In my opinion she is a great training camp invitation but is unlikely to be a serious contender for a roster spot unless the Storm find themselves short in the post. She is bigger, stronger and more offensively skilled than Ashley Robinson but lacks the defense, athleticism and length that has kept A-Rob on the Storm roster the past few years. If Janel Burse returns she is still the superior player and both Little and Walker are stronger as well. If she is able to play at a higher level than she did last season she could prove a viable option over Robinson.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Storm Sign Devanei Hampton
On a quiet St. Paddy's day the Storm signed Ashley Walker's former front court mate, Devanei Hampton. Hampton ranked 8th overall on my Center's for her senior season behind WNBA players Courtney Paris, Ashley Walker, Chante Black and Kia Vaughn. She is a strong rebounder who played a lot of minutes for Cal last year. Earlier in her career she was considered a fantastic prospect with rumors of a less than stellar work ethic. Unfortunately injuries really slowed down her progress and Walker was clearly the best player on that Cal team.
Sunday, March 07, 2010
Jackson Wins
Jayda shares the good news...
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/womenshoopsblog/2011274203_lauren_jackson_wins_wnbl_title.html
On a side note, it was rather disappointing to hear this week that Baylor's freshman phenom, Brittney Griner over reacted to some very rough post play by throwing a punch and breaking the nose of an opposing player.
Griner has been played very physical all season long without losing her cool, but her temper broke free after being thrown in a tie up. She has been suspended for the last game of the season by the NCAA and her coach suspended her from the first game of tournament play. That could mean the end of Baylor's season. Hopefully she learns the right lesson from the experience and matures over her next three years of college play. Her skills, size and athleticism will mean a lot to the game but should not come at the cost of the other values of the game.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/womenshoopsblog/2011274203_lauren_jackson_wins_wnbl_title.html
On a side note, it was rather disappointing to hear this week that Baylor's freshman phenom, Brittney Griner over reacted to some very rough post play by throwing a punch and breaking the nose of an opposing player.
Griner has been played very physical all season long without losing her cool, but her temper broke free after being thrown in a tie up. She has been suspended for the last game of the season by the NCAA and her coach suspended her from the first game of tournament play. That could mean the end of Baylor's season. Hopefully she learns the right lesson from the experience and matures over her next three years of college play. Her skills, size and athleticism will mean a lot to the game but should not come at the cost of the other values of the game.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
NCAA Senior Watch: Week 13
PG
C
I don't have the answer yet as to what happened here. Charles had one poor offensive game against Syracuse, but it appears that it was her BoxScore that dropped this week. With these two players so close in total score that was enough to have her slip under Appel for only the second time this season. Interestingly she still tops Appel on my overall list because my center ratings weight shooting lower than my overall ratings do.
| Taylor Lilly | Oregon | #1last week | |
| Courtney Pilypaitas | Vermont | #4 last week | |
| Ashley Houts | Georgia | NR last week | |
| Laiken Dollente | Portland | #3 last week | |
| Tasha Harris |
| #2 last week |
SG
SF
PF
| Kalana Greene | Connecticut | #1 last week |
| Ashley Barlow | Notre Dame | #2 last week |
| Alison Lacey | Iowa State | #3 last week |
| Monica Wright | Virginia | #5 last week |
| Allison Hightower | LSU | NR last week |
SF
| Alysha Clark | Middle Tennessee | #1 last week |
| Amanda Thompson | Oklahoma | #3 last week |
| Nyeshia Stevenson | Oklahoma | #5 last week |
| Shanara Hollinquest | Chattanooga | #2 last week |
| Lindsay Schrader | Notre Dame | #4 last week |
PF
| Kelsey Griffin | Nebraska | #1 last week |
| Jenna Smith | Illinois | #5 last week |
| Siarre Evans | East Tennessee State | #4 last week |
| Shanavia Dowdell | Louisiana Tech | #3 last week |
| Gabriella Marginea | Drexel | NR last week |
Lindsay Schrader from Notre Dame would have been 5th on this list were I tracking her at PF which is the position she appears to actually play at Notre Dame.
