[chimera]

I’d prefer Harriel, Bosgana or Nivar. None of them are reluctant shooters. And I think if they were playing 39 minutes and weren’t seated the second they made a mistake, their %s would improve.  I don’t think you can be a reluctant outside shooter as a point guard, it’s an unworkable model. In the last decade, only that 2017 championship S.Carolina team had a pass first point guard and she is on a WNBA team now (that is not Lepolo’s trajectory). And I am willing to bet even the S.Carolina guard had to make open 3s in two or three games eventually for S.Carolina to get there. Much like Haley, Lepolo’s shot won’t increase accuracy through repetition. She, like Haley, has poor shooting mechanics.

As for Haley, she played an outsized role as a 4 in that 2021 championship in both S.Carolina and Arizona game. Neither Texas in the Elite 8 nor UConn in the Final Four had an answer for her at the 4. I’d rather they turn Kiki or Fran into a 3 vs mess up what has been Stanford’s only mismatch in a lot of critical games.

Haley is a bad perimeter defender but Fran is even worse if that is possible. Fran also doesn’t have a 15ft shot (Haley does), Fran is also not a good post defender (Haley is adequate to sometimes very good) and obviously Haley is the better passer, finisher and defensive rebounder. 

Fran is the better screener and offensive rebounder. But given Fran’s VERY limited range, Haley creates more spacing.

I am back to Brink, Ashten, Haley, Hannah and Harriel/Bosgana/Nivar. Nivar seems like the better defender but Harriel looked great in the first couple of games I saw. Since then, not so much. Ashten is the 2nd best shooter on the team. Pairing Ashten with Hannah gives Haley lanes and gaps to penetrate. That is Haley’s game, that has always been her game. She is a scorer not a shooter and it’s worked fine the last 2 years.

Having people on the floor that are disregarded offensive players (Lepolo and Agnes), will never work. No opposing coach is dumb enough to guard them (well maybe Jolly) and leave either Haley or Cam open to go 1 on 1. You can bring Lepolo off the bench for a change of pace and Agnes for special defensive assignments but they should NEVER play together, and Tara tries to play them together a lot, and the offense grinds to a halt every time. Boggles the mind.

I am intrigued by Bosgana's potential but what evidence is there that she has a good enough handle to be an every day point guard who has to deal with pressure?  

You want Belibi to be a three but not Jones yet you also think Belibi is a poor perimeter defender and we all see that she doesn't have a mid-range shot at all?  You last proposed line-up of Brink, Prechtel, Jones, Jump and anyone but Lepolo at the point has one of our bigs still at the three.  Prechtel is not a three and can't defend the perimeter any better than Jones.  She shot threes at 28% last season.  Is she on a hot streak or has she improved?  Iriafen at the 3 seems to me not something that is going to happen, and why should it?  She has improved a lot inside and has a lot of room to grow into that role still.  She could play a 4 well, that's true, although she has not yet shown a three point shot.

We made the F4 last season with our starting point guard and starting 2 guard scoring combined less than ten points per game.  Is that ideal?  No!!!  Did their defense make up for it?  Not entirely, not even close probably.  But there is nothing that says a team cannot have a point guard who is not a big scorer or good three point shooter and win it all.  It sure helps if you have one, of course.  Lepolo has made a mid-range jumper a few times this season.  If she can drive in a few feet and hit that, she will need to be guarded.  If she can find driving lanes on occasion, which she has, she will have to be guarded.  No team is going to let her drive.  Drive and dish is fine.  

I don't think Emma-Nnopu and Lepolo are playing together very much.  I don't think they should either, but that seems to me not a big issue  Emma-Nnopu played 4 minutes against Santa Clara and 4 minutes against South Carolina.  Minutes in 40 point blowouts don't matter.  I guess my mind is not boggled since Tara is not playing them together much if at all.

[chimera]

I’d prefer Harriel, Bosgana or Nivar. None of them are reluctant shooters. And I think if they were playing 39 minutes and weren’t seated the second they made a mistake, their %s would improve.  I don’t think you can be a reluctant outside shooter as a point guard, it’s an unworkable model. In the last decade, only that 2017 championship S.Carolina team had a pass first point guard and she is on a WNBA team now (that is not Lepolo’s trajectory). And I am willing to bet even the S.Carolina guard had to make open 3s in two or three games eventually for S.Carolina to get there. Much like Haley, Lepolo’s shot won’t increase accuracy through repetition. She, like Haley, has poor shooting mechanics.

As for Haley, she played an outsized role as a 4 in that 2021 championship in both S.Carolina and Arizona game. Neither Texas in the Elite 8 nor UConn in the Final Four had an answer for her at the 4. I’d rather they turn Kiki or Fran into a 3 vs mess up what has been Stanford’s only mismatch in a lot of critical games.

Haley is a bad perimeter defender but Fran is even worse if that is possible. Fran also doesn’t have a 15ft shot (Haley does), Fran is also not a good post defender (Haley is adequate to sometimes very good) and obviously Haley is the better passer, finisher and defensive rebounder. 

Fran is the better screener and offensive rebounder. But given Fran’s VERY limited range, Haley creates more spacing.

I am back to Brink, Ashten, Haley, Hannah and Harriel/Bosgana/Nivar. Nivar seems like the better defender but Harriel looked great in the first couple of games I saw. Since then, not so much. Ashten is the 2nd best shooter on the team. Pairing Ashten with Hannah gives Haley lanes and gaps to penetrate. That is Haley’s game, that has always been her game. She is a scorer not a shooter and it’s worked fine the last 2 years.

Having people on the floor that are disregarded offensive players (Lepolo and Agnes), will never work. No opposing coach is dumb enough to guard them (well maybe Jolly) and leave either Haley or Cam open to go 1 on 1. You can bring Lepolo off the bench for a change of pace and Agnes for special defensive assignments but they should NEVER play together, and Tara tries to play them together a lot, and the offense grinds to a halt every time. Boggles the mind.

I am intrigued by Bosgana's potential but what evidence is there that she has a good enough handle to be an every day point guard who has to deal with pressure?  

You want Belibi to be a three but not Jones yet you also think Belibi is a poor perimeter defender and we all see that she doesn't have a mid-range shot at all?  You last proposed line-up of Brink, Prechtel, Jones, Jump and anyone but Lepolo at the point has one of our bigs still at the three.  Prechtel is not a three and can't defend the perimeter any better than Jones.  She shot threes at 28% last season.  Is she on a hot streak or has she improved?  Iriafen at the 3 seems to me not something that is going to happen, and why should it?  She has improved a lot inside and has a lot of room to grow into that role still.  She could play a 4 well, that's true, although she has not yet shown a three point shot.

We made the F4 last season with our starting point guard and starting 2 guard scoring combined less than ten points per game.  Is that ideal?  No!!!  Did their defense make up for it?  Not entirely, not even close probably.  But there is nothing that says a team cannot have a point guard who is not a big scorer or good three point shooter and win it all.  It sure helps if you have one, of course.  Lepolo has made a mid-range jumper a few times this season.  If she can drive in a few feet and hit that, she will need to be guarded.  If she can find driving lanes on occasion, which she has, she will have to be guarded.  No team is going to let her drive.  Drive and dish is fine.  

I don't think Emma-Nnopu and Lepolo are playing together very much.  I don't think they should either, but that seems to me not a big issue  Emma-Nnopu played 4 minutes against Santa Clara and 4 minutes against South Carolina.  Minutes in 40 point blowouts don't matter.  I guess my mind is not boggled since Tara is not playing them together much if at all.