Michigan State 2019-20

Ignatius L Hoops

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No longer just a "reportedly".

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Not 100% sure, but it sure seemed like MSU could have had some chemistry problems this past year. I thought they underachieved by quite a bit...and Suzy Merchant seems to be a decent coach.

On a side note, I note that Cooks was a Wisconsin player, as was Iowa's Gustafson and Notre Dame's Agunbowale. I'm sure that Tsipis of Wisconsin would also like to start closing the borders. So, Whalen's not alone in that.
 

I'm surprised Cooks hasn't been more of a factor at MSU, given how highly ranked she was coming out of high school. She'll be a good get for someone and I would think she could set her sights higher than Wisconsin. (Also, am I remembering correctly that she's the one Stollings supposedly sang Whitney Houston songs to on a recruiting visit, or was that someone else?)
 

I'm surprised Cooks hasn't been more of a factor at MSU, given how highly ranked she was coming out of high school. She'll be a good get for someone and I would think she could set her sights higher than Wisconsin. (Also, am I remembering correctly that she's the one Stollings supposedly sang Whitney Houston songs to on a recruiting visit, or was that someone else?)

Yes it was a Dawkins, Stollings and Cooks gathered around the family piano. Her first year at MSU was hindered a bit by injury.
 


Not sure if this has been addressed in another thread but wondering if the B1G would ever start allowing athletes to transfer within the conference. It’s no secret that transfers are here to stay and have become a bigger part in the recruiting process. Also no secret that in terms of WBB that the B1G is lagging behind the other P5 conferences. It seems to me that the league should look at keeping good players within the conference or has this change? It seems that the Gophers were finalist for both Church and Cooks but can no longer be considered due to also being in the B1G.
 

Not sure if this has been addressed in another thread but wondering if the B1G would ever start allowing athletes to transfer within the conference. It’s no secret that transfers are here to stay and have become a bigger part in the recruiting process. Also no secret that in terms of WBB that the B1G is lagging behind the other P5 conferences. It seems to me that the league should look at keeping good players within the conference or has this change? It seems that the Gophers were finalist for both Church and Cooks but can no longer be considered due to also being in the B1G.

I thought the intra-conference rule had changed or loosened. In men's basketball Micah Potter transferred from Ohio State to Wisconsin. Potter played two years for the Buckeyes and will have a year and a half remaining for the Badgers (he transferred after the start of Fall semester).
 

I thought the intra-conference rule had changed or loosened. In men's basketball Micah Potter transferred from Ohio State to Wisconsin. Potter played two years for the Buckeyes and will have a year and a half remaining for the Badgers (he transferred after the start of Fall semester).
Don’t claim to be an expert but in an interview with her local paper Cook stated she would not transfer to a B1G school due to the 2year sit out rule per the inter conference transfer rules. She also that it was too long of a process. Whether this rule is accurate or not I am not sure.
 

https://www.kenoshanews.com/sports/...cle_b096c9a5-690a-5a17-bfb1-6f0b3100533b.html

This is the article Katogopher referenced (I thought the onerous B1G rule of sitting out a season, plus losing a season of eligibility had gone by the boards after the NCAA created the "portal" and revised the transfer process. Conferences are still allowed to have more restrictive rules; but, I can't find a specific B1G policy (I can only find that the B1G was going to review their transfer policy).

She said her decision had nothing to do with dissatisfaction with the campus, classes or the coaching staff. Rather, she’s looking to play a different style of basketball that she felt the Spartans didn’t necessarily play.

“What really made my decision was a certain style of play that I’m looking for,” Cooks said. “I feel like I need to (get) going back to up-tempo. I’m not saying Michigan State doesn’t do that, but there are certain programs, certain teams, that kind of have a naturally up-tempo pace to them.”

...
The two big programs in the state, of course, are Wisconsin and Marquette, but neither seems like a likely landing point for Cooks.

