Westbrook to Uconn [merged thread]

[HuskyNan]

Clearly it's a benefit to not wear down your players with too minutes. But that somewhat sidesteps the issue of a large number of talented players, all presumably confident in their abilities, finding spots on the court. Yeah, you can mathematically divide minutes - and perhaps that works playing weaker AAC teams. But someone is going to sit - someone who thinks she should be playing - against top tier teams or in end of game crunch times. I trust Geno to work things out as he shrinks his on-court roster, as he always has. I hope team + patience > individual will win out.

True, it’s not a mathematical equation. In a practical sense, having all those guards means that if someone is having a bad night (it happens, even if it causes temporary insanity for a handful of Boneyarders in the chat room), Geno can give another player more minutes. It’s going to be a “who’s giving us what we need tonight?” situation that determines playing time on any given night

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I was wondering if there was the requisite picture of Evina & Geno that always accompanies these announcements. Evidently, mom was holding onto that one to post from her own account for Mother’s Day.

By the way, Eva Westbrook looks young enough to be Evina’s big sister.

All the Holly %#@! lines have disappeared.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

True, it’s not a mathematical equation. In a practical sense, having all those guards means that if someone is having a bad night (it happens, even if it causes temporary insanity for a handful of Boneyarders in the chat room), Geno can give another player more minutes. It’s going to be a “who’s giving us what we need tonight?” situation that determines playing time on any given night

Naw, we'll just have a couple of Havliceks. I suspect the virtues of having a regular starting 5 outweigh the swiss army knife approach, but I only coached 4th grade girls soccer and I stunk at that.

 

[Centerstream]

Not that the NCAA ever follows any sensible logic, but if the granting of waivers becomes the norm more often than the exception, then shouldn't they just change the rules to conform with what they're doing anyway?

I think it would be fair to all concerned if they keep the rule in place if a player wants to transfer to another school in the same conference, but otherwise let them go to any non-conference school without having to get a waiver. I get that it's designed to protect the schools that put in the time and effort to recruit, coach and develop the players. The transfers get to take all that along with them when they transfer. The flip side is they're treating the transfers like indentured servants.

The problem I have with the waiver process is that the decisions to grant or not to grant are arbitrary and seem fundamentally unfair since nobody knows the criteria. It invites favoritism and subjectivity based on things other than the needs and wants of the schools involved and the players. I'd like to see the waiver process completely eliminated. In conference is always a no, out of conference always a yes.

I think that the NCAA should treat all sports the same. As most know, in Softball, there is no sit out requirement and players transfer to in conference and out of conference schools and play immediately. Some players even follow their coaches when the coaches change schools, like this season's Texas team. Collegiate athletes are collegiate athletes no matter their sport.
So why can't WBB be the same? And then everyone will know the "rules".

 

[OneTrickPony]

Anna (prefers Ania) Makurat

Ania it is, then...

 

[Oldbones]

Naw, we'll just have a couple of Havliceks. I suspect the virtues of having a regular starting 5 outweigh the swiss army knife approach, but I only coached 4th grade girls soccer and I stunk at that.

 

[NewCorn]

I hope Westbrook is happy and successful. When I watched UT last season she, Rennia Davis and Z Greene we were the only ones who showed flashes of the types of players UT once had up and down the lineup. Westbrook hasn't looked like a point guard either season yet she was better last year. There is no doubt she will improve while she is at UConn if she commits to the program and listens to her coaches.

I'm not crazy about the immediate eligibility thought process. Yes, Mississippi State benefited from AEH last year but I'm unsure why after all these years the NCAA has decided to give so many waivers. Insell was fired at Ole Miss in 2018 and they had a mass exodus of players. To my knowledge none played at their schools last year including Promise Taylor at MSU, nor do I think they should have. I will be curious to see if Westbrook gets her waiver.

I'm not sure why coaches should be able to move at will but players cannot. If players are allowed to move freely, there will be more movement. The sport will not suffer, however, because the best programs will not take transfers who are moving for trivial reasons. They will be skeptical of players who leave a program with animosity. Players going to a new program, new coach, and a new system cannot be assured of abundant playing time.

 

[NewCorn]

Not that the NCAA ever follows any sensible logic, but if the granting of waivers becomes the norm more often than the exception, then shouldn't they just change the rules to conform with what they're doing anyway?

I think it would be fair to all concerned if they keep the rule in place if a player wants to transfer to another school in the same conference, but otherwise let them go to any non-conference school without having to get a waiver. I get that it's designed to protect the schools that put in the time and effort to recruit, coach and develop the players. The transfers get to take all that along with them when they transfer. The flip side is they're treating the transfers like indentured servants.

The problem I have with the waiver process is that the decisions to grant or not to grant are arbitrary and seem fundamentally unfair since nobody knows the criteria. It invites favoritism and subjectivity based on things other than the needs and wants of the schools involved and the players. I'd like to see the waiver process completely eliminated. In conference is always a no, out of conference always a yes.

This is a proposal worthy of serious consideration.

 

[DEpup]

I am infact a fan of the Warriors (and especially Curry and Thompson) but I would edit your film alot alot alot before using a professional NBA team to demonstrate maturity and less self-absorption.

