OT: One of Paige's ex-teammates gives up basketball

[Cornell Lt]

MSN

 

[JellyBean]

Good for Maya and I want to be the first to say, congratulations on her decision. I am sure it wasn't easy but she is doing what is best for her. Kudos to Coach Barnes for honoring Maya's decision and being so supportive during this process.

 

[Cuango]

Good for Maya and I want to be the first to say, congratulations on her decision. I am sure it wasn't easy but she is doing what is best for her. Kudos to Coach Barnes for honoring Maya's decision and being so supportive during this process.

Particularly gracious on her part as her program has been absolutely hemorrhaging players over the past few seasons! This, apparently, is not that, though there was/is great concern among the fanbase that it might be/have been. Regardless, it is yet another player (highly ranked) that they can ill afford to lose.

 

[topogigio]

Gotta' give this kid her props. Spent a better part of her life developing and sharpening her basketball skills to become a 5 star recruit, and makes the difficult decision to give it up for a lifelong career choice. Not many big time players can see the forest from the trees!

 

[Blacketh’D]

A shame but I get it. I never expected her to go pro but I felt she at least would play out her college career. We know she loves the game

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Particularly gracious on her part as her program has been absolutely hemorrhaging players over the past few seasons! This, apparently, is not that, though there was/is great concern among the fanbase that it might be/have been. Regardless, it is yet another player (highly ranked) that they can ill afford to lose.

Was saddened by her leaving, but yes, she just couldn't do both.

The hemorrhaging players - an accurate description - at least last year was over playing time. Recently attended a radio show / Q&A with Barnes and she admitted she tried last year for short term gain to bring in portal players and play them over freshman who would "wait their turn" - except that no one especially "waits their turn" any more. So she has (like I read about another coach, I forget who) made the decision to be very selective with the portal and to play her freshman, even if it means losses up to and including not making the NCAA's, because it will pay off down the road. Unfortunately, one transfer she did take didn't make it, Montoya Dew tore up her knee and is out for the season, and with the departure of Maya we are down to 10 players, but currently have only 9 as the walk-on came aboard and hurt her knee before she even appeared in a game.

 

[Cuango]

Was saddened by her leaving, but yes, she just couldn't do both.

The hemorrhaging players - an accurate description - at least last year was over playing time. Recently attended a radio show / Q&A with Barnes and she admitted she tried last year for short term gain to bring in portal players and play them over freshman who would "wait their turn" - except that no one especially "waits their turn" any more. So she has (like I read about another coach, I forget who) made the decision to be very selective with the portal and to play her freshman, even if it means losses up to and including not making the NCAA's, because it will pay off down the road. Unfortunately, one transfer she did take didn't make it, Montoya Dew tore up her knee and is out for the season, and with the departure of Maya we are down to 10 players, but currently have only 9 as the walk-on came aboard and hurt her knee before she even appeared in a game.

Actually, Dew is a recruit, I believe the highest ranked recruit ever for the Wildcats. She supplanted Maya for that honor.

 

[TheFarmFan]

Some cross chatter about this in the Pac-12 thread on the general board, starting here. My two cents:

She was a prime recruiting target at Stanford precisely because we knew she was very strongly academically inclined. And based on all my pre-med friends' experiences in undergrad, sophomore year is the toughest in terms of pre-med requirements, so this is probably not a huge surprise.

All that said, it's a true testament to Fran Bilibi that she was a starter for much of her time at Stanford, including during a national championship run, and yet also knocked it out of the park academically such that she's now a med student at the #1 med school in the country. Impressive kids, these.

 

[LarryLegend]

Nice to see a smart kid with their priorities straight for a change. She will be a success in whatever she does.

Shout out to Brian Cosgriff who did/does do a great job influencing great young people

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Actually, Dew is a recruit, I believe the highest ranked recruit ever for the Wildcats. She supplanted Maya for that honor.

??? Dew enrolled early last year, sat on the bench for the spring (not active) and began her "freshman" year this season. Unfortunately not, due to injury. She is in the team sweatsuit on the bench at each game.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Actually, Dew is a recruit, I believe the highest ranked recruit ever for the Wildcats. She supplanted Maya for that honor.

Oops, maybe my bad phrasing caught you. If so I apologize.. There was a transfer - Fanta Gassama - from Juco that never made it, apparently I'm told wasn't academically eligible. I then segued into Dew being injured and out for the season.