[81alum]

Preview:

Fresh off an emotional win over higher ranked Indiana and a day before #2 Maryland, Stanford takes on the sharpshooting South Florida team in what has to be one of the most classic "trap" game setups in recent memory.  

South Florida is 4-2, with a solid win last time over Oregon, who was down some players.  They played UConn respectably, losing only by 7, and took Tennessee to the wire, losing only by 3.  Massey has them at 33.  Last year they were 19-4 and knocked Washington State out of the NCAAs before losing to North Carolina State. 

South Florida has 50% and a 39% three point shooters and a bevy of quick little guards who get themselves open.  They also have a 6'4" forward from Cameroon who comes off the bench.  This is a short but aggressive and quick team who gave Oregon fits and played UConn tight.  We absolutely will need to play our best game to prevail, and I worry that our players won't be able to focus as seriously on South Florida as they should, sandwiched between two gargantuan games against nationally ranked teams.

South Florida has three players who average double digit points...two guards and a 6' forward, but plays 9 players for double digit minutes.  We probably won't be able to use our depth to wear them down, but I hope our rebounding can overwhelm them.  Perimeter defense and shutting down lanes will both be key on defense.  I wonder if it is time for Emma-Nnopu to get some playing time.

Against Oregon, South Florida was led by 5'8" point guard Eliza Pinzan, from Italy, who laid 26 points on Oregon.  Pinzan shoots from anywhere, was 10/10 with free throws, and has a 3:1 assist:turnover ratio.

On offense, I would not be surprised if South Florida saw today's game and played a zone to stop Brink from getting the ball inside.  If so, our own three point shooting had better come alive.

[81alum]

Preview:

Fresh off an emotional win over higher ranked Indiana and a day before #2 Maryland, Stanford takes on the sharpshooting South Florida team in what has to be one of the most classic "trap" game setups in recent memory.  

South Florida is 4-2, with a solid win last time over Oregon, who was down some players.  They played UConn respectably, losing only by 7, and took Tennessee to the wire, losing only by 3.  Massey has them at 33.  Last year they were 19-4 and knocked Washington State out of the NCAAs before losing to North Carolina State. 

South Florida has 50% and a 39% three point shooters and a bevy of quick little guards who get themselves open.  They also have a 6'4" forward from Cameroon who comes off the bench.  This is a short but aggressive and quick team who gave Oregon fits and played UConn tight.  We absolutely will need to play our best game to prevail, and I worry that our players won't be able to focus as seriously on South Florida as they should, sandwiched between two gargantuan games against nationally ranked teams.

South Florida has three players who average double digit points...two guards and a 6' forward, but plays 9 players for double digit minutes.  We probably won't be able to use our depth to wear them down, but I hope our rebounding can overwhelm them.  Perimeter defense and shutting down lanes will both be key on defense.  I wonder if it is time for Emma-Nnopu to get some playing time.

Against Oregon, South Florida was led by 5'8" point guard Eliza Pinzan, from Italy, who laid 26 points on Oregon.  Pinzan shoots from anywhere, was 10/10 with free throws, and has a 3:1 assist:turnover ratio.

On offense, I would not be surprised if South Florida saw today's game and played a zone to stop Brink from getting the ball inside.  If so, our own three point shooting had better come alive.

[martyup]

Should we be worried about a 9am tip off for our west coast based team?

[martyup]

Should we be worried about a 9am tip off for our west coast based team?

[76lsjumb]

Should we be worried about a 9am tip off for our west coast based team?

No, that was Central Florida, not South Florida…  :-)

[76lsjumb]

Should we be worried about a 9am tip off for our west coast based team?

No, that was Central Florida, not South Florida…  :-)

[CompSci87]

Should we be worried about a 9am tip off for our west coast based team?

I hope they're sufficiently acclimated after today's 10:30 am tip off.

[CompSci87]

Should we be worried about a 9am tip off for our west coast based team?

I hope they're sufficiently acclimated after today's 10:30 am tip off.

[ca245]

Each of SF and UM will be playing us with at least a day’s rest after their previous game while we will be playing them on the 2nd and 3rd games of a back-to-back-to-back. Will be good tests of our conditioning and depth.

[ca245]

Each of SF and UM will be playing us with at least a day’s rest after their previous game while we will be playing them on the 2nd and 3rd games of a back-to-back-to-back. Will be good tests of our conditioning and depth.

