2020-21 season

2022 A-10 Tournament and 2023 A-10 Regular Season Champs!
User avatar
Berkman
Hall of Fame
Posts: 6885
Joined: Sun Dec 18, 2005 2:38 pm
Location: Mooresville, NC
Contact:

Re: 2020-21 season

Post by Berkman » Mon Mar 01, 2021 9:50 am

Sims in concussion protocol.

tdmass
Senior
Posts: 1588
Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2006 11:40 am
Location: Ormond Beach,Florida

Re: 2020-21 season

Post by tdmass » Tue Mar 09, 2021 7:08 pm

This isn't good . . . and we thought only the men had player issues!

Maeve Donnelly and Desiree Oliver leave team
https://dailycollegian.com/2021/03/maev ... ball-team/

69MG
Hall of Fame
Posts: 12096
Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2011 11:07 pm
Location: Western Mass

Re: 2020-21 season

Post by 69MG » Tue Mar 09, 2021 9:24 pm

TruBluMaroon wrote: Mon Mar 01, 2021 9:33 am
dennisdent wrote: Fri Feb 26, 2021 9:51 pm What happened to Sanderlin? She's no longer listed on the roster. No Sims or Oliver after having all that time off?
Still missing any official word on Sanderlin....
The official word on Sanderlin is that she has also left the program, beating Oliver & Donnelly by a week. We're down to 9 players which normally would be enough. However, you have a high school senior who recently enrolled and 2 others who haven't seen that much playing time lately.

User avatar
econalum
Hall of Fame
Posts: 2561
Joined: Sat Apr 12, 2003 10:31 am
Location: Boxborough, MA

Re: 2020-21 season

Post by econalum » Tue Mar 09, 2021 10:31 pm

Leaving the team before the playoffs start, having used up a year of eligibility?

What the heck is going on here for them to leave their teammates short-handed and in the lurch?

This is far from normal.
Feeling entitled is JUST a feeling...

dennisdent
Senior
Posts: 1906
Joined: Sun May 04, 2003 7:18 pm
Location: Too close to the Beltway

Re: 2020-21 season

Post by dennisdent » Tue Mar 09, 2021 10:42 pm

This season was freebie so they aren't losing anything by quitting. There must be something really going on that three players quit during the season...

I had really high hopes for Donnelly in the future. Her twitter was only positive recently about the program. Great that Sims in back!

User avatar
econalum
Hall of Fame
Posts: 2561
Joined: Sat Apr 12, 2003 10:31 am
Location: Boxborough, MA

Re: 2020-21 season

Post by econalum » Tue Mar 09, 2021 10:46 pm

Well, just seems well out of the ordinary, even in "COVID" times.
Feeling entitled is JUST a feeling...

User avatar
InnervisionsUMASS
Hall of Fame
Posts: 17645
Joined: Fri Apr 04, 2003 1:32 am
Location: Milford, MA
Contact:

Re: 2020-21 season

Post by InnervisionsUMASS » Wed Mar 10, 2021 8:01 am

This isn't ordinary... something seems wrong.
Stop waiting for UMass to do something big and help UMass do something big. - Shades

User avatar
Old Cage
Hall of Fame
Posts: 7114
Joined: Tue Apr 01, 2003 8:49 pm
Location: The Eastern Provinces

Re: 2020-21 season

Post by Old Cage » Wed Mar 10, 2021 8:03 am

The timing is "strange and out of the ordinary", yes, but, none of the three leaving were playing at the level needed to compete in the A-10. I have watched a good amount of games for this team this season, and I have been disappointed by the play of all except the current starting five.

Just conjecture, but the three know what's coming next year, and maybe think they are getting a jump on transferring. Leaving your team before a playoff might not sit well with many coaches. From November:

"AMHERST, Mass. – University of Massachusetts women's basketball and head coach Tory Verdi announced on Wednesday that five incoming student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent with the program. Lex Brooks (Endicott, N.Y.), Aisha Dabo (Cumming,Ga.), Natousha Harden (New London, Conn.), Stefanie Kulesza (Wilmington, Del.) and Damoni Tucker (New York, N.Y.) will join the Minutewomen as freshmen in the 2021-22 season.

