It comes as no surprise that Stanford's incoming class for its women's basketball team is ranked in the top 10 again in the final rankings released by ESPN's HoopGurlz earlier this week.
The Cardinal's incoming six-player class is ranked No. 6 in the country, and it figures to make an impact for two major reasons: There are six players in the class, and that's a lot. Having that many freshmen is a factor for any team. The other reason is that Stanford tried hard to address its most pressing need -- speed and ballhandling in the backcourt. That was an issue last season, as it is frequently for the Cardinal. And with the loss of Pac-10 player of the year Jeanette Pohlen from the starting point guard position, there is an opening there.
That spot may go to sophomore Toni Kokenis, who showed flashes of brillkiance, and has the kind of speed coach Tara VanDerveer has been seeking. But incoming freshman Amber Orrange is expected to get playing time right away. She could even be a starter.
Two other incoming freshmen guards -- Alex Green and Jasmine Camp -- also provide some needed athleticism in the backcourt.
As well as Stanford recruited, the Cardinal did not have the highest ranked class in the Pac-12. That honor belonged to Cal, which came in at No. 5.
(See HoopGurlz top 30 recruiting classes and comments here.)
Joanne Boyle did much of the recruiting work for the Bears before she left for Virginia, but the prize of the class was brought in by new coach Lindsay Gottlieb. That was Justine Hartman, the country's No. 7-ranked recruit in the class, who had committed to UCLA but changed her mind after Nikki Carldwell left as UCLA's coach to go to LSU.
However, Cal has had a series of highly ranked recruiting classes, and did not challenge for the conference title either of the past two years. Having DeNesha Stallworth transfer to Kentucky did not help either. Perhaps Hartman and/or Gottlieb can change the Bears' situation.
The only member of Cal coaching staff that remains from last season's staff is Charmin Smith, a former Stanford coach and player.
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