Looking at the rest of the season

[MichaelRR]

I am concerned we won't be WNIT eligible. We have to win 6 of the last 14 games, and I am not sure the team is playing well enough to do so.

Games we should win:
Illinois at home
Northwestern on the road

Games that feel like toss ups to me:
PSU and MSU at home
At UWisc if they are at full strength. This one could go in the should win column, but Mosely has beaten Gearlds with lesser teams than she has this year.

Games I think we will likely be slight underdogs:
At UMaryland
Nebraska at Mackey
At MSU
At PSU
At Michigan

Games that are probably out of reach:
IU twice
Home to OSU
at Nebraska

To get WNIT eligible we have to win the two "easy" games, all three toss ups, and one where we might be the underdog. That gets us to 15-14, barely WNIT eligible.

 

[KidsDoc]

Hopefully they will play better then expected and get to the WNIT, but as has been said we aren't a very good team this year.

 

[purduedavie]

Hopefully they make the NIT, play youngsters if you do, no reason to play 5th year girls 35 minutes in NIT games. If the girls can’t cut it it’s probably time to look at transfers for next year. I imagine Layden returns, her, Stevenson, Smith, Spyder probably are the favorites for 4 starting spots.

 

[MichaelRR]

Hopefully they make the NIT, play youngsters if you do, no reason to play 5th year girls 35 minutes in NIT games. If the girls can’t cut it it’s probably time to look at transfers for next year. I imagine Layden returns, her, Stevenson, Smith, Spyder probably are the favorites for 4 starting spots.

Its already apparent that only Jones, Stevenson, and maybe Swanson are ready to play as freshmen. No sense getting our asses handed to us playing kids that are not ready to play.

 

[BoilerRingside]

I'm in the boat of if you dont play in the NCAA tourney dont play in the wnit. I get you can play the youngsters but im pretty sure it costs a lot to play in it.

 

[MichaelRR]

I'm in the boat of if you dont play in the NCAA tourney dont play in the wnit. I get you can play the youngsters but im pretty sure it costs a lot to play in it.

This is not an attack or knock on you Ringside, please don't take it that way, but I hate that attitude. It reeks of entitlement and being a spoiled selfish program. We obviously aren't too good to play in the WNIT or we would not be invited. IU started their rise to prominence by winning the WNIT. Play a couple of games in there and the bevy of freshmen get a feel for win or go home tournament feel. We would all prefer to be in the NCAA, but that may not be something we see for 2 or 3 years and any experience we can get will only benefit our younger players going forward. Hosting would cost us a great deal, but playing a game is little more expensive generally than playing a conference game away I would guess.

 

[BoilerRingside]

This is not an attack or knock on you Ringside, please don't take it that way, but I hate that attitude. It reeks of entitlement and being a spoiled selfish program. We obviously aren't too good to play in the WNIT or we would not be invited. IU started their rise to prominence by winning the WNIT. Play a couple of games in there and the bevy of freshmen get a feel for win or go home tournament feel. We would all prefer to be in the NCAA, but that may not be something we see for 2 or 3 years and any experience we can get will only benefit our younger players going forward. Hosting would cost us a great deal, but playing a game is little more expensive generally than playing a conference game away I would guess.

All fair points. Did not meant the team was too good for the tournament like N. Carolina men a couple years ago. It was more a financial standpoint. But playing in the postseason would better for transfers compared to nothing.

 

[rgarlitz]

This is not an attack or knock on you Ringside, please don't take it that way, but I hate that attitude. It reeks of entitlement and being a spoiled selfish program. We obviously aren't too good to play in the WNIT or we would not be invited. IU started their rise to prominence by winning the WNIT. Play a couple of games in there and the bevy of freshmen get a feel for win or go home tournament feel. We would all prefer to be in the NCAA, but that may not be something we see for 2 or 3 years and any experience we can get will only benefit our younger players going forward. Hosting would cost us a great deal, but playing a game is little more expensive generally than playing a conference game away I would guess.

Tend to agree with this take. The NIT has its place. Teams can use it as a springboard into the next season. Of course, we've also seen plenty of high majors pout and get bounced in the first round by a hungrier opponent.

 

[BoilerRingside]

I don’t think Layden Sr. returns. Think she goes out with top players (Harper Sr., JT, Ellis) because if not, she’s the sole 5th year next year, and we all
know how she feels about pressure. She struggles with it. Anyone see the article after her engagement? Referring to all the stress and pressure is off? What’s that mean? Think she’s wanted to be done for a while, and an engagement is the perfect “out” for her. I could be wrong, but makes sense.

I think theyre better served if all five returners leave after this year. Elder Layden looked like she was done with basketball since her sophomore season. I dont think anyone loses sleep if Smith departs barring a massive improvement. Optimistic that opens the door for a couple of impact and proven transfers.

 

[HoopDad317]

I think theyre better served if all five returners leave after this year. Elder Layden looked like she was done with basketball since her sophomore season. I dont think anyone loses sleep if Smith departs barring a massive improvement. Optimistic that opens the door for a couple of impact and proven transfers.

