OK, I am also specifically calling out Barabbas on this since he is the source of the inflammatory rumors and accusations. Please tell us:

1. How many recruits have you specifically spoken to about the Cal program and in what capacity?
2. What did these individuals say specifically to you, and why did they choose to communicate this very personal information to you, since it is unlikely that they would want to talk in such personal specifics to a stranger?
3. Is this simply your own personal opinion, or do you actually have a wide circle of opportunities that have allowed you to talk directly to each potential recruit and to each and every player who has left the program?
4. What are your own personal biases and why?

I have gone back and reviewed Barabbas' posting history. He has never once indicated any personal knowledge of or interaction with players on the Cal women's team, let alone direct interaction with and relationships with potential recruits. In this instance, he has posted his own opinion about Lindsay and the team, and has tried to support his personal biases with claims of direct personal knowledge of why players left or why recruits picked someplace else -which could only occur through direct interaction with them. He is, of course, entitled to his own opinions. But his behavior in this instance is despicable, incredibly biased and highly prejudicial.

If he can actually back it up, I will stand corrected.

barabbas;842277378 said:

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They need more diversity on the team in EVERY respect! It's why others have left.

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Last year, the team was about as tight as a team could be, and seemed to be diverse as a team could be. There are Christian kids, gay kids, white kids, mixed race kids, black kids, a Jewish girl and coach, two Furd alums (one white, the other black, as coaches, and a Mormon coach. And until today there was a Muslim player by way of Europe. How much more diverse could this team be? I don't get the code or the race thing at all. Are not most college basketball teams primarily African American? I can understand a women from Europe being home sick if that is what this meant, and unlike the NBA, most college teams don't have a lot of Euros. Players transfer all the time. Is there a morale problem this year? If so, why? Just say what you mean - we won't judge. We are all guessing.

WayneBear;842277852 said:

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No. Up until barabbas posted on that other thread, the discussion was focused on that topic. THEN he added "It might be better for the Cal program, in terms of access to more recruits, if it were more diverse in general. Now, I know the last line is going to start the what do you mean questions, but it's kind of obvious." He wouldn't have added the phrase "in general" and the following sentence if he were simply continuing on the same topic. He's saying that there's another issue of diversity that people aren't talking about even though it is obvious.

Now, just 6 days after he posted, we have a departure that in his opinion reinforces what he had said. That's why he said on this thread "They need more diversity on the team in EVERY respect! It's why others have left." Blungld didn't understand the veiled reference because he either didn't read or remember that previous thread, but I sure remembered. So when blungld asked his question, I answered.

Of course I could have let barabbas answer (or not answer) for himself, but I answered because it was my way of saying yes, as a longtime observer of this program and as someone familiar with the departures that he is referencing, I know what he's talking about. That doesn't mean I agree with his conclusions, but that caveat also doesn't necessarily mean I disagree with his conclusions.

I hope that was all opaque enough for this discussion in code.

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There have been a half dozen or so defections, not one! We should be able to talk about it, but people become unhinged and interpret things the way they want to or think the agenda is attended. I'm for getting the best group of young ladies both off and on the court.

annarborbear;842277951 said:

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OK, I am also specifically calling out Barabbas on this since he is the source of the inflammatory rumors and accusations. Please tell us:

1. How many recruits have you specifically spoken to about the Cal program and in what capacity?
2. What did these individuals say specifically to you, and why did they choose to communicate this very personal information to you, since it is unlikely that they would want to talk in such personal specifics to a stranger?
3. Is this simply your own personal opinion, or do you actually have a wide circle of opportunities that have allowed you to talk directly to each potential recruit and to each and every player who has left the program?
4. What are your own personal biases and why?

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If I reveal my sources and specifics then a lot of people know who I am here and I lose my anonymity on the board. I have spoke with most of the current team, past teams and people inside the department. Stevie Wonder can see it. You're exactly the type of person I;m talking about who want to flame this thing out of control. There's no way the group on this board can have a rational conversation, partially due to the suspicion and paranoia of people like yourself; for example, wanting to know my personal biases. Like I said before some of it's perception and I wish the world was more progressive about these things, but the reality is the world wants to fight about these things. I'm just stating the facts; just like I said last year that having 1 black assistant football coach at Cal hurt us not only in recruiting, but a lot of other intangibles that happen within the team. I took so much sh*t for saying that. I was attacked relentlessly about "quota system" etc. It's just practical and reality, just like women's basketball were talking practicality and reality or perceived reality. Sonny has certainly moved towards that direction and I'm sure Lindsay recognizes it. So, please cool your jets.

