2023 Offseason

Discussion in 'Women’s Basketball' started by DFW_Horn, Mar 22, 2023.

  1. DFW_Horn

    DFW_Horn 2,500+ Posts

    Thought I'd create a thread for random offseason stuff...

    The Transfer Portal can change a lot of this but, with the player losses that ISU (Joens, Soares), the land thieves (Robertson, Madi Williams, Llanusa) and bears (Bickle, Asberry) are going to have to deal with, Texas and KSU should be the odds on favorites for the Big12 next season.
     
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  2. longhornlegend

    longhornlegend 1,000+ Posts

    We had the most horrendous injury year I can remember in a long time. I know this year would have looked different without those but everyone has to deal with that, we just had an extra serving of it. If we can stay healthy next year and get some outside shooting it will help. I really dislike Shaeffers offense as it doesnt really put people in position to get consistent shots. We get them but it looks so cumbersome to accomplish that. In contrast, watching U Conn's offense is very fun to watch. Constant motion and spacing. Heres to next year and hookem!!!
     
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  3. brnkj

    brnkj 2,500+ Posts

    I think Baylor is going to be really tough next year.. assuming that Blackwell and Edwards stay around to go with returning Andrews, Owens, and the freshman, and their incoming freshman big girl that chose them over us.
     
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  4. Born in ATX

    Born in ATX 500+ Posts

    I was thinking that too. They are losing the big Beluga but get Edwards and then I'm assuming Blackwell will play since she missed almost the whole season. Other than bAiler though, who is there (unless someone hits a home run in the portal)? With the right transfers in, Vic should be able to dominate the conference in our last Big12 season.
     
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  5. CreakyHorn

    CreakyHorn 500+ Posts

    I'm curious about the handwringing over Vic's offensive strategy. His goal is to hold the other team below 60, and then to score 65 to win. He is not interested in winning 95-92. He has a proven track record, with lots of different teams. This year was really challenging. Close to 1/2 of the players were new, and then add injuries on top. The team didn't have the chance they needed to jell. They layed an egg this last game, and it will be interesting to hear (if we do) about why, but I give credit to them for accomplishing what they did. I'm nowhere near ready to question Vic's approach and I look forward to next year.
     
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  6. kurupt

    kurupt 1,000+ Posts

    No one issaying that he needs to be Mike D'Antoni and not care about defense at all and only focus on offense, but there needs to be a balance. As you saw in the game against Louisville that strategy isn't going to cut it playing against talented teams.

    It would obviously help if the returning players such as Rori improved their 3pt and FT shooting so the opposing team has to actually guard you, but more emphasis needs to put on shooting/scoring the ball. And do it in a manner were it doesn't always have to seem so hard to do in the way it's been with his teams since he's been here. Defense is great, but you also have to score the ball.
     
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  7. Malcom

    Malcom 1,000+ Posts

    I think the offense will be fine, we just gotta get healthy. There has to be another point guard on the team next year for sure. Would love to earn that committment from Aaliyah Chavez '25 and Justice Carlton '24
     
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  8. flash34

    flash34 1,000+ Posts

    Schaefer frequently says something to the effect of if the shots go in, it makes everything look easy. Lots of great observations, comments, suggestions. I don’t have anything else. We’ll guess I do have something else……I WILL say that the one thing I didn’t see coming was Harmon’s shooting regression. To an interested observer…..her shooting woes are due to her new upper body physique. Typically smaller point guards get better in skills like shooting going into second year. Players mature and get stronger and better. Some don’t get better due to body type/genes. It’s a crap shoot figuring out how each player matures. Harmon may just have one of her parents upper body strength genes and as a consequence, it is inevitable her shooting suffers. It could also be her new upper body strength is a reflection of weight training and other. I have no idea how to deal with any of that. Quit upper body building? Dropping calories and supplements? The only suggestion I can come up with is shooting millions or billions of shots in the off-season. It is maddening to see defenses disrespecting her shot. Harmon will still be an impact player, but neither she nor the team will reach the top until her shooting improves. Due to her touching the ball offensively so much, her shooting will impact the team tremendously. Here’s pulling for her cause she’s such a competitor.
     
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  9. Run Pincher

    Run Pincher 2,500+ Posts

    I say the best strategy is win every game 105-42.
     
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  10. brnkj

    brnkj 2,500+ Posts

    Waiting for a day when we can sit back and pretty much know that we're going to win certain games. It certainly didn't happen this season outside a few non-conference games.
     
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  11. Moooooo

    Moooooo 5,000+ Posts

    Two things that Vic says which I totally agree with:

    "You win with guards".

    "We recruit to a fit".

    I don't think he followed these guidelines this offseason. Quick, athletic guards like Joanne Allen-Taylor and Aliyah Matharu were going to be hard to replace via the transfer portal. I know we tried to land Lauren Fields; she ended up averaging 4.5 points a game at Arizona. Vic told the media a few weeks ago that he did not target a backup PG out of the transfer portal; that still leaves me scratching my head.

    Shaylee Gonzales and Sonya Morris are nothing like JAT and Matharu. I'm certainly glad they came to Texas as they definitely earned their minutes as starters. Offensively, they helped us tremendously. Defensively, they just don't have that lateral quickness to stay in front of quicker guards. Even if Kyndall had remained part of the team, we saw last year that she did not have the desired lateral quickness defensively to keep opponents from blowing right by her.

