Pac 12 Preview: Southern Cal

 

Pac 12 Preview:  Southern Cal

Last Season: 21-10 overall and 11-7 in Pac 12 play.  

The Coaches: 

Lindsay Gottlieb is in her 3^nd, after two years in the NBA and 8 years as the Head Coach at Cal

Coach Gottlieb

where she won 67% of her games.

Beth Burns is in her 2nd year at USC after coaching at Louisville.   Beth was once at Stanford.  Beth is the Associate Head Coach.

Wendale Farrow is in his 3nd year after 5 years at Cal, three with Gottlieb.

Courtney Jaco is in her first year after being Director of player Development.   She was a great player at USC and once an intern at Stanford.

Willnett Crockett is in her first year at USC.   Willnett is a UConn grad, 2006 and played for UConn and the LA Sparks.  She coached at Temple for 13 years.   

Losses:

Nneka Enemkpali Assistant after 3 years. 

Destiny Littleton  averaged 14 ppg and graduated.

Okako Adika averaged 7 points and 5 rebounds and graduated.

Kadi Sissoko averaged 15 points and 6 rebounds and graduated.

Rokia Doumbia averaged 3 points, and graduated.

Alyson Miura 3 points and graduated.. 

Madison Campbell  was injured last season and graduated. 

Bella Perkins averaged 4 points and transferred to Pitt.

Additions:

Juju Watkins, 6-2 Frosh Guard from LA ranked # 1

Juju Watkins

Malia Samuels, 5-6 Frosh Guard from Seattle Ranked # 49

Dominique Onu, 5-10 Redshirt Soph Guard transfer from UCLA.  Onu averaged 4 points per game as a Frosh at UCLA.

Kaitlyn Davis 6-2 Wing Grad transfer from Columbia where she averaged 13 points and 8 rebounds last season.

McKenzie Forbes, 6-0 Grad Transfer Guard from Folsom who transferred from Harvard after playing first at Cal.   Forbes averaged 14 ppg last season at Harvard. 

Roxane Makolo 5-10 Guard Grad transfer from TCU.  Last season she averaged 6 ppg.

Kayla Padilla 5-9 Guard Grad transfer from Penn where she lead the league in scoring at 18 ppg plus made 81 threes.  

The Schedule: 

The Trojans play Ohio State, Florida Gulf Coast and Penn State non conference.   Interesting their last 5 non conference games are all in the LA area against LA area teams.   The Trojans play at Stanford and Cal only and host only Washington and Washington State.  

The Returning Team:   

India Otto is a 5-9 Grad student Guard who played just 15 minutes.

Clarice Akunwafo, 6-6 Jr Post who averaged 2 points and 3 rebounds.

Rayah Marshall, 6-4 Jr Forward who averaged 13 points and 11 rebounds.   

Aaliyah Gayles, 5-9 Redshirt Frosh Point Guard, NV who Ranked # 8   Badly injured and redshirted  last season.

Taylor Rigby 6-1 Redshirt Soph  Guard transferred from Oregon after averaged 4 points.

Kayla Williams 5-7 Sr Guard who averaged 5 points.

Predictions:    

Mostly a new team although new players Forbes, Padilla and of course Watkins are solid.    Strong Post in Marshall But Rigby and Gayles need big comebacks.   Picked 6^th in the Pac 12 Poll.  

2024 Recruiting Commits:  

Rian Forestier 5-11 CG from TX,  ranked # 51.   Avery Howell, 6-0 Wing from ID, Ranked # 23.  Laura Williams 6-2 Forward from VA ranked # 88.  

Pac 12 Preview: UCLA

 

Pac 12 Preview:  UCLA 

Last Season:  UCLA was 27-10 last season and 11-7 in conference play.    They won 2 NCAA games before losing to South Carolina. 

The Coaches:  Cori Close is in her 13^th season as the Head Coach.  Close is averaging 20 wins

Coach Close

per year.    She went to HS in the San Jose area.

Shannon Perry-LaBeauf is in her 13^th year plus she coached at Duke for 5 seasons.  

Tony Newnan like the others is in his 13th season.  

Tasha Brown is in her 6th season at UCLA.   

Son Matsuura is the new member of the coaching staff elevated from Video Coordinator.  

Losses:

Brynn Masikewich, 6-3  Forward from Canada who averaged 2 points and 2 rebounds after not playing the previous year.  Brynn transferred to DePaul

Gina Conti averaged 6 points and 3 assists and graduated. 

