12-13-2020, 09:36 PM
As sloppy as it is, up 69-23 we are tripling their score.
BC
BC
WBB Stanford 83 Cal 38 Tara Tied Pat
12-13-2020, 09:41 PM
A 15 point 3rd Q against Cal is not a good thing.
Put a glide in your stride and a dip in your hip.
12-13-2020, 09:41 PM
(12-13-2020, 09:36 PM)BostonCard Wrote: As sloppy as it is, up 69-23 we are tripling their score.True. I am getting a little worried that we are not playing anyone who is any good until we go south. It is almost as if we have half a dozen exhibitions. How do we know how good we are if we keep playing teams like Cal?
BC
(12-13-2020, 09:36 PM)BostonCard Wrote: As sloppy as it is, up 69-23 we are tripling their score.True. I am getting a little worried that we are not playing anyone who is any good until we go south. It is almost as if we have half a dozen exhibitions. How do we know how good we are if we keep playing teams like Cal?
BC
12-13-2020, 09:45 PM
(12-13-2020, 09:41 PM)martyup Wrote: A 15 point 3rd Q against Cal is not a good thing.
I generally agree. Field goal shooting at 43% is marginal. Three point shooting at 6/20 could be improved upon. 12 turnovers is ok.
On the plus side, we have 22(!) steals. And we are up by 50.
BC
(12-13-2020, 09:41 PM)81alum Wrote:(12-13-2020, 09:36 PM)BostonCard Wrote: As sloppy as it is, up 69-23 we are tripling their score.True. I am getting a little worried that we are not playing anyone who is any good until we go south. It is almost as if we have half a dozen exhibitions. How do we know how good we are if we keep playing teams like Cal?
BC
Unfortunately, this season, with all the postponements and cancellations in a shortened season, that's the best we can do. I'll take any game right now, even if it's against an overmatched opponent. But I am looking forward to the UCLA game, which will be our first test this season.
Fortunately, the Pac-12 is much deeper than it once was. It would have been a lot more concerning if this happened ten-fifteen years ago when the conference was not as strong.
But, not to digress for too much, even in a normal year, for me, it's odd that we haven't scheduled regular season games against some of the top women's programs. Yes, we've played Tennessee annually, played UConn for a number of years and Baylor has popped up on our schedule.
But we haven't played South Carolina in the regular season since they've been elite, we haven't played Maryland since the '08 Elite Eight, Texas A&M since the '11 national semis or Louisville or Notre Dame in the regular season (yes I know we played them in the tournament multiple times lately). I don't think we've played Kentucky which is usually a top-25 program since I've become a fan.
Hopefully, in the future, with a team that should be contending for national titles for the next few years, our non-conference schedule will be tougher.
(12-13-2020, 09:45 PM)BostonCard Wrote:(12-13-2020, 09:41 PM)martyup Wrote: A 15 point 3rd Q against Cal is not a good thing.
I generally agree. Field goal shooting at 43% is marginal. Three point shooting at 6/20 could be improved upon. 12 turnovers is ok.
On the plus side, we have 22(!) steals. And we are up by 50.
BC
Yea, despite a 45 point victory, the game left a bad taste for me. Of course, the Fran dunk was a highlight to remember and I thought our defense played very well. But we left a lot of points out on the court -- this should definitely have been another 100-point night. Too many unforced turnovers going for a spectacular play when it was unnecessary and a few bad shot selections. I hope we are not becoming complacent in our game play with all these blowout wins.
We desperately need to play a top-25 team for us to learn how a quality opponent will punish our mistakes.
(This post was last modified: 12-13-2020, 10:03 PM by TheFarm07.)
(12-13-2020, 09:41 PM)81alum Wrote:(12-13-2020, 09:36 PM)BostonCard Wrote: As sloppy as it is, up 69-23 we are tripling their score.True. I am getting a little worried that we are not playing anyone who is any good until we go south. It is almost as if we have half a dozen exhibitions. How do we know how good we are if we keep playing teams like Cal?
BC
Unfortunately, this season, with all the postponements and cancellations in a shortened season, that's the best we can do. I'll take any game right now, even if it's against an overmatched opponent. But I am looking forward to the UCLA game, which will be our first test this season.
Fortunately, the Pac-12 is much deeper than it once was. It would have been a lot more concerning if this happened ten-fifteen years ago when the conference was not as strong.
But, not to digress for too much, even in a normal year, for me, it's odd that we haven't scheduled regular season games against some of the top women's programs. Yes, we've played Tennessee annually, played UConn for a number of years and Baylor has popped up on our schedule.
But we haven't played South Carolina in the regular season since they've been elite, we haven't played Maryland since the '08 Elite Eight, Texas A&M since the '11 national semis or Louisville or Notre Dame in the regular season (yes I know we played them in the tournament multiple times lately). I don't think we've played Kentucky which is usually a top-25 program since I've become a fan.
Hopefully, in the future, with a team that should be contending for national titles for the next few years, our non-conference schedule will be tougher.
(12-13-2020, 09:45 PM)BostonCard Wrote:(12-13-2020, 09:41 PM)martyup Wrote: A 15 point 3rd Q against Cal is not a good thing.