I know not to mention names because then one gets in trouble. Cal is weak on fundamental defense. They can not keep the dribbler in front of them nor get out on three-point shooters. When an opposing player beats her Cal defender off of the dribble, there is generally no weakside help by post players, etc. to prevent the layup... The pairing of Justine Hartman vs Chiney Owumike had to be one of the greatest mismatches of all time.

No clue if we're talking about race or sexual orientation. So I'll address both!

Sexual orientation: Mostly speculation here, but I'm pretty certain our # of LGBT players is average. We may have more girls who show up wearing ties to the team banquets than other programs, but I frequent a lot of other schools' message boards and have never read any indication of Cal having an image of being The Lesbian Team. And actually, I'm pretty sure our LGBT inclusiveness was the prevailing factor that almost scored us a very elite recruit.

Race: We only have 2 non-Af-Am players on a roster of 12. A while back there was said to be concern about this type of issue when UCLA only had one (full) Caucasian player on the roster and she was a walk-on. And it was said that the concern originated from the staff. Soon after Nikki got verbals from two Caucasian players, and went hard after a couple othersnone of them necessarily shoo-ins. It's very obvious that WBB coaching staffs have tacit quotas for racial balance. I think most programs aim for balanced rosters, too.

Anyway: I was snooping around Asha Thomas's Twitter and was pleased to see a lot of friendly communication between her and Cowling/Green. One poster previously expressed concern over UW in recruiting her, but all I saw was one Tweet saying she was tuning into a UW WBB game "to see what they were all about" (perhaps she had recently gotten her offer from them). Well, UW lost that game and have lost many others since then. I think we are in a good position for her. And she comes across as a class act. I can speculate the factors why we missed out on Oderah and Mariya, and I don't get the impression that Asha has the same priorities as them (in a good way). Sure, an early verbal would be a huge relief, but I suspect she's been a little under-recruited and wants to see who else is interested and what they have to offer, but objectively, I would put money on Cal in the end.

I have noticed for quite awhile that Cal's WBB roster has been predominantly AA w/few if any Caucasian players. Most Caucasian recruits ended up at a few of the other Pac 12 teams. And in particular, Stanford would always have a predominance of talented Caucasian players with one or two very special talented AA recruits (ie Whiting, Powell, Wiggins, then the Ogumikes, etc. But as of late even Stanford now is recruiting more and more top AA players. Look at their current squad (Thompson, McCall, etc besides still getting the great Caucasian shooters).

Man, I am really sorry that Hind has left the Team, as she was my favorite player.
I usually get to the games as soon as the doors open and Hind is always the first player on the court practicing her shots - sometimes KC will be out spotting her. She always waves and smiles - All the best to Hind.

wifeisafurd;842277997 said:

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Last year, the team was about as tight as a team could be, and seemed to be diverse as a team could be. There are Christian kids, gay kids, white kids, mixed race kids, black kids, a Jewish girl and coach, two Furd alums (one white, the other black, as coaches, and a Mormon coach. And until today there was a Muslim player by way of Europe. How much more diverse could this team be? I don't get the code or the race thing at all. Are not most college basketball teams primarily African American? I can understand a women from Europe being home sick if that is what this meant, and unlike the NBA, most college teams don't have a lot of Euros. Players transfer all the time. Is there a morale problem this year? If so, why? Just say what you mean - we won't judge. We are all guessing.

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Well said wife…+1. The whole issue is only important if there is intolerance involved limiting our team from becoming what it otherwise could be. Besides that, let's move on.

To me, the bottom line is that a rotation player was so uninvolved with the team that she felt it was OK to abandon her teammates just at the most crucial time of the season.

Maybe it was her, and every effort was made, starting weeks ago, to keep her on board through the end of March, and she simply said no, I'm leaving.

