[BostonCard]

Still tough to go 0/2 on the day.  I kept hoping at least one would chose Stanford, but they each have to do what is best for their circumstances, not what is best for me as a Stanford fan.  Good luck to them, and I hope this means we can offer one or two of our seniors another year, and that we can get a strong 2024 class.

BC

[BostonCard]

Still tough to go 0/2 on the day.  I kept hoping at least one would chose Stanford, but they each have to do what is best for their circumstances, not what is best for me as a Stanford fan.  Good luck to them, and I hope this means we can offer one or two of our seniors another year, and that we can get a strong 2024 class.

BC

[TheWildJacko]

I am excited to see what we get with Ogden, specifically. Let's not forget she is the #10 ranked player in this class. And with the growth of Agara in size, she should bring some Belibi type toughness in a larger body. And we get another combo guard with a quick and powerful approach (similar to Nivar) in Clardy that can shoot at all 3 levels. 

WIth the rest of the team already in place, I think we are set for the next few years with these 3 coming onboard.

Not to mention, our current rookie players aren't chopped liver either. #1 Lauren Betts, #20 Indya Nivar and Talana Lepolo who plays much higher than her #71 ranking (and of course Green, Papadaki & redshirt Harriel)

[TheWildJacko]

I am excited to see what we get with Ogden, specifically. Let's not forget she is the #10 ranked player in this class. And with the growth of Agara in size, she should bring some Belibi type toughness in a larger body. And we get another combo guard with a quick and powerful approach (similar to Nivar) in Clardy that can shoot at all 3 levels. 

WIth the rest of the team already in place, I think we are set for the next few years with these 3 coming onboard.

Not to mention, our current rookie players aren't chopped liver either. #1 Lauren Betts, #20 Indya Nivar and Talana Lepolo who plays much higher than her #71 ranking (and of course Green, Papadaki & redshirt Harriel)

[joemontes]

As some of you have mentioned, despite going 0/2 with WATKINS and HIDALGO,
Stanford will still be very strong next season with the addition of their #7 recruiting class
featuring #10 OGDEN, #37 AGARA and #39 CLARDY: 
  
SF - OGDEN   6'1
SF - DEMETRE  6'3

PF - BRINK  6'4
PF - IRIAFEN  6'3
PF - AGARA  6'2
C  - BETTS  6'7

SG - BOSGANA  6'2
SG - EMMA-NNOPU  5'11
SG - PAPADAKI  5'11
SG - CLARDY  5'9
SG/PG  
     - NIVAR  5'10
PG - LEPOLO  5'7
PG - HARRIEL  5'10

It would also be nice to have 6'0 JUMP and 6'5 PRECHTEL
use their extra covid year to complete this 2023-2024 roster.

[joemontes]

As some of you have mentioned, despite going 0/2 with WATKINS and HIDALGO,
Stanford will still be very strong next season with the addition of their #7 recruiting class
featuring #10 OGDEN, #37 AGARA and #39 CLARDY: 
  
SF - OGDEN   6'1
SF - DEMETRE  6'3

PF - BRINK  6'4
PF - IRIAFEN  6'3
PF - AGARA  6'2
C  - BETTS  6'7

SG - BOSGANA  6'2
SG - EMMA-NNOPU  5'11
SG - PAPADAKI  5'11
SG - CLARDY  5'9
SG/PG  
     - NIVAR  5'10
PG - LEPOLO  5'7
PG - HARRIEL  5'10

It would also be nice to have 6'0 JUMP and 6'5 PRECHTEL
use their extra covid year to complete this 2023-2024 roster.

[TheFarm07]

A massive disappointment to lose out on both recruits, especially Watkins. From what I've read, she seems to be an elite #1 recruit, in terms of a Breanna Stewart or Paige Bueckers-level talent, so that was a big loss for us. The pandemic has made clear that life is too short to not prioritize what is most important to each of us, and it appears that being close to home was a brobdingnagian factor for her, especially considering where the USC program is, relative to ours or South Carolina. So, you can certainly understand that, even if you wish she would have chosen us.

