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LadyGriz Nate Harris new head coach of the Lady Griz!

I am saying that in 2023, 70.4 % of The NBA was African-American and only 17.5 % were white, according to Statista Research.

And 67% of The WNBA was Black, with 83% of all players being persons of color: African-American, Hispanic and Asian players, some players being Americans and some from overseas, Spain, China
and India, for example.

And also in 2023, 28% of NCAA women's basketball players were Black, the highest % of African-American girls in any NCAA women's collegiate sport.

If a picture of the 2024-25 GRIZ men's basketball team is juxtaposed next to a picture of the 2024-25 LG,there is an obvious stunning visible difference: our men's team is 56% Black, 9 of 16 student athletes, and our LG team was 100 %, 14 /14 LG players were White.

I am not saying our Lady GRIZ team needs to be over 50 % Black, like our men's team. I am saying the LG have not historically been recruiting nearby regional big cities--Seattle-Tacoma, Portland, SF-Oakland, LA, etc. and if we want our LG to be more competitive both within and outside of The Big Sky Conference, Coach Harris and staff need to start recruiting these nearby regional big cities, just like Coach DeCuire does and having assistant coach or coaches of color from the inner city themselves can greatly help that effort. Of our 6 GRIZ men's coaches, 50 % are Black: Coach DeCuire, and Asst. Coaches DJ Broome and Reuben Williams.

Diversity in general is good for a university as hopefully our campus at least reflects somewhat the diversity of our country, and diversity in our sports teams as reflected by both our GRIZ men's basketball team and, as noted by grizjournal, our football team. has greatly enhanced their athletic performance and all of our student-athletes are first and foremost good-to-great students that will leave UM with degree in hand not withstanding student-athletes that
I'm sure glad Arizona with three girls of color on the court beat Northern Arizona. Maybe it's more then just the color of the skin. Maybe it's more about the character and heart of the athlete that makes the difference.
 
I'm sure glad Arizona with three girls of color on the court beat Northern Arizona. Maybe it's more then just the color of the skin. Maybe it's more about the character and heart of the athlete that makes the difference.
There must be a typing error or a dry sense of humor in this message as NAU beat Arizona 71 - 69.
 
I'm sure glad Arizona with three girls of color on the court beat Northern Arizona. Maybe it's more then just the color of the skin. Maybe it's more about the character and heart of the athlete that makes the difference.
I agree character and heart are two essential ingredients for student athletes to succeed but you ommitted one that is.just as important: athletic ability.

Since Coach Don Haskins Texas Western ( UTEP) Miners lineup of 5 African-Americans stunned legendary Coach Adolph Rupp's all-white University of Kentucky lineup, including a smallish guard named Pat Riley, in the NCAA National Championship game on March 19, 1966, 72-65, during the peak of the Civil Rights' era as depicted in the award-winning book and 2006 movie " Glory Road," Black student athletes have dominated not only the college basketball ranks ever since, but also professional basketball in The NBA joined later by The WNBA.

And the reason for this domination: most of these Black players have character and heart just like their White counterparts plus, on average, more athletic ability. As City noted and seconded by me, it's well past time that The LG start actively recruiting some star inner-city Black girls from our region that when combined with our other star Montana and regional players will improve the LG athleticism and success on the court in nonconference, The Big Sky, and post season , and make the LG team look more like their counterpart GRIZ men's bball and football teams, and more like America--diversity is a strength for a great university like ours !!!
 
I agree character and heart are two essential ingredients for student athletes to succeed but you ommitted one that is.just as important: athletic ability.

Since Coach Don Haskins Texas Western ( UTEP) Miners lineup of 5 African-Americans stunned legendary Coach Adolph Rupp's all-white University of Kentucky lineup, including a smallish guard named Pat Riley, in the NCAA National Championship game on March 19, 1966, 72-65, during the peak of the Civil Rights' era as depicted in the award-winning book and 2006 movie " Glory Road," Black student athletes have dominated not only the college basketball ranks ever since, but also professional basketball in The NBA joined later by The WNBA.

