All of the freshman, wherever they are from, came in with a lot of hype and expectations. Some of them haven't had their time to shine yet (injuries being undoubtedly a factor), but they are freshman, and that is to be expected. With less playing time, less conversation is devoted to them on the boards. That's not a sign we are not rooting for those players and excited to see them grow into greater roles on the team.
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GarlandBear84
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12:33p, 1/21/19
Relatives of players without thick skin ought to avoid message boards. I love it when they give insights, but it is hard for them to be objective. Mulkey has always tightened her rotation in conference to 7-8 players. Unless there are injuries or foul trouble the rest of the bench will only play the last minute or two if we're up 30.
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Lion82
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1:20p, 1/21/19
I didn't post the specific details about Morris because
I didn't think it was in the best interest of Morris or the program.

We all read this board because we are interested in the program. Fortunately for me, I don't have to search the tranfer portal to accept that a player is leaving. I was attempting to share what I knew when I knew with some descretion.

I have my own opinions about the program but I would never post something about a player leaving unless I knew it was true.
WNIT in '23
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setshot
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5:29p, 1/21/19
Good point, GarlandBear.

John Wooden had a rotation of eight players, and even though he had high school All Americans sitting down the line on his bench, he adhered to that rotation. Team chemistry and cohesiveness are affected when too many players are on and off the floor.

I must say that I have not always been affirmative of Mulkey's substitution patterns, but I am not at her practices and not privy to all the factors that weigh into how she uses her players. Having said that, her current rotation is in my view about as solid and as reasonable as any I have seen from her over the years. I thought that the lineups and substitutions that she used against UCONN and again, in the last game against WVU were as good as I have ever seen from her, and that takes in a lot of territory.

It is still too early to make definitive judgments about this team, but I am tentatively going to second longtimebear's opening comment, that this is one of Mulkey's strongest teams with no definable weakness in her lineup. Every starter complements the others on the floor, and her primary substitutions off the bench are notable for their talent and for what they contribute.

I will also go so far as to say that this team has an opportunity to be as good defensively as any team that she has had, and that assumes continual progress in grasping the defensive schemes that Mulkey and Brock use in varying deployments according to the strengths and weaknesses of their foes. What I saw against both UCONN and WVU was a team defense that was as good as I have ever seen from the Lady Bears.

We know that Didi Richards wants to be the stopper, to guard the best player on the other team, something that I heard Mulkey mention, not once but twice, and she is on the way to become the best one on one defender I have seen at Baylor, again a bold statement. What we have seen, moreover, is that Landrum has taken on the same role when Didi goes to the bench, and has prospered in it. She has been a good defender for a couple of years, now, but she has kicked it up to another level. Jackson has guarded opposing point guards or off guards and shut them down pretty well. Didi, Juicy (and Ursin off the bench) have exceptional athleticism to bring to bear on their task, and Jackson is not far behind.

We know that Cox is arguably the best defensive interior player in the country, and she does well on the perimeter when they pull her out and try to force switches. Kalani has stepped up her game lately, as well.
But the thing that has really caught my eye is the "help defense" that is going on right now, and against WVU it was superb. Penetration was of no value for WVU because every time someone made a move toward the basket a defender was moving over to cut them off, while another player was rotating down or over to shut off the passing lane.

I have watched a lot of Lady Bear basketball, but I have never seen such precision in anticipating and responding to an opponent's movement as I saw in the UCONN game and against WVU. The Griner teams had very fine defenses because Griner and Sims were as good as it gets at defending in their specific positions and the others were also very good....but I have not seen a better combination of man for man, on-ball defense, complemented by help defense as I am now seeing. Two seniors, two juniors, and a sophomore all make this possible, and now three players off the bench are showing that they can hit the floor ready to fit right in to the defensive excellence we are seeing.

I used to watch videos of the Radio City Rockettes perform, and I always thought that offensive linemen in football and basketball teams could learn a lot about playing their positions by studying the movement and precision of those dancers in their routines. I recalled that on Sunday while watching the almost hypnotic movement of the Baylor defenders in meeting every challenge that was presented to them by their opponents.
It was really quite remarkable.
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The Old BEAR
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In reply to Lion82 • 5:41p, 1/21/19
Lion82 said:
I didn't post the specific details about Morris because
I didn't think it was in the best interest of Morris or the program.

