Chris Hansen on Jordan Adams' pending decision

[pap49cba]

With some curious comments....

"One overriding theme has shaped the 6-foot-1 senior guard's view of this decision -- that being a winner and winning games are not one and the same.
"I didn't have the best high school experience," Adams said of her first three years at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, Calif. "So I don't want to have the same thing in college for four years. Two national championships and I have all this and all that. We won. That's it."

LINK

 

[Wbbfan1]

Have to wonder if Jordan got along with her HS teammates (KML) when she says she didn't have the best HS experience. She still has a year left, so hopefully she'll enjoy this year.

 

[alexrgct]

Very curious comments. She was playing alongside thee of the top 30 players in the Class of 2011 (KML, Alexyz Violetama, and Karina Alofaituli). Could be that she didn't get along with some of the class ahead of her, or didn't feel like she was able to truly spread her wings with that much talent around her. Tough to speculate. Strange to make that comment like that, though.

 

[Wonkster]

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Probably didn't like being overshadowed by another player getting all the attention.

That's life, kid - there's always someone better than you, unless you want to live in a small pond.

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[HuskyNan]

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Probably didn't like being overshadowed by another player getting all the attention.

That's life, kid - there's always someone better than you, unless you want to live in a small pond.

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Pretty harsh comment based on your assumptions.

 

[UConnCat]

Very curious comments. She was playing alongside thee of the top 30 players in the Class of 2011 (KML, Alexyz Violetama, and Karina Alofaituli). Could be that she didn't get along with some of the class ahead of her, or didn't feel like she was able to truly spread her wings with that much talent around her.

Bring the parents in to the picture and it can make for a fine kettle of fish.

 

[Wbbfan1]

Based on her comments and making some assumptions that may not be accurate, I wonder if Jordan should go to a school like UCLA/USC where she would probably be the big fish. If she ends up at Tenn, she won't be the Big Fish and may have trouble starting for a couple of years.

 

[JS]

With some curious comments....

"One overriding theme has shaped the 6-foot-1 senior guard's view of this decision -- that being a winner and winning games are not one and the same.

If I'm Tennessee I don't like these comments at all.

Lots of wins, more championships, doesn't necessarily cut it. (A big TN selling point.) Would you want to be there if basketball were taken away from you? (Doubtful.)

Is it far away from Irvine? (Yes.) Is it good academically? (Weakest of her five finalists, and it isn't close.) Coaching staffs "a clear strength of each." (But . . . uncertainty, and just putting them all on a par takes away from TN.)

I think those who believe she saved her most interesting visit for last have things reversed.

 

[alexrgct]

Based on her comments and making some assumptions that may not be accurate, I wonder if Jordan should go to a school like UCLA/USC where she would probably be the big fish. If she ends up at Tenn, she won't be the Big Fish and may have trouble starting for a couple of years.

Well, if she ends up at USC, she'd be joining forces with both Alexyz and Karina once again.

 

[UConnCat]

Well, if she ends up at USC, she'd be joining forces with both Alexyz and Karina once again.

It's been said that Alexyz Violetama was her best friend on the Mater Dei team.

 

[Wonkster]

Pretty harsh comment based on your assumptions.

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Well Nan, you'd be right if it was an assumption.
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[HuskyNan]

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Well Nan, you'd be right if it was an assumption.
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"Probably" is the beginning of an assumption. You are drawing conclusions about her motivation, not stating a fact.

 

[JS]

"Probably" is the beginning of an assumption. You are drawing conclusions about her motivation, not stating a fact.

If we say it was a harsh comment based on speculation (about the reason(s) for a not-so-good HS experience) rather than based on an assumption, would there be peace in the valley?

 

[ndmb]

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Well Nan, you'd be right if it was an assumption.
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She could just as easily had unrelated personality conflicts with the team, not liked coaching style, or a whole host of potential problems which have nothing to do with someone being better than her. Unless you have information that we don't, it doesn't seem unreasonable to me to give her the benefit of the doubt.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Obviously, Jordan is not totally happy. I am not quite sure what she is getting at by some of her comments.