And the reason for this domination: most of these Black players have character and heart just like their White counterparts plus, on average, more athletic ability. As City noted and seconded by me, it's well past time that The LG start actively recruiting some star inner-city Black girls from our region that when combined with our other star Montana and regional players will improve the LG athleticism and success on the court in nonconference, The Big Sky, and post season , and make the LG team look more like their counterpart GRIZ men's bball and football teams, and more like America--diversity is a strength for a great university like ours !!!
"it's well past time that The LG start actively recruiting some star inner-city Black girls from our region"

Just where do you think Missoula is located? Truly not an inner-city market within 1000 miles of Missoula ...some urban markets of size but inner-city...?
 
I agree character and heart are two essential ingredients for student athletes to succeed but you ommitted one that is.just as important: athletic ability.

Since Coach Don Haskins Texas Western ( UTEP) Miners lineup of 5 African-Americans stunned legendary Coach Adolph Rupp's all-white University of Kentucky lineup, including a smallish guard named Pat Riley, in the NCAA National Championship game on March 19, 1966, 72-65, during the peak of the Civil Rights' era as depicted in the award-winning book and 2006 movie " Glory Road," Black student athletes have dominated not only the college basketball ranks ever since, but also professional basketball in The NBA joined later by The WNBA.

And the reason for this domination: most of these Black players have character and heart just like their White counterparts plus, on average, more athletic ability. As City noted and seconded by me, it's well past time that The LG start actively recruiting some star inner-city Black girls from our region that when combined with our other star Montana and regional players will improve the LG athleticism and success on the court in nonconference, The Big Sky, and post season , and make the LG team look more like their counterpart GRIZ men's bball and football teams, and more like America--diversity is a strength for a great university like ours !!!
B. S. On Your DEI
People that push this B S are to afraid to compete on merit, in athletics or in life, absolutely sick of this shit
recruiting should be about integrity, intelligence and athletic ability regardless of the pigmentation of your skin. Catlin Clark might be a good example.
Konig is a great player, Waddington is a great player, Barts is a great player, MJ is a great player The big reason they did so well at the tournament was coach Harris got them to believe and play as a team. M Morales was a great player, G Marksin was a great player the list is so long, MSU is loaded with good players, playing as a team.
what you don't understand is that basketball (team sports) is about getting players on the same page playing together, do that and you have a very good chance at winning. need proof, look at Weber, they hired everything you are pushing after coach Carla Taylor, how has that work out?
 
"it's well past time that The LG start actively recruiting some star inner-city Black girls from our region"

Just where do you think Missoula is located? Truly not an inner-city market within 1000 miles of Missoula ...some urban markets of size but inner-city...?
Wrong answer: Seattle-Tacoma has over 4 million souls, and yes, there are inner-city neighborhoods in the NW's biggest city as well as Tacoma.
 
B. S. On Your DEI
People that push this B S are to afraid to compete on merit, in athletics or in life, absolutely sick of this shit
recruiting should be about integrity, intelligence and athletic ability regardless of the pigmentation of your skin. Catlin Clark might be a good example.
Konig is a great player, Waddington is a great player, Barts is a great player, MJ is a great player The big reason they did so well at the tournament was coach Harris got them to believe and play as a team. M Morales was a great player, G Marksin was a great player the list is so long, MSU is loaded with good players, playing as a team.
what you don't understand is that basketball (team sports) is about getting players on the same page playing together, do that and you have a very good chance at winning. need proof, look at Weber, they hired everything you are pushing after coach Carla Taylor, how has that work out?
Oh BS on your MAGA bullsh__. !!! Caitlin Clark is a great player, but her Lady Hawkeyes got run over by an almost all-Black University of South Carolina team with a Black woman coach in last year's championship, genius. And the year before, Caitlin Clark and her Lady Hawkeyes got run over by another almost all Black LSU Tiger's squad.

Heart and character are great, but you also need athletic ability, and athletic ability, not your so-called DEI conspiracy kook bul____t is why both the NBA and WNBA are predominantly composed of African-Americans !!!
 
Seems like some posters are trying to make a case that talented black athletes only live in the ghetto. Sounds kind of racist to me.

I don't know much of anything about recruiting at UM, but I would certainly think there's a lot more to it than skin color.
 
It's not about recruiting white v black its expanding the recruiting base and working on bringng in the best players, students and members of the community.

