2021 Recruiting - WBB

Hmmm...trying to figure out how this works out. She, like Rori, are both scoring point guards and could be on the floor together; helps that she’s got 3-6 inches (5’ 11”) on Rori & Kyndall so defensive matchups wouldn’t be as much of an issue. If Kyra moves on next season (still not sure about grad student eligibility waivers for this season), that leaves Vic with 3 underclassmen PGs: sophomores Ashley and Kobe along with freshman Rori.

 

Bleacher Report feature on Kobe from 2018...

Meet Kobe King-Hawea, the Female Baller Blazing a New Path to the Pros

 

I suggest we refer to players by their official class cohort....so Kobe will be a Junior. Eligibility for an extra year may be universal, but in practice it is extremely player specific. Numerous criteria are at play. Does Texas want the player another year? Draft status? Other professional opportunities? Personal or medical considerations?

Otherwise we'll go crazy trying to project rosters 3 to 4 years into the future.

I can only assume she is listed in the article as a "So" as an error, because she will clearly have two years of traditional eligibility remaining.

 

We'll know more over the course of the next few weeks as we see the kind of offense Vic runs this coming season. We are deep at the guard/wing position, so hopefully that includes players who can play multiple positions:

- Kyra Lambert, PG
- Ashely Chevalier, PG
- Joanne Allen-Taylor, PG/SG
- Celeste Taylor, SG/SF
- Karisma Ortiz, SG/SF
- Shay Holle, SG/SF

Come 2021-22, add:

- Rori Harmon, PG
- Kyndall Hunter, PG/SG
- Kobe King-Hawea, PG/SG/SF

As we know, unexpected injuries could force some players to redshirt (hope that trend stops). And, attrition will claim a couple before it is all said and done.

 

And I keep forgetting Karisma...

 

Vic did say she could be used at the 1-4 position. She is a natural point guard but I think she will be used at the 3 spot more than anything. A starting lineup consisting of these 5 is a serious championship caliber team
1. Harmon
2. Taylor
3. King-Hawea
4. Moore
5. Collier( if she returns)

 

Finally found one of the Top 25 Juco player rankings.
2021 Junior College

 

Great news! Our guard position will be stacked next year. Although she is listed as a guard/forward. It appears Kobe is simply a player. Although she surely is playing point as evidenced by her assists, she can play inside and all over based on her rebounding and steals. You can never have too many versatile playmakers. Being delighted isn’t enough, is it possible there is another surprise behind door 3? A tall surprise? Schaefer didn’t say “we are done”. We have 2 more days. Greed is underrated in basketball.

 

Interesting thing about KK-H. I don't know anything about most recruits other than what I learn here and through the social media y'all post. So I clicked on KK-H's IG and went down through a minor rabbit hole.

She is from Australia, but her IG says "Just A Young Kiwi Girl With A Big Dream". Hunh. Kiwi usually means NZ. Okay, maybe her family was originally from NZ.

Then scrolling through her past pictures, I came across this. Notice the name on the jersey of the player screening for her?

Ha-, Ha-, Ashlee Hannan? (Oct 2018 and they're playing a tournament in Asia?)

Then, I tried to look up her stats for 2019-2020 for Casper College....except she's not there, she's listed in 2020-2021....

Wait, digging a bit further, KK-H spent her freshman year at Gillette College (C.C.) and then for her sophmore year she went 2 hours down the highway and joined Casper College.

What's boggling to me is the ranking of a player who played one year at a CC and then has only started (? their web site isn't well maintained) at her second college and is ranked as the #1 JUCO?

I'm happy to get her, don't get me wrong. It's just...confusing how someone is ranked #1 in the JC ranks.

 

If she's considered the #1 player amongst all those who are returning, then that's it. She transferred because Gillette College dropped all their athletic programs. I'm thrilled to be getting her!

 

Not a big deal, but I covered all that with several posts and links on page 20 of this thread, including her connections to former 'Horns, Ashley Hannan and Isabel Palmer.

 

Ahhh, I did not know that.

I literally said "What's boggling to me is the ranking of a player who played one year at a CC and then has only started (? their web site isn't well maintained) at her second college and is ranked as the #1 JUCO?" in not questioning her talent but questioning how players are ranked with sparse history.

Sorry folks with all the players thrown out there as potentials I kinda ignore all the names because I can't keep up and just wait until the announcements or very strong hints that a player is going to go with Texas before paying attention. So, you all know more than me, and I just ask questions that were already answered. Hrummph!

 

Oh yeah! Interesting how things go in a weird circle.

 

And her family moved from New Zealand to Australia in 2012.

 

So, as far I've seen out on social media, Phillipina Kyei has not made a decision; have no idea if she plans to sign with someone this Fall, or wait until the Spring.

