Texas vs OU, Game One, Jan. 09, 2019

I will admit that I’m nervous everytime Jada is on the floor, but if you pay attention to the last few minutes in close games, she frequently does the little things - rebound, defend, hustle, free throws - that get us a win. Sometimes just good players are good enough.

 

Is anyone else laughing their a** off reading this thread considering it’s about a game we won. Some posters’ true colors come out in good times as well as bad.

 

I laugh at myself just as I laugh at others. We get a little too serious sometimes.

 

I simply match energy, so I let YOU decide how we're going to act. Bottom line... Don't start no ish, won't be no ish.
#ThatPart

 

You know, this all started innocently enough, with the suggestion that Collier get more playing time---hardly a radical or controversial idea. It wasn't an indictment of any particular player, merely the suggestion that the staff put up with Collier's freshman deficiencies a bit more in order to give her more time on the court to develop her enormous potential strengths. The truth is they already do some of that with all our players, including Jada and Joyner---calculating that the strengths outweigh the weaknesses in certain situations and games. Every coaching staff does it. Sometimes they guess wrong and use a player too much or too little. From President of the United States all the way down to the coach of my daughter's fifth grade basketball team, leaders are not infallible. Unfortunately, neither are we citizen/fans.

 

Because she is a vocal leader in practice and in games, she hustles, encourages, works 200% more than Jatarie...Mide she has earned her start!!

 

Those are good reasons to play but a better reason to play or start is actual performance. I've known a lot of folks to work hard but when the clock starts, performance matters more, which is probably why Mide didn't play a lot at Kstate. That's for every player, not just Mide.

 

Did you just say that Jody Conradt couldn't bring in elite recruits? ROFL. Not that recruiting is the end all - as we've seen during this most recent UT coach administration - but let's not make ridiculous comparisons between Jody Conradt and Karen Aston, ok? Let's not do that. They each have their strengths and weaknesses - but recruiting was not a weakness of JC's time at UT. Easy to deflect when we have an off night, but let's not get delusional. Jody wasn't perfect but she is iconic and she did create an amazing program. Karen's not perfect either but she has achieved some admirable feats during her time at Texas. Those things stand on their own. But clearly, we expect a program with the recruiting classes we've had in the past 7 years to actually live up to the class - and if those classes do not live up to the hype - it is without question - the coaches fault. Period. At the end of the day, it is the coaching staff's job to figure out how to get the most out of its recruits, and how to get them to play at peak levels. That may not be how YOU see it, but that's how ADs see it, and evaluate it. And frankly, that's how folks who know basketball and have played or coached it - know it to be. It is the coach's job to figure it out. Period. No excuses - just figure it out.

 

Definitely agree. Collier won't stick around for this mess. Too good, too smart. Deserves better, and can get better. Disappointing when we can't figure out how to develop and reward potentially great players.

 

And when she DOES manage to get a few minutes, it's almost as if she's being inserted for just THAT -- without much strategic purpose.

 

If she does then so be it.

 

Well, if it's there in black and white, then, yes, I did say it. Here's what I typed:

"Coach Aston is bringing in elite recruits, something Conradt and Goestenkors couldn't do, and why they resigned."

Perhaps I should have stated that between the 1988 and 2007 recruiting classes, she missed on a lot more elite recruits than she signed. Here's what my memory tells me:

-1988: included Cinietra Henderson and Sheryl Swoopes

- After that, recruiting really took a nosedive for like 10 years (until Karen joined the staff in 1998). It was great that we got Vicki Hall and Joanne Benton for 1989, and later local player Edwina Brown, and out of state 3-point shooting sensation Danielle Viglione. But, who else did Conradt sign during that time who was considered "elite"?

Just my opinion, but the main reason why recruiting suffered so much was because Kathy Harston was so bad at it; and, Conradt wouldn't fire her.

The in-state elite players Conradt missed on based on my current memory include:

Alicia Thompson (Texas Tech)
Dena Evans (Virginia)
Debra Williams (Louisiana Tech)
LaQuon Stallworth (Louisiana Tech)
Tamicha Jackson (Louisiana Tech)
Ayana Walker (Louisiana Tech)
Brandi McCain (Florida)
Ashley Robinson (Tennessee)
Tamika Catchings (Tennessee)
Shalonda Ennis (SFA)
Trenia Tillis (SFA)
Kedra Holland (Georgia)
Shereka Wright (Purdue)
Erika Valek (Purdue)
Rachel Hemmer (Stanford)
Pat Luckey (Houston)
Chandi Jones (Houston)
Danielle Crockrom (Baylor)

Once Aston joined the staff in 1998, we started signing players like Heather Schreiber, Kala Bowers, Nina Norman, and Tiffany Jackson.

I'm sure there are more that we signed or missed on that I can't remember at the moment. But, the reason we got worse and worse after 1989-90 season was lack of elite recruits coming to Texas under Conradt's watch. Don't believe we even got to the Sweet 16 again after 1990 until 2002.

 

And at least Jody was gracious and appreciative of her fan base. She understood the importance of support and engaged her fans...and still does! I love talking to her when the occasion arises.
Aston can't build a fan base because it comes across loud and clear that she doesn't want to be bothered.

Just last year I attended an away game with a friend who followed the team on the road pretty religiously. I stood back and watched Karen come off the team bus into the hotel lobby with the team and her select few who came on the flight with the team. There were about 20 fans (who had driven over 1,000 miles one way to support the team) waiting in the lobby to greet the team.

Anyone with ANY class whatsoever would have at the VERY LEAST stopped briefly and said something like "Hey folks, we've got a schedule to adhere to, but I just wanted to stop and say how much I appreciate you all being here to support us at tomorrow's game..." but not Karen Aston. She walked by the fans, halfway smiled with an obligatory wave, and kept right on going.

Later that evening fans were gathered in the hotel lobby to.watch the volleyball team against Stanford in the regional finals... No sign of KA anywhere. She won't ever be able.to build up the fan base like that.

 

Shalonda Ennis went to Trinity Valley Community College and then University of Alabama.

 

Signed with SFA originally.

 

The way I see it, we win way more often than we lose. We usually have a likable group of women to cheer for. Our coach doesn’t look like she belongs in a trailer park. And each season we’re talented enough to make some of us dream that this year could be the year. I’m good.

 

One thing I think happened with this game was too much travel and exhaustion..they should have kep team up north for the 3 days instead of flying back and forth Austin to Ames and back, then in 2 days Austin to Manhattan and back... I know it was a pain in the a** to keep them occupied when they they did that 2 yrs ago, but they seemed very tired...JMHO

 

Kind of obvious to me that, based on the minutes Mide played against KSU and TCU, that her starting was more punishment and mind games towards the others than anything else.