ACC Regular Season 2023-24

[Rooster C.]

Completely fair. I love hearing ppls opinions. That's y I spend way too much time on this board jk. I've been thinking about recently, how important it is to have a great player. Im thinking of Arizona and Adia Barnes. Ari McDonald changed her life. I think she's a good coach and did a great job this season in some ways but does it take a wnba level talent to really go far in the tournament? Does it take consistently getting that level talent to become one of those programs? Mike Neighbors with Kelsey Plum is another example though I did like the Arkansas teams with Chelsea Dungee. I'm just not sure what Utsby and Kelly are? Like r they top 10 players in their conference, top 30 players in the country? If not then is it fair to have top 16 team level expectations on Banghart. And furthermore are there a lot of examples of elite coaches/power 5 programs that are perennially top 15 that don't have a future w player or prospect on their roster. Now the flip side is y haven't Kelly and utsby developed into that.

To be fair Utsby was not a top-100 recruit coming out of hs so she's actually over-achieved. But I would have liked to see her spend time developing her 3-pt shot rather than abandoning it altogether! Opposing teams don't have to worry about her when she's out there at all as a result.
I think you DO need that top go-to player to have that kind of success. Witness the difference Watkins has made for USC this year. I have proposed for years that keeping that top talent HOME when recruiting is the springboard for a team to begin that process (there are many examples of this) and once your school "breaks through" then you can get players from other areas going forward as success is a magnet for talent. Geno once said something along the lines of " Sometimes I wonder if the only reason we win is because we have more all-americans than the other team does". He was being self-deprecating because he was being asked about being the greatest coach of all-time but there was also some truth to that comment. He still has some of the very best talent in the country but he no longer gets the #1 every year and teams like SC that have had better recruiting classes in recent years begins to show just how important it is to having that kind of continued success. If you have two - or four - or 16 great coaches -all factors being equal - nine out of ten times the team with the higher number of top players is going to win.
I also love hearing people's opinions on here. This board has a (mostly) great group of people with well thought out comments - as well as a good sense of humor and a penchant for devolving into conversations about food.

 

[FanInNC]

Im

Ok.. i know this thread is about WBB.... but for the first time since 1987.... State wins the ACC Men's Championship. A #10 seed... 5 games in 5 days.... View attachment 97759 We are all wolves tonight.

I’m late responding to this … been bar hopping on Hillsborough Street the last 5 days and toilet papering the brickyard.

Wow! After a lifetime of disappointment and heartbreak, it still feels surreal. It’s wild! 5 games in 5 days, all against programs who all have national titles since 2000. Beating Syracuse is always nice (they’ve easily replaced Maryland as my most disliked team in the conference outside of the triangle). Beating Duke naturally is fantastic both for the rivalry aspect and the brand/program that they are. Then the miraculous win over UVa with the bank shot at the buzzer! And I mean beating the Cheats for the title - assuring Bacot never won a title in his 5 year career - breaking the 37 year drought… wow.

And the way they won too! Burns just backing Bacot down time after time. Horne putting the team on his back. Just amazing!

A week ago Keatts was a dead man walking, now he’s a legend! Obviously I hope we keep it rolling, but we could lose by 70 tonight and it wouldn’t wipe the smile off my face for what last week meant to me. I’ve set through so many poor seasons, or seasons with false hope, had my dreams dashed by the likes of JJ Reddick and company when it seemed like we had our moment coming … finally! Finally! We are the champs!

 

[FanInNC]

I never said anything about her getting fired. I even said her position was secure for the forseeable future. I believe she is a "good" coach but not a "great" coach. If your program has aspirations of winning a national championship - or at least being in the conversation in the future - then I don't think she's going to get them there. She has done less with more than other coaches who have done the opposite.

Your last line rings true to me. She recruits at a top 10-15 level, yet results are more 25-40 level.

 

[Rooster C.]

Coach Katie Meier has announced her retirement at Miami!!
I am shocked!

 

[cancontent]

Coach Katie Meier has announced her retirement at Miami!!
I am shocked!

Same here. The fact she's staying on to help support women's programs and fundraising is great to see though.

Will be interesting to see what happens with Day-Wilson, Lattimore and Hylton as they all transferred in at different points. With the sit out rule null for the time being, wouldn't be surprised if Day-Wilson and Lattimore transfer out to play as a tandem somewhere else. Not sure about Hylton's options as she suffered an ACL injury during conference play. The fourth Canadian Dwyer is from the 2020 class. Haven't heard anything about her wanting to use her COVID year.

 

[Rooster C.]

I'm surprised in that she had recently received an extension and was had four years left on her contract. I thought she would see that contract through before retiring if then.

At her official retirement "speech" she hinted at the changing landscape in collegiate sports - that it used to be about building long-term relationships with players and their families. My guess is that she believes "pay-to-play" is the new normal and players will keep jumping ship to chase the perceived opportunity to win a championship alongside NIL deal opportunities. While she seems to believe that Miami is well positioned to take advantage of this changing landscape it's not for her and her strong belief in forging relationships that last.

I don't think any of this was helped by her being "singled out" by the NCAA for the Cavinder twins recruiting when it's clear other programs are engaging in far worse and are more obvious about it. Then came the recent snub of not receiving a bid to this years tournament which they should have received considering others that were invited. Miami not even worthy of a 12-seed play-in game? C'mon man!

 

[Crazyhorse]

Did Louisville win yesterday?

 

[cancontent]

Did Louisville win yesterday?

Did FSU?

 

[triaddukefan]

Same here. The fact she's staying on to help support women's programs and fundraising is great to see though.

Will be interesting to see what happens with Day-Wilson, Lattimore and Hylton as they all transferred in at different points. With the sit out rule null for the time being, wouldn't be surprised if Day-Wilson and Lattimore transfer out to play as a tandem somewhere else. Not sure about Hylton's options as she suffered an ACL injury during conference play. The fourth Canadian Dwyer is from the 2020 class. Haven't heard anything about her wanting to use her COVID year.

Day-Wilson really has to stay at Miami. She has already completed 3 years of eligibility, and if she transfers to another school, she will have to spend 2 years there to get a degree, while only be able to compete for one season.

 

[triaddukefan]

 

[triaddukefan]

Fellow ACC fans.... including you Stanford, Cal and SMU. Don't tell me that I didn't warn you when this player kicks your teams arse next season

 

[FormerCTrez]

Fellow ACC fans.... including you Stanford, Cal and SMU. Don't tell me that I didn't warn you when this player kicks your teams arse next season

Hello @triaddukefan, she was recruited by Geno and company, and that’s why I was saddened when she chose the Duke blue instead of the Husky blue.

 

[triaddukefan]

Hello @triaddukefan, she was recruited by Geno and company, and that’s why I was saddened when she chose the Duke blue instead of the Husky blue.

She made the right choice.

I think she will be our best player next season.... she has the "it" factor.

 

[Rooster C.]

She made the right choice.

I think she will be our best player next season.... she has the "it" factor.

Fournier looks like a beast. Do you think Lawson will let her dunk away ?

 

[triaddukefan]

Fournier looks like a beast. Do you think Lawson will let her dunk away ?

Why wouldn't she? Duke as a team misses enough lay-ups. ... minus whale let her dunk if she has the chance.

 

[CAbballfan2]

Why wouldn't she? Duke as a team misses enough lay-ups. ... minus whale let her dunk if she has the chance.

If she’s wide open in transition, I’m pretty sure Kara will be 100% okay with it. We also should be winning at that moment too haha