Additions:

Amanda Muse, 6-4 Post from NorCal ranked # 38.

Lauren Betts, 6-7 Soph Post transfer from Stanford.  Last season Lauren averaged 6 points and 3 rebounds.  

The Schedule:   

UCLA will play UConn in a tournament, Arkansas, Florida State and Ohio State.  Pre season rankings, UConn is 2, Ohio State is 6, Florida State is 15.   In league play UCLA will host only Washington and Washington State and only travel to Stanford and Cal.  

The Returning Team:

Charisma Osborne

Charisma Osborne, 5-9  5^th year Grad student Guard who averaged 16 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists.  

Kiki Rice 5-11 Soph Point Guard ranked # 2 out of HS averaged 11 ppg.

Gabriela Jaquez 5-11 Soph  Forward ranked # 19 out of HS averaged 6 points and 3 rebounds.

Londynn Jones, 5-4 Soph  PG Ranked # 23  out of HS averaged 8 ppg

Christeen Iwuala, 6-2 Soph Post averaged 3 points and 3 rebounds.

Lina Sontag, 6-3 Soph Post from Germany averaged 5 points and 4 rebounds.

Isobel Anstey, 6-4 Redshirt Jr Post from Australia.  Last season Anstey played just 18 minutes with injuries

Angelia Dugalic, 6-4 Redshirt Jr Post a transfer from Oregon.   Angelia missed the season with an injury

Emily Bessoir, 6-4 Redshirt Jr Post from Germany, who averaged 9 points and 6 rebounds  

Camryn Brown, 5-11 5^th year Grad student Guard who averaged 3 points and 3 rebounds.  

Prediction:

Three outstanding Guards in Osborne, Rice and Jones.   Then the 6 Post players, who will get the time?  Can two play at the same time or Jaquez at a wing.   Lots of very good to great players.   A candidate for not just a league title but a Final 4.

2024 Recruiting:  

Erlina Aarnisalo 5-10 SG from Finland, Avary Cain 6-1 CG from SoCal, ranked # 24 and Kendall Dudley 6-1 Wing from DC, ranked # 14.

Pac 12 Preview: Oregon State

 

Pac 12 Preview:  Oregon State

Last Season:  13-18, 4-14. 

The Coaches:

Scott Rueck is in his 14^th year and has been an outstanding coach, turning the then lowly

Rueck

Beavers into a Final 4/Elite 8 team.

James Chatterton is in his 10th year.   He is the Associate Head Coach.  

Deven Hunter is in her 3nd year after 2 years as a Grad assistant at U of San Diego.  Hunter played for Oregon State 2012-16.   

Aleah Goodman the former Oregon State great is in her first year as an assistant.  

Losses:

Assistant Coach Jenny Huth after 2 years at Oregon State.    

Shalexxus Aaron who averaged 5 ppg transferred to Houston.  That’s school # 5.

Jelena Mitrovic who averaged 7 points and 8 rebounds graduated. 

Bendu Yeaney averaged 8 points and 4 rebounds graduated.  

Noelle Mannen averaged 3 ppg and graduated.

Additions:

Donovyn Hunter, 5-11 G from Oregon ranked # 82

Kennedie Shuler, 5-10 PG from Oregon not ranked. 

Dominika Paurova, 6-1 Guard from the Czech Republic.

Susana Yepes, 6-0 Jr Guard from Columbia, the country, who transferred from a Georgia JC where she averaged 4 ppg.

Sela Heide, 6-7 redshirt Jr Post who transferred from Cal where she seldom played over three years with injuries.

Kelsey Rees 6-5 Jr Post who transferred from Utah where she averaged 3 points and 3 rebounds.  

The Schedule:  

The Beavers play Arizona and Arizona State only at home and play Washington and Washington State only on the road.  The top non conference games are Villanova and Texas Tech.

The Returning Team:

Talia von Oelhoffen, 5-11 Jr Guard averaged 13 points and 5 rebounds.  Talia was ranked # 10

von Oelhoffen

out of HS.

AJ Marotte, 6-1 Jr Wing who averaged 7 ppg   

Adlee Blacklock, 6-0 Soph Wing averaged 6 points and made 48 threes at 46%.

Reagan Beers 6-2 Soph Post averaged 13 points and 8 rebounds.   Beers was ranked # 10 out of HS.     A McD All American.

