Some Thoughts on Rosters and Recruiting

[Lurker]

Prove your point with facts. Your opinion is meaningless.

Hmm. As a long time BY lurker, as well as a lifetime scientist where evidence, data, and well constructed reason hold great significance and impact, my view is that Digger's posts are well reasoned, supported, and balanced, while written with humility and completely without any motivation for self importance or the search for "likes" - they're stimulating posts and fun to read. They help me enjoy my team and the program and its players. Your posts? Not so much.... back to ignore...

 

[JonathanXIV]

OK, so its aa typo. Still 6'2" or higher qualifies. I have no idea what you are talking about. Since your were proven wrong. Now you decide to change your story. You have no point. Bigs win championships particularly in this day and age of tall, agile, and strong women. Your best bet is to research all the winning teams who have won a national championship without anyone over 6'2" or now your weaseling 6'3". Start with 40s and 50s champs for your best bet.

Why the hostility?

 

[sdhoops]

My guess is not just Uconn, but no team has ever won an NC without someone higher than 6'1".

If I recall, Texas A&M won in 2011 with Danielle Adams as their 6'1" center. They had taller players in the roster, but none made appearances in the Final Four if I recall. Also, wasn't the 2005 Baylor team that won led by a 5'11" center named Sophia Young?

 

[diggerfoot]

Not sure what your point is regarding bigs. Since UConn only has won once without serious contributors over 6'2", does this indicate winning without significant height is an exception and we need more tall bigs in future? Does the exception prove winning can be accomplished without significant height and it doesn't matter?

Phew! Thanks for a more thoughtful challenge. My original statement was that championships have been won with all types of rosters .... with the right chemistry and luck. The converse to that is they also can be lost with all types of rosters .... with the wrong type of chemistry and luck. The ideal roster in my view would be a DPOY center at least 6'5", 3 versatile, athletic wings ranging from 6'0" - 6'3", and a point guard who is at least 5'10" and a natural leader .... with the right chemistry. But you can't always get what you want and chemistry is key.

That point was made as a prelude to claiming I think we are aiming towards the right kind of chemistry with the latest class coming in.

 

[Zanzman]

Jessica Moore - are your sure? RS freshman? Although I should have not used her because she had minimal impact on the 2001-02 team. In other classes I skipped tall players who did not really contribute. I should have done the same with Moore.

Sorry I was thinking maya

 

[SVCBeercats]

Why the hostility?

What hostility? I simply state the facts.

The best bet are not from the 40's and 50's and I don't have to research anything. The 2005 Baylor Bears won a championship without significant contributions from a player over 6'2". The 2011 Texas A&M team did the same thing. Both of those championships were won at a time when Britney Griner and Sylvia Fowles was playing so it can be done.

What word best describes winning the national championship without contributions from player(s) 6'2" and above? Rarity! On the 2011 Texas A&M team was Kelsy Bone with 7 REB/G, 12 Pts/G, and she was 6'4". On the 2005 Baylor team was Steffanie Blackmon 6'2". Keep trying. I am interested to know if there actually was a national championship with no player under 6'2".

 

[SVCBeercats]

Why the hostility?

What hostility? I simply state the facts.

 

[SVCBeercats]

?? I just did. Baylor 2005. UConn 2002. No serious contributors over 6'2".
Your posts are bizarre. You do not have to concern yourself with me responding to you again.

Wrong. for your original 6'2" I guess if you couldn't find a match for your new criteria you would have tried 6'4" ... 6'5" OK I'm done, no mas!
UCONN 2002
Stats from championship game with TENN.
Asjha Jones 6'2" 10 REB and 18 pts.
Tamika Williams 6'2" 9 rebounds and 8 Pts.

