Quick thoughts on Purdue WBB’s loss to UCLA

[DubJellison]

Some quick thoughts and takeaways from Purdue’s 92-49 defeat at the hands on UCLA tonight.

(Game Recap)

BoilerUpload - Women's basketball - Purdue drops season opener 92-49 to No. 4 UCLA

Purdue women's basketball falls to No. 4 UCLA 92-49 to open the season.

purdue.rivals.com

Too fast, too tall, too talented:

There were very few people who expected Purdue to march into Pauley Pavilion and beat the No. 4 team in the country… and the Bruins showed why. Purdue struggled to deal with the size and athleticism of UCLA, particularly the 6’7” Lauren Betts.

Purdue was out-rebounded by nearly 20 and had a hard time finishing around the rim. Caitlyn Harper briefly showed how they can neutralize that with a pair of threes in the second quarter.

There’s not a 6’7” big walking through those doors this season, so Purdue will have to scrap against teams with bigger post players for the remainder of the year. Although, not very many will be as skilled as Betts.

Mary Ashley Stevenson:

The freshman forward had an encouraging debut for the Boilermakers, with eight points and two rebounds. As I mentioned above, UCLA’s size caused mismatches but Stevenson held her own for the most part.

She is exactly what Purdue needs off the bench, although could play herself into a starting role by the time Big Ten play ramps up in January.

Shooting woes tell the story:

Purdue’s perimeter shooting is what is going to take this team to another NCAA Tournament or turn out to be a detriment this season.

The Boilers finished just 4-21 from behind the arc and two of those connections were in garbage time by Emily Monson and McKenna Layden.

Purdue is going to need Abbey Ellis, Jayla Smith and/or Madison Layden to be consistent from the outside moving forward.

 

[DubJellison]

Also, according to my calculations, that was Purdue’s first season-opening loss since Maine in 2017.

 

[MichaelRR]

Some thoughts:

Conceding the tip was a terrible idea, it sent the message Betts was unchallengable. Two quick blocks reinforced that thought and we abandoned the paint on the offensive end for the most part. Monson got fouled attacking the rim when she got some garbage minutes, but our starters seemed afraid to go into the paint.

We have an offensive design problem; KG said in the post game we were not getting good outside shots because we weren't getting the ball down low and kicking out from the double team. We don't have a post that commands a double team, and if that is the basis of our offense, it could be a very long season.

Jones had a rough outing, as did Smith. Stevenson and Ellis were the bright spots for me while Harper had one 3 minute offensive burst, and 2 points off fts the rest of the game. Madison was a near complete waste of minutes. 0-2 shooting, 1 assist, 1 TO. As a team we only had 8 assists TOTAL. UCLA had 29.

We don't have a player on the roster that could make UCLA first 8 rotation. We were utterly outclassed at every position.

 

[purduedavie]

Some thoughts:

Conceding the tip was a terrible idea, it sent the message Betts was unchallengable. Two quick blocks reinforced that thought and we abandoned the paint on the offensive end for the most part. Munson got fouled attacking the rim when she got spme garbage minutes, but our starters seemed afraid to go into the paint.

We have an offensive design problem; KG said in the post game we were not getting good outside shots because we weren't getting the ball down low and kicking out from the double team. We don't have a post that commands a double team, and if that is the basis of our offense, it could be a very long season.

Jones had a rough outing, as did Smith. Stevenson and Ellis were the bright spots for me while Harper had one 3 minute offensive burst, and 2 points off fts the rest of the game. Madison was a near complete waste of minutes. 0-2 shooting, 1 assist, 1 TO. As a team we only had 8 assists TOTAL. UCLA had 29.

We don't have a player on the roster that could make UCLA first 8 rotation. We were utterly outclassed at every position.

Can’t disagree, says a lot about the 8 player rotation comment, this UCLA team if they stay healthy could win the title this year.

 

[BoilerPride08]

Some thoughts:

Conceding the tip was a terrible idea, it sent the message Betts was unchallengable. Two quick blocks reinforced that thought and we abandoned the paint on the offensive end for the most part. Munson got fouled attacking the rim when she got spme garbage minutes, but our starters seemed afraid to go into the paint.

We have an offensive design problem; KG said in the post game we were not getting good outside shots because we weren't getting the ball down low and kicking out from the double team. We don't have a post that commands a double team, and if that is the basis of our offense, it could be a very long season.