Yes the LG should attempt to get into Seattle-Tacoma, PDX and the Bay. But it shouldn't matter the color only the person. No matter the players from those areas...they will be different than the traditional LG recruit of the past. A coach has to relate and understand the region they are recruiting.

The real questions are

Do the LG plan on recruiting that type of kid?

If yes, then LG shoulf a staff member than can get into the homes of those type of players. Do any of these current staff members have that juice?

We still believe they don't change and stay the same with that same recruiting style and region.

Real question....who in the past or presemt have the LG hired that really had those area ties? If the answer is nobody and still is nobody nothing will change with recruiting region..
 
Seems like some posters are trying to make a case that talented black athletes only live in the ghetto. Sounds kind of racist to me.

I don't know much of anything about recruiting at UM, but I would certainly think there's a lot more to it than skin color.
With all due respect. Mom, the 30 win MSU Lady Bobcats just got thumped by a bigger, stronger, faster, more athletic almost all Black Ohio State Lady Buckeyes' team in Columbus, 71-51, and it wasn't because Trish Binford, 5 time Big Sky Conference Coach of The Year, former WNBA guard, winningest coach in MSU history, future MSU and Big Sky Conf. HOF inductee didn't have her team on the same page and doesn't know how to coach !!!

Just like Coach DeCuire and Coach Hauck recruit athletic, star-athlete Black kids, so can Coach Harris, Woolley and staff. Our all-white LG team to be more competitive needs to start recruiting talented, athletic Black girls, whether it's from the inner city or suburbia--and you're correct, not all Black kids are poor kids from the inner city, as many have affluent parents and live in the "burbs," from high schools or the transfer portal.

Both Seattle and Tacoma are closer to Missoula than Eastern Montana: Miles City, Baker, Sidney, Glendive, Plentywood and Broadus. And Big Sky is right, a Black assistant coach would be a huge help !!! If Coach DeCuire and Hauck recruit star Black high school athletes or college athletes from the portal, why can't The LG ?
 
With all due respect. Mom, the 30 win MSU Lady Bobcats just got thumped by a bigger, stronger, faster, more athletic almost all Black Ohio State Lady Buckeyes' team in Columbus, 71-51, and it wasn't because Trish Binford, 5 time Big Sky Conference Coach of The Year, former WNBA guard, winningest coach in MSU history, future MSU and Big Sky Conf. HOF inductee didn't have her team on the same page and doesn't know how to coach !!!

Just like Coach DeCuire and Coach Hauck recruit athletic, star-athlete Black kids, so can Coach Harris, Woolley and staff. Our all-white LG team to be more competitive needs to start recruiting talented, athletic Black girls, whether it's from the inner city or suburbia--and you're correct, not all Black kids are poor kids from the inner city, as many have affluent parents and live in the "burbs," from high schools or the transfer portal.

Both Seattle and Tacoma are closer to Missoula than Eastern Montana: Miles City, Baker, Sidney, Glendive, Plentywood and Broadus. And Big Sky is right, a Black assistant coach would be a huge help !!! If Coach DeCuire and Hauck recruit star Black high school athletes or college athletes from the portal, why can't The LG ?

I just think it's a highly complex issue, and if it was as easy as you are trying to make it, then I think the Lady Griz coaches and certainly Tricia Binford would already be doing it.

Even if it were true (of which I'm not convinced, see below) that having a black assistant coach would help in recruiting black athletes, I just take issue with hiring anyone based on their skin color if they're not the BEST candidate for the job. Generally speaking, however, a coach can build their staff however they want and they don't have to provide any justification to anyone unless they are openly engaging in discriminatory hiring practices, in which case they'd certainly have a EEOC problem. So if the coaches thinking is the same as yours, then they're free to do that. But they haven't done so and there must be a reason. I contend that the biggest part of that reason is just the lack of representation in the overall student body. Black students only account for 1% of the total student body population at UM, and I would imagine that the vast majority of those are going to be males because of the football team. So what black female basketball player is going to want to come to Montana? She'd probably be a very long way from her home and family, and culturally it could be difficult for her. Where is she going to look either in the university or in the general population at large for friendships? Now, don't get me wrong, I totally believe that people of different races can be great friends, however it's a proven fact that humans generally self-select into their own homogeneous groups. We just like hanging out with people that we have things in common with, and females especially. Trust me, I are one. And having one assistant coach of the same color skin isn't going to solve that problem.

