Couple of takeaways from 3/7 CKG show

[TC4THREE]

First, it sounds like they fully expect to be invited to and play in the WNIT. I really didn't know how that whole process works or what our interest would be so this was news to me. We will most likely be playing next week.

Cassidy Hardin also confirmed that she is likely coming back next season although it's not official yet.

Finally, when speaking of next year's incoming freshmen, she sounded high on all of them but in particular she mentioned that Potts is physically ready to play at this level so if I had to guess at one immediate-impact player from the 2022 class it might be her at this point.

 

[BoilerPride08]

Another key takeaway is that because KG took over the team so late in the offseason she wasn't able to implement a zone. That would explain our defensive breakdowns late in the season due to tired legs - had we been able to go zone that would've really saved some of our legs and could've added a couple wins to our total. She even mentioned it might've prevented our loss at Wisconsin.

Honestly, given the awful coaching change circumstance (that I 100% blame on the administration's lack of caring about WBB) and Kyle's injury, it's a basically a miracle that they won 16 games and are in contention of a WNIT bid.

 

[GemstateBoiler]

Fresh air. I haven't felt any positives for our women's bb teams for a few years. That said, I have listened to Coach Gearlds speak a few times now this season and she is so refreshing to listen to. Her demeanor is true, caring and honest. Just a likeable person who happens to be a basketball coach. I would hire her as I think she could succeed at anything she puts her mind to. What a good choice and I think time will prove me right.

 

[illiniboiler]

Yeah if NIt happens. Yes KG was a super hire. We’re goi g up. I expect a great transfer

 

[Rapko]

You need to check Potts out I have she is a winner, also got the most votes for Miss BB in Florda a week or so ago, a gym rat always working on her game.

 

[purduedavie]

First, it sounds like they fully expect to be invited to and play in the WNIT. I really didn't know how that whole process works or what our interest would be so this was news to me. We will most likely be playing next week.

Cassidy Hardin also confirmed that she is likely coming back next season although it's not official yet.

Finally, when speaking of next year's incoming freshmen, she sounded high on all of them but in particular she mentioned that Potts is physically ready to play at this level so if I had to guess at one immediate-impact player from the 2022 class it might be her at this point.

Hardin returning is a good thing, not sure she should start next year but as a key reserve leading a second unit playing 15 minutes or so a game she’s a good fit.

 

[illiniboiler]

Hardin is a glue player like Eifert was. Despite being short she is a defensive demon and she is a team leader. KG will use her in favorable matchups because she can hit the trey. This team will have more depth and I love that zone remark. Good things ahead. Sure hope we make the NIT.

 

[purduedavie]

Hardin is a glue player like Eifert was. Despite being short she is a defensive demon and she is a team leader. KG will use her in favorable matchups because she can hit the trey. This team will have more depth and I love that zone remark. Good things ahead. Sure hope we make the NIT.

They’ll be in the NIT, that’s a nice spot for them.

 

[TKPKID]

Fresh air. I haven't felt any positives for our women's bb teams for a few years. That said, I have listened to Coach Gearlds speak a few times now this season and she is so refreshing to listen to. Her demeanor is true, caring and honest. Just a likeable person who happens to be a basketball coach. I would hire her as I think she could succeed at anything she puts her mind to. What a good choice and I think time will prove me right.

Totally agree! I honestly wasn’t a big fan of hers as a player but I really like her as a coach.

it will be interesting in year ~3 when she has a chance to really form her own team/system not just macguyver some spare parts on short notice.

I love the way she gives credit and takes blame. Way to keep the pressure off of a undermanned team that was giving good effort.

 

[DocRon]

Totally agree! I honestly wasn’t a big fan of hers as a player…

Really? Wow.
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[DavidBoiler]

Really? Wow.
______________________

Exactly.... she was an amazing player. Imho she's probably the overall most talented and skilled player the PU WBB program has ever had.

 

[TKPKID]

Really? Wow.
______________________

She was a great player, not taking anything away. Just not the same as the white, figg, douglass crew. Impossible standard, yeah maybe!

 

[DavidBoiler]

She was a great player, not taking anything away. Just not the same as the white, figg, douglass crew. Impossible standard, yeah maybe!

I disagree totally... again she was the most talented skill wise of any women's BB player at Purdue, jmho. White and Douglas, Figgs were all on the same 1999 NC team, Katie never had similar level of talented teammates on the teams she played for. I'm not taking anything away from those other players, I covered White as a HS player as radio play by play announcer, I know how great she was, I just think Katie was a superstar talent, and just a tad better overall skill wise. She just never had the talent alongside her that those other 3 did and that sometimes obscures our memory of just how great she was.

