Good First Season

[bb fan]

Hats off to Coach Gillespie for having a very respectable first season at the helm of Illinois State University's Women's basketball program. To have a near .500 season, win an in season basketball tourney, and to avoid the dreaded MVC tourney play in round are all excellent accomplishments seeing where the program was before she came.

Recruiting looks excellent, the needle is clearly pointing up. I am looking forward to next season.

 

[Birdswin]

No question about it - amazing what can happen when you get a coach who has a clue about what they are doing.

 

[topiarydan]

We have a nice team coming back and a good class coming in - I see a top 3-4 finish next year - but in reality the league is wide open next year

 

[Redbirdwarrior]

What a GREAT turnaround! These young women should be incredibly happy and so should the University. Great energy around the team right now with some potential stars coming in to assist the core group of young players next season.

Love it. Keep it up, Lady Redbirds!

 

[isuquinndog]

Recruits looking good.

https://twitter.com/Pg_Reinhardt/status/972715129442897921

 

[Reggie Redbird]

What a GREAT turnaround! These young women should be incredibly happy and so should the University. Great energy around the team right now with some potential stars coming in to assist the core group of young players next season.

Love it. Keep it up, Lady Redbirds!

It was a remarkable improvement from the last four seasons. That happening despite being late to the game in making a hire and in turn, recruiting. I am excited for the results of a full offseason of recruiting.

To Hannah Green, thank you for coming in and giving your all for the last two years!. You have helped lay the foundation this year for a bright future. It says a lot that you didn't give up and leave after your first year. I wish we had one more year of you on the roster.

To the other players departing, thank you for your time as Redbirds! We wish you all the best in your academic and athletic pursuits!

 

[Reggie Redbird]

Looks like Gillespie is still out recruiting JUCOs. With 5 players signed and only 3 open scholarships, recruiting another JUCO player would mean at least three non-seniors would be not coming back.

 

[Hamdonger]

So I have a question. I liked the hire from the get-go and it seems like she is a good hire. iMO, impressive turnaround!

Who, admin-wise, gets the credit for this hire?? This board TRASHES Lyons and Bordner, but they have to get some credit on this one, don't ya think?

 

[JHBird]

So I have a question. I liked the hire from the get-go and it seems like she is a good hire. iMO, impressive turnaround!

Who, admin-wise, gets the credit for this hire?? This board TRASHES Lyons and Bordner, but they have to get some credit on this one, don't ya think?

The volleyball coach, Leah Johnson, was a good hire too. I'll give them credit for hiring both.

 

[Reggie Redbird]

So I have a question. I liked the hire from the get-go and it seems like she is a good hire. iMO, impressive turnaround!

Who, admin-wise, gets the credit for this hire?? This board TRASHES Lyons and Bordner, but they have to get some credit on this one, don't ya
The volleyball coach, Leah Johnson, was a good hire too. I'll give them credit for hiring both.

Considering the resources we put into volleyball and how we finished in conference, I didn’t find this season to be that successful. We had some good wins; we had some bad losses.

We lost 5 of the 6 games we played against the top of the conference. We also had a fairly veteran team returning. There is a stark difference in what UE, BU, Valpo, InSU, and Loyola put into women’s volleyball and what we do. We far outpace the in every type of resource. If you were to play 10 games against those schools, it wouldn’t be good to lose more than 1–2 games, if that. Considering how many games we play against those schools, it’s an easy way to rack up wins.

When I see us competing better against the UNIs and MSUs, I’ll be a bit more impressed. It will also be interesting what happens with our recruiting.

Considering what Gillespie had in terms of players, what she accomplished was much more impressive. However, that is also what she is getting paid the big bucks for, compared to most of her peers.

 

[TIMMY]

So I have a question. I liked the hire from the get-go and it seems like she is a good hire. iMO, impressive turnaround!

Who, admin-wise, gets the credit for this hire?? This board TRASHES Lyons and Bordner, but they have to get some credit on this one, don't ya think?

Even a blind pig can find an acorn once in a while.

 

[Hamdonger]

So I have a question. I liked the hire from the get-go and it seems like she is a good hire. iMO, impressive turnaround!

Who, admin-wise, gets the credit for this hire?? This board TRASHES Lyons and Bordner, but they have to get some credit on this one, don't ya think?

Even a blind pig can find an acorn once in a while.

I'm calling BS, Timmy. If I didn't know better, I'd think you actually hate the both of them.

 

[Redbird78]

So...where's Bo-peep???

 

[Bo-Peep]

So...where's Bo-peep???

Present.