USF WBB

[USFMB]

Thanks for posting that birthday pic.

Phoenix MercuryVerified account‏@PhoenixMercury
RT to wish Mercury rookie @CourtMWilliams a happy 22nd birthday!

Courtney is off to a good start as a pro:

Phoenix Mercury

WILLIAMS’ WNBA CAREER OFF TO FAST START
May 11, 2016
By USF

Williams’ WNBA Career Off To Fast Start

 

[ChicagoGG]

Good for her!! Thanks for sharing her stats.

 

[Charliebball]

USA! USA! USA!

Bret McCormick‏@ASGR1995
HC Jose Fernandez University of South Florida picks up 2017 verbal from LaShonda Monk 5-6 PG Southwest Guilford HC High Point NC.

 

[USFMB]

USA! USA! USA!

Bret McCormick‏@ASGR1995
HC Jose Fernandez University of South Florida picks up 2017 verbal from LaShonda Monk 5-6 PG Southwest Guilford HC High Point NC.

Thanks for the heads up. Now, I have to find out who she is. LOL

 

[USFMB]

USF women's basketball coach Jose Fernandez didn't have to cross the Atlantic to snag his latest two verbal commitments.

Just a state line or two.

High Point (N.C.) PG LaShonda Monk and Stockbridge (Ga.) G Vanessa Blagmon both confirmed to the Tampa Bay Times on Thursday evening they intend to sign with the Bulls. Both are considered three-star prospects for the Class of 2017 by ESPN.

Read more at:

Women's hoops lands 2 commitments

 

[USFMB]

ProspectsNation.com ‏@ProspectsNation 8h8 hours ago
#CommitmentCentral LaShonda Monk (NC-17) to @USFWBB. Standout from #EBASuper64 MORE https://prospectsnation.com/player/lashonda-monk#camp-evaluations…

 

[USFMB]

 

[USFMB]

 

[j66kicker]

USA! USA! USA!

Bret McCormick‏@ASGR1995
HC Jose Fernandez University of South Florida picks up 2017 verbal from LaShonda Monk 5-6 PG Southwest Guilford HC High Point NC.

Hmmm... Now the players will need to learn English

 

[Charliebball]

Hmmm... Now the players will need to learn English

They have a group subscription to Rosetta Stone!!!

 

[USFMB]

I didn't know whether to start a new thread on the '16-'17 season for USF WBB, or to just continue posting in this one, since the subject heading is generic.

So, I decided to post this article here which you might find to be helpful in learning about our new team.

USF'S WINNING RECIPE HAS INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR

USF's Winning Recipe Has International Flavor

• 
  

1. USF W. Basketball ‏@USFWBB Jul 21
   14 teammates, 8 countries, 1 goal
   
   
2. #InternationalFlavor

 

[USFMB]

Below are links to threads on the incoming players, which will provide some info on each of them:


2016

1. Shandrea Leverett C/PF SIGNED 11/13/2015

2. Jazz Bond F SIGNED 11/11/2015

3. Tamara Henshaw F SIGNED 11/13/2015

4. Enna Pehadzic G/F SIGNED 11/18/2015

5. Dorottya Nagy F SIGNED 4/27/2016

6. Nachalie De Jesus PG SIGNED 4/28/2016

 

[ChicagoGG]

Thank you for the above!

 

[Nuyoika]

Thanks for reviving this thread. I completely forgot they got Jazz Bond.

 

[ChicagoGG]

Only two more months and we can start discussing practices and rumors and all that good stuff...can't wait!

 

[USFMB]

Looking forward to another exciting season of WBB!

1. USF W. Basketball ‏@USFWBB 11h11 hours ago
2. 
   Happy 1st day of fall semester from USF WBB! #BullsUnite
   
   
   
   
   8 retweets24 likes
   
3. 
   Jose Fernandez ‏@CoachJFernandez 24h24 hours ago
   Speaking to our team today! Powerful message and thoughts for the upcoming season.
   
   
   
   
   
   

 

[USFMB]

Unlike UCONN who can just reload each new season and still be at least a top five team, USF doesn't have the depth to consistently remain in the top 25 or even to guarantee a return to the NCAA tourney.

Year in and year out we will at least be a WNIT team, regardless of turnover.

We lost a great deal of starting talent, with three of our main women leaving.

A player such as Courtney Williams is not someone who comes to USF all that often.

Having said that, I am still confident that the new team will "eventually" make it back to the dance. It may be too much to ask for that to become a reality this season.

However, hope springs eternal and, I would not be all that surprised if they did achieve that goal immediately.

On paper, USF will be much bigger and more athletic than in recent years.

We've also brought in more offensive firepower.

So, it will no longer be the Courtney Williams show.

I expect that there will be much more balanced scoring on the team.

The question really is, how long will it take for all the pieces to fall into place.

