UVA dumpster fire continues

[Dillon77]

+1. I think people don't appreciate that many top HS athletes are sufficiently naturally athletic that they don't have to work that hard at the HS level to be really good. Then they get to college and realize what it takes to be truly elite, week in, week out, and the other sacrifices that have to be made for that. Some may decide it's worth it given their other interests/pursuits/passions, especially if they aren't already one of the very best, and if they go to a great school with so many other once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.

This has actually happened to a number of Stanford WBB players who, I think, were naturally endowed enough as high school players to be really good without having to devote their lives to basketball. They get to college, see all the other ways they can spend their time, and decide it's just now how they'd like to spend their time. Maybe Mir is happy to be a top player on a mediocre team while enjoying one of the best educations in the country, for free. Seems like a pretty smart cookie to me. =)

Points well taken, save for the "mediocre." That fits your argument. Unfortunately, it doesn't describe UVA the last few years....

 

[UConnCat]

Tina Thompson seems to be a genuinely nice person who respects her players and is a good role model.
She didn't ruin the VA program, but has made efforts to try to help it.
Other ex-player/coaches have worked 5-10 years just to make some programs respectable.
The transfer portal and its rules are all still pretty new.
TT brought in a bunch of players that were available, and some didn't perform as well as they could have right away.

I was impressed with VA's 2nd win against Pitt and how great that Taylor Vallady played by scoring 30 points.
She's only 5' 7", and a junior transfer from Marquette who was also a track star in high school.
Amandine Toi also played a great game against Duke.
VA has some other bright players that its program can build on.
Quick change needs to come via the transfer portal which can be like rolling the dice.

None of what you posted here describes what is going on at Virginia. Thompson is awful. Her recruiting has been terrible. The program has been diminished by her presence as coach.

Her record at UVA is 30-62. She has one more year on her contract. I have no idea what the buyout is but if she is allowed to finish out her contract then it would be fair to question the University's commitment to its women's basketball program.

Thompson has struggled to attract recruits in years 1 through 4 of her contract. How successful will she be in year 5 with her future very much in doubt? The AD would be wise to absorb the buy-out and start another rebuild with a competent coach.

 

[Vowelguy]

None of what you posted here describes what is going on at Virginia. Thompson is awful. Her recruiting has been terrible. The program has been diminished by her presence as coach.

Her record at UVA is 30-62. She has one more year on her contract. I have no idea what the buyout is but if she is allowed to finish out her contract then it would be fair to question the University's commitment to its women's basketball program.

Thompson has struggled to attract recruits in years 1 through 4 of her contract. How successful will she be in year 5 with her future very much in doubt? The AD would be wise to absorb the buy-out and start another rebuild with a competent coach.

And let’s not forget that the previous coach was not fired — she left because of adoption problems with her foreign born daughter.
The program was not in shambles. Not great but they made the ncaa her last year and the WNIT the 3 previous. Average record of 18-14 with just 1 losing season. Nothing like the disaster it has become.
This will require a major rebuild.

 

[Vowelguy]

Virginia incoming class for next year has no one in the ESPN or ProspectsNation top 100.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

UVA last won an ACC title in 1999-00 with a 25-9 (13-3) record. Their next best and last competitive season was 2008 Tied for 3rd, 24-10 (10-4). Other than those seasons, nothing since 2000 says they should be a top program.

It is an interesting question given that ACC now has ND, Louisville, NC State and a revitalized NC program. Duke seems to be knocking again at the door so I don't know that I agree that Virginia can be a top 4 program again. Just because you were elite 22+ years ago, does entitle you to think you should be now- Louisiana Tech, Purdue, Penn State, Old Dominion, Montana (yes, 21 NCAA appearances!) to just name a few former elite programs who have done nothing in the last 10 years.

If you have "support" for your program - and the financial and facility resources are there - then in fact any program can aspire to be near the top of their conference. For many years, in spite of a "history" NC State was completely unspectacular.

The issue with La Tech, ODU and Montana - ultimately - is a lack of resources that enable them to compete at a national level. Montana is a bit of a red-herring to your argument. They were not an ODU or LaTech competing at a national level; they just had a very good coach and won their conference every year. They were not otherwise particularly notable.

I have this argument with some Rutgers fans. There is no reason that Rutgers has a claim to being a final four contender at some point in the future. But, like Virginia, Purdue and Penn State, with the right coach that possibility is there, because the resources are there.

 

[VA Huskie]

One thing in UVAs favor is the breadth of their successful sports programs. Football and men’s basketball are the most important sports at all schools..UVA is good, and at times great, in both. The “second tier” (my definition) sports are generally excellent at UVA - baseball, tennis, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, track, rowing, etc. So UVA certainly has a culture of excellence in both sports and academics. Women’s basketball, in more recent years, is the outlier. No reason, in my mind, that they can’t again be excellent in women’s bb… just not with the current coach!