I generally agree. Field goal shooting at 43% is marginal. Three point shooting at 6/20 could be improved upon. 12 turnovers is ok.
On the plus side, we have 22(!) steals. And we are up by 50.
BC
Yea, despite a 45 point victory, the game left a bad taste for me. Of course, the Fran dunk was a highlight to remember and I thought our defense played very well. But we left a lot of points out on the court -- this should definitely have been another 100-point night. Too many unforced turnovers going for a spectacular play when it was unnecessary and a few bad shot selections. I hope we are not becoming complacent in our game play with all these blowout wins.
We desperately need to play a top-25 team for us to learn how a quality opponent will punish our mistakes.
12-13-2020, 10:09 PM
We are playing #11 UCLA a week from Monday, #6 Arizona on New Year's Day (COVID-19 permitting), and #8 Oregon a week later.
BC
BC
We are playing #11 UCLA a week from Monday, #6 Arizona on New Year's Day (COVID-19 permitting), and #8 Oregon a week later.
BC
BC
So many distractions--the team hasn't been home in weeks, the focus on Tara, lots of very young players who are probably homesick by now. And despite it all we steamroll another Pac 12 team. Cal is in such a weak position it is impossible to say this means anything more than another milestone win. But there are a few takeaways:
Jump is shooting well in her usual miss 2 -- make 5 kind of pattern. Given how much she has improved other parts of her game, and how "off" our other guards are with their shooting, I think she may see more minutes.
Lexie and Williams were collectively 7-23, and 1-9 from three. Our two most potent offensive threats from last year need to get their offense going again.
Cal clamped down on the inside game in the second half. Belibi was 7-11 in the first half and 0-2 in the second. Brink was 5-6 in the first and 0-1 in the second.
Prechtel is not getting a lot of minutes--just 10, and she was 1-7. Brink had 25. Tara is giving the frosh some time in the easy games to see what they can do. I am still forming opinions about Brink's defense vs. Prechtel's--anyone have an opinion about their relative advantages on D?
Belibi is a different player this year, as is Jump. And her dunk is only a part of it. Her spin moves around the basket forced Cal to change its whole defensive scheme.
Jones is amazingly accurate in the midrange.
Cal finished with 33 turnovers and 33 missed shots, making only 10 shots for the game. Yes they were overmatched, but we need to credit our defense too.
I don't think I have seen a game when we had 22 steals before.
We had 19 assists. Cal had 7.
This game felt very much like an exhibition.
BUT it certainly marked an amazing achievement by Tara, tying Pat at 1098 wins. And Fran's dunk. Has a Stanford woman dunked in a game before? Nicole Powell?
Jump is shooting well in her usual miss 2 -- make 5 kind of pattern. Given how much she has improved other parts of her game, and how "off" our other guards are with their shooting, I think she may see more minutes.
Lexie and Williams were collectively 7-23, and 1-9 from three. Our two most potent offensive threats from last year need to get their offense going again.
Cal clamped down on the inside game in the second half. Belibi was 7-11 in the first half and 0-2 in the second. Brink was 5-6 in the first and 0-1 in the second.
Prechtel is not getting a lot of minutes--just 10, and she was 1-7. Brink had 25. Tara is giving the frosh some time in the easy games to see what they can do. I am still forming opinions about Brink's defense vs. Prechtel's--anyone have an opinion about their relative advantages on D?
Belibi is a different player this year, as is Jump. And her dunk is only a part of it. Her spin moves around the basket forced Cal to change its whole defensive scheme.
Jones is amazingly accurate in the midrange.
Cal finished with 33 turnovers and 33 missed shots, making only 10 shots for the game. Yes they were overmatched, but we need to credit our defense too.
I don't think I have seen a game when we had 22 steals before.
We had 19 assists. Cal had 7.
This game felt very much like an exhibition.
BUT it certainly marked an amazing achievement by Tara, tying Pat at 1098 wins. And Fran's dunk. Has a Stanford woman dunked in a game before? Nicole Powell?
So many distractions--the team hasn't been home in weeks, the focus on Tara, lots of very young players who are probably homesick by now. And despite it all we steamroll another Pac 12 team. Cal is in such a weak position it is impossible to say this means anything more than another milestone win. But there are a few takeaways:
Jump is shooting well in her usual miss 2 -- make 5 kind of pattern. Given how much she has improved other parts of her game, and how "off" our other guards are with their shooting, I think she may see more minutes.
Lexie and Williams were collectively 7-23, and 1-9 from three. Our two most potent offensive threats from last year need to get their offense going again.
Cal clamped down on the inside game in the second half. Belibi was 7-11 in the first half and 0-2 in the second. Brink was 5-6 in the first and 0-1 in the second.
Prechtel is not getting a lot of minutes--just 10, and she was 1-7. Brink had 25. Tara is giving the frosh some time in the easy games to see what they can do. I am still forming opinions about Brink's defense vs. Prechtel's--anyone have an opinion about their relative advantages on D?
Belibi is a different player this year, as is Jump. And her dunk is only a part of it. Her spin moves around the basket forced Cal to change its whole defensive scheme.
Jones is amazingly accurate in the midrange.
