WBB: Stanford 47 Notre Dame 96

WBB: Stanford 47 Notre Dame 96 - Printable Version

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WBB: Stanford 47 Notre Dame 96 - 81alum - 02-05-2025

Preview:

I'm tempted to make this the shortest preview I've written this year: Notre Dame good, Stanford not so very good. But I suppose that would let down the dwindling number of fans who continue to follow the team closely and want more. In any case, this might be a "trap game" for Notre Dame, and if we should somehow pull off LSU + 1 it would make our whole season. And that is about as positive a spin I could possibly make on this.

Notre Dame is 19-2 and currently ranked 3/3. Massey has them at 6 overall, their offense at 6 and their defense at 16. (Enough 6s for you?) They have won 14 in a row including over several teams that have beaten us, such as North Carolina, North Carolina State, and Duke, not to mention also beating USC and UConn. Their only 2 losses were at a Caribbean tournament last fall and don't really seem relevant any longer.

Notre Dame has an all-star cast. Hannah Hidalgo. a 5'6" sophomore guard, is averaging 26 ppg, she has 77 steals on the year, is shooting 43% from three point range and 50% overall. I do not recall ever seeing anyone other than a post averaging 50%. A generational talent and a lot of fun to watch--except when we have to play against her.

Olivia Miles, a 5'10" graduate student guard, is the second leading scorer at 16 ppg. She also has a whopping 134 assists on the year to 54 turnovers. Again, not sure I have seen a statistically more proficient point guard. Oh, she also shoots 42% of her treys, a whole point lower than Hannah.

Sonnia Citron is the third "big name" player, a 6'1" senior guard. 13 ppg, 92% of her free throws, etc. No doubt she would score even more if Hidalgo and Miles weren't filling up the stat sheet.

Liatu King, a 6'0" grad student forward is the fourth starter. She shoots 58%, all from inside. She also leads the team in rebounding with 11rpg--impressive for an undersized forward.

The 5th starter has shifted over the season with injuries. In their last game--an 18 point thumping of Louisville, the starter was Maddy Westbeld, who has played in about half of the Notre Dame games this year. I presume there was an early injury of some sort--perhaps a reader will chime in with the full story about her later in this thread. Maddy is a 6'3" grad student forward and gives them some much needed height in the post.

Notre Dame thus puts on the floor 3 grad students, 1 senior, and a sophomore. They are far and away the more experienced team, playing at home, and no doubt more than eager to kick us while we are down. And yet--it is not a terrible match-up for our offense. Agara should match up well against King, for example. The Notre Dame defense is very good, but it is not exactly elite. We ought to be able to score some points.

The real problem is that we probably have no one who can match up with Hidalgo. Then again, no one else seems to be able to stop her either. Furthermore, all their players are good enough that doubling anyone might be perilous.

One interesting note: our assistant coach Heather Oesterle was at Notre Dame last year. I imagine our scouting report will be of high quality, at least.

RE: WBB: Stanford @ Notre Dame Thursday 5:30; preview and game thread - BosCard - 02-05-2025

Just a reminder that even elite programs like ND experience down years. Coach McGraw’s last year coaching (19’-20’) ND had a 13-18 record. The following year (coach Ivey’s first season) they were 10-10 in the shortened COVID season. So there is hope that Stanford can rebound too and return to being a top team competing for championships.

RE: WBB: Stanford @ Notre Dame Thursday 5:30; preview and game thread - skip75 - 02-05-2025

(02-05-2025, 01:18 PM)81alum Wrote: The 5th starter has shifted over the season with injuries. In their last game--an 18 point thumping of Louisville, the starter was Maddy Westbeld, who has played in about half of the Notre Dame games this year. I presume there was an early injury of somes sort--perhaps a reader will chime in with the full story about her later in this thread. Maddy is a 6'3" grad student forward and gives them some much needed height in the post.

She had a left foot injury which required surgery at the end of August. She missed the first 13 games, making her season debut on Jan. 5 at North Carolina. In the past 7 games, she has averaged 9.9 ppg & 4.4 rpg in about 23 minutes per game. She is shooting 55% (40% from 3). Only 3-5 on free throws.

RE: WBB: Stanford @ Notre Dame Thursday 5:30; preview and game thread - JohnR34231 - 02-05-2025

I think of this game as the Stanford recruits we got versus the Stanford recruits we didn't get.
Oh well, we were in Hidalgo's final three.
We will in all probability get our butts kicked, but I hope for a miracle.

RE: WBB: Stanford @ Notre Dame Thursday 5:30; preview and game thread - TheFarm07 - 02-05-2025

In an alternate universe, the tables would have been turned and N.D.'s top three starters (HH, Miles and Citron) would be the nucleus of our squad. We had chances at all three and struck out and now we get to see them up close on the other side.

(02-05-2025, 02:27 PM)JohnR34231 Wrote: I think of this game as the Stanford recruits we got versus the Stanford recruits we didn't get.
Oh well, we were in Hidalgo's final three.
We will in all probability get our butts kicked, but I hope for a miracle.