We seem to be (relatively speaking) not as successful as getting the elite top-5 recruits at the guard positions than in the frontcourt position recently. Obviously, our very recent sucess in getting three top-5 recruits in four years (Jones, Brink and Betts) has been a tremendous haul and played a significant role in capturing the title a couple of years ago and our continued success in the immediate future, but we've struck out on Rice, Watkins and Hidalgo in the last two seasons and when you add in Olivia Miles who had a great freshman season at N.D., we've come up on a bit short in that department. Kiana was the exception and we all saw the type of impact she had during her time at the Farm. The instant offense she brought, especially when plays broke down or she saw an opening was crucial during our championship run.

And before people bring up Lepolo; no I am not writing her off or saying she's not a good talent and obviously we haven't seen what Watkins and Hidalgo will do in college, but getting any one of those guards would have added a different scoring punch to our offense.

[TheFarm07]

A massive disappointment to lose out on both recruits, especially Watkins. From what I've read, she seems to be an elite #1 recruit, in terms of a Breanna Stewart or Paige Bueckers-level talent, so that was a big loss for us. The pandemic has made clear that life is too short to not prioritize what is most important to each of us, and it appears that being close to home was a brobdingnagian factor for her, especially considering where the USC program is, relative to ours or South Carolina. So, you can certainly understand that, even if you wish she would have chosen us.

We seem to be (relatively speaking) not as successful as getting the elite top-5 recruits at the guard positions than in the frontcourt position recently. Obviously, our very recent sucess in getting three top-5 recruits in four years (Jones, Brink and Betts) has been a tremendous haul and played a significant role in capturing the title a couple of years ago and our continued success in the immediate future, but we've struck out on Rice, Watkins and Hidalgo in the last two seasons and when you add in Olivia Miles who had a great freshman season at N.D., we've come up on a bit short in that department. Kiana was the exception and we all saw the type of impact she had during her time at the Farm. The instant offense she brought, especially when plays broke down or she saw an opening was crucial during our championship run.

And before people bring up Lepolo; no I am not writing her off or saying she's not a good talent and obviously we haven't seen what Watkins and Hidalgo will do in college, but getting any one of those guards would have added a different scoring punch to our offense.

[Card10Fan]

As has been discussed many times before; it's been disappointing the number of times we've been serious finalists for elite guards and missed out; Add Watkins and Hidalog to a longer list including: Kiki Rice, Sonia Citron, Olivia Miles. We just haven't been able to break through especially with east coast recruits. That said, I think we a talented incoming class already and things tend to just work themselves out in the end. i'm happy with our recruiting overall.  I will say with Duke being relevant again and ND on the up and up with Ivey, the competition for our type of recruits will be tough and we will need to win our recruiting battles locally and regionally. It's gonna be hard to go into ACC country and the east coast and beat out those schools in their recruiting backyard. Duke and ND both have 2023 classes that will be ranked higher than ours.

I do hope this opens up an opportunity for Hannah Jump, Fran, or Ashten to return for their Covid year if they so desire. Our program has a bright future ahead.

I think Watkins will be in for an awakening if she cares about wining throughout her college career. Yes she will elevate their program, but they are not even close to being on our level or challenging for a Pac12 title and I just don't see that changing even with her. NCAA tourney probably, but not an elite 8, final 4, nor national title contending team.

[Card10Fan]

As has been discussed many times before; it's been disappointing the number of times we've been serious finalists for elite guards and missed out; Add Watkins and Hidalog to a longer list including: Kiki Rice, Sonia Citron, Olivia Miles. We just haven't been able to break through especially with east coast recruits. That said, I think we a talented incoming class already and things tend to just work themselves out in the end. i'm happy with our recruiting overall.  I will say with Duke being relevant again and ND on the up and up with Ivey, the competition for our type of recruits will be tough and we will need to win our recruiting battles locally and regionally. It's gonna be hard to go into ACC country and the east coast and beat out those schools in their recruiting backyard. Duke and ND both have 2023 classes that will be ranked higher than ours.

I do hope this opens up an opportunity for Hannah Jump, Fran, or Ashten to return for their Covid year if they so desire. Our program has a bright future ahead.

I think Watkins will be in for an awakening if she cares about wining throughout her college career. Yes she will elevate their program, but they are not even close to being on our level or challenging for a Pac12 title and I just don't see that changing even with her. NCAA tourney probably, but not an elite 8, final 4, nor national title contending team.

[BostonCard]

Or, maybe the promise of being able to play with Watkins will be a draw to USC.  Especially in this age of transfers, I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss the possibility that Watkins can kiss “winning” goodbye.