Cal finished with 33 turnovers and 33 missed shots, making only 10 shots for the game. Yes they were overmatched, but we need to credit our defense too.
I don't think I have seen a game when we had 22 steals before.
We had 19 assists. Cal had 7.
This game felt very much like an exhibition.
BUT it certainly marked an amazing achievement by Tara, tying Pat at 1098 wins. And Fran's dunk. Has a Stanford woman dunked in a game before? Nicole Powell?
Jump is shooting well in her usual miss 2 -- make 5 kind of pattern. Given how much she has improved other parts of her game, and how "off" our other guards are with their shooting, I think she may see more minutes.
Lexie and Williams were collectively 7-23, and 1-9 from three. Our two most potent offensive threats from last year need to get their offense going again.
Cal clamped down on the inside game in the second half. Belibi was 7-11 in the first half and 0-2 in the second. Brink was 5-6 in the first and 0-1 in the second.
Prechtel is not getting a lot of minutes--just 10, and she was 1-7. Brink had 25. Tara is giving the frosh some time in the easy games to see what they can do. I am still forming opinions about Brink's defense vs. Prechtel's--anyone have an opinion about their relative advantages on D?
Belibi is a different player this year, as is Jump. And her dunk is only a part of it. Her spin moves around the basket forced Cal to change its whole defensive scheme.
Jones is amazingly accurate in the midrange.
Cal finished with 33 turnovers and 33 missed shots, making only 10 shots for the game. Yes they were overmatched, but we need to credit our defense too.
I don't think I have seen a game when we had 22 steals before.
We had 19 assists. Cal had 7.
This game felt very much like an exhibition.
BUT it certainly marked an amazing achievement by Tara, tying Pat at 1098 wins. And Fran's dunk. Has a Stanford woman dunked in a game before? Nicole Powell?
12-13-2020, 10:20 PM
Anyone know at how many wins Pat Summitt was the winningest coach? Who did she pass?
I absolutely agree about the lack of competition so far. How will our players react against a good team that disrupts their passes? We have a slew of good teams on our schedule.
Our 6'5" and 6'4" did not do that great against 6'7" (14+25 R vs 10+27 R) (but, of course, because we were so far ahead, all the fouls went against us).
You have to give Cal credit. I thought they would be bent over, gasping, throughout the 4th quarter. They weren't.
I liked our early press. I'd like to see that more.
Why did Anna Wilson only play 13 minutes after starting?
I absolutely agree about the lack of competition so far. How will our players react against a good team that disrupts their passes? We have a slew of good teams on our schedule.
Our 6'5" and 6'4" did not do that great against 6'7" (14+25 R vs 10+27 R) (but, of course, because we were so far ahead, all the fouls went against us).
You have to give Cal credit. I thought they would be bent over, gasping, throughout the 4th quarter. They weren't.
I liked our early press. I'd like to see that more.
Why did Anna Wilson only play 13 minutes after starting?
Anyone know at how many wins Pat Summitt was the winningest coach? Who did she pass?
I absolutely agree about the lack of competition so far. How will our players react against a good team that disrupts their passes? We have a slew of good teams on our schedule.
Our 6'5" and 6'4" did not do that great against 6'7" (14+25 R vs 10+27 R) (but, of course, because we were so far ahead, all the fouls went against us).
You have to give Cal credit. I thought they would be bent over, gasping, throughout the 4th quarter. They weren't.
I liked our early press. I'd like to see that more.
Why did Anna Wilson only play 13 minutes after starting?
I absolutely agree about the lack of competition so far. How will our players react against a good team that disrupts their passes? We have a slew of good teams on our schedule.
Our 6'5" and 6'4" did not do that great against 6'7" (14+25 R vs 10+27 R) (but, of course, because we were so far ahead, all the fouls went against us).
You have to give Cal credit. I thought they would be bent over, gasping, throughout the 4th quarter. They weren't.
I liked our early press. I'd like to see that more.
Why did Anna Wilson only play 13 minutes after starting?
12-13-2020, 10:20 PM
Congrats to Tara for tying the record and to Fran for the dunk. Game was a bit sloppy again and we did not shoot that well. I guess hard to be sharp given the circumstances and the opponent being clearly inferior. Cal does have some nice freshmen so they will improve. right now, just no way they stay with us. I do think maybe the record was on the players' minds a bit. Glad Kiana finally got her shot going. She needed that and the team does too.
Congrats to Tara for tying the record and to Fran for the dunk. Game was a bit sloppy again and we did not shoot that well. I guess hard to be sharp given the circumstances and the opponent being clearly inferior. Cal does have some nice freshmen so they will improve. right now, just no way they stay with us. I do think maybe the record was on the players' minds a bit. Glad Kiana finally got her shot going. She needed that and the team does too.
12-13-2020, 11:06 PM
(12-13-2020, 10:13 PM)81alum Wrote: So many distractions--the team hasn't been home in weeks, the focus on Tara, lots of very young players who are probably homesick by now. And despite it all we steamroll another Pac 12 team. Cal is in such a weak position it is impossible to say this means anything more than another milestone win. But there are a few takeaways:
Jump is shooting well in her usual miss 2 -- make 5 kind of pattern. Given how much she has improved other parts of her game, and how "off" our other guards are with their shooting, I think she may see more minutes.
