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Texas Women's Basketball 2020-2021 "A New Era"


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2 hours ago, Goodman said:

Is she going to take anyone off our staff?

Doubtful. It’ll be interesting to see if OU goes after Jackson-Durrett. 

Im surprised Tina is still at UVA or it would be great to bring her back. 

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So from the TOS -

  • Auburn initially reached out to Tina Langley (Rice) as their first coach, but she turned them down.  
  • Auburn hired their second choice, Texas assistant Johnnie Harris.
  • OU also reached out to Tina Langley.  She rebuffed them as well, because as she is at Rice, academics are important to her.  Auburn and OU are glorified JUCOs.
  • Langley has been hired by Washington. 
  • Cori Close (UCLA) has likely been offered the OU job as choice #2. 
  • OU may end up on their third choice, Dionnah Jackson-Durrett.  Surprised they didn't reach out (yet) to NC State's Wes Moore, a guy from DFW.

Tina Langley single handedly gutting Vic's staff by turning down jobs 🤣

Hopefully Vic elevates Lovato to associate head coach if DJD because she's the recruiter.  Do not lose her.  We cannot afford to replace all 3 assistants + Collier + Celeste Taylor + Kyra Lambert.

Of course, DJD is just a rumor, nothing has been final on her potentially ending up at OU. 

Not hearing anything (yet) on who Vic is targeting through the portal.  We need another big girl, a PG and a good defender.  I love the 3 freshman coming in, but we need depth and experience.  Rori shouldn't start as PG on day 1.  The JUCOs will need some time to acclimate as well. 

Edited by Js1
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Not surprising.  Except for Celeste, the players I expected to leave have left.  And Celeste was definitely being so far from home and not being able to see her family because of COVID. And I have said I don't think Precious Johnson and Shay Holle (6'0) stick it out.   I'd look for those 2 to be next to leave. We have 5 going out and 6 coming in.  This puts us at 13 players (15 scholarship limit), so we have 2 open spots currently. 

  • Collier to the WNBA
  • Lambert graduated
  • Taylor, Ortiz and Coleman transfer out 
  • 3 HS freshman coming in (Moore, Hunter and Harmon)
  • 2 JUCO coming in (Sikuzani and King-Hawea)
  • 1 transfer coming in (Matharu)

Matharu is a good first addition - speedy combo guard who can play the 1 or the 2 and hits the three reasonably well - 38% in 2020 and 34% in 2021.   That sort of replaces Lambert, but what Vic really needs to find is a tall guard to replace Taylor and another interior player with experience. 

As it stands on the outside:

5'7 Matharu
5'8 Joanne Allen-Taylor
5'7 Chevalier
5'9 Warren
5'6 Harmon
5'7 Hunter
5'11 King-Hawea (JUCO)

Another 5'11 or 6'0 guard would be ideal. 

On the inside:

6'1 Moore
6'5 Sikuzani (JUCO)
6'4 Ebo
6'2 Gaston
6'5 Johnson

If Johnson leaves, another F/C in the 6'3+ range would be important to find in the portal.  

The 2022 class in Texas is weak.  Might be better to load up on the transfer market as this year didn't count for eligibility. 

The only 2023 person on our radar I know of is Abbie Boutilier out of Flower Mound (6'9 C) whose family is all Texas.  I'd be shocked if she hasn't silently committed to Texas. 

Edited by Js1
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A couple weeks ago Gerry Hamilton wrote the most words I've ever seen on women's basketball recruiting.

Spoiler

Taking a look at Vic Schaefer’s top 4 recruiting class

Vic Schafer’s first full class was signed in November, and it’s one that appears in the top 5 of any class rankings led by a trio of top-20 ranked high school recruits in point guard Rori Harmon, shooting guard Kyndall Hunter and forward Aaliyah Moore. All three have been selected to play in the 2021 McDonald’s All-American Game.

The five person class is rounded out by quite possibly two of the top handful of junior college prospects in the 2021 class - G/W Kobe King-Hawea and center Femme Sikuzani.

Before watching the Longhorns take on South Carolina in the Elite Eight tonight, here is a look at the stellar class headed to Austin as Schafer continues to build the program into a national contender.

Instant impact scorer and playmaker:
Kobe King-Hawea (Casper College, WY) is a 5-foot-11 guard/wing that has a great feel and understanding for the game, and a player that has the chance to play professionally.

When you watch her on tape, her natural feel for offensive basketball is elite. She plays with terrific pace, feel for creating space and some hesitation off the bounce — and she has to because she won’t win on overall athletic movement skills. She’s comfortable putting the ball on the deck, and can play in the ball screen game. She possesses very good scorers foot work. Her ability to catch and shoot the three is going to be big for Texas next season. She can also make plays as a passer. She’s not a ball stopper, but instead a player that has the ability to play an “NBA game” offensively and exploit favorable matchups.


