Dishin & Swishin with USA National Team Director Carol Callan

[DishNSwish]

This should either end or fuel many debates!

Carol Callan, Director of USA Basketball's Women's National Team is my guest this week and topics covered include:

- Geno Auriemma’s return as coach, the first returning coach for the senior national team.
- The camp in Las Vegas, the participants and why the pool of candidates size is what it is.
- DeLisha Milton-Jones’ comments on an earlier podcast on why she dislikes the current selection process.
- The makeup of the coaching staff and why the pro and college mix is the way that it is
- What goes into choosing those final one or two spots on the senior national team, and the choices the selection committee faces.
- The role of Auriemma in the player selection process.

I felt Callan's answers were pretty honest, and not just the party line. You make your own judgments.

http://post original url/h4D21HZzM0

 

[UcMiami]

Another really great interview - lots of red meat about the USA process.

 

[UcMiami]

bump - worth a listen

 

[Phil]

I like the fact that they are doing long-term planning. They are thinking now about 2020.

She also confirmed, as we have discussed before, that the Head coach does not select the players, although they do have input on the strengths and weaknesses of the available players.

 

[UcMiami]

I like the fact that they are doing long-term planning. They are thinking now about 2020.

She also confirmed, as we have discussed before, that the Head coach does not select the players, although they do have input on the strengths and weaknesses of the available players.

I liked what she said about the given and take between the committee and the coach - it makes sense. They can see the talent, the coach can explain what he feels he needs and sees in terms of flexibility and insurance against fouls and injuries.
Also, something I had not really thought about in terms of selecting a coach for a second go-round - there is a slight lessening of the pressure on the coach as he already has the Golds and he can begin looking a little further down the line towards building for the future and take more ownership of that process.
I was interested in researching another thread to notice minutes player in the Olympics - we already know that Cash and Jones are gone from the pool and their minutes reflect that as both only played about 10 min/game. What surprised me was that Fowles average under 10 minutes and Angel was the fourth least used player at 14.9. Not sure that has any specific bearing but as far as I know Fowles was healthy (unlike for the previous WC games) but still didn't break the 10 minute barrier. 8 of the twelve team members averaged between 17.4 (Whalen) and 24.9 (Bird) with the minutes pretty even distributed.
And for those writing Angel out of the team ... she averaged only 14.9 minutes but led the team in steals by a wide margin, was second in points, fifth in assists, fifth in rebounds, and shot 62% from the floor. Per minute all of the ranks would move higher and she led the team in points/minute by quite a wide margin.

 

[pap49cba]

Interesting interview. Nice job David.

 

[wallman]

I would think Fowles lack of minutes were due to lack of versatility. Which makes me think that Griner may not be a shoe in. When you have 6 5/6 6 height on a couple of players along with a lot of players with great length the need for a player like Griner becomes less of an issue. The only player I can think of is Cambage at this point who would need to be neutralized but we have seen that happen in the WNBA with a little less height. Griner has a ways to go IMO but thats just my musings, they may think that she will improve so much that it won't matter.

Re other players like Angel. I think it will come down to who they think will be more team oriented, are there players who could provide similar production.

 

[UcMiami]

Wallman - I think I agree in terms of Fowles - international play involves a fair amount of defending away from the basket post players so Tina as a 4/5 option is more valuable than Fowles as more of a 5. I do think Griner is more versatile that you maybe give her credit for, and is more unique than Fowles (as well as younger.) While Kim is a good coach, I think she didn't help Griner expand her game as much as she could have at Baylor.
As for Angel - she sure stuffed the stats for USA and I get the sense she is much more of a team player on that team than on the Dream because the dream need her to do so much more than the USA team needs.

 

[wallman]

You could be right about Griner and thats what they may be thinking also and I also agree she should've been a better rebounder this year coming out of HS and time will tell is she has the fire to go out and improve her game. Still not sure about Angel as there are games where stats can be stuffed but the big picture would be who you want on the floor that will make the right decision to get the best shot in the big games, and that is the same for any player who plays USA basketball as the team is the most important over the I.

