Kat Tudor Update

There is nothing wrong with evaluating a players skill level. Finding areas the could improve in is not being negative if it is truthful. And your evaluation of her quick dribble from an in place dribbling standstill is right on in respect to an area she needs to improve in. I pretty much said the same thing in my own post. I also believe that she still has a huge upside left in that area due to her lack of having played at the two guard position since 8th grade. That will require experience which that extra year could supply her. 

However, I disagree in respect to her not being WNBA ready. As a two yes, but that is not the position she would play or be required to have the skill for. She would play the same role as a spot up shooter as she played in both high school and college. WNBA carry spot up shooters on their team because of what they during certain games can bring to the table. I gave the example of KLM in Seattle. She is a really poor defender and her release is not that quick. To put it mildly she is slow. Yet they still carry her on the team for spot duty. 

As a spot up shooter from the corner, a quick release is the most important thing. She also can drive past a player who is closing on her as well. With her quick release and high arch her shot is very hard to block and that is what translates at any level. Developing an in place dribble- being able to move side to side or would be a plus but not really essential. She does have a quick dribble off the catch to attack the basket. She also is very good on and off ball defender-- better than any other perimeter defender the last few years at Oregon St. I can quantify that if necessary. I only remember her getting beat her soph year by Asha Durr ( twice by her cross over ). Last season the entire team slacked off on defense at the beginning of the year. 

I don't claim to know everything about basketball, but I notice details that seem to escape most observers. And I am not new to the rodeo in respect to evaluating how players skills will translate to and adjust at the next level. Quick feet are all important as well and Kat has quick feet, which is one reason she is able to release the ball on the catch. 

Oh I almost forgot to respond to your statement about playing her tight to limit her 3 pt quick release. You can not play a corner shooter tight without opening up the driving lane on that side of the court. That is precisely the reason that Kat still had an effect on the game even with out taking a shot when the oppositions played her tight. That is also the reason she was locked into playing in the corner -- because she was very effective and valuable there. The quicker the release the tighter you have to play a shooter. That is why having a shooter on the edges is so important. It opens the floor at any level of play. The higher the level of play the quicker the release has to be to be effective in that respect. Kats is lightning fast which is what will make her transition to the next level effectively possible. 

I am not saying that she is a sure thing to catch on, because reputation in the WNBA often means more than actual ability. She needs to get on a team that needs and wants a shooter along with getting enough rep via a good showing her last season. It will not happen in training camp or preseason. They pretty much know who they will keep before hand. This is why her last season needs to be a really good one. As to not being able to create her own shot, there are very few players on each team that can at that level. They are very scarce.  

Exactly! Her potential in that area is what kept her on the team thoughout her first season even though she did not score a point. It was the potential because of her quick release. She was less effective because of her low trajectory shot, but her ball handling ability - while not up to WNBAs standards 1 and 2 levels during her first season showed enough potential that the coach kept her. It matured this season and she ended up playing the 2 and often being the back up point behind Chelsea. Kat is not close to  the level Syd was her first season, but she is a better catch and shoot player and at close to the defender she was. Syd has turned into a very good defender this season. One could tell by her +- differential while she was on the court even while not scoring. 

As I said before, getting a opportunity in the WNBA is not always about being a good all around player, but rather, do you meet a specific need that a team has. There are tons of really good players that come out every year, but their is a limited number of spaces and plenty of that level of players in the league all ready. This is why it is important to get on the right team. KLS was the 4th player taken in the draft, but ended up on the wrong team ( WNBA coaches are not always the sharpest tools in the shed) and got very little court time. She is a tweener who has problems defending perimeter players at that level. She ended up playing the spot up shooter position, which does not start and gets limited minutes. A high pick for that position. She should have been taken late 1st early 2nd. But teams like shooters and UConn has a system that lets them excel, some even reaching AA status. Although in college, unlike KML , because of her height and better skill set , she was more than just a shooter. 

Plus comparing her to Syd is a bit, ok a HUGE, reach. No disrespect to Kat, but she's not Syd in any respect... not as a college player or a WNBA prospect.

I love Kat.

That said it seems kind of silly to argue about her WNBA potential. I’m more concerned about her PAC-12 potential this season.

First things first.

Back to the original intent of this thread.... How close is Kat to being released to play in contact situations in practice and when might we hear from the NCAA as to whether Kat will be granted a medical redshirt season for her season being cut short in January 2019?

If any of you out there in Corvallis see her through the windows at the Basketball Center moving well laterally and/or seeming to be involved in contact drills, this forum would certainly welcome that info.

We all hope to see Kat in a Beavers uniform stretching the opposing defenses later in 2019. If the NCAA provides confirmation of the additional season and Kat's progress and confidence in the strength and stability of her recovering knee is high, then we do have a chance of seeing Kat play in December or January. If that should play out, that would be a blessing for her and a great sight for all of the many fans who appreciate what she has brought to the program during her OSU career.

Kat Tudor can make the Olympic Team and the gold medal for TEAM USA as the deadly 3pt shooter.