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Hey guys, just checking in. I need to do so more often. But I thought this would be an interesting topic.
Which one of the eight new recruits this season has the highest ceiling? There's so many different ways you can take the question, it's a hard one to answer. But I thought I would give my take on each one and see what you guys thought.
Morgan Boyd
It's a close call between her and Jessy for who has the best scoring ability. I've teased the coaches to tell her the mid-range is where she needs to be. But you can tell she is a shooter, it's just her shooting percentage from beyond the arc (18% on 40 attempts) doesn't show it. But when she drives and pulls up for the 12-15-foot jumper, she is deadly. I think she will learn. She is already one of the team's top offensive threats, and I expect her to develop into a more consistent scorer by her senior season next year. She's an alright defender, so she's going to be one of the better players in the future.
Jessica Diamond
She is a rarity at this level, simply for the fact that she can consistently create her shot and has shown the ability to knock down that patented mid-range jump shot. She's only going to get better at it. Oh yeah, and she's only a freshman. It will be interesting to see if HCJA reigns her in next season without Marisah to run point, or if she will set her loose. If she does, then Diamond will be a top scorer on this team for the next three years. She needs to work on her defense and vision as a point guard, but still a solid player.
Jazimen Gordon
How can this not be the player everyone is most excited to see develop. Early on I wasn't sure if she would find a place in the rotation by conference play. Now, I'm wondering how HCJA will find enough minutes for her. Her development has been rapid and in every phase of her game. I would say she's the best post defender, technically, but her only weakness now is her strength. But she has unworldly athleticism and has used it to create space for most of her shots. She's started to become a little more aggressive attacking the basket and looking for that little jump shot. Right now, she's the best post player on the team and she has the highest potential of anyone. Really excited to see where she goes from here on out.
Sheena Johnson
She is the type of player that might go a little unappreciated by fans or people that just look at the box scores. Her impact on a game goes far beyond numbers in the box score. She has such a strong core that she wears down her defensive target and can handle much larger players. HCJA loves her and has always called her the most consistent player so far this season. She's the perimeter lock-down defender and has shown an ability to knock down that little jumper coming off the screen. She won't have to contribute much on offense, as her worth comes on the defensive end.
Dannah Kemp
Kemp has been lost a little bit in the shuffle the past few games. I'm not sure she will see major minutes in conference play, as her defense has to improve to be out there. She has a nice stroke, but it hasn't been falling much this season (26% on 43 three-ball attempts). She's a three-point specialist, so if she can start to catch fire in games she will start to work her way into the rotation. She's a junior, so she will add nice depth this year and next season.
Michelle Price
Until last night, I wasn't sure if Price would see major minutes again for the rest of the season. She had played sparingly and hadn't produced much. HCJA said she needed to harness her athletic ability and control it. She's not as athletic as Gordon, but she has a much better frame and should be a sturdy post player in the coming years. She's only a freshman, so she has a lot of time to grow and develop. She showed she can be a steady rebounder, but she'll have to work to find a go-to post move to be effective on offense.
Alicia Sanchez
Sanchez hasn't been with the team for awhile now, but I am fairly certain she is still on. From what I have heard from coaches, etc., she will probably be available toward the end of MVC play and the tournament. Not sure if they will burn a year on her, or if she could possibly be red-shirted since she is a junior. But from what I've heard, she's a taller version of Kemp aka a three-point specialist.
Chynna Turner
By far, Turner has the most developed offensive game of any of the posts. She is deceptively fast in her movements and has developed a nifty spinning post move to go to. To compliment that, she has proved to be able to step out and knock down not only a jumper, but a three-pointer. That will be valuable. She's pretty sturdy in frame, but has been picked on on defense recently in conference play. That's the only thing holding her back. That, and her shot selection (sometimes she shoots that guarded jumper early in the shot clock). She has the potential to be a good scorer from the post position, but will have to work on her defense to see major minutes this season.
So that's it. What a core to build around though. HCJA has definitely shown a keen eye for talent already. Morgan (jr), Jessica (fr), Jazimen (fr), Sheena (jr) and Chynna (fr) already part of the core, WSU is in good hands for the future. So who do you think has the most potential of all of these talented gals?[/u]
Which one of the eight new recruits this season has the highest ceiling? There's so many different ways you can take the question, it's a hard one to answer. But I thought I would give my take on each one and see what you guys thought.
