Pippa

my way-too-early thoughts

we are gonna find out how good of coaches the McCools really are this year, or if they have just been benefactors of having talent that is best in the nation on their events. There is only so much we see, but it seems like they have yet to really see either of them develop a girl on their respective event into more than they were. to put it into perspective, Gnat really did a good job developing Sierra, heck even Jay with Cowan on bars. I am hopeful they are able to breakthrough with Drayton on both of their events they coach. Speaking of Drayton, her beam was fantastic btw

I am out of the loop, but any reason they are not using Nina or Mustari? I can stomach mistakes and 196's so long as it is there are freshman learning trial by fire, but last meet was not that.

That vault rotation was very questionable by Jay. I'd like to see Konnor back in the beam spot she had been in the last 2 years, with Chio as anchor. Not that impressed with the floor rotations thus far, either. I assume Coen is hurt, but I think her floor would juice up the entire rotantion and bring the energy and sass the rotation as a whole is severely lacking.
If Chio is this teams Haleigh, then who is her Finnegan? If it is Ulrich, we are in trouble. I like Ulrich so far she is a solid reliable all arounder with a high-floor but kinda low ceiling. She seems like the type that rarely gets you higher than a 9.925+, but she also will always give you a score worth keeping and mistake free, and you take those. Guess all Im saying is we need that second all arounder who can get huge scores, but does that girl exist on this roster as constructed?

It's early so most of the above is reactionary.

Don't be too worried. LSU just beat their main threats to the Natty last night with Sierra and Kylie on floor.

The ideal floor lineup for Finals if they get there is Lincoln, Konnor, Chio, Drayton, Aleah and Bryant.

If Konnor really is ready, I hope we are in a position in regionals for Bryant to be subbed out because the meet is won, and Konnor get get an easy rep that way. He removed Kiya from floor last minute last year, so I think it would be a good chance to see what Konnor is like.

Im not worried about beam. Beam has been carrying us on meets other events let us down on.

Speaking of, what was wrong with Coen's beam? did she miss a connection or something? It didn't look like a 9.725 to me but I don't know the intricacies of BB and all of that so my untrained eye probably missed it.

Yeah I think calling Jade's run at Oregon State "historic" is straight hyperbole (baring a nationals run for them this year. you never know and the book isn't finished being written)

Compare her to Suni Lee. Suni Lee took a middle of the pack program to a final four her first year on campus. She elevated everybody in that lineup.
Only competed a little bit her second year and without her they fell right back to the middle of the pack and they still have not recovered from her being gone.

Personally? I would pick Jordan Bowers to win AAI. She is the all around ace of that team that never gets the proper shine she should. Half the time the commentators are too busy glazzing Audrey Davis and wondering why her wonky dismounts never get 10s. Thru her career, IMO Bowers been the best AA player on 2 national championship winning teams. Jade is also very worthy of the award. I think Leanne hasn't done all that much to warrant it if I'm being honest outside of phantom 10s. Leanne typically comes up short in big moments (Bryant got the AA title because Leanne shrank just a little bit enough on her beam dismount. lack of focus, but focus in moments like that it separates the goods from the greats)

so is it

198.125 (A) (Drop)
198.050
198.000
197.650 (A)
197.550
197.300 (A)

NQS: 197.71?
god I will never understand NQS lol

floor rank is entirely because we have the literal NCAA Floor Champion slumping.

and that is not said as a blame game thing, either. Aleah needs support and needs to feel it is ok to make mistakes it is not always on her, and that is what she has been given this team is there for eachother from all accounts. When a girl is struggling, others are there to pick her up. Aleah hard carried the team the first like 3 weeks she was incredible. She is a legend to this program.

Remove the best floor routine for 6 weeks from every team in the nation, and see what their rank is. that is essentially what LSU has been operating at.

we have dropped Aleah's floor score each of the last 5 or 6 weeks (Arkansas we had to count her 9.5, but that is 4 tenths lower than her normal). He poor scores have possibly impacted Bryant who has followed her because that is how stupid judging mindset is where it's about score building (when why can't it just be about the merit of each singular routine? I know that is how it should be, but on floor especially it is not how it is). Bryant might've gotten a 10 vs. OU if Aleah hits her routine, her 9.0 last week becomes a 9.95+ if Aleah hits etc you know how it is.

also I hope Jay shuffles the floor order.
I think I would swap Aleah and Chio just give it a different look.