 

[DavidBoiler]

I disagree totally... again she was the most talented skill wise of any women's BB player who has ever played at Purdue, jmho. White, Douglas, and Figgs were all teammates on the same 1999 NC team, Katie never had similar level of talented teammates on the teams she played for. I'm not taking anything away from those other players, I covered White as a HS player as radio play by play announcer, I know how great she was, I just think Katie was a superstar talent, and just a tad better overall skill wise. She just never had the talent alongside her that those other 3 did and that sometimes obscures our memory of just how great she was.

Katie was MVP as a HS senior of the 2003 Women's McDonald's All American game she participated in, featuring the best women's HS BB players from all over the country, she was the MVP of her game along with the men's MVP LeBron James. That should tell you right there how amazing a talent she was.

 

[TKPKID]

, she was the MVP of her game along with the men's MVP LeBron James. That should tell you right there how amazing a talent she was.

Because she was MVP at same time Lebron was makes her a better player?

recognizing someone is/was a great player and being a fan of that player are two different things

I am not a fan of MJ, Lebron or Isaiah Thomas. Am I allowed to “be a fan” of players that I like or do I have to be a fan of who are the best/highest scoring players? I believe that is a personal choice, sorry!

I was much more a fan of Dennis Rodman before he went off the deep end than Isiah Thomas. Much more a fan of Grady Eifert than Carsen Edwards.

I will not criticize you for thinking she was the best women’s bball player all time at PU, maybe she was, IDK.

I am a bigger fan of CKG than I was of her as a player and that is all I said.

 

[TC4THREE]

Because she was MVP at same time Lebron was makes her a better player?

recognizing someone is/was a great player and being a fan of that player are two different things

I am not a fan of MJ, Lebron or Isaiah Thomas. Am I allowed to “be a fan” of players that I like or do I have to be a fan of who are the best/highest scoring players? I believe that is a personal choice, sorry!

I was much more a fan of Dennis Rodman before he went off the deep end than Isiah Thomas. Much more a fan of Grady Eifert than Carsen Edwards.

I will not criticize you for thinking she was the best women’s bball player all time at PU, maybe she was, IDK.

I am a bigger fan of CKG than I was of her as a player and that is all I said.

It's one thing to think she's not as good as other players in program history. It's quite another to say you weren't a big fan of hers as a player. Your reasons are your reasons and I've had popular players on the men's side that I didn't care for that much but that's mostly because of off the court things. Just odd but, as you said, you're entitled to your opinion.

 

[destewart]

Katie was MVP as a HS senior of the 2003 Women's McDonald's All American game she participated in, featuring the best women's HS BB players from all over the country, she was the MVP of her game along with the men's MVP LeBron James. That should tell you right there how amazing a talent she was.

I will agree that the best players Purdue ever had were both named Katie, but I would rank Douglas a little ahead of Gearlds!

 

[DavidBoiler]

I will agree that the best players Purdue ever had were both named Katie, but I would rank Douglas a little ahead of Gearlds!

Because she was MVP at same time Lebron was makes her a better player?

recognizing someone is/was a great player and being a fan of that player are two different things

I am not a fan of MJ, Lebron or Isaiah Thomas. Am I allowed to “be a fan” of players that I like or do I have to be a fan of who are the best/highest scoring players? I believe that is a personal choice, sorry!

I was much more a fan of Dennis Rodman before he went off the deep end than Isiah Thomas. Much more a fan of Grady Eifert than Carsen Edwards.

I will not criticize you for thinking she was the best women’s bball player all time at PU, maybe she was, IDK.

I am a bigger fan of CKG than I was of her as a player and that is all I said.

Did I say that? How did you come up with that BS? Katie is the one that has touted the fact that she was MVP of the MAA game the same year that LeBron was and has a pic of her and LeBron together with their awards on her Twitter page. I just brought it up because it's pretty cool. but how in the hell do you correlate that to mean because she was MVP when he was she's somehow a better player because of it? wow.... the fact that she was MVP in a showcase of female basketball stars from all over the country is one reason that shows she was a special talent. The LeBron thing was secondary to the example. But it is pretty cool.

