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Post by FlyingL on Dec 8, 2005 15:54:57 GMT -5
Correct, Florida had positions of greater need to fill.
I gotta disagree with you here. I dont care how backed-up Florida may have been in some of the positions. Any college coach will take an athlete that will produce for its program. It is up to that athlete to compete for her starting spot. To say that Janet was not recruited by Florida simply bc "they did not need her" is, in my opinion, false. In a time where more and more incoming freshman will be making immediate impact, no coach will be passing up on a player of Janet's caliber (we all know her accolades and resume) and imo Stanford has scored big time yet again.
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Post by GatorVball on Dec 8, 2005 16:01:31 GMT -5
You are free to disagree, but it's the truth. I'm sure Florida would've loved to have had Janet, however, it would not have been the smartest thing to do when there are bigger holes to fill in other areas. If you needed a setter, would you go out and recruit the top player in the country who wasn't a setter, just cause she's a great athlete? No, you wouldn't.
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Post by FlyingL on Dec 8, 2005 16:23:41 GMT -5
You are right, I am free to disagree, and just bc I dont post on here as much as you do does not mean that I am not knowledgeable about the sport. For starters, your setter analogy is a ridiculous and insulting one. In your post you stated that Janet would have had to wait two years to see playing time bc the OH and MB sposts were filled. You are assuming that she couldnt come in and beat out any of those four players. Too subjective on your part. The McGuiness Moskovic scenario comes to mind. This is one hell of an athlete, who was recruited by just about every major program in America. It wasnt that "Florida didn't need her", it was that Florida couldnt land her!
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Post by GatorVball on Dec 8, 2005 16:31:10 GMT -5
No point in arguing with you. I know for a fact that Florida didn't go after her very hard. Now, was it because they didn't need another middle or was it maybe Janet didn't show much interest in them. Who knows. I just know they didn't pursue her as hard as they went after the likes of Foluke or Megan Hodge. No one said anything about claiming more knowledge about the sport. However, as far as UF volleyball goes, I do have more knowledge than you.
It has nothing to do with Janet being able to come in and beat out players already on roster. I'm sure she could. It has to do with getting players who will help your team in the positions you are weakest in. For Florida, that is the OH position. Mary likes OH's who will play all the way around. Janet is not that type of player, at least not at the college level. The setter analogy is not a ridiculous one. You go after the best players in the positions you need, not necessarily the best players, period, regardless of position.
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Post by GatorVball on Dec 8, 2005 16:44:55 GMT -5
Just for the record, I would've loved to have seen Janet in a Gator uniform. This isn't sour grapes or anything like that. I hope she has a great career at Stanford and does great things. She is super talented, very smart and from all accounts, a great person.
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Post by FlyingL on Dec 8, 2005 16:54:25 GMT -5
I am not arguing with you either, but this is a forum where one is free to express their opinions. If you are going to post, than you should be prepared for others to disagree and or challenge your views. Your latest post is completely different than your first two posts. Had this been your original post I would not have replied. However in your first posts, you suggested that Florida didnt need her as opposed to want her, that she was too raw to play in the PAC 10, etc. True that Mary prefers players who play all the way around, but this does not mean that she would pass on a player who could help her win a National Championship. After all, Mary also preferred to have her setters sit out at least two years while they learned the system and we all saw how that changed. Finally to your comment: However, as far as UF volleyball goes, I do have more knowledge than you. You have no idea who I am!
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Post by Wolfgang on Dec 8, 2005 16:56:26 GMT -5
Need vs. Best Athlete.
Same ol' same ol' issue. Comes up all the time, especially in pro sports draft days (e.g., NFL, NBA).
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Post by GatorVball on Dec 8, 2005 17:04:41 GMT -5
I am not arguing with you either, but this is a forum where one is free to express their opinions. If you are going to post, than you should be prepared for others to disagree and or challenge your views. Your latest post is completely different than your first two posts. Had this been your original post I would not have replied. However in your first posts, you suggested that Florida didnt need her as opposed to want her, that she was too raw to play in the PAC 10, etc. True that Mary prefers players who play all the way around, but this does not mean that she would pass on a player who could help her win a National Championship. After all, Mary also preferred to have her setters sit out at least two years while they learned the system and we all saw how that changed. Finally to your comment: However, as far as UF volleyball goes, I do have more knowledge than you. You have no idea who I am! And you have no idea who I am. I corrected myself after 808's post about not needing her versus having more crucial positions to fill. I guess you missed that as you went on the attack. Mary changed her setting philosophy before Angie got there. Lauren started as a sophomore, she played a ds role as a freshman, backing up Bova. Janet isn't too raw to play in the Pac-10. I do think she's too raw, right now, to make an impact as a freshman. I've seen Stanford fans on the Bootleg posting about her starting right away and making an impact. I don't think that is realistic, but that's just my opinion. What Stanford lacked this year was blocking and that is the toughest thing for a freshman to get down. Offensively, I think she'll have success but blocking, she will struggle. BTW, Mary is recruiting a player who will help them win a national championship. Megan Hodge. And, she just so happens to play all around at a position they need. Jeez, go figure.
