FANTASTIC NEWS!!!
Jordan Hamilton is coming to Stanford! She'll be a grad transfer from Northwestern where she played almost all of both their games in the NCAA Tournament last month. They beat Central Florida in the first round and then led Louisville most of the way before losing to them late in the second round. You can see her in action on YouTube.
She's a 5'-8" guard who can shoot and handle the ball. But most important, she's a battle-hardened, mature player who played a critical role in Northwestern's rise to the top of the Big 10 and their first national ranking in years. In the 2019/2020 season they won the Big 10 championship for the first time in thirty years and Jordan played a key role. She's solid, smart, and skilled.
We gain an experienced ball-handler, excellent passer, and fine shooter with a high basketball IQ. I still have painful memories of losing in the Final Four in 2011 to Texas A&M because our ball handling wasn't strong enough. A&M's press was so quick and deadly, led by Sydney Carter and Sydney Colson, that none of our guards even wanted to handle the ball against them. Jeanette Pohlen had been called upon to take on the point guard position, although she'd rarely played that position in high school or club teams. She did a great job for most of that season, but had a very hard time with Vic Schaefer's press in the semi-final game against A&M.
Vic was Gary Blair's defensive coordinator for that team and they went on to beat Notre Dame and won the national championship. Vic moved on to Mississippi State the next year as head coach - and took them to the Final Four and recently moved on to Texas. Each of those teams was successful because of Vic's rapacious defensive schemes. Last month Texas made it to the Elite Eight by derailing Maryland's offensive juggernaut with their aggressive, pressing, over-playing defense.
Next season we play Texas in December and we'll need great ball-handling and passing at every position on the floor and every substitute that enters the game - or the Longhorns will steal us blind. Haley's ball-handling will have to be as terrific as her passing next season for our team to get back to the Final Four. And Haley's, Lexie's, and Anna's backups - Lacie, Jenna, Jana, Jzaniya, and Jordan will have to become terrific ball-handlers.
Welcome to Stanford Jordan Hamilton!!
LET'S GO BACK TO BACK!!!
