Lisa Stockton, Tulane, and the AAC

[Bigpetunia]

As many of my Boneyard friends are aware, I, in my retirement years, divide time between residing in Connecticut and in my original hometown of New Orleans. As an ardent fan of UConn WBB, and of WCBB in general, I am afforded by my dual life an opportunity to get an interesting, up front and personal view of a spectrum of life in our much-loved sport…the rarefied view from the very top, as compared to the realities faced by most programs spread across the land. This comparative view generally causes me to lament UConn’s presence in its current conference affiliation, where it has never come close to losing a game, ever, and where its relative dominance is “off the charts."

Tulane is a great and fun place to attend college, but it isn’t remotely (with the possible exception of men’s baseball), a “destination” school for any major sport. But its women’s basketball program is pretty damned respectable, owing almost entirely to the presence of its very talented head coach, Lisa Stockton. Lisa is only, I think, about 52 years old, and has been head coach there for almost half her life. Over the years, consistently playing a hand laced with much, much lower value cards than coaches at other, larger universities, she has amassed a winning percentage of around .670 (!). That impressive average won’t be improved tonight against UConn, but she’s a great teacher and gets her kids to buy into her own system in a manner not very unlike the way Geno gets his to do similarly. Within the AAC, her teams are always competitive…I think she’s had all of two losing seasons out of the 23 or 24 she’s been down there. Realistically, her players don’t enter any season with lofty, national championship-type hopes or expectations, but, absent the presence of a team like UConn, a conference championship would be a reasonably attainable goal. This reality isn’t UConn’s fault, of course, and I’m not suggesting anything of the kind, but, from the perspective of far lesser programs within the AAC, the landscape is unutterably altered by its presence. Our Huskies, I know, would dominate any conference, but if they played somewhere like maybe in the ACC (if they ever got invited), at least the playing field would be less ridiculously lopsided...and programs like Tulane might have a shot at something realistic within their own conference, and within their own expectations.

I’m in CT now (my wife detests Mardi Gras season, now in full swing), and will have to settle for watching on TV. But I urge my friends here to observe how well-coached the Green Wave is given its own, much lower level of talent. Lisa is the real deal!

 

[oldude]

Very thoughtful post. It is a reminder that while Geno, CD & company reside in the penthouse of WBB, there are many really good coaches like Lisa Stockton who are successfully operating in relative obscurity.

 

[jcoton56]

Thank you for the knowledge. The picture always changes when there is a bit of context. Coach Stockton's winning percentage would be enviable at any school, in any conference.

 

[BroadwayVa]

As many of my Boneyard friends are aware, I, in my retirement years, divide time between residing in Connecticut and in my original hometown of New Orleans. As an ardent fan of UConn WBB, and of WCBB in general, I am afforded by my dual life an opportunity to get an interesting, up front and personal view of a spectrum of life in our much-loved sport…the rarefied view from the very top, as compared to the realities faced by most programs spread across the land. This comparative view generally causes me to lament UConn’s presence in its current conference affiliation, where it has never come close to losing a game, ever, and where its relative dominance is “off the charts."

Tulane is a great and fun place to attend college, but it isn’t remotely (with the possible exception of men’s baseball), a “destination” school for any major sport. But its women’s basketball program is pretty damned respectable, owing almost entirely to the presence of its very talented head coach, Lisa Stockton. Lisa is only, I think, about 52 years old, and has been head coach there for almost half her life. Over the years, consistently playing a hand laced with much, much lower value cards than coaches at other, larger universities, she has amassed a winning percentage of around .670 (!). That impressive average won’t be improved tonight against UConn, but she’s a great teacher and gets her kids to buy into her own system in a manner not very unlike the way Geno gets his to do similarly. Within the AAC, her teams are always competitive…I think she’s had all of two losing seasons out of the 23 or 24 she’s been down there. Real istically, her players don’t enter any season with lofty, national championship-type hopes or expectations, but, absent the presence of a team like UConn, a conference championship would be a reasonably attainable goal. This reality isn’t UConn’s fault, of course, and I’m not suggesting anything of the kind, but, from the perspective of far lesser programs within the AAC, the landscape is unutterably altered by its presence. Our Huskies, I know, would dominate any conference, but if they played somewhere like maybe in the ACC (if they ever got invited), at least the playing field would be less ridiculously lopsided...and programs like Tulane might have a shot at something realistic within their own conference, and within their own expectations.

I’m in CT now (my wife detests Mardi Gras season, now in full swing), and will have to settle for watching on TV. But I urge my friends here to observe how well-coached the Green Wave is given its own, much lower level of talent. Lisa is the real deal!

Big Pet: Kudo's to you--take a bow for a great presentation about some pretty good BB players and a good to better coach. I enjoyed the article and your enthusiasm .
We have spent a lot of time in N>O. and lived further west in Shreveport, for a while--Muddy Graw--and the entire N.O. experience is loved by my wife---she /d spend days as a tourist as I spend days and weeks in meetings there--we haven't been back since they were wiped out.
Again--good posting--don't sell the Green T short. I expect a good game from them tonight.

 

[UcMiami]

As many of my Boneyard friends are aware, I, in my retirement years, divide time between residing in Connecticut and in my original hometown of New Orleans. As an ardent fan of UConn WBB, and of WCBB in general, I am afforded by my dual life an opportunity to get an interesting, up front and personal view of a spectrum of life in our much-loved sport…the rarefied view from the very top, as compared to the realities faced by most programs spread across the land. This comparative view generally causes me to lament UConn’s presence in its current conference affiliation, where it has never come close to losing a game, ever, and where its relative dominance is “off the charts."

