It might be a dead period as far as contact, but there are still AAU tournaments, including the Minnesota State AAU tournament starting today in Bloomington, and coaches will be at them. They just can’t talk to anybody.
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But, the Gophers don't have them and likely won't have players of their caliber until they become a perennial first division team. And, even if the Gophers climb into first division, they are not going to get every one of the elite Minnesota players because many kids like to get away from home or play on the premier teams (and NIL $$). To contend for a national championship, you need at least one player capable of eventually playing in the WNBA. Minnesota produces WNBA caliber players too infrequently to sustain a perennial national championship contender without some out-of-state blue chippers.
A higher number of college players than ?????
I agree that cold and snow is a deterrent to some players. Hot and humid climates, as I have experienced a lot, are not great either. On the other hand, the Twin Cities are much nicer than the many of the cities that players are choosing. The quality of life is better in Minnesota than most states. The bottom line is that players want winning programs and now NIL.
Landing players from the upper Midwest probably is not enough. You need to extend intensive recruiting east of Michigan to at least New York. These states produce a large number of players and are not warm, snow-free states. The top programs depend heavily on out-of-state players. Basketball is International and college recruiting is going to become more international.
I agree with you point by point. There are only 15 seats on the bus, how many division 1 girls from Minnesota go on to play elsewhere...most all of them. The Gophers cannot possibly sign the very best and keep them home, even if they could they still need outside help. Look at the other countries being represented now on the college level. Yes I want to see the girls from here play here but I also like watching them play elsewhere. Kansas St, Michigan, Iowa, Indiana, Wisconsin, Nebraska all had Minnesotans play great ball. Drake and Creighton have had very good success with Minnesotans. Other universities do not hang their hats on keeping the kids at home. Oregon has one Oregonian on its roster, Arizona has zero natives, Washington has two. Illinois has one local and one Minnesotan. Thank You Janet Karvonen, Lindsay Whalen, and Rachel Banham for doing what they do and have done for women's basketball in Minnesota.
Janet Karvonen has indeed done a lot for girls basketball in Minnesota over the years.
Ironically though, rather than staying home to play at the U, she went to Old Dominion, one of the early powers of women’s college basketball, where she played alongside the late, great Anne Donovan.
After two years with the Lady Monarchs, she transferred to Louisiana Tech, another early WCB powerhouse, where she played with current LSU coach Kim Mulkey.
Ironically though, rather than staying home to play at the U, she went to Old Dominion, one of the early powers of women’s college basketball, where she played alongside the late, great Anne Donovan.
After two years with the Lady Monarchs, she transferred to Louisiana Tech, another early WCB powerhouse, where she played with current LSU coach Kim Mulkey.
to 10 team.
I consider Karvonen and Skalicky to be traitors and do not understand why all the media kissed her butt and hired her for analysis and appointed her to a gravy post in state government ( although i heard her old man, a funeral director I believe waa pretty active in the DfL up in New York Mills! So maybe he had enough juice to secure that for her! She was dating a Lynch from Bloomington, the Gophers, and NBA for awhile i believe! I used to see them together!
Would Karvonen have been a big scorer if she had stayed home to play for the Gophers (pre-Big Ten at first)?
Last time I checked, this is still a free country. Athletes, like anyone else, are free to choose how to live their lives. With that being said, once they decide to go elsewhere, I see no reason to make folk heroes out of them. I prefer to read about our Gophers, rather than Page or Tessa.
Probably. She played, but wasn’t a star at either of her post HS stops. But she was just the first in the long line of great Minnesota HS players to leave. We all bemoan Paige, Tessa, and others, but the seeds were planted much earlier when Karvonen, Skalicky (although she did return to the U after an injury forced her to focus on golf), Kay Konerza, the Miller twins, and probably a few others whose names I’ve forgotten, all chose to try their hand at “the big time” rather than trying to make Minnesota big time, just as the sport was moving from AIAW to NCAA.
