Vanderbilt

[YoDore]

I see that several teams have threads here, so I thought I'd start one for Vanderbilt women. It goes without saying it will not be as active as some of the others and probably will hold very little interest for most of you. Still, I hope it will give me at least a little bit of opportunity to discuss the team. Plus, I'm assuming some UConn fans wander over to this board, and many of them seem to like keeping up with coach Ralph and her new team, so this will give them a chance to do that.

First post...some good news. The heart and soul of the team and the player coach Ralph calls one of her all-time favorites to coach, Jordyn Cambridge, announced today she will be returning next year as a grad student. Though not unexpected, as Vandy fans many of us are conditioned to wait for the next shoe to drop, so it's good to hear Jordyn make it official.

 

[JellyBean]

That is awesome news. Glad to hear that you guys got some good news for a change. And if Coach Ralph calls this young lady, one of her favorites to coach, that speaks volumes about Jordyn. Greatly appreciate you posting stuff about Vandy. I think that it is pretty cool that you will share some information about the program and I know that I will pop in from time to time to comment. Thanks again.

 

[Dwilliams02]

I will be keeping up with this chat. SEC teams always have my attention

 

[UcMiami]

I'll be curious to see what coach Ralph does/doesn't do with the transfer portal - would think the ND transfers might catch her eye as I know she has to meet academic requirements re her recruits.

 

[ConwayGmck]

Great to hear about Cambridge. Vanderbilt has had some great teams in the past, and a great history of WBB success. I'm ready to see them return to that level......

 

[YoDore]

I'll be curious to see what coach Ralph does/doesn't do with the transfer portal - would think the ND transfers might catch her eye as I know she has to meet academic requirements re her recruits.

Shea did say yesterday in a radio interview that she hopes to sign a couple players out of the portal and feels it needs to be done quickly since players generally don't want to linger in there. That led me to believe she could have particular players in mind, but I have no real info on that. She really needs size. There's a 6'3 freshman coming next year, Amauri Williams, who is the ESPN #93 player, but who knows if or when she'll be ready to contribute. Bigs often take a while to develop. We're just hurting in the front court although 6'2 freshman Sacha Washington really developed nicely as the season went along. She would probably do nicely as a four if they can get a true post.

Counting next year's three incoming freshmen, we will have a roster of 12 assuming none of this year's squad transfers, so there are three scholarships open. I doubt coach Ralph would want to try to keep 15 players happy every year, but the truth is, there are players on the present roster that might not help her move the team to the next level, so she might be willing to stretch the roster a bit for a year or two.

She has said she doesn't want to rely on the portal too much because she doesn't want to take shortcuts. That leads me to believe she'll likely bring in players with more than one year of eligibility. Just a guess, though.

 

[ThatCG1801]

I see that several teams have threads here, so I thought I'd start one for Vanderbilt women. It goes without saying it will not be as active as some of the others and probably will hold very little interest for most of you. Still, I hope it will give me at least a little bit of opportunity to discuss the team. Plus, I'm assuming some UConn fans wander over to this board, and many of them seem to like keeping up with coach Ralph and her new team, so this will give them a chance to do that.

First post...some good news. The heart and soul of the team and the player coach Ralph calls one of her all-time favorites to coach, Jordyn Cambridge, announced today she will be returning next year as a grad student. Though not unexpected, as Vandy fans many of us are conditioned to wait for the next shoe to drop, so it's good to hear Jordyn make it official.

Love having a Vandy WBB fan join in. Awesome news about Cambridge returning, too.

 

[tigers4ever]

Shea did say yesterday in a radio interview that she hopes to sign a couple players out of the portal and feels it needs to be done quickly since players generally don't want to linger in there. That led me to believe she could have particular players in mind, but I have no real info on that. She really needs size. There's a 6'3 freshman coming next year, Amauri Williams, who is the ESPN #93 player, but who knows if or when she'll be ready to contribute. Bigs often take a while to develop. We're just hurting in the front court although 6'2 freshman Sacha Washington really developed nicely as the season went along. She would probably do nicely as a four if they can get a true post.

