2018-19 Bobcat Women

mslacat · Post by **mslacat** » Mon May 07, 2018 9:06 pm

I need to talk about something positive because no matter how hard I try to be Mr. Optimistic, I am getting pretty damn depressed about the prospects of one of our teams.

Binford has a great team coming back for 2018-19. We lost some great guards in Caudill, Hatchard, and Junkermier but we have a great core returning and a great pair of transfers becoming eligible. Last years team was very guarding heavy but a little light at the forward spot (Binford does not really play a true center in her system but prefers to have a more mobile front court so she can run and spread the court). As a result, Binford played a lot of guards at the 3 spot (traditional small forward spot) and even had Junkermier play the 4 spot at a time. This year will be the opposite in that we should be loaded at the forward spots but a little skinny (so far) at the guard spots, so I can see the opposite happening.

Unless I am completely off my basketball rocker transfer 6-1 Lundberg will be a starter and most likely the best player on the team, from day one. Most likely the other transfer Kuderer will be making a hard push for a starting spot most likely at the 3 spot. Kunderer is a very versatile player and could play either the 3 and 4 spot and I think in a pinch the shooting guard. I think the other starting spot, most likely at the 5 will be a battle between last years starters Smith and Braxton. Then add to the mix incoming freshman Halle Wright who has all the tools to contribute in a big way, right away. She could play any of the frontcourt positions In high school she even played point guard (point forward or whatever) when the opposite team pressed them. Wright is going to be multiple years all-Big Sky player before she is done. While the starting frontcourt line up is still to be determined, of course, it would not surprise me if anyone of this 5 players, mentioned above, breaks into the starting frontcourt for by conference. I do not think we will see as much of the backcourt players swing to the three spot like last year but it will still happen. You can pencil in right now Oliana Squires in the starting line up at shooting guard. The biggest loss from last years team is Caudill at the PG spot. The point is the most important position in Binford's system and most argue in the Big Sky. Ashley Van Sickle backed up Caudill last season, with help from Squires, and from everything I have heard, Binford has the utmost confidence in Van Sickle as her next point guard. Her back up is another issue. I can see Squires moving over to the point when Van Sickle needs a rest or gets in foul trouble, but they are going to need more help. Tory Martell has played point she could be an option but I think recently signed freshman guard Kamden Hilborn might be able to grab some minutes at the point if she can prove herself. The key to the Bobcats backcourt could be Torri Martell though. Martell is an out and out shooter and scorer. While she struggled most of last year, she really started to show flashes of the great scoring potential she was recruited for over the last half of the season. If she can find him grove she could be instant offense off the bench and could also allow Binford to shift Squires the 3 spot at the time and really run the ball.

For Reserves, along with Tori Martell, Madisyn Shaide will be counted on to provide guard minutes off the bench. As the roster is currently comprised I think one or both of the freshman guards, combo guard Kamden Hiborn and/or shooting guard Sydney Zieske will need to contribute. Zieske is a little bit of a mystery to me, but I think she could use a little development as a redshirt but I could be wrong. At the forward spot behind the 5 mentioned above 6-1 freshman Gabrielle Mocchi could provide some minutes at the 4 and 5, she is said to be a physical player and a very good defender. Before Pranger transferred, though, I saw Mocchi as a high possibility for a redshirt, but now she might be needed. Walk-on 5-11 Bynley Fitgerald could also find some time at the 3 spot but is also a candidate for a redshirt year. All-Big Sky 6-0 forward Fallyn Freijer will be sitting out, most likely, next year as a transfer from North Dakota. If, though, a new rule adopted by the NCAA is approved (I don’t think it will be) this June she will be able to dress up for the Bobcats this coming season, then look out! I think we will have the best frontcourt talent in the Big Sky has ever seen.
Despite this Binford still has 2 scholarships open that can be filled. I have heard we are in the running for a Pac-12 guard transfer, who would have three years of eligibility remaining, but she would not be able to suit up until 2019-20 season (again that proposed NCAA rule could change that). I would really like to see Binford grab a JC guard for next year to bolster the backcourt in case of injury or if one of the younger players does not develop as hoped. Binford, though, will not fill scholarships for the sake of filling them. She would rather, (and has many many times) leave a scholarship open (to be used on the next recruiting class) then sign a player she does not feel is right for the program.

