From the "what the hell?" department: Marion Jones is attempting a comeback as a pro basketball player. The New York Times also had a story about it, but referred to the San Antonio Silver Stars as the Silver Streaks in an earlier online edition. Now it appears they've fixed that.
This guy kicks ass for girls basketball.
Oklahoma sophomore shooting guard Whitney Hand is out for the season after tearing her ACL in last Friday's game against San Diego State. It makes me so sad, as I love her game and her heart. Get well quick, Whitney.
Tennessee sophomore center Kelley Cain will sit out for a few with a concussion. That sucks.
And Lisa Leslie is going to have a second child. I wonder when.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Justine Hartman out for the year
Brea Olinda junior center Justine Hartman will sit out this basketball season after tearing her ACL earlier this month, Coach Jeff Sink said. The loss leaves the defending state champions, ranked sixth in the country by ESPN, with a hole in the middle of the floor.
"It's a huge loss for us, but we'll be allright," Sink said.
Hartman played on the USA Basketball U16 team this summer, which won a gold medal. She is ranked seventh on ESPN's Super 60 list for the class of 2011.
"It's a huge loss for us, but we'll be allright," Sink said.
Hartman played on the USA Basketball U16 team this summer, which won a gold medal. She is ranked seventh on ESPN's Super 60 list for the class of 2011.
Baylor 87, Lamar 65
I hate to sound like a broken record, but this piece includes some very interesting quotes:
“You just don’t have an answer for Griner,” Lamar coach Larry Tidwell said of Baylor’s post. “And if you do, you don’t have an answer for Melissa Jones. And I think Melissa Jones is one of the very best basketball players in the whole country.”
Lamar had no answer for Griner on either end. She repeatedly reached over smaller opponents to grab offensive rebounds and anchored Baylor’s defense by tying her career high for blocked shots.
“That kid is phenomenal,” Tidwell said. “We took it in there and she would send it right back. It’s sort of like Lew Alcindor before he became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar....”
I agree about Melissa Jones.
Meanwhile, the ESPN/USA Today top five remains the same:
1. Connecticut
2. Stanford
3. Ohio State
4. North Carolina
5. Tennessee
It's already a very interesting season.
“You just don’t have an answer for Griner,” Lamar coach Larry Tidwell said of Baylor’s post. “And if you do, you don’t have an answer for Melissa Jones. And I think Melissa Jones is one of the very best basketball players in the whole country.”
Lamar had no answer for Griner on either end. She repeatedly reached over smaller opponents to grab offensive rebounds and anchored Baylor’s defense by tying her career high for blocked shots.
“That kid is phenomenal,” Tidwell said. “We took it in there and she would send it right back. It’s sort of like Lew Alcindor before he became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar....”
I agree about Melissa Jones.
Meanwhile, the ESPN/USA Today top five remains the same:
1. Connecticut
2. Stanford
3. Ohio State
4. North Carolina
5. Tennessee
It's already a very interesting season.
Orange County (and beyond) tournament brackets
Brea Olinda 30th Annual Ladycat Classic 2009
Monday, Nov. 30, 2009:
2:45 p.m. - Canyon Springs vs. Keppel
4:30 p.m. - Narbonne vs. Bishop Alemany
6:15 p.m. - Brea Olinda vs. JSerra Catholic
8 p.m. - Santa Monica vs. Riverside Poly
Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009:
2:45 p.m. - Riverside Poly vs. Summit
4:30 p.m. - Brea Olinda vs. Fairfax
6:15 p.m. - Hanford vs. Canyon Springs
8 p.m. - Oak Ridge vs. Bishop Alemany
Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009:
2:45 p.m. - Santa Monica vs. Summit
4:30 p.m. - Oak Ridge vs. Narbonne
6:15 p.m. - Hanford vs. Keppel
8 p.m. - JSerra Catholic vs. Fairfax
Bracket play begins Thursday, Dec. 3, with the championship Saturday, Dec. 5.