BC

[BostonCard]

Or, maybe the promise of being able to play with Watkins will be a draw to USC.  Especially in this age of transfers, I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss the possibility that Watkins can kiss “winning” goodbye.

BC

[Card10Fan]

Or, maybe the promise of being able to play with Watkins will be a draw to USC.  Especially in this age of transfers, I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss the possibility that Watkins can kiss “winning” goodbye.

BC

Maybe. My guess is that USC is not going to win a national championship in the next 4 years. Since 2006, they’ve played in one NCAA tournament total. Yeah she might help draw in some other recruits, and she will tremendously help in elevating their program. But the ceiling is not winning a national championship. Maybe for some recruits that doesn’t matter and for some recruits it does. USC is not going to be a cellar dweller but I’m very skeptical at this point they will contend for a Pac12 title. Time will tell. The portal has definitely changed things and they may get some big name transfers. Their coaching is also pretty mediocre and that matters too.

[Card10Fan]

Or, maybe the promise of being able to play with Watkins will be a draw to USC.  Especially in this age of transfers, I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss the possibility that Watkins can kiss “winning” goodbye.

BC

Maybe. My guess is that USC is not going to win a national championship in the next 4 years. Since 2006, they’ve played in one NCAA tournament total. Yeah she might help draw in some other recruits, and she will tremendously help in elevating their program. But the ceiling is not winning a national championship. Maybe for some recruits that doesn’t matter and for some recruits it does. USC is not going to be a cellar dweller but I’m very skeptical at this point they will contend for a Pac12 title. Time will tell. The portal has definitely changed things and they may get some big name transfers. Their coaching is also pretty mediocre and that matters too.

[qwerty49]

Good luck to Watkins at USC.  Can't ever fault someone for a personal decision like this.  I would assume it is mostly that she wanted to stay near home.  Maybe some NIL involved?  

Apparently she signed the same NIL deal with Nike as Haley did.  (also Caitlin Clark, Bronny James)

https://www.espn.com/womens-college-bask...ommits-usc

[qwerty49]

Good luck to Watkins at USC.  Can't ever fault someone for a personal decision like this.  I would assume it is mostly that she wanted to stay near home.  Maybe some NIL involved?  

Apparently she signed the same NIL deal with Nike as Haley did.  (also Caitlin Clark, Bronny James)

https://www.espn.com/womens-college-bask...ommits-usc

[BostonCard]

Or, maybe the promise of being able to play with Watkins will be a draw to USC.  Especially in this age of transfers, I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss the possibility that Watkins can kiss “winning” goodbye.

BC

Maybe. My guess is that USC is not going to win a national championship in the next 4 years. Since 2006, they’ve played in one NCAA tournament total. Yeah she might help draw in some other recruits, and she will tremendously help in elevating their program. But the ceiling is not winning a national championship. Maybe for some recruits that doesn’t matter and for some recruits it does. USC is not going to be a cellar dweller but I’m very skeptical at this point they will contend for a Pac12 title. Time will tell. The portal has definitely changed things and they may get some big name transfers.  Their coaching is also pretty mediocre and that matters too.

We went 20 years between national titles. None of us is going to say that the Ogwumike sisters should have gone to UConn, where they could have probably won several national titles.

Moreover if she does turn USC into a contender, then she can lay claim to being the one who built the program instead of being a cog in the machine.  I think that was one of the arguments Kiki Rice made last year.

Ultimately, it comes across as sour grapes. Not everyone picks Stanford.

BC

[BostonCard]

Or, maybe the promise of being able to play with Watkins will be a draw to USC.  Especially in this age of transfers, I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss the possibility that Watkins can kiss “winning” goodbye.

BC

Maybe. My guess is that USC is not going to win a national championship in the next 4 years. Since 2006, they’ve played in one NCAA tournament total. Yeah she might help draw in some other recruits, and she will tremendously help in elevating their program. But the ceiling is not winning a national championship. Maybe for some recruits that doesn’t matter and for some recruits it does. USC is not going to be a cellar dweller but I’m very skeptical at this point they will contend for a Pac12 title. Time will tell. The portal has definitely changed things and they may get some big name transfers.  Their coaching is also pretty mediocre and that matters too.

We went 20 years between national titles. None of us is going to say that the Ogwumike sisters should have gone to UConn, where they could have probably won several national titles.

