Sara Scalia is first to commit

FiveOut

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Sara Scalia of Stillwater & North Tartan committed tonight to the Gophers. The 2019 point guard has great handles and outstanding range. UM also offered 2021 forward Kendall Coley of St Louis Park and Minnesota Suns. They are also pursuing 6'3 center Tamia Ugass of Roseville and 5'10 guard Adalia McKenzie of Park Center, both 2021s from Minnesota Stars.
 

Recruits

Sara Scalia of Stillwater & North Tartan committed tonight to the Gophers. The 2019 point guard has great handles and outstanding range. UM also offered 2021 forward Kendall Coley of St Louis Park and Minnesota Suns. They are also pursuing 6'3 center Tamia Ugass of Roseville and 5'10 guard Adalia McKenzie of Park Center, both 2021s from Minnesota Stars.

This is a good get for Lindsay!!:clap:
 

Awesome start! May the program roll to success!
 

You can win with MN kids on the team baby.
 

http://www.startribune.com/whalen-lands-first-u-recruit-in-stillwater-s-scalia/481881501/

Scalia, a 5-foot-10 guard, averaged 26.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 3.8 steals this season for the 17-11 Ponies. Her high scoring game was 39 points against Forest Lake. She plays AAU basketball for North Tartan.

Whalen watched all five of Scalia's games with North Tartan at the Boo Williams tournament in Virginia last month. Scalia visited Minnesota's campus and met with Whalen and U assistants Kelly Roysland and Carly Thibault-DuDonis last week.
 



Ms. Scalia may wind up being a 2 with her size but it would be great to have 2 strong handlers on the court at the same time and that range is never a bad thing.
 

Am I correct in thinking that Whalen has already signed one more Minnesota high school players than Stollings did in her four years here? (Excluding, of course, some of the transfers who came back. i.e.--Bell, Fernstrom, Tinjum.) In fairness to Stollings, the Minnesota high school talent pool was a bit lacking during those years, but that will be changing with the upcoming classes. It's a great time to have a new coach who will make recruiting Minnesota talent one of her priority. When I read that Stollings had gone to see Bueckers play once while Geno and Muffit had visited multiple times, I was baffled. Maybe she viewed Bueckers as ungettable, or she figured she could chat with her at the Gopher games, but how difficult could it be to get in her car and watch Bueckers play? I'll guarantee that this will not happen with Whalen. Scalia's commitment is a good start for Whalen and her staff. Hopefully, there will be more quality players signing soon. I hope we can reach a level in which Minnesota players will want to commit early with the idea that roster spots may not be available if they wait too long. Great to have Scalia as the first commit.
 




Am I correct in thinking that Whalen has already signed one more Minnesota high school players than Stollings did in her four years here? (Excluding, of course, some of the transfers who came back. i.e.--Bell, Fernstrom, Tinjum.) In fairness to Stollings, the Minnesota high school talent pool was a bit lacking during those years, but that will be changing with the upcoming classes. It's a great time to have a new coach who will make recruiting Minnesota talent one of her priority. When I read that Stollings had gone to see Bueckers play once while Geno and Muffit had visited multiple times, I was baffled. Maybe she viewed Bueckers as ungettable, or she figured she could chat with her at the Gopher games, but how difficult could it be to get in her car and watch Bueckers play? I'll guarantee that this will not happen with Whalen. Scalia's commitment is a good start for Whalen and her staff. Hopefully, there will be more quality players signing soon. I hope we can reach a level in which Minnesota players will want to commit early with the idea that roster spots may not be available if they wait too long. Great to have Scalia as the first commit.

It's probably not accurate to say that Stollings only saw Bueckers play once. In fairness, the assistants came to watch her regularly, particularly Tamisha Augustin, but she was only here a year. I recall seeing Fred Schmiel around before he left for South Carolina, which was a huge loss. Marty McGillan was at a workout that Geno attended last fall. Oregon was also there and Kentucky. Gail was around quite often, too. I'm guessing they got the vibe from Paige early on that she wasn't particularly interested but I don't know that to be fact.

The two latest offers over the weekend are solid. Clearly they are working very hard on move the needle quickly and Scalia's commitment has the attention of other elite players in Minnesota.
 

