[bballrbmb]

Disappointing for the team.

Unfortunately, an accomplished 3-pt shooter (52% over 15 international games on 22 for 42 shooting and 4 for 7 in 2 games for Stanford) sat on the bench the last 2 games.  In order to strengthen the inside game, the team needs more than 1 credible threat from outside to spread the defense.

On the final play, I'm surprised the coaches did not load up on 3pt shooters given they needed a 3 to tie?  They needed more options - I'm pretty sure everyone in the building knew who the ball was going to.

[bballrbmb]

Disappointing for the team.

Unfortunately, an accomplished 3-pt shooter (52% over 15 international games on 22 for 42 shooting and 4 for 7 in 2 games for Stanford) sat on the bench the last 2 games.  In order to strengthen the inside game, the team needs more than 1 credible threat from outside to spread the defense.

On the final play, I'm surprised the coaches did not load up on 3pt shooters given they needed a 3 to tie?  They needed more options - I'm pretty sure everyone in the building knew who the ball was going to.

[chimera]

I had a bad feeling when in the chalk talk before the game Kate said the team had a great, "competitive" week of practice.  Seems to more more often than not when she says that we play a stinker of a game.  The more I think of it, the weirder this game was.  If we practiced all week to stop them from shooting threes, why was it so hard to do that?  We've been a good defensive team, pretty much every season, and can do that sort of thing with the right scheme and effort.  What has happened to Marta.  Coaches were very pleased with her progress so far and she finished well last year, but so far, she is struggling. 

Agree on the shooters.  Hard to ask them to come in cold, and we did have people who can shoot out there, although they were not hitting on the night, so maybe coaches did not feel we needed another shooter?  I don't get why a team like Gonzaga can get their shooters open and we have such trouble doing the same.  If I never see another handoff at the top of the arc, I will be happy.  Offense ran poorly and the defense was not good enough except for the brief spell when we had the run that go us back into the game.

What I think is going on is that what we had last year and what I think we have this year is a good team, not a great team like we got so used to in 2007 - 2014 or so.  Great teams find ways to win when they are not playing that well.  Good teams sometimes do not.  We did not last night.

[chimera]

I had a bad feeling when in the chalk talk before the game Kate said the team had a great, "competitive" week of practice.  Seems to more more often than not when she says that we play a stinker of a game.  The more I think of it, the weirder this game was.  If we practiced all week to stop them from shooting threes, why was it so hard to do that?  We've been a good defensive team, pretty much every season, and can do that sort of thing with the right scheme and effort.  What has happened to Marta.  Coaches were very pleased with her progress so far and she finished well last year, but so far, she is struggling. 

Agree on the shooters.  Hard to ask them to come in cold, and we did have people who can shoot out there, although they were not hitting on the night, so maybe coaches did not feel we needed another shooter?  I don't get why a team like Gonzaga can get their shooters open and we have such trouble doing the same.  If I never see another handoff at the top of the arc, I will be happy.  Offense ran poorly and the defense was not good enough except for the brief spell when we had the run that go us back into the game.

What I think is going on is that what we had last year and what I think we have this year is a good team, not a great team like we got so used to in 2007 - 2014 or so.  Great teams find ways to win when they are not playing that well.  Good teams sometimes do not.  We did not last night.

[BobK]

Well the better team won so moving on and inpredict at the end of next week we will be 6-1. 
That long pass was in the air for several minutes 😀  It was to a theee shooter McPhee? Behind a double screen. The gonzaga player got there before our second screener.  Seemed like a very risky play and it was 😩    I think it was Tinkle. 

Very disappointing evening with this and soccer

[BobK]

Well the better team won so moving on and inpredict at the end of next week we will be 6-1. 
That long pass was in the air for several minutes 😀  It was to a theee shooter McPhee? Behind a double screen. The gonzaga player got there before our second screener.  Seemed like a very risky play and it was 😩    I think it was Tinkle. 

Very disappointing evening with this and soccer

[81alum]

Disappointing for the team.

Unfortunately, an accomplished 3-pt shooter (52% over 15 international games on 22 for 42 shooting and 4 for 7 in 2 games for Stanford) sat on the bench the last 2 games.  In order to strengthen the inside game, the team needs more than 1 credible threat from outside to spread the defense.

On the final play, I'm surprised the coaches did not load up on 3pt shooters given they needed a 3 to tie?  They needed more options - I'm pretty sure everyone in the building knew who the ball was going to.

As I said, I thought Brewer should at least have been out there for the last play.

