THIS IS REALLY GOOD. You’ll see, even though it is “anonymous”, it’s still not 100% accurate… but it’s pretty good. Coaches will still be self-serving and self protective even when being anonymous. It’s as close as I’ve seen to the “truth” though.
By Dana O’Neil ESPN.com
The image of college basketball has taken a beating in recent years, with rumors, murmurs and innuendo about cheating spreading like wildfire. Cynics believe no one is trying to follow the NCAA rulebook and that the game has fallen victim to the begging hands of agents, runners and hangers-on looking to collect on the next NBA star.
Is it that bad? What are the real problems? And is the NCAA doing enough to fix those problems?
To get the answers, ESPN.com went to the sources. During the EYBL Peach Jam last week, we interviewed 20 high-profile head coaches, representing each of the six power conferences. With the promise of full anonymity, we asked them to tell the truth about their sport.
And they did.
What is your least favorite part of summer recruiting?
No one likes the constant travel, the bad basketball and the emphasis on individual skills instead of team play.
Coaches travel everywhere to watch high school kids in July, but can’t keep an eye on their own.
But of the coaches surveyed, many — eight of the 20 — cited the time away from campus and their own players as the biggest problem with the summertime.
“I have my team over for a barbecue before I leave in July,” one coach said. “Little do they know it’s a farewell, not a welcome barbecue.”
“You walk into a living room and promise a mother that you’ll be there for her son,” said another. “And as soon as they get on campus, you’re gone.”
“They’re all on campus and I’m on the road,” added another. “If they do something stupid, I’m going to get fired — but I can’t be there to see what they’re doing.”
Some other popular grievances:
“What don’t I like? All of it. I don’t think there should be summer recruiting, period. They want to clean it up? Get rid of it.”
“I’ll tell you another problem — 70 percent of the kids we’re sitting here watching should be in summer school. They shouldn’t be here.”
“What don’t I like about summer? Everything. The babysitting, the ass-kissing. Does that cover it?”
Continue Reading…
Posted 1 month, 1 week ago at 11:54 AM. Add a comment
Swish Appeal had a nice piece on Monica Wright’s first three games in the WNBA…. I can’t wait to take my family to see her play in Washington (Friday the 13th of August!) With her family there, it will be a special night. I won’t be able to wait that long to see her play live though. I’m going to need to make a road trip.
In reviewing game film of Minnesota Lynx rookie guard Monica Wright, Seattle Storm coach Brian Agler noted that she is a confident go-to player and liked “how physical she is for being that young.”
Monica Wright
Wright wasted no time in person showing Agler and the Storm just how good she could be when she came to Key Arena on Wednesday evening.
On an inbounds play during Minnesota’s first possession, Wright came around a screen on the right wing and received the ball from forward Hamchetou Maiga-Ba and in seemingly one fluid motion elevated over Tanisha Wright for quick jumper falling away for the first two points of the game.
That was just a sneak preview of what was to come.
In the first five minutes before a Storm timeout with 4:44 left in the first quarter, Wright had already scored 6 points on 3-5 shooting capped off by a strong layup off of two feet after driving by Wright on the left wing and pulling a crossover on a rotating Lauren Jackson in the middle of the key.
It wasn’t just that the Lynx were running plays to Wright, it’s that she so smoothly showed the ability to score in multiple ways and an undeterred tenacity even in the face of a stalwart defender like Lauren Jackson.
In catching up with her after the game, Wright was definitely disappointed with the Lynx’s 79-76 loss, but relieved by the breakthrough performance in which she finished with 19 points on 8-16 shooting in 34 minutes.
“It just felt like it was a weight lifted off my shoulders,” said Wright. “It was just something I needed to do for the team to be in the game and be able to win.”
The weight Wright was referring to was the 8-31 shooting in her first two games against the Tulsa Shock and Washington Mystics, which some might see as a harbinger of inefficient volume shooting to come. However, Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve shared a more nuanced analysis of her performance with Swish Appeal prior to Wednesday night’s road game against the Seattle Storm.
“You know, without Monica Wright to start the Tulsa game, we don’t get off to a double figure lead,” said Reeve when asked about Wright’s 6-18 and 7 turnover performance against the Shock. “So we didn’t really have a whole lot to say to her. We actually took her out at the end. And we’ve got some veterans that we need to count on. It should not be a situation where you count Monica Wright to get through this time. So I’m more interested in letting Moni just kind of adjust to our league and when she plays well obviously we’ll be really good, it’s just going to take some time.”