When I saw Mater Dei play in D.C. in December ,Kaleena and Jordan looked very close on the court. No conflict apparent at all.

Each kid is different, but we've seeen a lot of California kids who didn't want to leave the West Coast. My guess is USC or UCLA for Jordan.

 

[Enigma64]

She seems pretty happy with her Mater Dei peeps here.

 

[Wonkster]

... Each kid is different, but we've seeen a lot of California kids who didn't want to leave the West Coast. My guess is USC or UCLA for Jordan.

With the visits to Maryland and Tennessee, I'd say the 'West Coast Theory' has been scotched.
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[MilfordHusky]

With the visits to Maryland and Tennessee, I'd say the 'West Coast Theory' has been scotched.
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Let's see what she decides. Visiting for 2 days and attending for 4 years are totally different.

 

[John Fryer]

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Probably didn't like being overshadowed by another player getting all the attention.

That's life, kid - there's always someone better than you, unless you want to live in a small pond.

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For me, I was struck by the implications of her saying: "You have to ask yourself, 'If basketball was taken away from me, would you still want to be there?' "

IMO, Jordan may be very concerned about the quality of life she would experience in a particular "pond" outside of whatever she might experience as a member of a particular team, under a particular coach, or as a member of a particular program.

Is it possible that she views herself as being more of a student-athlete than just as an athelete?

Just my opinion, of course.

Peace,

John Fryer

 

[HuskyNan]

Let's see what she decides. Visiting for 2 days and attending for 4 years are totally different.

If I was being recruited by teams around the country and offered free trips for myself and my family, I'd take as many visits as I could. IMO, even girls that have a pretty good idea where they're going should get out there and see some other programs so they can 1. be sure of their decision and 2. take the opportunity to see how other elite teams run their programs. Why not?

 

[Wonkster]

If I was being recruited by teams around the country and offered free trips for myself and my family, I'd take as many visits as I could. IMO, even girls that have a pretty good idea where they're going should get out there and see some other programs so they can 1. be sure of their decision and 2. take the opportunity to see how other elite teams run their programs. Why not?

You're right, but why didn't she take trips to Duke and Notre Dame? They have lovely campuses.

The visit to Maryland looks like Shay Doron redux.
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[Wonkster]

Let's see what she decides. Visiting for 2 days and attending for 4 years are totally different.

Yes, and picking 2 East Coast teams for your final 5 exposes the nonsense put out for years that she wanted to stay on the West Coast.
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[HuskyNan]

You're right, but why didn't she take trips to Duke and Notre Dame? They have lovely campuses.

The visit to Maryland looks like Shay Doron redux.
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You're just chock full of speculation today, aren't you?

Maybe she's friends with someone on the team? Maybe she met Frese or another MD coach and liked him/her personally? Maybe ND and/or Duke didn't offer her a visit? Maybe she wanted to see the Atlantic ocean or visit Washington DC? I don't know and won't speculate as to any negative motives on Jordan's part.

 

[EricLA]

i read the article the other day and didn't have an issue with her comments. i did raise my eye brows a bit at "I figure if this college is in my plans, this isn't the end," Adams said. "For me a coach has to not just tell me what I can do for them, but what you'll do for me, too. If I'm going to run through brick walls for you, which I will, I have to know you're on the other side."

on face value i thought at first it was a tad odd, but then realized, why not? like she said, if a kid's going to run thru a brick wall for you, it's only fair to ask what you are going to do for her too. for better or worse, she seems to have her head set on how she wants to go about it...

 

[speedoo]

Actually, if one reads the full article the only real odd comment is the one about not having the best HS experience, which I'm betting was about maybe too much basketball....... AAU, USA and being on the highest profile HS team in the country.

I think it's natural to look back with a little regret and wish for more balance... For some kids anyway.

The rest of her comments would be very consistent with that. She's got a healthy attitude toward her college decision IMO.