 

[UConnCat]

Wallman - I think I agree in terms of Fowles - international play involves a fair amount of defending away from the basket post players so Tina as a 4/5 option is more valuable than Fowles as more of a 5. I do think Griner is more versatile that you maybe give her credit for, and is more unique than Fowles (as well as younger.) While Kim is a good coach, I think she didn't help Griner expand her game as much as she could have at Baylor.
As for Angel - she sure stuffed the stats for USA and I get the sense she is much more of a team player on that team than on the Dream because the dream need her to do so much more than the USA team needs.

Except when it comes to defending Cambage. A healthy Fowles might have been effective against Cambage in London. I did think it was interesting to hear Callan talk about the need for players to play against different styles (Aussies, European, Asian teams) and versatility is valuable. But, with Australia chief among the USA's toughest competitors, Team USA will need big posts to defend Cambage who doesn't play away from the basket.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

You could be right about Griner and thats what they may be thinking also and I also agree she should've been a better rebounder this year coming out of HS and time will tell is she has the fire to go out and improve her game. Still not sure about Angel as there are games where stats can be stuffed but the big picture would be who you want on the floor that will make the right decision to get the best shot in the big games, and that is the same for any player who plays USA basketball as the team is the most important over the I.

From anything we see and hear out this way, Griner certainly does want to improve her game. However, I'm not sure the Mercury were the best place to improve - I would compare her situation to Tammy Sutton Brown, the RU grad that had a long career in the W until she retired after the 2012 season (with champion Indiana). Tammy grew leaps and bounds because she was initially on Charlotte when they were coached by Anne Donovan. Anne really developed Tammy's game. Not sure Phoenix - with a mid-season coaching change, no less - really had an equivalent.

As to Angel, I'm pretty sure that a lack of team play is not an issue with her. The problems, if any, happen when there isn't a lot of team around her, or she thinks there isn't. I don't think she would get that idea on the national team.

 

[DishNSwish]

Thank you everybody; I know I was fascinated by the insights Carol shared.

 

[TheTruthBelow]

Fowles was the USA's best player at the '08 Olympics. Geno clearly has a preference for Tina, but I do recall Fowles dealing with some sort of injury in London.

I can't see her being left out barring injury. Not only is she the best post defender in the world, but she was completely dominant versus Tina this season. It was kind of shocking how lopsided those matchups were.

 

[UConnCat]

Fowles was the USA's best player at the '08 Olympics. Geno clearly has a preference for Tina, but I do recall Fowles dealing with some sort of injury in London.

I can't see her being left out barring injury. Not only is she the best post defender in the world, but she was completely dominant versus Tina this season. It was kind of shocking how lopsided those matchups were.

Where did Geno say he has a preference for Tina? I must have missed that. Do you have a problem with how Tina played in London?

 

[Justavisitor]

I would think Fowles lack of minutes were due to lack of versatility. Which makes me think that Griner may not be a shoe in. When you have 6 5/6 6 height on a couple of players along with a lot of players with great length the need for a player like Griner becomes less of an issue. The only player I can think of is Cambage at this point who would need to be neutralized but we have seen that happen in the WNBA with a little less height. Griner has a ways to go IMO but thats just my musings, they may think that she will improve so much that it won't matter.

Re other players like Angel. I think it will come down to who they think will be more team oriented, are there players who could provide similar production.

Fowles lack of minutes was due to injury. Nothing more and nothing less. It seemed she had turned the corner and then re-injured herself during national play. Her minutes were reflective of what her body could handle.

 

[UcMiami]

Fowles lack of minutes was due to injury. Nothing more and nothing less. It seemed she had turned the corner and then re-injured herself during national play. Her minutes were reflective of what her body could handle.

Thanks - I knew she was injured/recovering from injury in the WC in 2010 but I had not realized that was the case in London as well. I was really surprised when I saw her minutes per game, but if she wasn't 100% that explains it. She does seem to have had a string over injuries over the last 4 years - none all that serious but still worrisome.