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So Podominick, as expected, is indeed gone. She wants to shot put at the ‘08 Olympics. Anybody can respect and support that.
But there were implications that playing time might have been an issue for Liz as well. The article points out that she is Broback’s roommate. In what is probably a later version of the article Alan posted, Borton says it (the four girls all leaving) was definitely about playing time. We’ll never again have a roster that big, she said.
That big? There are likely to be 10-13 girls on the roster regardless. That talented? Maybe that’s what she meant. We never again want a 9th or 10th player with the kind of talent we had in our 9th and 10th players this year? Or even if we do, they’re not gonna play?
Well, forget all the talk, you can’t really make sense of it. You recruit the best talent you can, that isn’t gonna change.
But under the circumstances I think even worse than the loss of Podominick (OK, not worse, exactly, but not better) was Kelly Mullaney’s announcement that she would be going to the Colorado State branch of the U of M, where Mullaney (Breck), Kelly Finley (Breck, transferring from Northwestern), Emily Neal (Breck), Lindsay Laur (Cretin), Casie Shepard (Prior Lake) and Ashley Samuelson (Underwood) will all be on the roster next year. Mullaney had originally verbally committed to the U but didn’t sign in November and now won’t at all.
Mullaney is not particularly athletic, unless you consider strength to be an athletic skill but you know what I mean. But in addition to being a physically strong woman she has very solid fundamentals and under the new circumstances, she might have played as a freshman. She and Samuelson are probably the best of the Minnesota girls at Colorado State, anyway.
But forget that too. Here is the question.
The Gophers are generally said not to be “athletic,” and not that they’re not strong (up front) but they don’t excel at the up-tempo run and shoot and press style of play that all of the elite programs have mastered. They especially have to get better at protecting the ball and running their offense against a good, quick, pressure defense.
Their roster, and especially at guard, has typically been made up of Minnesota kids. Do Minnesota women (guards) have that kind of skill? Kelly and Coco Miller and Lindsay Whalen seem to be exceptions that prove the rule, and the rule is “no they don’t.” So whether the Gophers ever have as “big” of a roster is one question, whether they ever have as many Minnesota women is another.
Which way is Borton going to go? Keep cultivating Minnesota kids or go national like Clem Haskins did, and ignore a lot of Minnesota talent. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again—whether it’s the men or the women—I’d rather see the Gophers win 20 with homegrown talent than 25 with a bunch of imports. OTOH if you’re talking winning 10-15 games with homegrown talent then you’ve gotta go another way. Forget Broback and Podominick and Davis and Lacy. What is the future direction? I think Borton can do as well as most anybody (not named Frese), but the first thing she’s gotta do is decide whether she can win 20 games with Minnesota kids, or not.
As you think about that, keep in mind that the classes of 2004-05-06 were not that strong. Just look at Ms. Basketball. After Calhoun, Bolden and Podominick came Leslie Knight and Katie Ohm, even less athletic if anything. Knight and Ohm are similar players to one another and similar to Jamie Broback, though it is very unlikely they’ll ever be as good. Ohm may become a contributor, Knight I really think not. But I think the classes of 2007-08 have a lot better potential than the recent ones. We will know what Borton’s intentions are re. Minnesota girls in November when the Gophers either sign or don’t sign:
• Janessa Wollff, Park Rapids, 6-5 center
• Angel Robinson, St. Paul Central, 5-10 guard, who is however more of a half-court player than a full court pressure type player and more of a shoot-first type of guard
• Alyssa Karel, Cretin, also a 5-10 point guard, and more of a classic pass-first point
• Jackie Hiebert, Hopkins, combo forward
• Lisa Nielsen, Willmar, power forward, though probably a St. Cloud State type of player
• Tara Steinbauer, Bloomington Kennedy, 6-1 power forward, Podomonick type player, stronger but not as mobile as Hiebert
• Kachine Alexander, Benilde, a 5-10 forward, most “athletic” of this group, kind of a Shannon Bolden
This is not a great class (OK, we’re reaching a little bit down toward the bottom of the list) but 2 or 3 of them could be better than what we’ve gotten the past few years. Then, 2008 is much better.
• Kamille Wahlin, Crookston, 5-8 guard, a Lindsay Whalen type penetrator and creator, not only a plays a Whalen-style game but the best Minnesota high school guard since Lindsay (well, possibly besides Tayler Hill)
• Kiara Buford, St. Paul Central, 5-10, forward/guard, and the most “athletic” girl in Minnesota high schools today in the sense they use the term “athletic” these days
• Caitlin Rowland, Hopkins, a 6-0 guard
2009
• Tayler Hill, Mpls. South
• Hannah Linz, Eden Valley-Watkins, a great scorer from anywhere and everywhere, great basketball instincts, maybe a little small but don’t bet on it
Now do I know that these girls can play Big Ten ball? I mean, other than Tayler Hill? No. But I’m pretty sure some of the can and will, and will be better than anybody since the class of 2003 (Broback, Roysland, Podominick). I really believe Wahlin and Hill could be major college stars with the whole package of quickness, ball handling, scoring, great instincts for the game. Wolff has the size, certainly, to be as good or better than Podominick. Buford has the athleticism though not (yet) the court judgment (turnovers, stupid fouls).
The other question is if Borton wants to continue recruiting the best Minnesota kids, can she land the black kids? With Davis’ and Lacy’s departure (and Shannon Bolden’s grad) one of the self-appointed spokespersons said “oh my, now there are only two black kids on that team.” Hope this does not auger trouble in the city. This in part is a good reason to recruit Angel Robinson and Kachine Alexander, then Kiara Buford, and I’m sure there are a few others. It would be could if Tayler Hill could envision herself on that team.
(P.S. It will be interesting to see how Mia Johnson, formerly of Mpls. North, formerly of St. Louis U., does at Michigan State when she becomes eligible next fall. Did the U miss on her?)
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marc hugunin <marc@...>
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