Agree! And as much as I have been a fan of Smith, she seems indifferent to me anymore. A reset would be good. Coaching staff will have a year together under their belt after this season, no more courtesy offers given to siblings and wasting scholarships, graduate the seniors, maybe a couple freshmen transfer to programs they can actually play in, and get some portal players to go with our commits coming in.

 

[MichaelRR]

I think theyre better served if all five returners leave after this year. Elder Layden looked like she was done with basketball since her sophomore season. I dont think anyone loses sleep if Smith departs barring a massive improvement. Optimistic that opens the door for a couple of impact and proven transfers.

I think that depends on how many of the underclassmen stay put as opposed to leaving for more playing time. McKenna, Alaina, Mila and Emily will all see the writing on the wall if we bring in 3-4 transfers capable of starting that their playing time will be rather limited. But if we lose all of them, Katie's reputation will take a dramatic hit as she will still be one of the worst coaches in D1 for player losses. At some point we have to play the kids we recruit and only use the portal for spot pickups, not as a substitute for recruiting good players out of high school.

 

[DocRon]

I think theyre better served if all five returners leave after this year. Elder Layden looked like she was done with basketball since her sophomore season. I dont think anyone loses sleep if Smith departs barring a massive improvement. Optimistic that opens the door for a couple of impact and proven transfers.

We will be better off without Madison? Really?

 

[MichaelRR]

We will be better off without Madison? Really?

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Some people just gotta hate. Because she isn't that energizer bunny that Ellis is some feel she's lazy. I got irritated at her last year and a few early games this year for disappearing, but she is hitting double figures now almost every game. She is not the player that is going to be your vocal team leader on the floor, and she tends to fade under the glare of the spotlight, but she is far and away our best returning player for next year and one of the top three players this season, with Stevenson a distant second for next season. Without Madison, unless we hit a couple of grand slam home runs in the portal, we might not win 10 games next season.

 

[purduedavie]

We will be better off without Madison? Really?

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My guess is she returns, why not? These days free grad school, probably some NIL money, why not use the Covid year? Purdue will have a few players leave, every school does, it does seem like the Boilers need a reset.

 

[MichaelRR]

My guess is she returns, why not? These days free grad school, probably some NIL money, why not use the Covid year? Purdue will have a few players leave, every school does, it does seem like the Boilers need a reset.

Depends on what Madison's betrothed has for plans. If he is on his way to Seattle or Charlotte NC for a new job, does she really want to stay one more year for a chance for another WNIT? I think in her case its really 50/50 on if she stays; and if she doesn't, does McKenna stay or get pushed out? Mila is safe from being chased off because KG needs her sisters desperately. After this year, Smith really has no where to go except lower MVC level teams, so she only leaves if pushed out hard IMO.

 

[purduedavie]

Depends on what Madison's betrothed has for plans. If he is on his way to Seattle or Charlotte NC for a new job, does she really want to stay one more year for a chance for another WNIT? I think in her case its really 50/50 on if she stays; and if she doesn't, does McKenna stay or get pushed out? Mila is safe from being chased off because KG needs her sisters desperately. After this year, Smith really has no where to go except lower MVC level teams, so she only leaves if pushed out hard IMO.

Maybe she wants a free year of schooling? That is very valuable, grad school isn’t cheap. I don’t know what she will do, maybe she transfers and plays elsewhere next year if her fiancé has a job lined up near a college campus. I do know this, Coach needs to examine her program, this year has been a huge step back, team is worse, most thought they’d be a little better.

 

[MichaelRR]

Maybe she wants a free year of schooling? That is very valuable, grad school isn’t cheap. I don’t know what she will do, maybe she transfers and plays elsewhere next year if her fiancé has a job lined up near a college campus. I do know this, Coach needs to examine her program, this year has been a huge step back, team is worse, most thought they’d be a little better.

Very few students go on to grad school, so if that is not already in her plans, that is of limited appeal IMO. In the end, does she still want to play or is she ready to turn the page and start her after school married life?

 

[Russ Ford]

I'll be shocked if Madison is not back next year. Especially now since McKenna is there too. They are really close.

 

[MichaelRR]

I'll be shocked if Madison is not back next year. Especially now since McKenna is there too. They are really close.

I am about done with Madison Layden. The game at MSU just really sticks in my throat. She hits her first three shots all by early to mid second quarter, and then never shoots again as the team slowly gets pounded into the floor. This is not even close to the first game she has done a vanishing act after hitting a few shots. I don't know if she feels she has gotten hers and now its up to everyone else, or if the D tightens up on her so she is content to let them take her out of the game, but something somewhere has got to change because Madison just standing around passing the ball without even looking to score is maddening and disasterous for this team.

Here is where we stand as a team. We will lose the next two games almost guaranteed. WE HAVE to beat UILL at Mackey, then we go get our asses kicked by IU at Bloomington. After that we have 6 games left. WE HAVE to win the next five after the at IU game to be WNIT eligible. ALL FIVE are must win games. Our only chance if we lose one is to win at Michigan last game of the season, and this team is completely inept on the road this year so that seems incredibly unlikely.