Stanford's Lili Thompson transfers to ND

[Dillon77]

Props to Thompson, she'll have a Stanford undergrad, Notre Dame graduate degree. Those are two schools that most people (including myself) could only dream of attending.

Interested to see how it affects team chemistry/dynamic after reading some comments on other boards regarding her parents. That said, on paper they look great:

C-Turner
F-Westbeld
F-Mabrey
G-Ogunbowale
G-Thompson

Bench:
Patberg
Boley
Young

If Young and Boley can take the next step and develop into effective players, Notre Dame will be really good.

I don't think they'll be able to compete with UCONN, but they'll be good nonetheless.

1) I have no problem with her transferring, but she received a scholarship to play basketball at Stanford. If she cannot play due to injury fine, but choosing not to play the scholarship should be gone. Have Stanford send her a bill for her senior year.

2) Since when is she the second coming of Sue Bird, Mo, or Skylar Diggins ? IMO, A good player, but I dont see a huge upgrade over what ND would have otherwise.

I look at Thompson as being a fine bridge/transition from Lindsay Allen to the next floor general. That was initially supposed to be Ali Patberg, but the young woman has had a "Lil' Abner-type" of black cloud over her since coming to ND with knee surgery (and other leg injuries) and illnesses. Thompson can supply the rest of the starters (all but Allen return) running on all cylinders while Patberg, Boley and Young hopefully make that 2nd year jump.

One would think McGraw and her chief recruiter Niele Ivey (two former point guards, btw) will still look for a PG in 2018 to back up Patberg in 2018.

BTW, Patberg finally got a stretch to run the offense in the Miami-ND game yesterday. One of those 'we know each other too well" games (read, Ugly), but she acquitted herself well. And Young looks to be back from that ankle roll she suffered against UConn, having some good put-backs and wonderful spin more to the hoop.

 

[HuskyNan]

Thx Coco

Stanford did a nice thing and kept her on scholarship but that doesn't mean Thompson owes Stanford a year.

 

[Vowelguy]

Stanford did a nice thing and kept her on scholarship but that doesn't mean Thompson owes Stanford a year.

No she doesn't owe Stanford anything. But IF the thought was: "I'll save a year of eligibility by not playing, get Stanford to still give me free tuition, and then go where I want for my last year," I'd say that's a bit have-my-cake-and-eat-it-too.

 

[CocoHusky]

Stanford did a nice thing and kept her on scholarship but that doesn't mean Thompson owes Stanford a year.

Agreed. ND did same for Taya Reimer.

 

[CocoHusky]

No she doesn't owe Stanford anything. But IF the thought was: "I'll save a year of eligibility by not playing, get Stanford to still give me free tuition, and then go where I want for my last year," I'd say that's a bit have-my-cake-and-eat-it-too.

That sounds a little too calculating, because the injury was multiple concussions with little to no information from either side. Based on some of the tweets from the father and messages on Stanford board, the family was not satisfied with how Stanford handled the previous concussions.
Tara has not commented on the reason Lili has left the team so my guess is that extra year of scholarship was given grudgingly.
Even more strange are the interactions with the Stanford WBB team and Stanford Student Lili. When Texas ( Lili is from Texas) played at Stanford this year (Nov 16?) this was reported.
" Shortly thereafter, Lili Thompson arrived and sat courtside opposite the Texas bench. Lili left the team for undisclosed reasons after last season but is completing her senior year at Stanford.
Stanford FBC: Event Reports
There is another article saying "She (Lili) showed nothing but support for former teammates" but she also might have been considering going to Texas.

 

[HuskyNan]

Agreed. ND did same for Taya Reimer.

Geno did it for Keirsten Walters, too.

 

[Vowelguy]

That sounds a little too calculating, .

Hence why I said IF.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I come late to this party after reading a Swish Appeal article. Fighting Irish welcome Thompson

Gotta say I'm not a big fan of one year of eligibility transfers. Yes, it is "legal", but it smacks of opportunism to me. I know that there is little likelihood of a flood of this kind of thing, but if I'm a ND player I don't know how I feel about it. That whole thing about Stanford's handling of concussions: does that mean that they felt Stanford was too careful? Wasn't it a Stanford guard who left for Texas because Texas would let her play and Stanford would not? Jamie Carey. Lili thinks she is going to slide into a NC? as a starter at ND. Couple of transfers and a whole lot of others are going to have something to say about that one.

 

[CocoHusky]

I come late to this party after reading a Swish Appeal article. Fighting Irish welcome Thompson
Gotta say I'm not a big fan of one year of eligibility transfers. Yes, it is "legal", but it smacks of opportunism to me. I know that there is little likelihood of a flood of this kind of thing, but if I'm a ND player I don't know how I feel about it. That whole thing about Stanford's handling of concussions: does that mean that they felt Stanford was too careful? Wasn't it a Stanford guard who left for Texas because Texas would let her play and Stanford would not? Jamie Carey. Lili thinks she is going to slide into a NC? as a starter at ND. Couple of transfers and a whole lot of others are going to have something to say about that one.

If I'm a ND player I'm ok with it for a couple of reasons. Lili is better than anyone playing PG at ND next year. Lili Thompson has led teams that have defeated both UCONN and ND.

I'm not sure what the family's issues were with Stanford's handling of Lili's concussions.

Yes Stanford's doctor would not clear Carey for 2 full years.
"But a concussion just before her (Carey) sophomore year put her on the bench, and she ultimately sat out two years because of recurring concussions. During that time, Stanford doctors evaluated her on several occasions and decided she could not be cleared to play because of the problems she was having from her head injuries.
Jamie Carey to Resume Hoops Career at Texas

NC for Lili next year? Highly unlikely, but did any other serious NC contender have room for her? Baylor-No, UCONN-heck No, Texas-maybe??? South Carolina-No, FSU-maybe. A bigger question, has any transfer led a team to NC?

 

[Dillon77]

Jenna Brown, 5'10" point guard out of Atlanta area (#8 overall player for 2018, #1 point in Hoopgurlz) just committed to ND, so she joins Patberg in 2018-2019 (and beyond, knock on wood), with Thompson and Patberg manning the PG in 2017-18.

jenna-brown

 

[UConnCat]

ND fans talk about Thompson playing point guard next season yet some Stanford fans insist Thompson is not a point guard. Whatever position she did play at Stanford, Tara's message to Thompson after last season ended -- when all expected she would return -- was to do a better job passing the ball: “We need her to be unselfish and have a better turnover-to-assist ratio.” Maybe Thompson didn't agree with or appreciate that message.

If Thompson does play the point next season she'll be quite a change from the pass-first Lindsay Allen. The ND player most impacted by this change will likely be Turner.

 

[Orangutan]

I know that there is little likelihood of a flood of this kind of thing, but if I'm a ND player I don't know how I feel about it.