W. Basketball. @LATechWBB Falls In Overtime

[Russdawg]

I am so glad you brought up Jenkins-Cleaver because this is a perfect example of Tyler doing his homework. LA Tech recruited Jenkins but the staff was told by everyone from HS to AAU that she was a "problem child" on and off the court. Tyler and staff decided that is the last thing they needed when trying to change culture. Thus LA Tech pulled the offer off the table.

Check the USM box score from their cusa game yesterday. See what Jenkins did? I can tell you. Nothing. She didn't play. She sat on their bench the entire time in uniform. I saw her numerous times on Internet broadcast. She has missed a number of games this year (and none due to injury), including the first quarter of their game against Tech. Don't be surprised if she isn't back at USM next year.

Cleaver .... Do you know that she played on a very deep and talented high school team. Included in that team is a kid named Erin Boley, who has signed with Notre Dame and is playing in the McDonalds All-American game. If I'm not mistaken there were at least two other DI signees on that team. So do you see why she averaged what she averaged?

So Tyler took a great kid on and off the court who has already shown vast improvement as a freshman over a trouble kid who let her team down numerous times this year.

That doesn't mean every single move they make will always work out. But you brought up the perfect example of one that will.

Wonderful information and analysis. We did indeed choose Cleaver over Jenkins and this is foundational for the long term program Tyler and his staff will build.

[BlindDog]

Hey folks, I know I am blind... but how do you let your star player not make her grades! If you care about your atheletes getting an education and becoming abetter person on the court and off; which I have herd Tyler repeat time after time... Then how could this have possibly have happened!
Now moving on to next year...
we will be losing 2 starters compared to 5 from last year...
We have Malone coming in which should be more dominit down in the post than Wingate was...
Cleaver is going to be a future star in her own right!
Molton will be a Sr. she should be able to give the starters some rest time...
Santos has shown moments of awesome production and other not so much but should be better next year... Davenport is a competitor...
Anthoney and LeBlanc are both awesome atheletes just need some refining...
MCClain one of the Freshman coming in, has been working out with the team since Christmas, someone should have some input on her, but she comes in highly touted!
The left handed PG is suppose to be a great addition to the team, and we had a 6'3" gal coming on board as well...
With Pumroy graduating and moving on, I would hope that Tyler might be trying to sign another player in the spring,
maybe someone from Jr. College for more experience... Another BIG Strong body in the paint would be advantageous for this current Program
Looking ahead:
Anthoney and the lefty should be competing for the PG position...
Santos should have the 2 spot wrapped up
the 3spot could be highly competitive with Vasquez, LeBlanc, and McClain all able to earn that spot...
the #4 should be Malone and Davenport battleing for that starting spot...
and the #5 position I would have to say would go to Cleaver, Malone, Robinson, and then the new 6'3" gal
***
A lot of things can happen between now and Nov. but hopefully we can make some free throws next year, handle the ball better, find someone that can be a pure shooter, and see some more improvement on our post play then we should be a much better team than the one we had this year...
GO TECHSTERS!

[BruceWillisDawg]

I don't doubt his ability to coach not one bit, but I am beginning to doubt his ability to recruit. All he is getting are good to slightly above average players and somehow he expects to coach them into all league players. Talent in women's basketball is what wins. You can be the best x's and o's coach in America, but in the women's game the team with better talent will win 85% of the time. We sit here and lose to a team twice in one year that has 9 total wins. We are one of the most storied women's programs in America, yet we are happy we kept it close cause our best player was out. No, freaking beat a crap school with less talent than you. Too many people looking for moral victories, I call it like I see it and we need a talent upgrade. It did not take Mike White 5 years to upgrade our talent and we are god awful because of Kerry Rupp.

Our primary issue with WB for years has been recruiting. Tyler may or may not be a good coach - I'm not qualified to make that judgment but w/o good players we will never climb out of mediocrity. I do think that we can compete for conference titles because we can attract the level of talent necessary beyond that I think our time has passed. At the end of four yrs we will know if this program is moving up or still stuck in mediocrity. The coaching effort is there but we need good players!

[svb002]

Hey folks, I know I am blind... but how do you let your star player not make her grades! If you care about your atheletes getting an education and becoming abetter person on the court and off; which I have herd Tyler repeat time after time... Then how could this have possibly have happened!

In the end, that is up to Wingate. She's an adult who needed to take care of business, and she didn't. No amount of cajoling or effort from the coaches staff can overcome someone's lack of interest in something.

[TrueBulldog1962]

Our primary issue with WB for years has been recruiting. Tyler may or may not be a good coach - I'm not qualified to make that judgment but w/o good players we will never climb out of mediocrity. I do think that we can compete for conference titles because we can attract the level of talent necessary beyond that I think our time has passed. At the end of four yrs we will know if this program is moving up or still stuck in mediocrity. The coaching effort is there but we need good players!

Do you believe we have good players? I believe we have average players, that we think we can make good players cause they are good people.

[Blue Dawg]

Do you believe we have good players? I believe we have average players, that we think we can make good players cause they are good people.

Wingate is a top player, no doubt. I'd say one of the best in the country (top 100 maybe or better).

[TrueBulldog1962]

Wingate is a top player, no doubt. I'd say one of the best in the country (top 100 maybe or better).

I can agree that she is a top 100 talent but she doesnt have top 100 worth ethic effectively removing her from being a top 100 player. Read the latechsports.com article about her and how many times Tyler had to bench her. Then she fails out and costs the team. High quality players can do it all, including make a 2.0 in school. It aint hard. She is the only player on our team that has even remotely close to all conference talent. Can that change with experience and coaching? Absolutely, but at this point, we have no one else.

[Blue Dawg]

I can agree that she is a top 100 talent but she doesnt have top 100 worth ethic effectively removing her from being a top 100 player. Read the latechsports.com article about her and how many times Tyler had to bench her. Then she fails out and costs the team. High quality players can do it all, including make a 2.0 in school. It aint hard. She is the only player on our team that has even remotely close to all conference talent. Can that change with experience and coaching? Absolutely, but at this point, we have no one else.

I agree with that.

[philgarris]

Okay I can certainly understand that. This is an example of something that bothers me...The Jenkins girl at Southern Miss is an absolute star from an hour down the road and we didn't get her and instead took Cleaver. How can we not sell LA Tech over USM in women's basketball with a coach at the helm with the last name Summit? In Cleaver's best year as a high school player she averaged 12 a game. That isn't what it takes to win championships. Jenkins put up 30 and 14 and was a 4 time all state selection from an hour down the road! That should be an easy sell over USM. Easy.

Jenkins also had her butt planted on the bench against UAB in the conference tournament and would not disclose why she was not allowed to play but it was something that she did.

When I find out I will let you know but I am guessing her mouth and ego overloaded her butt and Joi Lee sat her because of it.