Between Agler’s observations of the Lynx offense, Reeve’s faith in her rookie, and Wright’s self-assessment of her game, it might almost seem inevitable that Wright ends up becoming a great scorer in this league. Perhaps needless to say, Wright was a bit better than the Storm expected.
Posted 3 months, 2 weeks ago at 2:24 PM. Add a comment
The WNBA Draft is today! For Monica Wright, her family as well as a host of others, today is a special day. In a little less than an hour, everything Monica has known as a player changes. There will be pay checks, endorsements, appearances, media, pictures, travel. Exciting times! Congratulations to all, enjoy the moment and the day – it’s special. Follow the DRAFT HERE. See our 2010 WNBA MOCK DRAFT HERE.
From By DAVE UTNIK
On the rare occasions when she allowed herself to look beyond the goal directly before her, Monica Wright imagined what it might feel like to walk onto the court for the first time as a professional basketball player.
She’s never been one to assume anything. The University of Virginia’s all-time scoring leader has spent her entire career pursuing one small milestone after another.
Looking too far ahead isn’t her thing. Wright prepares for the moment and then moves on. It’s a personal rule that has worked out well because everywhere she goes, success ultimately follows.
But even Wright has day dreams.
Monica Wright's Draft Day
And her happily-ever-after visions have usually involved playing in the Women’s National Basketball Association.
Even as a high school sophomore, when she was just beginning to discover her potential as one of the nation’s elite women’s basketball players, it was assumed by everyone around her that Wright would play in the WNBA.
Her talent was that obvious.
Almost everything Wright has accomplished over the past decade—two high school state championships at Forest Park and first-team Associated Press All-America honors at Virginia—has led her to this afternoon’s draft in Secaucus, N.J., where the best player in Prince William County history is expected to be among the top five selections. She won’t get past the second pick.
“I can see myself around the perimeter playing maybe one through three. That’s where I have been playing throughout my whole career,” Wright said. “But I feel the most comfortable at shooting guard.
“As I have heard and learned, this draft is going to be guard heavy so it’s going to be exciting to see where everybody goes.”
Pre-draft buzz has Wright reaching the podium within 10 minutes, most likely as the No. 2 or No. 3 overall pick—shortly after the Connecticut Sun select UConn center Tina Charles with the first pick.
Here is a quick look at where Wright could be headed:
Connecticut Su
1st and 7th overall pick
After finishing sixth in the Eastern Conference last season at 16-18, the Sun had a busy offseason. They acquired 2009 first-round pick Renee Montgomery from Minnesota in exchange for the first overall pick. On Wednesday, they traded guard/forward Amber Holt and center Chante Black to the Tulsa Shock to get the No. 7 pick.
Connecticut, which desperately needs a center, is expected to select Charles. The last two No. 1 selections—Angel McCoughtry and Candice Parker—went on to win rookie of the year honors.
The Sun would certainly choose Wright at No. 7, but she probably won’t last that long.
Minnesota Lynx
2nd and 3rd overall pick
The Lynx seem to be a perfect fit for Wright, who led the Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring and was named the NCAA defensive player of the year.
First-year coach Cheryl Reeves wants defense to be a priority after Minnesota gave up the second-most points in the league a year ago. And that is Wright’s forte. ACC and National Defensive Player of the year, check.
The thing about Wright is that she also creates match-up problems with her speed and versatility. She’s started at point guard, shooting guard and small forward at one point or another in her career. The Lynx appear to be set in the backcourt after acquiring Lindsey Whalen from the Sun to play alongside Candice Wiggins.
Chicago Sky
4th overall pick
The Sky nearly made the playoffs for the first time since joining the league in 2005 and Wright is just the kind of athlete who could finally lead them there.
If the Lynx don’t select Wright with one of their two picks, then the Sky almost assuredly will despite five guards on the active roster, including point guard Kristi Toliver, from Maryland, and Jia Perkins.
The Sky bolstered their front court by getting center Courtney Paris from Sacramento in the dispersal draft and Shameka Christon is a trade with the Liberty.
What they need now is an impact scorer. With one pick in the first two rounds, Chicago will have to draft wisely.
San Antonio Silver Star
5th overall pick
The Stars are the first 2009 playoff team to make a pick in this year’s draft. After nearly upsetting eventually champion Phoenix in the Western Conference semifinals, there aren’t many weaknesses.
They addressed a need for rebounding by trading for center Michelle Snow, signing Tasha Humphrey and getting forward Laura Harper in the dispersal draft.
All-Star Becky Hammon and shooting guard Roneeka Hodges are the likely backcourt starters, but Wright has a way of blending in almost anywhere.