Here are some other tourney brackets:
The La Jolla Country Day Sweet 16 Tournament starts Wednesday in La Jolla, CA.
The South Coast Holiday Classic in Irvine, CA begins Saturday.
The Troy Varsity Girls Hoops Showcase starts Monday, Dec. 7 in Fullerton, CA.
The 2009 Girls Varsity Christmas Classic at Magnolia High School begins Dec. 14, in Anaheim, CA.
The Garden Grove Varsity Tournament starts Dec. 26 in Garden Grove, CA.
Monday, Nov. 30, 2009:
2:45 p.m. - Canyon Springs vs. Keppel
4:30 p.m. - Narbonne vs. Bishop Alemany
6:15 p.m. - Brea Olinda vs. JSerra Catholic
8 p.m. - Santa Monica vs. Riverside Poly
Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009:
2:45 p.m. - Riverside Poly vs. Summit
4:30 p.m. - Brea Olinda vs. Fairfax
6:15 p.m. - Hanford vs. Canyon Springs
8 p.m. - Oak Ridge vs. Bishop Alemany
Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009:
2:45 p.m. - Santa Monica vs. Summit
4:30 p.m. - Oak Ridge vs. Narbonne
6:15 p.m. - Hanford vs. Keppel
8 p.m. - JSerra Catholic vs. Fairfax
Bracket play begins Thursday, Dec. 3, with the championship Saturday, Dec. 5.
Here are some other tourney brackets:
The La Jolla Country Day Sweet 16 Tournament starts Wednesday in La Jolla, CA.
The South Coast Holiday Classic in Irvine, CA begins Saturday.
The Troy Varsity Girls Hoops Showcase starts Monday, Dec. 7 in Fullerton, CA.
The 2009 Girls Varsity Christmas Classic at Magnolia High School begins Dec. 14, in Anaheim, CA.
The Garden Grove Varsity Tournament starts Dec. 26 in Garden Grove, CA.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
It's time for high school tournaments
Next week is the week of tournaments in the Los Angeles area. Here's the first-day schedule for the Inglewood Classic, which begins Monday:
Monday Nov 30, at St. Marys Academy HS
3:00pm Redondo vs King Drew
4:30pm Serra vs St.Mary
6:00pm Taft vs Marlborough
Monday Nov 30, at St. Bernard HS
3:00pm Beverly Hills vs Sun Valley Poly
4:30pm South Torrance vs St. Bernard
6:00pm Huntington Park vs Culver City
7:30pm Crenshaw vs Wasington Prep
Monday Nov 30, at Morningside HS
3:00pm Mira Costa vs Morningside
4:30pm Bishop Montgomery vs SouthEast
6:00pm LB Jordan vs Peninsula
7:30pm BellJeff vs University
Monday Nov 30, at Inglewood HS
3:00pm Westchester vs Blair
4:30pm Venice vs Sierra Canyon
6:00pm Chatsworth vs Monroe
Inglewood and Long Beach Poly 1st round bye.
Second and third rounds are played Tuesday and Wednesday, and the tournament takes a break Thursday. Games resume Friday, with the championship Saturday.
Brea Olinda's Ladycat Classic is next week, also. As soon as Brea Coach Jeff Sink posts or sends me a schedule, I'll run it.
Coaches: feel free to send me your holiday tournament schedule, no matter where you are in the U.S., and I'll post it.
Monday Nov 30, at St. Marys Academy HS
3:00pm Redondo vs King Drew
4:30pm Serra vs St.Mary
6:00pm Taft vs Marlborough
Monday Nov 30, at St. Bernard HS
3:00pm Beverly Hills vs Sun Valley Poly
4:30pm South Torrance vs St. Bernard
6:00pm Huntington Park vs Culver City
7:30pm Crenshaw vs Wasington Prep
Monday Nov 30, at Morningside HS
3:00pm Mira Costa vs Morningside
4:30pm Bishop Montgomery vs SouthEast
6:00pm LB Jordan vs Peninsula
7:30pm BellJeff vs University
Monday Nov 30, at Inglewood HS
3:00pm Westchester vs Blair
4:30pm Venice vs Sierra Canyon
6:00pm Chatsworth vs Monroe
Inglewood and Long Beach Poly 1st round bye.