 

[charlespig]

I disagree totally... again she was the most talented skill wise of any women's BB player at Purdue, jmho. White and Douglas, Figgs were all on the same 1999 NC team, Katie never had similar level of talented teammates on the teams she played for. I'm not taking anything away from those other players, I covered White as a HS player as radio play by play announcer, I know how great she was, I just think Katie was a superstar talent, and just a tad better overall skill wise. She just never had the talent alongside her that those other 3 did and that sometimes obscures our memory of just how great she was.

Katie has Lindsay Wisdom with her, so her team is not without talent. IIRC, White was the #1 overall recruit coming out of high school, so in terms of skills, I'd think White is a tad better. But I'd think Katie has more athleticism, and thus a better fit to the WNBA than White, although apparently still not enough.

 

[destewart]

Katie has Lindsay Wisdom with her, so her team is not without talent. IIRC, White was the #1 overall recruit coming out of high school, so in terms of skills, I'd think White is a tad better. But I'd think Katie has more athleticism, and thus a better fit to the WNBA than White, although apparently still not enough.

And Erin Lawless who was a hamburger AA with Katie. Curry could recruit.

 

[DavidBoiler]

Did I say that? How did you come up with that BS? Katie is the one that has touted the fact that she was MVP of the MAA game the same year that LeBron was and has a pic of her and LeBron together with their awards on her Twitter page. I just brought it up because it's pretty cool. but how in the hell do you correlate that to mean because she was MVP when he was she's somehow a better player because of it? wow.... the fact that she was MVP in a showcase of female basketball stars from all over the country is one reason that shows she was a special talent. The LeBron thing was secondary to the example. But it is pretty cool.

[QUOTE="destewart, post: 3397920, member: 172"] I will agree that the best players Purdue ever had were both named Katie, but I would rank Douglas a little ahead of Gearl [/QUOTE]

Katie has Lindsay Wisdom with her, so her team is not without talent. IIRC, White was the #1 overall recruit coming out of high school, so in terms of skills, I'd think White is a tad better. But I'd think Katie has more athleticism, and thus a better fit to the WNBA than White, although apparently still not enough.

LWH was ok, but WBB is a guard oriented sport and she didn't have the backcourt talent playing along side her that White had. Was White the MVP of a national showcase of all the best HS WBB players in the country like Katie was? I covered White in her HS days and was at a ton on her PU games, I just feel that overall Katie was more more athletic, and just a better overall talent. JMHO

 

[DavidBoiler]

And Erin Lawless who was a hamburger AA with Katie. Curry could recruit.

She could definitely recruit

 

[MichaelRR]

Exactly.... she was an amazing player. Imho she's probably the overall most talented and skilled player the PU WBB program has ever had.

I know message boards are renowned for people to say things that are utter nonsense, but this one really is incredible in its uneducated opinion. Five Purdue women's players have their jerseys hanging from Mackey for making first team All American, one made it twice..... none of them are Katie Gearlds. In fact to hang her jersey they changed the rules to allow a third team AA member to be so honored...... lots of rules got bent for Gearlds her whole career at Purdue. Her first three years Curry let her play half assed defense. I cannot count the number of times you would see KG jogging around a screen 15 feet form who she was supposed to be guarding while the player she was supposed to be guarding sunk an open shot. Her freshman year she was the primary reason we lost in the elite eight to Georgia. Down 8 with 4 minutes to go, Andy Landers made their whole offense to clear out for whoever KG was guarding and then let that player drive past her for an easy layup/pullup jumper. Even KG has admitted she loafed on D under Curry and the only reason she had as pitiful a pro career as she had was SV making her play both ends as a senior; raising her stock in the eyes of WNBA scouts. Katie was the best player Purdue women's basketball has ever seen, Katie DOUGLAS. TWO TIME first team All American, more WNBA all star games than KG had WNBA starts, two final game appearances, over a decade WNBA career as a starter versus KG 2-3 seasons at the end of the bench. You really either never really watched KG and KD at Purdue, or you only watch the offensive end(and thus really don't know much about basketball) if you think she was even in the top 5 of best all time to ever play at Purdue.

 

[illiniboiler]

Whew quite a rant. I remember KG as a great player for Purdue but did not watch this closely. Douglas. White, and others were better. But right now here we are and KG did a decent job this year. Her D is not slacking and her O is aggressive. Guess we will see.

