Audi Crooks to Transfer

[madguy30]

I think the point is that in the current landscape, athletes have significantly more power, and schools, athletic departments, and fans need to understand that. Failing to embrace the new normal comes with risk. Bill Fennelly has every right to coach the team how he wants to, but whether we like it or not, players have mobility, and there is a price for being rigid.

And for all intensive purposes it sounds like TJ is good at finding that balance of being firm with high expectations but also letting the players operate within that boundary that they know they're getting right up front.

Imo CMC overall navigated the new normal well too.

 

[CycloneSpinning]

You'd have felt better if the 40 of them still on the roster had shown up, most likely had several injuries and lost by 60?

Better to have tried and failed than….

 

[Challenger06]

Didn't most of the team leave? Why would you play in some toilet bowl for a team that you won't be playing for the following season?

Didn’t seem to bother Washington St…

 

[ZorkClone]

I think the point is that in the current landscape, athletes have significantly more power, and schools, athletic departments, and fans need to understand that. Failing to embrace the new normal comes with risk. Bill Fennelly has every right to coach the team how he wants to, but whether we like it or not, players have mobility, and there is a price for being rigid.

I understand that. I was trying to be a little tongue in cheek that we should be thankful that it hasn't gotten to the point that players vote to not play in the NCAA tournament like the do for bowl games. I understand football and basketball are way different injury risk so it's not completely comparable.

Didn't most of the team leave? Why would you play in some toilet bowl for a team that you won't be playing for the following season?

Yes, but why stay for a conference championship game or the playoffs? Those are just extra risk for no reward from the players perspective.

 

[CycloneSpinning]

LOL the old schools will never understand or acknowledge the majority of these players are playing for the coach and not the name on the front of their jersey. The "pure" days of college athletics are over, people need to just come to grips with that.

There is such a thing as adapting to modern ways, but entitlement is real and an issue as well. That said, this is all speculation. People seem to be willing to assume that players that were here for three years all just had enough. I guess that may be true, but are we to believe Bill went from difficult to intolerable within the last few weeks but Jamie is not feeling that/not concerned? You have on the one hand him being tuned into the gymnastics situation and ultimately shutting down the program…but he no doubt would have heard from multiple parents and players here and not only didn’t act but posted a supportive message? And Bill and Audi go from having that moment where they were both think of loved ones who died…to the point that Audi was so moved she couldn’t see through tears to hit her free throw…to now she’s out?

This is all gossip and hearsay…and I think we can have constructive conversations about WBB and what perhaps could be done, but we don’t need to drag either the winningest coach in our history or former players through the mud…again without any solid evidence.

 

[Stormin]

I thought Brend made a really good point about the life long implications for AC by making this decision.

Of course she’ll go make more money next year than probably any other year her whole life. But then what? Unless she goes through an extreme change and defensive development, she’s unlikely to play in the WNBA.

Brends point was by leaving ISU, she cost herself lifelong money for local endorsements, speaking gigs, etc. two days ago she was on track to be an ISU legend and beloved in the state for her whole life.

But she quit on ISU. A lot of those opportunities won’t exist anymore and that has a cost that might outweigh the short term gain from next year.

Reality is that after her playing days are done the big money endorsements will go to the new players. IMO Audi is going to make some life altering money now. There is no guarantee in the future.

 

[ChiClone22]

Audi needs to get better defensively but our program's defense has been an issue long before Audi arrived. Look at these defensive rankings I put in another thread out of 315+ D1 teams over the last several years.
219, 202, 273, 121, 137, 263, 103, 51, 210, 280, 255, 208, 150, 81, 131.
A better defensive coach will hold her to a higher standard and she will be motivated to not get embarrassed defensively moving forward. There will still be issues (like ball screen defense) but I wouldn't be surprised if some of the defensive problems are cleared up at her next stop with better coaching on that end.

Thanks for this research. Enjoy posts where solid data and analysis is part of the post.

Curious about the two years where our defense was in the top 100 (51st and 81st)

>what years were those? How did the team do those years? And what players play led to our above average defense in those years?

Thanks again for your posts.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

There is such a thing as adapting to modern ways, but entitlement is real and an issue as well. That said, this is all speculation. People seem to be willing to assume that players that were here for three years all just had enough. I guess that may be true, but are we to believe Bill went from difficult to intolerable within the last few weeks but Jamie is not feeling that/not concerned? You have on the one hand him being tuned into the gymnastics situation and ultimately shutting down the program…but he no doubt would have heard from multiple parents and players here and not only didn’t act but posted a supportive message? And Bill and Audi go from having that moment where they were both think of loved ones who died…to the point that Audi was so moved she couldn’t see through tears to hit her free throw…to now she’s out?

This is all gossip and hearsay…and I think we can have constructive conversations about WBB and what perhaps could be done, but we don’t need to drag either the winningest coach in our history or former players through the mud…again without any solid evidence.

The winningest in Iowa State history is like a kid standing on their toes so they aren't the shortest one in the picture. Yes Bill turned the program around and yes the program has massively underachieved the last 15 years. Both can be true.

 

[CycloneSpinning]

The winningest in Iowa State history is like a kid standing on their toes so they aren't the shortest one in the picture. Yes Bill turned the program around and yes the program has massively underachieved the last 15 years. Both can be true.

That’s absolutely absurd…and not at all a balanced take. You can be disappointed by how the season has ended the last few years, but judging his results against 90+% of WBB, he has been successful.