Moreover if she does turn USC into a contender, then she can lay claim to being the one who built the program instead of being a cog in the machine.  I think that was one of the arguments Kiki Rice made last year.

Ultimately, it comes across as sour grapes. Not everyone picks Stanford.

BC

[TheFarm07]

Or, maybe the promise of being able to play with Watkins will be a draw to USC.  Especially in this age of transfers, I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss the possibility that Watkins can kiss “winning” goodbye.

BC

Maybe. My guess is that USC is not going to win a national championship in the next 4 years. Since 2006, they’ve played in one NCAA tournament total. Yeah she might help draw in some other recruits, and she will tremendously help in elevating their program. But the ceiling is not winning a national championship. Maybe for some recruits that doesn’t matter and for some recruits it does. USC is not going to be a cellar dweller but I’m very skeptical at this point they will contend for a Pac12 title. Time will tell. The portal has definitely changed things and they may get some big name transfers.  Their coaching is also pretty mediocre and that matters too.

We went 20 years between national titles. None of us is going to say that the Ogwumike sisters should have gone to UConn, where they could have probably won several national titles.

Moreover if she does turn USC into a contender, then she can lay claim to being the one who built the program instead of being a cog in the machine.  I think that was one of the arguments Kiki Rice made last year.

Ultimately, it comes across as sour grapes. Not everyone picks Stanford.

BC

We can't help but be disappointed by the decision and I certainly wish her the personal best going forward. And as I said earlier, every person's priorities are different and we should certainly respect that. There's no place for any vitriol (and no one has done that here). But there's also a part of me that is now even more particularly incentivized that we win a couple of national titles in the next few years...

[TheFarm07]

Or, maybe the promise of being able to play with Watkins will be a draw to USC.  Especially in this age of transfers, I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss the possibility that Watkins can kiss “winning” goodbye.

BC

Maybe. My guess is that USC is not going to win a national championship in the next 4 years. Since 2006, they’ve played in one NCAA tournament total. Yeah she might help draw in some other recruits, and she will tremendously help in elevating their program. But the ceiling is not winning a national championship. Maybe for some recruits that doesn’t matter and for some recruits it does. USC is not going to be a cellar dweller but I’m very skeptical at this point they will contend for a Pac12 title. Time will tell. The portal has definitely changed things and they may get some big name transfers.  Their coaching is also pretty mediocre and that matters too.

We went 20 years between national titles. None of us is going to say that the Ogwumike sisters should have gone to UConn, where they could have probably won several national titles.

Moreover if she does turn USC into a contender, then she can lay claim to being the one who built the program instead of being a cog in the machine.  I think that was one of the arguments Kiki Rice made last year.

Ultimately, it comes across as sour grapes. Not everyone picks Stanford.

BC

We can't help but be disappointed by the decision and I certainly wish her the personal best going forward. And as I said earlier, every person's priorities are different and we should certainly respect that. There's no place for any vitriol (and no one has done that here). But there's also a part of me that is now even more particularly incentivized that we win a couple of national titles in the next few years...

[joemontes]

With the way the transfer portal is, WATKINS has the flexibility to simply transfer to a proven winning program
after her sophomore (even after her freshman year) if she deems it right for her.  

But since one of her ongoing advocacies is to get her community involved through her playing basketball, 
she will try to help resuscitate the local fan base of USC WCBB immediately, starting in her freshman season,  
and she has LA native USC teammates Rhaya MARSHALL (from LA), Clarice OKUNWAFO (from Inglewood, CA) 
and Kayla WILLIAMS (from LA) to assist her in this cause. And I'm sure her NIL deal with NIKE
will be channeled toward this cause - I can already foresee billboards of WATKINS, USC and NIKE 
in and around Downtown LA, especially along the main 5 mile stretch of Wilshire Blvd from Downtown LA
to just west of the mid-Wilshire area where I reside and along the three mile stretch of the 110 freeway 
from Downtown LA to the Galen Center.

[joemontes]

With the way the transfer portal is, WATKINS has the flexibility to simply transfer to a proven winning program
after her sophomore (even after her freshman year) if she deems it right for her.  