Morgan Boyd
It's a close call between her and Jessy for who has the best scoring ability. I've teased the coaches to tell her the mid-range is where she needs to be. But you can tell she is a shooter, it's just her shooting percentage from beyond the arc (18% on 40 attempts) doesn't show it. But when she drives and pulls up for the 12-15-foot jumper, she is deadly. I think she will learn. She is already one of the team's top offensive threats, and I expect her to develop into a more consistent scorer by her senior season next year. She's an alright defender, so she's going to be one of the better players in the future.
Jessica Diamond
She is a rarity at this level, simply for the fact that she can consistently create her shot and has shown the ability to knock down that patented mid-range jump shot. She's only going to get better at it. Oh yeah, and she's only a freshman. It will be interesting to see if HCJA reigns her in next season without Marisah to run point, or if she will set her loose. If she does, then Diamond will be a top scorer on this team for the next three years. She needs to work on her defense and vision as a point guard, but still a solid player.
Jazimen Gordon
How can this not be the player everyone is most excited to see develop. Early on I wasn't sure if she would find a place in the rotation by conference play. Now, I'm wondering how HCJA will find enough minutes for her. Her development has been rapid and in every phase of her game. I would say she's the best post defender, technically, but her only weakness now is her strength. But she has unworldly athleticism and has used it to create space for most of her shots. She's started to become a little more aggressive attacking the basket and looking for that little jump shot. Right now, she's the best post player on the team and she has the highest potential of anyone. Really excited to see where she goes from here on out.
Sheena Johnson
She is the type of player that might go a little unappreciated by fans or people that just look at the box scores. Her impact on a game goes far beyond numbers in the box score. She has such a strong core that she wears down her defensive target and can handle much larger players. HCJA loves her and has always called her the most consistent player so far this season. She's the perimeter lock-down defender and has shown an ability to knock down that little jumper coming off the screen. She won't have to contribute much on offense, as her worth comes on the defensive end.
Dannah Kemp
Kemp has been lost a little bit in the shuffle the past few games. I'm not sure she will see major minutes in conference play, as her defense has to improve to be out there. She has a nice stroke, but it hasn't been falling much this season (26% on 43 three-ball attempts). She's a three-point specialist, so if she can start to catch fire in games she will start to work her way into the rotation. She's a junior, so she will add nice depth this year and next season.
Michelle Price
Until last night, I wasn't sure if Price would see major minutes again for the rest of the season. She had played sparingly and hadn't produced much. HCJA said she needed to harness her athletic ability and control it. She's not as athletic as Gordon, but she has a much better frame and should be a sturdy post player in the coming years. She's only a freshman, so she has a lot of time to grow and develop. She showed she can be a steady rebounder, but she'll have to work to find a go-to post move to be effective on offense.
Alicia Sanchez
Sanchez hasn't been with the team for awhile now, but I am fairly certain she is still on. From what I have heard from coaches, etc., she will probably be available toward the end of MVC play and the tournament. Not sure if they will burn a year on her, or if she could possibly be red-shirted since she is a junior. But from what I've heard, she's a taller version of Kemp aka a three-point specialist.
Chynna Turner
By far, Turner has the most developed offensive game of any of the posts. She is deceptively fast in her movements and has developed a nifty spinning post move to go to. To compliment that, she has proved to be able to step out and knock down not only a jumper, but a three-pointer. That will be valuable. She's pretty sturdy in frame, but has been picked on on defense recently in conference play. That's the only thing holding her back. That, and her shot selection (sometimes she shoots that guarded jumper early in the shot clock). She has the potential to be a good scorer from the post position, but will have to work on her defense to see major minutes this season.
So that's it. What a core to build around though. HCJA has definitely shown a keen eye for talent already. Morgan (jr), Jessica (fr), Jazimen (fr), Sheena (jr) and Chynna (fr) already part of the core, WSU is in good hands for the future. So who do you think has the most potential of all of these talented gals?[/u]
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