[Hieronymus]

As I asked a few weeks ago, what would LSJU's record be with Tara as coach? Two or three wins better (FGCU, Tenn, UVa)?

The current LSJU WBB talent level might be higher than LSJU MBB, but it's well lower than before and maybe lower than we all thought in November. Tara had at least one All American on the roster for most of 30+ years, starting with Azzi and all the way through Brink. 

There's no one on the current roster remotely resembling an AA, not even all ACC first team. The upperclass players, Tara's last classes, can be solid but have often underachieved and/or been hurt. The freshmen have had some awesome games, but they are freshmen, none as elite as Okorie for MBB. 

Tara also had many great shooters, ~ 40 % on threes, from Azzi through Jump. The current roster's leader is . . .  Lepolo, at 35 % - but on only 34 attempts. (The mysteriously underused Amborn has made 7 of 11). Clardy, Agara and Ogden have made 77 total threes . . .  and missed 174. Somfai and Swain have made 40 total threes . . . and missed 126.

I don't blame Tara for retiring when she did. Declining roster, transfers, NIL, 30+ K miles of plane travel every Jan.-Feb., plus allegedly biased/incompetent ACC refs, etc. All at age 72. It would have been a physical slog and would have seriously tarnished her legacy to keep coaching the current roster in the ACC!

I have a couple of problems with this line of thought.
1. To a large degree I think it is reversing cause and effect. Is the team playing poorly because the players are bad? Or do the players play poorly because the team set up is bad? Obviously that isn’t binary; but I am with most of the folks on this board in believing that the talent is much better than what we are seeing on the court. And that falls on coaching and team management.
2. They are young but I would expect a bad start while the Frosh acclimate, and the team to improve through the year. We have the opposite - a good start to the season with a total collapse at the end.. Maybe it’s partly fatigue which injuries haven’t helped, but the reality this year is the competition has improved more despite being older. I think that has to mostly fall on the staff as well.

There is no way that a bad Miami team should be 15 points better even if it was a home game for them. For reference, Miami had exactly 1 home win in conference before this game against and even worse FSU team.

[Hieronymus]

As I asked a few weeks ago, what would LSJU's record be with Tara as coach? Two or three wins better (FGCU, Tenn, UVa)?

The current LSJU WBB talent level might be higher than LSJU MBB, but it's well lower than before and maybe lower than we all thought in November. Tara had at least one All American on the roster for most of 30+ years, starting with Azzi and all the way through Brink. 

There's no one on the current roster remotely resembling an AA, not even all ACC first team. The upperclass players, Tara's last classes, can be solid but have often underachieved and/or been hurt. The freshmen have had some awesome games, but they are freshmen, none as elite as Okorie for MBB. 

Tara also had many great shooters, ~ 40 % on threes, from Azzi through Jump. The current roster's leader is . . .  Lepolo, at 35 % - but on only 34 attempts. (The mysteriously underused Amborn has made 7 of 11). Clardy, Agara and Ogden have made 77 total threes . . .  and missed 174. Somfai and Swain have made 40 total threes . . . and missed 126.

I don't blame Tara for retiring when she did. Declining roster, transfers, NIL, 30+ K miles of plane travel every Jan.-Feb., plus allegedly biased/incompetent ACC refs, etc. All at age 72. It would have been a physical slog and would have seriously tarnished her legacy to keep coaching the current roster in the ACC!

I have a couple of problems with this line of thought.
1. To a large degree I think it is reversing cause and effect. Is the team playing poorly because the players are bad? Or do the players play poorly because the team set up is bad? Obviously that isn’t binary; but I am with most of the folks on this board in believing that the talent is much better than what we are seeing on the court. And that falls on coaching and team management.
2. They are young but I would expect a bad start while the Frosh acclimate, and the team to improve through the year. We have the opposite - a good start to the season with a total collapse at the end.. Maybe it’s partly fatigue which injuries haven’t helped, but the reality this year is the competition has improved more despite being older. I think that has to mostly fall on the staff as well.

There is no way that a bad Miami team should be 15 points better even if it was a home game for them. For reference, Miami had exactly 1 home win in conference before this game against and even worse FSU team.