Second and third rounds are played Tuesday and Wednesday, and the tournament takes a break Thursday. Games resume Friday, with the championship Saturday.
Brea Olinda's Ladycat Classic is next week, also. As soon as Brea Coach Jeff Sink posts or sends me a schedule, I'll run it.
Coaches: feel free to send me your holiday tournament schedule, no matter where you are in the U.S., and I'll post it.
Freshmen taking over?
Everybody's talking about the class of 2011, but there are three in the class of 2009 who are looking pretty scary right now.
Baylor freshman Brittney Griner continued her rampage of consistency today against Louisiana-Lafayette, putting up 14 points and pulling down 14 boards in a mere 19 minutes in the Bears win, 89-42. It was a career best in rebounds for Griner as she lead her team.
In the Tennessee-UCLA matchup, it was Vol frosh Taber Spani who heated up to give her team the juice to close out the win. She lead the Vols in scoring with 16points.
On the other side of the court it was Bruin frosh Markel Walker who lead her team - something she's been doing a lot lately - with 19 points and 14 rebounds.
Griner's performances have been somewhat surprising, because freshmen almost always experience the "small fish in a big pond" syndrome when they first get to college - even when they can dunk the ball. Spani has risen from the middle to top of the pack in the 2009 class that I saw play at the Women's College Basketball Association high school all-star game in St. Louis last April. Tennessee fans say her maturity is unusual for her age, and that she seems to have been bred for college hoops.
Walker is perhaps the biggest surprise of the bunch. She was on the white team in the WBCA game, was ranked fourth by ESPN, but still flew under the radar. She wasn't as well-known as, say, Skylar Diggins or Kelsey Bone. But she not only made the starting line-up of a D I team, she's one of its leading scorers.
Big ups to these three. I can't wait to see what each of them do next.
In Pac-10 news, USC beat another ranked opponent today, besting #22 Mississippi State 64-60. Wisconsin squeaks one out over Oregon, 58-57. And Oregon State tonight won the Northern Arizona University Classic.
Baylor freshman Brittney Griner continued her rampage of consistency today against Louisiana-Lafayette, putting up 14 points and pulling down 14 boards in a mere 19 minutes in the Bears win, 89-42. It was a career best in rebounds for Griner as she lead her team.
In the Tennessee-UCLA matchup, it was Vol frosh Taber Spani who heated up to give her team the juice to close out the win. She lead the Vols in scoring with 16points.
On the other side of the court it was Bruin frosh Markel Walker who lead her team - something she's been doing a lot lately - with 19 points and 14 rebounds.
Griner's performances have been somewhat surprising, because freshmen almost always experience the "small fish in a big pond" syndrome when they first get to college - even when they can dunk the ball. Spani has risen from the middle to top of the pack in the 2009 class that I saw play at the Women's College Basketball Association high school all-star game in St. Louis last April. Tennessee fans say her maturity is unusual for her age, and that she seems to have been bred for college hoops.
Walker is perhaps the biggest surprise of the bunch. She was on the white team in the WBCA game, was ranked fourth by ESPN, but still flew under the radar. She wasn't as well-known as, say, Skylar Diggins or Kelsey Bone. But she not only made the starting line-up of a D I team, she's one of its leading scorers.
Big ups to these three. I can't wait to see what each of them do next.
In Pac-10 news, USC beat another ranked opponent today, besting #22 Mississippi State 64-60. Wisconsin squeaks one out over Oregon, 58-57. And Oregon State tonight won the Northern Arizona University Classic.
Hoopgurlz' Glenn Nelson doesn't like to be called thin-skinned
Glenn Nelson began a thread a few days ago asking readers whether or not to continue the Hoopgurlz forums.