Counting next year's three incoming freshmen, we will have a roster of 12 assuming none of this year's squad transfers, so there are three scholarships open. I doubt coach Ralph would want to try to keep 15 players happy every year, but the truth is, there are players on the present roster that might not help her move the team to the next level, so she might be willing to stretch the roster a bit for a year or two.

She has said she doesn't want to rely on the portal too much because she doesn't want to take shortcuts. That leads me to believe she'll likely bring in players with more than one year of eligibility. Just a guess, though.

Kim Mulkey basically said the same thing about building with hs players but concluded with the generalization that she'd mostly be looking for portal players with only have a year left. Shea might have a similar philosophy. I think the logic is that you don't want your high school recruits to have to sit behind portal players for 2-3 years. Not good for long term recruiting.

 

[HuskyNan]

Shea did say yesterday in a radio interview that she hopes to sign a couple players out of the portal and feels it needs to be done quickly since players generally don't want to linger in there. That led me to believe she could have particular players in mind, but I have no real info on that. She really needs size. There's a 6'3 freshman coming next year, Amauri Williams, who is the ESPN #93 player, but who knows if or when she'll be ready to contribute. Bigs often take a while to develop. We're just hurting in the front court although 6'2 freshman Sacha Washington really developed nicely as the season went along. She would probably do nicely as a four if they can get a true post.

Counting next year's three incoming freshmen, we will have a roster of 12 assuming none of this year's squad transfers, so there are three scholarships open. I doubt coach Ralph would want to try to keep 15 players happy every year, but the truth is, there are players on the present roster that might not help her move the team to the next level, so she might be willing to stretch the roster a bit for a year or two.

She has said she doesn't want to rely on the portal too much because she doesn't want to take shortcuts. That leads me to believe she'll likely bring in players with more than one year of eligibility. Just a guess, though.

There are 900 players in the portal. Shea should be able to find someone that she feels can help.

 

[Coler]

There are 900 players in the portal. Shea should be able to find someone that she feels can help.

Or two, or three.

 

[YoDore]

Kim Mulkey basically said the same thing about building with hs players but concluded with the generalization that she'd mostly be looking for portal players with only have a year left. Shea might have a similar philosophy. I think the logic is that you don't want your high school recruits to have to sit behind portal players for 2-3 years. Not good for long term recruiting.

Right on the money. The problem she might run into, though, is that competition for grad school slots is brutal. That's not to say that no transfer can make the cut. Obviously, some can. but It does limit the pool of players available to her. Another thing is that the admissions process for grad school seems very slow, and coach has said she believes most players in the portal would like to get into school this summer.

Your post got me thinking about the pros and cons of bringing in grad students. I'm not sure how coach Ralph will approach it, but she did say she has two or three spots she'd like to fill. Could just depend on the individual. If she fills a need, fits the culture, wants to play for you and can and pass the admissions process, she might take them regardless of how long they'll be here.

Your point about not having incoming freshmen sitting behind transfers for 2-3 years is a good one. For instance, I could see bringing in a grad post player for a year to give the incoming 6'3 freshman a year to develop.

We're not a good offensive team, and we're way too small. As @HuskyNan pointed out, there are 900 players in the portal. There are surely a lot of them who could help Vandy, and quite a few who could meet the admissions standards.

 

[donalddoowop]

Looking forward to your information on Vandy.

 

[YoDore]

I watched the semi-finals of the Geico National Tournament Friday to see Chloe Kitts play (she's really good), and, much to my surprise, I learned of a player with a Vanderbilt offer. She is Mjracle (pronounced Miracle) Sheppard, a 5'10 junior guard for Montverde Academy, the team that eventually won the tournament. Sheppard plays with and is overshadowed by Janiah Barker. Also, junior guard Cori Allen is a teammate and an ESPN top 50 player, though Sheppard actually starts ahead of her. Montverde features other D1 prospects as well.

