Brooke Wyckoff

[Tom81]

Brooke may be proving me wrong. I was real skeptical based on her trial year.
Now that she's in charge, this is looking like a real basketball team.

 

[semispear]

I don’t think many expected this level of play. I have been impressed with her game management and in game adjustments (something we criticized in previous years), Credit to her and the staff.

Lost 7 players to the portal, missed out on some key transfers that visited in the off season but is getting the most out of the current roster and playing far much better than last year.

Excited to see how they navigate thru ACC which as of now is pretty wide open.

 

[townole]

Brooke may be proving me wrong. I was real skeptical based on her trial year.
Now that she's in charge, this is looking like a real basketball team.

In BB all it takes is a couple of real lights out players and all of a sudden you are on fire. Good work getting some of those. Undermanned roster this year- can't wait to see what she does with a full roster.

 

[Seminole Saturday Night]

We also need to give kudos to Sue who left the cupboard stocked for Brooke and set Brooke up for success. Hopefully, this is just the beginning.

 

[pitter76]

In BB all it takes is a couple of real lights out players and all of a sudden you are on fire. Good work getting some of those. Undermanned roster this year- can't wait to see what she does with a full roster.

Hired an assistant coach with strong offensive background. She was not 100% in charge in her interim role.

 

[ranger43]

We also need to give kudos to Sue who left the cupboard stocked for Brooke and set Brooke up for success. Hopefully, this is just the beginning.

I have been a big Sue fan, but lets look at this a little closer:

2 years ago, as interim, Brooke's record in the ACC was 9-7 (tied for fourth in the conference) after being predicted preseason to come in 6th.

1 year ago, Coach Sue's team (truly stocked with a roster stocked full of returning players) was predicted preseason to come in 5th - yet we went into the ACC tournament with a 10-8 record and seeded 9th.

This year preseason under Brooke as head coach, we were predicted to come in 9th. Gone from last year's team are: Jackson, Baldwin, Puisis, Brown, Weber, England, AllWorld Morgan Jones and Nicoletti - most of whom left to play for other teams. Brooke brought in what may turn out to be our most decorated player ever (Latson), Massengill, Turnage and O'Brien.

Many feel something was wrong with last year's team with all the returning talent we had - what happened? Was it lack of team chemistry, coaching or something else?

Regardless, this team is playing better. Val is playing the best ball of her career. Team chemistry appears to be much better.

Thru my garnet and gold glasses, it appears to me this group of players is playing better -currently exceeding all expectations. Barring injuries to a team with a roster of only 10 players, I have (as I always have) high hopes for this team and their new coach.

Go Noles!

 

[Seminole Saturday Night]

I have been a big Sue fan, but lets look at this a little closer:

2 years ago, as interim, Brooke's record in the ACC was 9-7 (tied for fourth in the conference) after being predicted preseason to come in 6th.

1 year ago, Coach Sue's team (truly stocked with a roster stocked full of returning players) was predicted preseason to come in 5th - yet we went into the ACC tournament with a 10-8 record and seeded 9th.

This year preseason under Brooke as head coach, we were predicted to come in 9th. Gone from last year's team are: Jackson, Baldwin, Puisis, Brown, Weber, England, AllWorld Morgan Jones and Nicoletti - most of whom left to play for other teams. Brooke brought in what may turn out to be our most decorated player ever (Latson), Massengill, Turnage and O'Brien.

Many feel something was wrong with last year's team with all the returning talent we had - what happened? Was it lack of team chemistry, coaching or something else?

Regardless, this team is playing better. Val is playing the best ball of her career. Team chemistry appears to be much better.

Thru my garnet and gold glasses, it appears to me this group of players is playing better -currently exceeding all expectations. Barring injuries to a team with a roster of only 10 players, I have (as I always have) high hopes for this team and their new coach.

Go Noles!

I have to give Sue credit for bringing in Ta'Niya. I'm sure Brooke was a part of it, but she signed in the early signing period well before Sue retired. In the year off, Sue stayed away from the program so Brooke could run things, but she did contact recruits, one of which was Ta'Niya.

There was definitely something missing the last couple of years. Ta'Niya had elevated the play of the entire team. She is going to be fun to watch. It will be interesting to see once we are a few more weeks into the season how ACC teams try to stop her, especially once we face teams twice. She is definitely the best freshman I have ever seen. I believe we had some who were higher rated (ESPNW had her as their 14th ranked prospect), but none were as dynamic as she is. Can you imagine how good we can become if we can get a couple more like her in the next couple of years? I'm so excited to see how this teams continues to grow and the direction of the program. Too bad there isn't more information out there about women's basketball recruiting.

 

[ranger43]

I have to give Sue credit for bringing in Ta'Niya. I'm sure Brooke was a part of it, but she signed in the early signing period well before Sue retired. In the year off, Sue stayed away from the program so Brooke could run things, but she did contact recruits, one of which was Ta'Niya.

