2022 Recruiting - WBB

Moooooo said:
So, on last night's Gameplan with Vic Schaeffer show on LHN, Alex Loeb interviewed Lauren Ebo. He made comments to her about this being her last/final season at Texas. She replied about all the memories. She definitely didn't say a single thing that indicated she was considering returning for her super-senior season. :( We are going to be in desperate need of a Center for next season.
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Don't sleep on Tasha. She shows game-by-game improvement. If she works in the off-season and gets the expected S&C along with extra development of the leg muscles of her repaired knee, she could be as special as Vic frequently claims she will be.

Of course, I certainly would not mind an Ebo #2 from the portal or from Lauren herself.
 
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Zig72 said:
Don't sleep on Tasha. She shows game-by-game improvement. If she works in the off-season and gets the expected S&C along with extra development of the leg muscles of her repaired knee, she could be as special as Vic frequently claims she will be.

Of course, I certainly would not mind an Egbo #2 from the portal or from Lauren herself.
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I recall that Tasha was a very late arrival - didn't have the summer at TX like the rest of the team (plus was recovering from an injury), so I expect she will make huge strides this summer.
 
Lattimore surprises me at times. She has a nice handle…..seems like she either dribbles between her legs or behind the back …at 6’-4” it surprises me. And does it naturally. And she shoots confidently and fundamentally sound. To me she’ll be a nice stretch 4 with a good mid-range game…..and at times being impactful underneath snd BTA. You’re right….an off-season of conditioning, growth, strengthening knee snd skills development and she has a high ceiling. Not a replacement for Ebo….we need some heft inside.
 
flash34 said:
Lattimore surprises me at times. She has a nice handle…..seems like she either dribbles between her legs or behind the back …at 6’-4” it surprises me. And does it naturally. And she shoots confidently and fundamentally sound. To me she’ll be a nice stretch 4 with a good mid-range game…..and at times being impactful underneath snd BTA. You’re right….an off-season of conditioning, growth, strengthening knee snd skills development and she has a high ceiling. Not a replacement for Ebo….we need some heft inside.
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100%. A few games ago, can't remember the exact one, she made a move on the baseline that was honestly one of the best I've seen in a long while. Got a pass or rebound at the short corner: 1 dribble, a step, a spin move and then a layup - a sequence that was crazy quick and smooth for any player much less 6' 4".
 
DFW….that’s one that surprised me. It wasn’t just one move….it’s one of a sequence of moves that’s hard to put together. And it just looked so easy and natural. That’s hard for someone 4-6” smaller. Impressive for her length.
 
Muhammad is very impressive in the two games I watched against Friends. I’m really looking forward to State this weekend. Her speed and quickness is extreme. Hope others will watch so we can critique her play on a big stage. Lattimore and Muhammad and NDJ.. position themselves for a minutes battle this fall. They’re similar but different. Will be fun to watch how that evolves.
 
flash34 said:
Muhammad is very impressive in the two games I watched against Friends. I’m really looking forward to State this weekend. Her speed and quickness is extreme. Hope others will watch so we can critique her play on a big stage. Lattimore and Muhammad and NDJ.. position themselves for a minutes battle this fall. They’re similar but different. Will be fun to watch how that evolves.
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It should be fun.

I think it drives some fans crazy that there is not a patently obvious role for each player based largely on their traditional perception that height is the sole determinant.

Texas has shown that it can counter a height disadvantage with athleticism and determined defense. For example, we have not let Ayoka Lee beat us since 2/22/20, when she was the high scorer with 18 in a 60-54 loss at the Drum under KA, with Collier matching up with her inch for inch. Vic has won all four games since with less tall defenders.

We have been less effective against the Baylor Bigs, but I would argue that had more to do with an athleticism versus a height disadvantage.

Lastly, you have to throw Gaston and Moore (and even Masudi if she develops) into the Lattimore/Muhammad/Mwenentanda mix to flesh out a front court lineup. It gives Vic a lot of options and a front court bench that Texas has not had since....never.

P.S. I can't wait to learn what nickname her teammates will give Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda for the sake of simplicity. I'd go with Jack.
 
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Jack or Jak has my vote. Her teammates can’t be wrong. I have problems spelling anything with 2 syllables. This significantly reduces my anxiety on a Wednesday. I’ve been wondering how to pronounce that over the next 4 years!
 
I am good with Jak, but only if she is. I am sure she will tell the SID what she prefers to be called, but I am not sure her new teammates won't come up with something unique to boot.
 
flash34 said:
Jack or Jak has my vote. Her teammates can’t be wrong. I have problems spelling anything with 2 syllables. This significantly reduces my anxiety on a Wednesday. I’ve been wondering how to pronounce that over the next 4 years!
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Ndjakalenga. The ‘Nd’ is silent - after that pretty much how it’s spelled: Jack-uh-leng-uh
 
Zig72 said:
It should be fun.

I think it drives some fans crazy that there is not a patently obvious role for each player based largely on their traditional perception that height is the sole determinant.