Maybe focus film on Iguadala. He still has quite a few rings now, awards, and a fat bank account...

 

[DEpup]

Given the ever-increasing number of transfers and an expected increase in waiver petitions, I think schools would be foolish to block a waiver request. Many schools are going to some day want a waiver petition granted. What goes around . . .

So true. Karma is a bi#c%.

 

[Tonyc]

Some fans really need to get a life. I would bet that the players on both sides do not feel anything remotely like this.

I would have to agree its not the players....its is some of the die hard, UConn hating, Geno hating LV fans. Some of you who werent around during the turmoil we went through with compliance officers, and NCAA have no idea what some of the LV fans are capable of. Be careful what you say and what you post. We now have their

 

[Oldbones]

If such changes are too easy and too fluid, You will have to wonder about some coaches becoming paranoid about postgame exchanges between opposing coaches and their prized own players, or compliments they make in news conferences. Geno's effusiveness about Catchings, Laksa, and Durr, among others, were well known. He even admitted that he once told Griner that he hoped to coach her some day (and he did!) Will tampering concerns become more of an issue?

 

[CL82]

View attachment 43183

Ah the old running in a pack behind the kid who has ball. Good times.

 

[CocoHusky]

I don't think Tenn opposed Cooper's waiver petition to play immediately at South Carolina.
I don't like the rule that allows the original school to block a waiver petition. Petitions should be granted or not based on the reasons for the transfer. That said, I think it's a mistake for schools to oppose waiver petitions even for intra-conference transfers. Schools will, of course.

The new rules that allows the old school to block the waiver request was put in place in April of 2018. Cooper's application was processed under the old rules and denied by the NCAA ~ January of 2018.
Under the old rules "consideration" was given to the old school. Under the new rules approval of the old school is mandatory.
It will be interesting to see how many waiver request the NCAA gets this year. Last year for WCBB it got 39 request and approved 30.

 

[CocoHusky]

From 2hat I have read ND got a rejection on the first request for a waiver but reworded the next letter and was granted a waiver on that.

Not that unusual for the petitions to be revised or for the NCAA to request clarification of the petition.

 

[uconnell]

Not that unusual for the petitions to be revised or for the NCAA to request clarification of the petition.

I was implying not to get upset with the first request as I sure Geno will not give up that easily.

 

[CocoHusky]

I was implying not to get upset with the first request as I sure Geno will not give up that easily.

Exactly. Us fans have got to educate ourselves and be patient. This will likely drag on until November & could possibly denied with no explanation given. We already have some BY posters thinking this is just a formality.

 

[UConnCat]

The Shepard decision changed the transfer process. No player or school should concede anything when it comes to a waiver. Go for it.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

The Shepard decision

A/K/A the Muff It Fix

 

[Papa33]

Clearly it's a benefit to not wear down your players with too minutes. But that somewhat sidesteps the issue of a large number of talented players, all presumably confident in their abilities, finding spots on the court. Yeah, you can mathematically divide minutes - and perhaps that works playing weaker AAC teams. But someone is going to sit - someone who thinks she should be playing - against top tier teams or in end of game crunch times. I trust Geno to work things out as he shrinks his on-court roster, as he always has. I hope team + patience > individual will win out.

Re: the problem of allocating and sharing playing time-- recall the UConn roster around 1998-2000. We had an embarrassment of riches, which required (or allowed, if you prefer) equally talented players ( Abrosimovo, Cash, Jones, Williams) to share playing time. If any of them chafed at their time on the bench, we never heard from them. Interchangeable parts were considered a strength, not a problem to somehow resolve. In fact, add Hansmeyer and Sauer as reserves in the forecourt
back then, and our 2019-20 roster presents far fewer challenges for satisfying individuals' desire for playing time than is being pushed as an issue now.

 

[j66kicker]

The new rules that allows the old school to block the waiver request was put in place in April of 2018. Cooper's application was processed under the old rules and denied by the NCAA ~ January of 2018.
Under the old rules "consideration" was given to the old school. Under the new rules approval of the old school is mandatory.
It will be interesting to see how many waiver request the NCAA gets this year. Last year for WCBB it got 39 request and approved 30.

So will Kellie Jolly block Evina’s waiver request? In the spirit of the rivalry she probably should, no?

 

[CL82]

So will Kelly Jolly block Evina’s waiver request? In the spirit of the rivalry she probably should, no?

Nope. New era. Plus it makes the program look petty.

 

[Hayven]

Nope. New era. Plus it makes the program look petty.

Tennessee and their fans don’t care about being petty. They berated this girl, and like their ex-coach, made the team responsible for their downfalls.
I would be surprised if Jolly supports the waiver, and if Evina were granted a waiver

 

[j66kicker]

Nope. New era. Plus it makes the program look petty.

Haha - you mean like taking their ball and going home? Yeah, the program needs all the help it can get in that regard...

 

[CL82]

Tennessee and their fans don’t care about being petty. They berated this girl, and like their ex-coach, made the team responsible for their downfalls.
I would be surprised if Jolly supports the waiver, and if Evina were granted a waiver

The fans don't run the program.

[Insert inmate/asylum joke here]