Jones had a rough outing, as did Smith. Stevenson and Ellis were the bright spots for me while Harper had one 3 minute offensive burst, and 2 points off fts the rest of the game. Madison was a near complete waste of minutes. 0-2 shooting, 1 assist, 1 TO. As a team we only had 8 assists TOTAL. UCLA had 29.

We don't have a player on the roster that could make UCLA first 8 rotation. We were utterly outclassed at every position.

These are the recruit rankings of the top 6 players on UCLA - none of which are freshmen.

#1
#2
#22
#10
#22
#19

The other two who scored were a 6’4 junior who averaged almost 10 ppg last year and then a 6’4 freshman who was a McDonald’s all American.

So color me - not shocked - by your incredible assertion there. 🙄

I will say Stephenson would get time with UCLA as well as Ellis and Terry. But who really needs anymore after that top 6 mentioned above. UCLA is one of, if not the most talented rosters in the country - I think they are way better as a team than Iowa one spot ahead of them and definitely rivals UConn’s talent. And with LSU’s 14 pt loss yesterday to Colorado - they will be 3rd in the country next week. But they will be the class of the big ten and possibly the country for years to come.


All of this was nothing new. This was a game to see where we are at and where we need to go. Obviously to compete with a team like ucla - that is quite a ways - all this was known before yesterday’s drubbing. No one thought differently.

 

[MichaelRR]

These are the recruit rankings of the top 6 players on UCLA - none of which are freshmen.

#1
#2
#22
#10
#22
#19

The other two who scored were a 6’4 junior who averaged almost 10 ppg last year and then a 6’4 freshman who was a McDonald’s all American.

So color me - not shocked - by your incredible assertion there. 🙄

I will say Stephenson would get time with UCLA as well as Ellis and Terry. But who really needs anymore after that top 6 mentioned above. UCLA is one of, if not the most talented rosters in the country - I think they are way better as a team than Iowa one spot ahead of them and definitely rivals UConn’s talent. And with LSU’s 14 pt loss yesterday to Colorado - they will be 3rd in the country next week. But they will be the class of the big ten and possibly the country for years to come.


All of this was nothing new. This was a game to see where we are at and where we need to go. Obviously to compete with a team like ucla - that is quite a ways - all this was known before yesterday’s drubbing. No one thought differently.

So which 3 of those 8 players you listed by rankings and last years stats do you think would sit BEHIND Stevenson, Ellis, and Terry and why do you think those three of our players are better than 3 of their top 8? Because they sure did not show out in this game if they are. Stevenson played well for a first game and had more fight in her than half our team it seemed, but she still would have been DEEP bench on UCLA's roster.

 

[BoilerPride08]

So which 3 of those 8 players you listed by rankings and last years stats do you think would sit BEHIND Stevenson, Ellis, and Terry and why do you think those three of our players are better than 3 of their top 8? Because they sure did not show out in this game if they are. Stevenson played well for a first game and had more fight in her than half our team it seemed, but she still would have been DEEP bench on UCLA's roster.

Well Michael, injuries happen - foul trouble happens - I could see Terry being an able backup for rice if she was in foul trouble - and Ellis backing up jones - both are way better options than the Brown kid (the only other true guard who came off the bench) who came in for them yesterday and played 12 minutes. Judging our players and talent with ucla’s almost unreal rotation is not exactly being fair to our team. But again - being fair in your evaluations when it comes to this program has never been your strong suit. So bask in this defeat, I’m sure you woke up today like a kid in a candy store. Had we played a IPFW and won by 30 like most p5 programs did - your negative tune would still be the same.

 

[HoopDad317]

Some thoughts:

Conceding the tip was a terrible idea, it sent the message Betts was unchallengable. Two quick blocks reinforced that thought and we abandoned the paint on the offensive end for the most part. Munson got fouled attacking the rim when she got spme garbage minutes, but our starters seemed afraid to go into the paint.

We have an offensive design problem; KG said in the post game we were not getting good outside shots because we weren't getting the ball down low and kicking out from the double team. We don't have a post that commands a double team, and if that is the basis of our offense, it could be a very long season.

Jones had a rough outing, as did Smith. Stevenson and Ellis were the bright spots for me while Harper had one 3 minute offensive burst, and 2 points off fts the rest of the game. Madison was a near complete waste of minutes. 0-2 shooting, 1 assist, 1 TO. As a team we only had 8 assists TOTAL. UCLA had 29.