 

[sun]

Tina Thompson and Lisa Leslie were the co-coaches of the WNBA All Star team that defeated Team USA in July, 2021 by the score of 93-85.
TT didn't lead the WNBA team into defeat.

2021 WNBA All-Star Game: Team WNBA takes down Team USA thanks to Arike Ogunbowale's MVP performance

Ogunbowale put up 26 points to lead all scorers

www.cbssports.com

She also hired ex-NBA player James Posey to be a UVA assistant coach in July, 2021.

James Posey Joins Tina Thompson’s Coaching Staff

The former NBA player and Cleveland Cavalier assistant coach joins Tina Thompson's staff as an assistant coach

virginiasports.com

The team has shown some improvement & progress since Mir joined.

 

[sun]

What seems to have really hurt VA was when they cancelled the remainder of their 2020-21 season.
That must have caused the team to disintegrate.
Prior to that TT had recruited some well ranked players who left after the season was cancelled.
That's why she needed to bring in a bunch of transfers.

UVA women’s basketball cancels remainder of season

The Virginia women’s basketball team has cancelled the remainder of its 2020-2021 season. The program announced the decision on Thursday, citing health and safety concerns.

www.nbc12.com

Tina Thompson Announces Her First Signing Class

Head coach Tina Thompson announced the addition of six freshmen who have joined the team for the 2019-20 season

virginiasports.com

 

[sweetspot]

Would Tammi Reiss (Rhode Island) be the favorite to take over if the Virginia job opened?

 

[Vowelguy]

Would Tammi Reiss (Rhode Island) be the favorite to take over if the Virginia job opened?

Certainly should be a strong contender.

 

[triaddukefan]

Would Tammi Reiss (Rhode Island) be the favorite to take over if the Virginia job opened?

She probably has the choice of Syracuse or UVA. Kinda like choosing between broccoli and asparagus at this point .. but at least UVA is home.

 

[Coler]

She probably has the choice of Syracuse or UVA. Kinda like choosing between broccoli and asparagus at this point .. but at least UVA is home.

I want her for Rutgers. She’ll be close to home too. NYC.

 

[cancontent]

She probably has the choice of Syracuse or UVA. Kinda like choosing between broccoli and asparagus at this point .. but at least UVA is home.

If broccoli and asparagus are being served plain, I get it. If the broccoli is being served with a nice cheddar cheese sauce and the asparagus is wrapped in bacon, different story.

 

[sun]

If broccoli and asparagus are being served plain, I get it. If the broccoli is being served with a nice cheddar cheese sauce and the asparagus is wrapped in bacon, different story.

I never heard anyone brag about the short, mild winters in Syracuse.

 

[Bigboote]

If broccoli and asparagus are being served plain, I get it. If the broccoli is being served with a nice cheddar cheese sauce and the asparagus is wrapped in bacon, different story.

One of my favorite discoveries of the last couple of decades is penne with a thick smoked gouda sauce with asparagus, bacon, coarse cracked black pepper, and mushrooms in it. And wouldn't you know, I have a pound of smoked gouda in the fridge.

 

[cancontent]

One of my favorite discoveries of the last couple of decades is penne with a thick smoked gouda sauce with asparagus, bacon, coarse cracked black pepper, and mushrooms in it. And wouldn't you know, I have a pound of smoked gouda in the fridge.

One of the most underrated cheeses out there................and I'm really hungry now!

 

[cancontent]

I never heard anyone brag about the short, mild winters in Syracuse.

How does that relate to my comment on broccoli?

 

[LETTERL]

She probably has the choice of Syracuse or UVA. Kinda like choosing between broccoli and asparagus at this point .. but at least UVA is home.

Broccoli >>> Asparagus

 

[Argonaut]

UVA last won an ACC title in 1999-00 with a 25-9 (13-3) record. Their next best and last competitive season was 2008 Tied for 3rd, 24-10 (10-4). Other than those seasons, nothing since 2000 says they should be a top program.

It is an interesting question given that ACC now has ND, Louisville, NC State and a revitalized NC program. Duke seems to be knocking again at the door so I don't know that I agree that Virginia can be a top 4 program again. Just because you were elite 22+ years ago, does entitle you to think you should be now- Louisiana Tech, Purdue, Penn State, Old Dominion, Montana (yes, 21 NCAA appearances!) to just name a few former elite programs who have done nothing in the last 10 years.

If you have "support" for your program - and the financial and facility resources are there - then in fact any program can aspire to be near the top of their conference. For many years, in spite of a "history" NC State was completely unspectacular.

The issue with La Tech, ODU and Montana - ultimately - is a lack of resources that enable them to compete at a national level. Montana is a bit of a red-herring to your argument. They were not an ODU or LaTech competing at a national level; they just had a very good coach and won their conference every year. They were not otherwise particularly notable.

