Is she waiting on her 2016-17 choice to see if the Warriors need a backup point guard?
Whither Ionescu?
- Thread starter colhenrylives
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While I would tend to applaud this from a kid, being independent and very selective though this process I can't help but think that it is also very selfish on her part. Her holding out is really delaying the process for others who could use or take that scholarship if offered.
I would hardly call it selfish for a student-athlete to be 100% sure of their decision before committing. In an era of transfers and decommits, it is refreshing to see someone take the time to really process it all and make a good, sound decision that will impact her next 4 years.
Let's be honest, she isn't blocking other kids from that scholarship. There aren't any unsigned kids in the top 100, let alone in the top 5 of the 2016 class. So she isn't blocking anyone from anything. And she is obviously worth the wait or those schools would have moved on a long time ago. The only angst involved would be from the final schools waiting to see if you are getting a player that can take your program to another level.
Let's be honest, she isn't blocking other kids from that scholarship. There aren't any unsigned kids in the top 100, let alone in the top 5 of the 2016 class. So she isn't blocking anyone from anything. And she is obviously worth the wait or those schools would have moved on a long time ago. The only angst involved would be from the final schools waiting to see if you are getting a player that can take your program to another level.
The system is so heavily skewed towards the colleges, the coaches and the NCAA, and so against the athlete and the family, that it's refreshing to see an athlete make the system work for her instead of against her.
Good recent article about her career and why she has waited this long.
http://espn.go.com/espnw/sports/art...-ncaa-women-basketball-regular-signing-period
Is she being selfish in this aspect, I don't know, but in the least she's earned that right and the programs know what they are getting into. Hey all 3 schools or those additional 12 that Sopak mention in the article still calling are not restricted to hold the offer open, they can take it back and offer it elsewhere and move on.
Compare this to her brother. He had to commit early, or he would have lost that walk on spot at Oregon.
This is the next 4 years of her life, she's earned this right and the schools are willing to wait......shhhh, Cal....her and Anigwe would be a nice combo.
http://espn.go.com/espnw/sports/art...-ncaa-women-basketball-regular-signing-period
Is she being selfish in this aspect, I don't know, but in the least she's earned that right and the programs know what they are getting into. Hey all 3 schools or those additional 12 that Sopak mention in the article still calling are not restricted to hold the offer open, they can take it back and offer it elsewhere and move on.
Compare this to her brother. He had to commit early, or he would have lost that walk on spot at Oregon.
This is the next 4 years of her life, she's earned this right and the schools are willing to wait......shhhh, Cal....her and Anigwe would be a nice combo.
has anyone here had teenage daughters trying to decide what college to attend? I've had two. it's quite possible that she hasn't come to a conclusion because she's not sure...and as the deadline approaches, she'll have to decide without being 100% sure. kids hope that they'll have an epiphany before the deadline. I think that's par for the course for a normal kid, and I find it refreshing that a kid who's had as much attention as she's had can give herself permission to be a normal kid.
Interesting theory on Washington popping up in Ionescu's recruitment. Wonder if this rumor has any legs
I think it's fair to say that if Kelly Sopak gets hired at Washington, the odds of Sabrina going there jump significantly.
But giving up a career to take on the nomadic and uncertain life of an assistant coach is not a simple choice -- and there is the financial angle as well. Can Washington pay him enough to make it worth while, and give him some security at the same time? After all, his younger daughter is just entering high school in the fall, and if head coach Mike Neighbors takes the Arkansas job next year, what happens then?
Note that former De La Salle boys' coach Frank Allocco got one year at USF, but when Rex Walters was fired, so was Allocco.
But giving up a career to take on the nomadic and uncertain life of an assistant coach is not a simple choice -- and there is the financial angle as well. Can Washington pay him enough to make it worth while, and give him some security at the same time? After all, his younger daughter is just entering high school in the fall, and if head coach Mike Neighbors takes the Arkansas job next year, what happens then?