Obviously Paye would never admit it, but I hope deep down, she'll use it as motivation to step up the recruiting and build off of next year's incoming class so that our starting lineup will be the envy of others again

RE: WBB: Stanford @ Notre Dame Thursday 5:30; preview and game thread - paloalto - 02-05-2025

Great intro to the game as usual 81alum. With such a talent/experience differential I hope Stanford WBB fans can look for some positives if things get out of control. Game is on ESPN so hopefully Stanford can have a decent showing.

RE: WBB: Stanford @ Notre Dame Thursday 5:30; preview and game thread - martyup - 02-05-2025

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RE: WBB: Stanford @ Notre Dame Thursday 5:30; preview and game thread - JohnR34231 - 02-06-2025

It seems to me that we have two choices in this one.
Concentrate on stopping HH and have her teammates go wild....or
Not give her any special attention and have her go wild.

Kind of like the two times we played U$C last year and defended Juju.

RE: WBB: Stanford @ Notre Dame Thursday 5:30; preview and game thread - crackpot - 02-06-2025

(02-06-2025, 08:41 AM)JohnR34231 Wrote: It seems to me that we have two choices in this one.
Concentrate on stopping HH and have her teammates go wild....or
Not give her any special attention and have her go wild.

Kind of like the two times we played U$C last year and defended Juju.

I'm going with hoping they all get food poisoning at lunch.

RE: WBB: Stanford @ Notre Dame Thursday 5:30; preview and game thread - 81alum - 02-06-2025

(02-06-2025, 08:41 AM)JohnR34231 Wrote: It seems to me that we have two choices in this one.
Concentrate on stopping HH and have her teammates go wild....or
Not give her any special attention and have her go wild.

Kind of like the two times we played U$C last year and defended Juju.

That is exactly the problem and the choice.

RE: WBB: Stanford @ Notre Dame Thursday 5:30; preview and game thread - mbdude - 02-06-2025

have to hold on to ball, turnover a minute now

RE: WBB: Stanford @ Notre Dame Thursday 5:30; preview and game thread - TheFarm07 - 02-06-2025

Agara out for the rest of the game

RE: WBB: Stanford @ Notre Dame Thursday 5:30; preview and game thread - 81alum - 02-06-2025

[quote="TheFarm07" pid='427618' dateline='1738892986']
Agara out for t
Disaster. We can only hope that it is only for one game.

RE: WBB: Stanford @ Notre Dame Thursday 5:30; preview and game thread - triangle2 - 02-06-2025

(02-06-2025, 06:49 PM)TheFarm07 Wrote: Agara out for the rest of the game

I missed the beginning of the game. What happened?

RE: WBB: Stanford @ Notre Dame Thursday 5:30; preview and game thread - mbdude - 02-06-2025

and Demetre with her customary 2 1st qtr fouls

RE: WBB: Stanford @ Notre Dame Thursday 5:30; preview and game thread - TheFarm07 - 02-06-2025

(02-06-2025, 06:54 PM)triangle2 Wrote:
(02-06-2025, 06:49 PM)TheFarm07 Wrote: Agara out for the rest of the game

I missed the beginning of the game. What happened?

I didn't see it, but she fell hard on a play I think and went to the locker room immediately afterwards

RE: WBB: Stanford @ Notre Dame Thursday 5:30; preview and game thread - paloalto - 02-06-2025

Not too bad first quarter except for the turnovers. Sometimes it seems like lazy passes and lack of aggression in catching the ball. Can't just assume the defensive player will let you have the pass.

Nunu hurt her knee. Sitting on the bench now.

RE: WBB: Stanford @ Notre Dame Thursday 5:30; preview and game thread - 81alum - 02-06-2025

10 turnovers in the 1st quarter, and a serious Agara injury, apparently. Only 3 baskets. Hard to imagine a worst 1st quarter.

(02-06-2025, 06:55 PM)TheFarm07 Wrote:
(02-06-2025, 06:54 PM)triangle2 Wrote:
(02-06-2025, 06:49 PM)TheFarm07 Wrote: Agara out for the rest of the game

I missed the beginning of the game. What happened?

I didn't see it, but she fell hard on a play I think and went to the locker room immediately afterwards

Might be a tailbone injury.

RE: WBB: Stanford @ Notre Dame Thursday 5:30; preview and game thread - TonyLima - 02-06-2025

(02-06-2025, 06:56 PM)paloalto Wrote: Not too bad first quarter except for the turnovers. Sometimes it seems like lazy passes and lack of aggression in catching the ball. Can't just assume the defensive player will let you have the pass.

Nunu hurt her knee. Sitting on the bench now.

Yikes. Knee injuries can be nothing or really bad.

RE: WBB: Stanford @ Notre Dame Thursday 5:30; preview and game thread - paloalto - 02-06-2025

Umeh has potential. She needs another year to reach that potential. Nothing to lose in giving her playing time and let her improve.