The early season W/L record is very important for developing an NCAA resume, because the AAC is a weak WBB conference.

I don't know our preseason schedule.

I know that we play UL at home in January. By that time we will be more settled, but considering how good Louisville is expected to be, it would be a big ask for this young USF team to win that game. Of course stranger things have happened.

 

[USFMB]

This past Saturday, USF Athletic Dept held a fan fest with all teams present.

I had a chance to speak with all of the WBB players as well as our coach.

USF is waiting for release of the AAC conference schedule before issuing our preseason schedule, but I was given some names of teams. Suffice to say, we will play quite a few quality schools. Of course, it is no where near as tough as your schedule, but it will give us a real opportunity to test ourselves early against some stiff competition.

Here are a couple of pics from that event:

USF W. Basketball ‏@USFWBB Aug 27Tampa, FL
Together again! #Family #GoBulls #USFFanFest16

USF W. Basketball ‏@USFWBB Aug 27
Who needs a selfie stick? #USFFanFest16 #GoBulls

More pics can be found at that same USF WBB twitter link.

 

[warbler1055]

Thanks for all the pics and updates. I am anxious to see how Jose Fernadez and staff can mold all these players into an elite team. In addition to BB, there are lots of barriers to overcome. Hope the very best for the Bulls in this coming season!!!

 

[CocoHusky]

@USFMB I recently saw Jazz Bond, Crystal Dangerfield's HS teammate listed at 6'4". Dec 2015 she was listed at 6'2". Is that real growth or college inflation?

 

[DogWarden]

As always, Barbara and the DogWarden will be crossing the state from Ponce Inlet to Tampa when UConn visits USF. It's a great campus and the Sun Dome very nice arena with EZ parking. It also has a large bar and lounge overlooking the arena. I usually try to buy tickets on StubHub in sections that have access to the bar and lounge facility.

Tampa is a great town with lots to do. We usually stay for two nights. The "Riverwalk" district is near downtown on the river with lots of restaurants and watering holes and other sites to see. A great way to spend an evening.

BUT, the best part is the game. Jose Fernandez, his players and the USF fans provide one of the best road game atmospheres year in and year out.

We can't wait for the game.

 

[USFMB]

@USFMB I recently saw Jazz Bond, Crystal Dangerfield's HS teammate listed at 6'4". Dec 2015 she was listed at 6'2". Is that real growth or college inflation?

Funny you should mention that. I actually had Jazz and K Weber stand side by side at the fan fest to see their height difference.

Weber is a legitimate 6'5".

Jazz is more or less about an inch shorter.

IMO, Jazz is 6'4" or very close to that.

USF lists Jazz as 6'3" and Weber at 6'5".

In this pic, Jazz looks taller than Weber who is next to her. However, if you look closely, Jazz is up on her toes in order to be seen better.

 

[USFMB]

Thanks for all the pics and updates. I am anxious to see how Jose Fernadez and staff can mold all these players into an elite team. In addition to BB, there are lots of barriers to overcome. Hope the very best for the Bulls in this coming season!!!

Last season, we only had two new players. So, it was pretty easy to pick Laksa as the one to watch.

This year with SIX new players, it is very difficult to pick out just one who could be the difference maker.

The obvious choice would be D Nagy who is rated 5 stars by ESPN and the #1 European player.

Less obvious would be N DeJesus a JUCO All-American PG who is not even listed by ESPN. However, she might end up being a better 3 point shooter than Laksa, since she shot about 50% from beyond the arc. In fact, I asked Laksa at the fan fest about her and they already have been competing to see who is best with the long ball in practice.

Another star in the making might be Enna Pehadzik from Denmark. She is rated 4 stars on ESPN. She is very athletic and would be the new player who most closely resembles Courtney Williams, in being able to penetrate and score.

As for Jazz and the other two new women, they can all score and rebound. It will be fun to see which one will set herself apart from the others and become a mainstay in the starting lineup.

2016 High School Girls' Basketball Recruits - South Florida - ESPN

 

[warbler1055]

It seems to me that your coaching staff is by now quite experienced with integrating new and international players into their system. The rules are different than in the US, noticed that at the Rio games. Laksa was a freshman and she was a great shooter last year. I predict that USF will surprise lots of people and will be a contender at the end of the season.

 

[USFMB]

It seems to me that your coaching staff is by now quite experienced with integrating new and international players into their system. The rules are different than in the US, noticed that at the Rio games. Laksa was a freshman and she was a great shooter last year. I predict that USF will surprise lots of people and will be a contender at the end of the season.

All of the international players at USF have played for their national teams. As such they generally come in as freshman more mature and with more experience against elite competition.

Both Nagy (Hungary) and Enna P (Denmark) were stars on their FIBA teams.

This past summer, Laia Flores was one of the stars on the U-20 Spanish team which won the European Championship. She has played for Spain the past eight years. I am hoping that she will have a breakout season at USF.