I understand why Brewer hasn't been out there more, though.  Tara has become a defensive-minded coach over the years, and playing good team defense at the college level takes time to learn.  Tara plays frosh less than most other coaches, and then she works them in gradually over the course of the year.  Brewer got 16 minutes in the exhibition and I thought her stroke was good--she went 2/5.  But her defense was seriously flawed--she got completely hung up on screens, having problems either going over or under them, leading to some very awkward switches, or catching up to her man many seconds too late.  She even joked a little about that herself at the behind the bench talk when she was introduced, so I'm pretty sure she knows it is one of those skills she needs to learn to be able to play defense.  If there is one thing I know about Tara, she will never sacrifice defense for more offense.

All that said, none of that would have applied on the last play of the game.  There was no reason she should not have been in on a play which needed a three and in which defense was irrelevant.

That last play was so awful that I have to believe that it was some sort of bizarre play drawn up on the whiteboard during the time out.  I can't believe Alanna would have made that pass on her own, unprompted.  Whatever it was, it was not executed well, but my guess is that that one should be on the coaches and not the players.

[81alum]

Disappointing for the team.

Unfortunately, an accomplished 3-pt shooter (52% over 15 international games on 22 for 42 shooting and 4 for 7 in 2 games for Stanford) sat on the bench the last 2 games.  In order to strengthen the inside game, the team needs more than 1 credible threat from outside to spread the defense.

On the final play, I'm surprised the coaches did not load up on 3pt shooters given they needed a 3 to tie?  They needed more options - I'm pretty sure everyone in the building knew who the ball was going to.

As I said, I thought Brewer should at least have been out there for the last play.

I understand why Brewer hasn't been out there more, though.  Tara has become a defensive-minded coach over the years, and playing good team defense at the college level takes time to learn.  Tara plays frosh less than most other coaches, and then she works them in gradually over the course of the year.  Brewer got 16 minutes in the exhibition and I thought her stroke was good--she went 2/5.  But her defense was seriously flawed--she got completely hung up on screens, having problems either going over or under them, leading to some very awkward switches, or catching up to her man many seconds too late.  She even joked a little about that herself at the behind the bench talk when she was introduced, so I'm pretty sure she knows it is one of those skills she needs to learn to be able to play defense.  If there is one thing I know about Tara, she will never sacrifice defense for more offense.

All that said, none of that would have applied on the last play of the game.  There was no reason she should not have been in on a play which needed a three and in which defense was irrelevant.

That last play was so awful that I have to believe that it was some sort of bizarre play drawn up on the whiteboard during the time out.  I can't believe Alanna would have made that pass on her own, unprompted.  Whatever it was, it was not executed well, but my guess is that that one should be on the coaches and not the players.

[bballrbmb]

Thanks 81alum - good background.

Brewer has been trained on defense strategies for last 3 years with the national team program so this is likely more of an adjustment to this level versus her knowing what to do.  I did notice the screens/picks are more aggressive and "moving" than what you see in FIBA competition.

Hopefully a short adjustment period.

[bballrbmb]

Thanks 81alum - good background.

Brewer has been trained on defense strategies for last 3 years with the national team program so this is likely more of an adjustment to this level versus her knowing what to do.  I did notice the screens/picks are more aggressive and "moving" than what you see in FIBA competition.

Hopefully a short adjustment period.

[Jskass]

Yes I was one of those who left the game before the buzzer ended it. The first time I ever left before 0:00 -- after Alanna made that pass and Tara & gang were baffled as much as we were, I could not say no when my husband said that he couldn't take it anymore.

I too was shocked to not see Brewer on the floor for the last play -- I'd think you'd have 4 3-point shooters plus McCall. PERIOD.
However, I disagree with earlier comment that McPhee and McCall weren't passing enough. I just think they were the only ones that seemed to want to go to the basket -- with some exceptions of course (a nice move by Alanna and some nice shots and moves by Karlie). I came in late so missed Fingall getting her chance but felt at the end that I would have replaced Alanna with her a few minutes earlier because Alanna was tired and making some bad fouls and shooting decisions. Part of me was wondering if Tara was just making her work through her foul trouble, as Geno had forced KLS to do this week when she had four. Difference between a solid player and KLS.

My final rant is that it may be time to give some freshmen more of a chance. At least we don't know the ceiling for them, whereas for example, I don't know how much more of a ceiling there is for Kaylee Johnson and Marta (neither of whom has shown improvement in the last year or in Kaylee's case two) unless the issue is that they didn't touch a basketball all summer and MUST. Sorry if  I'm too blunt -- I too thought we might escape this inconsistency issue but not. If the upperclassmen don't get it done, let the freshmen push them - out of competitive spirit.

[Jskass]

Yes I was one of those who left the game before the buzzer ended it. The first time I ever left before 0:00 -- after Alanna made that pass and Tara & gang were baffled as much as we were, I could not say no when my husband said that he couldn't take it anymore.

