Bryant Girls Basketball

[#1softballfan]

What has happened to the Bryant Girls Basketball program.... they were such powerhouse through the late 80's and all of the 90's even early 2000's.  What is going on???

[footballfan-tastic]

Weren't they good last year?  Maybe this is just a down year talentwise?

[razrbk]

Go straight to the head of the problem and that is where you need to start.  check the benton and greenbrier records.

[Ron Mexico]

the program was going down before Hall got there, Crowder knew the talent wasn't coming so she bolted for Cabot.  One thing about Crowder is that she always lands where there is players.  Now for Hall, she is VERY avg. when it comes to ballgames and I haven't seen her make kids very much better.

[footballfan-tastic]

Interestingly enough, half of success is knowing when to quit or leave!

[Yee-Haw]

Yeah...that's exactly why Crowder left Atkins to come to Bryant.

She knew the talent pipeline was going to be in place....for the next 16 years!!

Give her a little bit of credit for coaching.

Bryant should have hired Mallett from the junior high when they had the chance instead of letting her get away to NLR.

Of course she screwed up there so who is say what path is correct.

[curiouscat]

Thank YOU!  Coach Crowder may have landed in Cabot with a team of talent, but she has to know what to do with it.  I have seen several teams that had talent but were uncoached.  Coach Crowder does an outstanding job.  Look at our Lady Panthers this year.  We have no one over 5'11" but we are winning our games.  She is coming up on her 600th career win in the next few games.  I don't know what went wrong in Bryant or what is wrong now.  I can tell you Coach Crowder knows basketball and does an outstanding job. 

Go Panthers!

[ballfan]

Bryant hired Hall because the AD is in business (personally) with her.  Crowder went to Cabot because of a $30,000 raise and to be closer to her family.  TALENT in girls basketball is a result of hard work.  Did Crowder have huge summer camps at Atkins and Bryant...yes.  Was she involved in the junior high programs at both schools...yes.  Did she direct little dribbler's programs at both...yes.  Was she at a gym any time a girls basketball game was being played no matter the age...yes.  It is not by luck or accident that Cabot is...and will be a dominant program...as long as she is there!

[ballfan]

AMEN!!

Go straight to the head of the problem and that is where you need to start. check the benton and greenbrier records.

[ballfan]

Weren't they good last year? Maybe this is just a down year talentwise?

They had as much talent as any team in AAAAA last year.  If that team would have had a coach, they could have been in contention for the title.

[#1softballfan]

I would have to agree with everyone's quote about the current coach there... not the best there is around, especially for a powerhouse ( or what was once a powerhouse) at Bryant.  They had the triplets last year who could have easily taken them all the way... it makes you wonder about coaches and what impact they have on people.  I just hope somebody recognizes where the program is going and gets busy fixing it.  The tradition that was once there isn't and it needs to be rebuilt!

[kijex13]

They had the triplets last year who could have easily taken them all the way...

I'm not going to comment on the coaching part of it, but I have to say that this part of your post is not accurate.  The Grappe triplets were great players, but they could not have easily taken them all the way.  While Bryant was very good last year, Parkview was much more talented.  Any team would have had a hard time keeping them from winning it, but nobody would have won it easily.  Bryant also had one of the triplets miss several crucial games with a crushed eye socket.  They wouldn't have been a contender without her no matter who the coach was.

[#1softballfan]

They would have gone further.... again I think we should refer back to the post about checking Greenbrier and Benton records- of the quality coaches out there, Bryant could have done much better.

[kijex13]

They would have gone further.... again I think we should refer back to the post about checking Greenbrier and Benton records- of the quality coaches out there, Bryant could have done much better.

They might have gone further.  I was just commenting on your statement that the triplets could have easily taken them all the way.  I don't think that is correct.

[ballfan]

The triplets could have taken them farther than they went.  No way that team should have had losses to Central, McClellan, NLR, etc.  Bryant's AD never has and never will care about the female athletic program at Bryant.  All he wants to do is hire Benton's rejects.

[#1softballfan]

It is just a shame to see such a tradition rich program go down the drain!

[footballfan-tastic]

Is it going down the drain?  Or is it just a few bad years?   How was it the last years of Crowder?

[Yee-Haw]

And just look at AD's record as Bryant's HFC several years back.

That should tell you all you need to know about his ability to spot a winner when he sees it.

[footballfan-tastic]

There are good fundamental coaches, there are good game coaches, the really good ones do both.  If you have good enough, smart enough kids and you teach them well they can play on their own on the floor.

[#1softballfan]

Crowder has never been good at the x&o's of the game

Hall can at least diagram on sideline during timeouts

Crowder never touches her board

I will agree with you on this, but she does have her players ready when the time comes.  She prepares them in practice which is what most coaches don't do. I can tell you now that they know what to run at the end if they need to and they know what to do in crunch time.  Just because you can teach x's and o's doesn't mean you are a good coach.  If you can't dribble or shoot the ball, x's and o's don't mean a thing.

[footballfan-tastic]

Good x'x and o's are important, but teaching fundamentals and an understanding of the game is more important.  One doesn't do really well with out at least an average ability in the other.

[ballfan]

Game time is the time for players to exhibit what they have learned in practice and for coaches to make adjustments as needed.  You people have obviously never been in a Crowder directed practice or sat behind her on the bench during a game.  Are you guys sure that Hall is diagraming basketball plays...or is she coloring a picture to make people like you think she can coach?

[footballfan-tastic]

I saw her do a nice picture of Mickey Mouse.  Just kidding.   

[curiouscat]

Crowder has never been good at the x&o's of the game

Hall can at least diagram on sideline during timeouts

Crowder never touches her board

Did you ever stop to think that maybe coaches have different teaching styles?  Crowder is obviously successful at getting the job done if she has 600 career wins and working on her third 5A East conference win in three years with Cabot.  Have you ever watched our players closely during the game?  They may look to either coach for guidance, but often it is confirmation.  Helms and Sitzmann (sometimes others) call plays and run them.  They go over them enough in practice and off season that they KNOW what to do, and when to do it and do not need someone drawing on a board.  Other coaches prefer the board.  Coach Bridges uses his, but sometimes he throws it more than any drawings  LOL.  I think our timeouts are used more for a chance to regroup or focus.  When I coached I learned real quick, if I did not teach them in practice, it was not gonna happen at the game.

Watch our coaches.  Ruple too.  As the players come out they usually will go to them and discuss a few things and put them back in.  Coach Ruple keeps the players on the bench feeling like they are in the game, so that if and when they are needed they pick up where the others left off.

I think the question I am really needing to ask is why does every post turn out to be negative towards Cabot?  Just give some credit where it is due.  If Bryant has issues that is not Crowder's fault.

[ballfan]

Bryant did not have issues while Crowder was there.  GO PANTHERS!

[footballfan-tastic]

lCabot won the conference the past two years?  Really, I dindn't know that.

[curiouscat]

Some of you really sound bitter.  Seriously, Coach Ruple is one of the nicest men I have met in my life.  I have grown to love his family and I am extremely thankful to God for all of the coaches that my children  have had since junior high.  I suppose he is somehow to blame for Bryant as well?

[bballorbust]

I don't think Ruple was ever at Bryant was he?  I know that he and Crowder coached together during some All-Star game in the 80's.  It will be interesting to see if Crowder can hang on with him.