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Post by FlyingL on Dec 8, 2005 17:21:37 GMT -5
I posted before I read your response. And, I am glad that you corrected yourself, bc you certainly didnt come accross too well in your first post. Not to me anyway! Don't confuse me challenging you views with attacking you. I guess we will just need to disagree on this one. I dont know too many coaches out there who will pass on a player of high caliber bc they dont excel in the backrow. Not with the ability to use a libero and or DS, and as you well know, Mary has a couple of very capable defenders on her squad. As for Megan Hodge, I hope Florida lands her, but as a Gator fan, I also hope that Mary isn't putting all her eggs in one basket.
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Post by GatorVball on Dec 8, 2005 17:47:50 GMT -5
It's all good and I in no way meant to come across as insulting to any poster or to Janet. As for Mary putting all her eggs into one basket, I don't think that's the case. I think she's getting back to the style of recruiting that made her so successful in the first place, like bringing in a setter 2 years behind Angie and looking to get some depth on the outside, if they do land Hodge, along with Williams and then Rivers in 07. I'm sure in 07 she'll also look to sign a right side. And, for the first time ever, she has signed a true libero to a scholarship.
For a while there, Mary got away from her recruiting philosophy and that has led to the lack of depth at certain positions, like setter and OH. If Jane or Marcie or Angie had gone down this year, Florida would've been screwed, especially if Angie had gone down. Engel would've been the only setting option and she'd have been a huge liabilty, cause not only do you take away her passing and defense, but her setting and height are nowhere near the level of Angie. It would've been a nightmare. A program like Florida should never be in a situation again where they are 1 injury away from not even being a top 25 team. Losing Jane or Marcie would've been pretty bad as well.
As far as Janet, she is a great talent, but if you're Florida and you had to go after someone, do you focus your recruiting time and energy on Janet, a great player who doesn't really fit the hole you are looking to fill, or Hodge, also a great player, who does fill the hole? Like I said, maybe Janet made the decision easy and told Florida no a long time ago and that's why Florida didn't recruit her hard. I just know that Florida didn't go after her as hard as some think.
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Post by GatorVball on Dec 8, 2005 18:18:06 GMT -5
BTW, here's the Class 3A first team. All D-1 signees. Not too shabby CLASS 3A FIRST TEAM Janet Okogbaa, Tampa Berkeley Prep, senior, outside hitter-Stanford Brittany Roderick, Lake Highland Prep, senior, middle blocker-Georgia Tech Janine Williams, Gainesville P.K. Yonge, senior, outside hitter-Florida Elyse Cusack, Gainesville P.K. Yonge, senior, libero-Florida Allison Regas, Jacksonville Bolles, senior, setter-Indiana Justine Landi, Coral Springs Charter, senior, middle hitter-Louisville The 5A and 6A teams should be out later tonight. www.fswaonline.org/2005statevolleyball.htm
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Post by Pirate VB Fan on Dec 8, 2005 19:36:05 GMT -5
I watched the final on TV between Berkeley Prep and Lake Highland. This was the first time I had seen any of the players involved, including Janet Okagbaa. I assume it was just the editing of the broadcast, but I was not impressed with her. The editing seemed slanted towards the Highlanders, so I assume that is part of the reason, but for such an important match she seemed to play only a minor part.
Again, it was probably due to the editing and wanting to highlight the winning team (who crushed Berkeley Prep) but Brittany Roderick looked much, much better.
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Post by FloridaPerson on Dec 8, 2005 20:12:15 GMT -5
Watch out, someone will totally misconstrue your comments and take them out of context.
'Least that's what happened when I said the same thing about last year's and Akinradewo.
I really wish they'd go back to showing entire matches.
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Post by sexy on Dec 8, 2005 20:42:40 GMT -5
I hate it when I step into a room full of just white people, all named William Randolph Winchester III. this reminded me of something i have always wondered about -- how people get 'bill' from 'william' 'bob' from 'robert' 'tony' from 'anthony'?? i do know however on how one gets 'dick' from 'richard' though
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Post by hoosierman on Dec 8, 2005 20:46:24 GMT -5
BTW, here's the Class 3A first team. All D-1 signees. Not too shabby CLASS 3A FIRST TEAM Janet Okogbaa, Tampa Berkeley Prep, senior, outside hitter-Stanford Brittany Roderick, Lake Highland Prep, senior, middle blocker-Georgia Tech Janine Williams, Gainesville P.K. Yonge, senior, outside hitter-Florida Elyse Cusack, Gainesville P.K. Yonge, senior, libero-Florida Allison Regas, Jacksonville Bolles, senior, setter-Indiana Justine Landi, Coral Springs Charter, senior, middle hitter-Louisville The 5A and 6A teams should be out later tonight. www.fswaonline.org/2005statevolleyball.htmWhoa. So do you have the low-down on Regas, GVB? Have you ever seen her play??
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