Beyond that, if you're going to start comparing Montana basketball teams with the Ohio States of the world, then you've lost me all together because we can't ever compete with those schools for the same kind of talent. Color has nothing to do with it. They're just going to get better athletes, and just because of the way it all works out, they might be mostly black. But even beyond that, the state of Ohio as well as Ohio State University, both have significantly higher black student enrollment then Montana does.

And then there's the factor of coaches go after athletes that they think they have a shot with. They're not going to spend all their time trying to recruit people that they know they're going to have a very hard time getting.

Like I said, it's a highly complex issue and this conversation barely scratches the surface. I certainly want UM to be able to land the best athletes possible, and I can even see your point of view to a limited extent, but I just think there are a lot of other issues that go into all of this that you aren't taking into account.
 
Wrong answer: Seattle-Tacoma has over 4 million souls, and yes, there are inner-city neighborhoods in the NW's biggest city as well as Tacoma.
Not saying Seattle isn't a big metro... wouldn't really classify it as a bastion of inner-city hoops culture however and I think my point was more along the lines of the argument Mom brought up... its a bit more complex and I really think its about being able to recruit talent regardless of color. Montana is always going to have a challenge with where we are and who we play on a regular basis and whether that translates to an attractive landing spot for top tier talent. While we; by virtue of growing up there, going to school there or currently living there all love Montana and see its appeal, the rest of the world needs a lot of convincing...
 
Well to be factually correct, TD has won way more March Madness games than any coach the ladies have had, so billingsgriz is definitely on to something. He is probably correct that if MSU had a coach of color, they would steal some of those recruits from Ohio St.
 
Not saying Seattle isn't a big metro... wouldn't really classify it as a bastion of inner-city hoops culture however and I think my point was more along the lines of the argument Mom brought up... its a bit more complex and I really think its about being able to recruit talent regardless of color. Montana is always going to have a challenge with where we are and who we play on a regular basis and whether that translates to an attractive landing spot for top tier talent. While we; by virtue of growing up there, going to school there or currently living there all love Montana and see its appeal, the rest of the world needs a lot of convincing...
Apparently not as much as you think, Texas, which is why 9 of our 16 kids on our men's team are Black and come from big cities, like Money Williams. But Coach DeCuire and his staff make it a priority to recruit star Black athletes and with a lot of success, while our LG team traditionally has not, which is why all 14 LG this year were white.

If we don't recruit any star Black girls' basketball players, we indeed won't have any on our roster. The problem with your argument is we successfully recruit star Black student-athletes both directly out of high school and from the transfer portal for both men's basketball and football and, not coincidentally, both men's basketball and our football teams have several Black coaches.

Just like football and men's basketball, if we want to sign some of these girls, we have to recruit them. And as noted by City and others, the LG have never made an effort to do so. You're right --not every Black star student girl's basketball player wants to play college ball for UM in Missoula, but some do IF we recruit them !!!
 
Well to be factually correct, TD has won way more March Madness games than any coach the ladies have had, so billingsgriz is definitely on to something. He is probably correct that if MSU had a coach of color, they would steal some of those recruits from Ohio St.
Yeah, Helena, you're so funny you can surely explain why The GRIZ men's team has won 3 Big Sky Conference Championships in the last 6 years playing a lot of talented Black kids, while The LG, playing only White girls, have won 0.
 
Yeah, Helena, you're so funny you can surely explain why The GRIZ men's team has won 3 Big Sky Conference Championships in the last 6 years playing a lot of talented Black kids, while The LG, playing only White girls, have won 0.
MSU women had a roster full of colored players. Good to know winning is that easy though...play fewer white players.
 
MSU women had a roster full of colored players. Good to know winning is that easy though...play fewer white players.
"colored"??? I haven't heard that term since my racist dad from Texas used to say it while I was growing up. Even he learned that it wasn't acceptable to use. You are free to still use it but expect push back when you do. Freedom cuts both ways.
 
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