Tulane is a great and fun place to attend college, but it isn’t remotely (with the possible exception of men’s baseball), a “destination” school for any major sport. But its women’s basketball program is pretty damned respectable, owing almost entirely to the presence of its very talented head coach, Lisa Stockton. Lisa is only, I think, about 52 years old, and has been head coach there for almost half her life. Over the years, consistently playing a hand laced with much, much lower value cards than coaches at other, larger universities, she has amassed a winning percentage of around .670 (!). That impressive average won’t be improved tonight against UConn, but she’s a great teacher and gets her kids to buy into her own system in a manner not very unlike the way Geno gets his to do similarly. Within the AAC, her teams are always competitive…I think she’s had all of two losing seasons out of the 23 or 24 she’s been down there. Realistically, her players don’t enter any season with lofty, national championship-type hopes or expectations, but, absent the presence of a team like UConn, a conference championship would be a reasonably attainable goal. This reality isn’t UConn’s fault, of course, and I’m not suggesting anything of the kind, but, from the perspective of far lesser programs within the AAC, the landscape is unutterably altered by its presence. Our Huskies, I know, would dominate any conference, but if they played somewhere like maybe in the ACC (if they ever got invited), at least the playing field would be less ridiculously lopsided...and programs like Tulane might have a shot at something realistic within their own conference, and within their own expectations.

I’m in CT now (my wife detests Mardi Gras season, now in full swing), and will have to settle for watching on TV. But I urge my friends here to observe how well-coached the Green Wave is given its own, much lower level of talent. Lisa is the real deal!

I have been impressed with them since we started playing them in conference - obviously we have been shellacking them, but they always seem well coached and fundamentally sound - just not in the same area code as far as talent goes.

As an aside - I do sometimes wonder long tenured good coaches where the 'disconnect' comes in terms of them moving up a ladder of teams - are the coaches not pursuing career advancement by applying for vacancies at better funded schools, or is the fault with the evaluators of talent at the schools that have vacancies? It seems to be changing somewhat, but ...
Our own Jen is probably an example of the first - she was not interested in leaving Hartford until her kids had grown up. I can certainly understand that, and in general, ambition can be the enemy of contentment and a fulfilling life.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

I have been impressed with them since we started playing them in conference - obviously we have been shellacking them, but they always seem well coached and fundamentally sound - just not in the same area code as far as talent goes.

As an aside - I do sometimes wonder long tenured good coaches where the 'disconnect' comes in terms of them moving up a ladder of teams - are the coaches not pursuing career advancement by applying for vacancies at better funded schools, or is the fault with the evaluators of talent at the schools that have vacancies? It seems to be changing somewhat, but ...
Our own Jen is probably an example of the first - she was not interested in leaving Hartford until her kids had grown up. I can certainly understand that, and in general, ambition can be the enemy of contentment and a fulfilling life.

I commented several times over the past couple of years about Stockton, in threads where some BY posters got way too down on the other teams in the American. They were a very respectable program in C-USA (and I assume elsewhere, before that) but probably cannot realistically exceed about 3rd or 4th place in the American, as I think both South Florida and Temple have more upside as programs.

As to long tenured coaches - absent UConn, I would think her job would be quite satisfactory. Contending for a conference championship, an NCAA (automatic) berth, etc. It isn't a bad gig if you can be content, and many coaches have made the P5 leap without great success following them. Names to think about would include Insell, Borseth, Trakh, Ruley, Mark French, etc.

 

[triaddukefan]

As I wrote in another Tulane related thread

Darn shame too. I pull for them in WCBB. Their coach was born and raised here in Greensboro.... and her first head coaching job was at Greensboro College (Division III)

A few times in the past the local paper has talked about her and her hometown roots....... not since they joined the American.... but a few times when they won the Conference USA title. Unlikely they will get an NCAA berth at this point.... but I wish them success in the WNIT.... unless they place an ACC school.

 

[DaddyChoc]

You called it!

 

[TWG236]

Bigpetunia. I echo DaddyChoc's entry. She really coached her team and they played with poise and determination tonight.

 

[TWG236]

Bigpetunia. I echo DaddyChoc's entry. She really coached her team and they played with poise and determination tonight.

 

[jimazee]

Talk about prescient insight...excellent OP.

 

[warbler1055]

Well, Tulane almost won the game last night. OP was right on about Lisa Stockton. Her team was fantastic and never gave up!!!

 

[Bigpetunia]

Thanks to my friends here for the kind words, but I was merely trying to bring some personal observations about what a good and fundamentally sound coach Lisa is...and about how folks like her (and there are certainly others) toil in relative obscurity at a much lower point on the WCBB spectrum than do others we know so well. I most assuredly did not predict THAT particular outcome, and posted what I did on the assumption that the Green Wave might well lose by a similar margin to the first encounter - in which case I would have felt no differently.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Thanks to my friends here for the kind words, but I was merely trying to bring some personal observations about what a good and fundamentally sound coach Lisa is...and about how folks like her (and there are certainly others) toil in relative obscurity at a much lower point on the WCBB spectrum than do others we know so well. I most assuredly did not predict THAT particular outcome, and posted what I did on the assumption that the Green Wave might well lose by a similar margin to the first encounter - in which case I would have felt no differently.

nah, damn all that... pat yourself on the back! poke your chest out, tilt your nose up. its all good

 

[Bigpetunia]

nah, damn all that... pat yourself on the back! poke your chest out, tilt your nose up. its all good

OK, upon further review, I have concluded that you have the right idea, though I'm struggling a bit with the poke-out-the-chest part. Gotta suck in the gut to pull that off. When I was in my thirties, I always had the top three buttons of my shirt undone...now, alas, the bottom three!