WBB: Beattie Enters the Portal

[Bobcat4Ever]

I’ve said this before — one last time and I’ll be quiet! There has been so much turnover in assistant coaches — has it been upgrades, level, or downgrades? Maybe someone closer to the program can lend an opinion. If not, I understand. I personally was sorry to see the Livingston guy end up with the gris and I really like Coach Assibey. We’ve recruited better players but they haven’t gelled and have not seemed to improve each year individually. Assistant coaches do a lot of the player development (sorry Grace, but it’s true) and are often closer to the players.

[BobcatDel]

I’ve said this before — one last time and I’ll be quiet! There has been so much turnover in assistant coaches — has it been upgrades, level, or downgrades? Maybe someone closer to the program can lend an opinion. If not, I understand. I personally was sorry to see the Livingston guy end up with the gris and I really like Coach Assibey. We’ve recruited better players but they haven’t gelled and have not seemed to improve each year individually. Assistant coaches do a lot of the player development (sorry Grace, but it’s true) and are often closer to the players.

I’ll try but remember I try not to base it on if I like the guy or lady….but bottom line results. And you are probably getting more data than you want to read. Without looking at results and using my human side just a bit I will tell you that I loved the role Harris played and Assibey was just terrific with the team…. but the results while with the Bobcats were NOT better than what Smallwood has achieved. People forget the two 9-9 conference records both Harris and Assibey experienced and want to remember only a couple good years…..in my opinion.

In the last 10 years the two strongest combination of assistants that we had were Harris and Assibey working together in 2016-2018…both terrific teachers and coaches. They produced the conference champion team that went 25-7 (15-3 in conference) and went to the NCAA tourney in 2016-17 but then they had a brain fart in 2017-18 going only 16-15 (9-9 in conference). But the best combo team (in my opinion the best we have had in 10years) based on results was Smallwood and Assibey in 2019-20 with a team that went 25-6 (19-1 in conference play)….and I am counting that as a NCAA tourney bid because there was no way Idaho would have beaten them in the title game before Covid stopped them.

I believe perhaps the least experienced group of assistant coaches we had was 2020-21…and don’t ding me for this but that was the Covid year and Geoff Golden had pulled up and left after one year…..and we weren’t bringing anyone new in…so that crew was Smallwood, Braxton, and Ferris. Peyton was just back from Europe and Blair was just not long out of playing. Sunny was the only experienced coach on the scene. That team still finished 17-7 (13-3 in conference) for 2nd place.

If you want to compare tenures here using win-loss records and % wins:

Harris 2014-18. 77-47 for 62%. Conference 47-25 for 65%. 2 conference champions . Zero 2nd place finishes. 1 NCAA appearance. 1 NIT appearance.

Assibey 2016-20. 82-43 for 66%. Conference 54-22 for 71%. 2 conference champions. Zero 2nd place finishes. 2 NCAA tourneys….counting the 19-20 title game.

Smallwood 2018-23: 100-52 for 66%. Conference 70-24 for 74%. 2 conference champions. Two 2nd place finishes. 2 NCAA tourneys…again counting for the 19-20 title game debacle.

Do I think we need more help right now? Not sure. I like the fact Coach Binford brought in Bussey to help with the guard play….but she is new from a playing career and I think needs more time to mold her coaching skills. I’m not sure who is owning the play of the inside game right now but that is an area needing some development even if we did have the 2nd team all conference player in Kola this year and Kola did get better on the inside each year….stronger and better moves.

I know I know way too much info. But I guess one thing that I see is Coach Bin has an established a good winning program and she is able to attract quality players and coaches at least during my time back in Bozeman. Winning on the court but also winners in the game of life. And I also know if Coach Bin needs to make a Coaching change she will…stay tuned.

[BobcatDel]

Again, sorry Bobcat4Ever for the long winded response.

But the most frustrating and discouraging thing I experienced in the past couple weeks was at a pub when a fan said in his opinion the whole Bobcat WBB coaching staff should be fired. I was floored and I didn’t argue because he was sure of his opinion…but I was thinking I’ve seen a team finish first or second each of the last 4 years and went to one NCAA tourney and would have gone to another except the Covid canceled title game, recorded the most wins of any team in a conference season, and had a coach become the 2nd winningest coach in Big Sky history. I don’t always agree with Coach Bin on how she manages the game and team but my butt is not in the arena either. Maybe my glasses are too Blue and Gold but I patted him on the back and walked away.

[MSU01]

LOL, anyone who thinks the entire women's coaching staff should be fired either has a serious lack of perspective or had a few too many drinks at the pub. Some were making that argument pre-2016 and may have had a point as it did take her over a decade to win a championship. Robin Selvig retiring over on the other side of the divide obviously helped too.

[84CatGrad]

I did not see Beattie leaving. She could have led us in scoring next year. Lots of speculation on why but I'm beginning to wonder if kids just want to be in on the latest craze and don't really even have a reason, or at least much of a reason. It's just another box to check on social media.

[lutecat]

I dont know the particulars. All I know is that Coach Bin was one of the first people to like Darian's tweet about entering the transfer portal. So I think that was a case of Darian trying something higher since she has the covid hear with the full support of Coach Bin. So I trust Coach Bin and if Beattie needs to leave then she needs to leave.

[Bobcat4Ever]

Again, sorry Bobcat4Ever for the long winded response.