 

[BoilerJS]

I know message boards are renowned for people to say things that are utter nonsense, but this one really is incredible in its uneducated opinion. Five Purdue women's players have their jerseys hanging from Mackey for making first team All American, one made it twice..... none of them are Katie Gearlds. In fact to hang her jersey they changed the rules to allow a third team AA member to be so honored...... lots of rules got bent for Gearlds her whole career at Purdue. Her first three years Curry let her play half assed defense. I cannot count the number of times you would see KG jogging around a screen 15 feet form who she was supposed to be guarding while the player she was supposed to be guarding sunk an open shot. Her freshman year she was the primary reason we lost in the elite eight to Georgia. Down 8 with 4 minutes to go, Andy Landers made their whole offense to clear out for whoever KG was guarding and then let that player drive past her for an easy layup/pullup jumper. Even KG has admitted she loafed on D under Curry and the only reason she had as pitiful a pro career as she had was SV making her play both ends as a senior; raising her stock in the eyes of WNBA scouts. Katie was the best player Purdue women's basketball has ever seen, Katie DOUGLAS. TWO TIME first team All American, more WNBA all star games than KG had WNBA starts, two final game appearances, over a decade WNBA career as a starter versus KG 2-3 seasons at the end of the bench. You really either never really watched KG and KD at Purdue, or you only watch the offensive end(and thus really don't know much about basketball) if you think she was even in the top 5 of best all time to ever play at Purdue.

I really don’t understand this post.
Most good coaches weren‘t great players. Painter, Knight to name a few.
Katie seems to love Purdue and did a pretty good job her first year.
I am not disagreeing at all that the players you mentioned were better that Katie.
I could add a half dozen more.
But who cares. She is no longer playing, she is coaching!

 

[MichaelRR]

I was just commenting on the absurdity of KG having been the best player ever at Purdue.

CKG looked really good until February hit, her playing LAyden obviously hurting and limping instead of Doumbia cost us games and made me doubt her coaching ability. The late season slide looked like the last 10 years under SV, so that is disconcerting as well. Overall, I don't think you can grade a new coach good or bad until at least their fourth year. Their first year they get a bounce just by being different in a beat down program. SV got it after Curry as well. The lifeblood of college coaching is recruiting, and this first class she signed is a decent start for starting late and not having any D1 experience as a coach at all its far better than I expected. But to start saying we have a great coach already is like buying into a Ponzi scheme.... see how the performance is over time, not just short term.

 

[BoilerRingside]

I was just commenting on the absurdity of KG having been the best player ever at Purdue.

CKG looked really good until February hit, her playing LAyden obviously hurting and limping instead of Doumbia cost us games and made me doubt her coaching ability. The late season slide looked like the last 10 years under SV, so that is disconcerting as well. Overall, I don't think you can grade a new coach good or bad until at least their fourth year. Their first year they get a bounce just by being different in a beat down program. SV got it after Curry as well. The lifeblood of college coaching is recruiting, and this first class she signed is a decent start for starting late and not having any D1 experience as a coach at all its far better than I expected. But to start saying we have a great coach already is like buying into a Ponzi scheme.... see how the performance is over time, not just short term.

Who peed in this guy's cornflakes?

 

[purduedavie]

Who peed in this guy's cornflakes?

He’s not entirely wrong though, still too early to tell other than it was a nice start and at least I’m optimistic. Think next year we see a tourney berth, lower seed, maybe even a last 4 added play in game type of deal. That would be ok with me, year after is when team should start being really good, at least we hope.

 

[GemstateBoiler]

Obviously the verdict will be out for the next 2 year plus. Hell, it isn't even fair for her for us to judge her at this point since she got what she got with the team. Part of it may be just hunger for the old days and needing something new, but I do like somethings I have seen so far with her. She seems to have a good rapport and trust aspect with the players. I enjoy listening to her post game conferences as she has a refreshing demeanor that is caring and supportive yet competitive with next-steps vision. How she blends a team with recruiting, chemistry and game management at this level, over the next couple years will be the tell-all.

 

[DocRon]

I was just commenting on the absurdity of KG having been the best player ever at Purdue.

CKG looked really good until February hit, her playing LAyden obviously hurting and limping instead of Doumbia cost us games and made me doubt her coaching ability. The late season slide looked like the last 10 years under SV, so that is disconcerting as well. Overall, I don't think you can grade a new coach good or bad until at least their fourth year. Their first year they get a bounce just by being different in a beat down program. SV got it after Curry as well. The lifeblood of college coaching is recruiting, and this first class she signed is a decent start for starting late and not having any D1 experience as a coach at all its far better than I expected. But to start saying we have a great coach already is like buying into a Ponzi scheme.... see how the performance is over time, not just short term.

