***Larry Tidwell Becomes Lamar Ladies HC**

[Guest baseball25]

Did I say get the 10 girls  and that will make them a good college team dip**** no I didn't i said if he got 5 girls out of 10 from this area that would help lamar big time and then he has to get girls from other states I know this i'm not a idiot.......if you got the stud players from this area it would help lamar out so much and then recruit from other cities and states.........just like if lamar would have recruited Kenna Young Hard, immanule mccleroy, trey peters and some of the other great players that use to be around this area just think how much that would have helped but they don't recruit around this area Gilligan finally started to 6 years ago and realize there are some great ball players around this area

[CoachKfan]

It is great to have local talent on a local college team.  In a perfect world you would just go out and pick yur team from the surrounding area.  I LOVE to see local kids playing for Lamar.....whatever the sport, But I am realistic enough to know that we are not going to compete at the D1 level by filling our rosters with primarily local talent.  Everyone blames these coaches for not recruiting our local players.  Many of these kids have been approached and simply are not interested.  We have to have faith in the people hired that they are going to be a good enough judge of talent to pursue it, wether it be from Deweyville or Denmark!

[Guest tigersvoice]

It is great to have local talent on a local college team.  In a perfect world you would just go out and pick yur team from the surrounding area.  I LOVE to see local kids playing for Lamar.....whatever the sport, But I am realistic enough to know that we are not going to compete at the D1 level by filling our rosters with primarily local talent.  Everyone blames these coaches for not recruiting our local players.  Many of these kids have been approached and simply are not interested.  We have to have faith in the people hired that they are going to be a good enough judge of talent to pursue it, wether it be from Deweyville or Denmark!

Ooops!  An intelligent member has just registered.  Well put CoachKfan - now if we (Lamar) could just get us a 6'4" post that runs like an impala, jumps like a kangaroo with the tenacity of an Eagle, we'll be on our way.  Oh - those people go to Tennessee and Old Dominion and, well you know the rest of the story.  What it amounts to is that Lamar will have to recruit in baby steps - post some success - and then take bigger recruiting steps.  It's going to take some time folks.

[Guest bleed orange]

I would have loved for coach Ancelot to get the job but whats done is done. Lets wait and see whats happens. Not only for coach Tidwell but also coach Rock. This was Coach Rocks first year, give him time. Rome was not built in a day. I don't think its about the money for these guys because who would come coach Lamars girl program for $68,000 a year. (Drakes salary) Thats not alot of money for a D1 coach. Plus you have to move your family. In 4 years from now if nothing has changed then we can hammer Lamar. Lamar should atleast be able to compete in the SLC and so far that is not the case. Only time will tell.

[whsalum]

Did i say they need to use all there money to get local kids no i did not say that.............i said they need to pursue the local players you don't need to fork out alot of money to get the local players around here they already will be living and eating at home so that saves lamar money right there...all i'm saying is you got atleast 10 girls around this area that could help lamar out and if you get 5 of those girls thats a big help....I know you got to get players from other states thats common sense but you got 1 girl on the roster from last years team from this area that is horrrrible......I am not saying make the whole roster southeast texas that would be dumb but dang go get the players around this area.....

This is exactly what you said"you got at least 10 girls around here that could help Lamar".I really like the 2 young ladies from Lumberton they are good high school players.They can go the JUCO route and probably contribute one day at a mid major.We are talking about building Lamar into a tourney class team.I have watched high school girls basketball in this area for more years than I care to admit and we have some good players in this area but we havent had 10 that could contribute at that level in the last 10 years must less this year.Fact is it takes players like Brandi McCain and Teresa Weatherspoon to build those type programs and they don't come along everyday.It will amaze you the way the Montagne will fill up when you put a quality program on the floor whethet they are local or not.Ancelot is a great coach but she would not have used 5 scholarships to get local players.She knows what it takes to win at that level.Give the new guy a chance and we'll see how he does.Set down this weekend and watch LSU and Tenn and you'll see how far he has to go.Go big red!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guest baseball25]