We don't have a player on the roster that could make UCLA first 8 rotation. We were utterly outclassed at every position.

Confusing substitutions. Harper hanging out on the perimeter instead of drawing fouls & making contact? Mila needs minutes. Madison doesn’t want to compete. Another season of watching her indifference. Smith is under-utilized. Again. We need Smith & Ellis consistently. JT to facilitate consistently.

Some positives: young guns got some minutes. MA wants to compete and be elite. Jones shows promise & confidence but needs to understand shot selection. Great motor. McKenna got some minutes just needs to get quicker and stronger. Monsoon shows promise, just didn’t get any real minutes. Before too long, MA’s performance is going to make it hard for CKG not to start her in the 4 position. I mean, how do you not reward her effort?

 

[BoilerRingside]

Still a long way to go for sure but getting to watch the game, which was not an easy task, I think UCLA would dominate in the B10 this year. I don't think anyone would sanely say that we are trying to compete with the likes of them. And anyone who think we are or thinks the coaching staff thinks they are (Michael) are kidding themselves.

I liked the fact the three freshmen were on the court early in the first quarter. They are the future. It sends a good message to the older players that you have to perform or you wont get minutes. I liked the attempt to get the posts to shoot threes to pull UCLA bigs out of the post, shots just didnt go down.

There were many frustrating moments and sloppy turnovers or defensive rotations, but I think it was good for the freshman to get a look at what it takes to be among the national elite. Smith still looks like an incredible 1v1 player but looks lost on defense and running offensive sets just like her first two years. I will hold judgement on Mila and Alaina. They looked slow and overmatched but thats because they were outmatched by anyone in the post.

Not an overnight fix. I'm excited to see what the lineup/rotation looks like in January.

 

[MichaelRR]

Still a long way to go for sure but getting to watch the game, which was not an easy task, I think UCLA would dominate in the B10 this year. I don't think anyone would sanely say that we are trying to compete with the likes of them. And anyone who think we are or thinks the coaching staff thinks they are (Michael) are kidding themselves.

I liked the fact the three freshmen were on the court early in the first quarter. They are the future. It sends a good message to the older players that you have to perform or you wont get minutes. I liked the attempt to get the posts to shoot threes to pull UCLA bigs out of the post, shots just didnt go down.

There were many frustrating moments and sloppy turnovers or defensive rotations, but I think it was good for the freshman to get a look at what it takes to be among the national elite. Smith still looks like an incredible 1v1 player but looks lost on defense and running offensive sets just like her first two years. I will hold judgement on Mila and Alaina. They looked slow and overmatched but thats because they were outmatched by anyone in the post.

Not an overnight fix. I'm excited to see what the lineup/rotation looks like in January.

Unless your big is shooting 40% and putting them up a lot, you aren't getting a classic low post center away from the rim. The other team will just go match-up zone and still defend the paint with their big post.

 

[BoilerPride08]

Unless your big is shooting 40% and putting them up a lot, you aren't getting a classic low post center away from the rim. The other team will just go match-up zone and still defend the paint with their big post.

So you’re telling me when your team is down 30 pts - the smart thing to do is have your 6’2, athletically challenged, post player bang down low against a 6’7 post who was the #1 player in the 2022 recruiting class? wow - shocking you’re not a coach 😂 . We needed points Michael - not to have our starting post player foul out with 10 min left in the game.

At 6’7 - Betts’ potential was unreal coming out of high school - she needed to work on her body - she has clearly done that - she will be unstoppable here for years to come with her height skill and athleticism.

Unfortunately with UCLA joining the B1G next year we will have to deal with that for 2 more seasons.

 

[MichaelRR]

So you’re telling me when your team is down 30 pts - the smart thing to do is have your 6’2, athletically challenged, post player bang down low against a 6’7 post who was the #1 player in the 2022 recruiting class? wow - shocking you’re not a coach 😂 . We needed points Michael - not to have our starting post player foul out with 10 min left in the game.

At 6’7 - Betts’ potential was unreal coming out of high school - she needed to work on her body - she has clearly done that - she will be unstoppable here for years to come with her height skill and athleticism.

Unfortunately with UCLA joining the B1G next year we will have to deal with that for 2 more seasons.