Wow, Doumbia has one good game (and I am happy for that) and suddenly she should have been playing over Layden? How about the game before that - the Mich State tournament game - where Layden had 17 pts and 5 rebs compared to Doumbia in 9 mins having ZERO pts and 2 rebs?

Obviously Layden, since her ankle injury, has not been as good as at the beginning of the season - her speed & ability to change direction is impaired. But your saying that CKG “cost us games” by playing Layden is, IMO, pretty wild.
____________________________

 

[MichaelRR]

Against IU, you don't think Doumbia could have gotten a couple of points? Layden was visibly limping the whole damned game. Her playing was a huge red flag on CKG's judgement on playing injured players.
Min shots 3pt ft ORB-DRB tot rb PF A TO BLK STL Pts
33 Layden,Madison*35 0-7 0-2 0-0 1-5 6 4 1 3 1 0 0

Against UW, you don't think in 12 shots Doumbia could not have scored more than 4 points instead of a ONCE AGAIN visibly limping Layden?

33	Layden,Madison	*	35	1-12	0-6	2-2	1-3	4	2	1	1	0	1	4

Hell, just give Dpoumbia HALF of Layden's minutes in those games and we probably win. Or if CKG knew how to use her timeouts to stop an opposing teams run instead of hoarding them all to the last two minutes of the game.
Rest Layden for a week or two after the injury, use Doumbia, and we would have won 2-4 more games than we did and we would be in the NCAA, not the WNIT. Those were coaching failures, and massive ones that she needs to recognize and fix or its going to be the last 15 years all over again.

Sorry to burst your fan boy bubble, but it is a no brainer CKG lost those games playing an obviously injured Layden instead of giving her time to heal and that was a DIRECT cause of the late season slide.

 

[illiniboiler]

Certainly a legitimate observation, but we don't know how injured Layden was. Doubt KG would play a hurt player.

 

[MichaelRR]

If you watched her move you could see her limping for two weeks after the injury..... SINCE it was visible from the stands, you really think CKG was so oblivious she did not see it? I think that is worse than knowingly playing an injured player.

 

[MichaelRR]

Tim Newton even mentioned her limping during his coverage of the games for those two weeks, which is where I got it from, I listen to the games, being too far away now to go to them.

 

[illiniboiler]

Well, you sure are convincing. I think we could all see a different Layden for a while. If KG played her hurt surprised we did not hear more. Hard to believe that a coach would do that. Wonder what trainers or parents would say. Something weird here.

 

[Russ Ford]

Whew quite a rant. I remember KG as a great player for Purdue but did not watch this closely. Douglas. White, and others were better. But right now here we are and KG did a decent job this year. Her D is not slacking and her O is aggressive. Guess we will see.

Pretty sure this is the same person that single handedly ruined the oldgoldfreepress women's basketball board. Everything he posts will be negative. He will bit*h, moan and whine about everything. He will also continually let you know that he is smarter than the coach and you. Lol.

 

[illiniboiler]

Agree, the level of negativity is disturbing. Pot shots at virtually everything. Trying to be respectful.

 

[DocRon]

Pretty sure this is the same person that single handedly ruined the oldgoldfreepress women's basketball board. Everything he posts will be negative. He will bit*h, moan and whine about everything. He will also continually let you know that he is smarter than the coach and you. Lol.

Joined yesterday with a total of 8 posts. Already calling people names. But hey, welcome. It should be interesting.
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[MichaelRR]

Joined yesterday with a total of 8 posts. Already calling people names. But hey, welcome. It should be interesting.
________________

Point of order, I don't think I have directly called anyone names, and if so I apologize. I have said some opinions stated have been ridiculous and the like, but I have tried keeping my posts about the opinion stated, not the poster. The personal attacks by those loyal to the coach that considered ANY criticism of the coach to be heresy and leveled scathing waves of personal attacks on the poster is what killed MsHoops.... after the knowledgeable posters left, the loyalists turned on each other and the board is pretty much down to half a dozen active posters, most with little interest in a deep conversation about the program.

 

[pman66]

Pretty sure this is the same person that single handedly ruined the oldgoldfreepress women's basketball board. Everything he posts will be negative. He will bit*h, moan and whine about everything. He will also continually let you know that he is smarter than the coach and you. Lol.

I think you're right about this guy being on the other board. He's ruined that board in MO. Nobody's opinion is right except his.