the next week or 2, I should be moving to Botetourt County the first week of April. I will be moving into my late mother's home. She passed away last year. Her house is sitting empty except for her possessions that I have inherited, and it is paid for. It will save me lots of money compared to my present Silicon Valley location. And I can get a job outside my field, or 2 if necessary, that would at least cover the bills there. So I will be spending less time on TSL for the next few weeks. Until I am set up in VA.

First, I will tell you that it does not matter to me who the coach is. Dennis Wolff. John Smith or Doe. The AD has a job to do. I expect him to do it.

This team has been losing for years. Losing and expecting to lose is something that can become ingrained in a team. That mentality is not easily overcome. Last year we finished 12 - 21 overall and 1 - 15 in ACC. This year we finished 18 - 14 and 5 -11. We had opportunities to be better than that. But a team that struggles with a losing mentality will often find a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. And we did. That is 6 more wins total and 4 more in conference. We were close to a 20+ win season and 0.500 in conference. I anticipate a similar improvement next year. I expect 20+ wins and upper half of conference.
And that includes CDW still being the coach.

The biggest reason is the improvement in our talent.Our freshmen of Hicks, Koshuta & Gilmer are our highest rated class - top 20. Hicks showed her worth this year. Much better ball handler than VP. Able to push the ball up the court. Better defender. Koshuta & Gilmer did not get much time and probably should have redshirted. That was a mistake imho. In her few brief minutes, Gilmer did show some promise. I got less of a reading on Koshuta. Nevertheless, all 3 will now have an offseason in the weight room working out and getting conditioning. I expect more out of all 3. A lot more. I expect them to step it up.

We also have 2 excellent freshmen coming in.in Parker & Kinder. Parker is 4 stars and top 60ish and Kinder high 3 star. Both are guards. Both are fast and athletic. They can drive, dish and create. They both have a medium range game. This is something we struggle with. I will copy/paste some info from their ESPN data a bit later.

Next year we will have 6 guards competing for PT. Hicks, VP, Camp, Hill. Parker & Kinder. Hicks is set I think. Camp needs consistency. 30 one game and zero the next is no good. I think she now knows what she must do. VP may lose PT next year. She is basically a 3 point shooter who must be open and set. Really does not have an inside game and is a so-so ball handler. I think Parker & Kinder can take her time away if they can drive, create and have a mid-range game. Hill works hard on D but does little on O.

Here is what ESPN had on Parker:

USJN-July 2015: Athletic lead-guard with a scorer's mentality; lefty produces off the dribble with explosive 1st-step attack, body control to rim; highlights in transition, finishes in traffic; collapses defender off the bounce with emerging mid-range game consistency; added deep threat assists in next level impact. (Olson)

Title IX Holiday Invitational-December 2013: Left-handed combo-guard with a confident offensive attack, streaky range to the arc complemented by a solid mid-range game; a stock riser among prospects in the 2016 class.

And Kinder:

adidas Nationals-July 2015: Athletic combo-guard handles, pushes tempo under control, weaves and finds rim with regularity; elevates in mid-range game, stationary threat at the arc; mid-range game consistency is key to next level impact. (Olson)

Tina Thompson Classic-December 2014: Athletic off-guard handles and attacks in transition; emerging midrange creator; offensive consistency is key for next level production.

As to the front court, we have Cook and Magarity coming back. Cook has done great but needs help. I don't think Magarity was 100% this year. Since she had to sit out games to rest her calf, I don't think she was full speed. She survived this year. With another off season of rehab and conditioning, I think she will most likely be back to 100% next year. We are losing Young, Campbell & Powell. That "may" be addition by subtraction. That is not to say they were bad players. But like VP, Young was basically a 3 baller. Didn't have a very good inside game. That is not unusual. Bball in other countries is more of an outside game than an inside game. Campbell & Powell were not dominating inside. Campbell was from Canada where much like Europe they prefer the outside game. I haven't seen much of Nahodil or Croker. What I have seen, Nahodil seems good on D. Haven't seen much on O. Really no info on Croker. Right now, our biggest need is a solid inside player. Need someone who can dominate. Perhaps a JUCO???? I think we will find out during the April signing period. I suspect Whit is in the know on the April signing period and any recruits who will sign. I think that will factor into his decision.

Bottom line, I think we will be a better team. I think we will break the losing mentality. I think we will learn to win and will expect to win. And lastly, we are slowly becoming more of an "American" team with more native players and fewer from overseas. That will give us a better balance between an inside game and an outside game.

I have watched CDW on the bench. I have seen him coaching and teaching during a game. I have seen his assistants doing likewise. I have been told by someone with season tickets that CDW has the best assistants since he took over.

I expect we will see a 20+ win season next year with a 0.500 or better record in conference. JMHO.