To me, though, I feel this is more of an indictment of the coaches and players that they allowed things to get to this stage. Maybe the coaches could have done more; maybe the players could have done more -- but losing any player who gets minutes at this point in the season is a big deal, and it simply shouldn't have happened.

But we're not inside the situation, so there may be other factors, and maybe it was all Hind. And maybe her departure will make the team function better as a group.

Regardless, though, this hurts the team on the floor.

wifeisafurd;842277997 said:

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Last year, the team was about as tight as a team could be, and seemed to be diverse as a team could be. There are Christian kids, gay kids, white kids, mixed race kids, black kids, a Jewish girl and coach, two Furd alums (one white, the other black, as coaches, and a Mormon coach. And until today there was a Muslim player by way of Europe. How much more diverse could this team be? I don't get the code or the race thing at all. Are not most college basketball teams primarily African American? I can understand a women from Europe being home sick if that is what this meant, and unlike the NBA, most college teams don't have a lot of Euros. Players transfer all the time. Is there a morale problem this year? If so, why? Just say what you mean - we won't judge. We are all guessing.

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She not fitting could mean she wasn't adjusting well with her freshmen teammates. After the big game against the furds, who does she go out to dinner with, the 3 departing seniors and Justine. Sure there is no rules who your friends would be, but normally you would think she would be hanging with her frosh teammates. It's too bad she felt the need to leave now. I'm sure it's a disappointment to the coaches, team, and the fans.

barabbas;842278036 said:

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There have been a half dozen or so defections, not one! We should be able to talk about it, but people become unhinged and interpret things the way they want to or think the agenda is attended. I'm for getting the best group of young ladies both off and on the court.

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I am still waiting for you to back up any of your statements with any specifics. Surely you have at least one person willing to go on the record to back up your vehement claims of this nature? Or else why would you make them?

Most top programs have transfers out, usually based on who gets playing time and who does not, and sometimes due to personality clashes with their coaches. UCLA just recruited a top class of five recruits - all of whom are black. I am white, straight and non-religious myself. Layshia Clarendon is mixed race, gay and very religious. If we can recruit 12 Layshias, who are also great students like she was, I will be a proud Alum, as I am with the current team. If you want to root for people who look like you, there is always Stanford down the street.

Next time we miss out on a recruit who didn't feel that Cal is a welcoming environment for all, please let us know so we can wish them well going some place else.

By the way, if you want so much to bring these supposed issues out into the public eye, I would be happy to debate them with you at any public forum of your choice. Maybe at the next Triple Threat Club meeting. We can go back over the situation of each transfer out, discuss the criteria for recruiting players to Cal, and then welcome comments from the coaches and current team members. If you want to solve the problems you say are there, you should have no difficulties bringing this debate forward in that manner. Let me know where and when you plan on showing up.

OBear073akaSMFan;842278151 said:

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She not fitting could mean she wasn't adjusting well with her freshmen teammates. After the big game against the furds, who does she go out to dinner with, the 3 departing seniors and Justine. Sure there is no rules who your friends would be, but normally you would think she would be hanging with her frosh teammates. It's too bad she felt the need to leave now. I'm sure it's a disappointment to the coaches, team, and the fans.

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Actually, these five players then went to the men's game together. I think the group was the self-selected people who wanted to see the men's game. But then, we should not let any facts get in the way of any predetermined conclusions.

ClayK;842278138 said:

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To me, the bottom line is that a rotation player was so uninvolved with the team that she felt it was OK to abandon her teammates just at the most crucial time of the season.

Maybe it was her, and every effort was made, starting weeks ago, to keep her on board through the end of March, and she simply said no, I'm leaving.

To me, though, I feel this is more of an indictment of the coaches and players that they allowed things to get to this stage. Maybe the coaches could have done more; maybe the players could have done more -- but losing any player who gets minutes at this point in the season is a big deal, and it simply shouldn't have happened.

But we're not inside the situation, so there may be other factors, and maybe it was all Hind. And maybe her departure will make the team function better as a group.

Regardless, though, this hurts the team on the floor.

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Not a good outcome from a team continuity standpoint. But recall that Hind hardly said a word to anyone during her recruitment visit. And her brother accompanied her and did all the talking. So some warning signs of whether she really wanted to do this were there long before. She had also become so unreliable on defense that she only saw five minutes in last Sunday's game.