C
| Jayne Appel | Stanford | #2 last week |
| Tina Charles | Connecticut | #1 last week |
| Keke Carrier | Auburn | #3 last week |
| Alyssa DeHaan | Michigan State | #4 last week |
| Angel Robinson | Georgia | #5 last week |
I don't have the answer yet as to what happened here. Charles had one poor offensive game against Syracuse, but it appears that it was her BoxScore that dropped this week. With these two players so close in total score that was enough to have her slip under Appel for only the second time this season. Interestingly she still tops Appel on my overall list because my center ratings weight shooting lower than my overall ratings do.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
NCAA Senior Watch: Week 12
PG
| Taylor Lilly | Oregon | #1last week |
| Tasha Harris | Boise State | #3 last week |
| Laiken Dollente | Portland | NR last week |
| Courtney Pilypaitas | Vermont | #2 last week |
| Rosalyn Gold-Onwude | Stanford | NR last week |
SG
SF
PF
C
| Kalana Greene | Connecticut | #1 last week |
| Ashley Barlow | Notre Dame | #2 last week |
| Alison Lacey | Iowa State | #3 last week |
| Brittainey Raven | Texas | #4 last week |
| Monica Wright | Virginia | #5 last week |
SF
| Alysha Clark | Middle Tennessee | #1 last week |
| Shanara Hollinquest | Kansas | #2 last week |
| Amanda Thompson | Oklahoma | #3 last week |
| Lindsay Schrader | Notre Dame | NR last week |
| Nyeshia Stevenson | Oklahoma | #5 last week |
PF
| Kelsey Griffin | Nebraska | #1 last week |
| Jenna Smith | Illinois | #5 last week |
| Shanavia Dowdell | Louisiana Tech | #4 last week |
| Siarre Evans | East Tennessee State | #2 last week |
| Jacinta Monroe | Florida State | NR last week |
C
| Tina Charles | Connecticut | #1 last week |
| Jayne Appel | Stanford | #2 last week |
| Keke Carrier | Auburn | #3 last week |
| Alyssa DeHaan | Michigan State | #4 last week |
| Angel Robinson | Georgia | #5 last week |
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
NCAA Senior Watch: Week 11
PG
NOTE: An error in my data entry gave Mickel Picco the wrong statistics, hence I have adjusted the ratings for this week.
SG
SF
PF
C
| Taylor Lilly | Oregon | #1last week |
| Courtnay Pilypaitis | Vermont | #2 last week |
| Tasha Harris | Boise State | NR last week |
| Ashley Houts | Georgia | NR last week |
| Jordann Plummer | Drake | #4 last week |
NOTE: An error in my data entry gave Mickel Picco the wrong statistics, hence I have adjusted the ratings for this week.