Now as much as I like the 2018-19 team it is highly likely 2019-20 will be even better. The Bobcats will have only one senior on their roster next year Claire Lundberg. Lundberg is a big talent to lose but with Fallyn Freijer coming on board, that will definitely take some of the slack of Lundberg’s graduation. Having only one senior is another reason Binford may hold on to a scholarship from this year for next years class, as Binford already has two commitments for next year.

As the roster stands right now

Here is the Bobcat Women's roster so far:
Freshman:
Halle Wright F 6-0
Kamden Hilborn G 5-8
Brynley Fitzgerald G 5-11
Gabby Moccho F 6-1
Sidney Zieske G 5-8

Sophomore:
Tori Martell G 5-8
Ashley Van Sickel G 5-7

Junior
Madisyn Shaide 5-7 G
Martha Kunderer 5-11 F
Oliana Squires G 5-8
Madeline Smith F 6-2
Blaire Braxton F 6-2

Senior
Claire Lundberg F 6-1

Bobcat4Ever · Post by **Bobcat4Ever** » Mon May 07, 2018 9:42 pm

Excellent, and inspiring write up. This is really a program to be proud of. I'm eager to see if the chemistry will gel. If so, watch out.

Note: Halle Wright is missing from the list of freshmen.

mslacat · Post by **mslacat** » Tue May 08, 2018 9:08 am

Bobcat4Ever wrote:Excellent, and inspiring write up. This is really a program to be proud of. I'm eager to see if the chemistry will gel. If so, watch out.

Note: Halle Wright is missing from the list of freshmen.

Fixed

MSU01 · Post by **MSU01** » Wed May 09, 2018 8:59 am

Yes, an extremely exciting future for the MSU women. I love what they're doing with the combination of high school recruits and D-I transfers - what a luxury to be able to bring in those players and already have a strong enough roster to be able to be ok with them sitting for a year. I've said it several times before, but seeing what Coach Binford has been able to do is a great argument for giving coaches a bit more time to build a program and not firing someone who doesn't immediately win championships. She is still relatively young for a head coach, so it will be interesting to see if any bigger schools come calling if she continues to have success in the next couple of years.

mslacat · Post by **mslacat** » Wed May 09, 2018 10:41 am

Keep this in mind. Binford has only had 1 losing season in conference (her first year 3-23 overall, 2-12 Conf.) and only 2 losing seasons over-all (her first 2 season). By her 3rd season Binford took the Bobcats to a 3rd place finish in conference. It was quite clear after Binford's 3rd or 4th year she was the real thing.

Catlady · Post by **Catlady** » Wed May 09, 2018 11:31 am

Agree that Binford has built a strong program, but the pressure is going to be interesting the next two seasons. Expectations will be very high and anything but two conference championships might be a disappointment. I’m excited about the future, but the program is going to have to live up to its potential!

mslacat · Post by **mslacat** » Wed May 09, 2018 12:03 pm

Catlady wrote:Agree that Binford has built a strong program, but the pressure is going to be interesting the next two seasons. Expectations will be very high and anything but two conference championships might be a disappointment. I’m excited about the future, but the program is going to have to live up to its potential!

Yea that is pressure, but that is the deal, and it is the type of pressure every coach should strive for. I would rather have that type of pressure than the type of pressure Fish will be under.

RickRund · Post by **RickRund** » Wed May 09, 2018 6:45 pm

mslacat wrote:
Catlady wrote:Agree that Binford has built a strong program, but the pressure is going to be interesting the next two seasons. Expectations will be very high and anything but two conference championships might be a disappointment. I’m excited about the future, but the program is going to have to live up to its potential!
Yea that is pressure, but that is the deal, and it is the type of pressure every coach should strive for. I would rather have that type of pressure than the type of pressure Fish will be under.

You could be very correct. Not saying that Binford can somewhat relax and just coach to win but Fish's situation may be him coaching not to lose.

aucat · Post by **aucat** » Sat May 19, 2018 12:05 pm

Interesting posts. I am certainly looking forward to the 18-19 season.

Here are my thoughts:

1. I think Coach Binford is happy in her job and the fans are happy she is here. I really can't see any big-time schools beating down her door to lure her away, but who knows.

2. After winning two straight BSC championships, I was really surprised at the dropoff last year. I thought the team underachieved.

3. Maybe I'm not the ultimate optimist, but after finishing in 7th place (2 games out of 6th place) in a 12 team league, going 4-10 on the road,
and faltering the second half of the season, I think it is a bit heroic to say the team will win a championship next year. Of course, I really don't follow what is going on
with all of those teams who finished ahead of us last year.