There was definitely something missing the last couple of years. Ta'Niya had elevated the play of the entire team. She is going to be fun to watch. It will be interesting to see once we are a few more weeks into the season how ACC teams try to stop her, especially once we face teams twice. She is definitely the best freshman I have ever seen. I believe we had some who were higher rated (ESPNW had her as their 14th ranked prospect), but none were as dynamic as she is. Can you imagine how good we can become if we can get a couple more like her in the next couple of years? I'm so excited to see how this teams continues to grow and the direction of the program. Too bad there isn't more information out there about women's basketball recruiting.

Couldn’t agree more. You only have to go back to 2018 when Nicoletti gave her commitment to Sue as the #4 recruit in the nation. Unfortunately, she couldn’t get a break from injuries.

 

[Seminole Saturday Night]

I feel so badly for Izabela, she never could overcome those back-to-back injuries. Reminded me of the bad break Gabby Bevillard had with injuries.

 

[pitter76]

I have to give Sue credit for bringing in Ta'Niya. I'm sure Brooke was a part of it, but she signed in the early signing period well before Sue retired. In the year off, Sue stayed away from the program so Brooke could run things, but she did contact recruits, one of which was Ta'Niya.

There was definitely something missing the last couple of years. Ta'Niya had elevated the play of the entire team. She is going to be fun to watch. It will be interesting to see once we are a few more weeks into the season how ACC teams try to stop her, especially once we face teams twice. She is definitely the best freshman I have ever seen. I believe we had some who were higher rated (ESPNW had her as their 14th ranked prospect), but none were as dynamic as she is. Can you imagine how good we can become if we can get a couple more like her in the next couple of years? I'm so excited to see how this teams continues to grow and the direction of the program. Too bad there isn't more information out there about women's basketball recruiting.

Plus, with NIL, we have to keep her here.

 

[ranger43]

Plus, with NIL, we have to keep her here.

I never really thought about it till now. What an amazing opportunity to watch in person one of not only the top “freshmen” in the ACC/country, but top “players” period - regardless of class. It is a special opportunity to watch her play and I really look forward to watching her for 3 1/2 more years.

 

[Noles61]

Brooke may be proving me wrong. I was real skeptical based on her trial year.
Now that she's in charge, this is looking like a real basketball team.

Couldn't agree more. I'll gladly eat my plater of crow. I thought she was a lazy hire like Meat and Taggart. I wanted to see a search done and bring in the best available. Well, it's starting to look like we did bring in the best available.

 

[Seminole Saturday Night]

Couldn't agree more. I'll gladly eat my plater of crow. I thought she was a lazy hire like Meat and Taggart. I wanted to see a search done and bring in the best available. Well, it's starting to look like we did bring in the best available.

You get a free pass on the crow. There really was no reason to expect big things from her, given the track record of Meat and Taggart, especially since she has not previously run a program (one year as acting coach aside). The difference, I suppose, was she was often rumored to have been targeted by other schools. It was either on an Osceola podcast or Front Row Noles (with Tom Block and Keith Jones) where another well known school asked for permission to interview Brooke for their head coaching job a day or so before Alford made her an offer. FSU women's basketball had the blueprint for success laid out by Sue, Brook just needed to make some tweaks based on the talent with this year's team. That to me is a sign of an excellent coach (hey Mike Norvell). The only question I have with Brooke is can she sustain it. I think she can. but that will be the next step for her.

 

[Tom81]

Recruiting is the difference from being a good to very good program and a top level program.
Sue flirted with top level a time or two, but her recruiting did not sustain that.
Most recently we weren't even good.
Here's hoping BW can recruit (HS and portal) well enough to break into the upper echelon.

 

[Seminole Saturday Night]

Recruiting is the difference from being a good to very good program and a top level program.
Sue flirted with top level a time or two, but her recruiting did not sustain that.
Most recently we weren't even good.
Here's hoping BW can recruit (HS and portal) well enough to break into the upper echelon.

Couldn't agree more. Sue had several stellar classes, but couldn't get them back to back. There were also a few McDonald's All Americans who turned out to be less than expected. I suspect it is rather difficult to evaluate high school players and determine if they are truly good or just bigger/stronger than the players they are currently playing against.

 

[CurtWeiler]

Brooke may be proving me wrong. I was real skeptical based on her trial year.
Now that she's in charge, this is looking like a real basketball team.

I, too, have eaten some crow on my thoughts of Brooke this season. She identified some problems and addressed them in a major way. I hope y'all enjoy this story I wrote on Brooke and new associate head coach Bill Ferrara and his offense he brought to the program this offseason.

TheOsceola - New fast-paced offense revitalizes FSU women to start Brooke Wyckoff era

FSU women's basketball is on pace for the highest-scoring season in program history thanks to a new offensive system.

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