SG
| Kalana Greene | Connecticut | #1 last week |
| Ashley Barlow | Notre Dame | #2 last week |
| Alison Lacey | Iowa State | #3 last week |
| Brittainey Raven | Texas | #4 last week |
| Monica Wright | Virginia | #5 last week |
SF
| Alysha Clark | Middle Tennessee | #1 last week |
| Shanara Hollinquest | Kansas | #2 last week |
| Amanda Thompson | Oklahoma | NR last week |
| Lacey Simpson | Illinois | NR last week |
| Nyeshia Stevenson | Oklahoma | #5 last week |
PF
| Kelsey Griffin | Nebraska | #1 last week |
| Siarre Evans | East Tennessee State | #3 last week |
| Gabriela Marginea | Drexel | #4 last week |
| Shanavia Dowdell | Louisiana Tech | NR last week |
| Jenna Smith | Illinois | #2 last week |
C
| Tina Charles | Connecticut | #1 last week |
| Jayne Appel | Stanford | #2 last week |
| Keke Carrier | Auburn | #3 last week |
| Alyssa DeHaan | Michigan State | #4 last week |
| Angel Robinson | Georgia | #5 last week |
Monday, February 08, 2010
NCAA Senior Watch: Week 10
PG
SG
SF
PF
C
|
Monday, February 01, 2010
NCAA Senior Watch: Week 9
PG
SG
SF
PF
C
| Taylor Lilly | Oregon | NR last week |
| Courtnay Pilypaitis | Vermont | #3 last week |
| Quenese Davis | San Diego State | #2 last week |
| Andrea Riley | Oklahoma State | NR last week |
| Tasha Harris | Boise State | #5 last week |
SG
| Kalana Greene | Connecticut | #1 last week |
| Ashley Barlow | Notre Dame | #2 last week |
| Alison Lacey | Iowa State | NR last week |
| May Kotsopoulos | Vermont | #3 last week |
| Brittainey Raven | Texas | #5 last week |
SF
| Alysha Clark | Middle Tennessee | #1 last week |
| Danielle McCray | Kansas | #4 last week |
| Shanara Hollinquest | Chattanooga | #2 last week |
| Nyeshia Stevenson | Oklahoma | #3 last week |
| Amanda Thompson | Oklahoma | #5 last week |
PF
| Kelsey Griffin | Nebraska | #1 last week |
| Erica Beverly | Hartford | NR last week |
| Jenna Smith | Illinois | #2 last week |
| Gabriela Marginea | Drexel | #5 last week |
| Siarre Evans | East Tennessee State | #3 last week |
C
| Tina Charles | Connecticut | #1 last week |
| Jayne Appel | Stanford | #2 last week |
| Keke Carrier | Auburn | #3 last week |
| Alyssa DeHaan | Michigan State | #4 last week |
| Angel Robinson | Georgia | #5 last week |
Sunday, January 24, 2010
NCAA Senior Watch: Week 8
PG
SG
SF
PF
C
| Ashley Houts | Georgia | #4 last week |
| Quenese Davis | San Diego State | #5 last week |
| Courtnay Pilypaitis | Vermont | #3 last week |
| Jordan Plummer | Drake | #2 last week |
| Tasha Harris | Boise State | NR last week |
SG
| Kalana Greene | Connecticut | #1 last week |
| Ashley Barlow | Notre Dame | #2 last week |
| May Kotsopoulos | Vermont | #5 last week |
| Bianca Thomas | Mississippi | NR last week |
| Brittainey Raven | Texas | #4 last week |
SF
| Alysha Clark | Middle Tennessee | #1 last week |
| Shanara Hollinquest | Chattanooga | #2 last week |
| Nyeshia Stevenson | Oklahoma | NR last week |
| Danielle McCray | Kansas | #3 last week |
| Amanda Thompson | Oklahoma | #4 last week |
PF
| Kelsey Griffin | Nebraska | #1 last week |
| Jenna Smith | Illinois | #2 last week |
| Siarre Evans | East Tennessee State | #3 last week |
| Gabriela Marginea | Drexel | #4 last week |
| Jacinta Monroe | Florida State | #5 last week |
C
| Tina Charles | Connecticut | #1 last week |
| Jayne Appel | Stanford | #2 last week |
| Keke Carrier | Auburn | #3 last week |
| Alyssa DeHaan | Michigan State | #4 last week |
| Angel Robinson | Georgia | #5 last week |
Friday, January 22, 2010
Nearing the End...(SONICS)
Per the Seattle Times and other media outlets, the final chapter in the Sonics exit from Seattle is coming to a close.
The article states that the final lawsuit against the former Sonics organization (the lawsuit for which I am a named plaintiff) has been submitted to the court for settlement.
