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[90yote]

Well, nobody has accused me of not being willing to give my opinion, so if you're asking for it...😉

Ultimately, I believe this program has reached a high enough level and has too much community and athletic department support to not be good. Facilities are excellent, and this school has established at least somewhat of a brand in women's basketball.

That said, my buddies and I did talk about this last spring, and had to admit that they may never have a team quite like they did last year (or like '19-'20, their best team IMO). Nobody really knows though.

I've alluded to this in other posts, but when you look at what has happened, in some ways it's pretty amazing they've done as well as they have. If the games against the Jacks had been closer, I think the positivity on this board would be a lot higher. It's just a tough comparison right now. The gap will be closer next year, but it's likely to still be noticeable. If Kayla can bring in a defensive post from the portal (insert my favorite Sjerven joke here), that would help.

And again, Kayla's first high school recruit won't play a game for the Coyotes for 20 months. We will just want to see some organic growth next year. And we are due for some good health too!

[gopheryote]

City League will have some good insights here (and tell us if there are some more Duffy's coming soon).

Regarding development, I said Kruz was a D2 player, not a D1 player, but he developed himself in an all-league player. It is really hard to say with freshmen.

As for how we are sitting based on what we know right now, I'd say we need to remember this season plays out differently if even one of Pep/Mazurik/Ugofsky are healthy. The would have brought size and experience. If two of the three were available, I would guess the conversation here would be about locking up the 2 seed and what would need to happen to have a shot to win the championship game. We didn't lose just depth, we lost entire positions.

I think we have a star with Grace. Give her a shot blocking presence on defense and a sniper (or two) to kick out and keep the opposing defense honest, and the Yotes will be on the same level as SDSU next year (post-super seniors).

[dbyote]

Feb 18, 2023 7:05:19 GMT -6 gopheryote said:

City League will have some good insights here (and tell us if there are some more Duffy's coming soon).

Regarding development, I said Kruz was a D2 player, not a D1 player, but he developed himself in an all-league player. It is really hard to say with freshmen.

As for how we are sitting based on what we know right now, I'd say we need to remember this season plays out differently if even one of Pep/Mazurik/Ugofsky are healthy. The would have brought size and experience. If two of the three were available, I would guess the conversation here would be about locking up the 2 seed and what would need to happen to have a shot to win the championship game. We didn't lose just depth, we lost entire positions.

I think we have a star with Grace. Give her a shot blocking presence on defense and a sniper (or two) to kick out and keep the opposing defense honest, and the Yotes will be on the same level as SDSU next year (post-super seniors).

We won't be on their level next year on a consistent basis. They will reload and still be very well-coached defensively. I don't think we'll lose both games by 50 though. I hope I'm wrong and we take a big leap forward but my money wouldn't be on that. We were so good in the mid range the last several years (cue thanks to Liv and Chloe) and this year it is completely absent. We are much easier to defend because of it. It's either layups or 3s.

[golfingyote]

Klosterbauer is a great shooter. Reffed one of her games this summer. Good mechanics too. I’d be surprised if she isn’t on the floor as a freshmen. Admittedly don’t know as much about kieffer and broughon other than broughtons injuries and still putting up the stats she has this year being quite impressive. Just getting some of our other scholarship bodies healthy will be helpful as well.

[marco]

next year with new players and injuried players coming back we will be good. Today we honor three great seniors. Only one played all season that tells you something about our season. Girls looked good the other night maybe we can move up in the standings.

[Men's League Waterboy]

No deep insights from me.

I think I’ve been pretty straightforward from jump that as solid as some of the recruits have been over the previous years it was obvious that the premier talents the program has been blessed to have over the past couple staffs have been drying up a bit, without being replaced either individually or in aggregate. The transfers of Watson and Krull exacerbated that … but I also don’t really think their presence this year makes a difference in the Summit League championship either.

I believe that you cannot possibly begin to judge this coaching staff for at least another two seasons. Get some recruits in, see what happens.

I think this staff has done admirably with the cards it has been dealt. Kids are playing hard and being put into positions to succeed. There just isn’t the same level of talent currently that fans have been accustomed to.

[elcoyote]

^this^ Also add that there sure seems to be a lot of coaching savants on this board. I'd like to hear some gameplan/philosophy specifics on how things should be changed or done.

[yote18]

I’m confused on a couple of things and maybe someone can help explain. We have had some amazing seasons the last 10 years, but how are we still not winning the recruiting battles to have reloads instead of rebuilds? I know a lot of people hate when we use sdsu as the benchmark but let’s face it they are they don’t have this issue. Granted coaching staff continuity plays into that I guess. So I probably answered my own question.

