As someone who attends the women's team at home games, there improvement this past season was clear. But losing the point guard and only consistent ball handler is critical for next season. Turnovers have been an ongoing issue, and team quickness in the half-court, both on defense and offense has been a weakness. With Michelle's departure, Cal lacks a credible post. That is a significant issue for next season. Thanks for sharing your perspective on coaching.
Michelle is not necessarily gone. We have an excellent freshman point guard coming in and Charmin is looking to add another in the portal. We may actually upgrade at PG.
If Michelle stays, along with the other soph - seniors Cal has a shot at improving. If Martin stays it will be another boost. Those returning players plus a top 25 class shows that she is a players coach and can recruit and that’s important in the transfer portal/NIL era.
I knew ACC WBB is tough but didn’t realize how tough (sounds better than Pac12 this season)
We need to develop an identity. Either it’s a precision offense that uses multiple screens, cuts, and passes, or a fast break high and 3 point shooting team, or a dominant post team, or a star focused offense, or a lockdown defense team, or a full court/trapping defensive team….
But right now we don’t have those players
If Martin returns are best chance of developing an identity is to be a high volume 3 point shooting team playing 4 or 5 out
But we need to add 3 impact veterans though the portal, and at least 1 needs to be a top defender with length to replace Williams as our defense needs to improve, and 1 needs to be a big (I actually think we need 2)
She’s shown she can bring in good transfers. She needs to do even better this year. NIL can make the biggest difference here than even FB and MBB because the numbers aren’t as big (yet)
While Gottlieb certainly has no shortage of institutional support, having a transcendent talent like Juju is probably what has helped get her over the hump most. And though I can see a case for sticking with Smith a little longer, it’s hard not to get the feeling that the boat is leaving without us once again. When do we get a new chancellor again?
Juju Watkins literally fell into Lindsay Gottlieb's lap. She had always been a Trojan fan and wanted to stay in Los Angeles to play college basketball. BOOM!! Did you see her in those commercials during the Tournament? Charmin needs "luck" like that.
We’ll be more likely to have such luck if we can lift the Cal Athletics brand by starting to win in the higher profile sports. We’ve lost a generation, even locally. The new financial realities combined with the move to the ACC will make it even harder to build winners frankly. And we still have a leadership problem that contributed to that deprioritization of our revenue programs. It’s not ideal!
Empty Suit Jim strikes again! While women's collegiate basketball is exploding in popularity and getting a massive ocean swell of exposure, Cal treads in the backwater simply bobbing up and down. There was absolutely no rational reason for this extension. The lady has done absolutely nothing to justify it - no big wins, no conference standings climb-up, no incremental improvements, no national rankings, only dead-last conference conference finishes. In a horse race she'd finish 10 lengths behind "Beetlebomb." There is no rational explanation for this, none whatsoever!
Knowlton could not/did not fire Crosson in WVB even after he was winless in consecutive conference seasons. COVID really hurt that team - leading to transfers - but even so.
Excellent overall analysis, Nick. Two quibbles, I wouldn't characterize Cal's WBIT showing as "respectable." The Bears barely beat a weak Hawaii team and went out to St. Joseph's, a team with significantly less talent (except in coaching). You also said it's safe to assume the seven seniors will all leave though only McIntosh and Lane are out of eligibility and Muca and Elsnitz surely won't be welcomed back. There's every chance Michelle and Kemery will return. Williams was not with the team for the WBIT though no announcement was made by team or player.
I was stunned by the length of the extension. I thought it best to move on from Charmin but could understand a two-year extension. Five years is very on brand for Knowlton. I share your depression over the program. I do think Charmin has many great qualities as a teacher and leader unfortunately I don't see her as being a successful head coach at this level. Hope I'm wrong.