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GoDucks349
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Ok, I'm pretty new here, just trying to learn more about the B1G ten conference that my Ducks will be part of in the future. Here are a couple takes on what I've observed so far (based on visiting a few big 10 boards), lots of emphasis is put on retaining in state athletes, lots of fans have amazingly negative opinions about other schools in the conference, many schools seem to have capitulated to the historic conference powers. It's sort of interesting to me because, from my perspective, if you want to be number one you have to go where the talent is that will work in your system. I don't care if it Samoa, Cuba, Italy, Virginia City MN or Bar Harbor ME, that's where you have to recruit. This thing about how many in state athletes you sign just isn't typically going to work unless you're in a state like Florida, TX or Calif.
GopherMarroon
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Welcome, and thanks for the insights. Keep coming back.
Minnesota actually is an elite bonanza state for players.
Paige Bueckers, heard of her, the best player not named Caitlin Clark? Clark is from one state south of Minnesota, Iowa. Back to Minnesota, HOFer and multiple world champion Lindsay Whalen is from here. Freshman KK Arnold on UConn is from Wisconsin. Olivia Olson coming out of Minnesota is a next big star.
Minnesota is national leader in girls' high school sports participation
Star Tribune analysis of participation data finds that Minnesota has led the nation in girls' prep sports participation for a decade, and that girls here have drawn even with the boys in athletics opportunities.
www.startribune.com
"Minnesota girls first claimed the No. 1 spot a decade ago and haven't relinquished it since, according to participation data collected annually by a national survey and analyzed this month by the Star Tribune."
Those are the kinds of regional players Minnesota at least has a shot at because they grew up in the snow and cold.
I am all for getting the best wherever they are but realistically it's cold in Minnesota. Come here for a game in January. It is freezing.
Are Florida and California players going to come to cold Minneaota? No. DC area? Probably not, with Maryland monopolizing that area.
This current coach has signed several top players from Wisconsin, her home state, and Minnesota.
It is cold here.
Girls basketball state tournament boasts Minnesota’s high-level talent
Many grew up watching Lindsay Whalen star for the Lynx. Now they’re drawing offers from Division I schools and following the path paved by the likes of Paige Bueckers.
www.startribune.com
The Big Ten is a great league. Your school hit it big. The two southern California teams coming in look like super teams. We may be seeing a concertration of talent into national super teams, regardless of conference, that TV companies like.
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GopherMarroon
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Mara Braun is in the transfer portal! NIL money again poaches a top talent away.
Not! That is a joke. Braun is NOT in the portal. Again, a joke. On the contrary.
Way to go Gophers for sticking together!
Way to go Gophers coach and staff for keeping your core players!
The rest of basketball is an NIL mess. Men's basketball is completely out of control.
But Gophers women's basketball is holding strong!!!!!
Not! That is a joke. Braun is NOT in the portal. Again, a joke. On the contrary.
Way to go Gophers for sticking together!
Way to go Gophers coach and staff for keeping your core players!
The rest of basketball is an NIL mess. Men's basketball is completely out of control.
But Gophers women's basketball is holding strong!!!!!
Not funny! It’s not April Fools Day!
GopherMarroon
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It’s still not funny! I don’t care if it’s contrast!
GopherMarroon
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No worries, I'll stick to football and the like and won't post in the women's basketball forum.
The reason using contrast to make a point is objectionable is that so many people are in a hurry and they read a line or a headline and they pass the information on as true. Yes, people should read more and do fact checks but most don't have the time and resources. This is how disinformation spreads on the Internet. By the time someone can fact check, the damage has been done.
It is not a nice thing to do. Plus there are plenty of examples of people speaking things into existence. As a Gopher fan, I'm too fragile for that kinda humor.
Plus you can get arrested for yelling fire in a crowded theatre when there isn't actually a fire.
Well...back in the day you could arrested...
Roland Brooks
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Is the portal even open?
thatjanelpick
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Please don't leave. A variety of viewpoints is great here (but this "contrast" is not a thing and please don't post lies).
Ragnor
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nope, closed a couple weeks ago.