Lexie and Williams were collectively 7-23, and 1-9 from three. Our two most potent offensive threats from last year need to get their offense going again.
Cal clamped down on the inside game in the second half. Belibi was 7-11 in the first half and 0-2 in the second. Brink was 5-6 in the first and 0-1 in the second.
Prechtel is not getting a lot of minutes--just 10, and she was 1-7. Brink had 25. Tara is giving the frosh some time in the easy games to see what they can do. I am still forming opinions about Brink's defense vs. Prechtel's--anyone have an opinion about their relative advantages on D?
Belibi is a different player this year, as is Jump. And her dunk is only a part of it. Her spin moves around the basket forced Cal to change its whole defensive scheme.
Jones is amazingly accurate in the midrange.
Cal finished with 33 turnovers and 33 missed shots, making only 10 shots for the game. Yes they were overmatched, but we need to credit our defense too.
I don't think I have seen a game when we had 22 steals before.
We had 19 assists. Cal had 7.
This game felt very much like an exhibition.
BUT it certainly marked an amazing achievement by Tara, tying Pat at 1098 wins. And Fran's dunk. Has a Stanford woman dunked in a game before? Nicole Powell?
It is against overmatched opponents, but looking at the silver lining, we have scored 80+ points in all 4 games and 100+ in two of them with Kiana and Lexie still finding their games, which is a good reflection of our depth. Having said that, however, we will need them to make shots against better teams or else defenses will focus/double-team on Haley and Fran if Kiana & Lexie's shooting slumps continue.
If Jump can consistently show a mid-range jumper/drive to the basket facet of the game, then defending players can't just sell out on defending her deep, giving her a little more space and she has shown that she doesn't need that much room to launch her three's - a great shooting night for her 5/6 from deep.
Yea, it seems that Tara is favoring Brink over Prechtel at the moment, putting Cameron in earlier and leaving her in for longer stretches of time than Ashten. Not sure why, I feel like they do play similar games. Hopefully, Tara will find a good balance between the two and neither of them becomes dissatisfied with their playing time and look elsewhere down the road, as they will share 3 seasons together.
In this game, Fran showed both the improvement from last year, becoming more patient and skilled around the basket, but also showing that she still has room to grow, as I thought she should have backed it out on a couple of possessions and not try a couple of lower percentage shots.
I think I read somewhere it was the first dunk in Stanford's wbb history, but I (or the source) could be wrong.
(12-13-2020, 10:13 PM)81alum Wrote: So many distractions--the team hasn't been home in weeks, the focus on Tara, lots of very young players who are probably homesick by now. And despite it all we steamroll another Pac 12 team. Cal is in such a weak position it is impossible to say this means anything more than another milestone win. But there are a few takeaways:
Jump is shooting well in her usual miss 2 -- make 5 kind of pattern. Given how much she has improved other parts of her game, and how "off" our other guards are with their shooting, I think she may see more minutes.
Lexie and Williams were collectively 7-23, and 1-9 from three. Our two most potent offensive threats from last year need to get their offense going again.
Cal clamped down on the inside game in the second half. Belibi was 7-11 in the first half and 0-2 in the second. Brink was 5-6 in the first and 0-1 in the second.
Prechtel is not getting a lot of minutes--just 10, and she was 1-7. Brink had 25. Tara is giving the frosh some time in the easy games to see what they can do. I am still forming opinions about Brink's defense vs. Prechtel's--anyone have an opinion about their relative advantages on D?
Belibi is a different player this year, as is Jump. And her dunk is only a part of it. Her spin moves around the basket forced Cal to change its whole defensive scheme.
Jones is amazingly accurate in the midrange.
Cal finished with 33 turnovers and 33 missed shots, making only 10 shots for the game. Yes they were overmatched, but we need to credit our defense too.
I don't think I have seen a game when we had 22 steals before.
We had 19 assists. Cal had 7.
This game felt very much like an exhibition.
BUT it certainly marked an amazing achievement by Tara, tying Pat at 1098 wins. And Fran's dunk. Has a Stanford woman dunked in a game before? Nicole Powell?
It is against overmatched opponents, but looking at the silver lining, we have scored 80+ points in all 4 games and 100+ in two of them with Kiana and Lexie still finding their games, which is a good reflection of our depth. Having said that, however, we will need them to make shots against better teams or else defenses will focus/double-team on Haley and Fran if Kiana & Lexie's shooting slumps continue.
If Jump can consistently show a mid-range jumper/drive to the basket facet of the game, then defending players can't just sell out on defending her deep, giving her a little more space and she has shown that she doesn't need that much room to launch her three's - a great shooting night for her 5/6 from deep.
Yea, it seems that Tara is favoring Brink over Prechtel at the moment, putting Cameron in earlier and leaving her in for longer stretches of time than Ashten. Not sure why, I feel like they do play similar games. Hopefully, Tara will find a good balance between the two and neither of them becomes dissatisfied with their playing time and look elsewhere down the road, as they will share 3 seasons together.
In this game, Fran showed both the improvement from last year, becoming more patient and skilled around the basket, but also showing that she still has room to grow, as I thought she should have backed it out on a couple of possessions and not try a couple of lower percentage shots.