This does open some playing time for Brittany Shine, who I think deserves it from a loyalty standpoint. Brittany made all of the practices during her non-playing transfer year and also this year while barely seeing the floor. I have talked to her at various events, and she is a quality person with a great attitude. It's a very small sample, but she has the second best shooting percentage on the team, and a 4:1 assist/TO ratio thus far. I am betting that she will make the most of this opportunity, if the coaches can now let her have some playing time.

annarborbear;842277851 said:

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Yeah, let's cut the BS and hear about some sources and specifics if we are going to criticize our "diversity". As far as I know, we have kids of different religions, some kids of mixed races, some LGBT, some Political Science majors, some future CEO's, and some kids who draw or do art. We have a diverse coaching staff, including, incredibly, some Stanford graduates. If you look around campus, you get automatic diversity by coming to Berkeley, but you do have to embrace it and want to experience it. The only thing we don't have is enough shooters.

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I agree about the shooters!

annarborbear;842278224 said:

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Not a good outcome from a team continuity standpoint. But recall that Hind hardly said a word to anyone during her recruitment visit. And her brother accompanied her and did all the talking. So some warning signs of whether she really wanted to do this were there long before. She had also become so unreliable on defense that she only saw five minutes in last Sunday's game.

This does open some playing time for Brittany Shine, who I think deserves it from a loyalty standpoint. Brittany made all of the practices during her non-playing transfer year and also this year while barely seeing the floor. I have talked to her at various events, and she is a quality person with a great attitude. It's a very small sample, but she has the second best shooting percentage on the team, and a 4:1 assist/TO ratio thus far. I am betting that she will make the most of this opportunity, if the coaches can now let her have some playing time.

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annarborbear, I delicately revisit something that should probably left. But aside the issue at hand (which I will not comment on) you seem to be positively sure about everything that is going on without stifling the guessing. A defined strategy that but continues the whole line of questioning. If you are so blatantly sure of yourself, help us all put this thing to bed. In plainer words, tell us "What it is, not what it is not." A scholarship player has left midseason which gives rise to questions. Legitimate, I add.

annarborbear;842278157 said:

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I am still waiting for you to back up any of your statements with any specifics. Surely you have at least one person willing to go on the record to back up your vehement claims of this nature? Or else why would you make them?
Next time we miss out on a recruit who didn't feel that Cal is a welcoming environment for all, please let us know so we can wish them well going some place else.

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I don't gain anything from being specific; it will start a firestorm. As I said I've met and talked to most of the girls on this team and teams of the past 7 or 8 years. I don't want to give up my anonymity here by addressing specifics that people will misconstrue;I'm very fond of almost all the ladies on the team currently. Ironically, when you asked me about missing recruits; it's not really about missing recruits is about going to the Final 4 and having so many recruits show no interest in your program. They didn't give Cal the chance to miss out on them because perceptions of the program. I knew this would happen; a bunch of folks waiting to pounce on something I write that they can make me into a monster with an agenda.

agree with about all of what annarborbear is saying here.
a few observations to add.

went on the road trip to CU/Utah and saw the entire team spending time with each other. HBA seemed to be especially close with KC and Range form the freshmen class.

i, too, saw HBA out with some of the older players before the game sat, but i also saw the rest of the team at the game, all hanging and having fun.

sad for HBA, but perhaps she was really feeing far from home, etc. many 18 year olds experience this regardless of athletics



and finally, i agree that Shine will hopefully get some minutes, she deserves it.

lets stay positive, this team has a lot of potential and they are a remarkable group on and off the court , as evidenced by the turnout to support Mik's We A.R.E. Pride event last week (for the record nobody from the 'Furd came to support Toni the next night down on the farm)

Go Bears!

OdontoBear66;842278300 said:

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annarborbear, I delicately revisit something that should probably left. But aside the issue at hand (which I will not comment on) you seem to be positively sure about everything that is going on without stifling the guessing. A defined strategy that but continues the whole line of questioning. If you are so blatantly sure of yourself, help us all put this thing to bed. In plainer words, tell us "What it is, not what it is not." A scholarship player has left midseason which gives rise to questions. Legitimate, I add.

