OU in 23-24 Season

[61sooner]

What is the outlook for next season with the heart of this team, Anna, Madi and Robertson running out of eligibility?
Will this make for a major rebuild or does Jenny have enough on the roster to build on with new recruits to reload and not have a deep drop off record wise?

 

[Oliver Hardy]

I would classify it as a major rebuild. Virtually
every starter, certainly 80-90 percent of our current scoring disappears along with our starting center.

There are several players, Joens, comes to mind first that can fill part of the gap. Culliton, plus Allen, can help, certainly.

However, we need a quick infusion of scoring ability, speed and, most of all, strong, capable defenders who pride themselves on stopping our opponents from scoring.


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[SoonerSpock]

I would classify it as a major rebuild. Virtually
every starter, certainly 80-90 percent of our current scoring disappears along with our starting center.

There are several players, Joens, comes to mind first that can fill part of the gap. Culliton, plus Allen, can help, certainly.

However, we need a quick infusion of scoring ability, speed and, most of all, strong, capable defenders who pride themselves on stopping our opponents from scoring.


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I think the above and being starters for Jennie may be mutually exclusive. For certain we have not seen it to date nor do I see it forthcoming. Sadly those players seem to reside in Austin or Waco, TX. We are and I expect us to remain a middle of the conference defense. JMHO.


https://big12sports.com/stats.aspx?path=wbball&year=2022

 

[Oliver Hardy]

It certainly is as possible as any other scenario unless she scores something big after this season and before the next.


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[rocjunkie]

It certainly is as possible as any other scenario unless she scores something big after this season and before the next.


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I don't know, maybe I am a hopeless optimist, but I think we have a solid core of kids coming back. We still don't know if Liz will use her Covid year or not, she can if she wants to. I don't think it will be a massive rebuild year, but It won't be a team that will challenge for a championship either. I think the team will surprise us by conference season and at least extend their tournament run. It will be interesting to see what Jenni does in the off season looking for kids. She has had two good back to back years with her system. I just hope they will spend more time on the defensive side of the ball to become a stronger team.

 

[womenssports]

1st: Vann is back
Tot is back
Culliton is getting better, will be back
Joens is back and should be improved
Liz could be back
Plus, players who didn't play because of injury or freshmen who not seen much time during conference play...and new recruits.

Think we could be pretty good. Don't look to be as good as this year, but with some good post play, plus power forward, could be. Seems we lose to the teams that have two or three good players with length. Maybe we will have that.

 

[betterstill]

Kirsten Johnson should have significant improvement. Kelbie Washington should be healthy and an asset. We have a couple of outstanding players coming in from high school who will add some depth.

I think Joens is more athletic than Robertson. Perhaps we will gain something there to compensate for the loss of Robertson's better 3 point shooting. Hopefully Joens can bulk up a bit and that will help with her defensive efforts.

Of course the transfer portal could hit us (or help us).

 

[oketex]

I think I remember Jenny saying after one of the games that the team needs height, I know we have 6'3" and 6'4" , correct me if I'm wrong on these numbers but she was referring to taller ladies and maybe some size with the height. Notice how I got around weight, I have 15 women in my family and weight is not a topic of discussion even for those who are very small. lol

 

[womenssports]

Kirsten Johnson should have significant improvement. Kelbie Washington should be healthy and an asset. We have a couple of outstanding players coming in from high school who will add some depth.

I think Joens is more athletic than Robertson. Perhaps we will gain something there to compensate for the loss of Robertson's better 3 point shooting. Hopefully Joens can bulk up a bit and that will help with her defensive efforts.

Of course the transfer portal could hit us (or help us).

I meant to reference Johnson. I believe she could improve and make a big difference. Also, Tucker could come back. She started last season after Anna went down.

 

[bob the nailer]

All five starters were introduced yesterday as seniors. So Tot and Scott can come back? But don’t have to. I was disappointed yesterday when we were so far in front that Kiersten Johnson didn’t see any significant time, neither did Reyna Scott. And based on what information do we say that “Kelbie should be healthy”? We don’t even know whats wront with her. And why is Kaley Perkins not playing? Is she simply redshirting?

