McGraw on Loyd

[Bonpland]

I'm far from a Muffet fan but I don't think she said anything that Geno or any other coach would not have said under the circumstances. I agree with cabbie 191 and ucbart. If we were faced with a similar shock to the program this board would be alive with angry comments concerning the young athlete's thought process.
I'm actually sad for women's basketball. Continuity has always been one of its strengths. I prefer it to the men's game because you can watch a team develop, for players to grow.
I also disagree with the argument that she should jump at the money. The logic that she can always return to get her degree works in reverse for me. The WNBA will still have 50k waiting for her next year. Let see how she feels playing basketball in Turkey next year while her team (ND) is fighting to get to the Final Four.
What's the great rush to get out into "the real world"? I miss my college teammates forty years later and I wasn't playing on national TV or being named a concensus all-American. In five years she'll be willing to trade a season's salary to have her senior year back.

 

[mhshuskies]

I didn't like the "we didn't have a chance to talk her out of it". Maybe a poor choice of words. That sounds too much like being more concerned about losing Loyd then what may be best for her or make her happiest.

 

[Zorro]

Ok! If this was a UCONN player, these very people that are telling Muffet to get over it would not feel the same way, IMO. After I watched the video, I feel bad for the Notre Dame program a little bit. I would be devastated, as would everyone involved in the UCONN fandom, if a player of Jewell's magnitude and star power would have made the same decision. I now know her coaches and teammates were blindsided by this and they must all feel betrayed. I hope this works out for Jewell as she seems like a great kid, but this is a head scratcher for sure.

I don't think Muffett comes off as bitter at all, I think she comes off as surprised, upset, betrayed and somewhat maternal and protective.

Gotta disagree Bart. I sincerely hope that Morgan stays for her fifth year, but if she does I will still think it a very bad decision financially. Her only obligation to us is to bust her butt while she is here, and she certainly does that. It is a tough old world and you gotta look out for yourself. I have to disagree with Ice too. It doesn't matter a hill of beans where Jewell is drafted in the WNBA. The important thing is which foreign team she hooks up with.

 

[uconnfan68]

I agree...it is obviously not great for McGraw but she came across pretty bitter about it.

She just lost her best chance for another championship in the near future. Things may change in a few years if Geno retires, or the P5 succeeds in marginalizing UConn in scheduling.

 

[Orangutan]

To break the news an hour after the final is pretty harsh. I feel like each of them may end up wishing they had handled it differently.

 

[triaddukefan]

She just lost her best chance for another championship in the near future. Things may change in a few years if Geno retires, or the P5 succeeds in marginalizing UConn in scheduling.

What about 2017 ?

 

[JS]

I didn't like the "we didn't have a chance to talk her out of it". Maybe a poor choice of words. That sounds too much like being more concerned about losing Loyd then what may be best for her or make her happiest.

When I heard that I thought: "She's thinking about Reimer" -- where they did have the chance to talk Taya through whatever caused her briefly to leave the team.

 

[MilfordHusky]

To break the news an hour after the final is pretty harsh. I feel like each of them may end up wishing they had handled it differently.

I agree with your second sentence, but circumstances dictated the timing. I can see Jewell not wanting to tell the coaches or players while they were still competing in the tourney, and she had to declare for the draft only a day or two after the title game.

I was shocked at Muffett's statements. They make me wonder about her communication with the players. It's NOT a bad decision for Jewell. It may not be the best decision, but it's her choice and there are several positives to it.

Yes, I'd say that Jewell was the best player in ND history, edging Skylar. Brianna Turner may surpass her, though.

 

[j66kicker]

I suspect some of Muffet's bitterness comes from embarrassment that she was not more in tune with her star player. Between this and the Reimer episode earlier in the year it would appear Muffet doesn't have the pulse of her key players, nor is she apparently a trusted career mentor in the way that the great men's coaches are in the current 'one and done' era.

 

[j66kicker]

When it will look like a bad decision is if Loyd falls below the third pick.

I don't see any chance of that happening. She is money. Who are 3 players in the draft better than Loyd?

 

[Jronp]

It's clear now why she left! When a coach responds like that, it's an indication how the relationship was between the two. Say what you want...that was classless!

 

[MilfordHusky]

I don't see any chance of that happening. She is money. Who are 3 players in the draft better than Loyd?