“It’s not my first option,” she confirmed.

In fact, she said she won’t be playing for another Big Ten school because of the transfer rules. She’d have to sit out two years if she went to another Big Ten school as opposed to one year for moving to another conference.


As for where she’ll wind up, Cooks said being closer to or further from home isn’t a factor. After all, UCLA was one of her final five schools — along with Wisconsin, Michigan and Purdue — when she chose Michigan State.
 



https://www.news-leader.com/story/s...-amaka-agugua-hamilton-head-coach/3495176002/

Amaka Aguqua-Hamilton leaves MSU to take head coaching job at MSU.
Missouri State announced Wednesday morning it has hired Amaka Agugua-Hamilton as its next head women's basketball coach.

Agugua-Hamilton will be introduced at a 3 p.m. press conference on Wednesday at the Prime Overtime Club.

She becomes the first African-American female head coach for any sport at Missouri State. The eighth head women's basketball coach in program history replaces Kellie Harper — who left MSU for the University of Tennessee.

...

Agugua-Hamilton, 36, is an 18-year veteran of Division I women's basketball, including four seasons as a player at Hofstra and four coaching stops, most recently on the staff at Michigan State for the past six seasons — the last four as an associate head coach.

The new Lady Bears head coach received a five-year agreement through April 16, 2024 with a base salary of $240,000.
 

https://statenews.com/article/2019/...-hires-new-associate-head-coach-and-assistant

Suzy Merchant names her new assistants, Dean Lockwood and Kristin Haynie:


MSU head coach Suzy Merchant announced the new addition to the team naming Dean Lockwood as the new associate head coach after Amaka Agugua-Hamilton accepted the head coach position at Missouri State University on April 17.

Merchant is excited about the addition of Michigan-native Lockwood into the Spartan family.

"We are absolutely thrilled to have Dean join our Spartan family. He is a person of high character, integrity and passion for the game of basketball. He has spent the last 15 years coaching at one of the most storied women's basketball programs in the country and worked for one of the best to ever coach our game in Pat Summit. Beyond the back-to-back National Championships, Dean is a tremendous teacher of the game as he has developed dozens of WNBA draft picks," Merchant said.

Lockwood spent the last 15 seasons at Tennessee as an assistant coach. While at Tennessee, he snagged two national championship titles (2007 and 2008), three Final Four appearances, five SEC regular season titles and seven SEC tournament titles.

...

Kristin Haynie was also announced to be replacing Alysiah Bond as an assistant after Bond accepted an assistant position at Texas Tech.

Haynie, a former Spartan, holds the MSU record for most single season steals (117) and was the ninth overall pick in the 2005 WNBA Draft.

"I am extremely excited to be back in the Green & White! I'm grateful for this opportunity Coach Merchant and all of the MSU administration has given me. I am ready to help win more championships and get back to the Final Four," Haynie said.

She was inducted into the Michigan State Hall of Fame in 2017.

The Spartans have faced many changes in the past month that has affected next season’s roster, but the addition of Lockwood and Haynie looks hopeful to both the team and fans for a great 2019-2020 season.
 

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Cooks to Mississippi State
 




After yesterday's loss to Michigan, Suzy Merchant confirmed that Victoria Gaines is out for the season.
 


Last night in the third quarter, Taryn McCutcheon left the 58-94 loss to Maryland with a injury to her left foot. It appeared serious. The Spartans have already lost Shay Colley, Victoria Gaines and Mardrekia Cook.
 

Last night in the third quarter, Taryn McCutcheon left the 58-94 loss to Maryland with a injury to her left foot. It appeared serious. The Spartans have already lost Shay Colley, Victoria Gaines and Mardrekia Cook.

I saw that on BTN plus. Just a weird accident. Basically the ball was loose and a Maryland player fell forward with her knee landing full weight on McCutcheon's ankle. McCutcheon was able to limp off with trainer assistance but she was definitely in major pain.
 




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