As someone who attends the women's team at home games, there improvement this past season was clear. But losing the point guard and only consistent ball handler is critical for next season. Turnovers have been an ongoing issue, and team quickness in the half-court, both on defense and offense has been a weakness. With Michelle's departure, Cal lacks a credible post. That is a significant issue for next season. Thanks for sharing your perspective on coaching.
Michelle is not necessarily gone. We have an excellent freshman point guard coming in and Charmin is looking to add another in the portal. We may actually upgrade at PG.
I hope so, we need depth at that position, and it will free Krimili to be the shooting guard she's best adapted to be.
If Michelle stays, along with the other soph - seniors Cal has a shot at improving. If Martin stays it will be another boost. Those returning players plus a top 25 class shows that she is a players coach and can recruit and that’s important in the transfer portal/NIL era.
I knew ACC WBB is tough but didn’t realize how tough (sounds better than Pac12 this season)
We need to develop an identity. Either it’s a precision offense that uses multiple screens, cuts, and passes, or a fast break high and 3 point shooting team, or a dominant post team, or a star focused offense, or a lockdown defense team, or a full court/trapping defensive team….
But right now we don’t have those players
If Martin returns are best chance of developing an identity is to be a high volume 3 point shooting team playing 4 or 5 out
But we need to add 3 impact veterans though the portal, and at least 1 needs to be a top defender with length to replace Williams as our defense needs to improve, and 1 needs to be a big (I actually think we need 2)
She’s shown she can bring in good transfers. She needs to do even better this year. NIL can make the biggest difference here than even FB and MBB because the numbers aren’t as big (yet)
While Gottlieb certainly has no shortage of institutional support, having a transcendent talent like Juju is probably what has helped get her over the hump most. And though I can see a case for sticking with Smith a little longer, it’s hard not to get the feeling that the boat is leaving without us once again. When do we get a new chancellor again?
Juju Watkins literally fell into Lindsay Gottlieb's lap. She had always been a Trojan fan and wanted to stay in Los Angeles to play college basketball. BOOM!! Did you see her in those commercials during the Tournament? Charmin needs "luck" like that.
We’ll be more likely to have such luck if we can lift the Cal Athletics brand by starting to win in the higher profile sports. We’ve lost a generation, even locally. The new financial realities combined with the move to the ACC will make it even harder to build winners frankly. And we still have a leadership problem that contributed to that deprioritization of our revenue programs. It’s not ideal!
As long as Knowlton is leading this ship, expect nothing to get better. He is always a step behind, of what needs to be done to get better.
Empty Suit Jim strikes again! While women's collegiate basketball is exploding in popularity and getting a massive ocean swell of exposure, Cal treads in the backwater simply bobbing up and down. There was absolutely no rational reason for this extension. The lady has done absolutely nothing to justify it - no big wins, no conference standings climb-up, no incremental improvements, no national rankings, only dead-last conference conference finishes. In a horse race she'd finish 10 lengths behind "Beetlebomb." There is no rational explanation for this, none whatsoever!
Knowlton could not/did not fire Crosson in WVB even after he was winless in consecutive conference seasons. COVID really hurt that team - leading to transfers - but even so.
CAL is stuck in the past. College sports is a big business. It's about win now attitude and not be focus on plan B (degree).
Excellent overall analysis, Nick. Two quibbles, I wouldn't characterize Cal's WBIT showing as "respectable." The Bears barely beat a weak Hawaii team and went out to St. Joseph's, a team with significantly less talent (except in coaching). You also said it's safe to assume the seven seniors will all leave though only McIntosh and Lane are out of eligibility and Muca and Elsnitz surely won't be welcomed back. There's every chance Michelle and Kemery will return. Williams was not with the team for the WBIT though no announcement was made by team or player.
I was stunned by the length of the extension. I thought it best to move on from Charmin but could understand a two-year extension. Five years is very on brand for Knowlton. I share your depression over the program. I do think Charmin has many great qualities as a teacher and leader unfortunately I don't see her as being a successful head coach at this level. Hope I'm wrong.