    While I'm glad we're getting longer and taller on the perimeter (with Codio, Maul, and Booker), not sure any of them are regarded as quick guards; hope I'm wrong.

    But, with our apparent interest in JJ Quinerly and Jayda Curry, I can see that Vic and staff recognize where we need to improve and add some backcourt players with skills and athletic attributes that we are not set to have in next season's roster, other than Rori. Don't think we'll land both of them; but we desperately need one of them, IMO.
     
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  12. racerx5908

    racerx5908 2,500+ Posts

    To be fair to Vic, he thought he had Hunter and Matharu....until he didn't.
     
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  13. Moooooo

    Moooooo 5,000+ Posts

    As I mentioned, Hunter wasn't gonna be the answer defensively. She burned him twice with her mental health issues.

    Pretty sure he knew Matharu was leaving in the summer due to how often they butted heads last season.
     
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  14. xdxmmxchxxl

    xdxmmxchxxl 250+ Posts

    Taylor Jones confirms on her Instagram she will be returning to the team next season, and we already know Shaylee is as well. Can’t see Rori, AMo, Shae, or Amina leaving; anyone else is really a toss up I think.

    After some of the transfers we saw last season nothing can surprise me at this point regarding everyone else.
     
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  15. Moooooo

    Moooooo 5,000+ Posts

    Did Shaylee herself confirm she is returning? On social media? Obviously I missed it. In the post-game radio interview Monday night, I heard Craig Way state she was returning, but I figured that could mean he was assuming she was returning since she still had one more year of eligibility.
     
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  16. brnkj

    brnkj 2,500+ Posts

    My thoughts also.
     
  17. Sangre Naranjada

    Sangre Naranjada 10,000+ Posts

    Craig Way is not in the habit of blurting out speculative statements, at least on topics like this, so my bet is he has enough solid information about Shaylee to feel comfortable saying what he said.
     
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  18. longhornlegend

    longhornlegend 1,000+ Posts

    He has been very successful and Texas is lucky to have him. He appears to be a very honorable guy and will never embarrass the university. He runs a clean program and the kids play hard for him. We all want what we want and for my 2 cents I would like a more fluid adaptive offense. Not a dig on his record at all. This year ended not the way any of us would have liked but given the injuries it was phenomenal that we got where we did. Louisville was the better team by far but Texas has been gassed for the last month due to depth issues around the injuries.
     
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  19. brnkj

    brnkj 2,500+ Posts

    Agreed on all accounts.
     
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  20. DFW_Horn

    DFW_Horn 2,500+ Posts

    Jak doesn’t seem to have any Portal interest.

     
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  21. xdxmmxchxxl

    xdxmmxchxxl 250+ Posts

    I have never listened to Craig Ways commentary. Yes, Shaylee did indeed say she was returning. I cannot remember where I saw it.

    will do some deep diving later to try and find where exactly it was announced.
     
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  22. xdxmmxchxxl

    xdxmmxchxxl 250+ Posts

    Jak would’ve been my first guess if anyone to enter the portal. Huge news!!
     
  23. DFW_Horn

    DFW_Horn 2,500+ Posts

    I remember her saying that if Texas made the Final 4 she’d definitely return but that is the only comment I know of about future plans.
     
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  24. xdxmmxchxxl

    xdxmmxchxxl 250+ Posts

    Il
    l dive into it later when I have free time. I know I saw it listed somewhere.
     
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  25. Texashorns2022

    Texashorns2022 100+ Posts

     
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  26. HornView

    HornView 1,000+ Posts

    Yay! Shaylee is coming back!
     
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  27. Moooooo

    Moooooo 5,000+ Posts

    13. Texas Longhorns
    Most of the Longhorns' core is back in Austin. It just needs to stay healthy. Getting a full season from 6-1 rising junior Aaliyah Moore, who was lost after nine games to a knee injury, will be key. Shaylee Gonzales is using her extra year, and with a year playing together, the chemistry with All-American candidate point guard Rori Harmon should improve in the backcourt. The addition of top-15 rated incoming freshman wing Madison Booker should also bolster an offense that struggled at the end of the season. DeYona Gaston (6-foot-2) and Taylor Jones (6-foot-4) combined to average over 21 points and 10 rebounds per game.

    Women's college basketball Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings for 2023-24 (espn.com)
     
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  28. Born in ATX

    Born in ATX 500+ Posts

    Just received this years' Texas Fight Tour invite for the 5 major Texas cities, but no mention of Vic, RT or Jerritt. Just CDC and Sark. For any of you with twitter accounts, can you ask CDC why he's not bringing the others? If they want to fire up the fan base for things like supporting NIL opportunities to ensure we stay competitive for players, then you need to get the coaches in front of them. Vic is a heckuva spokesman for his program. They need to bring him to these events.
     
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  29. DFW_Horn

    DFW_Horn 2,500+ Posts

    I was really disappointed when Vic didn't make it to last year's Fort Worth event.
     
  30. Born in ATX

    Born in ATX 500+ Posts

    In today's Statesman (I get the online edition), Kirk Bohls gives some random facts and opinions (some of which are boneheaded, as usual), but includes some info straight from Vic re: upcoming offseason scheduling:
    "Vic Schaefer tells me his women will host UConn and Louisiana Tech, go to Arizona, and play in another Virgin Islands tourney with North Carolina State, Kentucky and South Florida..."
    Texas men's basketball may play UConn early in a revealing matchup
     
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