I am all for keeping Aleah in she has earned her place god knows she is a program legend, but she is really hurting the score building potential right now. Just marching out the same back end of the order and making no adjustments is a little frustrating at the moment.

that would be a bummer.
what are red shirt rules? would it be too late for KJ?

Outside of that, vault was a letdown tonight, but bars was solid and I thought the floor scores were way under scored. Same with some of the beams what am I missing with Konors beam I thought it looked pretty dang good. Productive meet.

Kentucky is away next week and we need that win and a big score 197.5+ that is a trap meet that should not be taken lightly. Kentucky are pests and always give us fits.

Aleah is just mental focus with the oob. she would have put up a big 9.95-maybe even a 10 if she stayed in she was popping off her floor looked great otherwise. Bryant stays on beam now and forever.

I think the move is to flip Bryant and Aleah on floor for 1 week, and have the intention of resting Aleah if they can count the 5 scores that come before her or sub her out. Or hope that Alyona has a floor or KJ can come back. There is a Finnegan crisis on floor at this point, but we ride or we die with Aleah she means so much.

Bars is the weakest event this year. Konnor is still working towards finding her landing on the dismount. She'll get it, give her time. Maybe move her up in the lineup and put either Chio or Cowan (I know he won't) as the anchor? Jay is probably set in his ways with bars.

tough win on the road and they fought hard.
this had all the makings of being another trap meet, but they got it done.

kaliya's floor debut was very nice. i think once kj is back, kaliya is the new leadoff. hopefully kj is back on floor next week. sierra thrived last year doing only one event, so i think her off of floor will help get her beam back where we know she can get it.

man even gym reddit is laughing at how overscored Florida is.
Gators are gonna get a reality check once post season starts. They are not on LSU or Oklahoma's level.

yeah my bad lol

gotta thank gym reddit for crying about scoring the last couple years to where it has been so low across the board. tonight's meet if it were last year would have been 198.3 and mizzou would've been 197.5 they had a great meet too.

If judged fairly, we would have probably been at a 196.8-ish which is not where exactly you want to be to close out the month of January but it is ok setbacks happen; that is sport. Just don't want judging to prevent accountability from happening,

Judging isn't to blame for floor team and beam team being disasters last Friday. That is on both the athletes and coaches.

The floor team right now is living off of the rep of last season. I get it, there are injuries and I am not saying rush injured girls back not at all. The current lineup is capable of putting up a 49.5, but they are under performing and their mistakes mount up.

The sky is not falling, but it is getting close to gutcheck time. I trust Jay is going to push the right buttons and get them to lock in.

that was a trap meet, but man very sloppy and just unfocused all across the board.
was probably the worst floor rotation I have seen LSU do in years that didn't have a fall. Just no focus. The floor lineup and order was questionable from the start. F around and find out, they found out.

Need the group to give a rebuttal next week. You got knocked down, now get back up. The Seniors we know can do it they have spent their careers coming back, but the underclassmen it is their moment to rise to the occasion after adversity and make a play.

I would love to see Jay try Aleah as the leadoff on floor and force the judges to do their job and judge a routine based on the routine itself and not punish it because of its spot in the lineup. With Aleah, it is gonna make them choose are they REALLY gonna deny the best floor in the nation high scores just because she is leadoff? or, because she is Aleah and has that rep now of being the best, will they judge correctly?

Konnor's floor last year is proof judges more or less hard cap the leadoff spot and don't give the early spots the scores it deserves. Her floor has been anchor worthy, yet her scores outside of the first week were she got a correct 9.975 were all way lower than they should be based on the merit of the routine.

Kaliya should probably be anchoring. Using her in leadoff is leaving money on the table.

What is not to like about LSU?
if she wants to win? we just won.
if she wants the best culture? we have that too.
if she wants to get paid? our boosters will take care of her.
if she wants to practice everyday in the best gym facility in the nation? come on down to baton rouge.
is a proven home for student athletes who left their former programs SS, Cami, Hoffman, AJ

imo she is the 2nd best gymnast in the nation behind Haleigh. I hope Jay makes the sales pitch and talks to the people he needs to talk to see if a deal can be done.