Ignatius L Hoops
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http://spokesman-recorder.com/2018/04/20/whalen-named-new-gopher-coach-after-whirlwind-search/
A couple of points from Hallman:
First, historically there has been a talent drain of good players, great players, Black players from this state who if they had stayed would have propelled Minnesota into a perennial Big Ten contender. For whatever reasons, this hasn’t happened. Can Whalen indeed turn the proverbial corner in this regard?
“Putting together a staff and building a relationship with in-state recruits and coaches” is important, Borton confirmed.
This relationship-building might be Whalen’s biggest challenge. There are state players, specifically Black players, who deserve serious looks. Reaching out to them early rather than waiting until they are on other schools’ radar screens, when in most cases it’s way too late, only makes sense.
Second, please enough of the Dawn Staley comparison. First of all, Staley’s first coaching job at Temple while she was still an active WNBA player was not at her alma mater (Virginia) as Whalen is in her first coaching job. Also, Staley wasn’t on a defending league champion team vying to repeat this summer, as Whalen is on the Lynx.
A couple of points from Hallman:
First, historically there has been a talent drain of good players, great players, Black players from this state who if they had stayed would have propelled Minnesota into a perennial Big Ten contender. For whatever reasons, this hasn’t happened. Can Whalen indeed turn the proverbial corner in this regard?
“Putting together a staff and building a relationship with in-state recruits and coaches” is important, Borton confirmed.
This relationship-building might be Whalen’s biggest challenge. There are state players, specifically Black players, who deserve serious looks. Reaching out to them early rather than waiting until they are on other schools’ radar screens, when in most cases it’s way too late, only makes sense.
Second, please enough of the Dawn Staley comparison. First of all, Staley’s first coaching job at Temple while she was still an active WNBA player was not at her alma mater (Virginia) as Whalen is in her first coaching job. Also, Staley wasn’t on a defending league champion team vying to repeat this summer, as Whalen is on the Lynx.