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I would need a translator to understand what your question is in all of that. But what I am blatantly sure of: 1) We don't discriminate; 2) We have positive, helpful supportive coaches; 3) Some players always leave for different reasons; some want more playing time, some don't fit culturally or academically, some get homesick. some want to become hair dressers; 4) It shouldn't matter what the race, religion or sexual orientation of a player is; we should seek players/teammates who agree with that value: 5) We have had recent success in recruiting and will continue to do so. I would not specifically recruit players to achieve racial or sexual orientation balance. I would recruit good people, team players, good students and those who would benefit from the Cal experience, along with some better shooters and at least one tall developmental big. This is the real world. You cannot create a fantasy one.

But I couldn't help noticing the connection, and I have to point out it's not very Berkeley.
http://blog.sfgate.com/stew/2014/02/06/east-bay-high-school-nixes-plan-to-honor-black-history-with-fried-chicken-watermelon/

annarborbear;842278325 said:

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I would need a translator to understand what your question is in all of that. But what I am blatantly sure of: 1) We don't discriminate; 2) We have positive, helpful supportive coaches; 3) Some players always leave for different reasons; some want more playing time, some don't fit culturally or academically, some get homesick. some want to become hair dressers; 4) It shouldn't matter what the race, religion or sexual orientation of a player is; we should seek players/teammates who agree with that value: 5) We have had recent success in recruiting and will continue to do so. I would not specifically recruit players to achieve racial or sexual orientation balance. I would recruit good people, team players, good students and those who would benefit from the Cal experience, along with some better shooters and at least one tall developmental big. This is the real world. You cannot create a fantasy one.

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Thank you, as all the queries left a big question that sounded like "tolerance" to me. Of what, I care not, other than how it effects the sport of WBB at Cal. Sounds like you have put that to bed, so let's move on.

barabbas;842278036 said:

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There have been a half dozen or so defections, not one! We should be able to talk about it, but people become unhinged and interpret things the way they want to or think the agenda is attended. I'm for getting the best group of young ladies both off and on the court.

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Yes, that's why I said departures (plural).

Speaking for myself only, the troubling pattern of defections goes back to the last 8 players who left (counting Hind Ben Abdelkader). Don't get me wrong - I was plenty upset at many of the departures before those 8, and in some cases I assigned a good amount of the blame to the head coach. But before those last 8, the departures came at a rate and under circumstances similar to what you might see in other programs, and the reasons given (off the record) seemed to make sense (head coach and player simply couldn't get along, etc.)

For those without a scorecard, 5 of those last 8 defections came under Joanne Boyle after Lindsay left for UC Santa Barbara. 3 have occurred under Lindsay Gottlieb. If you count Hind as white, 4 of the players were white, 4 were black. So we are not talking about a strictly racial pattern. (And no, for anyone who is still hopelessly confused, we are NOT talking about sexual orientation at all.)

If we're not talking about a strictly racial pattern of departures, then why did barrabas raise that issue? Well, think about what types of problems can occur on a team that is heavily unbalanced in ANY respect (social, racial, sexual, whatever). An environment might arise that is hostile or extremely uncomfortable for the minority. And that can be disturbing to witness even if you're a member of the majority. This type of problem doesn't have to arise but if it does, the coaches and maybe the team captains have to step in to arrest that problem right away before it becomes divisive. Otherwise, you might drive those in the minority away, or word gets out that this is a program that is unwelcoming towards a certain group, or word gets out that there are divisions and tensions on this team that can make it an unhappy environment for anyone, minority or majority.

Has this problem actually occurred at Cal? No one is suggesting a systemic or calculated discrimination, but did both Joanne and Lindsay allow such a situation to evolve and persist to the point where it is intractable? Well, barabbas is right, you cannot openly and calmly discuss this matter on the board. Too many people have this Pollyanna view of WBB, where we believe the coach's boilerplate BS about how every year, we happen to have an unusually bright and kind and caring group of young ladies, and how unusually close-knit this group is (funny how that statistically uncommon pattern occurs at so many WBB programs, and even funnier that fans blindly believe it). Such a mythical group couldn't possibly have any divisions or tensions, so when a player leaves it's either her fault or we just accept a happy-talk reason for her departure. It's pretty hard for anyone with a contrary view to argue against a presumptive view that's accepted without evidence, so why would that person bother?

