That fact was no more evident than last year, when a top five class at Purdue disintegrated when coach Kristy Curry left for Texas Tech. And, as the coaching caurosel continues to turn this spring, the job security or identity of the head coach has become a major factor in the recruitment of several elite prospects.

Lynetta Kizer

Shoot, Ta'Shia Phillips, the best unsigned prospect in the 2007 class, told HoopGurlz.com in March that her commitment could be delayed beyond the final signing period because of coaching factors. Duke has slowly faded as a hot destination, in favor of Texas, because of coach Gail Goestenkors, who moved from one to the other. No less than the top two prospects in the 2008 class, Elena Delle Donne and Nneka Ogwumike, have recently said that Goestenkors' presence at Texas makes the Longhorns a major contender for their commitment.

Lynetta Kizer, the No. 8 prospect in the 2008 class, according to HoopGurlz.com, is the latest elite prospect to experience a change of heart. Kizer, a physical, 6-foot-3 post, had planned to announce her commitment shortly after the April evaluation period. However, her mother, Yvonne, said on Thursday that, because of the coaching changes and uncertainty, Kizer has pushed her decision to after the USA Basketball Youth Development Festival next month.

Kizer's latest final five included Duke, Maryland, North Carolina State, Temple and Virginia.

Out in our part of the country, Katelan Redmon, has created an interesting debate after the coach to whom she committed, June Daugherty, was fired by Washington, then hired by cross-state rival Washington State. Daugherty recruited a stellar class, ranked 12th in the nation by HoopGurlz, and Redmon was a major part of that class. The 6-footer from Spokane's Lewis and Clark, the two-time defending state champs, has asked for her release and it is believed that Washington athletic director Todd Turner likely turned down the request, citing the sanctity of the National Letter of Intent.

In our experience, girl's basketball players cite the head coach or coaching staff as a factor in their choice of school more often than any other. Yet it takes a spring like this to remind us of the importance of the personal connection in the recruitng process.

RIM SHOTS

Brooke Thomas is a player who, a year ago, seemed a cinch to be among the 2008 rankings we recently released. She wasn't because she missed her entire junior year after suffering an ACL injury in October. Just six months later, the 5-foot-3 guard from Edgewater High in Orlando, Fla., is back. She made her 2007 debut on Friday, April 27, with her club team, the Orlando Comets Red. Thomas also recently has had offers from South Florida and Wake Forest. Her schools list includes Connecticut, Miami (Fla.), Texas

Brooke Thomas

Christian, USC and Vanderbilt. ... Many Pac-10 coaching staffs consider Ashley Corral, our No. 16 overall prospect in 2008, to be the best point guard in the West. She is a magician with the ball and may be the best pure point guard in the country. Her recruitment has intensified such that she adds Louisville, UCLA and Washington State to her schools list. That list already included Arizona State, California, Kansas, Notre Dame, Oregon, Oregon State, Purdue, USC, Vanderbilt and Washington. Corral is certain to receive even more national exposure in the coming month at the USA Develoment Festival, then the Nike National Skills Academy. ... Chelsea Hopkins of Mojave High School in North Las Vegas, Nev., is another top point guard in the West. She is rapid and shifty and has an impressive list of suitors, including California, Louisville, New Mexico, Ohio State, Oregon State, Pepperdine, Temple, Texas, UCLA, Vanderbilt and Washington. ... North Carolina commit Candace Wood and twins Britny and Whitny Edwards, all of Charlotte, N.C., just made their summer all the busier. The trio already plays for the elite Tennessee Flight on the club circuit and just helped the Carolina Force 76ers win the North Carolina state AAU title and thus qualify for AAU Nationals. Interestingly, all three are daughters of former NBA players - Al Wood, who attended North Carolina, and Blue Edwards, who went to East Carolina.

Click Here

Glenn Nelson is the publisher of HoopGurlz.com. He also founded and coached the Dragons and Northwest HoopGurlz select girl's basketball teams. Glenn previously was the editor-in-chief at Scout.com and a longtime, national-award-winning basketball columnist and writer for The Seattle Times. His work also has appeared in several books and national magazines. He is co-author of "Rising Stars: The Ten Best Players in the NBA" (Rosen Publishing, 2002). He can be reached at hoopgurlz@comcast.net.