Thanks for your fascinating review. Some thoughts.
by BabaGhanouj (2018-06-06 22:27:16)

In reply to: Thanks. I reviewed the top 13 and found some items of note.  posted by MPG

Post Reply Return to McGraw's Bench

My first impression was mild shock at the number of transfers—5 of 13 or almost 40%. So a coach, with a typical roster of 13 players, should expect 5 of those to transfer? That’s outrageous. I guess one lesson we should consider, which is hinted at in this limited sample, is that the higher the rating, perhaps after the first five, the more likely the transfer.

The next impression is similar to when we looked at the top 13 Americans drafted by the WNBA—high school ratings seem to correlate to the pros. Wilson, Mitchell, Atkins, Canada, Williams were all drafted close to their HS ratings Only Brooke McCarty was not drafted, though some projected her to go in the 2nd or 3rd round.

Of the remaining seven, all but Sadie Edwards have another year of eligibility through injury or transfer before we can see how the pros view them. As MPG says, they seem to be successful.

Sadie Edwards transferred mid year so she is done. She also has her masters. I don’t know if she is pursuing a pro career or not.

Reece’ Caldwell has one more year, I think, but Texas Tech currently does not list her on next year’s roster. I don't know what's going on there.

MPG also addresses another issue—that top rated recruiting classes for a college, especially when they include 3 or 4 or more recruits, do not guarantee success.

I would like to quote NDoggie here with one of my favorite lines, “worry…we might actually get all those players we are dreaming about”

Here are notes on the next 12:
by MPG  (2018-06-08 14:23:32)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Nared, Thomas, Cowing, Nurse, Hines-Allen, and Ortiz played four years at their original schools and were among the best players for their teams during those four years.

Alyssa Rice never delivered great stats, but started 75/125 games during years of upheaval at Kentucky. Along the way, she earned a 3.9 gpa. She deserves some special recognition!

Our own Kathryn Westbeld deserves special mention because of all that she contributed to a championship team. In my opinion, she was playing her best basketball just before the first of her ankle injuries in her junior year. She was never 100% after that. If she and Brianna had not been injured during the final weeks of the 2017 season, ND would have made the Final Four and made a strong run for the championship.

Monique Billings didn't do much during her first two years at UCLA, missed her junior year with an injury, but started in her fourth year and should be a solid player as a 5th year.

Lynne Belton retired after three years at Duke because of injuries.

Only two transfers were in this group. Courtney Ekmark spent two years on the bench in Storrs and returned to ASU in her home state where she has done well. Mikayla Venson did well at UVA, but transferred to Georgetown (where her father played before he transferred to JMU) and has continued to be a good, not great player.

Recruiting is a tricky business because coaches need to find the right matches for their team as people and on the court by position and role within a given roster. I think post players are the most unpredictable because it is hard to know how they will develop when confronted with players who match or exceed their size and strength. Overall, a top five player each year is a good place to start with recruiting a championship team. ND didn't sign any for 2018, so let's see if Muffet can add another one to join Sam in 2019.