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Post by tomclen on Nov 25, 2023 7:34:06 GMT -5
With a final PAC12 8th place finish, where will the 2024 Huskies finish in the B1G? Will they be in the Purdue neighborhood or closer to Rutgers?
Nebraska, Wisconsin, Penn State, Purdue, Minnesota, Illinois all seem like teams (based on '23 results) that will finish ahead of UW. Could the Dawgs also end up behind Oregon, UCLA and USC? That would mean a 10th place finish in 2024. We can hope for something better than that, but it's going to require a major Washington rebuild. Hello, Portal!
Quote from Leslie Gabriel after the final PAC12 UW/WSU match:
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Post by blue-footedbooby on Nov 25, 2023 9:14:07 GMT -5
We can hope for something better than that, but it's going to require a major Washington rebuild. Hello, Portal! That's what i've been wondering, ie, which huskies are heading to the portal. |
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Post by alwayslearning on Nov 25, 2023 11:10:32 GMT -5
11/23/23 IMO, it all comes down to recruiting. That is the #1 priority and will ultimately make or break Tui's tenure at UW. |
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Post by alwayslearning on Nov 25, 2023 11:11:15 GMT -5
A solid coaching crew can really shake things up from the get-go. We can talk about "bad recruiting" or "not enough talent or athleticism" all day long, but the truth is, good coaches drive a team to success (just see Mansfield at KSU). I'm not feeling optimistic about UW's future until they make some serious changes in this coaching staff. That is the #2 priority. |
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Post by alwayslearning on Nov 25, 2023 11:15:17 GMT -5
10 losses or less? Yes, on the edge of possibility if the pre-con schedule is very weak. Neb, Wisky, Purdue, PSU, Oregon I would project to be clearly better than U-Dub. Then there are teams like Minny, USC, UCLA, Ohio St that likely will be better, but the difference isn't as great. Unknown factors are the B1G schedule, portal acquisitions, injuries, etc. Even assuming some good pickups in the portal/grad student/international sectors, 10 losses or less is a pretty big stretch for 2024. In 2025 and especially 26 and 27, I will be disappointed with seasons of 10 losses or more. |
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Post by alwayslearning on Nov 25, 2023 11:17:59 GMT -5
A solid coaching crew can really shake things up from the get-go. We can talk about "bad recruiting" or "not enough talent or athleticism" all day long, but the truth is, good coaches drive a team to success (just see Mansfield at KSU). I'm not feeling optimistic about UW's future until they make some serious changes in this coaching staff. I agree Washington needs to do a better job at recruiting. Just from the outside looking in, I am concerned about having only one verbal for 2025. It looks like Washington has 2 graduating seniors after 2024 (Bays, Endsley) with Bush getting an extra year in 2025. This can change depending on players that may join from the transfer portal. I congratulate Jason Mansfield for getting Izzi Szulczewski as a transfer (I wish Washington did). She was a nice player at Oregon State and provided KSU with a starting setter and the "it factor". However, KSU returned a majority of their leading players (hitters, blockers, defense, even setting). So, it is hard to compare with Washington with the depleted roster from graduation and injuries. It's tempting to make the comparisons with K State and Mansfield, but also a little unfair as you recognize yourself. Time will tell. |
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Post by tomclen on Nov 25, 2023 11:21:04 GMT -5
Someone who knows more than me about recruiting (and I know next to nothing on the subject) should weigh in on the California pipeline. That seemed to be a key component of JMac's succes at UW.
The current roster only has 3 players (just two normal starters) from California.
Seems to me that for '24 to see improvement UW is going to need to focus on Recruiting/California/Portal (not necessarily in that order).
And it also seems like Tui needs to start by recruiting a blockbuster recruiting assistant.
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Post by alwayslearning on Nov 25, 2023 11:25:07 GMT -5
We can hope for something better than that, but it's going to require a major Washington rebuild. Hello, Portal! That's what i've been wondering, ie, which huskies are heading to the portal. It's a good question and one we are not used to contemplating. I can't say I've seen any signs of dissension or unhappiness, but I'm just a fan looking from the outside. If anyone does signal their intention to leave, it could be a problem but more likely an opportunity. |
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Post by alwayslearning on Nov 25, 2023 11:39:47 GMT -5
Someone who knows more than me about recruiting (and I know next to nothing on the subject) should weigh in on the California pipeline. That seemed to be a key component of JMac's succes at UW. The current roster only has 3 players (just two normal starters) from California. Seems to me that for '24 to see improvement UW is going to need to focus on Recruiting/California/Portal (not necessarily in that order). And it also seems like Tui needs to start by recruiting a blockbuster recruiting assistant. Yes to a great recruiting assistant. California can't be overlooked, of course, but JMac had his connection with Tanner and T Street and was a SoCal native himself, so there were built-in advantages that Tui doesn't have. The first rule is to protect your backyard and scoop up the best players in the Pac NW. Players like Kara Bajema and Hannah Pukis, who I still rue missing out on. The portal is really a nationwide market. Then there is the international market, which the Huskies have barely tapped. The Greenys are making a living by recruiting internationally. Personally, I also believe that the Huskies need to recruit more players of color. |
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Post by tomclen on Nov 25, 2023 11:44:18 GMT -5
Someone who knows more than me about recruiting (and I know next to nothing on the subject) should weigh in on the California pipeline. That seemed to be a key component of JMac's succes at UW. The current roster only has 3 players (just two normal starters) from California. Seems to me that for '24 to see improvement UW is going to need to focus on Recruiting/California/Portal (not necessarily in that order). And it also seems like Tui needs to start by recruiting a blockbuster recruiting assistant. Personally, I also believe that the Huskies need to recruit more players of color. Amen. |
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Post by redbeard2008 on Nov 25, 2023 14:15:55 GMT -5
With a final PAC12 8th place finish, where will the 2024 Huskies finish in the B1G? Will they be in the Purdue neighborhood or closer to Rutgers? We will get Bush back, which will make us more "terminal". One of our problems is that our best passing OH, Wilmes, has not been a reliable scorer (.178 season/.168 conference). (We miss Hoffman.) She's out-of-position at OPP. Expose Barton or Endsley in serve-receive, however, and they become "targets". We can play Wilmes at DS, ala Crenshaw, subbing for Endsley. Huard is also an option at DS. Can Leslie bring in a couple of international players? Greeny has done it at WSU, and Sanja did it at ASU. |
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Post by socalvbhomer on Nov 25, 2023 14:39:36 GMT -5
Personally, I also believe that the Huskies need to recruit more players of color. Amen. Why? |
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Post by DaDawgFather on Nov 25, 2023 14:55:48 GMT -5
Personally, I also believe that the Huskies need to recruit more players of color. I like your thinking. |
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Post by alwayslearning on Nov 25, 2023 16:13:11 GMT -5
Why not? I don't have numbers for you, but it seems pretty clear that, if you look at the rosters of the better teams, many of the key contributors are people of color (and I'm not referring just to Black players). |
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Post by dawgnerd on Nov 26, 2023 10:20:23 GMT -5
In this era of The Portal and NIL, what or how much does UW have to offer incoming players or is that even visible from outside? It seems this could likely be an advantage for schools with lots of rich alumni like USC or Stanford, but I wonder what that looks like for UW volleyball and how it compares to traditional considerations like 'culture', locations, academic opportunities, development success, etc.
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