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Post being replied to

I concede Muffet has reason to take Lili. by sixtythreer

The question I raised was, what does it say to a player when you bring in a recruit who bids fare to take significant minutes from a player you recruited? I concluded taking the transfer can be counter-productive.

I was not examining the question from the coach's perspective; simply from the players.

You point out that Patberg, got mono, that when she returned to the floor her body of work was underwhelming, and that a competent coach would be uncomfortable going with just Patberg at the point. I'm with you on those points.

And you ask, what was MM supposed to do? Like you, I think Muffet made the right move. She didn't know if Patberg would fully recover.

Like you, I think she brought in Lili to protect the program.

But now look at it for Ali's point of view. When she played behind Lindsay that year, Ali appeared to be on a short leash. If she turned the ball over, she almost immediately went to the bench. She had to know that Muffet had doubts about her play and her ability to play in the future. Why else would she bring in Lili?

As it turned out, taking Lili was counter-productive. Patberg transferred. Then to make things worse, Lili blew her ACL. We only found out that Ali could indeed play after she sat out a year at Indiana.

The transfer portal wasn't the blessing and the curse that it is today when Muffet took Lili. But today, unless your certain you are getting a far better player than you are likely to lose, a coach better think twice before taking a transfer.

Taking Shepherd was a no-brainer. But in taking Sniezek was the risk greater than the reward? I don't think so.