You are a champion of straw man arguments and logical fallacies aren't you. Just like your fallacious statement that I enjoyed the team losing. Sure, I stuck through 15 years of Versyp just because I hate Purdue wbball so much that I love having them lose. That is assinine on its surface and shows either that you are a low intelligence troll or a spoiled man child that cannot stand someone having a differing outlook on any subject other than yours. I NEVER said anything like either of those statements, but since you want to play what ifs; both of Harper's 3s came mid second quarter in a 3 minute span along with her one basket, not when we were down 30. BUT if you are just letting Betts play a one girl zone down in the paint because Harper is hanging out on the perimeter doing NOTHING constructive the other three quarters, you have denied yourself any opportunities to screen her on drives and taken away any options to drive to the paint. Additionally, if Harper cannot try to create a shot and draw contact against a player like Betts, play Stevenson, because she already showed she CAN.

 

[purduedavie]

Let’s be honest, a starting lineup of Harper, Ellis, Madison, Terry with Smith isn’t very athletic, this team will make the tourney, but is limited. I hope by mid year we see Spider and Ashley in the starting lineup, let a couple of Sr’s lead off the bench. Also, is Reynolds not that good, she was pretty highly ranked wasn’t she?

 

[MichaelRR]

Let’s be honest, a starting lineup of Harper, Ellis, Madison, Terry with Smith isn’t very athletic, this team will make the tourney, but is limited. I hope by mid year we see Spider and Ashley in the starting lineup, let a couple of Sr’s lead off the bench. Also, is Reynolds not that good, she was pretty highly ranked wasn’t she?

Reynolds was ranked in the mid to low 60s, and barely got off Marylands bench last year. I think part of the problem may be we have 4 players here or incoming that were on one team in hs. They won a title (maybe 2?) But they weren't dominant. Nothing like the 50s Crispus Attucks team that destroyed opponentds for years on end. Having 4 collegiate players on the same high school team and still losing 8-12 games seems to indicate none of them being great dominant players and possibly a coaching problem. And some players just never adjust to the higher competition of D1 ball, which may also be the problem. But I don't think Mila Reynolds is going to be much help this year.

 

[MichaelRR]

Well Michael, injuries happen - foul trouble happens - I could see Terry being an able backup for rice if she was in foul trouble - and Ellis backing up jones - both are way better options than the Brown kid (the only other true guard who came off the bench) who came in for them yesterday and played 12 minutes. Judging our players and talent with ucla’s almost unreal rotation is not exactly being fair to our team. But again - being fair in your evaluations when it comes to this program has never been your strong suit. So bask in this defeat, I’m sure you woke up today like a kid in a candy store. Had we played a IPFW and won by 30 like most p5 programs did - your negative tune would still be the same.

My statement was we did not have players that would make UCLA's top 8 in that game. You are saying MA and Ellis might add deep depth in case of injury, which is amusing because they had 2 sophmore forwards out with injuries this game that are expected back in a few weeks and both were significant contributors as freshmen last year. Also interesting is that UCLA only has 4 guards on their roster and started 3 of them.

I might give you Terry over Brown, both 5th year seniors that are scoring challenged. So AT BEST we have one player that could earn minutes in their top 8 rotation. Still a big indictment over our level of talent compared to a top flight team.

I did not like this game from the day it was announced. We are not such a low level program we should be taking buy in games to be a punching bag for ranked teams. And despite your contention that everyone expected this to be a blowout, we had at least one fan claiming he liked our chances of winning outright and he was unimpressed with UCLA. No one else was willing to state before the game they thought we would be blown out but me. And for BoilerRingside, if we aren't thinking we can even compete with them, why schedule a game KNOWING you are going to be blown out and embarrassed to start the season? That would be more idiotic than thinking we could make a game of it going in. To me it was a poor scheduling choice period. I like playing ND again, even though this is a second loss we scheduled willingly. We scheduled 6 wins, 3 tossups and 2 losses for our OOC, and I think that is not wise, I would have preferred 6 wins and 4 tossups and the one loss to ND as a measuring stick.

 

[BoilerRingside]

Reynolds was ranked in the mid to low 60s, and barely got off Marylands bench last year. I think part of the problem may be we have 4 players here or incoming that were on one team in hs. They won a title (maybe 2?) But they weren't dominant. Nothing like the 50s Crispus Attucks team that destroyed opponentds for years on end. Having 4 collegiate players on the same high school team and still losing 8-12 games seems to indicate none of them being great dominant players and possibly a coaching problem. And some players just never adjust to the higher competition of D1 ball, which may also be the problem. But I don't think Mila Reynolds is going to be much help this year.