[81alum]

Each of SF and UM will be playing us with at least a day’s rest after their previous game while we will be playing them on the 2nd and 3rd games of a back-to-back-to-back. Will be good tests of our conditioning and depth.

Good point.  Although this seems to be by Stanford design.  South Florida agreed to stay on in the Bahamas after the conclusion of their tournament there last week so they could play us on our "off" day.  I believe this is actually a "home" game for them, although somehow they got it integrated into this week's "tournament."   In the past, our coaches have mentioned liking those 1-per-day-for-three-day formats as a way of simulating the Pac 12 tournament and getting the team ready for that intensity. 

We have enough depth to play a different group of 5 each of the three days, but if the games are all very close then we seem to have only about 8 who play.  A team that just beat Oregon does not promise to be a pushover, unfortunately, but it would be so great to see Demetre, Iriafan, Van Gytenbeek, Emma-Nnopu, and Bosgana getting some extended minutes.  For that matter, Harriel has not played a single minute this year, although the Flohoops broadcasters mistakenly put up her picture as a starter yesterday.

My guess is that the next two games will be close and we won't see much outside the rotation of 8.  But then when we come home to play Pacific and Davis we could.

Question for those who might know: why would we create such a brutal schedule for ourselves when Tara herself seems to complain about it?  (She used the word "brutal," although I supposed she could be pleased with its brutality.)  Is it possible that after our national championship, many teams simply do not want to play us this year, and this restricts the number of teams interested?

[81alum]

Each of SF and UM will be playing us with at least a day’s rest after their previous game while we will be playing them on the 2nd and 3rd games of a back-to-back-to-back. Will be good tests of our conditioning and depth.

Good point.  Although this seems to be by Stanford design.  South Florida agreed to stay on in the Bahamas after the conclusion of their tournament there last week so they could play us on our "off" day.  I believe this is actually a "home" game for them, although somehow they got it integrated into this week's "tournament."   In the past, our coaches have mentioned liking those 1-per-day-for-three-day formats as a way of simulating the Pac 12 tournament and getting the team ready for that intensity. 

We have enough depth to play a different group of 5 each of the three days, but if the games are all very close then we seem to have only about 8 who play.  A team that just beat Oregon does not promise to be a pushover, unfortunately, but it would be so great to see Demetre, Iriafan, Van Gytenbeek, Emma-Nnopu, and Bosgana getting some extended minutes.  For that matter, Harriel has not played a single minute this year, although the Flohoops broadcasters mistakenly put up her picture as a starter yesterday.

My guess is that the next two games will be close and we won't see much outside the rotation of 8.  But then when we come home to play Pacific and Davis we could.

Question for those who might know: why would we create such a brutal schedule for ourselves when Tara herself seems to complain about it?  (She used the word "brutal," although I supposed she could be pleased with its brutality.)  Is it possible that after our national championship, many teams simply do not want to play us this year, and this restricts the number of teams interested?

[chimera]

I am not a fan of the brutal schedule because it leaves too little time to get the frosh in games.  If S. Florida had been an easier game, it works much better.  I supposed they had little choice if they needed a game and this was the time and place to play one.  The other issue is that when evaluating teams we think they will say well they have an extra loss or two but look at that schedule, look at who they beat and give a very high seed, when what they will do is say well these teams played weaker schedules but look, two fewer losses (or whatever) so they get the seed instead.

[chimera]

I am not a fan of the brutal schedule because it leaves too little time to get the frosh in games.  If S. Florida had been an easier game, it works much better.  I supposed they had little choice if they needed a game and this was the time and place to play one.  The other issue is that when evaluating teams we think they will say well they have an extra loss or two but look at that schedule, look at who they beat and give a very high seed, when what they will do is say well these teams played weaker schedules but look, two fewer losses (or whatever) so they get the seed instead.

[81alum]

I am not a fan of the brutal schedule because it leaves too little time to get the frosh in games.  If S. Florida had been an easier game, it works much better.  I supposed they had little choice if they needed a game and this was the time and place to play one.  The other issue is that when evaluating teams we think they will say well they have an extra loss or two but look at that schedule, look at who they beat and give a very high seed, when what they will do is say well these teams played weaker schedules but look, two fewer losses (or whatever) so they get the seed instead.

I agree that seedings seem to put more weight on wins and losses than on strength of schedule, and this is not right. 

