Lexi Donarski entering transfer portal

[mred]

When Dinnebier signed with Drake in 2020, we had the following:

Plus we were still in the running for Caitlin Clark and needed to leave a spot for her.

EDIT: Dinnebier was a 2021 recruit, so that might not be a big factor. But she did verbal Drake a couple months before Clark verballed Iowa, despite being a class younger.

 

[BigJCy]

Any word on what couple schools Lexi is supposedly down to choosing?

 

[cyups2323]

Lexi might want to play on a team that has an offense that can get her the ball when she has a shot instead of when the shot clock is about to expire

Or she could just not miss 5 layups a game. She left 8 to 10 points on the court every game. That's on her not the coaches.

 

[acoustimac]

Any word on what couple schools Lexi is supposedly down to choosing?

Crickets so far. If I were her I'd be keeping it close to the vest as well. Fits her personality as being humble and not a flash like Morrow for example.

 

[runningcy]

As much as I love her as a player she had a really off season I was expecting her to put up about 17 ppg and really give a us another offensive threat she was A great defender again but went from DPO and unanimous 1st team all big 12 to just a HR and her lowest offensive output.

 

[Westside clone]

Or she could just not miss 5 layups a game. She left 8 to 10 points on the court every game. That's on her not the coaches.

I am of a different opinion on your definition of layups. What she missed were not the ones you see them take in warmup. Most were driving wide left or right and taken over someone 3 to 6 inches taller. I always found these to be "slightly more difficult"

 

[Stormin]

Thought she had a bit of a letdown this year. Maybe a change of scenery will do her good.

 

[cyclone13]

Then why aren't other Power 6 schools recruiting these players if they are so good? If Katie Dinnibier and Mya McDermott are Power 6 talent, why are they playing at Drake and UNI? Why haven't they put their names in the portal to go to bigger schools? I have yet to see a Drake or UNI player go into the transfer portal over the last two years and move to a Power 6 school, so that tells me all I need to know.

2021-2022
Drake had no transfers in/out
UNI - 1 in from Green Bay, one out to Coastal Carolina
View attachment 112327

2022-2023
Drake - one in from Loyola Chicago
UNI - none

When Dinnebier signed with Drake in 2020, we had the following:
Emily Ryan - freshman
Lexi Dornarski - freshman
Denae Fritz - freshman
Aubrey Jones - freshman
Kylie Feuerbach -freshman
Maggie Espenmiller-McGraw - sophomore

So, we didn't have a need for another guard, so why would you recruit another guard?

The other consideration: yes, Dinnibier looked good against Louisville and match up well against Van Lith. But is this a matter of she happened to have the perfect matchup?

Anyone remember Tyronn Lue? He was an ok NBA player but in 2001 NBA finals he matched up well with Allen Iverson. Does it make Lue a better player than AI? Definitely no but for that series, Lue was golden when neutralizing AI.

This could be the same with Dinniber vs Van Lith.

 

[StClone]

I am of a different opinion on your definition of layups. What she missed were not the ones you see them take in warmup. Most were driving wide left or right and taken over someone 3 to 6 inches taller. I always found these to be "slightly more difficult"

I agree with the truth and accuracy of that assessment. Lexi is an exceptional athlete and her Father Dave gave her many great BB tools.

When you compare the less fleet, Emily could make more of those shots, I believe. Ryan learned to use reverse layups, high bank shots, and maybe force through a bigger defender.

Lexi would be given a bad angle and often move too quickly to adjust and miss. She looked frustrated. I don't know if she relied on her speed and quickness and never thought of working crafty moves into her near-in games or what. I think it was one of the signs, maybe a small part of the reason, she is moving on.

 

[BCClone]

Then why aren't other Power 6 schools recruiting these players if they are so good? If Katie Dinnibier and Mya McDermott are Power 6 talent, why are they playing at Drake and UNI? Why haven't they put their names in the portal to go to bigger schools? I have yet to see a Drake or UNI player go into the transfer portal over the last two years and move to a Power 6 school, so that tells me all I need to know.

2021-2022
Drake had no transfers in/out
UNI - 1 in from Green Bay, one out to Coastal Carolina
View attachment 112327

2022-2023
Drake - one in from Loyola Chicago
UNI - none

When Dinnebier signed with Drake in 2020, we had the following:
Emily Ryan - freshman
Lexi Dornarski - freshman
Denae Fritz - freshman
Aubrey Jones - freshman
Kylie Feuerbach -freshman
Maggie Espenmiller-McGraw - sophomore

So, we didn't have a need for another guard, so why would you recruit another guard?

Fritz was a year after emily, Lexi and others.

 

[SMP05]

Crickets so far. If I were her I'd be keeping it close to the vest as well. Fits her personality as being humble and not a flash like Morrow for example.

In an interview with The Sports Lead, she said she was on the phone 12 hours a day with all the schools. (Per Twitter).

 

[David394]

Agree with the above on missed "long layups". These were usually long not because the offense or a pass put her in a bad position. They were long because she typically tried to beat her defender using her 1 offensive skill - speed - and if this didn't work, instead of aborting the drive and passing, she would stubbornly press ahead and throw up one of these ill advised long layups.

As stated above, she has no intricate ballhandling 1-on-1 moves that top players typically have to beat a defender. It's either raw speed, which does work for her sometimes, or nothing.

