RebKell's Junkie Boards

[Carol Anne]

[hooper1]

Gold-Onwude was REALLY impressive in this game! Interesting that Stanford has several players with the ability to take over a game - Wiggins, Brooks, Newlin, and now Gold-Onwude.

UCLA was pretty underwhelming. Can't figure out why Olivier had her team continue to press when they were getting beat over and over and over and over. It was almost painful to watch. They got killed on fast breaks and when they tried to press.

Favorite part of the game: Idiot commentators talking about "Jean Daugherty" of UW and "Tara VanderWal" of Stanford.

[Slovydal]

I might be in LA for the rematch the end of this month. I hope the Bruins get it together by then!

[MNfan22]

[AJMMs]

UCLA will have a new coach next season. Anyone know of any big time coaches that may be interested? It really will be a great situation for any coach to come in. UCLA, even without Willis and Blue, still has the talent to be one of the top programs in the conference. I know it doesn't seem that way but most of the underperforming is due to a coach who runs no set plays, doesn't know how to get her players to play D and doesn't know how to get her players to play co-hesively.

If this team were under the guidance of a good coach (someone like Dawn Staley...hint, hint...would she ever consider?) this would be a Final Four caliber team. That is how bad a coach KO is. I feel sorry for her. She's a nice enough lady and has run a very clean program, but she's also a bright enough lady that she's controlled a lot of what happens to her at UCLA and that is why she lasted 13 years.

She got her team to the Elite 8 in her final year of the last contract, had everyone returning for the next season and convinced the UCLA AD who was a good friend of hers to give her a rollover contract that it was virtually impossible for the new AD (who had to buyout the football and men's basketball coach's contract for underperforming that it was too expensive to buyout KO). Well this is the final season of this contract thank God! She's history no matter what and UCLA would probably have to win a championship this season to convince anyone that she can lead the program and even then that might not save her job because next season they lose 2 of the best players to ever wear UCLA uniforms the players coming in are solid players but none the quality of Willis and Blue. She put herself in the position to be ridiculed around the country. She had her chances and for me there were way too many chances.

I feel bad for her because she's a nice lady but she just can't coach. UCLA's players are just going through the motions. I could see that on TV last night. They really lack chemistry because I just don't think they believe in the coach anymore. They all like her as an individual and a friend, but they just seem uninterested being out there on the court. I feel so bad for Nikki Blue and Lisa Willis. Nikki was such a spectacular player coming into UCLA, I didn't even think that KO could screw her up the way she has. Nikki needs to play for a coach like Michael Cooper the way that he benefited Nikki Teasley's game and brought out the best in her. Anyway, sorry to ramble but I am very sad for the UCLA players especially the seniors. The other players will have a new coach and that coach will have a nice group of players to work with next year.

[bballfan2005]

Doubt if Dawn Staley would consider any job other than the Virginia job, but that job doesn't seem to be opening any time soon. Debbie Ryan seems to have things headed in the right direction this season.

_________________
Avatar: The King has his ring!

Mathies to LA 2013

[AJMMs]

I've been wondering what happened with Ryan but I knew it was just a matter of getting the right players. She seemed to be having some trouble signing good recruiting classes but that's changing it seems like. I realize Dawn Staley and UCLA most likely would never happen but for me personally, she would make UCLA instantly popular with recruits especially the elite local players.

Word around SoCal is that many of the elite local players have always liked UCLA as a whole but couldn't play for KO. SWG was one of them as was Abi Olajuwon. Gemelos liked the campus but couldn't play for KO. The Paris Twins really liked the campus and TJ when she was there but couldn't play for KO. TJ may have been able to persuade Wiggins and Houston. Though maybe not Wiggins because she just loved Stanford, but Houston could've been a possibility.

So for me it would be between Staley and TJ is I had a choice, but TJ has no head coaching experience but neither did Boyle at Cal or did she?

[styxfan22]

[bballfan2005]

[PalaceAthena]

I'd have to think the UCLA job would be one of the most attractive in the country. You have a great campus and arena, and athletic dept. totally committed to women's sports with lots of success in a variety of different sports, and a great area to recruit from. Money shouldn't be an issue for the university either. So the Bruins should be able to get a great coach.

I'm not sure if Dawn Staley wants to leave Philadelphia, let alone the East Coast, though I agree she'd be one of the first I'd contact. But she has a lot of ties to Philly that go beyond Temple and basketball. Her family and foundation, to name a couple.

There's a few ways I could see UCLA going with this. 1-Bring in an established and successful head coach from that region who is currently coaching in a smaller conference, e.g. New Mexico's Don Flanagan or Utah's Elaine Elliott. 2-Go after a successful coach from a major conference, but a smaller area, e.g. Deb Patterson at Kansas State. Or, 3-go after one of the premier assistant coaches in the country, eg. Chris Dailey at UConn.

An intriguing choice for me might be going after Coquese Washington at Notre Dame. She's filled in for Muffet McGraw a few times this year when McGraw missed games due to illness. She's a former WNBA starter. And she's a point guard, so she's used to coaching on the floor. Now, the other thing I'd do, is see if I could persuade the now retired Natalie Williams to be her assistant. Nat would instantly help recruiting, what with her being a UCLA legend and all. And if I'm a high school player, I wouldn't mind playing for a couple of former WNBA players. I mean guards know they'll get great teaching from Co, and if you're a post, well, could you imagine being coached by Nat! Just something a little out of the box, that I hope UCLA considers.

[hooper1]

I think Chris Gobrecht would take another job in SoCal.

[AJMMs]

[Slovydal]

[LitePal]

Would UCLA be willing to think outside the box and just go for the best coach, male or female, black or white? If that's the case, they should take a hard look at Fresno City College's Vance Wahlberg, considered by some to be the top coach in California. Since he's a men's coach and is looking at the Fresno State job, it might be tough to lure him to Div. 1 women but he coaches tough defense with high octane offense. And his rosters have generally been smaller than most other programs so he could be a good fit. Undefeated seasons and State Championships aren't a bad pedigree.

http://www.fresnobee.com/sports/story/9750466p-10616594c.html

His approach to full court pressing and run and gun would have been perfect for this Bruin team.

[womens_hoops]

as long as they're looking in Fresno, maybe they should interview Stacey Johnson-Klein as well?

[PUmatty]

Any chance Mulkey-Robinson would leave Baylor? If she is the coach we are led to believe she is, the resources and recruiting base at UCLA could make the sky the limit.

What about someone like McCallie or Pam Borton?

Mark French would be my ideal candidate, but it doesn't look like he will ever leave UCSB.

[bballfan2005]

[AJMMs]

[LitePal]

I thought about Stacey, because she'd be a weirdly good match for LA and the Bruins. And she'd have better access to courtside lingerie and prescription medication.

[Carol Anne]

[PUmatty]

[Carol Anne]

This is the woman who waited 15 long years to become head coach at LaTech. She's loyal to a fault. And Waco is the biggest place she's ever lived. I can't imagine KMR in LA.

[PUmatty]

[accommodatingly]

[hooper1]

I wonder if there are any promising coaches from Div. II schools? Mark Trakh is doing pretty well and I think he coached at Pepperdine prior to USC.