"Went 95-18 over four years with the Panthers, with a 68-17 record when playing with her sister Mila"

Thats from Amiyah Reynolds page on the Purdue website. Id say thats pretty dominant unless youre saying losing an average of four games per year is bad. I believe they went to two title games and moved up a class in for Amiyah/Spiders senior season when Amiyah was hurt.

I do agree that Mila might not be much help. Just looks like a sincere lack of interest similar to Woltman. But she probably served the purpose of getting Amiyah and Kira.

 

[BoilerRingside]

My statement was we did not have players that would make UCLA's top 8 in that game. You are saying MA and Ellis might add deep depth in case of injury, which is amusing because they had 2 sophmore forwards out with injuries this game that are expected back in a few weeks and both were significant contributors as freshmen last year. Also interesting is that UCLA only has 4 guards on their roster and started 3 of them.

I might give you Terry over Brown, both 5th year seniors that are scoring challenged. So AT BEST we have one player that could earn minutes in their top 8 rotation. Still a big indictment over our level of talent compared to a top flight team.

I did not like this game from the day it was announced. We are not such a low level program we should be taking buy in games to be a punching bag for ranked teams. And despite your contention that everyone expected this to be a blowout, we had at least one fan claiming he liked our chances of winning outright and he was unimpressed with UCLA. No one else was willing to state before the game they thought we would be blown out but me. And for BoilerRingside, if we aren't thinking we can even compete with them, why schedule a game KNOWING you are going to be blown out and embarrassed to start the season? That would be more idiotic than thinking we could make a game of it going in. To me it was a poor scheduling choice period. I like playing ND again, even though this is a second loss we scheduled willingly. We scheduled 6 wins, 3 tossups and 2 losses for our OOC, and I think that is not wise, I would have preferred 6 wins and 4 tossups and the one loss to ND as a measuring stick.

I get your point. I dont think anyone on staff had the expectation it would be that wide of a margin. The freshman were out there a lot in the second half which probably added to the score but I liked their effort even when down a bunch.

I do wonder if the game was set up but not announced before Betts transfered. Was it a good game to play for the team this year no. Was it "idiotic" again no. From what I remember though a big loss to a great team will help your RPI better than a big win vs a bad team.

But I do like this freshmen class seeing what a great team looks like day one and knowing what it takes to get there. They played a lot of that second half together. Compared to other classes from the last 10 years that would fold after a game like that I think this young group has a better approach to rise to the occasion.

 

[MichaelRR]

I get your point. I dont think anyone on staff had the expectation it would be that wide of a margin. The freshman were out there a lot in the second half which probably added to the score but I liked their effort even when down a bunch.

I do wonder if the game was set up but not announced before Betts transfered. Was it a good game to play for the team this year no. Was it "idiotic" again no. From what I remember though a big loss to a great team will help your RPI better than a big win vs a bad team.

But I do like this freshmen class seeing what a great team looks like day one and knowing what it takes to get there. They played a lot of that second half together. Compared to other classes from the last 10 years that would fold after a game like that I think this young group has a better approach to rise to the occasion.

I think the three frosh that played over 5 minutes in this game were playing pretty much the way KG intends to use them all year, except MAYBE McKenna. Jones and Stevenson are our first two off the bench all year, unless one of them replaces Madison in the starting lineup. I agree the frosh showed more fight than the seniors did on the whole. Ellis tried, but was physically overmatched and only got 20 minutes. Terry was Terry, and you get about the same from her every night, but she is not a player that can pick it up when others falter IMHO. I really liked Monson when she got in, she knew she only had 3 minutes to show out and took it right at UCLA without any fear. A. Harper seemed just happy to be out there. I said I thought she was a wasted scholarship when she was signed and so far I see nothing to make me think I was wrong. Stevenson really played well and with heart and was not intimidated by UCLA's bigs. She impressed me in that game. Jones played like a frosh, no judgement against that starting out in a game way over your head. Smith still plays like that and THAT is a big concern for me. I see very very little improvement year over year from Smith and she is an upperclassman and should be a leader for the frosh.

first half minutes:
20 Mary Ashley Stevenson 11:49
2 Rashunda Jones 05:50
11 McKenna Layden 04:14


total game minutes:
20 Mary Ashley Stevenson 26:32
2 Rashunda Jones 20:08
11 McKenna Layden 14:27
15 Mila Reynolds 04:48
21 Emilly Monson 03:28
32 Alaina Harper 03:15

So Jones and McKenna did get significantly more minutes second half to first, and Stevenson got a few more. Reynolds got about the same both halves and Monson and A. Harper only got garbage time minutes. Smith and Madison were the big minute losers from first to second half, so I don't think with the way the upperclassmen played that game that playing McKenna and Jones changed the margin much at all.