I think I read somewhere it was the first dunk in Stanford's wbb history, but I (or the source) could be wrong.
12-13-2020, 11:16 PM
(This post was last modified: 12-13-2020, 11:16 PM by TheWildJacko.)
Well Folkl did it at a Stanford camp but not as a Stanford player: https://web.stanford.edu/dept/news/stanf...a604.shtml
You're not wrong. Belibi was the first for sure.
You're not wrong. Belibi was the first for sure.
(This post was last modified: 12-13-2020, 11:16 PM by TheWildJacko.)
Well Folkl did it at a Stanford camp but not as a Stanford player: https://web.stanford.edu/dept/news/stanf...a604.shtml
You're not wrong. Belibi was the first for sure.
You're not wrong. Belibi was the first for sure.
12-13-2020, 11:18 PM
Yeah, I was trying to find a record of NCAA WBB dunks, and I think there have been about a half-dozen players with a dunk in game.
https://herosports.com/above-rim-top-wom...libi-ruru/
BC
https://herosports.com/above-rim-top-wom...libi-ruru/
BC
Yeah, I was trying to find a record of NCAA WBB dunks, and I think there have been about a half-dozen players with a dunk in game.
https://herosports.com/above-rim-top-wom...libi-ruru/
BC
https://herosports.com/above-rim-top-wom...libi-ruru/
BC
(12-13-2020, 10:13 PM)81alum Wrote: So many distractions--the team hasn't been home in weeks, the focus on Tara, lots of very young players who are probably homesick by now. And despite it all we steamroll another Pac 12 team. Cal is in such a weak position it is impossible to say this means anything more than another milestone win. But there are a few takeaways:
Jump is shooting well in her usual miss 2 -- make 5 kind of pattern. Given how much she has improved other parts of her game, and how "off" our other guards are with their shooting, I think she may see more minutes.
Lexie and Williams were collectively 7-23, and 1-9 from three. Our two most potent offensive threats from last year need to get their offense going again.
Cal clamped down on the inside game in the second half. Belibi was 7-11 in the first half and 0-2 in the second. Brink was 5-6 in the first and 0-1 in the second.
Prechtel is not getting a lot of minutes--just 10, and she was 1-7. Brink had 25. Tara is giving the frosh some time in the easy games to see what they can do. I am still forming opinions about Brink's defense vs. Prechtel's--anyone have an opinion about their relative advantages on D?
Belibi is a different player this year, as is Jump. And her dunk is only a part of it. Her spin moves around the basket forced Cal to change its whole defensive scheme.
Jones is amazingly accurate in the midrange.
Cal finished with 33 turnovers and 33 missed shots, making only 10 shots for the game. Yes they were overmatched, but we need to credit our defense too.
I don't think I have seen a game when we had 22 steals before.
We had 19 assists. Cal had 7.
This game felt very much like an exhibition.
BUT it certainly marked an amazing achievement by Tara, tying Pat at 1098 wins. And Fran's dunk. Has a Stanford woman dunked in a game before? Nicole Powell?
1. I have little doubt that in the 2H Tara gave the team the Coach Norman Dale (Gene Hackman in Hoosiers) directive about passing the ball at least 4 times on O before hoisting a shot. If you noticed, the team passed up several good, open looks early in possessions for a later-in-the-shot-clock-and-not-necessarily-better shot. Doubt anyone will cop to it, but that was my distinct impression - and I don't mind her not running up the score against a clearly overmatched Cal side.
2. Am concerned that Prechtel will transfer after this season. She is a complete stud, objectively, but right now is getting fourth post player rotation minutes (if you include Jones as a "big") behind Belibi and Brink and Jones. I'm not saying Brink doesn't deserve her minutes (though I doubt whether some aspects of her game will translate against good opponents - at least early in her career); I am saying that Prechtel looks to have a confidence issue going, and confidence (more often than not) is directly tied to PT. But she could play 35 minutes/game at most other colleges. Also, in Covid remote-school world, the attraction of Stanford (heck, any college) and the overall school experience which many of us loved has to be diminished. I know it's ridiculously premature to send this one up the flagpole, but the thought crossed my mind while watching tonight's game.
3. Not sure why people are concerned with Lexie's scoring. Wasn't she averaging double-digits coming into tonight's game? And she's a rebounding machine and a darn good defender. Kiana has been off her O game, for sure, but she is the last person on the roster I'm worried about. I look at it as unrealized upside for a team that is already blowing out opponents.
4. Belibi really has improved her game - ball handling and moves around the bucket are nice.
5. Good for Jump for re-forming her fitness while maintaining the sweet stroke.
6. This team is exceptionally deep and fun to watch.
P.S. The Race to the Summit thing is a bit overblown, given that the real race is between Tara and Geno and it will play out for years to come.
(12-13-2020, 10:13 PM)81alum Wrote: So many distractions--the team hasn't been home in weeks, the focus on Tara, lots of very young players who are probably homesick by now. And despite it all we steamroll another Pac 12 team. Cal is in such a weak position it is impossible to say this means anything more than another milestone win. But there are a few takeaways:
Jump is shooting well in her usual miss 2 -- make 5 kind of pattern. Given how much she has improved other parts of her game, and how "off" our other guards are with their shooting, I think she may see more minutes.
