LaJanna Drummer Ranked #10 Verbals to UCLA

[Wbbfan1]

Prospect Nation - Link

UCLA is having a great 2014 Class so far. They may close the gap with Stanford & Cal and be real competitive with them. Class RAnking - Link Class rankings are outdated. Only showing it because it lists UCLA's other verbals.

Still don't understand why USC isn't more competitive.
http://www.prospectsnation.com/players/committed/2014/10
UCLA Commit List - LInk Impressive Class

 

[HGN]

A good get for UCLA......Not surprised she stayed on the West Coast.........I don't believe she ever took any school East of the Rockies seriously. Should provide the Bruins some serious toughness in the paint.

 

[EricLA]

Prospect Nation - Link

UCLA is having a great 2014 Class so far. They may close the gap with Stanford & Cal and be real competitive with them. Class RAnking - Link Class rankings are outdated. Only showing it because it lists UCLA's other verbals.

Still don't understand why USC isn't more competitive.
UCLA Commit List - LInk Impressive Class

Coaching plain and simple. Nikki Caldwell was at UCLA for 3 years from 2008 thru the 2010-2011 season. She literally landed 1 single top 50 recruit (Nyingifa)while she was there. Meanwhile during the same time frame, LSU was landing tons of top 50 kids. Fast forward to 2011, and she bolts to LSU. She inherited Forthan and Boykin who were already on board, and has managed to land just 2 top 50 recruits since joining LSU. Ballard and Moncrief. Certainly better than UCLA, but nowhere near what is needed to be consistently ranked in the top 20.

 

[Vowelguy]

Still don't understand why USC isn't more competitive.

USC just got a new coach -- so their chances with this year's class were limited. But that new coach is one Cynthia Cooper. We'll have to see where they are in a year or two.

 

[ochoopsfan]

USC just got a new coach -- so their chances with this year's class were limited. But that new coach is one Cynthia Cooper. We'll have to see where they are in a year or two.

USC needs to get Kristen Simon to make their class ok. If Simon goes elsewhere then USC will miss out on a year of top recruits, going to others, especially crosstown to UCLA.

 

[Wbbfan1]

Where is Gabby Greene leaning?

USC needs to get Kristen Simon to make their class ok. If Simon goes elsewhere then USC will miss out on a year of top recruits, going to others, especially crosstown to UCLA.

 

[Vowelguy]

USC needs to get Kristen Simon to make their class ok. If Simon goes elsewhere then USC will miss out on a year of top recruits, going to others, especially crosstown to UCLA.

At one point they were still in the running for Nared & Calvert -- is that no longer true?

 

[Vowelguy]

Where is Gabby Greene leaning?

Cal, Ohio St, LSU, Tenn, RU

http://the-boneyard.com/threads/uncommitted-recruits.43080/

 

[ochoopsfan]

At one point they were still in the running for Nared & Calvert -- is that no longer true?

Still in running for Nared and Calvert but they need bigs to replace Harberts and Oliver who graduate next spring. Simon loves to play physical under the basket. She is a brick and hard to move.

 

[HuskyFan1125]

UCLA is having a good recruiting class for 2014!!

Will make the PAC16 good

 

[EricLA]

Cal, Ohio St, LSU, Tenn, RU

http://the-boneyard.com/threads/uncommitted-recruits.43080/

Would love to see her land at OSU. Another program I'm expecting to surpass Tennessee in the next 5 years...

 

[wallman]

My feeling is Cal.

 

[Vowelguy]

Would love to see her land at OSU. Another program I'm expecting to surpass Tennessee in the next 5 years...

Be careful what you wish for.
Ohio and Midwest has been great recruiting territory for UConn.

 

[Justavisitor]

Coaching plain and simple. Nikki Caldwell was at UCLA for 3 years from 2008 thru the 2010-2011 season. She literally landed 1 single top 50 recruit (Nyingifa)while she was there. Meanwhile during the same time frame, LSU was landing tons of top 50 kids. Fast forward to 2011, and she bolts to LSU. She inherited Forthan and Boykin who were already on board, and has managed to land just 2 top 50 recruits since joining LSU. Ballard and Moncrief. Certainly better than UCLA, but nowhere near what is needed to be consistently ranked in the top 20.

A large part of recruiting is based on relationships. One key to turning a program around is keeping in state talent at home. Close has the benefit of prior relationships in California and she's doing a great job of using those relationships to help land recruits. In California, unless you have a lofty Stanford degree to offer, it's even more important to keep in state talent. It's very difficult to reel in the East Coast talent. Caldwell went to UCLA having no prior relationships in that area. She needed to first prove herself on the court with the hopes of forming relationships while she was there. Growing a program while having no prior relationships usually takes more time. From my understanding, she was gaining momentum with regards to recruiting in the area, but she wasn't there long enough to see the results.

McGuff at Ohio State is another fine example. He's making more noise in months on the recruiting trail than Foster had made in years. Much of McGuff's success is because he is on his home stomping grounds. He didn't come anywhere near that success at Washington. Relationships within a geographic area matter.

As for LSU, Chancellor was making a living on the groundwork that had been laid by Pokie. By the time Caldwell was brought in, LSU had lost all of their mojo on the recruiting trail. Caldwell is now working to turn that around. Being that there are no top 100 recruits in the state of Louisiana, she has her work cut out for her. A good showing in the SEC should help her grab the attention of some of those out of state recruits, because in state is bare. By the way, LSU wasn't LSU until they convinced in state talent of Seimone to stay home.


Close joined the FSU staff after serving nine seasons (1995-2004), the last three as associate head coach, at her alma mater, UC Santa Barbara, class of 1993. Some of her duties included overseeing skill development of the players, on-court offensive coaching, recruiting and scheduling. Under Close's coordination, UCSB undertook one of the most demanding non-conference slates in the country each season.

 

[wallman]

What are you basing your information on? From the rampant discussion over the prior staff, ie Caldwell et al, it was the belief that they were more into themselves than building relationships with the club and HS coaches. The first media guide under her tenure displayed a picture of herself and not the team! The current recruiting could also have more to do with location, the players not wanting to leave their home area and the fact that Close did a good job of emphasizing that these players could play together.

 

[Coler]

Would love to see her land at OSU. Another program I'm expecting to surpass Tennessee in the next 5 years...

No thank you Eric! Come on down to RU, Gabby.

I actually really wanted Drummer to land at USC. I love coach Cooper, loved her playing in WNBA, and I think she's just what that program needs to get back those their glory days.

 

[Vowelguy]

Still in running for Nared and Calvert but they need bigs to replace Harberts and Oliver who graduate next spring. Simon loves to play physical under the basket. She is a brick and hard to move.

USC picked up Amy oknokwo today. Don't have my spreadsheet with me, but don't believe she was top 100.

 

[DaddyChoc]

She inherited Forthan and Boykin who were already on board.

geesh she didnt stick around for long

 

[CBus13]

She inherited Forthan and Boykin who were already on board, and has managed to land just 2 top 50 recruits since joining LSU. Ballard and Moncrief. Certainly better than UCLA, but nowhere near what is needed to be consistently ranked in the top 20.

She actually had recruited Boykin to UCLA (she committed there) then when Caldwell announced her decision to leave Boykin followed.