Montana WBB News...

[PBP]

Bill Speltz reported an hour ago that Kayleigh Valley announced she is done attempting to play basketball after back to back ACL tears. She's also getting married this summer which probably had an impact in her decision.

She was granted a 6th year of eligibility but has turned down that option.

Speltz also reported that Nora Klick and Hailey Nicholson are transferring.

PBP

 

[mvem]

Valley not returning isn't surprising. I think I read a while back that she was ready to get her second bachelor's this spring, so it makes sense that she would be ready to move on. I don't understand the whole thing about her not being eligible until conference next year, though. Bill Speltz doesn't explain it in his article.

Klick leaving isn't shocking, I guess. She has a major, chronic back issue that (I believe) nearly forced her to quit last offseason—she seemed to reaggravate it in the Big Sky Tournament and didn't play in the quarterfinals.

The real surprise is the departure of Hailey Nicholson. Her playing time fluctuated rather wildly throughout the season since her shooting is rather streaky, but it's not like she wasn't going to play in the future. That will leave Sophia Stiles as the only Malta HS product left on the team.

The good news is that all of this should free up a scholarship for Caitlin Lonergan. Unfortunately, a second scholarship is now free and I doubt it'll get used with Valley deciding not to come back.

 

[PBP]

Valley not returning isn't surprising.

According to the Montana basketball announcers and some of the folks I know at UM, it was 50/50 on her returning. In that sense it may be considered somewhat a surprise since those folks thought there was an even chance she was coming back.

Was told Shannon held out a scholarship for her just in case.

PBP

 

[mvem]

Valley not returning isn't surprising.

Was told Shannon held out a scholarship for her just in case.

PBP

I'm wondering how she did that, unless she knew Klick or Nicholson were departing a while ago. There wouldn't have been a scholarship free for either Valley or Lonergan without players leaving early (UM signed 4 HS players in November).

 

[otis campbell]

Klick leaving isn't shocking, I guess. She has a major, chronic back issue that (I believe) nearly forced her to quit last offseason—she seemed to reaggravate it in the Big Sky Tournament and didn't play in the quarterfinals.

"isn't...shocking"....."(I believe)"....."she seemed"...

Unless you have talked with Nora, or her parents, why speculate? She has her reasons, as do the others. Leave it at that. If she, or the others, doesn't say where she is going, or why, oh well. Another of life's great mysteries. Sorry to see her go.

 

[mvem]

Klick leaving isn't shocking, I guess. She has a major, chronic back issue that (I believe) nearly forced her to quit last offseason—she seemed to reaggravate it in the Big Sky Tournament and didn't play in the quarterfinals.

"isn't...shocking"....."(I believe)"....."she seemed"...

Unless you have talked with Nora, or her parents, why speculate? She has her reasons, as do the others. Leave it at that. If she, or the others, doesn't say where she is going, or why, oh well. Another of life's great mysteries. Sorry to see her go.

The back issue has been well documented by the media & gogriz over the past couple years (including after the QF loss 2 weeks ago). It's the reason she redshirted last year. It's also mentioned in the Speltz article, heavily implying that's why she's gone.

 

[PBP]

Saw on Twitter that two more players are leaving the UM WBB team to concentrate on their studies. They've lost a lot of kids and it is late in the game to try to replace them.

Lonergan (who I thought was pretty good) and Anderson are the latest to leave.

Odd.

PBP

 

[mvem]

Saw on Twitter that two more players are leaving the UM WBB team to concentrate on their studies. They've lost a lot of kids and it is late in the game to try to replace them.

Lonergan (who I thought was pretty good) and Anderson are the latest to leave.

Odd.

Anderson didn't figure to play much next year and already has at least one degree, but Lonergan leaving is certainly odd. What's more unusual, however, is that all but one of the departing Lady Griz players are quitting basketball entirely rather than transferring to new programs.

 

[B40]

What is notable about all the departures are how many forwards have graduated or left the team: Valley, Harris, Anderson, Klick, Nicholson, Lonergan, and Isaak. That leaves only 2 returning forwards: Henderson and Stockholm.

Henderson is a solid player who will be counted on heavily for inside production and defense.

Stockholm was an 8-9 minute player who will have to take a big step forward in both minutes and effectiveness. Or, they will be playing new players - freshmen or transfers. And as you said PBP, it's a bit late to replace them.

On another front, since the guard Stiles hurt her knee in conference play, it's an open question as to whether she can come back at full strength next season. (We were very fortunate that Brooke returned to form so quickly!) That leaves Johnston, Schoening, Henderson, and Goligowski as returners who played important roles. Montana will need some good recruits and player development or they will be a small, guard oriented team with a thin bench.

 

[PBP]

What is notable about all the departures are how many forwards have graduated or left the team: Valley, Harris, Anderson, Klick, Nicholson, Lonergan, and Isaak. That leaves only 2 returning forwards: Henderson and Stockholm.