We have a good freshman class coming in, including a McDonalds All American. We need height, and Kiersten Johnson is the closest we have to this. She needs to play more

 

[Soonercuda]

Scott and Tucker are 4th year players but both have the Covid year (Scott was out that entire year after surgery so she redshirted that year also) and can come back..I would think both would but with the portal you never know. Tot and Vann are both 3rd year players and have the Covid year so they have 2 years of eligibility after this year.

Kelbie has not been at the games recently so her health is still a question mark. Perkins is redshirting..she apparently had a concussion in preseason and given our guard depth it must have been decided to have her sit out this year.

A guess at the starting lineup for next year:
Scott
Vann
Verhulst
Sahara Williams
Tot
Then you have Tucker, Joens, Perkins, Reyna Scott and hopefully Kelbie as depth at guard. Culliton, KJ and Landry Allen at post/forward depth.

Also with the portal you would expect a couple of transfers out and then that would open up a spot or two for a transfer in.

 

[bob the nailer]

I stand corrected Tot is indeed a junior. We also have Payton Verhuist 6'1" transferred from Louisville, she was and ACC All-Freshman selection, 5 star in high school, McDonalds AA, played in 32 games last year for Louisville, shot 40 % from 3, although disclaimer she only averaged 3.3 points per game, so didn't shoot very many

 

[SoonerSpock]

At Louisville

Player-------------Gms---Min---Ave---FGM---FGA---FG%---3PtM---3PtA---3PtM
Verhulst, Payton ---8----121---15.1---21-----55----.382------5------24----.208

 

[Oliver Hardy]

Doesn’t seem that her stats are that great.


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[soonerstar]

Sometimes a change of scenery makes a world of difference.

 

[Soonercuda]

Verhulst as a freshman came into a really good senior heavy team at Louisville that made the Final Four and was an off the bench player that had limited playing time but did get into games consistently. 3 starters graduated and I am sure Payton expected to play starter type minutes. But Jeff Walz chose use the transfer portal and bring in two very experienced 5th year guards that start for Louisville. So she averaged the 15 minutes in the 1st 8 games this year that Spock showed above and was clearly unhappy and entered the portal.

So Walz trusted experienced players that had lots of minutes over Payton that had not had the chance to play much at the college level. We will just have to see if that lack of trust was because Verhulst was not as good as the success she had at high school, AAU and USA Basketball indicated or if it was because Walz did not let her play and get the experience needed to develop into what her high school 5 star ranking would predict.

 

[Oliver Hardy]

My sincere hope is she pans out big time. Jennie knows talent and must have had some idea about her at some point.

Somehow, I don’t see coach signing clunkers.


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[scrybe]

My sincere hope is she pans out big time. Jennie knows talent and must have had some idea about her at some point.

Somehow, I don’t see coach signing clunkers.


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Agree, Ollie. I guess we'll find out next season.

 

[Oliver Hardy]

I do think Jennie is going to have to hit the portal again hard this summer though. Losing Williams, Robertson and Williams is 90 percent of our scoring.

Jennie isn’t going to make that up unless she grabs a few from the portal.


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[Oliver Hardy]

Look…I’m getting a l little out of sorts with those who want to criticize Jennie, her coaching staff and players.

In just a couple of seasons she has turned this squad into a contender, and, more often than not, a team that is favored to win almost every game we play.

She’s beaten Iowa State. She’s beaten Baylor.
She’s beaten OSU and I won’t be surprised if she and the team beat Texas.

We have a great chance to win the Big 12, win the conference championship and do pretty well in the NCAA tournament.

I fully understand that Williams can drive us all mad with her speed and out-of-control raging down the court and her steadfast refusal to not use the backboard.

But let me remind everyone. She’s a likely number one draft pick and we are constantly getting more out of her than Sherri ever did.

Ana is cleaning everyone’s clock.

Taylor is finding new ways to score and continues raising the bar on her lifetime 3-point shooting record.

Joens and Culliton have proven to be solid defensively and offensively as subs. Even more bench players are starting to contribute serious minutes and points.

This is a rising team and program. I eagerly believe we will be a top 10 and maybe a top 5 team in the country JennIe at the helm!