All About the Corn

A little surprised this is a 6pm game. I know Crete is just down the road but would have thought maybe a noon or 2 pm game.

Recruiting by schools have been done for years and not just in the larger cities. Plus club ball has really become more important than high school. My niece who lives in Virginia has a daughter that is a volleyball player and she is getting quite a bit of court time as a freshman at high school. Her club team will be playing in several states and has two trips south down to Florida and Georgia of which she is a major player for them. She will get a lot more eyes on her at the club level than in high school. I have nothing against club teams. Think of the girls who may have not gotten noticed without them. Does Allison Weidner get a D1 offer with just high school? Maybe but her time in club get her noticed more. It is a balance the can be hard to maintain and right now I think the clubs have more of advantage.

I like our start here at 23. Think this is the view of more than a few that what Amy is building here is a slow but steady rise of this program. Not surprised by any B1G numbers. Iowa is just outside the top 25 at this point. Iowa and Indiana both will need to find answers to the loss of key players.

I do need to sign back in from time to time but I have never changed my password from the start. Always have had a yearly scrip.

I have to agree with Cazzie. It would have been nice to hear about the team more.

I hope you are correct on all counts. Would be nice to see Markowski get AA honors but will settle for All-B1G 1st team. With now 18 teams in the B1G not sure we will be a top 4 school, I think top 6 is doable. Lastly I am sure I will have a few words about Amy from time to time.

I know it is early but who do we think will start for this team? Markowski, and Potts are a given. I also think Prince will be there. If both Weidner and Nissley are 100% then I could see them fill out the starting 5. I can also see Moriarty if Amy wants or needs to build minutes more slowly with either Nissley or Weidner.

Glad to see we have a 4-5 come in who can spell AM as needed.

So is there anyplace to watch this game? I have gone to both VB and GBB a few times but did not get a chance to watch this game.

This would actually be her Senior season. Like more than a few, she completed her degree early. Actually she came in early as well, was part of the 20-21 games played in early 21 if I remember correctly. Not sure if she gets a covid year.

She received her degree in May so yes she is now a graduate.

Looks like MaxPreps has her as a top 50 recruit.

I do agree VB does get better coverage, after all we are a "Volleyball State". VB also tends to have better sources that provide information regarding staff, players, recruits and so on. Volleytalk is a great source. It is a national forum so you get fans of other schools on NEVB threads. Somehow I do not think that type of forum would work for WBB.

I understand the frustration by fans. I accepted that as long as Amy Williams is here there are just somethings she is slow to change or may never change. Communication with fans may never change. Outside of a few clips on X, or other social media accounts very little during the off season. Verbal commits are just that verbal. Until they sign they are free to change their school. Then you have to have the type of season to be able to keep them happy and wanting to stay here. While we all would have liked to see her get a 4 or 5 in the portal we just did not get it done. I truly hope we avoid any major injuries during this off season and the upcoming season. A key player or two missing major time could be the difference in a winning season. Finally, with the landscape that is D1 WBB you need to keep up with the changes and I hope Amy can keep pace.

One I would like to see happen is coaches be given two challenges per game to have calls reviewed or if a call is missed to get it corrected. The NBA and the WNBA coaches both have this in their back pocket. For example what if the 5 second call not made in the Iowa game was the finish to that game, and we go to OT and loose it? That would be a call they can review. How about the missed call on the OSU game where Nissley gets plowed over. They did a review for a F1 but could not go back to made a foul call even when it clearly was a foul and they admit it should have been called. Also agree on all the hand checking, swiping they happens and some get called and most do not. I also do firmly believe their are refs who do not not like NE and will make calls against them. This also goes with other schools not just a NE thing. That happens at all levels (knew a few who called HS games and told me they made sure to miss or make bogus calls against a few schools).

We have the facilities to attract higher profile athletes here. I think some of it could be some do not feel it is a good fit with the staff, also sometimes why players leave. The staff sees them one way and they feel the can add more. Sometimes those players move on and we can look back and say yes the staff made a mistake. sometimes the staff was correct. Post season success can add to HS kids wanting to play here as well as portal players wanting to come to NE. Let's remember Amy just only won her first NCAA game this year. Winning in the dance is a bigger eye catcher the just making it and taking a loss in the 1st game. Also she just made to a B1G tourney Championship game this year in her 8 year in the league. We need more post season success to turn recruiting around. So a little luck with no major injuries and a nice run in the B1G and NCAA tourney will help.

While our staff has had some recruiting wins, we have been on the short end more than we should be. If you can't get kids to come in right out of high school then you better be very active in the portal or things can turn very quickly.

Clark keeps winning off the court. She signed a multi year deal with Wilson. Read where the only other basketball player to have such a deal was Michael Jordan.

Well we know Iowa did not play much defense during the Clark years. I did get to watch a little last night and at the end she was subbed out for defense. What I have watched, Clark picked up a couple of fouls on minor touches from her. Last night I saw her get fouled a couple of times and nothing was called to the point of her getting a "T" from the lack of a call. Part of my problem with watching them play is as some have stated, poor shooting, and some of them are veterans of the league. Also and this goes for the WNBA and the NCAA too much reaching. I wonder if some was ever taught to move their feet when playing defense? Some players get fouled multiple times and no calls, or you slightly touch them and it makes no impact on a play/shot and they call a foul. Clark is paying her dues to be a part of that league.

While I find the WNBA hard to watch for which reasons I will not go into here (I have tried several times and the play of the league has problems). That said I would have thought the league would have tried to capitalize on Clark's popularity considering the amount of money being spent. Strike while the iron is hot. If she has a rough year and she may very well then all this hoopla will go to waste and they still will be a league funded by the NBA and will be in the RED.

The league made sure to schedule her a rough start.

Did not get to watch the game. With all the money being spent on her games that is a lot of pressure on her to perform. Suspect she will need a few games to adjust. Part of our success was using a tall guard on Clark and there are plenty teams the can do the same. Her defense may come in a few years. She is there for her shooting and passing at this point. One interesting point is I have a friend who really only watches football and MBB be it college or pros. Pays a little attention to NE VB but WBB he rarely watches. As a WBB fan he asks me my thoughts on the game(s)/teams. Also not a Iowa by any means but said to me even with Clark playing for Iowa she is must see TV. So Clark has drawn in eyes who may have not cared before.

Just read that the WNBA Fever vs. Sun game tonight had tickets going for as much as $700 for Clark first official game. That game is sold out. Their first sell out since their first official game 21 years ago. Also read Clark's first home game against the Liberty has court side seats going for close to $2900 each.

Wonder how long she stays retired? Does the WNBA come calling?