None of this discussion necessarily applies to Hind's departure. I don't attend the Cal games any more so I don't have a chance to observe the players and coaches interaction first-hand, so I can't form an opinion. But the circumstances are damning and no amount of unseemly bashing of her abilities is going to change that.

Anyway, I thank barrabas for his contributions to this thread and to this board in general. Anyone who clicks on his posting history should realize that the search is limited in number and only goes back to mid-2012. And of course this board only goes back to mid-2010, with everything before that being lost. I very distinctly remember barrabas as an infrequent and succinct WBB contributor going back well before 2010, to some of the more tumultuous events of the Joanne Boyle era. He did seem to have good inside info (i.e. borne out after the fact), and frequently his sources did seem to be very close to the players or coaches. He never directly quoted a player but that's probably because he has good enough sense to not do that.

for the record, we also have one player who is biracial and had another last year. i would be shocked if there was an issue of race currently...

WayneBear;842278480 said:

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Anyway, I thank barrabas for his contributions to this thread and to this board in general. Anyone who clicks on his posting history should realize that the search is limited in number and only goes back to mid-2012. And of course this board only goes back to mid-2010, with everything before that being lost. I very distinctly remember barrabas as an infrequent and succinct WBB contributor going back well before 2010, to some of the more tumultuous events of the Joanne Boyle era. He did seem to have good inside info (i.e. borne out after the fact), and frequently his sources did seem to be very close to the players or coaches. He never directly quoted a player but that's probably because he has good enough sense to not do that.

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+1, Barrabas in his past posts seem to have inside knowledge on many of Cal sports program pertaining to the coaches as well as the players, even though we disagree on how much credit should be given to Greg Meehan for turning around Stanford's swim program.

I was very hopeful when her commitment was announced because she seemed to be the perimeter shooter we desperately need. Performance fell way short of what I'd hoped for but perhaps experience could have gotten her there. Too bad it didn't work.

If you do not attend games anymore, and do not observe player-coach interactions, how do you know what's going on?

I don't think many people on this board are basing our impressions of the program based on a Pollyanna view of the program, or have swallowed the Kool Aid wholeheartedly. Many of us have a positive impression of things (mostly) because we actually attend games, can watch these interactions, work on campus so see the kids/staff/coaches informally, and/or actually KNOW some of the players and their families. It's certainly not all unicorns and rainbows, but it says something good about the program that teammates hang out together, in various combos and all together of their volition, and that they all attended the recent We A.R.E. Pride event (along with all of the coaches and many current and former support staff).

I think we have to acknowledge that not all players "fit in" everywhere, for a whole host of reasons that may not be that negative. Would you all have fit in at any college or school in the world? No. Did you all fit in with every group or team you were a part of? Probably not. Also, 18-year-olds, away from home for the first time, sometimes do not make good choices or catastrophize, or get homesick. Recall pearbear's interview with Hind, where she seems to emphasize how much she misses her family, her mom's cooking, how she was a bit dismissive of the educational system, etc. It may not be anything that the coaches did or teammates did or did not do that caused Hind to leave; if a person is homesick, or has other personal issues, they may make a decision like this regardless of what anyone around them tries to do.

Also, for what it's worth, I work on campus, near the Telegraph Ave eateries, and I saw Hind in the company of KC or Courtney frequently, so to say that she didn't fit in with her frosh teammates is a lot of BS. Also, check her Twitter account, and how often she and KC Tweeted each other.

Also, Wayne, what exactly is "worrisome" about all of our recent transfers? 2 followed Coach G to Santa Barbara (one of whom would never have seen the court in 4 years at Cal); 1 left to become a hairdresser (which would have happened no matter where she went); 1 left to seek greener pastures at Kentucky (and is still friends with many of her teammates and coaches and came to graduation last year); and the 3 are a little more mysterious. Not a one of them would I necessarily want to have back here--their departures gave other players chances (Fu, younger post players) to grow and shine and become key cogs in the Final Four run. How are any of these transfers different from why other people leave other schools?

annarborbear;842277851 said:

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Yeah, let's cut the BS and hear about some sources and specifics if we are going to criticize our "diversity". As far as I know, we have kids of different religions, some kids of mixed races, some LGBT, some Political Science majors, some future CEO's, and some kids who draw or do art. We have a diverse coaching staff, including, incredibly, some Stanford graduates. If you look around campus, you get automatic diversity by coming to Berkeley, but you do have to embrace it and want to experience it. The only thing we don't have is enough shooters.