Texas has shown that it can counter a height disadvantage with athleticism and determined defense. For example, we have not let Ayoka Lee beat us since 2/22/20, when she was the high scorer with 18 in a 60-54 loss at the Drum under KA, with Collier matching up with her inch for inch. Vic has won all four games since with less tall defenders.

We have been less effective against the Baylor Bigs, but I would argue that had more to do with an athleticism versus a height disadvantage.

Lastly, you have to throw Gaston and Moore (and even Masudi if she develops) into the Lattimore/Muhammad/Mwenentanda mix to flesh out a front court lineup. It gives Vic a lot of options and a front court bench that Texas has not had since....never.

P.S. I can't wait to learn what nickname her teammates will give Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda for the sake of simplicity. I'd go with Jack.
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I agree that in a half-court defense, athleticism can cover for lack of height. Full court defense is different. On Vic's best teams, he had a large, dominating post. When 4 of your players are committed upcourt, you need a shutdown center to deter easy layups, if and when the press is broken. As for Ayoka Lee, KSU is a good team but they don't present the kind of threat that we ultimately need and want to compete with in the tournament.
Baylor - I think they're in our heads. Vic says not, but I believe that's wishful thinking. We are as good as them, if we play well. Just need to convince ourselves that we are.
 
I’ve watched a couple of Ndjakalenga’s games this season but she absolutely dominated today: 38 points (13/21, 2/4 from 3, 10/10 FT) with 12 boards, 2 assists.

 
Ndjakalenga named SD Gatorade Player of the Year. :coolnana:



CHICAGO (March 9, 2022) — In its 37th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda of Washington High School is the 2021-22 Gatorade South Dakota Girls Basketball Player of the Year. Mwenentanda is the first Gatorade South Dakota Girls Basketball Player of the Year to be chosen from Washington High School.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court, distinguishes Mwenentanda as South Dakota’s best high school girls basketball player.

The 6-foot-2 senior guard and forward had led the Warriors to an 19-1 record and a berth in the Class AA state tournament at the time of her selection. Mwenentanda averaged 18 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists through 19 games. A McDonald’s All-American nominee, she is ranked as the nation’s No. 34 recruit in the Class of 2022 by HoopGurlz.

Mwenentanda has volunteered at the Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center in Sioux Falls. She has also donated her time at Bishop Dudley House, where she serves meals and packs lunches for the homeless. “Ndjakalenga is obviously a tremendous player, but what’s more impressive to me is her as a leader,” said Mike Zerr, head coach of Brandon Valley High School. “She sees needs for her team and fills them however she can at both ends of the floor. She’s become extremely versatile and has added something to her game each year on the offensive end—making her a better shooter this year—which makes her a hard matchup for teams.”

Mwenentanda has maintained a weighted 3.97 GPA in the classroom. She has signed a national letter of intent to play basketball on scholarship at the University of Texas this fall.
 
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Anybody got any news on Jordona Codio our third recruit. Seemed like someone mentioned she was hurt again. I did a limited search and can’t find anything. I don’t Twitter so there might be something there. I did look at her stats from three years of high school on Maxpreps and she scored well….about 22 ppg. Looking at her three point shooting, it was in the teens all 3 years on a significant number. So guessing she’s a slashing big guard. We’ve discussed the other two but nothing in a while on her. Don’t want to forget her.
 
flash34 said:
Anybody got any news on Jordona Codio our third recruit. Seemed like someone mentioned she was hurt again.
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JJ broke the news earlier in this thread.
Jacob Johnson said:
So it looks like Jordana Codio season is over. She had surgery yesterday but I’m not sure what the extent of her injury is. Considering it required surgery it must’ve been pretty bad. I hope it’s not the same leg that she previously injured.
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Looking back, JJ says she had surgery on Feb 15, 2022. So more recent than I thought. In looking at Maxprep data, it showed only 9 games played her senior year. Can’t remember any of the dates, but just guessing she may have been injured in December with the surgery in February. Sure would like to know the type of injury and projected return. Until someone finds out, I’m not planning on her being a factor next season. Hope she proves me wrong.
 
flash34 said:
Looking back, JJ says she had surgery on Feb 15, 2022. So more recent than I thought. In looking at Maxprep data, it showed only 9 games played her senior year. Can’t remember any of the dates, but just guessing she may have been injured in December with the surgery in February. Sure would like to know the type of injury and projected return. Until someone finds out, I’m not planning on her being a factor next season. Hope she proves me wrong.
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Which is why I see a 1-year, maybe 2-year, guard as our #1 portal priority (after Rickea of course). With Jordana and Kobe question marks, we are not deep at either guard position.
 
Moooooo said:
Wonder if PG/SG Ta'Niya Latson will stick with Florida State now that Sue Semrau has retired, or ask for a release from her LOI. Texas and NC State were her other finalists.
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That would be HUGE....#14 on ESPN. We definitely need an all-purpose guard in this class. But, have we ever pulled a Florida kid?
 
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