Does USA Basketball Need to be Reformed?

[meyers7]

It does make some sense that as the rest of the world gets more and more into basketball and assembles teams that are together for a much more extended time than our age group teams we can expect greater competition and losses. It is unfortunate that the rules allow individuals playing in professional leagues to join these teams. Like should play like.

Why? That's they way they develop their players. We develop ours in our AAU/College settings.

 

[CocoHusky]

It does make some sense that as the rest of the world gets more and more into basketball and assembles teams that are together for a much more extended time than our age group teams we can expect greater competition and losses. It is unfortunate that the rules allow individuals playing in professional leagues to join these teams. Like should play like.

Then FIBA would have to relook the entire system including Olympics and World championship and depending on where you draw the line a player like Kia Nurse (amateur) or Leticia Romero (amateur in 2016) , would not be able to play in the Olympics or World Championship. And how about all those American professionals jumping onto other national teams?

 

[huskeynut]

It does make some sense that as the rest of the world gets more and more into basketball and assembles teams that are together for a much more extended time than our age group teams we can expect greater competition and losses. It is unfortunate that the rules allow individuals playing in professional leagues to join these teams. Like should play like.

This is nothing new. Look back 30 to 50 years ago with Russia and the Iron Curtain countries. We knew they were not amateurs but the way the countries classified their sports programs they were, at least on paper. Soviet ice hockey - soldiers paid to play hockey. Soviet men's basketball - soldiers paid to play basketball. The list goes on.

I would be more concerned with the selection of coaches and then players. For the U19 team to not have a legitimate post player or two is bad planning/ recruiting. I know there is only one Geno and we are spoiled fans, but there are other coaches out there who have a long track record of winning. Dawn Staley, Jenn Rizzotti, Carla Berube and others who are successful at the college level and have been successful at the USA international level.

 

[SVCBeercats]

Four championship losses in three years is a pretty good indication that something isn't working.

USA Women’s Basketball just needs better coaches such as Quentin Hillsman, Matt Mitchell, Jim Foster, Jeff Walz, Doug Bruno, Gary Blair, Kelly Graves, Mike Neighbors, Scott Rueck etc.

 

[Wbbfan1]

One of the Reasons USA's BB younger program don't have any of the elite college coaches is that it gives these coaches too much of a recruiting advantage. That's why prior U16/U17 teams had HS Coaches. This years U16 Head Coach was Carla Berbue of Tufts Univ (Div 3). It will be interesting to see if she gets the U17 team next year's World Championships. Many College Programs were complaining.

USA Women’s Basketball just needs better coaches such as Quentin Hillsman, Matt Mitchell, Jim Foster, Jeff Walz, Doug Bruno, Gary Blair, Kelly Graves, Mike Neighbors, Scott Rueck etc.

 

[DefenseBB]

One of the Reasons USA's BB younger program don't have any of the elite college coaches is that it gives these coaches too much of a recruiting advantage. That's why prior U16/U17 teams had HS Coaches. This years U16 Head Coach was Carla Berbue of Tufts Univ (Div 3). It will be interesting to see if she gets the U17 team next year's World Championships. Many College Programs were complaining.

Umm that makes no sense. 1st off from what I can tell they have HS Coaches coach the U16 in the past as they fit that age group and College coaches weren't offered as options. All coaches are vetted and embody what USA Basketball deems their values. U19 and U23 are done by college coaches who also commit time and effort to grow the game as a whole, not solely for their benefit. USA Basketball could care less if a coach gains an advantage as long as they aid USA Basketball and their stated objectives.
The reason that this team and others have not succeeded (defined as winning Gold) is mostly due to a lack of practice time to garner team cohesion. I thought this years U19 showed great promise but they had limited practice time and early on the coach played everyone in fairly logical distributed minutes, including Cristyn Williams who was clearly outmatched n being there. The coach actually did well in my view and I was highly skeptical early on. This team dominated everyone but Russia. How long did Russia have together? Same for Japan who made a nice effort. They had lots of practice time together.
I think we all have witness Geno talk about the process enough to know time together is most important to know the teammates skills, abilities and where to find them.. Simple as that. Let's not throw the baby out with the bath water. Or make illogical observations.

 

[Charliebball]

USA Women’s Basketball just needs better coaches such as Quentin Hillsman, Matt Mitchell, Jim Foster, Jeff Walz, Doug Bruno, Gary Blair, Kelly Graves, Mike Neighbors, Scott Rueck etc.

wellllll.........................maybe a few of those...............

 

[huskeynut]

USA Women’s Basketball just needs better coaches such as Quentin Hillsman, Matt Mitchell, Jim Foster, Jeff Walz, Doug Bruno, Gary Blair, Kelly Graves, Mike Neighbors, Scott Rueck etc.


Some on your list definitely. Others = absolutely no. How about Cori Close from UCLA or Courtney Banghart from Princeton. Katie Abrahamson - Henderson of UCF or Tonya Cardoza from Temple. There are plenty to choose from.

Maybe Geno, in his next life, becomes the one to recruit coaches for USA basketball.