Texas release on King-Hawea from November …

"Obviously, we are ecstatic about adding the No. 1 junior college prospect in the country to our existing outstanding recruiting class," Schaefer said. "I think the thing that sticks out most about Kobe is her versatility. She is a basketball player who can play multiple positions. Her skill set will allow her to be a tremendous mismatch, depending on what position she's playing."

"Kobe is a very smart and heady player," Schaefer continued. "She sees the floor and gets her teammates involved, as evidenced by her 5.4 assists per game average. Kobe is a first-team All-American, the only first-team All-American as a freshman in junior college. When you average almost 21 points and seven rebounds per game and throw in her 5.4 assists a night, that's a tremendous workload in basketball. She will be an impact player. I've enjoyed getting to know her mother, Chareena, and father, Parlayne, back in Australia. They are wonderful parents and are so proud and happy for their daughter that she is coming to the Forty Acres."

King-Hawea, a guard/forward originally from Point Cook, Australia who currently plays at Casper College (Casper, Wyo.) under head coach Dwight Gunnare, is ranked as the No. 1 junior college prospect in the nation in Dan Olson's Collegiate Girls Basketball Report and the World Exposure Report. As a freshman during the 2019-20 season at Gillette College (Gillette, Wyo.) under head coach Liz Lewis, King-Hawea earned NJCAA Division I first-team All-America honors and was the only freshman to earn a spot on the first team.

King-Hawea averaged a team-best 20.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists in a team-high 29.5 minutes per contest while starting all 33 games and leading Gillette to a 28-5 overall record. She earned NJCAA Region IX Division I-North Most Valuable Player and All-Tournament honors last year, as she led the division in scoring and assists and ranked second in rebounding.

King-Hawea set a school single-season record with 675 points (surpassing the previous mark of 558 by Kenosha Wright in 2012-13). She also set school records for most field goals in a season (284), most field goals in a game (16) and most steals in a game (10). King-Hawea recorded the first triple-double in Gillette program history with her 12-point, 13-rebound, 10-steal effort against Bismarck State.

https://www.tbirds.cc/sports/wbkb/2020-21/players/kobekinghawea2o9m?view=profile

Dynamic guard duo out of H’town:
Guards Rori Harmon and Kyndall Hunter have been teammates for years, leading Cypress Creek High to a pair of girls state tournament appearances, and will continue playing in the same back court at Texas.

Rori Harmon is a pure point guard with shot making ability. She can play off the bounce going right or left, and wins with a combination of ball handling, elite quickness and change of direction. She does a very good job of scoring in the mid-range off the bounce, and can also shoot the three - which is a strength of this class in Harmon, Hunter and King-Hawea. Harmon should have a professional future.

Harmon senior highlights …

Texas sports release on the signing of Harmon in November …

Harmon, a point guard from Cypress Creek High School (Houston, Texas) who plays under coach Jennifer Alexander, is ranked as the No. 6 overall prospect in the nation by All Star Girls Report and No. 10 by espnW HoopGurlz. In her junior season at Cypress Creek, Harmon averaged 15.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 4.7 steals per game while helping Cypress Creek to a 41-1 record and a runner-up finish in the Class 6A state tournament. She claimed District 17-6A Most Valuable Player honors last year and is a three-time Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC) all-state selection. In her first three seasons at Cypress Creek, Harmon has registered career totals of 2,059 points, 565 rebounds, 552 assists and 528 steals in 113 games.

"We believe Rori is the best point guard in the country," Schaefer said. "I've been recruiting her for over two years. I've seen all of the top point guards in the country and I believe she is the best. Her presence on the floor and her tenacity on defense stand out as much as her skill set. It's very unusual to have scored 2,000-plus points in your high school career through three seasons and still have over 550 assists and 500-plus steals. She has the motor that will set the tone for our team on both ends of the floor. Rori's mother and father, Shemeya and Rodney, have been tremendous throughout the recruiting process. There have been some great point guards in the history of this university. Rori will have a chance to be one of the best ever."

SG Kyndall Hunter will likely transition to more of a two-level scorer at the next level with the ability to knock down catch and shoot three’s with range out to 23-feet. Going to win on feel and understanding along with the level of athletic ability coveted by top programs.

Texas sports release on the signing of Hunter in November …

Hunter, an explosive, scoring two-guard who plays alongside Harmon in the starting backcourt at Cypress Creek High School (Houston, Texas), is ranked as the No. 18 prospect in the nation by All Star Girls Report and No. 19 by Blue Star Basketball. Hunter averaged 20 points, 2.8 steals per game and 2.3 assists per game as a junior as Cypress Creek went 41-1 and advanced to the Class 6A state championship game. The All-Greater Houston Girls Basketball Player of the Year by the Houston Chronicle in 2019-20, she recorded four 30-point performances last year and posted a game-high 24 points in the state title contest against Duncanville. In her first three seasons at Cypress Creek, Hunter has registered career totals of 2,217 points, 351 steals, 338 assists and 286 rebounds in 115 games.