Washington Mystic
6th overall pick
It’s probably wishful thinking. As wonderful as it would be for Wright to play—and star—in her hometown, there is very little chance of her landing in D.C.
The Mystics are one of the league’s up-and-coming teams after a string of successful drafts and the recent signing of all-star guard Katie Smith, who should play along with Alana Beard and Lindsey Harding in a three-guard backcourt.
After reaching the Eastern Conference semifinals last season, the Mystics could still use another versatile small forward. Maybe they’ll be lucky enough to find Wright still on the draft board at No. 6. It’s not likely though.
Posted 4 months, 4 weeks ago at 1:07 PM. 1 comment
I was forwarded an interesting email while in San Antonio. With the economy and every school’s ever-crunching budgets, I found this very interesting. The cost of success and the cost of running quality programs continues to skyrocket. Now deficit’s are mounting for many, many schools.
According to forms filed with the federal government, these schools reported the largest deficits for their women’s basketball programs in regard to the 2008-09 season:
School Deficit
1. Kansas $3,177,605
2. South Carolina $3,155,424
3. Arkansas $3,120,026
4. Texas A&M $2,996,821
5. Virginia $2,933,888
6. Auburn $2,874,009
7. Duke $2,836,386
8. Auburn $2,761,504
9. Oklahoma $2,677,885
10. Northwestern $2,652,529
11. Texas $2,639,111
12. Georgia Tech $2,479,525
The cost of Big 12 basketball
As this chart shows, one-third of the Big 12 schools lost money on basketball during the 2008-09 season, largely because of the massive deficits associated with their women’s teams. The revenues and expenses listed for each school were taken from forms filed with the federal government. The revenues listed for Baylor, a private school, may include subsidies from the university.
Texas
Women/Men/Total
Revenue: 1,918,013/ 14,770,278/ 16,688,291
Expenses: 4,557,124/ 7,891,661/ 12,448,785
Profit or loss -2,639,111/ 6,878,617/ 4,239,506
Texas A&M
Women/Men/Total
Revenue: 1,049,951/ 8,984,818/ 10,034,769
Expenses: 4,046,772/ 6,219,442/ 10,266,214
Profit or loss: -2,996,821/ 2,765,376/ -231,445
Texas Tech
Women/Men/Total
Revenue: 1,746,714/ 6,479,893/ 8,226,607
Expenses: 2,734,893/ 3,831,828/ 6,566,721
Profit or loss: -988,179/ 2,648,065/ 1,659,886
Baylor
Women/Men/Total
Revenue: 4,082,782/ 4,595,742/ 8,678,524
Expenses: 4,082,782/ 4,595,742/ 8,678,524
Profit or loss: 0/ 0/ 0
Oklahoma
Women/Men/Total
Revenue: 1,448,696/ 6,753,149/ 8,201,845
Expenses: 4,126,551/ 5,409,808/ 9,536,359
Profit or loss: -2,677,855/ 1,343,341/ -1,334,514
Oklahoma State
Women/Men/Total
Revenue: 427,816/ 11,052,293/ 11,480,109
Expenses: 2,118,334/ 5,166,055/ 7,284,389
Profit or loss: -1,690,518/ 5,886,238/ 4,195,720
Colorado
Women/Men/Total
Revenue: 389,436/ 3,993,889/ 4,383,325
Expenses: 2,710,495/ 3,951,423/ 6,661,918
Profit or loss: -2,321,059/ 42,466/ -2,278,593
Iowa State
Women/Men/Total
Revenue: 1,541,423/ 6,197,669/ 7,739,092
Expenses: 2,996,712/ 4,296,701/ 7,293,413
Profit or loss: -1,455,289/ 1,900,968/ 445,679
Kansas
Women/Men/Total
Revenue: 315,529/ 15,737,145/ 16,052,674
Expenses: 3,493,134/ 8,219,362/ 11,712,496
Profit or loss: -3,177,605/ 7,517,783/ 4,340,178
Kansas State
Women/Men/Total
Revenue: 765,006/ 5,656,041/ 6,421,047
Expenses: 2,513,866/ 4,608,889/ 7,122,755
Profit or loss: -1,748,860/ 1,047,152/ -701,708
Missouri
Women/Men/Total
Revenue: 354,849/8,857,828/9,212,677
Expenses: 2,028,463/4,528,720/6,557,183
Profit or loss: -1,673,614/4,329,108/2,655,494
Nebraska
Women/Men/Total
Revenue: 695,026/6,297,232/6,992,258
Expenses: 2,247,575/3,961,218/6,208,793
Profit or loss: -1,552,549/2,336,014/783,465
Posted 5 months ago at 10:49 AM. 4 comments