 

I just looked at the video of her freshman year that DFW provided. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist ....or Bobby Knight....to see she is a player. I love her flair. Did you notice how she can use either hand? Several go-to moves...I especially like the step back fade away jumper over her right shoulder from left baseline. She has the eurostep too. I even saw the Dirk one legged fade-away. Really good 3 point shot. Elevates well on her mid-range jumper. Uses the bank well inside. She can pass, but she has a scorer’s mentality. Lots more but I REALLY like the flair.....kinda of an attitude. She would be fun to play with. Certainly to watch.

 

What a great signing class! Texas has been snakebit for the past several years with great classes, on paper, blowing up on us via injuries, scholastic dishonesty or flat out evaluation misses. I had such high hopes for Sedona Prince, Destiny Littleton, Chasity Patterson, Rellah Booth, even Joyner Holmes frittered away a promising Sophomore season.

George Washington told me he thought that Sedona would become one of the best Longhorn women bball players....ever. She was so physically gifted. What a shame how that turned out.

Looking forward to breaking the curse with the new coaching staff and a great group of young women joining us in 2021.

 

Texas bolsters its No. 4 recruiting class by signing nation’s No. 1 junior college prospect | Hookem.com

 

Come on down, Phillipina!

 

This is just for anyone who is like me and likes to watch full games and not just highlights just to see how a player really plays. With that being said I can say in full confidence Kobe King-Hawea is the real deal! Her scoring ability is just unmatched and I think she will be the next big thing for Texas.

 

Tomorrow the 18th is last day of early signing period. Don’t know what our new Canadian friend’s thinking would be if she doesn’t sign her LOI tomorrow. Hope she signs with the good guys. If not, then we’ll have until April to speculate.

 

I watched all but the last 3 minutes of the game that Jacob posted above. Some fair and biased observations. Better temper my euphoria on Kobe. She had 20 points when I stopped watching but her game was poor. The play of the two teams was VERY average as expected from JUCO teams from Wyoming. Gillette only really had two players. Their point guard from New Caney, Texas and Kobe. Kobe played all except one minute late in first quarter. She is obviously a scorer but forced a lot of shots and missed several badly. Her percentage was low. Both teams played zone and Kobe had a hard time with her one-on-one moves against the zone. She has some good playground moves, but they weren’t particularly effective. She is a point forward.......no semblance of a point guard. Her defense was simply terrible.....slow laterally, reaching, etc. She can play the 3 or 2 positions, maybe a little 4. She has really good stamina but had to pace herself. I didn’t see any great rebounding skills. These two teams had played an OT game recently but Gillette was outmatched in this game so that perhaps influenced her play and my observations some. Kobe is a real good player but will really have to work on her intensity and defense. When she can go in spurts and doesn’t have to pace herself, her game will be much better. The highlight reels are always misleading. A full game tape is revealing. I still think she will be good or great for Texas in time but right now, she wouldn’t be playing ahead of current Texas players. Being fair, JUCO play in some areas is not good. This is one of them. Kobe would have shown up with better players and she will have that at Texas. She has only played one year of JUCO play. For sure need to see her at Casper this year. My fair and biased opinion is she will have a transition to navigate to the speed and quickness of Power 5 basketball. There are reasons she started JUCO and not Power 5. I just need to temper my expectations right now. She’ll be great....just not right now.

 

Just glancing at the video title/source had me wondering if JUCO’s were already playing then realized it was her old team against her new team.

I really liked her use of the pass fake but she had a couple of questionable entry passes. She certainly has a shooter’s mentality - would’ve liked to see her post up against some of those smaller defenders but that didn’t seem to be part of their game plan. Her defense of driving ball handlers needs a lot of improvement - seemed content at time to just swipe at the ball as they went by.

 

Absolutely. Especially the entry passes. I have watched a few of her games and she tends to do some type of spin on a bounce pass that is never effective and her defense definitely needs some shaping up but the talent is there hands down

 

I agree to a certain extent. I agree that her defense is not very good. She does have bad habits on the defensive side and tends to reach, swipe and doesn't seem to have an idea on where to be to put herself into a good position.

Offensively is where I have a different opinion. She is hands down a scorer. That game she had 26 points on 12-28 shooting but shot terrible from the 3 point line. I will say in that game she did tend to pull up on the 3 point shot after making a move and going nowhere but that's what coaching is for. On the season she took an outstanding 589 shots and shot 48% which is pretty good considering the amount of shots. She has the ability to create her own shot like anyone I have seen before. I especially love her step back and fadeaway shot. I do think she will be a starter when she gets on campus IF she can get the defensive side right which I think Vic can easily correct. With just a little tips and good coaching she could be an elite player and I can't wait to see how her and Rori compliment eachother on the court. I would trust Rori more to handle the ball at this point but Kobe just has that type of play that I love to see in a player as well as Vic and his staff. At this point I think everyone has an idea of the type of player he likes to recruit.

 

Another one!