Lexie and Williams were collectively 7-23, and 1-9 from three. Our two most potent offensive threats from last year need to get their offense going again.
Cal clamped down on the inside game in the second half. Belibi was 7-11 in the first half and 0-2 in the second. Brink was 5-6 in the first and 0-1 in the second.
Prechtel is not getting a lot of minutes--just 10, and she was 1-7. Brink had 25. Tara is giving the frosh some time in the easy games to see what they can do. I am still forming opinions about Brink's defense vs. Prechtel's--anyone have an opinion about their relative advantages on D?
Belibi is a different player this year, as is Jump. And her dunk is only a part of it. Her spin moves around the basket forced Cal to change its whole defensive scheme.
Jones is amazingly accurate in the midrange.
Cal finished with 33 turnovers and 33 missed shots, making only 10 shots for the game. Yes they were overmatched, but we need to credit our defense too.
I don't think I have seen a game when we had 22 steals before.
We had 19 assists. Cal had 7.
This game felt very much like an exhibition.
BUT it certainly marked an amazing achievement by Tara, tying Pat at 1098 wins. And Fran's dunk. Has a Stanford woman dunked in a game before? Nicole Powell?
1. I have little doubt that in the 2H Tara gave the team the Coach Norman Dale (Gene Hackman in Hoosiers) directive about passing the ball at least 4 times on O before hoisting a shot. If you noticed, the team passed up several good, open looks early in possessions for a later-in-the-shot-clock-and-not-necessarily-better shot. Doubt anyone will cop to it, but that was my distinct impression - and I don't mind her not running up the score against a clearly overmatched Cal side.
2. Am concerned that Prechtel will transfer after this season. She is a complete stud, objectively, but right now is getting fourth post player rotation minutes (if you include Jones as a "big") behind Belibi and Brink and Jones. I'm not saying Brink doesn't deserve her minutes (though I doubt whether some aspects of her game will translate against good opponents - at least early in her career); I am saying that Prechtel looks to have a confidence issue going, and confidence (more often than not) is directly tied to PT. But she could play 35 minutes/game at most other colleges. Also, in Covid remote-school world, the attraction of Stanford (heck, any college) and the overall school experience which many of us loved has to be diminished. I know it's ridiculously premature to send this one up the flagpole, but the thought crossed my mind while watching tonight's game.
3. Not sure why people are concerned with Lexie's scoring. Wasn't she averaging double-digits coming into tonight's game? And she's a rebounding machine and a darn good defender. Kiana has been off her O game, for sure, but she is the last person on the roster I'm worried about. I look at it as unrealized upside for a team that is already blowing out opponents.
4. Belibi really has improved her game - ball handling and moves around the bucket are nice.
5. Good for Jump for re-forming her fitness while maintaining the sweet stroke.
6. This team is exceptionally deep and fun to watch.
P.S. The Race to the Summit thing is a bit overblown, given that the real race is between Tara and Geno and it will play out for years to come.
12-14-2020, 07:16 AM
Always up for a good thumpin' of Cal. Any sport, any time.
Watching the game was delightful, though I am sure few were watching outside of very loyal Stanford fans.
The game didn't help reveal much other than Stanford is a good Pac-12 team, and Cal has work to do.
However for the Stanford Women's Basketball program the day was ideal.
Tara's climbing to Summit is a real women's hoops story, so Stanford is getting some coverage there.
Fran's dunk became a top 10 play on ESPN, so that dunk will get cycled all morning long.
Watching the game was delightful, though I am sure few were watching outside of very loyal Stanford fans.
The game didn't help reveal much other than Stanford is a good Pac-12 team, and Cal has work to do.
However for the Stanford Women's Basketball program the day was ideal.
Tara's climbing to Summit is a real women's hoops story, so Stanford is getting some coverage there.
Fran's dunk became a top 10 play on ESPN, so that dunk will get cycled all morning long.
Always up for a good thumpin' of Cal. Any sport, any time.
Watching the game was delightful, though I am sure few were watching outside of very loyal Stanford fans.
The game didn't help reveal much other than Stanford is a good Pac-12 team, and Cal has work to do.
However for the Stanford Women's Basketball program the day was ideal.
Tara's climbing to Summit is a real women's hoops story, so Stanford is getting some coverage there.
Fran's dunk became a top 10 play on ESPN, so that dunk will get cycled all morning long.
Watching the game was delightful, though I am sure few were watching outside of very loyal Stanford fans.
The game didn't help reveal much other than Stanford is a good Pac-12 team, and Cal has work to do.
However for the Stanford Women's Basketball program the day was ideal.
Tara's climbing to Summit is a real women's hoops story, so Stanford is getting some coverage there.
Fran's dunk became a top 10 play on ESPN, so that dunk will get cycled all morning long.
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12-14-2020, 08:46 AM
Teejer1, that's a good point about Pretchel I hadn't considered. Pretchel had a bad game. I thought part of it might be the lack of minutes to get into a rhythm. But it could also be a lack of confidence or her perceiving Tara having a lack of confidence in her to be a starter or get major playing minutes. It has to be a little humbling to watch a freshman, Brink, take away so much of her playing time.
