WEST LONG BRANCH – The numbers are staggering. Approximately 45 former Shore Conference players played Division I women's college basketball last season, the latest confirmation that Monmouth and Ocean counties are hotbeds for recruiting talent who will make a difference at the next level. .
A season ago, just five players were on the Monmouth University women's basketball team, returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 40 years.
So on her first day on the job at OceanFirst Bank Center, new head coach Kate Wetmore had something to say right after Thursday's inaugural press conference.
“We have to embrace the backyard,” said Wetmore, a former associate head coach at Charlotte. “That's important to me. We want to adopt our own backyard first and expand from there. There's a lot of great basketball here. And the community likes to embrace their hometown heroes.” I think we can get high-level players here.”
He was one of Shore's elite athletes punching his ticket to a high-major program, something no one else could do, including former head coach Ginny Boggess. Because convincing top players to stay home and play in front of their family and friends is a huge step for the program to take the next step, especially with the current class of local talent rising to the top. This is because it may be useful.
“New Jersey basketball is great. There's a lot of high-level players here,” said Wetmore, a New Jersey native who played at Kittatinny High School in Newton. “One of my first jobs was to call and reach out and reconnect with all the high school and AAU coaches. There are a lot of great programs up and down the coast and around the state.”
Athletic Director Jennifer Sansevero's hiring profile listed winners with great people and a proven track record at the top of the list. Number three is to be a “tireless recruiter.”
“That's very important. We haven't had a big-time player,” said Sansevero, who has known Wetmore since his time as an assistant coach at UNC Greensboro. “Ginny has been trying to recruit some big players, and there are some great players who have gone to some high-level institutions. But given Kate's connections and her solid background elsewhere, , I think she can do a really good job of engaging with the Shore basketball community and try to keep some of those kids here at Monmouth.”
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Women's basketball attracts attention
Invigorating local communities is especially important at a time when the NCAA Tournament is seeing record television ratings and the spotlight is on the women's game.
“We want that to trickle down to the local area,” Wetmore said. “I think people are excited about women's basketball. I think the Shores love women's basketball, so this is a great opportunity for them to get married and use that on a micro level to get everyone excited.” think.”
It's all part of a symbiotic blueprint for success that includes solutions to the name, image, and likeness (NIL) issues all programs deal with as players seek compensation beyond scholarships. is.
“The NCAA just changed its rules to allow institutions to connect and engage with student-athletes and local businesses, and Kate has already done that in Charlotte, so that's part of her candidacy. “That was one of the things that was really appealing about her,” Sansevero said. “They're committed to grassroots activism for name, image and likeness rights, and that's the healthiest part of NIL. It just fosters connections, buys in student-athletes, gets the community to buy in with student-athletes. only.”
“For better or worse, that's where we are today. If we want to remain competitive at the mid-major to high-major levels, we have to have a presence in the NIL space,” Wetmore said. “That's my agenda.”
Rebuild the roster
Senior center Belle Krambuhle, who was named to the CAA All-Defensive Team, senior guard Sandrine Kleska and senior forward Tayshia Exanor, sophomore forward Ella Farrelly, freshman forward Devine Dibra, and sophomore guard At least seven current Monmouth players were in attendance, including Amiyah Carroll. .
And that will likely be the core group Wetmore builds on via the transfer portal and high school signees.
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There are currently six Monmouth players in the transfer portal from a 22-win team that won a game in the WNIT. They include: Senior guard Arianna Vanderhoop, a third-team All-CAA selection; senior guard Casey Donovan, All-CAA third team member; senior guard Jania Hall, CAA's sixth player of the year; Freshman guard Rosalie Mercille is a sharpshooter who scored 20 points twice. reserve guard Antonia Panayides; and freshman guard Diamond Wiggins.
“There were several conversations (with players in the portal), and by the time I got here, even though they hired a coach as quickly as possible, some of them were even more aware of their We were going through the process,” Wetmore said.
Wetmore brought in one coach from Charlotte, Aja Boyd, who played at UNC Greensboro when Wetmore was the coach. She said she also spoke with Anjal Barrett, who was on Boggess's staff.