A couple quick notes here that I will follow up on later in the week:
Angelei Aguirre will transfer to UCSB. The 2008 Journal News player of the year has, indeed, left Cal. She has transferred to Cal-Santa Barbara, where she will play for former Cal assistant Lindsay Gottlieb. Of course, Gottlieb played at Scarsdale, but she also recruited Aguirre to Cal, so there’s a comfort level there. Gottlieb led UCSB to a Big West championship and into the big dance. (Aguirre also used to tell me she preferred good weather. I can tell you firsthand: it doesn’t get better than the weather in Santa Barbara.)
After playing very little as a freshman at Cal, Aguirre will have to sit out the coming season. She will be eligible to play again in 2010-11. (Contrary to popular belief, Aguirre was on scholarship.)
Kim Adams has returned to Penn. Not that she ever left the school, but the 2007 player of the year left the team at Penn last December. She has returned to the program after new coach, Mike McLaughlin, reached out to her. Adams has already begun working with the Quakers this offseason.
6 Comments
Y did the Cal coach refer to Angelei as a walk on (and it was in more then just one article)? and was she on a scholarship from w bball or from the athletic dept ( as I understand there are two ways to get a scholarship). This just seems bizarre. I am not doubting that she was or anything I am just curious as to y the coach would refer to her as a “recruited walk-on”? Also Josh, any other college transfers or decisions? and, a congrats to britney Shields who was the Freshman of the year for her conference and just about everything! I am surprised she wasnt more talked abotu on this site since she remained local! Congrats Brit
Thanks for info on Shields. It looks as if she is best player on team. Read how she was double teamed in their playoff game. Aguirre and Shields were the top players last year coming out of Sect. 1. They both took two very different paths as far as college goes. One went below her level, and the other went above her level. One became the star player on a D2 mid level team, and the other went to a top 10 D 1 school, but barely played, even in blow-out games. One is getting 5 years of education, plus coaching experience free, and one is questionable if she even had a scholarship at all.One got the experience of going to the D1 sweet sixteen,(averaging about 1 min. a game, and the other didn’t see the D2 NCAA tournament at all. And the final, one is staying at her school, and the other has transferred, still D 1 but much farther down the rankings. Maybe all the future college type players should look at both situations, and think really hard about what they want to do at the next level in basketball.
H-
I’m not sure where the discussion as to whether or not Angelei Aguirre was on scholarship at Cal came from-was it from a reporter or an actual quote from Joanne Boyle? What I can tell you to set the record straight is that Angelei was on a full ride for basketball at the University of California this past year. I say this because I sat NEXT to her as she signed her Letter of Intent and her scholarship papers to Cal. at an official ceremony at White Plains High School this past spring. Patrice Moore was also there to witness her signing in case you doubt my word. I disagree with your statement that Angelei went above her level-she was a freshman at a top 10 school-no one, including Angelei, expected her to walk in and play valueable minutes right away. What I can tell you is that Cal’s coach only had a 6 woman rotation and it was painfully obvious when they played UConn that they could not compete at that level with only 6 players. In addition, Angelei is one of at least 3 players that is leaving the Cal program this year to transfer to another school-that does not bode well for the coach of Cal. She has 7 freshmen coming to Cal this year-the top recruiting class in the nation-it will be interesting to see how many of those 7 end up transferring from that program-my guess is that another 3 will leave. Personally, I think it was a great decision for Angelei to tranfer. She had a great experience being a member of a top 10 team in the nation and she enjoyed the ride. But sometimes the handwriting is on the wall and more importantly she is a great player who wants to play.
As for Britney I was so happy to see how she excelled at Pace and I disagree with your statement that she went below her level. She is a great player, whom, in my opinion, made a great decision, about the college she selected. She is playing and excelling at a level that is truly suited for her. Too many people get hung up on the DI level-there are so many great programs on the DII level that are suited for many of the players in our area.
So H let’s just keep rooting for all of our kids from Section I-stop trying to pit one kid against another and make sure you have your facts straight. Angelei and Britney are both terric kids-we should only want the best for both of them!!
Sue,
I agree, there are many DIII schools that may be even better than some DII. My child chose a DIII school for the quality of education she is getting and feeling comfortable that she will get valuable minutes at her school. This was paramount to her: education and playing! She could have gone low level DI or DII, but she wanted to PLAY not sit! Good luck to Angelei, my daughter played against her and she is fantastic. Hope the move works out for her.
Josh,
Can you tell us what coaches left? Who was hired?
Josh, read the north county news a few weeks ago (and I I would have posted about it then but I was out of the country) that shelby coon is transferring to play for d3 powerhouse nyu.seems like a wise decision and she had some ineteresting things to say in the ncn article. I was wondering if you had heard about this or what you knew about it. Seems like a good decision for her as I have heard the albany program is falling apart (which came from college and aau coaches) and nyu is a great academic and basketball institution. Let us know if you have heard anything and I am also curious about coaching changes as well!