Agree! Jan is talking about positions that "don't have a lot of depth" behind them for 2 more added pieces.
From the transcript:
"My model will always be to try to develop but like we're graduating Syd at forward and we don't have a lot of depth at the one, right."
"I love our freshmen and I love the incomers and if we can just get a couple portal pieces I think could' be really fun."
She specifically targets a 1 (PG) and the other could infer with the word "but" after try to develop, she's also targeting Syd's position for her graduating. Now whether they find a replacement (starter eg Lucy) and/or backup (with potential to start if our off/in-season development doesn't progress as expected) for these two positions is another question and it could also depend on how the bidding war pans out.
Jan has always said develop first (perceived as less expensive coz culture courtship can keep $ lower) then add portal pieces (perceived as expensive in the speed dating world and less culture is a priority for someone just wanting to get $) to close gaps that didn't get closed during the season as expected or graduating without depth behind them.
"My model will always be to try to develop ..."
This is the part rubs me the wrong way and that's the word never. From the transcript:
"We'll be looking the portal but I'm also I'm never going to be coach instantaneous they want just oh go win. I want to win in a the way I've always done it and that's build people up develop them add a piece here or there that's what I'm going to try to do."
Jan said in an interview you need to change or else you got to get out it. Another time she said you got to change or you're going to get left behind. Thought she understood the cutthroat nature of NIL when she made these statements. To me that meant you better get in portal and participate vigorously or you'll get left behind. Or if you count too much on developing, it too can come back to haunt you and you'll be left behind even more coz the best teams are adding portal players to beat other best teams adding portal players.
Just so you understand how this works. Outside of the Elite top schools this year of UConn, SC, ND and TX, the other 12 schools have at least 2 of more portal transfers. That means 75% of the Sweet 16 schools have 2 or more transfers. If you dial in a little closer, you'll notice ~19% of the schools have all 5 starters from 5 different schools. The sweet spot is 7 teams that have 2 transfers. That's almost 50% of the Sweet 16 teams. Follow the blueprint...
Sweet 16 Starting Lineups by Original School
The # of Schools/Teams Breakdown:5 Schools: 3 Teams (4 - 5 Transfers)
4 Schools: 2 Team (3 Transfers)
3 Schools: 7 Teams (2 Transfers)
2 Schools: 4 Teams (1 Transfer)
1 School: 0 Teams (0 Transfers and all on-campus development)
She better land another Top 10 - 15 class of commits again for '26 and a couple of great portal players in the off-season or I think the wheels start to slowly come off the cart.
We'll see what she does over this next year on development of portal/current players along with new signed commits. She needs to get this right over this next year, imho. We'll see if she can keep the momentum climbing with higher rated commits or not. This year sure seems like we could tweeter either way on the future direction this program is headed. Let's hope Jan makes all the right calls and she elevates us to new heights over the next year.
Partial Video Transcript:
@ 3:26 "I think we have a lot of great pieces they're young Ava hasn't been here before right she's this is the first time she's really gone against someone that's in a you know tower over her and you know give you a cheap shot not mean just physical right and like whoa but I think now what's great is she understands what that next level looks like right and we got Aaliyah some minutes and Stremlow got some minutes so I love our pieces I think we can develop them. My model will always be to try to develop but like we're graduating Syd at forward and we don't have a lot of depth at the one, right. We have a A. Guyton at a Addie Deal plays off the ball and on so you know you're going to kind of look and see what do we need. But I think every program has to be a little bit more active um just because it's it's just different you know people aren't going to stick around in their in their systems uh there's a lot of tampering happens um a lot of um uh Grass Is Always Greener um so you you're just it's a whole new world. So I think I'm just entering in into that and then the Rev Sharing that's going to be ruled on in April [7th] um so um I just think it opens tomorrow and we'll be really busy tomorrow here yeah so um I love the pieces we have coming back I just think um we need a little more size I mean I knew when I got this draw uh I mean you saw them you know there's 52 she's a way different beers is a way change uh changes the game but then you got 24 34 zero they're all big bodies then you add Sahara Williams you know so yeah. We'll be looking the portal but I'm also I'm never going to be coach instantaneous they want just oh go win I want to win in a the way I've always done it and that's build people up develop them add a piece here or there that's what I'm going to try to do."
[Q:] "As you reflect on your your first season as head coach just you know from from maybe the day that you got the job to now just how much do you feel like you've grown and and kind of learned and and how do you apply that to next season"
[A:] "Yeah I really you just feel lot more comfortable uh I understand um things just a little bit differently um uh yeah I just feel just you just grown until you do something you don't really know but I just feel like we we have grown I thought our staff grew um I think we settled in a lot of different uh ways with rotations and big lineups small lineups um but I just think um you know I'll reflect more I have a a notepad that I've been taking notes on since I got the job of you know things I didn't do so well what I need to do better what I thought I did really great what I need to you know implement but my notes have gotten less and less right as we've we've gotten towards the end of the season uh but I think there's been growth and confidence and comfortability and um I just you know I'm really excited about the the future um I love our freshmen and I love the incomers and if we can just get a couple portal pieces I think could' be really fun."
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