WBB transfers

[oldtimewomen's hoopcoach]

DE is leaving. Just heard All of HCJA's recruiting class from the 2013-2014 class is leaving except Bonner and little Dap. So, including Michelle graduating, five are moving on, Agnello, Preston, Jones and White. Heard this at the WSU track from one of players, so probably pretty credible.

Sorry forgot about Chapel. It appears she is staying, as she wasn't mentioned. This turn of events is not surprising. Most if not all recruits have no idea what the program is like until they experience it. Very grueling; championship programs typically are

[WuDrWu]

Very grueling; championship programs typically are

I claim little to no insight with women's basketball, but 1000 times this.

Anyone think Gino Auriemma is all tea and crumpets with those girls? The price is great, but then so too can be the rewards. I've said it many times, you do not want to see sausage made.

[xazshox]

grueling practices

In tune with those thoughts, when you look at the WSU men's basketball program, Fred Van Vleet made the comment several weeks ago in the national mediathat he had yet to play in a game as difficult as one of Marshall's practices.

[1972Shocker]

I have to disagree. Not with competitive college basketball being challenging. That is stating the obvious. But this kind of turnover is not normal and in the long run not how championship programs are built and sustained. I find it hard to believe that all of the kids who have left Wichita State during Jody's tenure just weren't tough enough to cut it. No doubt that was the case with a few players, but probably not with the majority. If that's the case then the blame still rests on Jody and her staff for not recruiting the right kind of kids. If the cancer that has caused a lot of the coaching turnover (Guffey and Moore) and player turnover in the last couple of years (you can add Molly O'Brien and Morgan Landers to the list) was, in fact, Dana Eikenberg, then let's hope things stabilize now that she is being removed from the equation.

I have no problem with tough and demanding Coaches. I prefer them. But I do not like mean-spirited, abusive coaches. There is a big difference between the two in my mind. The former can be tough while at the same time treating players with basic human decency and respect. The latter apparently do not have the ability to motivate without degrading the person. That just will not work in the long run IMHO. Let's hope going forward our staff consists of the former and not the latter.

Jody deserves a lot of credit for improving the fortunes of Wichita State basketball but let's be honest the Valley has not been real strong the past two seasons and this past season it was as weak as I can remember (18th ranked conference). I hope Jody has a long and successful tenure at the helm of the Shocker women's program but it will be difficult to achieve in the long-run without improved stability.

I wish all the young ladies who are leaving the program well and I hope they find a situation where the are happy and can reach their potential. Seems like most of those who have previously departed did OK. Breanna Dawkins @ North Texas and Krystle Henderson at Texas just to name a couple of recent departures.

I think we will be able to get by next year reasonably well with most of our key players who saw minutes this year returning other than Michelle and the two incoming recruits (I'm discounting the JUCO post being able to contribute much) as long as we remain relatively injury free and as long as Kelsey is back next year. Jody proved last year that you can get by with 6 primary players plus a couple more that can fill in here and their for 10 minutes a game, especially if your playing in the 18th ranked conference and play a water-downed nonconference schedule.

I hope we aren't contaminating the recruiting waters too much. We have a dozen or so former players who have departed the program early during Jody's 6 years and in most cases on less than happy terms. Who knows what they are saying to people they are in contact with including social media. No doubt opposing coaches will use this as a weapon in any recruiting wars with Jody and her staff.

It's not that I don't like seeing sausage made. But some sausage makers can make the experience more palatable than others. There will always be some player turnover and some recruiting misses but not to the extent we are seeing in the Shocker women's program.

Jody is still a relatively young coach and I believe she is still developing and finding her way as a head coach. Personally, I think she made a major mistake in bringing Dana Eikenberg on board. Hopefully, with that behind us Jody can stabilize the program and steadily move it forward.

[oldtimewomen's hoopcoach]

I have to disagree. Not with competitive college basketball being challenging. That is stating the obvious. But this kind of turnover is not normal and in the long run not how championship programs are built and sustained. I find it hard to believe that all of the kids who have left Wichita State during Jody's tenure just weren't tough enough to cut it. No doubt that was the case with a few players, but probably not with the majority. If that's the case then the blame still rests on Jody and her staff for not recruiting the right kind of kids. If the cancer that has caused a lot of the coaching turnover (Guffey and Moore) and player turnover in the last couple of years (you can add Molly O'Brien and Amy Landers to the list) was, in fact, Dana Eikenberg, then let's hope things stabilize now that she is being removed from the equation.

I have no problem with tough and demanding Coaches. I prefer them. But I do not like mean-spirited, abusive coaches. There is a big difference between the two in my mind. The former can be tough while at the same time treating players with basic human decency and respect. The latter apparently do not have the ability to motivate without degrading the person. That just will not work in the long run IMHO. Let's hope going forward our staff consists of the former and not the latter.

