This season is going almost exactly as should have been predicted coming into the season.
Last year saw only seven players who played any significant minutes. Finished 6-12 in Big12
play, good for 10th in conference. Team played hard but was lacking talent.

Of the seven players with over 100 MP four did not return this year:
Lauren Gustin and Kaylee Smiler graduated. Kailey Woolston went on a mission. Rose
Bubakar transferred to Weber State.

Returning players of the seven include Post Emma Calvert, PG Amari Whiting and wing
Lauren Davenport. These three were #4-6 in MP last year.

So there was very little returning for this year. Nobody else on last year's roster with
the potential to step in and help to any significant degree. Any improvement would need
to happen due to new talent being infused into the program.

HS recruits were Delaney Gibb, Brinley Cannon and Kambree Barber. Gibb was obviously the
big get here. Likely the highest rated recruit in BYU WBB history. Cannon and Barber came
out of Idaho HS ranks and were not highly recruited.

Transfer recruits were Kemery Congdon, Marya Hudgins, Kendra Gillispie and Hattie Ogden.
Congdon and Hudgins have both played a lot of minutes at good programs. Ogden a lot of
minutes at Buffalo. Gillispie was a highly touted recruit who has not had success in her
previous stops at Oklahoma and Arkansas State. She provides the only size other than
Calvert and the coaches likely took a flyer her hoping she could avoid injury, get in shape
and to some extent live up to her hype coming out of HS.

To date results are as follows:
Whiting: Has been disappointing as she has shown little ability to shoot the ball. Makes it
very hard to be a productive player as a guard. Still tough defender who gives her all.
Calvert: Has been solid. Second on team in BPM and WS/40. Only inside threat.
Davenport. Plays a lot of minutes. Advanced stats not good. Has shot well from three.
Gibb. Sensational. Turns ball over a lot. Other than that does everything well. Season would
likely be a disaster without her.
Cannon. Has played a lot more than anticipated. Has acquitted herself well. Aggressive
player. Decent BPM and WS/40 numbers. Will likely see minutes increase going forward.
Barber: See Cannon above. Similar results. Both these two look like they can be solid
contributors for the program.
Congdon: Hasn't shot the ball well. But really almost exactly what her career averages
would indicate. Needs to shoot much better to be an effective player.
Hudgins: Injured and has played in only seven games. Her injury has hurt the team as she
is a good player.
Gillispie: Did not play early in season but is now getting significant minutes. Provides
size and strength in the post. Good rebounder. Limited offensive impact.
Ogden. Non factor. Has seen almost no MP.

Results so far have been exactly what would be expected with this roster. Team just lacks
the talent level necessary to be a top half Big12 team. I would guess will finish somewhere
in the 11-13 range.

Where does program go from here?
It's really hard to say what the AD is thinking. WBB has become a much bigger deal in
the past couple of years. I cannot imagine that the administration will allow the program
to continue to finish in the bottom half of the Big12 indefinitely. Coaches have to be
feeling pressure at this point. Recruiting for next year does not look great. The NM PG
seems like a good recruit but how will she see the floor much behind Amari? Fouss'
sister is 6'3" which hopefully provides some size with Calvert gone next year but she
doesn't seem to have been recruited heavily at all. And third recruit from Montana who
was not heavily recruited.

I have said before that I hope things work out and Amber has great success in the future.
She came into a brutal situation. The team plays hard for her from what I have seen.
I think that the NIL situation has been a minus, unlike the MBB and FB programs.
I assume that she will get one year after this to start seeing some progress. I am sure
that the AD would like her to succeed.

SRS rankings by year (make what you will of this)
15-16 66
16-17 69
17-18 104
18-19 75
19-20 81
20-21 47
21-22 14

22-23 104
23-24 76
24-25 82

GO COUGS!!