**Trigger Warning**
I think criticism of the coaching is fair game, they chose a public role and they knew the fan expectations (even if they were unreasonable). At the end of the day they’re the ones leading the team. This staff gets two years to prove themselves to most fans, and this year counts (yes there were injuries but there were a-lot of games that we should’ve won but didn’t due to poor fundamentals) as one. The bar remains the same, 1 or 2 finish and no less. If we finish around that 4-5 range two years in a row then we have found the status quo.

The reason I say two years is because after year one a staff should know what they need and with the portal now a free agency you should be able to find temporary pieces to fill in in year 2 until the permanent arrive. Year three you should essentially know going into it if they’ll be successful.

[GoYotes]

Coaching continuity plays a huge part in it. Amy Williams was a great recruiter during her time at USD and was 100% invested in the program until she took the job at her alma mater in Nebraska (and even with the big pay increase it wasn't an easy decision for her to leave USD). She had great ties in SD and the surrounding region. She was winning most regional recruiting battles with SD State. There is a above average chance that Myah Selland would have been wearing Coyote red had Amy stayed, but once Amy took the Nebraska job, AJ closed the deal with Myah before Dawn had a chance.

Dawn P was a great coach, but wasn't as good as recruiter as Amy. She didn't have the local ties that Amy did and it takes time to develop those ties. Dawn brought the WBB program to great heights for which we should all be extremely thankful, but she also had a foot out the door her last couple of years at USD.

It will take Kayla time to establish regional ties, but she has a head start from her previous time at USD and at USF prior to that. Hopefully she has a long-term commitment to USD. I would love to see a former USD player or two eventually end up on her staff to help cement the regional ties, somewhat like Casey Kasperbauer is doing with MBB.

[90yote]

Feb 19, 2023 11:10:54 GMT -6 yote18 said:

I’m confused on a couple of things and maybe someone can help explain. We have had some amazing seasons the last 10 years, but how are we still not winning the recruiting battles to have reloads instead of rebuilds? I know a lot of people hate when we use sdsu as the benchmark but let’s face it they are they don’t have this issue. Granted coaching staff continuity plays into that I guess. So I probably answered my own question.

**Trigger Warning**
I think criticism of the coaching is fair game, they chose a public role and they knew the fan expectations (even if they were unreasonable). At the end of the day they’re the ones leading the team. This staff gets two years to prove themselves to most fans, and this year counts (yes there were injuries but there were a-lot of games that we should’ve won but didn’t due to poor fundamentals) as one. The bar remains the same, 1 or 2 finish and no less. If we finish around that 4-5 range two years in a row then we have found the status quo.

The reason I say two years is because after year one a staff should know what they need and with the portal now a free agency you should be able to find temporary pieces to fill in in year 2 until the permanent arrive. Year three you should essentially know going into it if they’ll be successful.

Well, to me you are being critical of the previous staff's recruiting, no? All of SDSU's top players were recruited while Dawn (or even Amy) was here. The three players that I think will be first-team league players for them next year (P. Meyer, Timmer, Theisen) were all signed while Dawn was here. Same for B. Meyer. I know we offered B. Meyer and Timmer, but I don't think they went down to the wire with them. Players choose schools for many reasons. And coaching staffs offer players for a variety of reasons. Dawn flat-out said to a Lunch with the U crowd that she figured out she doesn't coach non-energetic players well. She was always looking for players with high energy. That doesn't mean that players that don't come here aren't energetic. But a lot of factors play into recruiting. I do know that Demers chose USD over SDSU, NDSU, and UND.

The problem for Kayla is that there isn't much room to add to the roster unless a couple players decide to leave because they've graduated. The Covid year exacerbates the problem. They have the three Dawn recruits coming to campus next year. They have one verbal for 2024 that Kayla'staff recruited. But unless someone leaves, I think they only have room for one other incoming player the next two seasons. We have to trust that there will be some internal growth here, and between the injuries and youth there is reason to believe they will be better in the next two years.

[dbyote]

Feb 19, 2023 10:25:05 GMT -6 elcoyote said:

^this^ Also add that there sure seems to be a lot of coaching savants on this board. I'd like to hear some gameplan/philosophy specifics on how things should be changed or done.

I certainly don't consider my self a coaching savant in any way, but I can recognize good coaching and poor coaching, especially on the defensive end.  What I don't have a great read on is if we are limited because of who is on the floor (talent-wise) or if the coaches are stubborn in their approach and unable to adjust.  There are TONS of things coaches can do scheme-wise when things aren't working as planned.  Zones, traps, doubles, fronts, ball pressure.  Each has pros and cons for specific situations and opposing skill sets.   The easy button when you don't have great individual defenders is zone defense which we probably haven't done enough of.  The cons of that are rotations are the key to an effective zone and our girls probably don't have enough experience to run it effectively.  Rebounding is also typically a problem because a player doesn't have an assigned player to box out, which we don't do well even when we play man.  Another con is that an experienced team who can shoot the 3 can beat a zone with ball rotation.  I would argue right now there are two teams in the league with the horses to do that..the XDSUs.  Kayla has thrown zones at teams a couple of times to change the flow of the game and It's usually worked, at least temporarily.  Offensively, I honestly don't know what we try to run, other than "Grace dribble the ball and see what happens".  It's obviously a type of motion offense, but we only get layups or 3s.  Literally nothing else.  Maybe that's a byproduct of talent too.