Jody deserves a lot of credit for improving the fortunes of Wichita State basketball but let's be honest the Valley has not been real strong the past two seasons and this past season it was a weak as I can remember (18th ranked conference). I hope Jody has a long and successful tenure at the helm of the Shocker women's program but it will be difficult to achieve in the long-run without improved stability.

I wish all young ladies who are leaving the program well and I hope they find a situation where the are happy and can reach their potential. Seems like most of those who have previously departed did OK. Breanna Dawkins @ North Texas and Krystle Henderson at Texas just to name a couple of recent departures.

I think we will be able to get by next year reasonably well with most of our key players who saw minutes this year returning other than Michelle and the two incoming recruits (I'm discounting the JUCO post be able to contribute much) as long as we remain relatively injury free and as long as Kelsey is back next year. Jody proved last year that you can get by with 6 primary players plus a couple more that can fill in here and their for 10 minutes a game, especially if your playing in the 18th ranked conference and play a water-downed nonconference schedule.

I hope we aren't contaminating the recruiting waters too much. We have a dozen or so former players who have departed the program early in most cases on less than happy terms. Who knows what they are saying to people they are in contact with including social media. No doubt opposing coaches will use this as a weapon in any recruiting wars with Jody and her staff.

It's not that I don't like seeing sausage made. But some sausage makers can make the experience more palatable than others. There will always be some player turnover and some recruiting misses but not to the extent we are seeing in the Shocker women's program.

Jody is still a relatively young coach and I believe she is still developing and finding her way as a head coach. Personally, I think she made a major mistake in bringing Dana Eikenberg on board. Hopefully, with that behind us Jody can stabilize the program and steadily move it forward.

I greatly understated the program as grueling. Actually, it is not for those who do not have skin as thick as steel, are willing to be tough enough to stand up to the coach when she goes over the top and play through any injury, as Kelsey did who is recovering from knee surgery. The girls who have played and will play four years will be incredibly strong and all of them have my deepest admiration and respect as I've never seen a program this demanding in all facets and I used to go to Bob Knight Coaching clinics and have spent a week in his practices. DE gone or not, the culture has been created and it is not going to change.

[1972Shocker]

How would you grade Jody and her staff on the big 2013-2014 recruiting class?

Freshman Recruits:
Landers - Left the team/school before the season started.
Preston, Jones and White - All with minimal playing time on a team lacking depth - Apparently leaving at the end of this school year.
Chapel - Played by far the most minutes at 11 minutes per game - looks like a good player.
Dapprich - Played 99 minutes on the year - Big sister on team has probably helped her survive - hard to say how good she will be.

JUCO Recruits:
Bonner - a lot of JUCO in her game - but a lot of energy and aggressiveness as well. A good get.
Agnello - a tweener who is not real athletic. Late signing just to add a body? Probably out of position for her skill set the way she was utilized. Apparently moving on.

8 players signed, 3 survived to this point. Assuming the information reported is accurate.

My grade: D (I suppose you sign that many in a single year you are bound to have 1 or 2 swings and misses).

With Alex, Jamillah and Kelsey completing their eligibility next year the Shocks are another failed recruiting class away from major challenges.

[playball]

wbb

It has nothing 2 do with the hard practices it has 2 do with the way they are treated mentally no respect and not just by Dana!!! The money is just not worth it!!!!!!

[1972Shocker]

Official announcement on Dana Eikenberg going to Providence.

http://www.goshockers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=7500&ATCLID=209459037

[mumdaddy316]

Wow what is the plan moving forward if all this is true?

[oldtimewomen's hoopcoach]

Official announcement on Dana Eikenberg going to Providence.

http://www.goshockers.com/ViewArticl...CLID=209459037

When I heard she was leaving I also heard Providence, just couldn't confirm it. Now I hear either White or Preston or both are leaving, but definitely one of them. Who knows, just unhappy kids.

[1972Shocker]

When I heard she was leaving I also heard Providence, just couldn't confirm it. Now I hear either White or Preston or both are leaving, but definitely one of them. Who knows, just unhappy kids.

We'll just have to see who is still around once the dust settles. Have you heard whether or not Kelsey is planning on playing next year? There was a rumor she would not play next year due to the demands of (and perhaps location of) her grad school academic program.

[oldtimewomen's hoopcoach]

We'll just have to see who is still around once the dust settles. Have you heard whether or not Kelsey is planning on playing next year? There was a rumor she would not play next year due to the demands of (and perhaps location of) her grad school academic program.

