(02-24-2024, 09:11 PM)81alum Wrote: During the chalk talk someone asked Tempe to comment on the development of the team over the course of the year. She said there had been some ups and downs, but that overall she and the coaches were very pleased (and perhaps surprised?) with how well the team had done, after losing the transfer students and ending last season in such a negative way (my interpretation there.)
She was also asked about how she thought we would adjust to the ACC. She talked about the very strong WBB programs in the ACC and noted that we would have to up our game, and up our recruiting. I was mildly surprised by this since the Pac 12 this year appears to be the premier conference in WBB. But no one asked her about recruiting, and she brought it up.
Reading between the lines of those two comments--hopefully not too much--I think our team is probably performing better than the coaches expected given our level of talent and experience. For us fans, we want a natty every year, are probably somewhat content with a final 4 and a Pac 12 championship, but we clearly do not have so much more talent than our opponents that we can coast through any games. Even without Cam we are more talented than Arizona, I also think we have more talent than Colorado or USC or Gonzaga--but not by such an overwhelming margin as was often the case in the past. And so we have four losses. We have also won some games by narrow margins that we easily could have lost--Duke, Utah, Washington. In short, our record this year is more half full than half empty. The coaches have been squeezing everything they can out of this group, which is a talented, good group, but not a dominant group.
If there is fault here, it is, I agree, with recruiting more than anything else.
This does not preclude us doing well and getting to a FF. For example, remember this group from 16-17?
McCall
Kaylee Johnson
McPhee
Karlie Samuelson
Roberson
I think I would take this year's team over that year's team in terms of talent, but that team did get to the final 4. They had also lost 4 games by the time they were at this point in the season, and (ominously) they dropped a game at Oregon State at the end of the regular season (before beating OSU in the Pac 12 tourney.) So it is possible there is magic left for our season. But it is going to take some really good quality playing and coaching-- better in both ways than we saw last night. Our coaches and our players tend to respond well after losses, but let's hope they take care of business tomorrow and then don't have to prove that again
This is a really good take and analysis once again. Always, spot on.
I always enjoyed chalk talks with Tempie. She’s just naturally more charismatic and funny than some others. I do think our recruiting needs to improve again for us to be a Final 4 contender after this year. We probably need some top 5/10 or top 20 recruits in each class to win championships in the ACC.
I also agree that this group has overachieved. Many were very down on our program to start the season and I think we’ve shut some of those haters down with how strong of a season we’ve had. Much of that is Cam and just how talented she is and how much she can lift everyone around her. I also think Tara and the coaches were pretty determined to not let last years collapse carry into this year.
I think our current team is better than 2016-17. My concern going into March is guard play. Games late in the season are won by teams who have excellent guards. Our guard play is very inconsistent game to game. That is a weakness of this team. We are Cam and Kiki dominant so we will go as far as Talana, Hannah, and whoever else gets minutes there take us. If they struggle, we are looking at an early NCAA tourney exit. But simply just having Cam on the floor, gives us a chance to make a Final 4. She’s that good.