Shocker Women Recruiting?

[SubGod22]

Nobody has said they totally ignore it. But the evidence points towards the staff not putting the effort needed into it. How hard to they recruit these kids? Do they just send letters and maybe catch the occassional game? Or do they dedicate the time needed to land talent? They're not recruiting in a vacuum.

[1972Shocker]

Perhaps the WBB program should take a page out of the volleyball program and lock up some of the area talent.

Lambo certainly has done a good job of that. Of course, he went back to his original stomping grounds for his 1st star (Shocker Hall of Famer Sara Younes). Lambo has done a really nice job of mixing in a few good area kids with those from out of state. Of course, it helps recruit the local kids when you have a perennial Top 40, NCAA quality team. Unfortunately, Shocker women's basketball is no where close to that standard and the gap between the top teams in women's basketball and the middle of the pack teams is pretty big.

[1972Shocker]

Nobody has said they totally ignore it.

To quote Hovpen:

It would be nice to know that they are at least talking to some of the local talent but from what parents are telling me, they are not.

I interpreted that comment as they are pretty much totally ingoring the area if they are not even talking to local talent.

Of course, we also wonder and discuss a lot why we don't get more of our local players for the men's team, atlhough we at least know 3G is willing to at least talk with them.

This next season we will have 1 scholarship player from the local area on the men's team and 1 one on the women's team. So it is possible to be successful without hauling in all the local talent, although it would be nice to get as much as possible.

[SubGod22]

To quote Hovpen:



I interpreted that comment as they are pretty much totally ingoring the area if they are not even talking to local talent.

Of course, we also wonder and discuss a lot why we don't get more of our local players for the men's team, atlhough we at least know 3G is willing to at least talk with them.

This next season we will have 1 scholarship player from the local area on the men's team and 1 one on the women's team. So it is possible to be successful without hauling in all the local talent, although it would be nice to get as much as possible.

Big difference in local talent on the men's and women's side of things. And 3G is showing he's bringing in top level type talent that wins games and are better than a lot of the local kids. But the men have 2 KS kids on 'ship this season in Wessel and Baker.

According to Hovpen, the staff is apparently ignoring A LOT of the KS talent. He'd have that info considering what he does. But KS girls have had a lot more success than the boys out of HS as a whole. More talent anyway. I'm not sure if this is coming out right. And Hovpen isn't the only one that's heard some of the better talent receives little to no contact from Jody and company.

I was excited about the hiring of Jody, but I'm having my doubts. They've shown some progress, but the Valley isn't all that great and it shouldn't take all that long to make a sustained move to the top. I think we'd be rewarded with more talent and more wins if they'd try a little harder to get some of these Kansas kids to come to WSU as opposed to going where ever she goes to recruit the majority. Some of the talent has been pretty good, but she's obviously not bringing in enough from out of state to make a real statement.

[1972Shocker]

We had the same problem under the previous staff.

Actually we had a pretty good representation of Kansas players under Jane Abright.

Look at the roster from her 5th and final year (2007-08): http://www.goshockers.com/SportSelec...PRINTABLE_PAGE=

8 of the 12 kids were from Kansas. 4 were area kids (Val Siemens, Alex Bunton, Kyrie Kinder and Taylor Steven).

Looking at the rosters available on goShockers.com back to the 2006-07 season I count 6 local area scholarship players on the Women's team (Fountaine, Robben, Siemens, Bunton, Kinder and Steven) and 1 (Wessel) on the men's team.

Granted the bulk of those were from the Jane Albright era but we all know how that turned out. So it is not JUST a matter of recruiting local talent.

Coaches more than anyone know that the lifeblood of a successful college program is the quality of recruits you can attract. Wichita State's women's basketball program has never been more than mediocre at best. Jody currently has the best winning % in program history. Jane Ablright the worst. Jane recruited much more locally and in Kansas than Jody has. Maybe Jody knows what she is doing in focusing recruiting elsewhere and maybe she doesn't.

I still have some misgivings about this current staff and I don't like some of the player turnover we have had. This next year's recruiting class will be very important for Jody. They are going to have to recruit well to continue trying to build this program. Recruiting quality local kids would be nice, but is sometimes the toughest thing to do. Jody's job depends on doing the best job she can and recruiting is a very key component of that.

[SubGod22]

We did have KS kids with Jane, but she, like Turgeon, felt she couldn't recruit certain players and didn't put forth the effort on some that very well may have come here over going elsewhere. I've worked enough MAYB to hear stories from coaches/parents/players about certain things. I know Kinder turned down other offers to stay home. Siemens left before transfering back home to WSU. Steven was an easy get.

It's not just about KS kids. It's KS talent. There's a lot out there that neither coach has put the effort into landing. Jane's biggest problem is that she played favorites and wasn't much in the way of discipline.