But since one of her ongoing advocacies is to get her community involved through her playing basketball, 
she will try to help resuscitate the local fan base of USC WCBB immediately, starting in her freshman season,  
and she has LA native USC teammates Rhaya MARSHALL (from LA), Clarice OKUNWAFO (from Inglewood, CA) 
and Kayla WILLIAMS (from LA) to assist her in this cause. And I'm sure her NIL deal with NIKE
will be channeled toward this cause - I can already foresee billboards of WATKINS, USC and NIKE 
in and around Downtown LA, especially along the main 5 mile stretch of Wilshire Blvd from Downtown LA
to just west of the mid-Wilshire area where I reside and along the three mile stretch of the 110 freeway 
from Downtown LA to the Galen Center.

[81alum]

If we can't have her, I am grateful she went to a weak Pac-12 team for two reasons.  1) Stanford does better when the Pac-12 gives us good competition.  I'd just as soon not have Oregon-beats-us-three-times-a-year competition as in 2019-20, but in the long run our NET and our recruiting is better when the Pac 12 is perceived as the best conference for WBB.  2) I'd much rather she help strengthen a bottom-dwelling team than that she strengthen a perennial contender like South Carolina.

I also suspect that these decisions are just not as important as they used to be.  Her NIL deal is independent of where she plays, is it not?  And we have already seen WBB players playing for three different teams over their college career.  Perhaps she wanted to stay close to home for a year or two, but will feel more adventurous after making the college adjustment.

[81alum]

If we can't have her, I am grateful she went to a weak Pac-12 team for two reasons.  1) Stanford does better when the Pac-12 gives us good competition.  I'd just as soon not have Oregon-beats-us-three-times-a-year competition as in 2019-20, but in the long run our NET and our recruiting is better when the Pac 12 is perceived as the best conference for WBB.  2) I'd much rather she help strengthen a bottom-dwelling team than that she strengthen a perennial contender like South Carolina.

I also suspect that these decisions are just not as important as they used to be.  Her NIL deal is independent of where she plays, is it not?  And we have already seen WBB players playing for three different teams over their college career.  Perhaps she wanted to stay close to home for a year or two, but will feel more adventurous after making the college adjustment.

[JohnR34231]

If we can't have her, I am grateful she went to a weak Pac-12 team for two reasons.  1) Stanford does better when the Pac-12 gives us good competition.  I'd just as soon not have Oregon-beats-us-three-times-a-year competition as in 2019-20, but in the long run our NET and our recruiting is better when the Pac 12 is perceived as the best conference for WBB.  2) I'd much rather she help strengthen a bottom-dwelling team than that she strengthen a perennial contender like South Carolina.

I also suspect that these decisions are just not as important as they used to be.  Her NIL deal is independent of where she plays, is it not?  And we have already seen WBB players playing for three different teams over their college career.  Perhaps she wanted to stay close to home for a year or two, but will feel more adventurous after making the college adjustment.

Yeah, can't help wondering when college athletes can literally make millions off NIL deals, if attending an elite academic school such as Stanford is as important to them.

[JohnR34231]

If we can't have her, I am grateful she went to a weak Pac-12 team for two reasons.  1) Stanford does better when the Pac-12 gives us good competition.  I'd just as soon not have Oregon-beats-us-three-times-a-year competition as in 2019-20, but in the long run our NET and our recruiting is better when the Pac 12 is perceived as the best conference for WBB.  2) I'd much rather she help strengthen a bottom-dwelling team than that she strengthen a perennial contender like South Carolina.

I also suspect that these decisions are just not as important as they used to be.  Her NIL deal is independent of where she plays, is it not?  And we have already seen WBB players playing for three different teams over their college career.  Perhaps she wanted to stay close to home for a year or two, but will feel more adventurous after making the college adjustment.

Yeah, can't help wondering when college athletes can literally make millions off NIL deals, if attending an elite academic school such as Stanford is as important to them.

[BostonCard]

Except, unfortunately, USC will only be in the PAC-12 her freshman year.  I’m sure we will play the LA schools every year in non-conference match-ups, but it’s not the same.

BC

[BostonCard]

Except, unfortunately, USC will only be in the PAC-12 her freshman year.  I’m sure we will play the LA schools every year in non-conference match-ups, but it’s not the same.

BC

[Spiny_Norman]

LA Times story on Watkins' commitment. Sounds like Stanford was a distant 3rd among the 3 finalists.

https://www.latimes.com/sports/highschoo...ege-choice

[Spiny_Norman]

LA Times story on Watkins' commitment. Sounds like Stanford was a distant 3rd among the 3 finalists.

https://www.latimes.com/sports/highschoo...ege-choice

[old spanish trail]

LA Times story on Watkins' commitment. Sounds like Stanford was a distant 3rd among the 3 finalists.

https://www.latimes.com/sports/highschoo...ege-choice

I don't hear that. Only hear she wants to stay home, and that's a reasonable decision.