But Tara doesn't care that much about seedings, especially coming off of a national championship.  She is truly a developmental coach--her teams steadily improve during the course of each year, and I am sure she schedules (to the extent she can control it) to assist in that development.  Once her team gets to the tournament it needs to have developed sufficiently to be able to beat every other team in the nation, in whatever order.  What has to happen for the team to become that good?  Maybe it is a brutal preseason and Pac-12 schedule.

I also suspect that she allowed a particularly tough schedule because she knew a team coming off of a national championship season needed to be particularly challenged.  It would be a disaster for such a team to go undefeated prior to the tournament--it would inevitably lead to complacency and entitlement.  Knowing you can lose and being constantly challenged to improve is the name of the developmental game, where wins come from the classroom of Tara the basketball Professor rather than purely from the quality of recruits.  In this regard, Texas did us a favor.  Now, let's hope we won't have too many more of those "favors" along the way.

[81alum]

I am not a fan of the brutal schedule because it leaves too little time to get the frosh in games.  If S. Florida had been an easier game, it works much better.  I supposed they had little choice if they needed a game and this was the time and place to play one.  The other issue is that when evaluating teams we think they will say well they have an extra loss or two but look at that schedule, look at who they beat and give a very high seed, when what they will do is say well these teams played weaker schedules but look, two fewer losses (or whatever) so they get the seed instead.

I agree that seedings seem to put more weight on wins and losses than on strength of schedule, and this is not right. 

But Tara doesn't care that much about seedings, especially coming off of a national championship.  She is truly a developmental coach--her teams steadily improve during the course of each year, and I am sure she schedules (to the extent she can control it) to assist in that development.  Once her team gets to the tournament it needs to have developed sufficiently to be able to beat every other team in the nation, in whatever order.  What has to happen for the team to become that good?  Maybe it is a brutal preseason and Pac-12 schedule.

I also suspect that she allowed a particularly tough schedule because she knew a team coming off of a national championship season needed to be particularly challenged.  It would be a disaster for such a team to go undefeated prior to the tournament--it would inevitably lead to complacency and entitlement.  Knowing you can lose and being constantly challenged to improve is the name of the developmental game, where wins come from the classroom of Tara the basketball Professor rather than purely from the quality of recruits.  In this regard, Texas did us a favor.  Now, let's hope we won't have too many more of those "favors" along the way.

[martyup]

Hoping to see some pretty basketball this morning.

[martyup]

Hoping to see some pretty basketball this morning.

[81alum]

I am not getting a feed from FloHoops yet.  Anyone else?

[81alum]

I am not getting a feed from FloHoops yet.  Anyone else?

[M T]

Looks like 40 or so in the stands opposite the camera in the Baylor-ASU game.   ASU down 33-24 early in 2nd half.

[M T]

Looks like 40 or so in the stands opposite the camera in the Baylor-ASU game.   ASU down 33-24 early in 2nd half.

[jonnyss]

I am not getting a feed from FloHoops yet.  Anyone else?

me neither

[jonnyss]

I am not getting a feed from FloHoops yet.  Anyone else?

me neither

[BillBradley]

I am not getting a feed from FloHoops yet.  Anyone else?

I'm not either and the game has already started. *&#!(@

[BillBradley]

I am not getting a feed from FloHoops yet.  Anyone else?

I'm not either and the game has already started. *&#!(@

[martyup]

I am not getting a feed from FloHoops yet.  Anyone else?

Not yet.

[martyup]

I am not getting a feed from FloHoops yet.  Anyone else?

Not yet.

[M T]

I have no video of Stanford at 9:03.  Anyone else?

[M T]

I have no video of Stanford at 9:03.  Anyone else?

[crackpot]

I am not getting a feed from FloHoops yet.  Anyone else?

Not a thing.

[crackpot]

I am not getting a feed from FloHoops yet.  Anyone else?

Not a thing.

[martyup]

Game has started.  No Flohoops feed.  Dammit!

[martyup]

Game has started.  No Flohoops feed.  Dammit!

[BACardinal]

Same. It's a black screen with a message that the game will start at 9am but it's past that time now so it should be streaming.

[BACardinal]

Same. It's a black screen with a message that the game will start at 9am but it's past that time now so it should be streaming.

[biketoc]

I am not getting a feed from FloHoops yet.  Anyone else?

Me either (9:05)

[biketoc]

I am not getting a feed from FloHoops yet.  Anyone else?

Me either (9:05)

[martyup]

Audio here.

https://gostanford.com/watch/?Live=1391&type=Live

[martyup]

Audio here.

https://gostanford.com/watch/?Live=1391&type=Live