2021-22 PSU WBB Thread
- Thread starter Tom McAndrew
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Tried watching the game....when Lady Lions were getting out rebounded something like 40 to 20 in the third quarter I took a look at incoming 2022 players to find a pair of 5'7" guards. ..use to go to women's games when we had a team.....seems like a lifetime ago....
they have a:
6'0" forward (Ymke Brouwer) that's a freshman
6'3" forward (Kayla Thomas) that's a freshman
6'4" forward (Ali Brigham) that's a sophomore
6'3" forward (Anna Camden) that's a junior
by contrast, they have a:
5'7" guard (Niye Beverley) that's a Senior +
6'0" guard (Kelly Jekot) that's a graduate student
Perhaps their young, inside players, are not performing as well as one would like. However, they have the numbers inside, whereas they are losing two guards. In that context, I can't fault the coaching staff for recruiting a couple of guards.
Coach Kieger's three-woman incoming recruiting class consists of 5'7" PG Shay Ciezki from Lancaster, NY, 5'7" SG Angeno Belloso from Montgat, Spain, and 6'1" F Aicha Dia from Montreal, QUE. Shay was ranked #56 nationally by ESPN.
I watched the second half of today's 25-point loss to a bad but surging Rutgers team. I also sat through most of their previous big loss to Minnesota at the BJC. I'm not sure I've ever seen a college basketball team as contact-shy as the Lady Lions. A shot goes up and two or three Lady Lions stand and watch. No one moves toward the basket, no one jumps. It's almost as if rebounding isn't something they're expected to do. Soft. Soft. Soft.
Kieger's rebuilding project is now a year behind schedule. She has some talent on this squad, but if she can't find a take-command point guard with floor vision and one or two post players who play with some competitive anger as well as skill, next year won't be much better and Kieger's promising career will need a reset. Alli Campbell and Ymke Brouwer, two players who sat out this year due to injury, might supply answers at PG and in the frontcourt, respectively, maybe the freshmen will surprise, and maybe the front court will be a portal priority this spring. It seems to me that Kieger should make her squad spend an hour every day of the off season studying tape of John Harrar's competitive fire and physicality.
I watched the second half of today's 25-point loss to a bad but surging Rutgers team. I also sat through most of their previous big loss to Minnesota at the BJC. I'm not sure I've ever seen a college basketball team as contact-shy as the Lady Lions. A shot goes up and two or three Lady Lions stand and watch. No one moves toward the basket, no one jumps. It's almost as if rebounding isn't something they're expected to do. Soft. Soft. Soft.
Kieger's rebuilding project is now a year behind schedule. She has some talent on this squad, but if she can't find a take-command point guard with floor vision and one or two post players who play with some competitive anger as well as skill, next year won't be much better and Kieger's promising career will need a reset. Alli Campbell and Ymke Brouwer, two players who sat out this year due to injury, might supply answers at PG and in the frontcourt, respectively, maybe the freshmen will surprise, and maybe the front court will be a portal priority this spring. It seems to me that Kieger should make her squad spend an hour every day of the off season studying tape of John Harrar's competitive fire and physicality.
If they had 4 legit inside players that could play like B10 inside players it would be a start. But 6' even players are not inside players in the B10 unless they are exceptionally strong and athletic. Camden plays like a wing guard, not a front court player. Brigham is as unathletic a Big as PSU has had to put out as a starter, similar to some of the Bigs that Washington recruited and failed to develop. And Brigham starting and playing big minutes is a recipe for a losing B10 record. She needs to be running steps and jumping rope 4 hours a day between now and September, but where is the rebounding help? It didn't exist on this year's roster.
There are just no legit front court players on the current roster from what I have seen in the games I've watched. But I haven't watched like I used to due to the poor quality of play that at times is pretty embarrassing. It is a shame that Marissa does not have much help. She's a warrior, but when she's also the leading rebounder you aren't winning too many B10 games.......
There are just no legit front court players on the current roster from what I have seen in the games I've watched. But I haven't watched like I used to due to the poor quality of play that at times is pretty embarrassing. It is a shame that Marissa does not have much help. She's a warrior, but when she's also the leading rebounder you aren't winning too many B10 games.......
I really don't follow them close enough to be able to speak to that.
For those interested in “my opinion” (somebody…anyone?) Shay Ciezki is going to be handed the ball this year and be told to lead this team. For reference, my Daughter just finished her Freshman season and was the rookie of the year in the Big South conference. I thought that Shay was the best guard that she played against in all of the AAU games that I watched. UCONN, UCLA, Wisconsin and many others are examples schools that had recruits that I’ve seen play. Hopefully, she can light a fire and bring some toughness to our lady lions!!
I hope Shay Ciezki is as good as advertised, but there's danger in turning over a B1G campaign to a true freshman, especially at PG. Is Alli Campbell, who redshirted with an injury after transferring from Notre Dame, a true PG? The Lady Lions must fix their rebounding and scoring woes in the front court, and must find a PG who sees the floor and distributes the ball better than anyone did this past season. And, as coach Kiegs affirmed at season's end, next year's Lady Lion squad needs to be much tougher mentally and physically.
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Typically poorly written article by a Collegian student reporter. It appears to me that these articles are often written without talking to the coach. No real insight or inside information here. No discussion of transfer portal recruits or addressing point guard and rebounding deficiencies.
Probably should start a 2022-23 PSU WBB thread, because we added two players to next fall's women's basketball squad this week: Temple fifth-year transfer forward Alexa Williamson (6'1", 8.2ppp and 5.0rpg this past season as a senior) and 5'7" JUCO point guard Ivane Tensaie from North Dakota State College of Science. Originally from Roseville, MN, Tensaie averaged 20.8ppg and 4.7apg as a freshman this past season for NDSCS. She shot 42.3% overall and from the 3-point line and 89% from the foul line.
I'd still like to see coach Kiegs sign a rebounding post to give Ali Brigham and Kayla Thomas some competition. The Lady Lions were timid on the boards last season.
Maddie Burke is transferring to Villanova. No destinations announced yet for guards Tova Sabel and Shay Hagans. Assistant coach Sarah Jenkins left for the HC job at Delaware two weeks ago and assistant Myia Johnson made a recent lateral move to the Cincinnati Bearcats.
I'd still like to see coach Kiegs sign a rebounding post to give Ali Brigham and Kayla Thomas some competition. The Lady Lions were timid on the boards last season.
Maddie Burke is transferring to Villanova. No destinations announced yet for guards Tova Sabel and Shay Hagans. Assistant coach Sarah Jenkins left for the HC job at Delaware two weeks ago and assistant Myia Johnson made a recent lateral move to the Cincinnati Bearcats.
I generally use the previous season's PSU TEAM thread to post info about the team, and start a new thread when the schedules are announced for the next season. That's a general guideline, though at times the new thread doesn't start until just before or just after the start of the next season.
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