I have this argument with some Rutgers fans. There is no reason that Rutgers has a claim to being a final four contender at some point in the future. But, like Virginia, Purdue and Penn State, with the right coach that possibility is there, because the resources are there.

If you guys have an hour to kill this weekend, I very highly recommend watching The House that Rob Built about Robin Selvig's tenure as the head coach at Montana. He was a hell of a coach who changed a lot of lives for mostly Montana kids.

It's free on Tubi (with ads, link below)!

The House That Rob Built (2021)

Go inside the University of Montana’s women’s basketball team and meet the coach who recruited players from ranches, farms and Native reservations.

tubitv.com

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

If you guys have an hour to kill this weekend, I very highly recommend watching The House that Rob Built about Robin Selvig's tenure as the head coach at Montana. He was a hell of a coach who changed a lot of lives for mostly Montana kids.

It's free on Tubi (with ads, link below)!

The House That Rob Built (2021)

Go inside the University of Montana’s women’s basketball team and meet the coach who recruited players from ranches, farms and Native reservations.

tubitv.com

I don't have time to watch it, but don't misunderstand my remark. I do know how remarkable Selvig was and the consistency of his program. I suspect he is not the only coach that labored for years and were very successful, albeit not on the national stage.

The problem Montana and others face is that there is a very real talent gap (acerbated no doubt by financial and facility considerations) between what we would term mid-majors and the Power 5. ODU and La Tech were powers before the gap became so wide. They went down fast, not because they suddenly had bad coaching or tore down their facilities, but because they couldn't attract athletes that were among the best.

 

[Argonaut]

I don't have time to watch it, but don't misunderstand my remark. I do know how remarkable Selvig was and the consistency of his program. I suspect he is not the only coach that labored for years and were very successful, albeit not on the national stage.

The problem Montana and others face is that there is a very real talent gap (acerbated no doubt by financial and facility considerations) between what we would term mid-majors and the Power 5. ODU and La Tech were powers before the gap became so wide. They went down fast, not because they suddenly had bad coaching or tore down their facilities, but because they couldn't attract athletes that were among the best.

Oh, I wasn't disagreeing with your point. I completely agree with it. Gone are the days when you can gather a bunch of small town kids who love basketball and are willing to die (figuratively) on the court for you every night and make a big name for yourself. However, ODU and LaTech, were getting the elite players while Selvig was cruising the hi-line, the farms, and the rez -- definitely different talent pools, even through the 80s and 90s.

But, if you're the best coach, the best kids will find you. Obviously unrealistic, but if Geno left this season and took the head coaching job at Montana as a stepping stone to spending his retirement running a cattle ranch, it wouldn't matter what facilities they had or what conference they were in.

PS - I hope you're not completely serious in saying that you don't have a free hour this weekend. Not because you need to watch anything I share, but because that's not sustainable. Take care of yourself!

 

[triaddukefan]

Well at least UVA won't be the #15 seed in the ACC tournament. I was actually scared that we would have to face them again on Wednesday. When I saw that it would be Duke vs Pitt instead...

If broccoli and asparagus are being served plain, I get it. If the broccoli is being served with a nice cheddar cheese sauce and the asparagus is wrapped in bacon, different story.

I'd go for the asparagus wrapped in bacon.... and then throw the asparagus in the garbage can.

Broccoli >>> Asparagus

Given the choice, I almost rather go into the backyard, pick up some grass... and eat it instead.

 

[triaddukefan]

Anyone wants a free ticket to the Wake-UVA matchup on Wednesday Evening??? I bought it by mistake... and not sure if I'm going to use it. Should be an exciting matchup... throw out the record books...

 

[Vowelguy]

Yesterday's win over Duke nonwithstanding, the UVa mess continues.

The Cavs have now forfeited their SECOND game of the season. This one -- a home game on Tuesday vs ND.
Why? Who knows.
But I'm guessing they just don't want to play. The have a home game against Pitt on Sunday which they will play, so it's not like players are injured/sick.

And of course their first forfeit against Louisville was also for sketchy reasons. Funny how these forfeits are against the top quarter of the conference.

This is bad. Tina needs to go.

Thompson now says that it would’ve put an “academic strain” on her kids so they forfeited.
A home game.

I have never heard a game cancelled or forfeited for this reason.

Never.

To me this is just players/coaches who aren’t all that interested in playing. Which makes me wonder why they are in D1.

https://www.centredaily.com/news/business/health-care/article258958048.html

 

[VA Huskie]

Thompson now says that it would’ve put an “academic strain” on her kids so they forfeited.
A home game.

I have never heard a game cancelled or forfeited for this reason.

Never.

To me this is just players/coaches who aren’t all that interested in playing. Which makes me wonder why they are in D1.

https://www.centredaily.com/news/business/health-care/article258958048.html

That’s just BS. Time to start a new poll. How many days till Tina is gone?