Kate Harpring among top performers from Saturday’s women’s McDonald’s All American practices
- Thread starter Jamie Shaw
- Start date
McDonald’s All American: Women’s Saturday practice top performers
Rivals’ Jamie Shaw was courtside for Saturday’s McDonald’s All American women’s practices to discuss the day’s top performers.
She’s gritty. Plays very hard and physically.
Nobody on our current team is keeping her off the court. I can't see it. She may be the best player to commit since Diamond DeShields
She starts day 1! She moves differently. I still say 3 guard lineup will work. But the ball in her hands our shooters will get great looks. Please find a post player in off season
That’s the key Gio. It’s imperative that we add, not a body, but a legitimate low post threat. Someone that when when we need a great 2 point look she can produce or draw a foul. TBF, I know that’s a difficult task but CB has got to make it happen and for gods sake please bring bring in an offensive assistant that can prioritize execution and ball protection 
I agree. It may be tough to find but I still think we also need someone with an edge. A Destiny Adams type player that will fire up teammates and check our opponents if need be. That personality in a post player would be ideal.That’s the key Gio. It’s imperative that we add, not a body, but a legitimate low post threat. Someone that when when we need a great 2 point look she can produce or draw a foul. TBF, I know that’s a difficult task but CB has got to make it happen and for gods sake please bring bring in an offensive assistant that can prioritize execution and ball protection
I predict soph Henderson will be better than soph Adams. But yes, add a star player wherever we can get her.
No, I disagree with you Gio2dahouse. I watched the skills challenge, the one-on-one challenge and the dunk contest last night for the McDonalds AA for both the girls and boys last night. The Edwards girl who is going to Tennessee and who is 6'3" and Jayce Abii whose is 6'2" gave Kate problems when they defended her one-on-on. These two girls are athletic, they have size, and length. Abii is a wing and the Edwards is a 3 or four. Abii blocked Kate's shot every time and Edwards made her alter her shot every time. As I mentioned earlier, Kate does not have the height to be a the three. She is only 5'10" tall which will cause her problems trying to guard the athletic 3' and 4's in college. She will be best at the 1 and the 2. When she was guarded by other guards last night whether it was a 1 or 2, Kate did her thing. The Edwards young lady was also in the Dunk Contest with the men. She did some dunks last night that made you say wow. She made it to the final round of the Dunk Contest and she out dunked a couple of guys, one of them is going to Duke. She finished in the top 3 in the first round and she was the only girl who entered the dunk contest. Kate is going to start at the 1 or 2 next year bottom line. Someone is going to the bench. This is going to force people to really work on their game during the offseason which is a good thing. There is nothing like pressure to motivate you to want to get better. This is how it should be because now you are going to realize that no one spot is guaranteed and if you want to keep your starting spot you better work on your game every year moving forward.
Who starts and plays the first 5 minutes and how the lineup is set for the rest of the game probably will
vary as to what the team needs on the court vs who we are playing.
Kate is going to start but Lanie and Elina might start with her but all three of them will most likely not
be on the court together unless that is an advantageous lineup to winning the game.
I think Kate, Lanie/Elina, Nyla B, Taliyah and Ciera/Portal 5 is a great line up. Coach CB is no fool,
she will adjust the lineup's to whatever gives our team the best chance of winning.
I totally agree we need a star low post player. I hope there is one already on the team but if not
we need to shop the portal hard.
vary as to what the team needs on the court vs who we are playing.
Kate is going to start but Lanie and Elina might start with her but all three of them will most likely not
be on the court together unless that is an advantageous lineup to winning the game.
I think Kate, Lanie/Elina, Nyla B, Taliyah and Ciera/Portal 5 is a great line up. Coach CB is no fool,
she will adjust the lineup's to whatever gives our team the best chance of winning.
I totally agree we need a star low post player. I hope there is one already on the team but if not
we need to shop the portal hard.
You dont play one on one. She was the best player in the camp. You know what you have this athletic person guarding her...set a screen. And how many women in college are 6'2 dunking a basketball. You used an outlier as a normalcy which creates a flaw in your argument. 3/4 teams who are in the final 4 start 3 players 6'0 and under. Our starting 3 was 5'10 this year. A 3 guard line up allows any of the 3 to bring the ball off. Set screens for one another and increase pace. She is strong enough to hold her own. Guess we will find out
I like Henderson a lot, but she has to begin making that jump from athlete to ballplayer.