"Kyndall is an incredible scorer and explosive player who can finish at all three levels," Schaefer said. "Having already scored over 2,200 points in her high school career, she knows how to finish. She can create her own shot as well as create for others. I saw her score 30-plus one night with ease. We need different players who can score the basketball. Her range is off the charts. Kyndall's father, Derrick, and mother, Keoka, have also been incredibly supportive throughout the process. Kyndall's smile is infectious. She will be great here on the Forty Acres."

Two bigs on the way:
Junior college center Femme Sikuzani (South Georgia Technical College) will bring size to the front court at nearly 6-foot-5. Not expected to be a scorer, or scoring threat for a while as she is headed to Austin raw as an offensive player. Where she is expected to help the Longhorns next season is on the glass and defending the paint.

Texas sports release on the signing of Sikuzani in November …

"Well we said we weren't finished, and once again today we were able to sign another number one prospect in the country in Femme Sikuzani," Schaefer said. "She is the inside presence that we need on both ends of the floor, and yet we feel like her full potential and upside is way ahead of her. With a chance to play three years at Texas, it's very exciting to get a player of her caliber who averaged a double-double in junior college in as few as 16 minutes a game. Fans here on the Forty Acres will love watching Femme play and develop right before their very eyes."

Sikuzani, a center originally from Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo who currently plays at South Georgia Technical College (Americus, Ga.) under head coach James Frey, is ranked as the No. 1 junior college prospect in the nation by All Star Girls Report and No. 7 in Dan Olson's Collegiate Girls Basketball Report.

As a freshman in 2019-20, Sikuzani averaged 10.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.1 steals in just 16.7 minutes per contest. She led the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association (GCAA) in total rebounds (345), blocks (46), field-goal percentage (55.0), offensive rebounds (156) and defensive rebounds (189) and earned a spot on the NJCAA Women's Basketball Coaches Association All-Star team.

Sikuzani played in all 32 games (29 starts) and helped lead the Lady Jets to a record-setting 30-2 overall mark, the GCAA regular-season championship with a 17-0 league record, and the NJCAA Region XVII Tournament title. South Georgia Technical College advanced to the NJCAA National Tournament in Lubbock, Texas, but the tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

While Sikuzani is more of role player and developmental prospect offensively, Moore is an impact player with an advanced offensive skill set and motor that will make her a Vic Schafer favorite. She possesses very good foot work in the post and paint, can finish with either hand, plays through contact and can step out to three and help space the floor.

Texas sports release on the signing of Moore in November…

Moore, a forward from Moore High School (Moore, Okla.) who plays under coach Brent Hodges, is ranked as the No. 3 prospect in the nation by Blue Star Basketball and No. 6 by espnW HoopGurlz. In her junior year at Moore, she was named Gatorade's Oklahoma Girls Basketball Player of the Year after averaging 21.9 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.9 steals and 2.1 blocks per game per game while converting 58-percent from the floor. Moore led her team to a 20-5 record and the Class 6A state tournament, the program's first state appearance in 22 years, prior to the cancelation of the tourney due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In her first three seasons at Moore High School, she has registered career totals of 1,274 points, 698 rebounds, 102 assists and 91 blocks in 73 games. During the summer of 2019, Moore helped Team USA win the gold medal at the FIBA Americas U16 Championship in Chile.

"We are super excited about Aaliyah Moore, a very versatile player who can play multiple positions," Schaefer said. "She is ultra athletic and has a motor off the charts. Aaliyah pursues the basketball from a rebounding perspective with great effort. She is physical and will be a tough matchup for opponents due to her size, quickness, speed and athleticism. She too has a tremendous skill set and is the defending Oklahoma Gatorade Player of the Year. Her mom, Sho, and grandma, Carol, have been tremendous throughout the recruiting process. They are another wonderful family excited for their daughter to be on the Forty Acres."

 

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I wouldn't expect Kobe or Femme to have immediate impacts.   Both will take some time to acclimate to the D-1 level.  Hence why finding a grad transfer or regular transfer taller wing player and center/forward will be important for Vic. 

And it won't be Madison Hayes, she is confirmed to NC State.

I hope Rickea Jackson is still thinking long and hard about if MSU is still right for her.  Because Texas could use her! 

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1 hour ago, Js1 said:

I don’t know if she’s a good fit. Doesnt run well in a fast offense that likes to get out in transition. 

Ebo isn't that quick/mobile either. Good coaches find a way to adapt their system around legit talents. 

Lovato (recruiting coordinator) started following Mulkey on Twitter. 

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Just now, Js1 said:

I’d be utterly shocked 

I wouldn't be shocked. She grew up 40 minutes from LSU, her son played at LSU, and she played/coached at LA Tech. 

She's always had an apparent love affair with that job. Not saying it happens but I think LSU is the one job she might leave for. 

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Vic’s first 2022 recruit is ESPN #48 Jordania Codio from Boca Del Ray, FL. Looks like a Wisconsin decommit 

6’1 guard

Athletic guard brings superior size to the back court; quick-leaper, drives and finishes plays in traffic; rises on jumper in mid-range game to the arc; a stock-riser in the class of 2022. (Olson) 

 

 

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