Has there been any recent updates on Jatarie's medical status? I noticed during the tournament she was wearing a boot but seemed to be able to walk and move without difficulty but that's not to say she's ready to play. It appears she has bonded with her team members and she was really into the games and cheering/supporting her team mates. Can't wait to see her play.
I didn't notice the boot during the tourney but she was in several of the clips of practices, seemed to be a full participant.
I watched Jatarie play throughout the Fall at full speed in practices. If she did suffer an injury in March, it was something new.
Zig72, what should we expect of Jatarie's game, based on what you observed? She looked good on an old high school tape on youtube, but, other than that, I don't have a clue.
Keep in mind Jatarie played every day against opponents that matched or exceeded her height, i.e. Kelsey and Audrey. There was never a free lunch. In that type of match-up, Jatarie's strength is her effort. She is physical and not shy of a battle. Defensively, she will be a reliable rebounder. She moves better than Kelsey and you'll see better ball control than we came to expect from Kelsey. Offensively, again, rebounding will be a strength. I don't expect to see a lot of inbound passes to her in a post-up game against big defenders, but that would change if she has a match-up advantage. She does have nice back to the basket skills, but not something you build an offense around. I expect her and Audrey to split minutes, which is fortunate because both will pick up fouls. Rellah is the wild card here - we don't know what to expect until we see it in practice. Coach may want to go "small" at times with Joyner and Rellah in the front court.
Nice story. "Although we had good post play last year, we weren't very physical in the post, and we didn't dominate the inside game," Thompson said. "I think that Jatarie is going to bring that aspect to our game in a sense that she takes up a lot of space but she's also not afraid to get in there and mix it up." "I just want to be remembered as that physical post player that kind of brings the whole team together," White said. "Being able to pass and shoot and create her own shots."
Glad to read those comments about Jatarie. I recall reading during her high school recruitment that she did not want to play Center in college, and that was part of the reason why she chose South Carolina. Hopefully, she has found her niche.
I think she has found her niche. I would not want to be competing against her near the basket without wearing a football helmet. My biggest concern is that she quickly learns how to stay out of foul trouble. During one 90-second stretch in the scrimmage, she was called for 3 fouls. Jatarie has so little actual college playing experience, and no experience with B12 officials, I fear this will be an issue all season. However, she is not a big shot blocker, and that is one double-edged sword that tends to produce fouls, so that will work to her favor. Fortunately, as Karen alluded in her press conference, we have several players who can provide minutes in this event.
