Does Ivey actually prefer a smaller roster?

Does Ivey actually prefer a smaller roster?
by cbiebel (2024-04-24 18:02:47)
Edited on 2024-04-24 18:04:20

In reply to: Updated Roster, as of 4/24 posted by dillon77

Or is it a matter of circumstances?

I've argued this before, but I'll point out again that some of the things she said might have been misinterpreted based on what she was talking about regarding circumstances.

The smaller rosters she started out with came about due to a lot of transfers out earlier. When she would say that she wasn't going to get many more players, was that because she wanted the smaller roster or was she saying that she didn't want to grab just anyone to fill up the roster? I know people like to talk about just being able to have bodies to put on the court, but if that player isn't at the level of the rest of the team, is that really that helpful? How many times have we seen players put in and the team performance goes way down while they're out there because the opponent can exploit that weakness?

I remember reading a year or so ago that Ivey said that she wanted to have a roster of about 12 players (which is typical). While some might point to the smaller recruiting classes, that might be a case of her trying to learn the delicate balance in recruiting (which even experienced head coaches can have trouble with). Do you concentrate more on the elite players, but risk them going somewhere else or do you go for the great (but not elite) players and risk missing out on an elite player who actually would have come? To mix metaphors, do you swing for the fences or do you go with the bird in the hand?

I think Ivey's strength as a recruiter might make her prone to taking a lot more risks as far as committing to the elite players at the expense of getting good/great players who could capably fill the roster. It's a bit of a tightrope act to get the proper balance.

Edit: I just wanted to add that maybe the Transfer Portal option might play a part in taking risks as well, since she can use that as a backup in case she misses out on the elite recruits.

Good post. *

Niele Often Makes for a Good Game of Telephone

- Yes, I've seen that quote about 12 players and I was usually the one arguing for 13. But this was pre-portal and pre-Covid, the double-headed monster that has made for swirling eddies in roster management.

- However, I've also heard/read her say she likes to have a tight(er) roster in which everyone plays. Coulda been a press conference or a podcast, but I know I heard it.

- It's her perogative to change her mind...she's a head coach.

- I completely agree that Niele's mission to get the best players that are right for her team is very much a high-wire act and sometimes that player is at the "in" gate by herself (see KK Bransford and Kate Koval). Weirdly, the transfer portal has often helped bail her out. Let's hope it does this spring.

- However, I've got to hope she nails a lot of the '25 and '26 targets to keep the roster at a decent size. However, with Niele, she decides if the quality will continue to outdo the quantity, whether it be 10 or 12.

I hope Coach will follow Coach Staley when it comes to

Roster size as USC's Roster size of 14 for the 2022-23 season made it possible for them to field a team that won the 2024 WBB Tournament. I also remember a comment that Staley made about Roster sizes and she said when the NCAA allows you 15 Scholarship Athletes for Womens Basketball why not take full advantage of that and uplift more Women.

Now, That's a Difference-Making (Change of) Attitude

Many coaches can get their preferred number of players, whether it be 10 or 12 or 14/15.

Then, they'd see how it all shakes out in practice, individually and/or collectively. From that they'd play certain numbers of them in the out-of-conference schedule and use that to whittle down to a certain number in crunch games/times.

To paraphrase, Carly Simon, "..that's the way I always heard it should be."

In the days of the portal, doing this is the anti-retention tool: kids want to play (for a variety of reasons - AAU exceptionalism, pro projections, NIL). If they don't, out of here.

Dawn finds she has a certain amount of good players and sticks to playing them -- the whole dang season. And while she has a few key pieces, different players led the team at different times. Her step-change -- keep playing all the good ones -- was the key.

Now, she was blessed with good health last year, too; something Niele and Geno were not. But if you're aiming to get nothing but top-shelf players, why not use them? It helps all concerned.