Why sit down and watch lol lamar will never be them......they will be a descent team....no matter what they will never reach that level........so why watch that itse saying watch the final 4 this weekend when the guys play  lol lamar will never ever be that good its a dumb comment.....all i said lamar needs to recruit basektball players and this area has atleast 10 girls that can play im not saying there going to be studs but they play the game of basketball and they play smart.....like i said  you got one person on the roster from this area from this years team and that is horrible.......but don't say watch this weekend final 4 becasue lamar will never ever be that good....lamar has a great baseball coach and they can barley make it to regionals and we have no clue how tidwell going to be......and no matter what they will never ever be a lsu team or UNC

[bobcatfan33]

Who said there isnt enough talent around here, I guess Rice and U of H thought there was.  The Kirbyville girl is playing at Kilgore where 05 grad of Orangefield Kirby Myers is playing at now.  Brittany James of WOS went somewhere just not excatly sure where. Thats 3 girls so far who graduated this year. Then you have Sanders and the 2 lumberton girls?  Telling me they can't compete?  Maybe I just have a lot of faith in the girls around here.

[CoachKfan]

you don't have very high aspirations for Lamar do yu baseball25??  Are you going to be satisfied to sit and watch a bunch of mediocore players just compete???  I for one want to see Lamar contend at the national level and believe they can.  I agree with bobcat, they are going to have to take baby steps but a Division 1 program must strive to compete with the LSU's, Tenn.'s and North Carolina's!!  Why else do we field a team???  And if I am not mistaken, Lamar baseball has been ranked in the top 25 in the country several times!!  Not to mention our women's basketball program being in the elite 8!!  THAT is what we are striving for.  Good Luck Coach Tidwell.  Rome wasn't built in a day but with some local talent meshed with other outstanding players, I believe he can get them there.

[Guest baseball25]

That was years ago buddy.......you can't get me 10 rankings in the last 25 years with lamar being rank in the top 25 and if they were rank in the top 25 it might have lasted a week.......i mean give me a break man lamar will never ever be a Texas in baseball a Duke in basketball thats just how it is.......they could be a team that can win there conference but never that elite........I want lamar to do good and win...but be realistic man.....all I said was they need to recruit around this area and I will tell you this you can get atleast 8 girls around this area that will play hard and that arent that bad at playing the game of basketball I am not saying there bad ass but there pretty good.....and with those group of girls and then recruit other players you could have a pretty good team......just thinking if lamar would have recruited all those great basektball players around the area...just think if gilligan would have recruited Clay buchholz,dan fletcher,david huggins,tal light, luther sanders, johnny dishon, Josh Mitchell, Clint Galloway, Brooks yeates, Gene Fillyall,Josheph holland, Brad Sullivan.....you got to get those guys no matter what you find a way to get those guys.........4 of those guys playing professional baseball and other played at other div 1 schools....man you can't let players go from around the area like that....you can say they go to bigger scores than lamar and thats the reason they don't go there but man you got to want them you got to show them love....and find a damn way to get these players around this area.......

[whsalum]

Somehow you switched sports.Lamar baseball is already a respected national club.They beat Rice for gods sake the year Rice won the national championship.The ladies program can compete with the right recruits,if that's not your goal you need to cut the lights out and forget it.While we do have some good girls players in this area they are not the ones that will take LU back to the elite status they are looking for.Beat the bushes and get the high school all americans,bring back some of the local girls after they have developed at the JUCO level and then you will start seeing results in the Montagne.

[Guest baseball25]

Lamar Baseball isnt a national school there not even rank in the top 50 best schools give me a break........they beat rice during a midweek game when rice throws there number 6 starter............rice and all the big school lose during midweek because throw the people that don't pitch on the weekends..........