She's a high-motor player with good but not necessarily flashy skills. Against Kitts' DME squad in the semi-finals, Sheppard had a fantastic first half: 14 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals as Montverde took a 37-24 lead. For that half, at least, she was the best player on the floor. She ended with 18 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals and a block.

In no way am I trying to say she is equal to Barker and Kitts or perhaps even some of the others as a prospect, but she did show flashes, and she obviously has caught coach Ralph's attention. She has offers from Vandy, Florida and Western Kentucky. Her coach told announcers that her recruitment has started to pick up. Still, for a player at the end of her junior year, that's a fairly modest list.

 

[YoDore]

Not sure how many, if any, of you heard Shea Ralph's season-closing press conference after losing by two points in the Elite 8 of the WNIT tournament. Made me want to suit up, and I'm waaaay too old for that. Thought some of you, particularly UConn fans, might be interested.

 

[YoDore]

I think coach Ralph has been low-key recruiting a ’22 player from Knoxville Farragut, and I’ve been low-key lurking around trying to figure out where it’s all going. Her name is Avery “Ace” Strickland. She’s 6’0, can run and has quickness. Also, she played all over the floor, including the point, for her high school team. Good ball handler and passer. She’s a shooter, and we could use another shooter for next year. The more I see of her, the more I like her. High motor. She really raised her level of play in the state tournament where they finished second. She scored 31 points in the Class 4-A semi-final game, leading her team to its first ever state championship game.

Several weeks back, I stumbled upon a photo of Vandy’s recruiting coordinator, Ashley Earley, talking to Strickland after a game. She had just announced a couple days earlier that she was re-opening her recruitment after committing to West Virginia as a junior. Something went wrong with the West Virginia situation. Strickland and another recruit, Marley Washenitz, de-committed at the same time. Washenitz said due to the extra covid year for some players and other factors, she wasn’t able to follow through with her commitment. The same was obviously true for Strickland. It’s ironic, of course, since a few weeks later some players wound up transferring from WV and the coach left, too. Anyway, Pitt stepped in and immediately offered both Washenitz and Strickland. Washenitz accepted the offer a couple weeks ago, but Strickland has been very quiet about her plans other than noting her phone started ringing all day the day after she re-opened things.

I have a scenario built up in my mind where she has just been waiting for the proper time and is about to commit to coach Ralph and Vandy any day now. She just seems like a really good fit at the three for Vandy’s system, not only offensively but also on defense. Plus, who wouldn’t want a player named Ace on their team.

Here’s some highlights from her 31-point performance in the state semi-finals where she just took the game over.



She went full out circus act on this one:

https://twitter.com/5StarPreps/status/1502398974157856768?s=20&t=lfWluKj7Pg5Iu1QHHZ7B1g

 

[RoadMaster]

I think coach Ralph has been low-key recruiting a ’22 player from Knoxville Farragut, and I’ve been low-key lurking around trying to figure out where it’s all going. Her name is Avery “Ace” Strickland. She’s 6’0, can run and has quickness. Also, she played all over the floor, including the point, for her high school team. Good ball handler and passer. She’s a shooter, and we could use another shooter for next year. The more I see of her, the more I like her. High motor. She really raised her level of play in the state tournament where they finished second. She scored 31 points in the Class 4-A semi-final game, leading her team to its first ever state championship game.

Several weeks back, I stumbled upon a photo of Vandy’s recruiting coordinator, Ashley Earley, talking to Strickland after a game. She had just announced a couple days earlier that she was re-opening her recruitment after committing to West Virginia as a junior. Something went wrong with the West Virginia situation. Strickland and another recruit, Marley Washenitz, de-committed at the same time. Washenitz said due to the extra covid year for some players and other factors, she wasn’t able to follow through with her commitment. The same was obviously true for Strickland. It’s ironic, of course, since a few weeks later some players wound up transferring from WV and the coach left, too. Anyway, Pitt stepped in and immediately offered both Washenitz and Strickland. Washenitz accepted the offer a couple weeks ago, but Strickland has been very quiet about her plans other than noting her phone started ringing all day the day after she re-opened things.