I would expect a team with four high D1 prospects to lose 4 games over their careers, not a year. They were a very good team, but not dominating and that concerns me. Layden's (x2) Northwestern team was more dominant with those two and Bostic, and I believe Bostic was the only ranked player on that team. We will see how it all shakes out over the next 4 years.

I believe they changed RPI some a few years ago because coaches like Versyp were gaming it too hard. I am pretty sure margin of loss or victory is now figured in and if so, this game is an anchor to our RPI all year. I may be wrong on that though.

 

[MichaelRR]

We were both off, since 2018 the NCAA selection committee only uses the NET rating system, not RPI at all, and its NET that figures in margin of victory.

"The Ratings Power Index (RPI) was made up of three components:

• A team's winning percentage
• Average opponent's winning percentage
• Average opponent's opponent's winning percentage

The NET includes more components than just winning percentage. It takes into account game results, strength of schedule, game location, scoring margin, net offensive and defensive efficiency, and the quality of wins and losses."

 

[purduedavie]

"Went 95-18 over four years with the Panthers, with a 68-17 record when playing with her sister Mila"

Thats from Amiyah Reynolds page on the Purdue website. Id say thats pretty dominant unless youre saying losing an average of four games per year is bad. I believe they went to two title games and moved up a class in for Amiyah/Spiders senior season when Amiyah was hurt.

I do agree that Mila might not be much help. Just looks like a sincere lack of interest similar to Woltman. But she probably served the purpose of getting Amiyah and Kira.

Interesting on Mila, that may be the case, Madison to me looks like this a little, kids get pushed, maybe they burn themselves out. We’ll see, she’s still only a Soph and the season is 1 game in.

 

[HoopDad317]

Let’s be honest, a starting lineup of Harper, Ellis, Madison, Terry with Smith isn’t very athletic, this team will make the tourney, but is limited. I hope by mid year we see Spider and Ashley in the starting lineup, let a couple of Sr’s lead off the bench. Also, is Reynolds not that good, she was pretty highly ranked wasn’t she?

At the risk of being crucified or accused of bashing college kids, like when I mentioned physical fitness on a previous post it is obvious to anyone that Mila isn’t in elite shape physically. Nor is Layden Sr. or Harper Sr. Not sure how you have all those resources available to you, for strength training, nutrition, wellness etc, and yet Purdue continues to struggle with getting these athletes in elite shape. Is it their work ethic or a poor S/C Coach? Think they’ve gone through a few different ones over recent years? Could be wrong. I think Mila is a defensive liability with her physical condition. Layden Sr is labored when she runs and is no longer a quick player. Harper Sr. appears to be more unhealthy than last year. Imagine if these players were in top shape physically. Would be impressive! It makes me wonder what the S/C Coach even does. This prevents us from being elite. Both on and off the court.

 

[MichaelRR]

At the risk of being crucified or accused of bashing college kids, like when I mentioned physical fitness on a previous post it is obvious to anyone that Mila isn’t in elite shape physically. Nor is Layden Sr. or Harper Sr. Not sure how you have all those resources available to you, for strength training, nutrition, wellness etc, and yet Purdue continues to struggle with getting these athletes in elite shape. Is it their work ethic or a poor S/C Coach? Think they’ve gone through a few different ones over recent years? Could be wrong. I think Mila is a defensive liability with her physical condition. Layden Sr is labored when she runs and is no longer a quick player. Harper Sr. appears to be more unhealthy than last year. Imagine if these players were in top shape physically. Would be impressive! It makes me wonder what the S/C Coach even does. This prevents us from being elite. Both on and off the court.

Our talent is not close to elite, even in top shape. Madison problem may well be related to her playing injured at the end of her soph year for over a month when she was limping up and down the floor obviously in great pain and not being effective. I would like to know why you say the three are not in good physical condition though? IF its because they are thick body types you are going to hate next years forwards.

