You guys are kidding right ! Without doubt the guy is the best coach in the under 18 program . If you are in the know and see the work he does and the technical knowledge he develops with the girls in the Norwood program you wouldn't question him at all. Sometimes it comes down to the girls and at a national level they aren't up to it

There is a correlation between the district standard and national results. This group has been off the pace consistently and persevered with despite very average performances.
I don't think it's a secret that district girl's basketball is in crisis nor that the clusters of better players are in two or three clubs which means they do not improve because they are never pushed.
Mixed reports on the coaches but the plays don't seem to changes from year to year and the same old faces tag along. Change could not deliver worse results but we will never know because it's jobs for life.
The only disappointing facet of the debacle is that there were a handful of players with seemingly more potential that were never going to get a look in because of SA's policy of sticking with the previously identified and never questioning if they have it right.
Selecting for higher honours before nationals, irrespective of timing, should also come into question and highlights that real performance is not much of a factor once a player has been identified.

Of the 6 top aged girls selected, 5 were from a group 2 years ago that finished 8th, there is 1 top aged player who did not play in that nationals 2 years ago due to injury albeit their best player.
There are 4 bottom aged girls selected from a U16 group last year that finished 9th.
I know this age group reasonably well, I cant remember any good results (top 4) from this group of players when they have been top age players at the classics or u14 nationals.
I would disagree there are any players who have "seemingly more potential" than the group selected, with the exception of one forestville girl who represented SA 2 years ago but did not try out this year.
Really, would any reasonable person expect this years team to finish high?

I would think 2 of the Syurt girls might have made the team, but 1 has been injured and the other didnt try out.

900: If you don't expect the girls to get better and be more competitive after several years of SASI and several state squad months, just when do you expect them to improve, before retirement age?

They were the wrong choices years ago and delivered poor results and were rewarded accordingly with more of the same. There is no accountability associated with SA basketball but a lot of rhetoric.

Just where was the development of these players to go with their centre of excellence trainings from SASI and state? Why aren't expectations of significant improvement monitored and if as you say no reasonable person expected them to finish high why did they stick with these players?

Does Neil go anywhere apart from Sturt to watch the age groups or does he purely rely on his network of certain coaches to push the cases of players for consideration?

Unlike you I think he and the selectors missed several girls who would have contributed more than half this team and I also believe it's time to ship in new talent coaching in the girls. No improvement should not be rewarded with further coaching gigs. Running a game plan that requires three point shooting might require three point shooters and coaches with the ability to coach shooting skills which is evident it does not.

Losing isn't an issue but the way they lose and the lack of competitiveness in the group is all sheeted back to SASI and the coaching staff.

My question would more be related to two years ago. From memory the coaches were roundly criticised for their 8th placed finish, without their Australian rep.

Now it looks as though that was quite a good result. So I'm not necessarily willing to say the current U18 coach is terrible (he does have a good track record), but more than the coach 2 years ago did well with what he had.

920: At the time, the result 2 years ago was the lowest finish of an U16s team for a very long time. The U18 coach will not improve on that result this year. Vindicated for the result... yes, but a lot of the criticism towards the U16 coach was about his behaviour.

If an U18 coach can't improve on the results of the 16's two years ago with all the state and sasi over that period neither he nor the team are the right people.By improvement I mean margins of losses,competitiveness, shooting percentages, and in every stat.The stats over time suggest some players are not at the level required and that suggests neither are the sasi and state coaches.

Team spirit is always an issue ankles because the one thing that Qld do is give their young people responsibility. They let them have free time, you see them on the streets with their parents. S A teams go into lockdown as if guarding naughty children and are over-coached to the extent that players are frightened to make mistakes. Only certain players are ever given the incentive to play freely because they know they will not be dragged.

SA is a state where individual success is manufactured to ensure the continuity of the status quo. Team spirit in an environment headed by the present staff would not have a very high priority and the communication that emanates from leadership falls short of modelling it's importance.Having coaches who, one, are alive and two, communicate would be a step in the right direction.

For so long basketball has been owned and directed by the very few and the failure of the local district scene is directly related to a lack of vision and leadership. Several clubs cannot field teams in every age group at district div one or two level in the girls consequently byes and a lack of weekly strong competitive games is the norm. Worse is the fact that most of the players in state teams come from two or three clubs and do not get hardened by weekly games.

This has been the reality of SA basketball for about 3 or four years. Not enough girls interested in playing and too many quitting after or during 18's.BSA add to the woes by adding clubs to crowded district areas and implement schemes designed to attract but simply confuse.

Unless BSA find a way of evening the playing strength of the competition not only will more players drop out but the teams chosen for nationals will never be adequate because of their weekly non-competition. How good are coaches that have the best players in the comp but only have one or two other clubs with good players to play against? How do they or their players ever test themselves?

The National's result is a symptom of illness in the parent not in the children. BSA and it's predecessor BASA was and is about jobs for life and is visionless.

Explanation is ais sa playing ais Vic in the U20's

pps, most times you don't have the jockeys

Some groups are just better then others.

Otherwise where is the current Newley, Ingles?

Fact is some years no matter what you do, there may be a standout athlete. Some years there will be little.

Albury produced Lauren Jackson. Are you saying Albury did something different every other year and its Albury's fault we don't have a Jackson calibre player every year?

I have to say the sacked lightning guy was the best state coach for years and years and the girls really liked his positive and reassuring style.

Knowledge has never been the issue with the head coach but every other facet is and the beat 'em up, train 'em to death and mutter only to the chosen few, ignoring everyone else doesn't build team or confidence. Nor does the lock them up and over train them approach.

Their worst performance was their last loss to Tasmania which they should have won but went down by 20. In today's game against the easy beats W A country they will dominate which mirrors what they do in club district games against inferior sides in a weak comp. Some big hearted players missed selection altogether or weren't in the mix to begin with because nobody looks at the individual players in the lower clubs nor is there the scouting done often enough to form informed opinions.

State coaching is a shambles over recent years with punched walls , drunken episodes and the under 20 fiasco but is anyone ever held accountable for the coaching woes? Apparently not. SASI has killed off a lot of the desire to play for many kids and state has become a tap on the shoulder rather than true selection with most not bothering at 20 level because of the politics.

If every state coach went to live beyond the black stump and all untried new coaches were called upon to fill their shoes from head coach to manager, things could only get better.

You keep applying Shaun Richards

One day even a loser like you might get a go




NOT

Post 161- exactly why should managers be replaced as from where i have been both as a parent of a state player and a volunteer at Nationals these people are the unsung hero's on any state trip. They don't pick the team, they have no say, they work their arse off feeding and washing for the players, put up with prima dona coaches all so a parent can anonymous slag off on them. Mate get a fcking life.