4. But overall, yes, I agree the program is still on an upswing. One of the best ways to determine that is to look at the fan base. When the fans are excited about the upcoming season,
the program must be in pretty good shape. For example, right now I am excited about the upcoming football season and the women's basketball season. I wish I could say the same
for the men's basketball program.

Bobcat4Ever · Post by **Bobcat4Ever** » Sat May 19, 2018 3:55 pm

aucat wrote: ... Of course, I really don't follow what is going on with all of those teams who finished ahead of us last year. ...

On the macro scale, we lost three star starters (Lai, Nordgaard, Ferris) including the conference MVP. Most of the better teams last year (Idaho, Northern Colorado, Portland State, North Dakota and more) retained the bulk of their stars. We went down, they went up. But it's cyclical. A lot of those stars (except Idaho) will not be returning next year. They go down, we should go up.

Hope this helps explain. At least, this is what I have observed.

Helcat72 · Post by **Helcat72** » Sun May 20, 2018 10:44 pm

Bobcat4Ever wrote:
aucat wrote: ... Of course, I really don't follow what is going on with all of those teams who finished ahead of us last year. ...
On the macro scale, we lost three star starters (Lai, Nordgaard, Ferris) including the conference MVP. Most of the better teams last year (Idaho, Northern Colorado, Portland State, North Dakota and more) retained the bulk of their stars. We went down, they went up. But it's cyclical. A lot of those stars (except Idaho) will not be returning next year. They go down, we should go up.

Hope this helps explain. At least, this is what I have observed.

Yes, Idaho will be loaded next year. They only lose McCorkel and they are deadly from 3. They were better than N Colorado in my opinion, but maybe not coached as well.

Catlady · Post by **Catlady** » Mon May 21, 2018 1:49 pm

Helcat72 wrote:
Bobcat4Ever wrote:
aucat wrote: ... Of course, I really don't follow what is going on with all of those teams who finished ahead of us last year. ...
On the macro scale, we lost three star starters (Lai, Nordgaard, Ferris) including the conference MVP. Most of the better teams last year (Idaho, Northern Colorado, Portland State, North Dakota and more) retained the bulk of their stars. We went down, they went up. But it's cyclical. A lot of those stars (except Idaho) will not be returning next year. They go down, we should go up.

Hope this helps explain. At least, this is what I have observed.

Yes, Idaho will be loaded next year. They only lose McCorkel and they are deadly from 3. They were better than N Colorado in my opinion, but maybe not coached as well.

I’m putting it out there right now, MSU’s inside game will be too much next year. Defense wins championships and lots of confidence that we’ll Be a dominant team in the Big Sky! I like our bigs and our transfers. Question is can our guards produce.

mslacat · Post by **mslacat** » Mon May 21, 2018 2:49 pm

Could not agree more with Catlady! I was really hoping the Bobcats could pick up a another guard who could Bolster the back court right away next season, but I get the feeling that Binford is going to stand pat with what she has, and save the scholarships for next year.

RickRund · Post by **RickRund** » Mon May 21, 2018 5:13 pm

mslacat wrote:Could not agree more with Catlady! I was really hoping the Bobcats could pick up a another guard who could Bolster the back court right away next season, but I get the feeling that Binford is going to stand pat with what she has, and save the scholarships for next year.

So with Lundberg leaving next year, I think, does that mean we should have two schollies for next year... Or is Lundberg sitting out next year?

mslacat · Post by **mslacat** » Mon May 21, 2018 5:34 pm

RickRund wrote:
mslacat wrote:Could not agree more with Catlady! I was really hoping the Bobcats could pick up a another guard who could Bolster the back court right away next season, but I get the feeling that Binford is going to stand pat with what she has, and save the scholarships for next year.
So with Lundberg leaving next year, I think, does that mean we should have two schollies for next year... Or is Lundberg sitting out next year?

Lundburg is our only senior next year so there’s one scholarship there plus right now I think we have two open scholarships going into next year and we have two commitments from high school players for next year already

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Catlady · Post by **Catlady** » Mon May 21, 2018 6:24 pm

mslacat wrote:
RickRund wrote:
mslacat wrote:Could not agree more with Catlady! I was really hoping the Bobcats could pick up a another guard who could Bolster the back court right away next season, but I get the feeling that Binford is going to stand pat with what she has, and save the scholarships for next year.
So with Lundberg leaving next year, I think, does that mean we should have two schollies for next year... Or is Lundberg sitting out next year?
Lundburg is our only senior next year so there’s one scholarship there plus right now I think we have two open scholarships going into next year and we have two commitments from high school players for next year already

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Let’s not forget the transfer from North Dakota for 2019. She’s a proven commodity. I’m predicting consecutive big sky championships.