According to the article, should the judge accept the settlement, those season ticket holders who qualified will share a $1.6M settlement distribution. A certain number of ticket holders were excluded from the suit as it was determined that the equivalent seats in OKC sold for the same or less than the guaranteed Emerald Club pricing which was at the center of the suit. The key is that the judge ruled that the defendants violated the terms of the contract allowing Emerald Club pricing guaranteed for 2 additional seasons at the price paid for those tickets in the Sonics last year in Seattle. He then sent the case to a Seattle jury to determine damages. Only those ticket holders who were unable to realize a gain on the asset (OKC ticket buyers paid more for the tickets than the Seattle people would have paid) were included.
There is no true vindication for Seattle fans with regards to this settlement.
In spirit, the settlement indicates that even the NBA is not allowed to make false commitments to their customers in order to secure their business.
It does not address the poor way Seattle fans were treated. It does not address the many questions about the fairness of the relocation. It does not make me feel any better about losing my other basketball team.
It does prove that it is in the NBA's best interest to treat its fans with honesty when it takes their money. Unfortunately, in many respects that is a hollow "victory" purely based on business for something that is by far more emotional for any true fan.
In the end though, it does mean closure, at least for me. My period of grieving is over, I have moved on. Now my last stray thoughts on this issue can fade to join the emotions that have already faded at least for me.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
NCAA Senior Watch: Week 7
PG
SG
SF
PF
C
| Taylor Lilly | Oregon | #2 last week |
| Jordann Plummer | Drake | #3 last week |
| Cortnay Pilypaitis | Vermont | #1 last week |
| Ashley Houts | Georgia | #4 last week |
| Quenese Davis | San Diego State | NR last week |
SG
| Kalana Greene | Connecticut | #1 last week |
| Ashley Barlow | Notre Dame | #2 last week |
| Alison Lacey | Iowa State | #4 last week |
| Brittainey Raven | Texas | #5 last week |
| May Kotsopoulos | Vermont | #3 last week |
SF
| Alysha Clark | Middle Tennessee | #1 last week |
| Shanara Hollinquest | Chattanooga | #3 last week |
| Danielle McCray | Kansas | #2 last week |
| Amanda Thompson | Oklahoma | #5 last week |
| Lacey Simpson | Illinois | NR last week |
PF
| Kelsey Griffin | Nebraska | #1 last week |
| Jenna Smith | Illinois | #2 last week |
| Siarre Evans | East Tennessee State | NR last week |
| Gabriela Marginea | Drexel | #4 last week |
| Jacinta Monroe | Florida State | #5 last week |
C
| Tina Charles | Connecticut | #2 last week |
| Jayne Appel | Stanford | #1 last week |
| Keke Carrier | Auburn | #3 last week |
| Alyssa DeHaan | Michigan State | #4 last week |
| Angel Robinson | Georgia | #5 last week |
Saturday, January 09, 2010
NCAA Senior Watch: Week 6
PG
Courtnay Pilypaitas (Vermont): NR last week
Taylor Lilly (Oregon): #3 last week
Jordann Plummer (Drake): #5 last week
Ashley Houts (Georgia): #1 last week
SG
Kalana Greene (Connecticut): #1 last week
Ashley Barlow (Notre Dame): #3 last week
May Kotsopoulos (Vermont): NR last week
Alison Lacey (Iowa State): #2 last week
Brittainey Raven (Texas): NR last week
SF
Alysha Clark (Middle Tennessee): #1 last week
Danielle McCray (Kansas): #2 last week
Shanara Holinquest (Chatanooga): #3 last week
Monica Wright (Virginia): NR last week
Amanada Thompson (Oklahoma): NR last week
PF
Kelsey Griffin (Nebraska): #1 last week
Jenna Smith (Illinois): #2 last week
Shanavia Dowdell (Louisiana Tech): NR last week
Gabriella Marginea (Drexel): NR last week
Jacinta Monroe (Florida State): #3 last week
C
Jayne Appel (Stanford): #2 last week
Tina Charles (Connecticut): #1 last week
Keke Carrier (Auburn): #3 last week
Alyssa DeHaan (Michigan State): #4 last week
Angel Robinson (Georgia): #5 last week
Thursday, January 07, 2010
Swish Appeal on Wright
If you only read one basketball article this week, it had sure as heck better be this one.