I couldn’t find Scalia in the Top 60 of ESPN rankings. What are her rankings?
 

The ESPN rankings are a function of geography and politics. Prep Girls Hoops has her #3 in Minnesota behind Theisen and Oberg. Chuck Thompson has her at #1.
 

http://www.fox9.com/sports/stillwater-native-among-first-of-coach-lindsay-whalens-gopher-recruits

“Now that she’s my coach, it’s amazing,” Scalia said, becoming the first player to commit to the new Gophers women’s basketball coach.

Sara earned other offers from schools around the Midwest, but it was almost impossible to say no to the Gophers when Whalen approached.

“When Lindsay became the coach, I visited and it was the right fit,” Scalia said. “I just think it’s so amazing that she’s been so successful as a basketball player, and I think she will be as a coach, too.”

Being around Whalen on the basketball court is nothing new for Scalia. She and her family have been attending Lynx games as season ticket holders for the last few years.

It has been an experience watching Whalen up close, but learning from an idol will be a dream come true for Sara.

“I have always looked up to her playing because we play the same position, and I think she’s a great role model,” Scalia says of Whalen. “I think she can make me into a really great player and teach me a lot.”
 



Pioneer Press: Lindsay Whalen’s first Gophers recruit said the coach ‘had a huge impact’ on her decision

It has always been Sara Scalia’s dream to play for the University of Minnesota. Still, the Stillwater guard — who was drawn to the chance to play close to home — was considering a number of schools in the Midwest.

Wisconsin, Green Bay, Marquette and Drake were all in the mix for the 2019 sharpshooter.

But then Lindsay Whalen took the Gophers’ head coaching job in April, which Scalia said had “a huge impact” on her recruitment. And after watching Scalia play in an AAU tournament in Virginia, the local legend told Scalia she liked her game.

And that sealed the deal.

“When Lindsay came, and she liked the way I played, I just knew it was the best fit for me,” said Scalia, who became Whalen’s first Gophers recruit when she committed to Minnesota on Sunday.

Whalen had Scalia in for a visit last Wednesday. The 5-foot-10 guard said she “didn’t really know what it was going to be like,” but then she had the chance to sit down and talk with Whalen, and said the conversation “was really just straightforward, calm and it was good.”

https://www.twincities.com/2018/05/...-the-coach-had-a-huge-impact-on-her-decision/

Go Gophers!!
 


https://kstp.com/sports/stillwater-girls-basketball-scalia-taylor-gophers/5217481/

KSTP Video:


The Stillwater girls basketball team is led by senior guard and future Gopher Sara Scalia. They are ranked No. 3 in the state, with a record of 12-2, 8-0 in the conference.

KSTP Sports caught up with Scalia, younger sister Amber, a 9th grader on the team, and coach Willie Taylor.

Scalia committed to the Gophers in the spring, shortly after Lindsay Whalen took over the program. She's known as a great scorer, having eclipsed the 2,000 point milestone earlier this season.

Stillwater is hoping to make it to the state tournament this year after losing in the section semi-finals last year
 

I should note that while dated 1-22-10 this interview took place sometime after the Michigan/Gopher game in Ann Arbor.
 

Haven't seen her play. But it's nice to know that she is a track athlete and she can run the court.
 




It will be awesome if she can start some games her Freshman season.

"...teams are really playing tight on me, and I obviously have to take hard shots. I practice that a lot..."


I hope that she can be a game changing Guard addition in her Freshman year. One additional scoring threat who will be double teamed will mean someone else will be open and help stretch the opponents' defenses. Having Staples mature as a shooter who can play defense plus Scalia may spring the Gophers scoring threat wide open.

We can't forget that the Gophers also will have Freshmen 5' 6" Guard Jasmine Powell, 6' 3" Post Klarke Sconiers, 6' 3" Post Grace Cumming, and 5' 10" Small Forward/Wing Justice Ross.

More importantly, this season the Gophers bench has 11 dressed players minus Hubbard. It is more like in some games there are only 9 players dressed in rotation. It is pretty obvious that opponents took full advantage of the Gophers short bench.

Having 13 players with a possibility for two Grad Transfers (who will bring poise and experience) will be a huge lift. With 15 players, Whalen's team defense can really work magic when they can substitute more frequently. It takes a lot more energy to play tenacious defense.
 