We all read this board because we are interested in the program. Fortunately for me, I don't have to search the tranfer portal to accept that a player is leaving. I was attempting to share what I knew when I knew with some descretion.

I have my own opinions about the program but I would never post something about a player leaving unless I knew it was true.
We live in a world where Fake News is the common place.
Just this weekend more bogus news about President Trump, and the main stream media had a field day with it.
Because of this new trend, NOBODY is accepting anything as fact without documented proof.
That proof had to come from Morris, Mulkey, or the Transfer Portol.
It finally emerged.
I don't care who posts it.. or what their batting average is.
Without factual documentation, there are always going to be questions.
We live in a world that has adopted courtroom procedure. Saying it doesn't count... you got to back it up with substantial proof.
"Those are some bad dudes. Why was she around those guys?"

---Arthur Ray Briles---
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Baylor Dad in Va.
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In reply to Lion82 • 5:51p, 1/21/19

As a very long term fan of Baylor, and especially Baylor women's basketball, I just want to take this opportunity to thank you all for letting me be part of the community. You have all been most gracious to me and I feel very welcome here.
While being a long-term fan, I am a newbie on this board. I don't know you all, or your history. Because of this lack of knowledge about the individuals here I will sometimes make mistakes in my posts. Not intentionally, nor with any malice. It is simply because I do not know you, and I have well learned over the years to be very cautious about what I accept as the truth over the internet. When everyone is anonymous and I do not know the source I tend to be skeptical until shown the facts. So if there are any of you that I offended, please accept this apology. As I read and post more and more, I will learn more and more about each of you. And I view you all as my friends. I hope you do the same for me.

I am not going to write out the names of everyone that has posted in this thread, but if you have posted here, or if you are just a Baylor fan, I say thanks to you!

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BuinmyBlood
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In reply to setshot • 6:45p, 1/21/19
setshot said:
Good point, GarlandBear.

John Wooden had a rotation of eight players, and even though he had high school All Americans sitting down the line on his bench, he adhered to that rotation. Team chemistry and cohesiveness are affected when too many players are on and off the floor.

I must say that I have not always been affirmative of Mulkey's substitution patterns, but I am not at her practices and not privy to all the factors that weigh into how she uses her players. Having said that, her current rotation is in my view about as solid and as reasonable as any I have seen from her over the years. I thought that the lineups and substitutions that she used against UCONN and again, in the last game against WVU were as good as I have ever seen from her, and that takes in a lot of territory.

It is still too early to make definitive judgments about this team, but I am tentatively going to second longtimebear's opening comment, that this is one of Mulkey's strongest teams with no definable weakness in her lineup. Every starter complements the others on the floor, and her primary substitutions off the bench are notable for their talent and for what they contribute.

I will also go so far as to say that this team has an opportunity to be as good defensively as any team that she has had, and that assumes continual progress in grasping the defensive schemes that Mulkey and Brock use in varying deployments according to the strengths and weaknesses of their foes. What I saw against both UCONN and WVU was a team defense that was as good as I have ever seen from the Lady Bears.

We know that Didi Richards wants to be the stopper, to guard the best player on the other team, something that I heard Mulkey mention, not once but twice, and she is on the way to become the best one on one defender I have seen at Baylor, again a bold statement. What we have seen, moreover, is that Landrum has taken on the same role when Didi goes to the bench, and has prospered in it. She has been a good defender for a couple of years, now, but she has kicked it up to another level. Jackson has guarded opposing point guards or off guards and shut them down pretty well. Didi, Juicy (and Ursin off the bench) have exceptional athleticism to bring to bear on their task, and Jackson is not far behind.

We know that Cox is arguably the best defensive interior player in the country, and she does well on the perimeter when they pull her out and try to force switches. Kalani has stepped up her game lately, as well.
But the thing that has really caught my eye is the "help defense" that is going on right now, and against WVU it was superb. Penetration was of no value for WVU because every time someone made a move toward the basket a defender was moving over to cut them off, while another player was rotating down or over to shut off the passing lane.

I have watched a lot of Lady Bear basketball, but I have never seen such precision in anticipating and responding to an opponent's movement as I saw in the UCONN game and against WVU. The Griner teams had very fine defenses because Griner and Sims were as good as it gets at defending in their specific positions and the others were also very good....but I have not seen a better combination of man for man, on-ball defense, complemented by help defense as I am now seeing. Two seniors, two juniors, and a sophomore all make this possible, and now three players off the bench are showing that they can hit the floor ready to fit right in to the defensive excellence we are seeing.