On the second page, one poster, "mygirlcanflatoutball," dares to speak up and say that she/he feels like Nelson's management of the board has "limited posting to a certain extent." In case Nelson deletes the thread entirely, I'll go ahead and post the discussion:
Quote:
Originally Posted by glenn
I think I've made a bigger push than others to keep the hate off the boards. Do you think people have confused that effort and now are afraid to post? Even if we assume that we have a registration issue, we do have more than 8,000 registered users, which would make us one of the largest sports communities, especially on female sports, on the Web.
mygirlcanflatoutball: I do think it is possible that your management of the forums has limited posting to an extent. You have made it clear it's your world; one can assimilate to your processes and mindset or choose to not participate. If not they will be banned for lack of compliance.
The forums make good reading even if many of us choose not to post on a regular basis. I come here as much for the forum as for the national correspondent based coverage. I think they are a vital part of your offering. It’d be a shame to see them go away.
(11/25/09)
glenn: Well, yes, mygirlcanflatoutball is correct in the sense that if you disagree with my policy of not slamming teenaged girls, I have no tolerance. I make no apologies for that. That has nothing to do with people choosing not to post information or having constructive discussion.
(11/25/09)
Quote:
Originally Posted by glenn
Well, yes, mygirlcanflatoutball is correct in the sense that if you disagree with my policy of not slamming teenaged girls, I have no tolerance. I make no apologies for that. That has nothing to do with people choosing not to post information or having constructive discussion.
mygirlcanflatoutball: Your response to my post serves as an excellent example of what I was talking about as politely as possible in my previous post. Glenn I do not know you personally, but you sure give the appearance of having fairly thin skin and being a bit prickly to boot. I have always found that a little unsettling
You jump in aggressively if there is even a whiff of something you do not like. That trait gives me pause when I consider posting, in fact I was torn as to post or not post my opinion on this issue, not wanting to be attacked or dismissed by you. I’ll go back to reading the posts and staying silent for the most part. I really do like my local area forum and enjoy skimming the national one as well. I think they represent the great tradition of Hoopgurlz before it got bigger and perhaps even better.
(11/26/09)
Quote:
Originally Posted by mygirlcanflatoutball
Your response to my post serves as an excellent example of what I was talking about as politely as possible in my previous post. Glenn I do not know you personally, but you sure give the appearance of having fairly thin skin and being a bit prickly to boot. I have always found that a little unsettling
You jump in aggressively if there is even a whiff of something you do not like. That trait gives me pause when I consider posting, in fact I was torn as to post or not post my opinion on this issue, not wanting to be attacked or dismissed by you. I’ll go back to reading the posts and staying silent for the most part. I really do like my local area forum and enjoy skimming the national one as well. I think they represent the great tradition of Hoopgurlz before it got bigger and perhaps even better.
scribe: You've stated that so very eloquently, mygirlcanflatoutball. Thank you very much.
The reasons you've stated are the reasons why I don't post here - I just lurk. You feel that if you don't conform to the "accepted" viewpoints here, whatever that is, that you'll be banned.
(11/26/09)
glenn: mygirlcanflatoutball, scribe: I don't get it. I didn't slam anyone. I'm a writer, so I'm pretty clear in my posts. Do I get penalized for that trait? Meanwhile, you guys use pretty charged words to aim at me, and you address me by name while you remain anonymous. I guess I'm at a loss as to how you would feel the equation is tilted against you.
Most people have -- and probably will -- say the forums should be continued, but there are many people who seem overly sensitive and then project that sensitivity onto me. And that, quite frankly, ruins the forum experience for me.
The only "accepted" viewpoint here is that you do not slam teenaged girls who either read or used to read these forums. They are in a critical stage of developing identity and ego and it's just not right. If you don't agree, then, yes, do not post.
(11/26/09)
scribe went on to post something to this effect Friday morning:
mygirlcanflatoutball said it about as politely as possible. If you feel like she used "charged words," then you do seem like you're thin-skinned.
That post is now gone, and scribe has now been banned, as you can see from the fact that her/his name is no longer bolded and the number of posts she/he had is no longer listed.