I think Jewell will be 1, 2, or 3. Next year, she would have been 2 at best.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

I personally don't agree with the comments The Muffett made in this interview, especially the "didn't have a chance to talk Jewell out of it paraphrase)!" I think the whole timing issue was a factor. Jewell had to declare by the next day to be eligible for the draft so she would have to tell ND that night after the UCONN game! Where I think Jewell made her biggest mistake was going to the coaching staff earlier and saying I know I could leave early because I'm 22 but I've decided to stay! Then to turn around and say I'm declaring for the WNBA Draft tomorrow! The same result but not the betrayal angle of NO then YES!
Jewell will get the $50,000 from the WNBA and she'll get in the $200,000 to $250,000 range maybe more from a foreign team! This is why I say Morgan Tuck will stay for her RS year she would not command that type of money off of 2 possible years! For Morgan there is NO reason to leave!
And really people isn't there a holier than thou attitude here? If Stewie or MoJeff were in the 22 year old situation that Jewell is in and either/or both of them declared for the WNBA Draft THE BONEYARD would be ablaze with, "How could she/they, do that?" "Don't they have any loyalty to Geno, the staff and their team mates?" The large majority of BYers would go insane against them! We have people insulting a player after a dismal performance, let alone to leave early for the pros!
I do agree I think this Jewell Loyd story is a bad move all the way around, but that's the way things work in 2015!

 

[Bigpetunia]

I do not concur with many of my fellow Boneyarders here....I think that Muffett sounded neither bitter nor whiny. I think she sounded exactly the same way I sounded when I first heard this news....shocked! I imagine that she remains shocked, as do I. I think that what she did have to say sounded pretty well-reasoned. The fact is that the financial inducements for any young woman to sacrifice her Senior year of eligibility and her college diploma rather than wait a mere 365 days are insufficient to justify the decision; and any right-minded coach, one who also serves as a kind of personal adviser and counselor to his or her players, would want an opportunity to try to dissuade a 21 year-old kid from making a decision she might later regret...I certainly would. This is in no way analogous to the EDD decision to depart early. Elena was simply a homesick child. This is manifestly an ill-advised and impetuous thing for Jewell to have done...just like a lot of ill-advised and impetuous ideas that I contemplated at that age!

 

[hoophuskee]

She definitely seems bitter. Can't blame her though--tough pill to swallow an hour after the NCAA Championship game after Loyd said she was returning. Maybe she turned away some talented recruits that she would have offered had she known Loyd was leaving, or maybe she felt that Loyd didn't give it her all the last part of the season. Really tough for McGraw considering that Loyd previously told her she would be returning, and Notre Dame was projected to have arguably their best team of all time next year with Loyd as the centerpiece.

I've posted this a couple of places--I still am in the camp that this could potentially benefit Notre Dame down the road. Even with Loyd, UCONN is still the overwhelming favorite to win a title next year. Once Jefferson/Stewart graduate, the door opens for other teams. Notre Dame has a full year to get used to life without Loyd and should come out guns blazing in 2016-17 with all of their top players returning. Even without Jewell, they are still a Final Four team next year and have two really good recruiting classes lined up.

There is no way this is a blessing. They are going to be a brutal team to beat two years from now whether she stayed or not.

 

[Cuango]

I do not concur with many of my fellow Boneyarders here....I think that Muffett sounded neither bitter nor whiny. I think she sounded exactly the same way I sounded when I first heard this news....shocked! I imagine that she remains shocked, as do I. I think that what she did have to say sounded pretty well-reasoned. The fact is that the financial inducements for any young woman to sacrifice her Senior year of eligibility and her college diploma rather than wait a mere 365 days are insufficient to justify the decision; and any right-minded coach, one who also serves as a kind of personal adviser and counselor to his or her players, would want an opportunity to try to dissuade a 21 year-old kid from making a decision she might later regret...I certainly would. This is in no way analogous to the EDD decision to depart early. Elena was simply a homesick child. This is manifestly an ill-advised and impetuous thing for Jewell to have done...just like a lot of ill-advised and impetuous ideas that I contemplated at that age!

I also think that the board as a whole is being way too harsh on Muffet. While I am not a Muffet fan, I think she has every right to be upset that Jewell blindsided her with something that she had been told (by Jewell herself), was settled,ie, she was staying! Furthermore, I am also surprised that most here believe Loyd's decision to be the right one. I do not! I think Loyd may have been angry at some comments by Muffet that she (Loyd) may have felt were tantamount to being thrown under the bus for not performing better in the NC game. I remember thinking as I read Muffet's comments, that she should have phrased them a little differently, as they could easily be construed as critical toward Loyd. Obviously, I may be completely wrong about this but I do believe those comments by Muffet may have been the straw that broke the camels back. Finally, while I disagree with the majority opinion that Muffet is being out of line in being upset and critical of Loyd's decision, I completely agree with those who said it was a mistake to air those comments in public. A high profile coach like McGraw should have better control over herself than what we have seen,and heard for the past two years!

 

[rford53]

Traditionally coaches have accompanied players to the WNBA draft. It will be telling if Muffet is or isn't at Mohegan Sun Thursday night.

 

[ladybears4eva]

Lol muffed out. She is out of touch and reactionary towards her players.
There should've been more conversations about this draft possibility prior to this year, initiated by the coaching staff. It's not notre dames choice, but rather the individual players by deadline.