[old spanish trail]

LA Times story on Watkins' commitment. Sounds like Stanford was a distant 3rd among the 3 finalists.

https://www.latimes.com/sports/highschoo...ege-choice

I don't hear that. Only hear she wants to stay home, and that's a reasonable decision.

[BostonCard]

LA Times story on Watkins' commitment. Sounds like Stanford was a distant 3rd among the 3 finalists.

https://www.latimes.com/sports/highschoo...ege-choice

I don't hear that. Only hear she wants to stay home, and that's a reasonable decision.

Depends on whether the following quote originated from her or the reporter

On paper, the choice seemed obvious. The Gamecocks had just won a national championship. The Trojans had just finished 12-16. Bronny James, in the parking lot after the announcement, even said as much, believing Watkins would pick South Carolina.

Doesn't really matter if we were second or third, though.

BC

[BostonCard]

LA Times story on Watkins' commitment. Sounds like Stanford was a distant 3rd among the 3 finalists.

https://www.latimes.com/sports/highschoo...ege-choice

I don't hear that. Only hear she wants to stay home, and that's a reasonable decision.

Depends on whether the following quote originated from her or the reporter

On paper, the choice seemed obvious. The Gamecocks had just won a national championship. The Trojans had just finished 12-16. Bronny James, in the parking lot after the announcement, even said as much, believing Watkins would pick South Carolina.

Doesn't really matter if we were second or third, though.

BC

[qwerty49]

If we can't have her, I am grateful she went to a weak Pac-12 team for two reasons.  1) Stanford does better when the Pac-12 gives us good competition.  I'd just as soon not have Oregon-beats-us-three-times-a-year competition as in 2019-20, but in the long run our NET and our recruiting is better when the Pac 12 is perceived as the best conference for WBB.  2) I'd much rather she help strengthen a bottom-dwelling team than that she strengthen a perennial contender like South Carolina.

I also suspect that these decisions are just not as important as they used to be.  Her NIL deal is independent of where she plays, is it not?  And we have already seen WBB players playing for three different teams over their college career.  Perhaps she wanted to stay close to home for a year or two, but will feel more adventurous after making the college adjustment.

Or perhaps she simply wanted to stay close to home and bank her NIL, then decide what pro options to pursue.  "Bringing a championship" to one's alma mater is a nice quaint concept, but not the only measure of success now that college sports are no longer a purely amateur endeavor.

[qwerty49]

If we can't have her, I am grateful she went to a weak Pac-12 team for two reasons.  1) Stanford does better when the Pac-12 gives us good competition.  I'd just as soon not have Oregon-beats-us-three-times-a-year competition as in 2019-20, but in the long run our NET and our recruiting is better when the Pac 12 is perceived as the best conference for WBB.  2) I'd much rather she help strengthen a bottom-dwelling team than that she strengthen a perennial contender like South Carolina.

I also suspect that these decisions are just not as important as they used to be.  Her NIL deal is independent of where she plays, is it not?  And we have already seen WBB players playing for three different teams over their college career.  Perhaps she wanted to stay close to home for a year or two, but will feel more adventurous after making the college adjustment.

Or perhaps she simply wanted to stay close to home and bank her NIL, then decide what pro options to pursue.  "Bringing a championship" to one's alma mater is a nice quaint concept, but not the only measure of success now that college sports are no longer a purely amateur endeavor.

[GK3]

If we can't have her, I am grateful she went to a weak Pac-12 team for two reasons.  1) Stanford does better when the Pac-12 gives us good competition.  I'd just as soon not have Oregon-beats-us-three-times-a-year competition as in 2019-20, but in the long run our NET and our recruiting is better when the Pac 12 is perceived as the best conference for WBB.  2) I'd much rather she help strengthen a bottom-dwelling team than that she strengthen a perennial contender like South Carolina.

I also suspect that these decisions are just not as important as they used to be.  Her NIL deal is independent of where she plays, is it not?  And we have already seen WBB players playing for three different teams over their college career.  Perhaps she wanted to stay close to home for a year or two, but will feel more adventurous after making the college adjustment.