[stang4life]

No matter who got hired at Lamar...several of these girls would barely consider going to LU.  Nothing personal, but they are looking to go to bigger schools.  This guy looks to have some incredible credentials and compared to a high school coach...there is no contest...you have to go with him.  I was talking to a Bobcat fan the other day about this issue and she said that ancelot was good, but that particular group of kids got where they did because of their desire.  People are quick to give kudos to coaches like ancelot and damn coaches like Orebo.  ancelot was blessed with a hungry bunch of girls and there were a bunch.  Orebo had some extremely talented players in BJ and BScott, but talent is not always, as easy as everyone thinks it is, to coach.  WO-S' problem is always depth.  I don't think ancelot would have gotten the Lady Mustangs any further than what Orebo did.  They did what they could with what they had.  That being said...this is an amazing class of kids (2007), not just in Mustang-land, but looks like district-wide.  Good luck to all at the next level. 

[hoops2000]

A great post some some very valid points.  I'd have to agree about both Coach Ancelot and Coach Orebo.  Orangefield and WOS have entirely different kinds of players.  Every coach has to coach within their own personality and get their players to play hard.  All players respond different to different kinds of coaching styles.  They both have been successful.

One more observation...just from what I have seen....Ancelot's teams are better prepared than Orebo's.  Ancelot seems...(again...SEEMS) to work harder.  Gets tapes of opponents...makes phone calls, gets as much information as she can.  It might be because of her college coaching experience. 

[whsalum]

Lamar Baseball isnt a national school there not even rank in the top 50 best schools give me a break........they beat rice during a midweek game when rice throws there number 6 starter............rice and all the big school lose during midweek because throw the people that don't pitch on the weekends..........

I am in a battle of wits with an unarmed man.You need to change your screen name 25,you know less about baseball than you do basketball.Lamar beat Rice twice that season I believe.They also gave the mighty longhorns all they could handle in the regional tourney the previous year.If thats not a national recognized school I don't know what is.Sounds to me like you need to get on the Baltimore Orioles band wagon,they are about as average as they come.

[Guest baseball25]

Thats one damn year......and did they win the regional no they did not....its baseball your going to lose to the good teams close........ok they beat rice in a mid-week game so be it......they weren't even facing there stud pitchers when lamar is throwing there aces against them....mid week series or overated becasue they don't throw there best pitchers unless there playing a rival.......I mean Vidor has beat Ozen in basketball does t hat make vidor a bad ass basketball program hell no it doesn't..........What has lamar done in the last 8 years in baseball they have won the conference 2 times lol thats a powerhouse right there thats a national recognize team there.....get your facts straight is lamar was a national recognize team in the last 8 years they wouldnt have been conf champs only 2 times it would have been more about 5 conf championships....I mean shit texas southern beat rice in a regional one year does that make texas southern a national powerhouse in baseball hell no it doesn't....

[Guest bleed orange]

Yes I agree Ancelot and Orebo both had talent the last 4 years. But its what you do when you do not have as much. In Ancelot's first year she took a team that was not suppose to do anything and got 20 wins out of them. We will never know what Orebo can do with lesser talent.

The difference between Orangefield and WOS is OF developes kids at a young age because of the Little Dribbler program. WOS used to have a league affiliated with the church. I don't know if they still do. The point is players are not being developed at a young age in WOS and a church league is not Little Dribblers. Your right players like B. James and B. Scott don't come around very often. Those two girls were special. Even though the seniors at OF were special also, the cubbard is not bare at OF.

Stang4life, you do not like Ancelot and I do not like Orebo. That will never change and thats ok. Lets bury the hatchet on that subject. I know, "I started it". I will not bring up Orebos name again.

I will say this, the girls are glad she did not get the Lamar job. I hope Tidwell can turn things around. Its going to be a tough chore no matter who the coach is. Except maybe Pat Summit, she can recruit on name alone. Also you are correct in saying any big time player in this area will more than likely not go to Lamar. But I will say this they could have gotten B. James if they would have tried a little harder. There is not that much difference between Lamar and North Texas except they have a football team and geographic location.

[stang4life]

I don't believe that either WO-S' Brittneys would have played at Lamar.  Brittney had more offers and for her own personal reasons, she chose North Texas. 

As for the little dribblers program, I'll just say one thing...most kids' families at WO-S can't afford the time nor the money for little dribblers.  That's just a fact and that includes myself.  Sometimes it's not a matter of the kids and their parents "wanting" to put more time, money, and energy into developing their basketball skills.  Unfortunately for many of us at WO-S, we don't have much of any of that. 