 

[purduedavie]

At the risk of being crucified or accused of bashing college kids, like when I mentioned physical fitness on a previous post it is obvious to anyone that Mila isn’t in elite shape physically. Nor is Layden Sr. or Harper Sr. Not sure how you have all those resources available to you, for strength training, nutrition, wellness etc, and yet Purdue continues to struggle with getting these athletes in elite shape. Is it their work ethic or a poor S/C Coach? Think they’ve gone through a few different ones over recent years? Could be wrong. I think Mila is a defensive liability with her physical condition. Layden Sr is labored when she runs and is no longer a quick player. Harper Sr. appears to be more unhealthy than last year. Imagine if these players were in top shape physically. Would be impressive! It makes me wonder what the S/C Coach even does. This prevents us from being elite. Both on and off the court.

A buddy connected to the girls basketball scene told me Friday night that Mila has lost interest in the game, he thinks she’s burned out. Hopefully, he’s wrong, I guess we’ll see. He told me in his opinion, the girl that’s injured is the best of the 3.

 

[HoopDad317]

Our talent is not close to elite, even in top shape. Madison problem may well be related to her playing injured at the end of her soph year for over a month when she was limping up and down the floor obviously in great pain and not being effective. I would like to know why you say the three are not in good physical condition though? IF its because they are thick body types you are going to hate next years

A buddy connected to the girls basketball scene told me Friday night that Mila has lost interest in the game, he thinks she’s burned out. Hopefully, he’s wrong, I guess we’ll see. He told me in his opinion, the girl that’s injured is the best of the 3.

That’s too bad if true. Wonder if it’s because her parents coached her? Sometimes
Coach’s kids get their fill earlier than most.

 

[HoopDad317]

Our talent is not close to elite, even in top shape. Madison problem may well be related to her playing injured at the end of her soph year for over a month when she was limping up and down the floor obviously in great pain and not being effective. I would like to know why you say the three are not in good physical condition though? IF its because they are thick body types you are going to hate next years forwards.

I would agree. I don’t believe they are in good physical shape because I watch them play and move and it’s obvious. Not sure anyone can convince me that they are in the best shape possible to play at this level. Mila likely couldn’t handle MD’s pace. Not sure if Madison was injured and how that even would impact her present inability to move well almost two years later? Sounds like an excuse? There are girls in their positions who can move well in this conference (Holmes at IU, Stuelke at Iowa and even Ciznano last year at Iowa and even our own JT). Nothing to do with thick bodies or weight as bigger girls can move well, it’s just those three don’t. When you look at those three players, it’s hard to think of them being at their best physically. Maybe my standard are too high. These players are receiving full scholarships and have all the amenities and they struggle to be in top shape to make the most of what they’ve been given.

 

[purduedavie]

That’s too bad if true. Wonder if it’s because her parents coached her? Sometimes
Coach’s kids get their fill earlier than most.

This guy is a head high school hoops Coach, in his opinion that’s exactly why. Still early in her career, hopefully, it’s not true and she contributes.

 

[MichaelRR]

There is this thing called natural physical talent. Holmes has a lot of it. Harper doesn't have nearly so much. Mila, I cannot fathom a guess. As to Layden, playing on a badly sprained ankle can cause permanent injury that hobbles a person for the rest of their life. That was why I was very vocal then about it and still wonder if that is what robbed her of a step she could little afford to lose as she was not quick to begin with. Let's hope today was the doors finally opening again for her to be at her best, but we shall see over the next three games if she can play at even half the level of today or goes back to the zero hero from UCLA game.

 

[BoilerRingside]

Im still not sold on the ankle thing for Ladyen. Injuries arent disclosed often but never saw or heard anything about it except from you Michael. I do think her so/ju years looked like lacked interest. She looks a little brighter this year.

Hopeful Mila can regain her love for it too.

 

[MichaelRR]

Im still not sold on the ankle thing for Ladyen. Injuries arent disclosed often but never saw or heard anything about it except from you Michael. I do think her so/ju years looked like lacked interest. She looks a little brighter this year.

Hopeful Mila can regain her love for it too.

Last month of Big Ten play Layden was playing so hurt that Newton frequently mentioned her limping up and down the floor. It finally got do bad she missed the WNIT games. It's well documented she was playing badly hurt the end of her sophomore year.