Okay, Kate played the PG position at the McDonalds AA game tonight. My point was she was not tall enough to play the 3 on the college level and I stand by what I said earlier. She is listed as a PG, She played the PG tonight and she showed me as well as the rest of the country that she is a true PG. Her decision making, IQ, vision, and her ability to score is going to help us out tremendously at the PG position next year. She is also as Roy Williams says, a tough little nut. I did not realize that she had previously had some shoulder issues. Hopefully our strengthening coach get help fixed this issue. She will be starting at the 1. Somebody will be going to the bench. I was very impressed with her grit to continue to play through the pain and still be able to play at a high level. She had 14 points, some rebounds, etc. while playing with a hurt shoulder. Go Heels!
Just some random stats: Recruiting-wise it appears that we offered all of the players on the East roster except for Nyemchek and Swords. We were finalists at some level for Fleary, Jackson, O. Jones, Lewis & Vukosa.
On the West side we offered all players except for Bryant, Greenway & Robinson. We were finalists at some level for Abil, Bjorn, Edwards, T. Jones, Spaight and Woliczko.
(My info may not be correct; please correct if errors found!)
On the West side we offered all players except for Bryant, Greenway & Robinson. We were finalists at some level for Abil, Bjorn, Edwards, T. Jones, Spaight and Woliczko.
(My info may not be correct; please correct if errors found!)
Last edited:
The projected lineup that you note presumes that Reniya doesn‘t get healthy. We desperately need someone with her ballhandling and defensive skills against athletic and physical guards.
I agree that we seriously need a healthy Reniya Kelly. I hope she returns 100% healthy.
As I said I think Coach CB will adjust the lineup as needed and Reniya might be in it. Laila Hull who gets better and better might be in it, Blanca if she gets in game shape might be in it.
I just think our best lineup at this point in time would be Kate, Lanie/Elina, Nyla, Taliyah, Ciera/Portal.
I do not see anyone on our roster that can dominate the game like Kate H can for us. She will make all the other players on the court better and more dangerous as a team with her skill set of getting into the paint and at the rim.
As I said I think Coach CB will adjust the lineup as needed and Reniya might be in it. Laila Hull who gets better and better might be in it, Blanca if she gets in game shape might be in it.
I just think our best lineup at this point in time would be Kate, Lanie/Elina, Nyla, Taliyah, Ciera/Portal.
I do not see anyone on our roster that can dominate the game like Kate H can for us. She will make all the other players on the court better and more dangerous as a team with her skill set of getting into the paint and at the rim.
The problem with you line up is one of the guards it too small to be at the 3. NB has the perfect height to play the 3. The 3's and 4's in women's college basketball are taller now at least 6 feet 1 and above. It we put one of those small guards at the 3, I guarantee the opposing teams are going to have their taller 3 take them down in the blocks all day long.
I think we have a core rotation of around 8 or 9 and CB will adjust to bigger lineups as needed.
Heck we could go Super Big with Kate, Nyla, Taliyah, Ciera, Blanca/Portal/Bofia if we need more size.
If we play a smaller teams 3 guards will work.
Flexibility is the key. Starters are just a reward for good play and lasts only a few minutes.
DES used to say it was more important who was on the court the last 5 minutes vs who starts.
Heck we could go Super Big with Kate, Nyla, Taliyah, Ciera, Blanca/Portal/Bofia if we need more size.
If we play a smaller teams 3 guards will work.
Flexibility is the key. Starters are just a reward for good play and lasts only a few minutes.
DES used to say it was more important who was on the court the last 5 minutes vs who starts.
When we play in the ACC, the three guard line up will not work against the elite teams in our conference. Bottom line, just start Kate at the PG position. This is where she has been playing and starting when she played for the USA teams and in the McDonald's AA game. We have to get her ready for the WNBA and that will be the position that she will have to play.
Hello JRiv, As you know I have Kate in my starting lineup.
If we play a team that needs a big lineup I am sure Coach CB will go big. We can go
Super Big if she plays Kate, Nyla, Taliyah, Ciera(at 4) and Blanca/Noelle/Portal Big together.
Finding another Nyla Harris or bigger and better is key for us this portal season IMO.
If we play a team that needs a big lineup I am sure Coach CB will go big. We can go
Super Big if she plays Kate, Nyla, Taliyah, Ciera(at 4) and Blanca/Noelle/Portal Big together.
Finding another Nyla Harris or bigger and better is key for us this portal season IMO.
With all the responses it seems as though a point guard is not the number one priority next season, it seems to be 5 or a 4 to replace Nyla Harris, is this accurate?
That is the most popular opinion by far.
But to be clear, we do not know who is leaving, if anyone, who we will target, if anyone, what percentage of our "salary cap" will de devoted to player retention, and what we would have left over to recruit with.
Sounds fair enough, but there is only one player whom I think will depart, not naming her now. But most have an idea of the player.