If you ever run into Michelle anywhere, she is very talkative and pleased to tell anyone all things women's basketball; quite the character. First off, Kelsey's surgeon was amazed she could even play on her reconstructed knee from high school and the amount of damage she played with from January on this past season. Her knee is cleaned up and repaired.
she will be back to play her final season. Working on her MA in a field that allows her to still play basketball. She has received Pro interest from Europe. Alex has WNBA and Europe interested. The scouts come to Shox practice just like the men and NBA.

[1972Shocker]

Wow what is the plan moving forward if all this is true?

Even if the worst case of Jones, Preston, White and Agnello transferring out of the program comes true we are still in pretty good shape for next season. And it remains to be seen if any or all of these players do transfer.

We will have a very solid senior class of Alex Harden, Jamillah Bonner and, hopefully a rejuvenated, Kelsey Jacobs.

The junior class will have Michaela Dapprich and Ashlee Ivy. Hopefully, Michaela will be ready to produce consistently throughout the season the way she has at the end of her first two years. Ashlee sounds like she will be big step up athletically from what Valerierose Agnello was able to bring to the table.

The sophomore class will consist of Alie Decker, Jalessa Chapel and Mariah Dapprich. We may well need Mariah to step up her game and give us some presence in the post. Not sure she will be up to that or not. No doubt she will give it her best shot.

The lone freshman would be Aundra Stovall, a 5-6 point guard out of Arlington, Texas.

That would put us at a pretty solid 9-deep with expectations to compete for another Valley title.

The junior class also has Brittany Martin coming in from Northwest Florida Juco. She is listed a 6-4 but looks like project to me based on her stats. She only played in 18 of NWFS 33 games and started none. I do not know if she was injured. In the 18 games she did play she averaged 2.2 PPG and 2.6 RPG and blocked a total of around 6 shots. If that is all she could produce at the Juco level then she seems to me to be a long shot to be a key component at the D-1 level.

If the rumored transfers do not materialize, especially Briana Jones and Marissa Preston, and if Brittany Martin surprises on the upside then we would be looking very good in terms of depth with some good competition for playing time.

In general, we will be in pretty good shape for next season. The real challenge will be the following season as replacing the senior trio of Harden, Bonner and Jacobs will be a challenge.

[oldtimewomen's hoopcoach]

Even if the worst case of Jones, Preston, White and Agnello transferring out of the program comes true we are still in pretty good shape for next season. And it remains to be seen if any or all of these players do transfer.

We will have a very solid senior class of Alex Harden, Jamillah Bonner and, hopefully a rejuvenated, Kelsey Jacobs.

The junior class will have Michaela Dapprich and Ashlee Ivy. Hopefully, Michaela will be ready to produce consistently throughout the season the way she has at the end of her first two years. Ashlee sounds like she will be big step up athletically from what Valerierose Agnello was able to bring to the table.

The sophomore class consist of Alie Decker, Jalessa Chapel and Mariah Dapprich. We may well need Mariah to step up her game and give us some presence in the post. Not sure she will be up to that or not. No doubt she will give it he best shot.

The lone freshman would be Aundra Stovall, a 5-6 point guard out of Arlington, Texas.

That would put us at a pretty solid 9-deep with expectations to compete for another Valley title.

The junior class also has Brittany Martin coming in from Northwest Florida Juco. She is listed a 6-4 but looks like project to me based on her stats. She only played in 18 of NWFS 33 games and started none. I do not know if she was injured. In the 18 games she did play she averaged 2.2 PPG and 2.6 RPG and blocked a total of around 6 shots. If that is all she could produce at the Juco level then she seems to me to be a long shot to be a key component at the D-1 level.

If the rumored transfers do not materialize, especially Briana Jones and Marissa Preston, and if Brittany Martin surprises on the upside then we would be looking very good in terms of depth with some good competition for playing time.

In general, we will be in pretty good shape for next season. The real challenge will be the following season as replacing the senior trio of Harden, Bonner and Jacobs will be a challenge.

1972: Are you a professional sports writer? I love the way you summarize topics. Great job in summing up next season. I typically get my information directly from the kids. Most times it has been acurate, sometimes a bit off. I will say, some crticism of HCJA may be warranted, but not in the way her players carry themselves and represent WSU. In every instance over the past 6.5 years I've been following WSU Women's basketball the players have been polite, respectful and kind to an old guy like me when I ask, "So what's happening with the team, whose coming in, how do they look, etc." Though the team is training now, once summer workouts are in full swing, we'll know more on who is here, who is gone and who can play.

[1972Shocker]

1972: Are you a professional sports writer? I love the way you summarize topics. Great job in summing up next season.

Thanks for the kind words. No, I am not a professional sports writer. Strictly amateur hour.