Bobcat4Ever · Post by **Bobcat4Ever** » Mon May 21, 2018 9:53 pm

Catlady wrote: ... I’m putting it out there right now, MSU’s inside game will be too much next year. ...

Hi, Catlady. I love these civil discussions. Would you mind giving us your thoughts on our inside game for next year—what's leading you to have that nice confidence in them? And mslacat, chime in if you wish, too. I really enjoy reading what others are thinking, to sort of calibrate my own mental analysis! Thanks.

Catlady · Post by **Catlady** » Tue May 22, 2018 7:58 am

Thanks for the note and thanks to Coach Binford as she accumulated the talent to allow our thoughts to be positive. She put together a good group of young women that represent us well on and off the court.

Coach Bin invested a lot of minutes in Braxton and Smith the last two seasons and that’s going to pay off as we enter their Junior seasons. Defense and rebounding win games and I’m expecting a lot out of both players. They don’t need to be our leading scorers, but a combined 20 points and 12 rebounds every night is doable from our Centers. Losing Pranger was crushing and left the Lady Bobcats without a strong back up for Lundberg, who is going to be a preseason candidate for Big Sky player of the year. The addition of Lundberg and Kuderer from Seton Hall is going to be a difference maker for the Cats. The program is going to have to rely on an incoming Freshman to back up Lundberg or figure out how to give minutes to Braxton or Smith at the 4 spot. It’s an interesting line up to have both Braxton and Smith on the court at the same time, but that hasn’t worked well in previous seasons. Kuderer is a scorer, expecting her to play the 3 and she has the ability to fill it up. She’s going to be a handful with her ability to shoot 3’s.

The question mark for the team next season is guard play and depth. Can Squires, Van Sickle, Martell and the incoming Freshmen step up their games to bring another championship to Bozeman? The talent is there and Squires will be one of the best scorers in the league, if she commits herself this summer to improving her handles and shot selection. The other question is can Van Sickle replace Hannah Caudill. Martell and Squires can fill it up from anywhere on the court, but the key to next season is turnovers. Can Van Sickle make the transition from back up to 20-25 minutes a game as a starter? Can she keep the turnovers at a reasonable level and improve in her ability to make the entry pass. I think she can.

Take that line up, replace Lundberg with Fallen Freije, transfer from North Dakota in the 2019 season and the next two years look very promising. Lundberg is the only Senior on the squad next season.

In my opinion, we have 7-8 reliable players who are as good as any players in the league. Due to the lost of Pranger who I thought was going to be an impact player, it’s important that 2 or 3 Freshman make significant contributions next season. I’m not sure who it’s going to be as they all look promising, but we have to remember that Binford trusted Braxton and Smith in the 2016-2017 season and the Freshmen were impact players on a championship team.

Coach Binford is not afraid to put Freshmen on the court and that’s had a positive impact on their development. Obviously I’m bullish on the Cats, but last season did not meet expectations. They have a lot to prove next season, but this will be a high scoring team that will be fun to watch. They’re not only talented, but very smart. I think we’re in for a memorable season!

RickRund · Post by **RickRund** » Tue May 22, 2018 8:28 am

Catlady wrote:
mslacat wrote:
RickRund wrote:
mslacat wrote:Could not agree more with Catlady! I was really hoping the Bobcats could pick up a another guard who could Bolster the back court right away next season, but I get the feeling that Binford is going to stand pat with what she has, and save the scholarships for next year.
So with Lundberg leaving next year, I think, does that mean we should have two schollies for next year... Or is Lundberg sitting out next year?
Lundburg is our only senior next year so there’s one scholarship there plus right now I think we have two open scholarships going into next year and we have two commitments from high school players for next year already

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Let’s not forget the transfer from North Dakota for 2019. She’s a proven commodity. I’m predicting consecutive big sky championships.

Whoops, I was thinking that Lundberg was the transfer from NoDak... Scratch my post from our memories.

Bobcat4Ever · Post by **Bobcat4Ever** » Tue May 22, 2018 11:24 am

Thank you, Catlady!