Most players develop these intricate moves on their own (I mean eithout coaching) through hours and hours of 3 on 3 and 1 on 1, and pickup 5 on 5 as well... and then you get an idea in one of these setting and maybe further work on it alone. You could probably develop such moves with the help of a coach or mentor player, I'm surprised her dad apparently, I'm guessing, didn't intervene here. But there's a disconnect between the overall impressiveness of her game - defense, knowledge, top 10-15 (?) percent athleticism...and her near complete lack of intricate 1-on-1 ballhandling moves. I think it's still possible for her to develop them though and I hope she does.

 

[nfrine]

In an interview with The Sports Lead, she said she was on the phone 12 hours a day with all the schools. (Per Twitter).

The auction had begun...

 

[Cyfan1965]

I can’t see her ending up at LSU or South Carolina. Indiana has seemed the best fit from the start but maybe they haven’t offered enough in$entives

 

[ICCYFAN]

Agree with the above on missed "long layups". These were usually long not because the offense or a pass put her in a bad position. They were long because she typically tried to beat her defender using her 1 offensive skill - speed - and if this didn't work, instead of aborting the drive and passing, she would stubbornly press ahead and throw up one of these ill advised long layups.
.

Fresh take from a new contributor! We all saw the high speed drives where she’d get nudged out and still attempt the running twisting six to eight footer. Why do you think she was taking them?

 

[NWICY]

I don't like arguing with fellow Cyclone fans as we all love the same team and just want them to do well. Having said that, the Fennelly apologists absolutely slay me! Bottom line - a school like ISU can't afford attrition like we've seen this year and CBF is ultimately responsible for building and maintaining the squad. For those of you citing the highly rated recruiting class as evidence we'll be OK, I heard one of the key pieces briefly wavered (based on the defections) before steadying after a phone conversation with one of the defectors. As for recruiting experienced players from the portal, I'll line up behind the Truman State Sharpshooter, but we're at a distinct net negative thus far in replacing Lexi / Denae. You simply can't spin this as a positive development and throwing shade at Lexi is a really bad look / take. I'm out...

Meh with NIL and the portal, who the hell knows why kids transfer in any sport. I can say that Steph Soares and Bea Jordoa were at trivia last night and were cordial to all it seemed. So it's not like ISU is a gulag.

 

[ICCYFAN]

Meh with NIL and the portal, who the hell knows why kids transfer in any sport. I can say that Steph Soares and Bea Jordoa were at trivia last night and were cordial to all it seemed. So it's not like ISU is a gulag.

Beatrice and Steph appeared to have a good time with the team and were frequently seen smiling, so that’s no surprise! I’ll bite - how did you finish at trivia relative to their team?

 

[bozclone]

Agree with the above on missed "long layups". These were usually long not because the offense or a pass put her in a bad position. They were long because she typically tried to beat her defender using her 1 offensive skill - speed - and if this didn't work, instead of aborting the drive and passing, she would stubbornly press ahead and throw up one of these ill advised long layups.

As stated above, she has no intricate ballhandling 1-on-1 moves that top players typically have to beat a defender. It's either raw speed, which does work for her sometimes, or nothing.

Most players develop these intricate moves on their own (I mean eithout coaching) through hours and hours of 3 on 3 and 1 on 1, and pickup 5 on 5 as well... and then you get an idea in one of these setting and maybe further work on it alone. You could probably develop such moves with the help of a coach or mentor player, I'm surprised her dad apparently, I'm guessing, didn't intervene here. But there's a disconnect between the overall impressiveness of her game - defense, knowledge, top 10-15 (?) percent athleticism...and her near complete lack of intricate 1-on-1 ballhandling moves. I think it's still possible for her to develop them though and I hope she does.

Interesting take. Seems pretty harsh considering she is one of the top players in the portal. I would gladly have her on our team.

 

[NWICY]

Beatrice and Steph appeared to have a good time with the team and were frequently seen smiling, so that’s no surprise! I’ll bite - how did you finish at trivia relative to their team?

No idea to be frank, we finished 78th so the odds of them being higher than us was quite high. Our celebrity pickers didn't supply much help to be honest.

 

[SolarGarlic]

Agree with the above on missed "long layups". These were usually long not because the offense or a pass put her in a bad position. They were long because she typically tried to beat her defender using her 1 offensive skill - speed - and if this didn't work, instead of aborting the drive and passing, she would stubbornly press ahead and throw up one of these ill advised long layups.

As stated above, she has no intricate ballhandling 1-on-1 moves that top players typically have to beat a defender. It's either raw speed, which does work for her sometimes, or nothing.

Most players develop these intricate moves on their own (I mean eithout coaching) through hours and hours of 3 on 3 and 1 on 1, and pickup 5 on 5 as well... and then you get an idea in one of these setting and maybe further work on it alone. You could probably develop such moves with the help of a coach or mentor player, I'm surprised her dad apparently, I'm guessing, didn't intervene here. But there's a disconnect between the overall impressiveness of her game - defense, knowledge, top 10-15 (?) percent athleticism...and her near complete lack of intricate 1-on-1 ballhandling moves. I think it's still possible for her to develop them though and I hope she does.

She has a stepback, which she used less this year and with less success. And a crossover, which is pretty rudimentary for a Big 12 player. Her ballhandling is very good, especially for her size. But she needs to develop more aggressive footwork (getting downhill and getting two feet in the paint) and more versatile finishes.

With her size, she should've been developing a couple post options, a turnaround jumper/fadeaway, and a midrange pull up/floater shot. From what I can tell, she was developed as an outside shooter and perimeter ball handler in high school. We then decided to make her a defender and slasher, put her in a dribble-oriented offense with a good PG and another high volume scorer and squashed her development.

Her inconsistent 3-point shot is what holds her back more than anything. And I think that has a lot to do with how she was used on both ends of the floor because her technique is nearly flawless.