Note that former De La Salle boys' coach Frank Allocco got one year at USF, but when Rex Walters was fired, so was Allocco.
yea exactly.. there is most likely no way that wash. can match what he makes now. but maybe a one year contract? then he comes back? he gets to test the waters of the college game, boost his resume, then come back and take over at a different school..
i dont know.. i always found this a little shady when it happened on the mens side. Personally, i dont hear about it often on the womens. will be very interesting to see how this plays out.. the other kelly (graves) can not be very happy about it
i dont know.. i always found this a little shady when it happened on the mens side. Personally, i dont hear about it often on the womens. will be very interesting to see how this plays out.. the other kelly (graves) can not be very happy about it
Now the very long wait makes sense. Sort of. I still await white smoke looming above the Miramonte gym to signal that she indeed made her decision. A new pope no. A new address for Ionescu maybe.
In my opinion I think a coach should get an assistant coach job on how good of a coach he or she is. Not how a great player plays for them but how good they can coach. Obviously this year's is showing the difference because the record speaks for its self. This is a coaching year but if UW hire him that ok then too. But isn't that a NCAA recruiting violation of some kind??????? That's like paying a play to play because they won't play for unless the team they hire the players coach????
This practice is so common it hardly bears mentioning. Especially on the male side of the ledger. It is routine along the recruiting trail.
To throw the proverbial oil on the fire, Washington...former Washington assistant Fred Castro is the new HC at Eastern Michigan.....opening up a seat on the Washington bench. This was reported May 6...you figure a 10-14 day hiring process, interviews, consideration, which dates us back to what, the time period between the McDonald's and Jordan Brand Classics, where SI said that she would decide in May.
http://espn.go.com/womens-college-b...agles-hire-fred-castro-women-basketball-coach
Without knowing any info on the situation, sure looks like dominos are lining up. Thought the picture added fuel to the fire too
According to a Seattle Times article talking about Natalie Romeo's transfer, it mentioned Ionescu will make her decision in June.
http://www.seattletimes.com/sports/...meo-to-transfer-to-uw-womens-basketball-team/
http://www.seattletimes.com/sports/...meo-to-transfer-to-uw-womens-basketball-team/
i would think (if it happens) that Kelly wouldn't announce it until later in the summer/ after cal stars is done.. i think it would be hard to leave in the middle and i see him being a guy to fulfill his commitments before jumping ship for his own gain.. that being said.. the longer the assistant position stays open the more it will look like they have come to agreement behind closed doors and are waiting to announce it..
I would think that if Kelly is hired by Washington, he'll be out recruiting the next day. Washington is down two assistants right now and can't afford to lag during the summer.
And of course the agreement is behind closed doors -- all of them are. And this is not illegal. It happens on a regular basis.
And of course the agreement is behind closed doors -- all of them are. And this is not illegal. It happens on a regular basis.
Clay, im not saying it is illegal, unethical or even uncommon... all i meant was that it would give us (outside observers) a possible "hint" in our guessing games.. to rephrase/explain, we are assuming the obvious, that this is a coveted assistant position with plenty of able applicants coming off a final four appearance. therefore, the longer one of those spots stays open, the stronger the speculation becomes that they have filled the spot, just not officially.
to your point about recruiting, and to play devils advocate, couldnt kelly, in theory, be out on the road recruiting (more so observing) while with the cal stars? obviously he wouldnt be able to contact any athletes as a member of the staff without a contract, but he could sure as hell watch and take note of who he see's/ plays against and pass that along to neighbors.
to your point about recruiting, and to play devils advocate, couldnt kelly, in theory, be out on the road recruiting (more so observing) while with the cal stars? obviously he wouldnt be able to contact any athletes as a member of the staff without a contract, but he could sure as hell watch and take note of who he see's/ plays against and pass that along to neighbors.