 

[HoopDad317]

Im still not sold on the ankle thing for Ladyen. Injuries arent disclosed often but never saw or heard anything about it except from you Michael. I do think her so/ju years looked like lacked interest. She looks a little brighter this year.

Hopeful Mila can regain her love for it too.

I agree. With Mila, being a coach’s kid can be hard. Hope she can contribute this year. Comes from an impressive family who seems well respected around the state. For Madison, I agree. If it was a disabling injury then sit out. No one forced her to play. She has difficulty playing hard and competing. If she can dominate, she wants to play. If she has to play hard, she’d rather play safe. The two games she missed last year after poor performances screamed to me she struggles mentally. Imagine if every player could take a couple games off when they played bad. She played with some energy yesterday because she knew she would dominate. I’d rather watch Ellis, JT, even MA, who play hard and with energy. All the time. I doubt she stays for her 5th. She seems exhausted already. Could be wrong. I’m not one for excuses. I’m excited to see how MA does Thursday. Need Ellis to be on!

 

[MichaelRR]

I agree. With Mila, being a coach’s kid can be hard. Hope she can contribute this year. Comes from an impressive family who seems well respected around the state. For Madison, I agree. If it was a disabling injury then sit out. No one forced her to play. She has difficulty playing hard and competing. If she can dominate, she wants to play. If she has to play hard, she’d rather play safe. The two games she missed last year after poor performances screamed to me she struggles mentally. Imagine if every player could take a couple games off when they played bad. She played with some energy yesterday because she knew she would dominate. I’d rather watch Ellis, JT, even MA, who play hard and with energy. All the time. I doubt she stays for her 5th. She seems exhausted already. Could be wrong. I’m not one for excuses. I’m excited to see how MA does Thursday. Need Ellis to be on!

Southern opted to play off her the first half and give help with her man to others. Madison made them pay for giving her wide open looks. She got one three off a scramble and 4 fts as Southern played someone up tight on her the rest of the way and Madison didn't even look to shoot. The Laydens are also coaches kids, but I'm not sure that burnout is Madisons issue.

 

[BoilerRingside]

I agree. With Mila, being a coach’s kid can be hard. Hope she can contribute this year. Comes from an impressive family who seems well respected around the state. For Madison, I agree. If it was a disabling injury then sit out. No one forced her to play. She has difficulty playing hard and competing. If she can dominate, she wants to play. If she has to play hard, she’d rather play safe. The two games she missed last year after poor performances screamed to me she struggles mentally. Imagine if every player could take a couple games off when they played bad. She played with some energy yesterday because she knew she would dominate. I’d rather watch Ellis, JT, even MA, who play hard and with energy. All the time. I doubt she stays for her 5th. She seems exhausted already. Could be wrong. I’m not one for excuses. I’m excited to see how MA does Thursday. Need Ellis to be on!

Where did you see that as the reason she missed games last year? Remembered CKG saying something about illness.

You make some good points about Laydens effectivness but I still think she makes important impacts beyond the stats.

On a different note. I dont speak for everyone but can we not speculate and talk down on any mental health issues perceived or real. Whether you agree with it or not players or people for that matter shouldnt be judged for needing to get themselves right. If that was the case I'd applaud the staff and team for encouraging that.

 

[HoopDad317]

Where did you see that as the reason she missed games last year? Remembered CKG saying something about illness.

You make some good points about Laydens effectivness but I still think she makes important impacts beyond the stats.

On a different note. I dont speak for everyone but can we not speculate and talk down on any mental health issues perceived or real. Whether you agree with it or not players or people for that matter shouldnt be judged for needing to get themselves right. If that was the case I'd applaud the staff and team for encouraging that.

Not speaking down on mental health. It’s the sole reason prior to the portal, that athletes could claim mental health if they didn’t like something and they were granted an easy transfer. Am sure some were legit but many used it as an opportunity to get their way. Do some research on why the portal became what it is. To that end, I’m not sure how observations become judgment. If that’s the case then none of us can speculate about anything we see or hear. Some athletes struggle mentally when they cannot handle failure. I can have that opinion. No one has to agree. But calling things as I see them, whether with mental health or ankle injuries, is absolutely ok to do. It’s an observation. Just because my observation may be different than yours, doesn’t mean it’s judgmental. It means it’s different.