Does anyone else see the irony in someone being called over-sensitive banning someone from a message board for saying he appears to be over-sensitive?
Nelson wouldn't last long on the rebkell board.
On the second page, one poster, "mygirlcanflatoutball," dares to speak up and say that she/he feels like Nelson's management of the board has "limited posting to a certain extent." In case Nelson deletes the thread entirely, I'll go ahead and post the discussion:
Quote:
Originally Posted by glenn
I think I've made a bigger push than others to keep the hate off the boards. Do you think people have confused that effort and now are afraid to post? Even if we assume that we have a registration issue, we do have more than 8,000 registered users, which would make us one of the largest sports communities, especially on female sports, on the Web.
mygirlcanflatoutball: I do think it is possible that your management of the forums has limited posting to an extent. You have made it clear it's your world; one can assimilate to your processes and mindset or choose to not participate. If not they will be banned for lack of compliance.
The forums make good reading even if many of us choose not to post on a regular basis. I come here as much for the forum as for the national correspondent based coverage. I think they are a vital part of your offering. It’d be a shame to see them go away.
(11/25/09)
glenn: Well, yes, mygirlcanflatoutball is correct in the sense that if you disagree with my policy of not slamming teenaged girls, I have no tolerance. I make no apologies for that. That has nothing to do with people choosing not to post information or having constructive discussion.
(11/25/09)
Quote:
Originally Posted by glenn
Well, yes, mygirlcanflatoutball is correct in the sense that if you disagree with my policy of not slamming teenaged girls, I have no tolerance. I make no apologies for that. That has nothing to do with people choosing not to post information or having constructive discussion.
mygirlcanflatoutball: Your response to my post serves as an excellent example of what I was talking about as politely as possible in my previous post. Glenn I do not know you personally, but you sure give the appearance of having fairly thin skin and being a bit prickly to boot. I have always found that a little unsettling
You jump in aggressively if there is even a whiff of something you do not like. That trait gives me pause when I consider posting, in fact I was torn as to post or not post my opinion on this issue, not wanting to be attacked or dismissed by you. I’ll go back to reading the posts and staying silent for the most part. I really do like my local area forum and enjoy skimming the national one as well. I think they represent the great tradition of Hoopgurlz before it got bigger and perhaps even better.
(11/26/09)
Quote:
Originally Posted by mygirlcanflatoutball
Your response to my post serves as an excellent example of what I was talking about as politely as possible in my previous post. Glenn I do not know you personally, but you sure give the appearance of having fairly thin skin and being a bit prickly to boot. I have always found that a little unsettling
You jump in aggressively if there is even a whiff of something you do not like. That trait gives me pause when I consider posting, in fact I was torn as to post or not post my opinion on this issue, not wanting to be attacked or dismissed by you. I’ll go back to reading the posts and staying silent for the most part. I really do like my local area forum and enjoy skimming the national one as well. I think they represent the great tradition of Hoopgurlz before it got bigger and perhaps even better.
scribe: You've stated that so very eloquently, mygirlcanflatoutball. Thank you very much.
The reasons you've stated are the reasons why I don't post here - I just lurk. You feel that if you don't conform to the "accepted" viewpoints here, whatever that is, that you'll be banned.
(11/26/09)
glenn: mygirlcanflatoutball, scribe: I don't get it. I didn't slam anyone. I'm a writer, so I'm pretty clear in my posts. Do I get penalized for that trait? Meanwhile, you guys use pretty charged words to aim at me, and you address me by name while you remain anonymous. I guess I'm at a loss as to how you would feel the equation is tilted against you.
Most people have -- and probably will -- say the forums should be continued, but there are many people who seem overly sensitive and then project that sensitivity onto me. And that, quite frankly, ruins the forum experience for me.
The only "accepted" viewpoint here is that you do not slam teenaged girls who either read or used to read these forums. They are in a critical stage of developing identity and ego and it's just not right. If you don't agree, then, yes, do not post.