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Hungan, you've been saying all year that the Gophers are playing with a short bench. I disagree. The Gophers bench has been as long as that of most teams. Unfortunately, the bench just hasn't been very good. To think that Whalen will work 13 to 15 players into the rotation next year...I really doubt it. Most coaches go with 8 or 9 , except for blowout games. And, on another note, what have you seen from Staples this year that indicates she'll be a major contributor next year? Am I missing something?
 

Hungan, you've been saying all year that the Gophers are playing with a short bench. I disagree. The Gophers bench has been as long as that of most teams. Unfortunately, the bench just hasn't been very good. To think that Whalen will work 13 to 15 players into the rotation next year...I really doubt it. Most coaches go with 8 or 9 , except for blowout games. And, on another note, what have you seen from Staples this year that indicates she'll be a major contributor next year? Am I missing something?

The frontcourt depth is non-existent with just Kaposi right now. Tomancova getting healthy will help with that.
 

Next year barring injuries or transfers gopher could and should go 9-10 deep. it could be by my estimate.

PG: Brunson/Powell (Freshman)
SG: Hubbard
SF: Pitts/Scalia (Freshman)
PF: Taiye
C: Tomancova/Sconiers (Freshman)

I think Staples and Byrne have the ability to develop into players where they could back up Hubbard (who I expect to take Bell's starting spot next year) or Byrne with Taiye. I think Center and Point guard is open right now. Depending out ready incoming freshman are, I see both positions being started by freshman. Incoming freshman Ross could be really raw and maybe a year out from contributing. I also am not sure what Cumming can do as a freshman.


Hungan, you've been saying all year that the Gophers are playing with a short bench. I disagree. The Gophers bench has been as long as that of most teams. Unfortunately, the bench just hasn't been very good. To think that Whalen will work 13 to 15 players into the rotation next year...I really doubt it. Most coaches go with 8 or 9 , except for blowout games. And, on another note, what have you seen from Staples this year that indicates she'll be a major contributor next year? Am I missing something?
 
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Brunson/Powell
Hubbard/Scalia
Pitts/Staples/Ross
TBello/KBello/Byrne
Tomancova/Sconiers/Cumming

Who did I leave out?
It’s hard to say Tomancova is starter quality. The post could go a lot of ways.
Both Bellos could be starting. Sconiers could be starting. The only thing I’m fairly certain is Byrne won’t be starting, unless she does some major work in the off season.
 

I could see K-Bello being the starting Center with her sister at PF. Im thinking Scalia backs up Pitts/Hubbard if Staples doesn't take a step forward and Ross is raw and a project the first year. I could see cummings also a backup behind taiye at PF since she is a shooting/face up forward. If I had wage a guess now based on what we have seen from Byrne and Tomancova is that Sconiers will be the starting Center at least at the start of the year. I see Brunson as the starting PG to start the year BUT if Powell can consistently hit the 3 and not be too wild with turnovers I could see her taking it over by the time conference season starts. the one thing for sure next year will/should have is a lot more options from behind the 3-point line. Powell, Hubbard, Pitts, Scalia and possibly Staples and Bryne and Cumming being bigs with that option.


Brunson/Powell
Hubbard/Scalia
Pitts/Staples/Ross
TBello/KBello/Byrne
Tomancova/Sconiers/Cumming

Who did I leave out?
It’s hard to say Tomancova is starter quality. The post could go a lot of ways.
Both Bellos could be starting. Sconiers could be starting. The only thing I’m fairly certain is Byrne won’t be starting, unless she does some major work in the off season.
 

I have seen Sara play several times and I really like her game. Her game is shooting particularly 3 point shooting but she handles the ball well, is quick and fast up and down the floor, has good court vision, is good defensively because she her hands on a lot of basketballs, and doesn’t really over play her hand so-to-speak. Lindsay doesn’t really like to play freshmen but I could see Sara getting in the rotation because of her shooting ability.
 

Staff is still looking to add another player or 2 for this year, most likely transfer or a juco. But id be pretty surprised if Scalia doesnt crack the rotation because she'll immediately be the best shooter on the team. I do question her defense because Stillwater runs some funky zones and doesnt play alot of man to man.
 




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