I'm not going to make any long term conclusion from this game but hopefully Pretchel plays better in the next couple of games.
I'm not going to make any long term conclusion from this game but hopefully Pretchel plays better in the next couple of games.
Teejer1, that's a good point about Pretchel I hadn't considered. Pretchel had a bad game. I thought part of it might be the lack of minutes to get into a rhythm. But it could also be a lack of confidence or her perceiving Tara having a lack of confidence in her to be a starter or get major playing minutes. It has to be a little humbling to watch a freshman, Brink, take away so much of her playing time.
I'm not going to make any long term conclusion from this game but hopefully Pretchel plays better in the next couple of games.
I'm not going to make any long term conclusion from this game but hopefully Pretchel plays better in the next couple of games.
12-14-2020, 09:08 AM
No not a good point on Pretchtel. Brink is Damn good. Right now Pretchtel is hesitant yes but confidence in one self is very important. Make a couple of shots. Block a shot instead of a foul and she will be fine
Geesh Teejers
Harrison dunked in practice
Geesh Teejers
Harrison dunked in practice
12-14-2020, 09:10 AM
Prechtel was 1st big off the bench as in other games, but sat until 3rd qtr because of 2 quick fouls. then picked up a 3rd. I think she will get more minutes (if she stays out of foul trouble).
Last season Prechtel started 6 games and averaged 14 minutes, averaging 7 points and 5 rebounds in those 14 minutes. She was used very situationally, meaning in some games she played a lot and in others almost not at all. I think the same will be true this year. For example, she might be very important defensively against Oregon's Prince. But she might not be used against UCLA at all unless we go zone, given the matchups.
Brink is clearly more offensively talented than Prechtel--given that she can also shoot the three. But Brink has a feel around the basket. This is remarkable because I thought last year that Prechtel was quite talented around the basket--more so than Fingall or Dodson. It is just that Brink seems to have more reliable offensive moves inside, and both are equally good shooters outside.
Where I am unsure is whether Brink has the defensive skills that Prechtel has. I am unsure partly because I have not seen enough of either. Last year, Prechtel had 45 fouls in 459 minutes of play, but also 31 blocks. Both were very high for the number of minutes--the former bad and the latter good.
One thing that could explain the difference is that Tara knows what Prechtel can do, having seen her for a year, but is using the early blowout games to learn what Brink can do.
Another possible explanation is that Belibi came back from the off season much improved, and Prechtel had not advanced as far in the off season. Belibi averaged 14 minutes per game last year--essentially splitting time with Prechtel, but it is hard to argue that she has come a long ways. Belibi started basketball late and so she may have more growth potential, while Prechtel may have been operating closer to her peak. Still, given her three point ability, I can see situations when Tara would prefer Prechtel to Belibi--if the opponent is playing a tight zone or sagging man and daring us to shoot from outside.
In any case, I became a Prechtel fan last year. She seems to have a great work ethic and was very cool under pressure in big games, scoring to save a game at the last second and hitting treys against zones when everyone else went cold. I have to believe she will flourish here and Tara will find a way to make use of her talents.
Brink is clearly more offensively talented than Prechtel--given that she can also shoot the three. But Brink has a feel around the basket. This is remarkable because I thought last year that Prechtel was quite talented around the basket--more so than Fingall or Dodson. It is just that Brink seems to have more reliable offensive moves inside, and both are equally good shooters outside.
Where I am unsure is whether Brink has the defensive skills that Prechtel has. I am unsure partly because I have not seen enough of either. Last year, Prechtel had 45 fouls in 459 minutes of play, but also 31 blocks. Both were very high for the number of minutes--the former bad and the latter good.
One thing that could explain the difference is that Tara knows what Prechtel can do, having seen her for a year, but is using the early blowout games to learn what Brink can do.
Another possible explanation is that Belibi came back from the off season much improved, and Prechtel had not advanced as far in the off season. Belibi averaged 14 minutes per game last year--essentially splitting time with Prechtel, but it is hard to argue that she has come a long ways. Belibi started basketball late and so she may have more growth potential, while Prechtel may have been operating closer to her peak. Still, given her three point ability, I can see situations when Tara would prefer Prechtel to Belibi--if the opponent is playing a tight zone or sagging man and daring us to shoot from outside.
In any case, I became a Prechtel fan last year. She seems to have a great work ethic and was very cool under pressure in big games, scoring to save a game at the last second and hitting treys against zones when everyone else went cold. I have to believe she will flourish here and Tara will find a way to make use of her talents.
Last season Prechtel started 6 games and averaged 14 minutes, averaging 7 points and 5 rebounds in those 14 minutes. She was used very situationally, meaning in some games she played a lot and in others almost not at all. I think the same will be true this year. For example, she might be very important defensively against Oregon's Prince. But she might not be used against UCLA at all unless we go zone, given the matchups.
Brink is clearly more offensively talented than Prechtel--given that she can also shoot the three. But Brink has a feel around the basket. This is remarkable because I thought last year that Prechtel was quite talented around the basket--more so than Fingall or Dodson. It is just that Brink seems to have more reliable offensive moves inside, and both are equally good shooters outside.