"I am super excited about this 2021 recruiting class," Verdi said. "This is the highest-ranking class ever assembled at the University of Massachusetts. I feel that we have addressed all of our positional needs and added significant depth. This class brings a tremendous amount of talent, coupled with size, speed and athleticism."
"Jack didn’t have any envy in him," Calipari said. "He was the greatest coach to ever coach here."

User avatar
Old Cage
Hall of Fame
Posts: 7114
Joined: Tue Apr 01, 2003 8:49 pm
Location: The Eastern Provinces

Re: 2020-21 season

Post by Old Cage » Wed Mar 10, 2021 8:06 am

n/m
Last edited by Old Cage on Wed Mar 10, 2021 8:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
"Jack didn’t have any envy in him," Calipari said. "He was the greatest coach to ever coach here."

69MG
Hall of Fame
Posts: 12096
Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2011 11:07 pm
Location: Western Mass

Re: 2020-21 season

Post by 69MG » Wed Mar 10, 2021 8:33 am

I have wondered (and posted) many times regarding Donnelly this year. Even after her recovery she didn't resemble the player she was last year. Oliver was praised repeatedly by Verdi but never produced on the court. Sanderlin was more of an unknown to me but she also didn't do much when she played.

Here's the full article on the recruiting class.

https://umassathletics.com/news/2020/11 ... tball.aspx

User avatar
Old Cage
Hall of Fame
Posts: 7114
Joined: Tue Apr 01, 2003 8:49 pm
Location: The Eastern Provinces

Re: 2020-21 season

Post by Old Cage » Wed Mar 10, 2021 8:55 am

It looks like Stefanie - our recent high school transfer - can get minutes. That will be interesting.
"Jack didn’t have any envy in him," Calipari said. "He was the greatest coach to ever coach here."

User avatar
InnervisionsUMASS
Hall of Fame
Posts: 17645
Joined: Fri Apr 04, 2003 1:32 am
Location: Milford, MA
Contact:

Re: 2020-21 season

Post by InnervisionsUMASS » Wed Mar 10, 2021 9:02 am

Old Cage wrote: Wed Mar 10, 2021 8:55 am It looks like Stefanie - our recent high school transfer - can get minutes. That will be interesting.

He joining early seems to make a lot more sense now.
Stop waiting for UMass to do something big and help UMass do something big. - Shades

69MG
Hall of Fame
Posts: 12096
Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2011 11:07 pm
Location: Western Mass

Re: 2020-21 season

Post by 69MG » Wed Mar 10, 2021 11:02 am

How off the charts would it be if a high school senior won a game for us? That would pretty much sum up what kind of year this was. :lol:

TruBluMaroon
Hall of Fame
Posts: 3192
Joined: Wed Apr 23, 2003 11:25 am

Re: 2020-21 season

Post by TruBluMaroon » Wed Mar 10, 2021 1:08 pm

69MG wrote: Wed Mar 10, 2021 8:33 am I have wondered (and posted) many times regarding Donnelly this year. Even after her recovery she didn't resemble the player she was last year. Oliver was praised repeatedly by Verdi but never produced on the court. Sanderlin was more of an unknown to me but she also didn't do much when she played.

Here's the full article on the recruiting class.

https://umassathletics.com/news/2020/11 ... tball.aspx
TV heaps praise on Harden, including that she could be the best center in UM history. If that was intended to light a fire under MD, it ended up engulfing her instead!

kikoandjimmer
Junior
Posts: 295
Joined: Tue Apr 03, 2018 8:27 am

Re: 2020-21 season

Post by kikoandjimmer » Sat Mar 13, 2021 4:48 pm

I agree with above. Donnelly and Oliver did not come back in great shape -- MD had several social media posts where she was drinking and partying (at 19 mind you). Sanderlin was also probably not happy coming off the bench.

I don't think it is a toxic culture, it is simply the players thinking they are a lot better than they actually are and not liking when TV gives them a dose of reality. We have plenty of size and athleticism coming next year that some of the players are probably realizing that they don't have a shot at the starting rotation. Most of our points come from the starters, so playing 7 isn't a huge issue IMO as all of them are well conditioned.

I'm more interested in the Lowery situation as she has always come off the bench and seems happy with that limited role. If she was going to transfer for more time, she would have done so by now.

Post Reply