Henderson is a solid player who will be counted on heavily for inside production and defense.

Stockholm was an 8-9 minute player who will have to take a big step forward in both minutes and effectiveness. Or, they will be playing new players - freshmen or transfers. And as you said PBP, it's a bit late to replace them.

On another front, since the guard Stiles hurt her knee in conference play, it's an open question as to whether she can come back at full strength next season. (We were very fortunate that Brooke returned to form so quickly!) That leaves Johnston, Schoening, Henderson, and Goligowski as returners who played important roles. Montana will need some good recruits and player development or they will be a small, guard oriented team with a thin bench.

Assuming Stiles injury was just an ACL tear and not something additional, I suspect that she'll be fine for next season. Given though that she tore it if I remember right, midway through the year she may not return until conference play starts.

PBP

 

[PBP]

What is notable about all the departures are how many forwards have graduated or left the team: Valley, Harris, Anderson, Klick, Nicholson, Lonergan, and Isaak. That leaves only 2 returning forwards: Henderson and Stockholm.

Henderson is a solid player who will be counted on heavily for inside production and defense.

Stockholm was an 8-9 minute player who will have to take a big step forward in both minutes and effectiveness. Or, they will be playing new players - freshmen or transfers. And as you said PBP, it's a bit late to replace them.

On another front, since the guard Stiles hurt her knee in conference play, it's an open question as to whether she can come back at full strength next season. (We were very fortunate that Brooke returned to form so quickly!) That leaves Johnston, Schoening, Henderson, and Goligowski as returners who played important roles. Montana will need some good recruits and player development or they will be a small, guard oriented team with a thin bench.

Assuming Stiles injury was just an ACL tear and not something additional, I suspect that she'll be fine for next season. Given though that she tore it if I remember right, midway through the year she may not return until conference play starts.

PBP

 

[PBP]

What is notable about all the departures are how many forwards have graduated or left the team: Valley, Harris, Anderson, Klick, Nicholson, Lonergan, and Isaak. That leaves only 2 returning forwards: Henderson and Stockholm.

Henderson is a solid player who will be counted on heavily for inside production and defense.

Stockholm was an 8-9 minute player who will have to take a big step forward in both minutes and effectiveness. Or, they will be playing new players - freshmen or transfers. And as you said PBP, it's a bit late to replace them.

On another front, since the guard Stiles hurt her knee in conference play, it's an open question as to whether she can come back at full strength next season. (We were very fortunate that Brooke returned to form so quickly!) That leaves Johnston, Schoening, Henderson, and Goligowski as returners who played important roles. Montana will need some good recruits and player development or they will be a small, guard oriented team with a thin bench.

Assuming Stiles injury was just an ACL tear and not something additional, I suspect that she'll be fine for next season. Given though that she tore it if I remember right, midway through the year she may not return until conference play starts.

PBP

 

[mvem]

What is notable about all the departures are how many forwards have graduated or left the team: Valley, Harris, Anderson, Klick, Nicholson, Lonergan, and Isaak. That leaves only 2 returning forwards: Henderson and Stockholm.

It's actually 3 including Abby Anderson, who redshirted (no relation to Sierra). If the LG don't bring in a transfer (I don't know if Shannon Cate-Schweyen is as averse to quick-fix transfers as Selvig was), they'll likely need Carmen Gfeller to play right away.

On another front, since the guard Stiles hurt her knee in conference play, it's an open question as to whether she can come back at full strength next season. (We were very fortunate that Brooke returned to form so quickly!) That leaves Johnston, Schoening, Henderson, and Goligowski as returners who played important roles. Montana will need some good recruits and player development or they will be a small, guard oriented team with a thin bench.

There are now rumors on eGriz that Stiles might leave, too. I have no idea why that would be unless it's something related to Nicholson's departure (both are from Malta, MT).

As for her knee injury: This was Stiles's first ACL tear (AFAIK), so I would think recovery is relatively likely to go well. This isn't like Shanae Gilham, whose knees were practically disaster areas before she even got to UM. Carly Selvig had the quickest ACL recovery I can remember—she tore it during the WNIT in March, 2014, then was back in the starting lineup by Thanksgiving.

 

[PBP]

Carly Selvig had the quickest ACL recovery I can remember—she tore it during the WNIT in March, 2014, then was back in the starting lineup by Thanksgiving.[/quote]

I was told she was actually back at full scale workouts in October, which is remarkable but part of that may have been since she already used a redshirt when she got hurt and because she was way past the deadline to try and get the year back via injury, this was her last shot.

If she didn't try to push it and play she was done, the NCAA wasn't going to give her any additional time.

Regarding all the transfers, unfortunately that is now common in WBB as well as the men but I have heard rumblings from different sources that the coaching staff for whatever reason didn't sit well with that group of players.

PBP