Q may be new to covering the women's game but he has already established himself among the elite. I never tire of reading his work.
Q may be new to covering the women's game but he has already established himself among the elite. I never tire of reading his work.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Senior Watch Weeks 5-6
PG
Ashley Houts Georgia #1 last week
Kelsey Luna Indiana State # 2 last week
Taylor Lilly Oregon #3 last week
Quenese Davis San Diego State NR last week
Jordann Plummer Drake #4 last week
MIA: Courtnay Pilypaitis (Vermont)
SG
Kalana Greene Connecticut #1 last week
Alison Lacey Iowa State #4 last week
Ashley Barlow Notre Dame #5 last week
May Kotsopoulos Vermont #2 last week
Brittainey Raven Texas #3 last week
MIA: They all stick
SF
Alysha Clark Middle Tennessee #1 last week
Danielle McCray Kansas #3 last week
Shanara Hollinquest Chattanooga #4 last week
Nyeshia Stevenson Oklahoma NR last week
Heather Bowman Gonzaga NR last week
MIA: Lacey Simpson (Illinois), Monica Wright (Virginia)
PF
Kelsey Griffin Nebraska #1 last week
Jenna Smith Illinois #2 last week
Jacinta Monroe Florida State #3 last week
Dana Mitchell St. Bonaventure NR last week
Erica Beverly Hartford #4 last week
MIA: Siarre Evans (East Tennessee State)
C
Tina Charles Connecticut #1 last week
Jayne Appel Stanford #2 last week
Keke Carrier Auburn #3 last week
Alyssa DeHaan Michigan State #4 last week
Angel Robinson Georgia #5 last week
MIA: They all stick, but I am only tracking 5 of them...Monroe falls at #4 here if I were ranking her at center.
Ashley Houts Georgia #1 last week
Kelsey Luna Indiana State # 2 last week
Taylor Lilly Oregon #3 last week
Quenese Davis San Diego State NR last week
Jordann Plummer Drake #4 last week
MIA: Courtnay Pilypaitis (Vermont)
SG
Kalana Greene Connecticut #1 last week
Alison Lacey Iowa State #4 last week
Ashley Barlow Notre Dame #5 last week
May Kotsopoulos Vermont #2 last week
Brittainey Raven Texas #3 last week
MIA: They all stick
SF
Alysha Clark Middle Tennessee #1 last week
Danielle McCray Kansas #3 last week
Shanara Hollinquest Chattanooga #4 last week
Nyeshia Stevenson Oklahoma NR last week
Heather Bowman Gonzaga NR last week
MIA: Lacey Simpson (Illinois), Monica Wright (Virginia)
PF
Kelsey Griffin Nebraska #1 last week
Jenna Smith Illinois #2 last week
Jacinta Monroe Florida State #3 last week
Dana Mitchell St. Bonaventure NR last week
Erica Beverly Hartford #4 last week
MIA: Siarre Evans (East Tennessee State)
C
Tina Charles Connecticut #1 last week
Jayne Appel Stanford #2 last week
Keke Carrier Auburn #3 last week
Alyssa DeHaan Michigan State #4 last week
Angel Robinson Georgia #5 last week
MIA: They all stick, but I am only tracking 5 of them...Monroe falls at #4 here if I were ranking her at center.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
NCAA Senior Watch Week 4
PG
I had to pull JJ Hones from the list after it sunk in that the 4th year student red shirted last season and has one more year of eligibility remaining.
MIA: They all stick.
SG
MIA: Brittany (Ray Rutgers)
Ray drops out as Raven and Lacey pull ahead.
SF
No movement in the list, but Kalana Greene would have slipped to number three this week behind Simpson were I tracking her at the forward slot.
