LTBear19 said:
blackie said:
IowaBear said:
Elite talent.. not being a smartass but that's what's missing. This particular squad has some pretty darn good players. But no elite ones. Gonna need 1-2 of those to really take that next step
I'll provide a more in depth comment later, but it was more a question of what is keeping us from getting elite talent, not what is keeping the team from being better. I think we all know that.
Elite Talent doesn't necessarily go where they MIGHT win - they go where they KNOW they will win.
That is why UCONN never had bare cupboards, and is also why we kept pulling in top recruits year after year during the Mulkey era.
We're in that "might win" phase at the moment.
And until we prove to everyone that we are a consistent threat to win conference titles and make runs at the Final 4, things will likely continue as such.
Perhaps I used the wrong term. I probably should have said "near elite" or can be developed into elite.
I'm not sure we can ever get to your last step from where we are if you don't take a middle step first that I think you are leaving out. Oh, I guess it is possible if you get lucky with getting one generational player like Griner to come on board. That is what allowed KM to get over the hump. We were not pulling in elite players year after year before Griner. They were good but not so much elite. After we won the 2005 championship in the next four years we never got past the SS and in two of those years, we didn't even make the SS. Then we got Griner and a team was formed around her. Much like TCU got with Prince this year.
For lack of a better term, I'll call it the "you really look like you are going in the right direction and I want to be a part of it even though you aren't quite there yet". We are talking about what would be a freshman / sophomore version of YaYa, Jada, Buggs, etc. Players coming out of high school that may not be in the top 50 or even 100 lists of those considered elite, but are close. Close enough they can be developed into special players.
This staff has shown they can develop players but we don't seem to be getting enough of the ones in my description above to rely on that. We are forced to go to the portal and try to pick off some there each year. We are going to need a post for certain next year. We are going to need replacements for Andrews, YaYa and Walker. We have Jana coming back, but we don't have experienced freshmen or sophs ready to go and what has the injury done to her long-term. And then the next year we have to replace Buggs and Bella. Where are those to come from?
That is what of which I am referring as to what is missing concerning recruiting as to why we are not getting enough of these young types out of high school or JC at worst. By every account, the players keep choosing our coach because they stay. And for most here, the belief is that CNC knows and can coach the game and motivate the team to play hard. She puts them in a position to win, but thus far we just can't get the almost guaranteed consistent shooters (inside / outside and at the line) and height we need.
And once again this year we are going to have to rely on the portal to keep us at the level to which we are at now. Why does a KU, KSU, sometimes ISU or TCU and others get these types of HS recruits and we don't? Is it NIL? Is it Baylor (Kim didn't always get some to come to Baylor she wanted...HVL is an example)? What is the missing piece that would get us these "near elite" players so we can get to your "I know you will win" point.. None of the teams I mentioned above have a history of winning championships. I just want our coaches playing on a level playing field and I am not convinced that is happening.
