hollins12

Not that it went bad specifically

But she committed already, to Maryland I think it was?

I think there was some off court drama with her and the team but I don't know how big of an impact it really had on her PT. Plus i think UConn settled on a good rotation that obviously worked out for them, so that might not be too much of an indication.

To me she's always a Hokie.

I'm proud to support both her and Liz.

I see your comment now, but this is so funny lol ** Edited by hollins12 at 4/11/2025, 7:26:11 PM

Wish I had been right LOL

is that Ramiya doesn't really fit Duffy's system, so even another year of growth might not turn out much different. Her going to a school with a system better suited to her was probably the best thing for her overall. She showed improvement though so I imagine another year here wouldn't have been for naught.

Doesn't mean there isn't interest but it didn't sound like things were moving.

Not sure that means she's a hidden gem or anything, but I'm sure it didn't help her numbers.

I do think KSU is uniquely equipped to get the most out of a player like her. Ayoka Lee was incredible before she got hurt, and they've had some other really big posts in the past. I think it would've been smarter to go down a level, but there's always a chance she thrives in their system and ends up being a big steal.

But KSU seems like a great fit for her if she can develop. They've got a history with great big post players, so hoping it works out for her. She's definitely got some potential.

is interesting to me because it looked a lot to me like UCLA was trying to do exactly that and UConn never folded. UCLA was really physical on defense and I kept waiting for that to become a problem, but UConn surprised me.

But I follow the stories and teams pretty seriously as much as I can.

Marta is very solid as well, but I remember watching her wen she was with TN where she didn't quite catch the eye. Obviously she's had time to grow, so she'd be a steal as well. We have a couple players and coaches that follow Kate, so I imagine there's at least some familiarity there, though she probably has her pick where to go. ** Edited by hollins12 at 4/1/2025, 6:01:48 PM

I'd love for her and Azzi to get a title after all the injuries and setbacks they've gone through.

You can be a selfless player/person and still need to put yourself first sometimes. It's all about their personal situation. That being said, it very much depends on the person and the place. I think VT is blessed with such a good community that even the superstars would want to stick around, but we're definitely at a disadvantage not being a blue blood or rolling in cash. I think if we keep building the way we are, we have a shot.

She can probably reach out to them or they can go through an agent. She might already have an idea where she wants to go, but that's no automatically what DNC means.

about this to me is that he's fine letting his daughters ride the bench but when it comes to someone that isn't his blood he's gotta kick them off the team? Nasty work

Originally I was a little concerned about bringing in another 1, but as much as I love Mackie and think she's going to be really really good, I'm not sure she's ready to be the full time starting 1. She's still just going to have one year of PT under her belt and in the ACC that's tough unless you're an absolute superstar like Hidalgo et al. I think if we can bring in an experienced 1 to start and share time with Mackie, while not putting full pressure on her and letting Wells and Sears develop, we could have a good plan. Move Carleigh to the 3, have Suffren at the 2 and then figure out the bigs based on what you get from the portal, Baker at stretch 4 and hopefully a 5. That gives Kayl a chance to develop too. (ETA, honestly Lani leaving as much as it sucks might have helped with this because you can slide Wenzel and move Suffren into the starting lineup pretty easily to relieve the log jam at the 1) I know sometimes that doesn't work this say and age, players want their PT immediately, but I don't necessarily get that vibe from this group. This gives them the best chance to develop properly and not be thrown full into the fire a little like they were last year. But who knows what'll happen. ** Edited by hollins12 at 3/29/2025, 12:10:13 PM

But I'm also slightly terrified of Baker choosing to go play with bigger fish, potentially Wenzel too.

but she always seemed a little lost on the court. I'm sure some of that was being a freshman though.

For a freshman, she has SUCH great court vision and her ability to actually hit a target is so advanced.

Which definitely makes keeping the lower body strength needed when you're that tall. I think a year of S&C is gonna do wonders for both our tall girls for very different reasons.

She doesn't move her feet fast enough on the driver's first stepand then ends up behind them trying to swing away to get the big swat. I think once she understands that and starts to get a little stronger in her base then she'll be okay. It's tough to be so much taller and athletic than everyone in HS and then change those habits when everyone else is on the same level in college.

Hurts when Rose gets in foul trouble but now I have a lot more confidence for us going up against some tougher ACC schools. We're going to put up a fight and MAKE people beat us. If we can get the younger posts to come along towards the middle/end of conference play, who knows what could happen. ** Edited by hollins12 at 11/30/2024, 9:42:39 PM

But there's a lot of chances for us to show our stuff. I'm not going to be too concerned if it gets bad. They're a very good team.

She needs to get her dribbling a little more under control, you can see how fast she wants to go, but the passing and her shooting have been a pleasant surprise.

their entire effect on the game.

I keep thinking about that interview where she said, and I don't remember the exact quotes, she wasn't sure she was good enough for the ACC and Duffy telling her she absolutely was. Watching her play now, I can't imagine thinking that. She fits right in.

I do think she's going to have to get a step quicker for that though, her foot speed is a little clunky sometimes, but she has all the talent and skills to make it work. Think this year we need her more down low, so it works out, but who knows going forward.

They had a tough game a few nights ago, didn't use their bench enough, and left themselves vulnerable to being tired for the next one (a VASTLY inferior opponent). The SEC is going to eat them alive if they don't go deeper.

But a few days ago when there was a running tally of every basket scored in UK vs Louisville, that really irritates me. That's why I made a comment.

is that yes, her quity of player has improved, but so has the quality of competition. It might be really tough to be a top 20-30 defense in this conference with our roster, even if it does set up to be MUCH better suited for defense. But I do think we have a chance to settle in that range the next couple of years. I've been impressed so far.

But I can imagine.

You can tell they really care about each other. Seeing the way Samyha in particular kept hyping Ramiya up today was just really special to watch. This is such a good group.

But we really shouldn't have to

I was told to get over it and scroll? Why is it so hard to just NOT post about UK.

It takes up the whole top half of the page. Don't worry, I use the mute button liberally.

You can have all the height in the world but it doesn't matter if the other areas of your game are lacking. Eventually that advantage runs out. I was really skeptical of her when she signed, because I didn't see a lot in her tape, but she's proven me wrong so far and I'm happy to admit that.

but she has incredible touch with her hands and great instincts. As someone that's had back and knee problems since high school (though I'm not anywhere near her height), just knowing how hard it is to MOVE when it feels like your feet are so heavy... if she can get that part of her body working better then she has a ton of potential. I know it's easy to say that when she's so much taller than some of these lower competition schools, but I keep seeing so much potential there and it grows each game. Really proud of all the hard work she's already put in. Also really impressed with Leila in her limited minutes. She's obviously as athletic and fast as anyone on the floor, but she seems a lot more calm and under control when handling the ball and facing pressure than I would've expected. She also had that BEAUTIFUL pass to Ramiya for Ramiya's first basket. Love her game right now. All of the young players flash in so many different ways. Don't know how this year will go, but I think the future is really bright. ** Edited by hollins12 at 11/16/2024, 4:01:23 PM