Deden in portal

[AFCAT]

[lutecat]

She doesn't seem to be super excited about it.

[catscat]

That kinda shoots the "Montana players will stick around" theory in the foot.

[HelenaCat]

What is going on with WBB?

[nanacat]

"With a heavy heart"??? Is she being forced to do it?

[BelgradeBobcat]

I didn't realize she had a year left...

[lutecat]

"With a heavy heart"??? Is she being forced to do it?

You wonder if it's not something she's being forced into but something that circumstances dictate. If she doesn't step away do we lose a younger player? Did Bin find a stud transfer and hadn't expected Lexi to be awarded another year?

[MSU01]

I didn't realize she had a year left...

Neither did I until Ian reminded me that her knee injury last season happened early enough that she was eligible for a medical redshirt. This one's probably going to be a bit of a mystery, as Lexi was never really able to get back into her pre-injury form this past season and was probably looking at a couple younger post players ahead of her on the depth chart even if she returned for a sixth year. This one to me seems like a transfer that could work out well for both parties involved, in that MSU can fill that roster spot with someone who will be able to contribute more, and Lexi can find another school where she will play more. I'm anxiously awaiting some incoming transfer portal news for the women's team, I have no inside information but given Binford's track record I think we'll be quite happy when we find out who will be joining the team in addition to the freshman class.

[lutecat]

I didn't realize she had a year left...

Neither did I until Ian reminded me that her knee injury last season happened early enough that she was eligible for a medical redshirt. This one's probably going to be a bit of a mystery, as Lexi was never really able to get back into her pre-injury form this past season and was probably looking at a couple younger post players ahead of her on the depth chart even if she returned for a sixth year. This one to me seems like a transfer that could work out well for both parties involved, in that MSU can fill that roster spot with someone who will be able to contribute more, and Lexi can find another school where she will play more. I'm anxiously awaiting some incoming transfer portal news for the women's team, I have no inside information but given Binford's track record I think we'll be quite happy when we find out who will be joining the team in addition to the freshman class.

Ditto. I think you're spot on with the injury. What if she goes to like an MSU-B and just dominates? That would be cool. Do a Kola.

[MSU01]

I didn't realize she had a year left...

Neither did I until Ian reminded me that her knee injury last season happened early enough that she was eligible for a medical redshirt. This one's probably going to be a bit of a mystery, as Lexi was never really able to get back into her pre-injury form this past season and was probably looking at a couple younger post players ahead of her on the depth chart even if she returned for a sixth year. This one to me seems like a transfer that could work out well for both parties involved, in that MSU can fill that roster spot with someone who will be able to contribute more, and Lexi can find another school where she will play more. I'm anxiously awaiting some incoming transfer portal news for the women's team, I have no inside information but given Binford's track record I think we'll be quite happy when we find out who will be joining the team in addition to the freshman class.

Ditto. I think you're spot on with the injury. What if she goes to like an MSU-B and just dominates? That would be cool. Do a Kola.

That was the first thing that came to my mind as well, I know MSU-B has Master's programs in Education but I'm not sure if they'd match up well with what Lexi plans to do with her career. The other, darker, thought is that she ends up 200 miles to the west playing in her hometown.

[84CatGrad]

Yeesh. Go 30-4, win the Big Sky, play a solid NCAA game, best program in the BS, and we lose three solid kids to the portal. I hate the new normal.

[MSU01]

Yeesh. Go 30-4, win the Big Sky, play a solid NCAA game, best program in the BS, and we lose three solid kids to the portal. I hate the new normal.

On the other hand, they definitely wouldn't have won 30 games this season without Esme Morales on the team. The portal gives just as much as it takes, but it always sucks more when we know who's leaving but not yet who's replacing them.

[HookedOnGriz]

I didn't realize she had a year left...

Neither did I until Ian reminded me that her knee injury last season happened early enough that she was eligible for a medical redshirt. This one's probably going to be a bit of a mystery, as Lexi was never really able to get back into her pre-injury form this past season and was probably looking at a couple younger post players ahead of her on the depth chart even if she returned for a sixth year. This one to me seems like a transfer that could work out well for both parties involved, in that MSU can fill that roster spot with someone who will be able to contribute more, and Lexi can find another school where she will play more. I'm anxiously awaiting some incoming transfer portal news for the women's team, I have no inside information but given Binford's track record I think we'll be quite happy when we find out who will be joining the team in addition to the freshman class.

Ditto. I think you're spot on with the injury. What if she goes to like an MSU-B and just dominates? That would be cool. Do a Kola.

That was the first thing that came to my mind as well, I know MSU-B has Master's programs in Education but I'm not sure if they'd match up well with what Lexi plans to do with her career. The other, darker, thought is that she ends up 200 miles to the west playing in her hometown.

I can only say that has very real potential

[ClowderUp]

Anybody else notice she sat on the bench for much of the last several games? Maybe it's my imagination. Or perhaps there's something to the story related to her getting benched.

[MSU01]

Anybody else notice she sat on the bench for much of the last several games? Maybe it's my imagination. Or perhaps there's something to the story related to her getting benched.

Very true, Lexi only played 2 minutes in the Big Sky Championship and then didn't play at all against Ohio State. She was only playing single-digit minutes for most of the season but got more playing time towards the end especially when Marah missed a few games with her ankle injury. Probably just a simple tightening up of the rotation when the blowout wins stopped happening and MSU had to play in closer games against UM and OSU.

[lutecat]

And then this too. Add to the loses.

[BelligerentBobcat]

Yeesh. Go 30-4, win the Big Sky, play a solid NCAA game, best program in the BS, and we lose three solid kids to the portal. I hate the new normal.

They wanna play and they wouldn’t play as much as they wanted to here. That’s been normal for a long time to see those types transfer.

[BobcatDel]

I didn't realize she had a year left...

She had told us all spring she was coming back on multiple occasions.

So much for those words. And behind the scenes perhaps there are more concerns with full recovery….or other factors that aren’t transparent right now. Wife and I spoke with her last week and she was anxious and looking forward to starting summer workouts with the team. So who knows what factors prompted the change.

I was looking forward to her leadership on the “youngish” team next year with no seniors on the squad.

[Bobcat4Ever]

Okay, this is getting real, and real strange now. Everything from mysterious benchings to fake news. I somehow hope I’ll wake tomorrow (should start my tax return) and find this was just another news item gone sideways. Even if Lexi wasn’t playing as well as before, I really had to wonder why, with her standing on the team, she was not given a few minutes in the NCAA tournament game. It’s not like after halftime it was a nail biter. And why if she was injured, it wasn’t simply stated. Instead it’s been two weeks of head-scratching, misdirection plays, and crickets from real canaries in the dark.

Lexi, I’m feeling badly about this. You did as much as any single player to culminate five years with that NCAA game. You’ve been an articulate supporter of the ‘Cats, and I suspect a strong influence in attracting some players, and repelling others — everyone said your keadership in the locker room was without compare.

Amidst the portal devastation of the last few weeks, my wife and I were both full of joy at the thought of Lexi returning. I looked at your +/- and other statistics for the games where you had significant minutes, and you typically were one of the most impactful players at building a margin of victory. The team was showing the most strength of the year, until injuries to other starters pulled it back.

Lexi, go be good. I know you will be in life — now show us all how basketball is played. What a sweet turnaround j.

[aucat]

Given her mysterious lack of playing time I can understand this one. And if I’m not mistaken Natalie was only playing 16 minutes a game. Players want to play not sit on the bench.