Where I am unsure is whether Brink has the defensive skills that Prechtel has. I am unsure partly because I have not seen enough of either. Last year, Prechtel had 45 fouls in 459 minutes of play, but also 31 blocks. Both were very high for the number of minutes--the former bad and the latter good.
One thing that could explain the difference is that Tara knows what Prechtel can do, having seen her for a year, but is using the early blowout games to learn what Brink can do.
Another possible explanation is that Belibi came back from the off season much improved, and Prechtel had not advanced as far in the off season. Belibi averaged 14 minutes per game last year--essentially splitting time with Prechtel, but it is hard to argue that she has come a long ways. Belibi started basketball late and so she may have more growth potential, while Prechtel may have been operating closer to her peak. Still, given her three point ability, I can see situations when Tara would prefer Prechtel to Belibi--if the opponent is playing a tight zone or sagging man and daring us to shoot from outside.
In any case, I became a Prechtel fan last year. She seems to have a great work ethic and was very cool under pressure in big games, scoring to save a game at the last second and hitting treys against zones when everyone else went cold. I have to believe she will flourish here and Tara will find a way to make use of her talents.
Brink is clearly more offensively talented than Prechtel--given that she can also shoot the three. But Brink has a feel around the basket. This is remarkable because I thought last year that Prechtel was quite talented around the basket--more so than Fingall or Dodson. It is just that Brink seems to have more reliable offensive moves inside, and both are equally good shooters outside.
Where I am unsure is whether Brink has the defensive skills that Prechtel has. I am unsure partly because I have not seen enough of either. Last year, Prechtel had 45 fouls in 459 minutes of play, but also 31 blocks. Both were very high for the number of minutes--the former bad and the latter good.
One thing that could explain the difference is that Tara knows what Prechtel can do, having seen her for a year, but is using the early blowout games to learn what Brink can do.
Another possible explanation is that Belibi came back from the off season much improved, and Prechtel had not advanced as far in the off season. Belibi averaged 14 minutes per game last year--essentially splitting time with Prechtel, but it is hard to argue that she has come a long ways. Belibi started basketball late and so she may have more growth potential, while Prechtel may have been operating closer to her peak. Still, given her three point ability, I can see situations when Tara would prefer Prechtel to Belibi--if the opponent is playing a tight zone or sagging man and daring us to shoot from outside.
In any case, I became a Prechtel fan last year. She seems to have a great work ethic and was very cool under pressure in big games, scoring to save a game at the last second and hitting treys against zones when everyone else went cold. I have to believe she will flourish here and Tara will find a way to make use of her talents.
12-14-2020, 10:55 AM
(12-14-2020, 09:08 AM)BobK Wrote: No not a good point on Pretchtel. Brink is Damn good. Right now Pretchtel is hesitant yes but confidence in one self is very important. Make a couple of shots. Block a shot instead of a foul and she will be fine
Geesh Teejers
Harrison dunked in practice
Bob, does every post here have to be "everything is peaches and cream at Stanford with Sport __" in your world? If so, you should probably pass on reading my posts, which sprinkle bad with the good, include rank speculation (which is described as same), and offer opinions based on watching games, sidelines, body language, etc. The Prechtel speculation was just that - I hope it proves incorrect.
And more generally, I've always maintained that it's important for Stanford's student athletes to really love being at Stanford, including beyond the sports team they're part of (i.e., love their dormmates, roomies, particular area of study, non-sports extracurricular, whatever). This is so because each of these competitors is used to being THE STAR in his or her chosen sport. But guess what? Not every player is a star player - every sport has reserves/backups, which is something these competitors are NOT used to. Thus, if they don't also love Stanford, the desire to "go somewhere where I am appreciated/can show my skills" is very, very real. We are seeing this more and more across sports . . . even at Stanford.
Sorry if that is not a "sunshine and roses" take . . . but this is a fan board where opinions/speculation/random comments reign.
(12-14-2020, 09:08 AM)BobK Wrote: No not a good point on Pretchtel. Brink is Damn good. Right now Pretchtel is hesitant yes but confidence in one self is very important. Make a couple of shots. Block a shot instead of a foul and she will be fine
Geesh Teejers
Harrison dunked in practice
Bob, does every post here have to be "everything is peaches and cream at Stanford with Sport __" in your world? If so, you should probably pass on reading my posts, which sprinkle bad with the good, include rank speculation (which is described as same), and offer opinions based on watching games, sidelines, body language, etc. The Prechtel speculation was just that - I hope it proves incorrect.
And more generally, I've always maintained that it's important for Stanford's student athletes to really love being at Stanford, including beyond the sports team they're part of (i.e., love their dormmates, roomies, particular area of study, non-sports extracurricular, whatever). This is so because each of these competitors is used to being THE STAR in his or her chosen sport. But guess what? Not every player is a star player - every sport has reserves/backups, which is something these competitors are NOT used to. Thus, if they don't also love Stanford, the desire to "go somewhere where I am appreciated/can show my skills" is very, very real. We are seeing this more and more across sports . . . even at Stanford.
Sorry if that is not a "sunshine and roses" take . . . but this is a fan board where opinions/speculation/random comments reign.
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