I have a scenario built up in my mind where she has just been waiting for the proper time and is about to commit to coach Ralph and Vandy any day now. She just seems like a really good fit at the three for Vandy’s system, not only offensively but also on defense. Plus, who wouldn’t want a player named Ace on their team.

Here’s some highlights from her 31-point performance in the state semi-finals where she just took the game over.



She went full out circus act on this one:

https://twitter.com/5StarPreps/status/1502398974157856768?s=20&t=lfWluKj7Pg5Iu1QHHZ7B1g

Thinking Coach Shea sees a Young Shea in this player.. Nice player

 

[YoDore]

Freshman guard Demauri Flournoy has entered the portal. Not a complete shock. She was a highly rated guard coming into the program out of Georgia, but she was quickly surpassed by fellow freshman guard Iyanna Moore, who took over a starting position early in the season and was one of the team's best players by the end.

Flournoy dropped down to the fourth guard in the rotation as the season wore on, and she just never quite got it going. She did show flashes. I suspect the fact that Jordyn Cambridge is returning, the presence of Moore and two more guards already coming in next season led her to seek more playing time elsewhere. I wish her well. I have no doubt she can play somewhere, though I'm not sure the SEC is her best bet.

ETA: Maybe this means the above-mentioned Strickland is ready to commit? I know, I know. Just let me have this little fantasy for a while longer.

 

[jchusky]

Freshman guard Demauri Flournoy has entered the portal. Not a complete shock. She was a highly rated guard coming into the program out of Georgia, but she was quickly surpassed by fellow freshman guard Iyanna Moore, who took over a starting position early in the season and was one of the team's best players by the end.

Flournoy dropped down to the fourth guard in the rotation as the season wore on, and she just never quite got it going. She did show flashes. I suspect the fact that Jordyn Cambridge is returning, the presence of Moore and two more guards already coming in next season led her to seek more playing time elsewhere. I wish her well. I have no doubt she can play somewhere, though I'm not sure the SEC is her best bet.

ETA: Maybe this means the above-mentioned Strickland is ready to commit? I know, I know. Just let me have this little fantasy for a while longer.

speeches are great but it's a results business, she definitely needs to have a 500 season or better this season. Not as pressured as Kara Lawson who just has been a total disaster.

 

[YoDore]

I saw a post around here somewhere noting that a UConn coach was following certain transfer portal players on twitter, so I looked to see who Vandy’s recruiting coordinator, Ashley Earley, is following. I’m not sure I found them all, but here’s what I came up with:

• Sarah Bates, Georgia Tech
• Maddie Scherr, Oregon
• Kirsten Deans, West Virginia
• Jillian Hollingshead, Georgia
• Sam Brunelle, Notre Dame (committed to Virginia)

Obviously, it doesn’t mean much that she started following these players, at least in terms of predicting who they’ll actually pursue or who will be interested. I guess it does tell us at the very least that the players caught coach Earley’s attention.

Just for the heck of it, I checked coach Kevin Demille’s twitter to see what transfers he follows and came up with the following:

*Sara Scalia, Minnesota
*Brittney Smith, UCF
*Anaya Peoples, ND (plus her mom)
*Sirena “Peanut” Tuitele, Colorado

ETA: Coach Earley has now added Ra Shaya Kyle from Purdue

 

[Geew1992]

speeches are great but it's a results business, she definitely needs to have a 500 season or better this season. Not as pressured as Kara Lawson who just has been a total disaster.

Shea and Lawson have coach exactly 1 year each as duke opted out in 2020-2021. Neither had any players they recruited. Not sure why you think they have pressure like that

 

[jchusky]

Shea and Lawson have coach exactly 1 year each as duke opted out in 2020-2021. Neither had any players they recruited. Not sure why you think they have pressure like that

I'll use the Nate Oatts line, "if their team was bad would they have wanted to cancel the season" ?
That was Oatts reply to Coach K also wanting the Duke season cancelled, a season where they missed the tournament. Excuses can be made, but when you look at UNC's hc and what she has done in a short amount of time, tells you she was the better hire.