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What is amusing (if not downright ironic) is that a few posters on the Growls board are accusing Cal football (and indirectly Furd football) of being homophobic. If there were ever two schools that really try to be orientation neutral, its these two schools.

I spoke to Hind as she was in line at the airport to go home. She said she enjoyed her time at Cal, but "she had to go home". On another aspect, I suspect some "cultural" problems existed. For instance, Hind passes the ball, and the AAU products really don't. (I am aware of the game stats for assists, which don't really tell the story). One of the problems with recruiting AAs is that most of them dominate high school and AAU on physical superiority and poor opposing defenses. When such players confront a well-coached and disciplined team, at the Pac 12 level, they are not physically superior enough and don't have the "game" to adjust. Ultimately, the coaches have to solve the problem.

farewell Hind. sorry to see you go. good luck to you.

"Bearchamp" succinctly "hit the nail on the head", IMO. We get very good athletic players out of high school who may rule the roost at that level, but find bigger, smarter players on the collegiate level who are well coached making it mandatory that our kids keep improving.

Ergo, our coaches must make it a priority to re-enforce for our Cal super athletic players to work more on defensive fundamentals concurrently with good offensive fundamentals (passing, shot selection, etc). That's what smart, well coached teams do.

I like the passion for the game our team has and with a continuance of attracting strong women for our program and maintaining good team chemistry, we should be in the Top 25 rankings each year. I saw the recent tournament at Bentley. LG was there supporting Cowling and Green, but I hope she is taking note of some very decent players from schools like Carondolet, Miramonte, etc..

annarborbear;842278172 said:

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By the way, if you want so much to bring these supposed issues out into the public eye, I would be happy to debate them with you at any public forum of your choice. Maybe at the next Triple Threat Club meeting. We can go back over the situation of each transfer out, discuss the criteria for recruiting players to Cal, and then welcome comments from the coaches and current team members. If you want to solve the problems you say are there, you should have no difficulties bringing this debate forward in that manner. Let me know where and when you plan on showing up.

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Understanding the written English language is not your strength. I have said I DO NOT to debate any of these issues because of people like you. This is why I have not been more specific. YOU want to debate issues. You're not comprehending what I've written. I have not even specifically identified exactly what the issues are because of the irrationality of the emotion that come from folks like you. So, you can enjoy what I write, but please READ what I write.

wifeisafurd;842277997 said:

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Last year, the team was about as tight as a team could be, and seemed to be diverse as a team could be. There are Christian kids, gay kids, white kids, mixed race kids, black kids, a Jewish girl and coach, two Furd alums (one white, the other black, as coaches, and a Mormon coach. And until today there was a Muslim player by way of Europe. How much more diverse could this team be? I don't get the code or the race thing at all. Are not most college basketball teams primarily African American? I can understand a women from Europe being home sick if that is what this meant, and unlike the NBA, most college teams don't have a lot of Euros. Players transfer all the time. Is there a morale problem this year? If so, why? Just say what you mean - we won't judge. We are all guessing.

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WIF, the "we won't judge" advice is nave and not my experience. There is a list of things, quite different than your lollipops and rainbows list, that is perceived about the program that makes less attractive to some. Secondly, I don't want to give away my anonymity and I will not discuss specifics because there is no way to have a rational discussion over issues about things that are so emotional for some. I have repeatedly said that I have met and talked most of the members of the teams from the last 7 years or so and really like almost all the girls and have nothing but great things to say about them. Again, I wish the world was more progressive, but it's not.

Last year when I said I thought it was ridiculous to only have 1 black assistant football coach and explained why. I got ripped a new a**hole. "you want a "quota system" or "you want affirmative action for our coaching staff." Well, a year later Sonny's singing a different tune; it's no coincidence Jahvid Best and Greg Burns are now part of the coaching staff.

I say don't be afraid to discuss as this is how we open minds and address issues.