Or perhaps she simply wanted to stay close to home and bank her NIL, then decide what pro options to pursue.  "Bringing a championship" to one's alma mater is a nice quaint concept, but not the only measure of success now that college sports are no longer a purely amateur endeavor.

I wonder how much our depth and talent level affects some recruits.  Unless you are a really exceptional talent you are going to have to wait your turn and earn your time.  If you can go to USC and start from day 1 maybe that is more important to some young players than than maybe winning a national championship.  Plus if you plan on living and working in So Cal, a degree from USC and being a starter on an athletic team is going to open a lot of doors. Most of us pretty much hate USC for sports reasons, but it is a very good university from which someone can go on to great things.

[GK3]

If we can't have her, I am grateful she went to a weak Pac-12 team for two reasons.  1) Stanford does better when the Pac-12 gives us good competition.  I'd just as soon not have Oregon-beats-us-three-times-a-year competition as in 2019-20, but in the long run our NET and our recruiting is better when the Pac 12 is perceived as the best conference for WBB.  2) I'd much rather she help strengthen a bottom-dwelling team than that she strengthen a perennial contender like South Carolina.

I also suspect that these decisions are just not as important as they used to be.  Her NIL deal is independent of where she plays, is it not?  And we have already seen WBB players playing for three different teams over their college career.  Perhaps she wanted to stay close to home for a year or two, but will feel more adventurous after making the college adjustment.

Or perhaps she simply wanted to stay close to home and bank her NIL, then decide what pro options to pursue.  "Bringing a championship" to one's alma mater is a nice quaint concept, but not the only measure of success now that college sports are no longer a purely amateur endeavor.

I wonder how much our depth and talent level affects some recruits.  Unless you are a really exceptional talent you are going to have to wait your turn and earn your time.  If you can go to USC and start from day 1 maybe that is more important to some young players than than maybe winning a national championship.  Plus if you plan on living and working in So Cal, a degree from USC and being a starter on an athletic team is going to open a lot of doors. Most of us pretty much hate USC for sports reasons, but it is a very good university from which someone can go on to great things.

[81alum]

I wonder how much our depth and talent level affects some recruits.  Unless you are a really exceptional talent you are going to have to wait your turn and earn your time.  If you can go to USC and start from day 1 maybe that is more important to some young players than than maybe winning a national championship.  Plus if you plan on living and working in So Cal, a degree from USC and being a starter on an athletic team is going to open a lot of doors. Most of us pretty much hate USC for sports reasons, but it is a very good university from which someone can go on to great things.

Good points, to come to Stanford you need to very much be a team player and not a prima donna, since so many of our players were extraordinary high school stars.  I think it is a great advantage for would-be pros to play on a college team with other would-be pros, making each and every practice good preparation for a longer career.  But some will want to generate amazing stats over a four year playing career, and when you have to compete on your own team, that might not be so attractive.

As far as a USC degree,"very good" depends on what you want from your degree.  At the undergraduate level, a degree from USC does open up doors in their alumni network, which is quite business-oriented and strong in their region.  For most academic purposes, though, I'd prefer to send a child to UCLA if we were restricted to large universities in So Cal.  (Graduate degrees are more idiosyncratic.)

[81alum]

I wonder how much our depth and talent level affects some recruits.  Unless you are a really exceptional talent you are going to have to wait your turn and earn your time.  If you can go to USC and start from day 1 maybe that is more important to some young players than than maybe winning a national championship.  Plus if you plan on living and working in So Cal, a degree from USC and being a starter on an athletic team is going to open a lot of doors. Most of us pretty much hate USC for sports reasons, but it is a very good university from which someone can go on to great things.

Good points, to come to Stanford you need to very much be a team player and not a prima donna, since so many of our players were extraordinary high school stars.  I think it is a great advantage for would-be pros to play on a college team with other would-be pros, making each and every practice good preparation for a longer career.  But some will want to generate amazing stats over a four year playing career, and when you have to compete on your own team, that might not be so attractive.

As far as a USC degree,"very good" depends on what you want from your degree.  At the undergraduate level, a degree from USC does open up doors in their alumni network, which is quite business-oriented and strong in their region.  For most academic purposes, though, I'd prefer to send a child to UCLA if we were restricted to large universities in So Cal.  (Graduate degrees are more idiosyncratic.)