I used to watch videos of the Radio City Rockettes perform, and I always thought that offensive linemen in football and basketball teams could learn a lot about playing their positions by studying the movement and precision of those dancers in their routines. I recalled that on Sunday while watching the almost hypnotic movement of the Baylor defenders in meeting every challenge that was presented to them by their opponents.
It was really quite remarkable.
Great, great post, setshot. What you say about the help defense this team is able to exhibit is spot-on. I just can't remember a team that to the player seemed as dialed in on defense as this team is. That goes all the way to the three backups who are getting valuable minutes in big games as we go along.
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LadyBears42
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In reply to GarlandBear84 • 12:16a, 1/22/19
What relative are you talking about? Because if your referencing me, I'm not a relative. Smh
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LadyBears42
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In reply to bunation • 12:22a, 1/22/19
You don't have to, doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
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LadyBears42
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In reply to setshot • 1:43a, 1/22/19
My response to your initial post was solely directed towards your attempt to discredit their resumes coming out of high school, which I found extremely distasteful. No matter what anyone on this board assumes (especially those who've never picked up a basketball a day in their life; if the shoe fits wear it), I doubt very seriously if what they've accomplished in their careers was just handed to them. These kids are some of the best in their class and they've earned that title, and no matter how long a person has been a fan and or follower of any program, we shouldn't be on here discrediting their resumes. DeCosta, Scott-Grayson and Smith (newly) have all played for USA Basketball and that definitely wasn't handed to them. They competed against the best of the best and earned a spot on those teams and represented their country, let alone Baylor. Have you ever been to a USA tryout? I doubt it, it's one of the most intense tryouts known to man and they earned spots which means, they are legit.

Now, since you want to shift the focus to why their not playing (which is old news). By no means did any of these players come to Baylor, or would have gone to any program for that matter with a "gimme" mindset so, that was needless to say. Do you know these players personally, to even make an unnecessary comment like that? I doubt it, Smh. These kids whole career have been based upon working for what they earn.

Appreciate your feedback and longevity with the program however, this means you know the program, not the players and what their capable of doing. As I've stated in previous posts, none of these kids came in perfect however, some have a longer leash than others in making human mistakes and get to play through them. It looks like DeCosta, Bickle and Scott-Grayson have not been chosen to be able to play through these mistakes.

Let's be realistic here, players get better by being hands on, they will never get better by just watching. That's with anything you do in life. And CKM knows this, reference her WVU presser posted on here. She states it herself so, we can't keep saying "oh they did such and such three months ago so, they shouldn't be playing", it makes no sense. No matter if your the #1 team or the #25 team in the country, when you recruit kids they come in expecting to learn the system and get get better individually however, you can't get better by watching and that's a fact. Again, reference it being said from the horses mouth during the WVU presser.

The more these kids play, the better they will get, the more confident with the Baylor system they will get. Let's not be selfish and push them off to the side and say, "oh they did this wrong, they that wrong" he** they ALL still making mistakes and having bad games individually for that matter. None of them are perfect. Their ALL still learning and growing. No need in trying to discredit their abilities and/or capabilities for that matter. Now you talking about, "oh we might explore another grad transfer" and "hey how about those 2019 and 2020 kids"... slow down and appreciate and invest in the talent we already have. So often we don't do our jobs, we just look for instant gratification.

We as a program (no matter what class and/or individual player we talk about) need to pump these kids with confidence and assure ALL of them we believe in them (minus the assumptions, opinions and our own glorified assumed knowledge/confidence) equally. We're not doing that, we're only doing that with some. And those some are getting better. Any player you pump with confidence, actually play and allow them to play through things will get better, that's a given. These kids (the ones watching) have committed to Baylor, coming in smart enough to know what the process is however, the question remains, is Baylor committed to them.
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setshot
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3:25a, 1/22/19
LadyBears42, our disagreement does not seem to be so much one over the players, but over the function of a fan's message board, so I will leave it at that.
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Malbec
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In reply to LadyBears42 • 6:16a, 1/22/19
Wow. Reminds me of that old question. Something about crawling up, dying; and with a butt thrown in there somewhere. Holy panty twist Batman!
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