[joemontes]

And to that point, I think it's a bit premature to anoint Betts a starter - even as the #1 in the class. She will be competing against the senior versions of Belibi and Prechtel, the junior version of Brink, and the sophomore version of Kiki. That's a lot of experience from some national championship caliber players for an incoming freshman to dislodge. Strength/conditioning, pace of play, mastering the sets - it's so different than high school or AAU. Plus, Tara isn't going to just start her from day 1 - she will have to beat out the players ahead of her. As a reference point, Kiki and Demetre are damn good and they are averaging ~6 minutes a game as freshmen. Deep, deep team.

That is very true...most likely BETTS will come off the bench, at least during the OOC schedule of Stanford to start next season...

When you think about it, when was the last time a Stanford team (or any college team, for that matter) assembled FIVE (5) POST C/PF players who were former McDonalds All-Americans, which Stanford will have next season with seniors BELIBI and PRECHTEL, junior BRINK, sophomore IRIAFEN and freshman BETTS?

The closest thing would be in the 2009-2010 and the 2010-2011 season when Stanford had FOUR (4) POST C/PF former McD AAs in its line-up (and all of them were Top 10 players as well):

2009-2010 season:  APPEL (#3 in 2006) ; PEDERSEN (#4 in 2007)  Nneka OGWUMIKE (#6 in 2008) ; TINKLE (#10 in 2009)

2010-2011 season:  PEDERSEN (#4 in 2007)  Nneka OGWUMIKE (#6 in 2008) ; TINKLE (#10 in 2009) ; Chiney OGWUMIKE (#1 in 2010)

Potentially the 1994-1995 season, when Stanford had seniors Anita KAPLAN and Rachel HEMMER, as well as freshmen Kristin FOLKL, Olympia SCOTT, Naomi MULITAUAOPELE, Heather OWEN and even seldom-used Chandra BENTON (who was the top Oregon HS player of 1994), although I cannot find any online records of McD AA girls teams in 1991 and 1994...

No wonder, all those three past teams reached the Final Four! 


Speaking of BETTS, there is one thing, though, that I think sets her apart from BELIBI, PRECHTEL, BRINK and IRIAFEN, which is why she was ordained the undisputed #1 recruit in the nation - she really is an immovable force inside the lane, and her offensive moves around the basket is so fundamentally sound because she really knows how to engage herself into a squared and totally balanced position. I saw this in full display during the 2020 U19 Worlds where she dominated the bigs of the other countries. And it definitely helps that she is 6'7 with long arms....

When I was watching video clips of 6'6 Ayoka LEE score 61 points last week, mostly around and under the basket versus undersized defenders, the first thing that entered my mind was "Wow, this is a preview of what Lauren BETTS can do for Stanford as early as her sophomore year..."

[joemontes]

And to that point, I think it's a bit premature to anoint Betts a starter - even as the #1 in the class. She will be competing against the senior versions of Belibi and Prechtel, the junior version of Brink, and the sophomore version of Kiki. That's a lot of experience from some national championship caliber players for an incoming freshman to dislodge. Strength/conditioning, pace of play, mastering the sets - it's so different than high school or AAU. Plus, Tara isn't going to just start her from day 1 - she will have to beat out the players ahead of her. As a reference point, Kiki and Demetre are damn good and they are averaging ~6 minutes a game as freshmen. Deep, deep team.

That is very true...most likely BETTS will come off the bench, at least during the OOC schedule of Stanford to start next season...

When you think about it, when was the last time a Stanford team (or any college team, for that matter) assembled FIVE (5) POST C/PF players who were former McDonalds All-Americans, which Stanford will have next season with seniors BELIBI and PRECHTEL, junior BRINK, sophomore IRIAFEN and freshman BETTS?

The closest thing would be in the 2009-2010 and the 2010-2011 season when Stanford had FOUR (4) POST C/PF former McD AAs in its line-up (and all of them were Top 10 players as well):

2009-2010 season:  APPEL (#3 in 2006) ; PEDERSEN (#4 in 2007)  Nneka OGWUMIKE (#6 in 2008) ; TINKLE (#10 in 2009)

2010-2011 season:  PEDERSEN (#4 in 2007)  Nneka OGWUMIKE (#6 in 2008) ; TINKLE (#10 in 2009) ; Chiney OGWUMIKE (#1 in 2010)

Potentially the 1994-1995 season, when Stanford had seniors Anita KAPLAN and Rachel HEMMER, as well as freshmen Kristin FOLKL, Olympia SCOTT, Naomi MULITAUAOPELE, Heather OWEN and even seldom-used Chandra BENTON (who was the top Oregon HS player of 1994), although I cannot find any online records of McD AA girls teams in 1991 and 1994...

No wonder, all those three past teams reached the Final Four! 


Speaking of BETTS, there is one thing, though, that I think sets her apart from BELIBI, PRECHTEL, BRINK and IRIAFEN, which is why she was ordained the undisputed #1 recruit in the nation - she really is an immovable force inside the lane, and her offensive moves around the basket is so fundamentally sound because she really knows how to engage herself into a squared and totally balanced position. I saw this in full display during the 2020 U19 Worlds where she dominated the bigs of the other countries. And it definitely helps that she is 6'7 with long arms....

When I was watching video clips of 6'6 Ayoka LEE score 61 points last week, mostly around and under the basket versus undersized defenders, the first thing that entered my mind was "Wow, this is a preview of what Lauren BETTS can do for Stanford as early as her sophomore year..."