MIA: They all stick.
PF
The top players swap spots. After watching Smith play this week I considered moving her to Center, but decided to keep watching her here as a likely Power Forward consideration in the WNBA. Sweat continues her inconsistent play and drops from the list this week.
MIA: Ashley Sweat(Kansas State)
C
I took Amber Harris off the list as an astute reader pointed out she is a red shirt Junior this season. Jenna Smith qualified as #2 on this list as well, while Jacinta Monroe would have been #4.
MIA: Harris' exit leaves me with only 5 senior centers to track. I may have to consider moving either Monroe or Smith over to this position.
| Player | School | Movement |
| Ashley Houts | Georgia | #2 last week |
| Kelsey Luna | Indiana State | #3 last week |
| Taylor Lilly | Oregon | #5 last week |
| Jordann Plummer | Drake | #4 last week |
| Courtney Pilypaitas | Vermont | #1 last week |
I had to pull JJ Hones from the list after it sunk in that the 4th year student red shirted last season and has one more year of eligibility remaining.
MIA: They all stick.
SG
| Player | School | Movement |
| Kalana Greene | Connecticut | #1 last week |
| May Kotsopoulos | Vermont | #2 last week |
| Brittainey Raven | Texas | #4 last week |
| Alison Lacey | Iowa State | NR last week |
| Ashley Barlow | Notre Dame | #3 last week |
MIA: Brittany (Ray Rutgers)
Ray drops out as Raven and Lacey pull ahead.
SF
| Player | School | Movement |
| Alysha Clark | Middle Tennessee State | #1 last week |
| Lacey Simpson | Illinois | #2 last week |
| Danielle McCray | Kansas | #3 last week |
| Shanara Hollinquest | Chattanooga | #4 last week |
| Monica Wright | Virginia | #5 last week |
No movement in the list, but Kalana Greene would have slipped to number three this week behind Simpson were I tracking her at the forward slot.
MIA: They all stick.
PF
| Player | School | Movement |
| Kelsey Griffin | Nebraska | #2 last week |
| Jenna Smith | Illinois | #1 last week |
| Jacinta Monroe | Florida State | #3 last week |
| Erica Beverly | Hartford | #5 last week |
| Siarre Evans | East Tennessee State | NR last week |
The top players swap spots. After watching Smith play this week I considered moving her to Center, but decided to keep watching her here as a likely Power Forward consideration in the WNBA. Sweat continues her inconsistent play and drops from the list this week.
MIA: Ashley Sweat(Kansas State)
C
| Player | School | Movement |
| Tina Charles | Connecticut | #1 last week |
| Jayne Appel | Stanford | #3 last week |
| Keke Carrier | Auburn | #4 last week |
| Alyssa DeHaan | Michigan State | NR last week |
| Angel Robinson | Georgia | NR last week |
I took Amber Harris off the list as an astute reader pointed out she is a red shirt Junior this season. Jenna Smith qualified as #2 on this list as well, while Jacinta Monroe would have been #4.
MIA: Harris' exit leaves me with only 5 senior centers to track. I may have to consider moving either Monroe or Smith over to this position.
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
NCAA Seniors Week 3
I mucked with my formulas this week to better differentiate the values for posts vs. perimeter players.
Houts and Lilly return, and I move Pilypaitis over from shooting guard to take over my top spot at the point. The Vermont backcourt is confusing to me, and I have not seen them play. Pilypaitis is taller than Kotsopoulos, but she appears to be the primary playmaker.
Courtnay Pilypaitis Vermont (NR last week)
Ashley Houts Georgia (NR last week)
Kelsey Luna Indiana State (#1 last week)
Jordann Plummer Drake (#4 last week)
Taylor Lilly Oregon (NR last week)
MIA: Andrea Riley (Oklahoma State), Jareica Hughes (UTEP), Mickel Picco (Boston College)
Moving Pilypaitis to point lets Green take the top spot, and the newly tracked Kotsopoulos fills in the # 2.