 

[Geew1992]

I'll use the Nate Oatts line, "if their team was bad would they have wanted to cancel the season" ?
That was Oatts reply to Coach K also wanting the Duke season cancelled, a season where they missed the tournament. Excuses can be made, but when you look at UNC's hc and what she has done in a short amount of time, tells you she was the better hire.

UNCs coach also has more experience. Like I said 1 year isn’t enough

 

[YoDore]

Coach Ralph got her first transfer Monday...Ciaja Harbinson, a grad transfer out of St. Louis University. Averaged 18 points, two assists and had 30 steals in 24 games. She's 5'6, shot 40% from the field, 31% beyond the arc and 80% from the free throw line.

Physically, she sounds pretty similar to some of the players we have, but she appears to be a better offensive player than some. She had one hot streak midseason where she averaged 25+ points over a four-game stretch, including 36 against St. Bonaventure.

I suspect she became a priority when freshman guard De'Mauri Flournoy entered the portal a few days ago. She gives the team some needed depth for the pressing defense they played and apparently will continue to play.

We still have three roster spots open. I'm praying the basketball gods drop some height and maybe a pure shooter on us. Both are desperately needed.

ETA: I suspect I got things reversed when it comes to Flournoy. It makes more sense that her leaving was in part a reaction to the impending addition of Harbinson, who plays the same position, not the other way around as I originally posted.

 

[YoDore]

Another freshman, 6'2 Kendal Cheesman out of Tampa, Fla., has entered the portal from Vandy. I've been expecting this and somewhat dreading it because she's probably the best shooter on the team, though she played very little.

Vandy fans have been speculating since midseason that this could be coming. Cheesman was the Gatorade Player of the Year out of Florida last year, but she wound up at the end of the bench on a mediocre team playing behind some truly marginal talent.

More than anything, she seemed to be the victim of the style of play the team adopted early in the season. The running, jumping, gambling defense just did not play into her strengths, but it was pretty much the only chance the team had to compete. The same could be said for the high screen, dribble-drive offense.

She's not quite physical enough to guard SEC front court players or quick enough to guard in the back court. The other factor was that her natural position seemed to be the three where she had to play behind leading scorer Brinae Alexander. Usually, when Alexander came out it was for a smaller guard to step up defensive pressure. So, Cheesman became the odd man out. It was frustrating not to see her play more, though it was obvious why it was happening.

So, two of this year's four freshmen are moving on, and it's pretty certain that playing time was the issue. We're now back down to 11 on the roster, including three incoming freshmen and the grad transfer we picked up yesterday. I'll be extremely disappointed if the staff can't reel in Avery Strickland, the young lady I talked about in post #15 above. She seems perfect for the style the team plays. The more time passes, the less likely it seems, though. Vandy was in on her immediately after she re-opened her recruiting, so there has been plenty of time if she was truly keen to play for the Dores. Could be she's waiting for the spring signing period to start (April 13-May 18) to make it official. If so, that could have contributed to Cheesman's decision to move on as it would no doubt move her farther down the bench.

And, once more, I humbly ask the basketball gods: A little bit of size over here, please?

 

[YoDore]

Vandy added another grad transfer guard to the mix in 5’7 Marnelle Garraud from Boston College. Seems like a true point guard. I haven’t seen her play, but maybe someone else can fill me in on her. Averaged 8 points, 3 rebounds and 3+ assists. Shot 38 percent from the field, 34% beyond the arc and 74% from the free throw line.

Happy to have her on board to join what appears to be a legitimately deep guard rotation. Still, I feel compelled to add….

Dear Basketball Gods: When I asked for a little bit of size in the message above this one, I did not mean another 5’7 player. That’s my bad. I should have been clear. I’m asking for big players. Let’s say a minimum of 6’3. Right now we only have one player taller than 5’10, and she’s only 6’2. Thanks.