Changes to recruiting could come for women's basketball

Jeff Walz says Zoom calls allow recruits to meet the entire coaching staff

Jeff Walz is hopeful changes can be made to recruiting in women’s basketball as new strategies have been adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The head coach for Louisville women’s basketball says recent months have created different ideas and different ways to do recruiting. Coaching staffs around the country are watching showcases online while participating in Zoom or voice calls with recruits.

The NCAA’s current calendar for recruiting includes a contact period from March 1 through April 1, which typically conflicts with conference tournaments and the NCAA Tournament. Coaches can make in-home visits with recruits during the month of March, but are also balancing postseason obligations.

“We will play on a Friday Sunday, I’m out normally on the road for Monday, Tuesday, and then come back to practice Wednesday, Thursday to prepare for a Sweet 16 game,” Walz said. “You can get as much accomplished over a Zoom call as you can running into someone’s home for an hour, then running into the next house.”

Walz said the coaching staff is recruiting players based on a list they made last year.

Louisville coaches participate in several Zoom calls each day.

One positive from Zoom calls has been recruits have been able to speak with the entire staff.

“We are living on Zoom,” Walz said. “The unique thing about it is, normally when we do home visits, there is myself and one other assistant that will go in with me. Now on Zoom calls we can have the entire staff on.”

Walz expects recruits to cut their lists of schools based off of Zoom calls.

The Cardinals currently have three verbal commitments for future recruiting classes.

Payton Verhulst and Sydni Schetnan are verbal commits in Louisville’s 2021 recruiting class.

Verhulst, a 6-foot-1 guard, is the nation’s third-best guard according to espnW Hoopgurlz and rated a five-star. Schetnan is a 6-foot-5 forward rated as the ninth-best nationally in the 2021 recruiting class.

Alexia Mobley, a 6-foot-2 wing, is Louisville lone verbal commitment for the Class of 2022 recruiting class. Mobley is ranked as the third-best wing nationally.