Hey devil's advocate. Don't you think if college coaches were allowed to run an AAU team of top high school prospects, we might see more of them doing it already? I'm pretty sure that would be a gross violation of the NCAA rules regulating player contact.
but he's not an employee of the university yet so hes NOT a college coach like you stated... how would the NCAA be able to prove it if there was nothing in writing... think of it this way, a college position opens up in august/ september and an AAU/high school coach gets hired.. how would the NCAA be able to retroactively punish the university for a "contact violation" that occurred during that previous summer before the coach was hired?? im not saying that this is what is happening or going to happen.. but why couldnt it??
I'll take a shot at the Ionescu/Sopak question.
I think Sopak is on his way to Washington with Ionescu. No announcement has been made thus allowing Sopak to coach his AAU squad thru the summer and allowing him access to all the HS girls on the AAU circuit. Dont be surprised once the summer session is over the announcement comes of his hiring. ALSO, I have heard that Ionescu continues to play AAU for the Cal Stars as an unsigned senior(which is allowed under the letter of AAU law, but certainly not the spirit). She's been playing on the 2nd level Cal Stars squad. And I got that from eye witnesses of her playing.
I think Sopak is on his way to Washington with Ionescu. No announcement has been made thus allowing Sopak to coach his AAU squad thru the summer and allowing him access to all the HS girls on the AAU circuit. Dont be surprised once the summer session is over the announcement comes of his hiring. ALSO, I have heard that Ionescu continues to play AAU for the Cal Stars as an unsigned senior(which is allowed under the letter of AAU law, but certainly not the spirit). She's been playing on the 2nd level Cal Stars squad. And I got that from eye witnesses of her playing.
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northbay, i think you hit it on the head as those were some of the questions i proposed earlier.. and the longer this drags on, the better the chances of it happening..
now that this rumor (of kellys job offer) is wide spread enough and has had plenty of time to be put to rest, but hasnt been, does that pretty much confirm it?? i also just learned that kelly has a partner club called the northwest stars.. if he decides he doesnt fancy the college game in a year or 2, he could stay there and run that portion of the club.. it seems to be based out of portland which isnt seattle but still not farfetched..
now that this rumor (of kellys job offer) is wide spread enough and has had plenty of time to be put to rest, but hasnt been, does that pretty much confirm it?? i also just learned that kelly has a partner club called the northwest stars.. if he decides he doesnt fancy the college game in a year or 2, he could stay there and run that portion of the club.. it seems to be based out of portland which isnt seattle but still not farfetched..
She played in one tournament because the team was down players. She isn't on the team. Get your facts straight.
I'm sure there was many others that could have played but what is wrong with her getting some work in??????
So her playing 4 games over a weekend because a team was down players is wrong? You do understand that an unsigned senior can play in games. I want to get this straight as to not misquote you. Are you saying that she is on the team and has been playing all spring and will play this summer on the second team for Cal Stars? As I stated before she played in 4 games over the weekend because a team was down. So when I say get your facts straight, I mean don't imply that someone is on a team when in fact they aren't. Did she play? Yes. Is she on the team? No. Even if she was on the team who cares. What business is it of yours? Are you hurt by it? Did she drop 40 on your daughter so you don't like her? Did you try to coach for Cal Stars and they said no? Don't know what you and Northbay have against the kid, saying she is violating some spirit of the rule but it seems petty to me. From what I hear her family is really close with the Sopak family. She has only played for him and Cal Stars. Sometimes it's hard for kids to walk away from all they know. I heard that she is helping coach the 4th grade kids. Sounds like a standup kid to me.
Coach102532 - Why are you being so defensive? Who cares why Sabrina played for CalStars, she played, therefore in the AAU world, she is most likely on their roster. Sabrina is a little different than most unsigned seniors, she is arguably the best player in the country and my guess is that this is the first time, maybe ever, someone as highly regarded as Sabrina has played in Spring AAU following their(boy or girl) senior basketball season. I do not see where anyone ever questioned whether she was a good kid or not.
i didnt see anyone here say anything bad about the fact that she played a tournament with the stars, just the fact that she did.. and like winetot said no one ever questioned whether she was a good kid here or on any other thread that I've seen. I have actually met her on a few occasions and she is an awesome and polite kid to talk to. She definitely does not need you to come to her defense..