SG
Kalana Green Connecticut (#2 last week)
May Kotsopoulos Vermont (NR last week)
Ashley Barlow Notre Dame (#5 last week)
Brittainey Raven Texas (#4 last week)
Brittany Ray Rutgers (NR last week)
MIA: Lele Hardy (Clemson)
I am tracking Green at shooting guard, but she would be #2 on the SF list as well. Wright falls back and Simpson continues to climb.
SF
Alysha Clark Middle Tennesee (#1 last week)
Lacey Simpson Illinois (#5 last week)
Danielle McCray Kansas (#3 last week)
Shanara Hollinquest Chattanooga (#4 last week)
Monica Wright Virginia (#2 last week)
MIA: They all stick.
I move Jacinta Monroe to PF from C after watching her play this week. Florida State plays her mostly at PF and she ranks higher in that list this week.
PF
Jenna Smith Illinois (#2 last week)
Kelsey Griffin Nebraska (#3 last week)
Jacinta Monroe Florida State (NR last week)
Ashley Sweat Kansas State (NR last week)
Erica Beverly Hartford (#2 last week)
MIA: Ashley Ellis-Milan (Minnesota), Gabriela Marginea (Drexel)
I moved Monroe to PF, but she would have been 4th on the C list had I left her. Her move saves DeHaan after a bad week.
C
Tina Charles Connecticut (#1 last week)
Amber Harris Xavier (#2 last week)
Jayne Appel Stanford (#3 last week)
Keke Carrier Auburn (NR last week)
Alyssa DeHaan Michigan State (#5 last week)
MIA: They all stick.
Monday, December 07, 2009
Working the Numbers
I didn't have a chance to catch any games yesterday, though my DVR captured three of them for me.
Instead, I had the privilege of attending a coaching workshop through the Ballard Boys & Girls Club run by the Seattle Storm and led by head coach Brian Agler.
It was a real pleasure to experience first hand what I heard throughout last season with regards to Coach Agler's skills as a teacher. As likely the least experienced attendee, I learned quite a bit, though most of it won't help my Kindergarten/1st Graders. I did decide to keep coaching and will be picking up either a third grade boys or girls team next week.
I am crunching numbers for last week and should have a post up on Tuesday with the current state of my senior watch.
The Storm have their practice facility for the next five years having inked a deal with SPU.
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Weekend Watch
I managed to fit three college games in yesterday, two were recordings of games from earlier this week.
North Carolina @ Michigan State
This game was a nice upset by Michigan State of the #4 ranked team in the nation. North Carolina made it interesting with a big second half comeback, but did not have enough steam left to secure the road win. I was watching this game to observe Michigan State senior center Allyssa DeHaan. I was disappointed at first as she picked up two quick fouls and sat out the entire first half. In the second half she played quite well, displaying some skills at both ends of the floor to go along with her obvious attributes of size (6'9") and length.
Florida State @ Indiana
I had a chance to watch Florida State take out Indiana in the Big 10/ACC Classic. I wanted to catch senior Forward/Center Jacinta Monroe and did get to see quite a bit of her. The Seminoles play her mostly at Power Forward, so I will add her to this week's list at that position as well as at Center. Monroe played very well in this game, scoring, rebounding and blocking shots. Like DeHaan, though, I think she will need a stronger base to play the post in the pros. Her 6'8" height is great, she has nice long arms, and she does seem to have more of a wiry strength than I saw in DeHaan.