Muffet should not comment on players decision to become professionals, but rather support them unconditionally.

 

[HuskyNan]

Sorry, but I remember when EDD left UConn in the middle of the night, two days after arriving on campus.. No warning. When Geno was interviewed, he also seemed confused, possibly bitter. Many UConn fans were bitter at the time, a few still are. It's a very similar situation. I would cut Muffett some slack.

ETA: Well, based on this article, I guess I misremembered. This is how Geno handled the EDD situation:

Nation's top recruit Delle Donne withdraws from UConn

Could not find any article from closer to when she left.

That was actually one of Geno's shining moments. Immediately after Elena left, Geno said she went home to "take care of some things" and that "it happens all the time", probably meaning that kids get cold feet and need to resettle. When it was clear that Elena would be leaving, Geno immediately waived any restrictions on her transferring and wished her well, publicly and privately. Both Elena and her dad Ernie were effusive in their praise and appreciation to Geno and UConn for being supportive and understanding.

I have no comment on Muffet because 1. just because I might handle it differently doesn't mean it was wrong and 2. we don't have the context of this interview - was she chased down and hounded for a comment? One poster above had a good point - Muffet might have passed on recruiting someone that plays the same position as Jewel and now she's SOL. Geno got quite testy when Liz Sherwood left UConn for the same reason. And all of this took place just days after ND lost the NC game, one that looked to be surprisingly within reach with 5 minutes left in the game. Heck, I'd be testy, too.

 

[trisailin]

I seem to remember just a couple weeks ago statements by both Muffet and the school that Lloyd was staying. Apparently there HAD been conversations with some sort of assurances.
For all of the people casting stones, how would you react if you were lied to at worst or completely misled?
NONE of us know what really happened.

 

[TDiNozzo]

I can't make a judgement about McGraw's interview. Your listening to answers to many questions pieced together, from a few reporters, (more than one mike there) without hearing what was asked. A question could have been asked about "talking her out of her decision"...so she answers "talking her out of her decision".

If she thinks it's wrong for women's basketball, why not try to change her mind? So no, she didn't have a chance to talk her out of it. McGraw just came in second again, missing a coaches big prize, probably missed out on a nice paycheck, and gets more bad news, at a time when a good sitdown chat wasn't likely..

 

[Deadrody]

Jewel made a bad decision for Muffet, the article doesn't mention that. The young lady can always go back for her degree. The window to make good money as a WBB player is even smaller than that for a MBB player.

Good decision for Jewel that could have gone either way. Bad decision for Muffet no matter how you slice it.

Eh. That reasoning makes a lot of sense for the men that leave early because they can make millions so PAYING to go back to college is not really a concern. Lloyd just gave up a full ride. Considering she won't make a ton of money in the WNBA, that full ride is no small potatoes.

 

[Rb335]

I think that this situation is far different than EDD mainly in the fact that she never suited up for the team and was also joining a team featuring two NPOY talents. I think of it this way:

If ND had come surging back and stole the championship this year, and stewie (hypothetically eligible) decided to walk away and enter the draft in a blindside, Geno would have been bitter. I think the situation is different when you have formed a three year relationship, presumably longer with recruiting, and this person has given so much to the program. Muffet is sure to be thankful for the contributions Jewell made, but is definitely disappointed. I think it also hurts to know that your chances of an elusive championship essentially decreased dramatically. If Stewart were to have done the same, our chances next year would be far less.

Its difficult to predict how people handle situations and everyone does so differently. Not to defend Muffet, but this is a tough situation for any coach and I really think she is looking at Jewell from a maternal perspective.

My personal opinion, I'm disappointed to see her go because she brings a lot of excitement to the college level, but I'm really excited to see her playing in the league, especially with players like Taurasi and Parker taking some time off.

 

[tonehill68]

It's clear now why she left! When a coach responds like that, it's an indication how the relationship was between the two. Say what you want...that was classless!

I think she feels like she was cheated out of talking to Loyd about her decision. She mentioned that She found out Loyd made her decision a couple of weeks ago and was blindsided with her decision as opposed to talking with her, which makes sense. Although I won't shed atear for the ND program, I understand why Muffett would feel and sound like she did in that interview.

 

[mrmojack]

I think Muffet really thought she had a chance to dethrone Uconn next year with
Jewel. They have 3 nice guards coming in next year. Maybe Jewel didn't want to
finish the way Skylar Diggins did. Getting beat by the same team 3 yrs in a row
really sucks. She will sign on with Rock Nation and make some cash like Skylar
did. Whats wrong with that. A coach can up and leave a program when ever they
see more $ but a student athlete has to stay an endure a new coaching staff and style
that they didn't sign on for. That's life I guess.