@ Richmond Jan. 14

[jcru]

Remember when the handshake line was a recruiting opportunity?

In years past, Tammi would have been saying to Townsend, if you don't make it to either the A10 reg season or A10T title, I want you on my team next year. And when she had all that moment, she was getting them. She might have one more opportunity to pillage the A10 for players, but then that window may close by the NCAA.

[PeteRI]

Remember when the handshake line was a recruiting opportunity?

In years past, Tammi would have been saying to Townsend, if you don't make it to either the A10 reg season or A10T title, I want you on my team next year. And when she had all that moment, she was getting them. She might have one more opportunity to pillage the A10 for players, but then that window may close by the NCAA.

Unfortunately that's not how you build a consistent top program any more. Sure, you can recruit a transfer or two. But if you're not helping young players to become stars you're not going to become a regular contender.

[RhowdyRam02]

We played at the #52 NET ranked team in the country, where they've won 14 home games in a row going back more than a year, without our second leading rebounder. Despite all that, we only lost by 4 while losing the rebounding battle 39-32, again without our second leading rebounder.

The doom and gloom in this thread doesn't really seem to reflect the actual situation the team is in currently

[jcru]

Still hanging onto the dream that we are the #1 voted/ranked pre season A-10 team?

The pin was put into that balloon long before Dutat became ineligible.

The doom and gloom as you call it, reality to some of the rest of us, is:

- that Philips and Dutat improved from last season to this season

- Toure is barely treading water since earning that A-10 PoY award last year

- Magassa has regressed, from when she was Toure's backup last year

- DeBroise isn't any better than what people watching last year thought she would be, when she was backup PG

- the only frosh to get any real minutes is 5'3" and you risk losing the other two to the portal because you refuse to play them in any significant capacity

- why not see where the direction of this team is going beyond this year, and play our two freshmen, because you are just losing to the likes of Loyola and Providence anyway

- and the two grad transfers run hot and cold at best. The expectation with Dee Dee was that she was supposed to be some ferocious competitor, maybe she was at Manhattan. Hyman has shown glimpses here and there, but she is not the answer at the 2 spot we thought she was going to be, that was going to make you forget all of the off season losses we had to the portal.

And as for yesterday, that game was ripe for the taking, regardless of Richmond's home record, WE were meant to be the alpha in this league this year, NOT Richmond.

With each passing game, getting a top 4 spot in the A10T looks less and less likely. The other teams have figured us out, and gain confidence by the week. That Loyola game was THE prototypical Loyola trap game, where they bring you in all overconfident and then use you to highlight themselves at your expense.

[MilfordRam60]

Bingo

[Billyboy78]

I liked last year's team better. Emmi and Dolly are both shooters. I think they're a better fit than Teisha and Dee Dee. Sophie is our only real threat from three and she's normally smothered because of lack of other shooters.

[SGreenwell]

We played at the #52 NET ranked team in the country, where they've won 14 home games in a row going back more than a year, without our second leading rebounder. Despite all that, we only lost by 4 while losing the rebounding battle 39-32, again without our second leading rebounder.

The doom and gloom in this thread doesn't really seem to reflect the actual situation the team is in currently

I think there was the expectation that we'd be better this year. Through about a half season, we're probably about the same, maybe a tiny bit better. When it comes to MPG, our top five are three seniors, one junior and one sophomore. This might be close to the "peak" for this current group, with some transfers and HS recruits needed to be brought in, which can be a crapshoot.

I still think we're among the better teams in the A-10, and we have as good a chance as anyone of getting the autobid. But there's a clump of like five or six teams at the top, and it seems like anyone can beat anyone.

[RhowdyRam02]

I know all of us expected us to be better but did any of us expect to have 6 A10 teams in the top 80 of the NET? That's never happened as long as I've been following and I don't remember anyone saying it. Even still we're a half a game out of fourth place and an automatic spot in the quarterfinals with a ton of basketball to be played and we have people advocating for playing our young players to see what we have for the future as if this is the end of a lost season

[jcru]

In the new NCAA, if you don't give people playing time, especially when it is apparent that the people in front of them are faltering, you risk losing them to the portal.

Tammi has a demonstrated history now of losing a lot of key players to the portal. I didn't make the rules. Adapt, Evolve, or go Extinct.

[PeteRI]

In the new NCAA, if you don't give people playing time, especially when it is apparent that the people in front of them are faltering, you risk losing them to the portal.

Tammi has a demonstrated history now of losing a lot of key players to the portal. I didn't make the rules. Adapt, Evolve, or go Extinct.

I'm a huge Tammi fan. I love her passion and energy, and was amused to hear her remarks about uninformed fan site chatter after a recent win. We're not at practice, that's true. But we watch the actual game, which is what really matters.

She said players had to earn their playing time. Against Richmond Debroise played 19 minutes and had 1 assist and scored ZERO points. In the previous loss to Loyola she played 15 minutes and scored ONE point. Meanwhile DeChent played just 2 minutes against Richmond and 6 minutes against Loyola.

Debroise leads the team in assists, but she's only averaging 2.9 a game, and that's also her average points per game, to go along with a 24.2% overall shooting percentage and 10% from 3.

I find it hard to believe our coach - a three time All American guard at Virginia - considers Debroise's performance acceptable. Especially when you consider in her limited playing time DeChent is shooting 38.1% overall and 44.1% from 3. Do you think those numbers might have made a difference in our last two losses?

[RhowdyRam02]

In the new NCAA, if you don't give people playing time, especially when it is apparent that the people in front of them are faltering, you risk losing them to the portal.

Tammi has a demonstrated history now of losing a lot of key players to the portal. I didn't make the rules. Adapt, Evolve, or go Extinct.

She has to play the players she thinks will earn a top 4 spot in the conference tournament for the best shot of winning the tournament and going to the NCAA, potential transfers be damned. You don't play players just because you're worried they might transfer if you don't. This isn't Little League.

Also, it seems silly that Tammi doesn't know how the transfer portal works. She's brought in a lot more talent than she's lost and she doesn't even use her full amount of scholarships because she knows she can't make that many players happy