Louisiana Tech @ Baylor
Yes, I am watching as much Baylor as I can this year even without a senior prospect on my list. I can't pass up a chance to watch Griner and see how see matures over the next four years. The last high school phenom I watched, Candace Parker, was much more polished when she arrived at Tennessee (of course she redshirted her freshman year). Griner brings a raw quality with her skills and physical abilities that is more exciting. You watch this young woman play and wonder what things will be like next year. In this particular game, Baylor faced almost all man to man coverage in the first half. Louisiana Tech's coach, WNBA great Teresa Weatherspoon refused to use the zone defense until the game was mostly out of reach. Griner and a sharp looking set of players starting and on the bench made them pay. The 10 point final margin is deceptive, as Baylor led by 15-20 points most of the game and only allowed themselves to relax in the final two minutes. Griner ended the game with 22 points, 8 rebounds and 6 blocks. I really like senior Morghan Medlock, but at 6'1" I don't think her skills will translate to the pros. On Louisiana Tech's side, I am tracking senior Power Forward Shanvia Dowdell. She was last on my PF rankings last week but in my top 40 overall players. She was clearly Tech's best player, and played remarkably well against superior competition, but at 6'2, I don't know that her skills will translate as a pro.
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
NCAA Seniors Week 2
Lots of movement in the guard realm this week, but the bigs are staying tight. Tina Charles is still in front of the whole pack at this point, not that we expected anything less.
Kelsey Luna Indiana State (#3 last week)
Andrea Riley Oklahoma State (#1 last week)
Jareica Hughes UTEP (NR last week)
Jordann Plummer Drake (NR last week)
Mickel Picco Boston College (NR last week)
MIA: Tasha Harris (Boise State), Ashley Houts (Georgia) and Taylor Lilly (Oregon)
SG
Courtnay Pilypaitis Vermont (NR last week)
Kalana Green Connecticut (#3 last week)
Lele Hardy Clemson (NR last week)
Brittainey Raven Texas (NR last week)
Ashley Barlow Notre Dame (NR last week)
MIA: Alison Hightower (LSU), Tyra Grant (Penn State), Deirdre Naughton (DePaul), Alexis Rack (Mississippi State)
SF
Alysha Clark Middle Tennesee (#2 last week)
Monica Wright Virginia (#4 last week)
Danielle McCray Kansas (#1 last week)
Shanara Hollinquest Chattanooga (#5 last week)
Lacey Simpson Illinois (NR last week)
MIA: Sade Morris (Kansas)
PF
Kelsey Griffin Nebraska (#3 last week)
Jenna Smith Illinois (NR last week)
Erica Beverly Hartford (#2 last week)
Ashley Ellis-Milan Minnesota (NR last week)
Gabriela Marginea Drexel (#4 last week)
MIA: Ashley Sweat (Kansas State), Pauline Love (Southern Miss)
C
Tina Charles Connecticut (#1 last week)
Amber Harris Xavier (#2 last week)
Jacinta Monroe Florida State (#5 last week)
Jayne Appel Stanford (#3 last week)
Alyssa DeHaan Michigan State (NR last week)
MIA: KeKe Carrier (Auburn)
Lest We Forget...
Remember how lucky we are...
Sonicsgate
I am more than halfway through the numbers for last week's NCAA seniors...I should finish them up today.
Monday, November 23, 2009
NCAA Senior Rankings
Through the first week of play here are my top performing senior WNBA prospects...this list will change GREATLY as more games are played and RPI starts to have actual meaning.
PG
Andrea Riley Oklahoma State
Tasha Harris Boise State
Kelsey Luna Indiana State
Ashley Houts Georgia
Taylor Lilly Oregon
SG
Alison Hightower LSU
Tyra Grant Penn State
Kalana Greene Connecticut
Deirdre Naughton DePaul
Alexis Rack Mississippi State
SF
Danielle McCray Kansas
Alysha Clark Middle Tennessee
Sade Morris Kansas
Monica Wright Virginia
Shanara Hollinquest Chattanooga
PF
Ashley Sweat Kansas State
Erica Beverly Hartford
Kelsey Griffin Nebraska
Gabriela Marginea Drexel
Pauline Love Southern Miss
C
Tina Charles Connecticut
Amber Harris Xavier
Jayne Appel Stanford
KeKe Carrier Auburn
Jacinta Monroe Florida State
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