(11/26/09)
scribe went on to post something to this effect Friday morning:
mygirlcanflatoutball said it about as politely as possible. If you feel like she used "charged words," then you do seem like you're thin-skinned.
That post is now gone, and scribe has now been banned, as you can see from the fact that her/his name is no longer bolded and the number of posts she/he had is no longer listed.
Does anyone else see the irony in someone being called over-sensitive banning someone from a message board for saying he appears to be over-sensitive?
Nelson wouldn't last long on the rebkell board.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Brittany Spears and Whitney Houston play basketball
The New York Times calls attention to the fact that two of the University of Colorado starters have celebrity names in a story that ran yesterday. It's a story worth noting, as I can attest to the oddity of hearing a basketball emcee call out a singer's name. I watched Brittany Spears play all summer long.
The junior forward was home in Pasadena and played for the Fastbreak team in the Say No Classic League - the same team, coincidentally, that included my favorite point guard, that was coached by a friend of mine, and that won the league championship title.
Spears has a silky shot, and was one of the top scorers for Fastbreak. I thoroughlly enjoyed watching her play. But I remember the first time the announcer said her name after she made a dazzling bucket. I questioned my coach friend later, in disbelief.
"Is her name really Brittany Spears?" I asked.
One morning he had to give her a ride.
"I had to pick up Brittany Spears in Pasadena," he told me.
But I didn't realize she had a teammate named Whitney Houston. You gotta love it.
In other news......
Thin-bench USC got its first win over a ranked opponent today, beating #14 Texas 61-54 at the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands.
After Notre Dame Coach Muffet McGraw notched 500 wins last night, UConn Coach Geno Auriemma got his 700th tonight.
UCLA Coach Nikki Caldwell is banning her family from wearing orange for tomorrow's game against Tennessee.
And Oregon is unbeaten, and last night almost broke the school record for scoring. Should I scream yet?
The junior forward was home in Pasadena and played for the Fastbreak team in the Say No Classic League - the same team, coincidentally, that included my favorite point guard, that was coached by a friend of mine, and that won the league championship title.
Spears has a silky shot, and was one of the top scorers for Fastbreak. I thoroughlly enjoyed watching her play. But I remember the first time the announcer said her name after she made a dazzling bucket. I questioned my coach friend later, in disbelief.
"Is her name really Brittany Spears?" I asked.
One morning he had to give her a ride.
"I had to pick up Brittany Spears in Pasadena," he told me.
But I didn't realize she had a teammate named Whitney Houston. You gotta love it.
In other news......
Thin-bench USC got its first win over a ranked opponent today, beating #14 Texas 61-54 at the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands.
After Notre Dame Coach Muffet McGraw notched 500 wins last night, UConn Coach Geno Auriemma got his 700th tonight.
UCLA Coach Nikki Caldwell is banning her family from wearing orange for tomorrow's game against Tennessee.
And Oregon is unbeaten, and last night almost broke the school record for scoring. Should I scream yet?
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Nikki Caldwell goes back to Knox Vegas, and Pat Summitt
I so wish I could be there Saturday for the UCLA @ Tennessee game - the first time Bruin Coach Nikki Caldwell plays her former boss' team. But plane tickets, even back in September, were $500 freakin dollars.
This story sums things up well:
She has brought her Tennessee ties with her to L.A. Her assistants, Tasha Butts and Tony Perotti are both Tennessee natives and worked in the Tennessee program. And she has brought more than a little of Summitt, too. Caldwell is cool and controlled, confident and persuasive. She has more than a few of the legendary coach's personality traits.
Caldwell said Summitt taught her to be on top of her game, as a coach, in every setting.
"Whether it's a fundraiser or speaking to donors, speaking to fans or getting the team prepared to play," Caldwell said. "She always talked a lot about not taking possessions off. You can't take them off as a coach either. You are always, always on."
And:
Summitt knew Caldwell would be a good fit for UCLA. She pushed her for the job – an endorsement that's hard to beat.