But the most frustrating and discouraging thing I experienced in the past couple weeks was at a pub when a fan said in his opinion the whole Bobcat WBB coaching staff should be fired. I was floored and I didn’t argue because he was sure of his opinion…but I was thinking I’ve seen a team finish first or second each of the last 4 years and went to one NCAA tourney and would have gone to another except the Covid canceled title game, recorded the most wins of any team in a conference season, and had a coach become the 2nd winningest coach in Big Sky history. I don’t always agree with Coach Bin on how she manages the game and team but my butt is not in the arena either. Maybe my glasses are too Blue and Gold but I patted him on the back and walked away.

Thanks, BobcatDel, for digging into the data. Interesting, and someday I’ll remember Nate Harris’s name. I will say I think the last 6-7 years the coaches have all had a bit better players and at least more depth to work with. And that 19-1 team had Fallyn Freije, and if ever a player made a team better, that was it. I thought it tenuous that she was named preseason POY before she ever played a down for the Bobcats, but she backed it up. I heard someone (maybe Kola or Lexi) thank Chris Mayes for the work he had done with the “bigs” thus year. IIMHO they showed the most improvement year over year.

Dismiss the entire staff? Good grief! Coach Bin has been a treasure to MSU. She had a big mountain to climb, taking over a program that was totally in shreds. She was getting better against the gris before Robin retired, and she filled that gap in a hurry. Then they completed the climb by starting to get the better of ISU and UI. Not easily done. She is one reason that UI started to slide off the top, and I never would have believed like even two years ago that Newlee would now be gone. She’s really had the lion’s share of the top Big Sky awards with Jasmine Hommes, Peyton Ferris, Fallyn Frieje, and Darian White all capturing the Player of the Year award. Her players are of good character, make good grades. What more could we ask? And she has stayed and worked on her program, brick by brick. We had such a string of disasters before she came. Absolutely the best program in the Conference. I’m ready for next year!

Know anything about Malea Egan, other than that she played for Colstrip (which is now near where my paternal family rooted down about 110 years ago)?

[Cat Grad]

Again, sorry Bobcat4Ever for the long winded response.

But the most frustrating and discouraging thing I experienced in the past couple weeks was at a pub when a fan said in his opinion the whole Bobcat WBB coaching staff should be fired. I was floored and I didn’t argue because he was sure of his opinion…but I was thinking I’ve seen a team finish first or second each of the last 4 years and went to one NCAA tourney and would have gone to another except the Covid canceled title game, recorded the most wins of any team in a conference season, and had a coach become the 2nd winningest coach in Big Sky history. I don’t always agree with Coach Bin on how she manages the game and team but my butt is not in the arena either. Maybe my glasses are too Blue and Gold but I patted him on the back and walked away.

Thanks, BobcatDel, for digging into the data. Interesting, and someday I’ll remember Nate Harris’s name. I will say I think the last 6-7 years the coaches have all had a bit better players and at least more depth to work with. And that 19-1 team had Fallyn Freije, and if ever a player made a team better, that was it. I thought it tenuous that she was named preseason POY before she ever played a down for the Bobcats, but she backed it up. I heard someone (maybe Kola or Lexi) thank Chris Mayes for the work he had done with the “bigs” thus year. IIMHO they showed the most improvement year over year.

Dismiss the entire staff? Good grief! Coach Bin has been a treasure to MSU. She had a big mountain to climb, taking over a program that was totally in shreds. She was getting better against the gris before Robin retired, and she filled that gap in a hurry. Then they completed the climb by starting to get the better of ISU and UI. Not easily done. She is one reason that UI started to slide off the top, and I never would have believed like even two years ago that Newlee would now be gone. She’s really had the lion’s share of the top Big Sky awards with Jasmine Hommes, Peyton Ferris, Fallyn Frieje, and Darian White all capturing the Player of the Year award. Her players are of good character, make good grades. What more could we ask? And she has stayed and worked on her program, brick by brick. We had such a string of disasters before she came. Absolutely the best program in the Conference. I’m ready for next year!

Know anything about Malea Egan, other than that she played for Colstrip (which is now near where my paternal family rooted down about 110 years ago)?

Looking forward to next year.

Personally, I want to see if the cross country team closes the gap on Northern Arizona. Although we're a long way behind with facilities, with the limited facilities our coaching staff has to work with, they're doing an amazing job. Want to be the best? Have to compete against the best for the experience and then actually beat the best. I feel the track and cross country programs are doing that right now.

[84CatGrad]

"Know anything about Malea Egan, other than that she played for Colstrip (which is now near where my paternal family rooted down about 110 years ago)?"

I live in Columbus so we've seen Colstrip play a few times in the last couple years. Egan is a wonderful player, very quick. I'm not smart enough to judge her ability to play college hoops but she was a very, very good player in the class B ranks. As a junior her team won the class B 'ship but they did not have a very good year this year as most of the team graduated.

[Bobcat4Ever]

"Know anything about Malea Egan, other than that she played for Colstrip (which is now near where my paternal family rooted down about 110 years ago)?"

I live in Columbus so we've seen Colstrip play a few times in the last couple years. Egan is a wonderful player, very quick. I'm not smart enough to judge her ability to play college hoops but she was a very, very good player in the class B ranks. As a junior her team won the class B 'ship but they did not have a very good year this year as most of the team graduated.

Thank you! I’m sure the coaching staff likes her or they wouldn’t have recruited her. If she’s quick and athletic she’ll be fine — with one caveat, she must be better than a mundane shooter. We’ve had several guards come in who could do everything else, but could not shoot and that meant short careers. Everyone on good D-I teams can shoot and you are handicapped if you have a lackluster shooter. I see she’s 5’6” with shoes on (basketball height) so she’s probably Darian-tall.

[tetoncat]

Is she scholarship or walk on

[84CatGrad]

I heard through the grapevine she is a walk on.