He’s been better than Bo Pelini was for Nebraska (who was a known difficult personality), and I would venture most Nebraska fans regret chasing him off.

Getting the ship righted after the 5 game slide this year was also honestly pretty good coaching.

I’m not at all saying some of these critiques aren’t valid, but have a reasonable take at least.

 

[NENick]

LOL the old schools will never understand or acknowledge the majority of these players are playing for the coach and not the name on the front of their jersey. The "pure" days of college athletics are over, people need to just come to grips with that.

Those "pure days" are a distant memory. The difference now is there are no rules to hold players in place and prevent them from earning a share of the wealth their efforts generate.

 

[NENick]

Reality is that after her playing days are done the big money endorsements will go to the new players. IMO Audi is going to make some life altering money now. There is no guarantee in the future.

This.
From everything I've seen and heard, Audi seems like a smart, well-rounded person. What's her major? I expect she will have a successful career in her chosen field after college.

 

[Marcelason78]

…..Bill Fennelly has every right to coach the team how he wants to, but whether we like it or not, players have mobility, and there is a price for being rigid.

This is what I think every time I watch a game with Danny ‘The Jerk’ Hurley on the sideline.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

That’s absolutely absurd…and not at all a balanced take. You can be disappointed by how the season has ended the last few years, but judging his results against 90+% of WBB, he has been successful.

He’s been better than Bo Pelini was for Nebraska (who was a known difficult personality), and I would venture moth Nebraska fans regret chasing him off.

Getting the ship righted after the 5 game slide this year was also honestly pretty good coaching.

I’m not at all saying some of these critiques aren’t valid, but have a reasonable take at least.

Bill has had 3 straight program changing players and has very little to show for it and has failed to build a team around them. Iowa State fans have a weird memory when it comes to the women's basketball program. It really hasn't been as good as a lot of you think. When's the last time Iowa State hosted the NCAA tournament? We should absolutely be at worst a 4 seed at least every 2-3 years.

 

[mred]

This.
From everything I've seen and heard, Audi seems like a smart, well-rounded person. What's her major? I expect she will have a successful career in her chosen field after college.

Psychology, per the ISU online directory.

 

[CycloneDaddy]

This.
From everything I've seen and heard, Audi seems like a smart, well-rounded person. What's her major? I expect she will have a successful career in her chosen field after college.

• Major: Psychology
• Classification: Senior

 

[casey1973]

I've got to disagree with this one. She literally quit the team. I don't blame her for quitting, but she quit. Just like all the FB players quit. You quit before the job was done.

Everyone has opinions about why it happened and if it was valid, but the fact that she quit isn't disputable.

Well she left as well as the majority of the team. Most of the football team followed their coach, sooooo that speaks volumes. I'd love to know if CBF left a few years ago who would have followed him? This, in my view is on him and Audi decided to chase the $$$. Go Cyclones.

 

[bluestarcyclone]

but judging his results against 90+% of WBB, he has been successful.

What do you mean by "against 90% of wbb"?

Because wbb doesn't exactly have a lot of parity. We see it in the top seeds destroying the rest of the field, but the same continues downward. Power 5 teams should be better than 85% of wbb almost just by default.

 

[Clone5]

Thanks for this research. Enjoy posts where solid data and analysis is part of the post.

Curious about the two years where our defense was in the top 100 (51st and 81st)

>what years were those? How did the team do those years? And what players play led to our above average defense in those years?

Thanks again for your posts.

In 18-19 we were 51st of 351 teams. We were 26-9, finished 2nd in the Big 12 and earned a 3 seed but we were upset by 11 seeded Missouri State in the 2nd round. We had Carleton, Scott, Joens, Middleton, Wise and Burkhall as our main contributors so definitely some plus defenders regardless of system.
In 12-13 we were 81st of 345 teams. We were 24-9, finished 2nd in the Big 12 and earned a 5 seed. We lost in round 2 against 4 seeded Georgia. We had great size on that team with Christofferson, Poppens and Prins to go along with Moody, Williamson and Blaskowsky on the perimeter.

It is crazy we have had only 2 even average level defenses since 12-13.

 

[isucy86]

23 pages into the Audi leaving thread (plus the Bill Fennelly thread) and people still think they can complain enough that Jamie Pollard is going to push Bill Fennelly and staff out. Or hope Bill feels fan pressure, and not wanting to further tarnish his legacy, will step down. IMO there is ZERO chance either happens. Jamie has known Bill for over 20 years!

So fans of Iowa State's WBB team seem to have 2 choices:

1. Put your personal feeling aside and root on the reload process that will start in earnest when the portal opens in a few days.
2. Save yourself the angst and take a timeout. Maybe next spring after a surprise year or a new coach is hired, you'll be excited about ISU WBB.

Aren't sports supposed to be a fun release from life's difficulties?

 

[BCClone]

Bill has had 3 straight program changing players and has very little to show for it and has failed to build a team around them. Iowa State fans have a weird memory when it comes to the women's basketball program. It really hasn't been as good as a lot of you think. When's the last time Iowa State hosted the NCAA tournament? We should absolutely be at worst a 4 seed at least every 2-3 years.

The question comes…….were they program changing players or were they focused on so hard that they seemed greater than they were? Brigit (sp?) was a high end player but Ashley never hung on in the pros and I am doubting Audi will. If they were the extreme high Enders that would be program changing, wouldn’t they have been WNBA level players?