"I've felt all along that she was head coach material," Summitt said. "Watching her work in our practices and just seeing her toughness; a lot of people think she is the next Pat Summitt as far as what she demands. She demands a lot. I always say 'you don't get what you expect, you get what you demand,' and I think Nikki Caldwell understands that."
I hope my UCLA season ticket holder friends keep their promise and take pictures and bring me stuff.
Edit Friday morning to add:
Tennessee Assistant Coach Holly Warlick and Caldwell are trash talking this A.M. on twitter. Warlick wrote to Caldwell, "I hope you are ready for tomorrow!" To which Caldwell responded: "I am always ready for you, Warlick. Are you?"
:-D
Maybe I'm glad I'm not there after all. I would be torn in my allegiances.
This story sums things up well:
She has brought her Tennessee ties with her to L.A. Her assistants, Tasha Butts and Tony Perotti are both Tennessee natives and worked in the Tennessee program. And she has brought more than a little of Summitt, too. Caldwell is cool and controlled, confident and persuasive. She has more than a few of the legendary coach's personality traits.
Caldwell said Summitt taught her to be on top of her game, as a coach, in every setting.
"Whether it's a fundraiser or speaking to donors, speaking to fans or getting the team prepared to play," Caldwell said. "She always talked a lot about not taking possessions off. You can't take them off as a coach either. You are always, always on."
And:
Summitt knew Caldwell would be a good fit for UCLA. She pushed her for the job – an endorsement that's hard to beat.
"I've felt all along that she was head coach material," Summitt said. "Watching her work in our practices and just seeing her toughness; a lot of people think she is the next Pat Summitt as far as what she demands. She demands a lot. I always say 'you don't get what you expect, you get what you demand,' and I think Nikki Caldwell understands that."
I hope my UCLA season ticket holder friends keep their promise and take pictures and bring me stuff.
Edit Friday morning to add:
Tennessee Assistant Coach Holly Warlick and Caldwell are trash talking this A.M. on twitter. Warlick wrote to Caldwell, "I hope you are ready for tomorrow!" To which Caldwell responded: "I am always ready for you, Warlick. Are you?"
:-D
Maybe I'm glad I'm not there after all. I would be torn in my allegiances.
Things I'm grateful for in basketball
1. High school coaches who (must) ride the bus with the team, take kids home, buy them food, handle jersey and shoe sizes for ordering, organize fundraisers, yell and scream, give love, provide band-aids and pre-wrap, and a bunch of other things.
2. Junior college coaches who have to drive the van to tournaments. And a bunch of other things.
3. D I coaches who twitter. It shows they love their team.
4. WNBA owners who throw MVP parties for season ticket holders, who don't let their general managers make idiot moves, and who don't close up shop out of the blue.
5. D II and D III coaches. They are underappreciated.
6. The sound of squeaking shoes and referee whistles when you walk into a tournament. Best sound in the world.
7. The fact that female basketball players, for the most part, get along just fine - if they don't outright love each other - regardless of sexual orientation. You can't say the same for male basketball players.
8. Title IX.
9. Seeing more women's college games on TV.
10. The increasing respect for the women's game. We've come a long way since Kim Mulkey, with the braid, was playing with Louisiana Tech in the first NCAA championship game in 1982 (I remember that well).
Happy Thanksgiving!
2. Junior college coaches who have to drive the van to tournaments. And a bunch of other things.
3. D I coaches who twitter. It shows they love their team.
4. WNBA owners who throw MVP parties for season ticket holders, who don't let their general managers make idiot moves, and who don't close up shop out of the blue.
5. D II and D III coaches. They are underappreciated.
6. The sound of squeaking shoes and referee whistles when you walk into a tournament. Best sound in the world.
7. The fact that female basketball players, for the most part, get along just fine - if they don't outright love each other - regardless of sexual orientation. You can't say the same for male basketball players.
8. Title IX.
9. Seeing more women's college games on TV.
10. The increasing respect for the women's game. We've come a long way since Kim Mulkey, with the braid, was playing with Louisiana Tech in the first NCAA championship game in 1982 (I remember that well).
Happy Thanksgiving!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