I too was shocked to not see Brewer on the floor for the last play -- I'd think you'd have 4 3-point shooters plus McCall. PERIOD.
However, I disagree with earlier comment that McPhee and McCall weren't passing enough. I just think they were the only ones that seemed to want to go to the basket -- with some exceptions of course (a nice move by Alanna and some nice shots and moves by Karlie). I came in late so missed Fingall getting her chance but felt at the end that I would have replaced Alanna with her a few minutes earlier because Alanna was tired and making some bad fouls and shooting decisions. Part of me was wondering if Tara was just making her work through her foul trouble, as Geno had forced KLS to do this week when she had four. Difference between a solid player and KLS.

My final rant is that it may be time to give some freshmen more of a chance. At least we don't know the ceiling for them, whereas for example, I don't know how much more of a ceiling there is for Kaylee Johnson and Marta (neither of whom has shown improvement in the last year or in Kaylee's case two) unless the issue is that they didn't touch a basketball all summer and MUST. Sorry if  I'm too blunt -- I too thought we might escape this inconsistency issue but not. If the upperclassmen don't get it done, let the freshmen push them - out of competitive spirit.

[81alum]

Well, we will have some games when we can afford to have more playtime for the younger players.  Nadia has been getting her chances, and fouling a lot but otherwise seems to play well.  Dijonai has not played much but I get the impression that her previous injury was causing them to bring her along a little more slowly.  We could really, really use Anna, but she has not been medically cleared.  I absolutely think Mikaela should start to get some time--it may expose some weaknesses but we need our youngsters to grow up fast.

I think Kaylee can play better.  She scored 17 against Votre Dame for goodness sake, and was a Pac 12 all-Defensive honorable mention last year.  She has added more offensive moves to her repertoire.  For some reason she has not gotten on track this year, but don't give up on her, she can be a superb player.

Erica can score many more points if she can get the ball.  That is not an Erica problem but a point guard problem.  So a lot is coming down to Marta and Bri as far as Erica's production is concerned.

Britt is becoming a star, more than making up for Lili's points.  A real highlight of the season so far.

I still think we can have a very good season.  Let's see how this team matures by the start of the Pac 12 before yielding to panic.

[81alum]

Well, we will have some games when we can afford to have more playtime for the younger players.  Nadia has been getting her chances, and fouling a lot but otherwise seems to play well.  Dijonai has not played much but I get the impression that her previous injury was causing them to bring her along a little more slowly.  We could really, really use Anna, but she has not been medically cleared.  I absolutely think Mikaela should start to get some time--it may expose some weaknesses but we need our youngsters to grow up fast.

I think Kaylee can play better.  She scored 17 against Votre Dame for goodness sake, and was a Pac 12 all-Defensive honorable mention last year.  She has added more offensive moves to her repertoire.  For some reason she has not gotten on track this year, but don't give up on her, she can be a superb player.

Erica can score many more points if she can get the ball.  That is not an Erica problem but a point guard problem.  So a lot is coming down to Marta and Bri as far as Erica's production is concerned.

Britt is becoming a star, more than making up for Lili's points.  A real highlight of the season so far.

I still think we can have a very good season.  Let's see how this team matures by the start of the Pac 12 before yielding to panic.

[chimera]

We do not use entry passes anymore and when we do the posts are often not deep enough so they have a tough shot or try to dribble, which is not ideal.  I don't think our guards and wings are great at entry passes and our posts are not super tall and maybe not so easy to pass to?  To me the biggest problem with the offense was how bad it was early on, and a lot of that was simply missing open shots that were very makable, some even easy.  Start out with the energy displayed during the run that erased the 10 point Zag lead and the game is probably a comfortable win.  Last season and this season the lesson I really felt and still feel the team needs to learn is to come out with the focus and intensity they show for big games for all the games.  Slow starts change the whole complexion of games.  Gotta show them who is boss early, make them work hard to keep up with us.  We let Gonzaga have their way most of the game.  They took advantage.  They played very well.  Aside from a 5 minute stretch we did not.

[chimera]

We do not use entry passes anymore and when we do the posts are often not deep enough so they have a tough shot or try to dribble, which is not ideal.  I don't think our guards and wings are great at entry passes and our posts are not super tall and maybe not so easy to pass to?  To me the biggest problem with the offense was how bad it was early on, and a lot of that was simply missing open shots that were very makable, some even easy.  Start out with the energy displayed during the run that erased the 10 point Zag lead and the game is probably a comfortable win.  Last season and this season the lesson I really felt and still feel the team needs to learn is to come out with the focus and intensity they show for big games for all the games.  Slow starts change the whole complexion of games.  Gotta show them who is boss early, make them work hard to keep up with us.  We let Gonzaga have their way most of the game.  They took advantage.  They played very well.  Aside from a 5 minute stretch we did not.

[Jskass]

FYI Dijonai Carrington's brother caught the winning touchdown pass for Oregon at game end today...can't teach genes, can u?

