Wish fans would dial down the Addie Deal expectations/pressure. I'm an Addie Deal fan. She is a highly-skilled, high IQ player with good size who will grow into her role and have a good career. She is not overly athletic. By coming to Iowa, she has already contributed significantly, making it easier for Woliczko to follow her the next year. Still, there are some things about Deal's ranking/background/experience that suggest she might be over ranked.
Her age, turning 20 before playing a college game, meant that she had a different experience than most of the other top ranked players in her class. She was too old to ever tryout for a USA Basketball team with her class (and apparently wasn't asked to try out with earlier classes). USA Basketball trials and related international experience for those selected go along way toward identifying the really top players. Woliczko's extensive USA Basketball and international experience is comforting in this regard. Of last year's 24 McDonald's AAs, 19 have USA Basketball trials experience, 3 played FIBA for either Australia or Canada, and only 2 have no international or USA Basketball trials experience, of which Addie Deal is one. When Deal was compared against the other McDonald's AAs, after practice, scrimmage and the McDonald's AA game, ESPN moved Deal down to the lowest ranked player who played in this year's McDonald's AA game (1 player was injured and did not play).
Rankings wise, Brandon Clay has been Deal's biggest supporter. He is affiliated with both Prospects Nation and 247, both of whom rank Deal quite highly. He is a McDonald's AA voter. He has also been one of Addie Deal's basketball trainers. People periodically complain about his potential conflict of interest, but he is far from the only person in the McDonald's AA selection process with a conflict of interest. Still, if Shane Laflin from ESPN had ranked Deal as high as Clay after McDonald's AA week, that would have been a good sign for Deal's freshman year prospects (but no guarantee, see Emilee Skinner at Duke). Alternatively, if Deal had always been ranked as a fringe top 25 player, the pressure and expectations might have been more reasonable and appropriate. Her age might have contributed to her earlier high ranking, but the benefits of being older compared to your peers diminish over time.
Her age, turning 20 before playing a college game, meant that she had a different experience than most of the other top ranked players in her class. She was too old to ever tryout for a USA Basketball team with her class (and apparently wasn't asked to try out with earlier classes). USA Basketball trials and related international experience for those selected go along way toward identifying the really top players. Woliczko's extensive USA Basketball and international experience is comforting in this regard. Of last year's 24 McDonald's AAs, 19 have USA Basketball trials experience, 3 played FIBA for either Australia or Canada, and only 2 have no international or USA Basketball trials experience, of which Addie Deal is one. When Deal was compared against the other McDonald's AAs, after practice, scrimmage and the McDonald's AA game, ESPN moved Deal down to the lowest ranked player who played in this year's McDonald's AA game (1 player was injured and did not play).
Rankings wise, Brandon Clay has been Deal's biggest supporter. He is affiliated with both Prospects Nation and 247, both of whom rank Deal quite highly. He is a McDonald's AA voter. He has also been one of Addie Deal's basketball trainers. People periodically complain about his potential conflict of interest, but he is far from the only person in the McDonald's AA selection process with a conflict of interest. Still, if Shane Laflin from ESPN had ranked Deal as high as Clay after McDonald's AA week, that would have been a good sign for Deal's freshman year prospects (but no guarantee, see Emilee Skinner at Duke). Alternatively, if Deal had always been ranked as a fringe top 25 player, the pressure and expectations might have been more reasonable and appropriate. Her age might have contributed to her earlier high ranking, but the benefits of being older compared to your peers diminish over time.
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