Column: Lake Conference coaches solidly behind Whalen’s hiring

[BleedGopher]

per the Sun Current:

When Marlene Stollings left the University of Minnesota women’s basketball coaching position to take the job at Texas Tech, the Gophers almost immediately offered the job to former U of M guard and current Minnesota Lynx player Lindsay Whalen.

The subsequent hiring of Whalen was a bold move, given the fact that she has no college coaching experience, however, it was also a smart move according to two Lake Conference girls basketball coaches, Matt Nilsen of Edina and Brian Cosgriff of Hopkins.


“The Gophers hit a home run,” said Nilsen, whose daughter Macy is one of Minnesota’s top recruits in the Class of 2019. “I absolutely love it. The program was doing well with coach Stollings, but wasn’t generating a lot of enthusiasm. I would like to see the Gophers recruit a few more girls from Minnesota, and I think Lindsay can do that. ”

Cosgriff, whose sophomore guard Paige Bueckers, is a top national recruit in the Class of 2020, said, “The Gophers didn’t recruit a lot of Minnesota kids in coach Stollings’ time as head coach. She came to watch Paige once. UConn came to see her three times and Muffet McGraw from Notre Dame was in our gym twice. I feel it’s important to have the best Minnesota kids in the Gopher program. That is one way you generate interest.”

Whalen, who played high school basketball for Hutchinson, and eventually led the Gophers to the NCAA Final Four, is a local legend.

“She is going to put Minnesota basketball back into prominence,” Cosgriff predicted. “You are hiring a Hall-of-Famer, who has won at the college level and in the WNBA as a player.”

https://www.hometownsource.com/sun_...cle_64577a70-48ae-11e8-a56d-476c6ab5a920.html

Go Gophers!!

 

[Shades]

Thanks to Minnesota AAU girls basketball, the talent level in the state is at an all-time high. Coming into her position with the Gophers, Whalen already has the state’s high school and AAU coaches on her side. It’s just a matter of carrying the National Letters of Intent to the players she wants most and collecting their signatures.

Once Whalen puts her stamp of the program, the Gophers will take the next step toward becoming a national women’s basketball power.

This guy’s angle is Whalen is a can’t miss because she’ll be able to recruit more Minnesota players. But to be a national women’s basketball power, she’ll have to be able to coach and do it well, or is that a given?

 

[Shades]

Cosgriff, whose sophomore guard Paige Bueckers, is a top national recruit in the Class of 2020, said, “The Gophers didn’t recruit a lot of Minnesota kids in coach Stollings’ time as head coach. She came to watch Paige once. UConn came to see her three times and Muffet McGraw from Notre Dame was in our gym twice. I feel it’s important to have the best Minnesota kids in the Gopher program. That is one way you generate interest.”

Ouch! Exposed. But you could argue you only need to see Paige once to see that she fits anyone’s program. Didn’t Paige get the best seat in the house for Gopher games and was also invited into the locker room? So it’s not like the Gophers were totally ignoring her.

“She is going to put Minnesota basketball back into prominence,” Cosgriff predicted. “You are hiring a Hall-of-Famer, who has won at the college level and in the WNBA as a player.”

Don’t tell us. Tell Paige!

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

Hope that this bit of hyperbole comes true. It's goodbye Geno and goodbye Muffet; thank you for your interest.

Thanks to Minnesota AAU girls basketball, the talent level in the state is at an all-time high. Coming into her position with the Gophers, Whalen already has the state’s high school and AAU coaches on her side. It’s just a matter of carrying the National Letters of Intent to the players she wants most and collecting their signatures.

 

[tripledouble]

Interesting note about Stollings only visiting once while Geno and McGraw made the effort to watch Bueckers play multiple times. Yes, it's obvious that Stollings was well aware of Bueckers' talents, but sometimes perception is reality. How difficult could it have been for Stollings to get in her car and go watch Bueckers play?

 

[thatjanelpick]

Interesting note about Stollings only visiting once while Geno and McGraw made the effort to watch Bueckers play multiple times. Yes, it's obvious that Stollings was well aware of Bueckers' talents, but sometimes perception is reality. How difficult could it have been for Stollings to get in her car and go watch Bueckers play?

Agreed. If it's true that Stollings only made it to one game, that's pathetic. I've seen Bueckers play more often than that.