[Jskass]

FYI Dijonai Carrington's brother caught the winning touchdown pass for Oregon at game end today...can't teach genes, can u?

[M T]

I saw announcers.  I saw an interview on the court at halftime.  But I couldn't find the game on the schedule, either live or Memorex.  So I can't go back and review the game.  Sigh...  (Have to watch the WVB this weekend from next day replays.  The WSoc match wasn't on TV either (I was able to watch a decent amount on the net during/after the WBB).)  For part of the WBB game, I was listening to KZSU's call.

My impression during the game was that we're were getting beat by taller girls.  I'm sure Elle had a point to make to Tara for not taking her.  18 of them, in fact.  She was good.

When Marta took her shot (yep, in 19 minutes, she took only 1), I heard Tara over the KZSU feed encourage her on that shot and to keep shooting.  When Marta sat so much of the second half of the game, I presume she wasn't doing what the coach wanted and was benched.  At least I hope she wasn't hurt.

Looking at the stats, I see we clearly got beat by the threes (that plus not hitting our shots, except McPhee).  Not to say Gonzaga isn't skilled, but is it luck they were open enough?  Or did our bigs not be able to cover their players?  I know Gonzaga was guarding our shooters well beyond the 3-point line.

In contrast to someone else's post, I am glad that McPhee was the one player who was willing to take the ball to the basket.  At 8 of 17 FG, she wasn't as successful as against Texas, but it would have been an embarrassing loss without her.  Other than McPhee, the team was 14 of 41.  Ugh.

[M T]

I saw announcers.  I saw an interview on the court at halftime.  But I couldn't find the game on the schedule, either live or Memorex.  So I can't go back and review the game.  Sigh...  (Have to watch the WVB this weekend from next day replays.  The WSoc match wasn't on TV either (I was able to watch a decent amount on the net during/after the WBB).)  For part of the WBB game, I was listening to KZSU's call.

My impression during the game was that we're were getting beat by taller girls.  I'm sure Elle had a point to make to Tara for not taking her.  18 of them, in fact.  She was good.

When Marta took her shot (yep, in 19 minutes, she took only 1), I heard Tara over the KZSU feed encourage her on that shot and to keep shooting.  When Marta sat so much of the second half of the game, I presume she wasn't doing what the coach wanted and was benched.  At least I hope she wasn't hurt.

Looking at the stats, I see we clearly got beat by the threes (that plus not hitting our shots, except McPhee).  Not to say Gonzaga isn't skilled, but is it luck they were open enough?  Or did our bigs not be able to cover their players?  I know Gonzaga was guarding our shooters well beyond the 3-point line.

In contrast to someone else's post, I am glad that McPhee was the one player who was willing to take the ball to the basket.  At 8 of 17 FG, she wasn't as successful as against Texas, but it would have been an embarrassing loss without her.  Other than McPhee, the team was 14 of 41.  Ugh.

[Griffins78]

Sorry for the delayed post on this old game. I got distracted on a busy post-election and then Thanksgiving.

I had a good view of the last play of the game. We generally in bound the ball to someone cutting towards the person taking out the ball or someone cutting to the right corner or top of the key. Any of those options would have the person receiving the ball going away from the basket. They'd be surrounded and have to turn and shoot, most likely going away from the basket. Instead, we ran a pick for Karlie near the foul line to free her up and get her to the far left corner so she'd be receiving the ball, facing the basket, and able to get off a 3-pointer. Unfortunately, the ball slipped out of Alana's hands as she attempted a two-handed throw over her head. It went high in the air and fell like a dying duck. Karlie was open so if the pass had not slipped it might have gotten to her and she might have made it.

It was a smart play - one they'll need to practice more.

[Griffins78]

Sorry for the delayed post on this old game. I got distracted on a busy post-election and then Thanksgiving.

I had a good view of the last play of the game. We generally in bound the ball to someone cutting towards the person taking out the ball or someone cutting to the right corner or top of the key. Any of those options would have the person receiving the ball going away from the basket. They'd be surrounded and have to turn and shoot, most likely going away from the basket. Instead, we ran a pick for Karlie near the foul line to free her up and get her to the far left corner so she'd be receiving the ball, facing the basket, and able to get off a 3-pointer. Unfortunately, the ball slipped out of Alana's hands as she attempted a two-handed throw over her head. It went high in the air and fell like a dying duck. Karlie was open so if the pass had not slipped it might have gotten to her and she might have made it.

It was a smart play - one they'll need to practice more.

[BobK]

Except we learned at the chalk talk that wasn't the play.    I thought it was of course and we asked.  Why lob when great chance it wouldn't get there. 
No point in re hashing more 😀

[BobK]

Except we learned at the chalk talk that wasn't the play.    I thought it was of course and we asked.  Why lob when great chance it wouldn't get there. 
No point in re hashing more 😀