Preview:
Clarke come to Maples to play an exhibition at 12 noon today, not televised. It should be an interesting opportunity to see our potential point guards "try out" for the starting job, and to see the freshmen get some extended playing time. I doubt it will tell us a lot about the final make up of the team--Texas will do that--but we might see some player development that we otherwise would miss.
Clarke University is a private Catholic school of 1200 students in Dubuque, Iowa, that was playing more in its league when it just beat Menlo College up the road. I don't know the story on why we scheduled them except they were probably in the area for Menlo in a game that counted for them and thought they could extend their trip to play us in an exhibition. Clarke is 3-1, having played other small schools so far. Last year they were 23-3, reaching the quarterfinals of the NAIA basketball tournament. Clarke has 5 consistent starters and 4 other players who play double digit minutes, so they spread it around. Senior center 6'0" Emma Kelchen scores 18 ppg, junior guard 5'6" Giana Michaels scores 16 ppg with a 43% three point shot, and two others are also in double digits.
In "short," this is a talented, winning team which is going to average about 4-5" shorter than our players. I imagine someone like Wilson or Emma-Nnopu will be assigned to smother Michaels, and poor Clarke will have to go up against posts much taller than she is.
Clarke come to Maples to play an exhibition at 12 noon today, not televised. It should be an interesting opportunity to see our potential point guards "try out" for the starting job, and to see the freshmen get some extended playing time. I doubt it will tell us a lot about the final make up of the team--Texas will do that--but we might see some player development that we otherwise would miss.
Clarke University is a private Catholic school of 1200 students in Dubuque, Iowa, that was playing more in its league when it just beat Menlo College up the road. I don't know the story on why we scheduled them except they were probably in the area for Menlo in a game that counted for them and thought they could extend their trip to play us in an exhibition. Clarke is 3-1, having played other small schools so far. Last year they were 23-3, reaching the quarterfinals of the NAIA basketball tournament. Clarke has 5 consistent starters and 4 other players who play double digit minutes, so they spread it around. Senior center 6'0" Emma Kelchen scores 18 ppg, junior guard 5'6" Giana Michaels scores 16 ppg with a 43% three point shot, and two others are also in double digits.
In "short," this is a talented, winning team which is going to average about 4-5" shorter than our players. I imagine someone like Wilson or Emma-Nnopu will be assigned to smother Michaels, and poor Clarke will have to go up against posts much taller than she is.