[1972Shocker]

I count area kids different than Kansas kids, although I like to see us get Kansas kids. I you buy the idea of most kids wanting to get away from home for college if they have the opportunity, which I do, then the toughest kids to recruit are the local area kids. That probably take us to about a 60 mile radius of Wichita.

Getting a kid out of Kansas City is like getting a kid out of Chicago. I don't consider Ron Baker an area kid. We can get kids out of Oklahoma and Missouri that are closer to Wichita than Scott City.

[SubGod22]

And another thing about Kinder, she was a very late offer. She was all ready to head up to KU I believe when WSU finally offered.

[1972Shocker]

It's not just about KS kids. It's KS talent. There's a lot out there that neither coach has put the effort into landing. Jane's biggest problem is that she played favorites and wasn't much in the way of discipline.

I agree but you stated that we had the same problem with Jane as we do with Jody (in post #178). I think we may have some problems with the current staff but they are generally not the same as we had with Jane. In many ways they are the polar opposites.

[SubGod22]

Same problem in that they both hold themselves back by not recruiting the top talent in KS. Once you believe you can't, you never will. It's why I hold out little hope that Jody will really put WSU at the top of this conference.

You may not land them all, nobody does. But if you aren't willing to put forth the effort then it's never going to happen. Jane almost let Kinder get away. I don't think Jane believed she could win here. I'm starting to wonder if Jody has some of that in her as well. Talent wasn't developed or used well under Jane. Jody may be a little better at that, but I'm not sure she's much better.

[1972Shocker]

Same problem in that they both hold themselves back by not recruiting the top talent in KS. Once you believe you can't, you never will. It's why I hold out little hope that Jody will really put WSU at the top of this conference.

You may not land them all, nobody does. But if you aren't willing to put forth the effort then it's never going to happen. Jane almost let Kinder get away. I don't think Jane believed she could win here. I'm starting to wonder if Jody has some of that in her as well. Talent wasn't developed or used well under Jane. Jody may be a little better at that, but I'm not sure she's much better.

Not sure I would use Kyrie Kinder as an example of top Kansas talent but I understand your point.

Not sure how Jody's tenure will be viewed by the time she is done at WSU. There are no doubt some reasons for concern around her program. However, to quote Bill Parcells -- "you are what your record says you are".

In 5 years Jane was 48-95. The worst winning % at 0.336 in the modern era (since 1974).

In her 4 years so far Jody is 68-61. Her 0.527 winning % just edges out Darryl Smith's 0.521 for the best in modern history. Kind of sad really, but they are the only two Shocker coaches in the modern era with winning records.

Also, the players Jane inherited from Darryl were IMO better than the players Jody inherited from Jane.

Whatever she has done has certainly yielded better bottom line results than what Jane did. Personally, I think she has outrecruited Jane by a significant margin and that pretty much acccounts for her significantly better record. Whether she can sustain that or not (and hopefully improve on it) remains to be seen especially now that Kristy Guffey, her recruiting coordinator, and reportedly a good recruiter is gone. Not sure how effective Carlai Moore was as a recruiter or if she even did much recruiting. She always just seemed kind of in the background.

I'm still on the fence about how good of a coach Jody really is. I think she knows the game and I think Jane knew the game, although Jody is still a very young coach. But they seem to approach their players from the opposite end of the coaching spectrum. Jane maybe too relaxed and Jody perhaps to controlling and uptight. Jody at time almost seems a little insecure. Maybe that is why she brought in Dana Eikenberg.

But these are observations from someone on the outside sitting in the cheap seats. Perhaps taking cheap shots out of ignorance.

I hope everything works out well and we keep improving and growing as a program.

[Hovpen]

I think Wichita had seven HS players sign D-1 men this past season and know for sure at least two for next season. But anyway, just talk to the local kids and show some interest would be a start.

[mumdaddy316]

Gotta boost up the wsu womens game to these local kids,so they will atleast have a desire to want to check it out. Starting with relina johnson from east high.....

[1972Shocker]

I think Wichita had seven HS players sign D-1 men this past season and know for sure at least two for next season. But anyway, just talk to the local kids and show some interest would be a start.

Yes, you at least want to be visible and start building relationships. Even if it's a kid you don't realistically have a shot at. At least paying attention to the local kids doesn't cost much other than time.

Do you know how many Wichita area HS girls signed to play D-1 ball?

[oldtimewomen's hoopcoach]

Yes, you at least want to be visible and start building relationships. Even if it's a kid you don't realistically have a shot at. At least paying attention to the local kids doesn't cost much other than time.

Do you know how many Wichita area HS girls signed to play D-1 ball?

Walked through Koch Arena yesterday, the girls were playing pick up. The new kids look good. Kelsey looks like she grew and put on muscle, grabbing rebounds and going coast to coast. Jessie Diamond sat out; got in a car accident and has a concusion, she'll be good to go soon That made me think; who steps in for her if she is injured? "Bug" Jones doesn't see the floor too well, Molly has one speed; all out to the hoop. Oh well, that's up to the coaches.