Timea Gardiner, 6-3 Soph Forward averaged 9 points and 4 rebounds.  Ranked # 6.  A McD All American.

Lily Hansford, 6-2 Soph Wing averaged 2 points. 

Martha Pietsch 5-5 Soph  Guard From Germany.  Pietsch averaged 3 points.

Predictions:  

Beers, von Oelhoffen and Gardiner are All Pac 12 Caliber players.  If not not then soon.   Add returnees Blacklock and Marotte and a solid starting line up.  Paurova and Rees played well on their Overseas tour this summer.    The league is loaded but the Beavers should challenge for top 6.   In any case an improved team.  

 

2024 Recruiting:  None yet

Pac-12 Preview: Oregon

 

Pac 12 Preview:  Oregon

Last Season:  

20-15 overall and 7-11 in Pac 12 play.  

The Coaches:

Kelly Graves starts season 10th with the Ducks.  Graves coached in the WCC first at St Mary’s

Kelly Graves

then Gonzaga winning 67% of his games over 17 seasons.

Jodie Berry is in her 9th season at Oregon as an assistant after coaching with Graves at Gonzaga for 11 years.

Jackie Nared Hairston is in her 3nd year as an Assistant.  The former St Mary’s player was coaching at Arizona.

Tre Simmons is in his first year after a long Pro Career overseas.  

Losses:

Assistant Coach Sadie Edwards joined the Ducks last season from the WNBA Liberty team where she was operations manager.  Edwards played at USC graduating in 2018.   

Sedona Prince didn’t play last season due to injuries.   Price transferred from Texas, and was a McD All American and ranked # 8 out of HS.   Prince transferred to TCU

Te-Hina Paopao averaged 13 points and 3 assists.  Paopao transferred to USC.

Endyia Rogers averaged 16 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists.   She transferred from USC.  Rogers transferred to Texas A&M.

Ahlise Hurst averaged 5 points. Hurst transferred a year ago from New Mexico.  She’s from Australia.   Hurst graduated.

Taya Hanson averaged 6.    Hanson graduated.

Taylor Hosendove averaged 3 points and 6 rebounds.  She transferred from Georgia State and before that Clemson.    Hosendove graduated.

Jennah Isai averaged 7 ppg and transferred to BYU. 

That’s’ a loss of 50 points per game.

Additions: 

Sofia Bell, 6-1 Frosh Wing from Oregon ranked # 26

Sarah Rambus 6-4 Frosh Post/F from MI ranked # 66

Samantha Wagner, Redshirt Frosh 6-1 Wing from Texas, ranked # 42.

Bella Hamel 5-9 JC Transfer Guard where she averaged 16 ppg.

Priscilla Williams 6-2 Redshirt Soph Wing who transferred from South Florida where she averaged 2 ppg.

Payton Scott 5-8 5^th year Sr Guard who transferred from Miami of Ohio where she averaged 15 points and 5 rebounds and ended her 4 years with 1,871 points.

Kennedi Williams 5-7 5^th year Sr Guard who transferred from Liberty where she averaged 4 points and 3 assists over her 4 years.

Filippa Tiliander, 6-1 Frosh Wing from Sweden.  Tiliander lead the European Girls U20 league with 13 rebounds per game while scoring 8 ppg.  

Una Chamberlin 5-8 Sr PG who transferred from UC SD after starting at Weber State.   Una didn’t play last season and two years ago at UCSD she averaged 4 points.  

The Schedule:  

Oregon plays Arizona and Arizona State only at home and only play Washington and Washington State on the road.  Baylor and Oklahoma State should be the only tough opponents.  

The Returning Team:

Phillipina Kyei, 6-8 Jr Post from Calgary Alberta who averaged 7 points and 7 rebounds.  

VanSlooten

Chance Gray, 5-9 Soph  PG averaged 10 ppg.

Kennedy Basham, 6-7 Soph Post Averaged 2 ppg.

Grace VanSlooten, 6-3 Soph Forward averaged 13 points and 5 rebounds.

Predictions:  

Oregon returns three starters and have two top 42 commits.  Wagner enrolled mid year and practiced not played, with the team.  However Oregon will have to have some of their transfers really step up to be a top 6 team.    

    

2024 Recruiting:

Katie Fiso 5-11 PG from WA ranked # 31