Dawn was the only coach in the league who could outcoach AJ on most nights, but she had players who were not only good individual defenders, but also knew how to play team defense.  She was constantly making adjustments throughout the game, benefitted surely by capable, experienced players who could switch gears on the fly.  She was the best I've ever seen at making in-game adjustments.  I always thought Amy was a better recruiter, but Dawn was the better coach.  I think athletically we only have 2 players I would say are good individual defenders (Grace, NAA) at this point. I would say we have others who are physically capable of being good defenders but have to adjust to the college game.  I would also argue we have zero players who truly understand team defense, ie help-side movement and rotation, passing angles, a general understanding of what the opposing team is trying to do.  Go back and watch past teams and see how many times our girls got a hand on the ball in a passing lane.  High schools and AAU don't focus at all on that part of the game and that (along with pure athleticism) are what separate teams at the college level.

[Men's League Waterboy]

I think Larkins is awesome and her physical abilities are second to none.

I also think her focus/effort on the defensive end wanes sometimes, very likely rightfully so with the energy she expends offensively, but I would like to see her bring a little more ball-stopping energy at times on that end. I’d take a few less steals and blocks in exchange for just walling up.

[dbyote]

Feb 19, 2023 13:21:33 GMT -6 Men's League Waterboy said:

I think Larkins is awesome and her physical abilities are second to none.

I also think her focus/effort on the defensive end wanes sometimes, very likely rightfully so with the energy she expends offensively, but I would like to see her bring a little more ball-stopping energy at times on that end. I’d take a few less steals and blocks in exchange for just walling up.

The sky is the limit for her.  I agree.  Right now she is asked to do too much.

[kiyoat]

Feb 19, 2023 12:30:31 GMT -6 GoYotes said:

…It will take Kayla time to establish regional ties, but she has a head start from her previous time at USD and at USF prior to that. Hopefully she has a long-term commitment to USD. I would love to see a former USD player or two eventually end up on her staff to help cement the regional ties, somewhat like Casey Kasperbauer is doing with MBB.

I think this is a good thing to remember; not only is Kayla a good recruiter, but she has been creating ties in the upper Midwest for 7 or 8 years, not just in SD but at Wisconsin and Drake, too. And I feel like her staff has a good deal of recruiting experience in this region too. On paper it looks like we got the right staff if we are valuing recruiting energy (and we should). Even if the coaching is a little rough, that can get better with experience IMO.

Good recruiters are worth their weight in gold. But that stuff all takes time. I like the looks of the recruits we are after, let’s see if we can land some of them.

[caliyote]

Wow!! I think we as fans need to be patient and let Kayla develop as a coach. We as fans were extremely lucky to have Amy and Dawn as head coaches at USD. It is my understanding that both were head coaches before coming here. Our administrators decided to hire a coach without experience which will take time to build her philosophies and program. Probably not the direction I would have gone for an established program that pays well but I do not make the hires and I will support whoever is the coach.

I am amazed why we would compare Amy to Dawn stating one is a great recruiter and one is a better game coach! It would not be hard to poke holes in this theory. Both won games and both brought in great players. Remember Seekamp was brought in by Ryun Williams. We never outrecruited a player that SDSU offered until Dawn arrived. Players I am aware SDSU offered: Hanson, Krull, Watson, Larkins, Demers, Kiefer, Broughton. Let’s not forget all time greats like Chloe Lamb, Liv Korngable, Hannah svjervan, Monica Ahrens and I hear Joy Bergsrom is outstanding. Not to mention she had to re-recruit Ciara Duffy, Taylor Frederick, Madison Mckeever to still come and believe in her vision. She did lose one as Amy took one with her to Nebraska. Unfortunately Kayla was unable to sell her vision with Krull and Watson as I believe with them we have two conference losses and finish in 2nd. Probably the two best defensive players in the conference.

This has been a challenging year and we are currently not really good at anything. I believe it will be figured out in time and this is the commitment we made is patience when hiring a first year coach. To be honest is what scares me is we are living in the day and age to transfer. To think Grace could not play at Nebraska, Iowa State, Iowa or any other power 5 you would be kidding yourself. We need to do a better job supporting this program and Kayla needs to sell her vision. Losing Grace, Duffney, Demers, or Bergstrom would be devastating to this program. I think the likelihood at our level is it is much easier to lose them then to bring a transfer in with the same ability. It is imperative that we support this program as well as the Mens program as attendance to me seems way down across the board. Let’s hope for success at the Summit tourney and as always Go Yotes!