Baylor 2005
Steffanie Blackmon 6-foot-2 forward, was the Bears’ second-leading scorer, averaging 12.8 points and 6.0 rebounds during the tournament run.
COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS
All-Big 12 First Team (2005, 2004)
All-Big 12 Second Team (2003)
Big 12 All-Academic First Team (2005, 2004, 2003)
CoSIDA Academic All-America Third Team (2004)

 

[diggerfoot]

Wrong. for your original 6'2" I guess if you couldn't find a match for your new criteria you would have tried 6'4" ... 6'5" OK I'm done, no mas!
UCONN 2002
Stats from championship game with TENN.
Asjha Jones 6'2" 10 REB and 18 pts.
Tamika Williams 6'2" 9 rebounds and 8 Pts.

Baylor 2005
Steffanie Blackmon 6-foot-2 forward, was the Bears’ second-leading scorer, averaging 12.8 points and 6.0 rebounds during the tournament run.
COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS
All-Big 12 First Team (2005, 2004)
All-Big 12 Second Team (2003)
Big 12 All-Academic First Team (2005, 2004, 2003)
CoSIDA Academic All-America Third Team (2004)

Well, I'm responding because here you are making my case when you think you are refuting me. You have a problem with reading comprehension. Read my original post again, all subsequent ones match that. Not having contributions from bigs over 6'2" literally means you can have contributions from bigs who ARE 6'2". Quite literally that is what my statement means every time I made it, including the O. It is possible to win a championship game with "no bigs over 6'2" as you demonstrate with this very data here. It is your reading comprehension that is at fault, not me ever changing the criteria.

 

[JonathanXIV]

What hostility? I simply state the facts.

Reread your posts. Lots of gratuitous attacks and efforts to belittle a thoughtful BoneYarder. Lots of ways to convey your point. Try civility next time.

 

[diggerfoot]

Am I missing something here? I thought what Geno picked up was terrific for the 17-18 class. Coco nailed it with all the expectations and near misses of the bigs.

Coombs was supposed to be a pg.
Andra was supposed to be a sg.
Alexis Gordon a SF.
Meg Walker was supposed to be the sg/sf that would be the primary scorer/ go-to player. -- So either Andra or Alexis would be the bench player.

What's wrong with this?

That's a fair challenge to make, but there is a difference between projection and reality. While Coombs was projected as a PG, in reality she most often was in the game with others playing point, usually Dangerfield, on rare occasion Bent. Now she could have hanged tight, thinking she will get her chance in the future; that is why overlap between classes is not detrimental. But whether she thought that or not the minutes she was taking, and losing, related to her classmates.

This was not true for Walker, but bear in mind all those misses Coco pointed out. What if none of those were misses? Then Walker might have been yet another classmate creating a logjam with the others .... though she would have been the least affected. I do not think a coach wants to intentionally recruit a 4 player class of such similar size and skill set .... well, unless it was Summitt.

 

[hoophuskee]

That's a fair challenge to make, but there is a difference between projection and reality. While Coombs was projected as a PG, in reality she most often was in the game with others playing point, usually Dangerfield, on rare occasion Bent. Now she could have hanged tight, thinking she will get her chance in the future; that is why overlap between classes is not detrimental. But whether she thought that or not the minutes she was taking, and losing, related to her classmates.

This was not true for Walker, but bear in mind all those misses Coco pointed out. What if none of those were misses? Then Walker might have been yet another classmate creating a logjam with the others .... though she would have been the least affected. I do not think a coach wants to intentionally recruit a 4 player class of such similar size and skill set .... well, unless it was Summitt.

I agree about perception vs reality. Just saying that after the commits came in and before they played it appeared (perception) that the kids could fit. It appeared initially that Coombs was a pg but after watching her I agree it was clear she couldn't be. But I think she was recruited to be a pg as her best option.

It's hard to predict though especially with Walker. Anyhow, in her soph year the starters were all getting between 32 and 35 minutes per game. Assuming UCONN had a quality big, a deeper bench with a quality player there would have resulted in more blowouts decided earlier. Geno wouldn't have had to play the starters over 30 minutes. And Kyla Irwin got 10.3, Coombs go 11.5, while Bent got 7.6. All 3 of those can get reduced.