OF has always had a good girls' basketball program (very fundamental) since Coach Tennison was there.  Those girls would have excelled throughout their high school career whether Ancelot was there or not. (And that is an opinion shared by more than just myself...those words actually came out of an avid Bobcat fan.)

[Gabe]

Who is to say if either BJ or B Scott wouldn't go to LU? And if they still didnt go, why not at least have a program set up at LU that at least makes great players consider staying home?

If the Lady Cards are winning games and making the NIT or NCAA on a regular basis, those players would at least give it thought. No you cant keep them all but at least lets have a team that makes stars think.

That makes it better for everyone involved.

[DWNER04]

I personally played at Orangefield when Ancelot first came and also for two years before she got there. Ancelot completely turned Orangefield's program around. She brought us from a team who could only win 8 games to a 20 win year. That is the mark of a good coach. I'm personally happy she is staying at Orangefield because no matter what talent level she is given she will teach them team ball, unlike some coaches mentioned above. I hope Lamar all the best and I sincerely hope that the community rallies around the new coach and what he is going to bring to the area.

[mamacat]

I agree with stang4life alot of kids (boys and girls) want the experience of going off to school.  With that being said there are other kids who would consider Lamar because it was away from their hometowns.  We have a nice campus and there are renovations being made all the time.  We as a community need to support our teams.  I realize we aren't a big name school like Texas, but we could stand to have more fan support and less bashing of "typical Lamar". 

I agree Rome wasn't built in a day but we are too quick to judge these coaches.  We need to give them a chance to prove themselves and they need support from the fans. 

[CoachKfan]

I agree mamacat.  I for one am sick of hearing "typical Lamar".  They are making great strides.  Jimmy Simmons has done a tremendous job since taking over as president.  If we had more support and less second guessing, who knows what might happen.  I support their choice for the Women's coaching position 100%.  Give the man a chance!

[whsalum]

Amen and just a fraction of the new coach at Texas' salary.The sky may be the limit.

[stang4life]

LU is a good school with lots to offer.  I just don't believe WO-S' two Brittneys would have chosen to go there...nothing personal.

Tidwell was better qualified to take the job and he should do a good job.  Perhaps, he can recruit locally more because if more local talent is recruited, then more fan support comes with it.

As for Orebo, I wish her luck wherever she goes. 

[bobcat4life]

I have had the good fortune to coach the two Brittany's in AAU.  Both want to win, and both want to be a part of the winning.  If Lamar had recruited them wisely, I think they both might have considered going there.  They barely talked to BJ and they didn't even bother contacting B. Scott.  I will also say this, the AAU team I coached for several years had a blend of players from this area.  All but 2 of them were from the Golden Triangle and 2 years ago we came in 3rd in the Addida's classic in Atlanta and 4th at the Nike Invite in Memphis.  There were about 80 teams there and we played in the top division.  Local players can definately compete at a National level.

As far as the subjec to coaches at Lamar, I am totally confident that Lamar made the correct hire.  Someone said that coach A "turned it around" at OF.  The current group of seniors didn't lose a game in Jr. High, in fact, they AVERAGED winning 48-12.  They won National's in Little Dribblers, (if you don't think that is a big deal, check out which schools win that, and then for the next several years see who is ranked in the top 10 in the state) and competed 10 months a year in AAU. Not only that, for several years surrounding that group, they either won district or came in second. 

I agree with whichever individual said that the coach gets way too much credit.  I don't think Orebo is much of a coach, but I do think she had the sense to step down when the talent well dried up.  Lets see how far Coach A takes OF next year.  I will be willing to bet with anyone that wants they won't be at the regional tournament.

[laguna]

Hey "bobcat4life"--who pissed in your cheerios?  Quit being a hater!  Again, you have a funny way of "supporting" your bobcats. . . Already dissing next season. If you're so qualified, then why don't you take the helm and show everyone how it's done, Coach!    Get YOURSELF together before you go judging everyone else!