12-20-2011, 11:33 PM
Wonderful write-up, as always, VG.
A few questions/ observations.
1. Newspaper stories report that Jasmine Camp injured her foot in practice and that is why she did not appear in the game. Anyone at the game see if Jasmine was there and what her condition looked like?
2. Agreed with your concerns, VG, about Joslyn's offense--but we have seen her have spectacular offense in the past. While Joslyn played 16 minutes and had no points, she did have 4 blocks and no fouls. It must be very hard to block four shots and never get called for a foul! Perhaps solid defense is all we really needed from her tonight.
3. For a few minutes in the first half Tara had this rotation: Nneka, Chiney, Joslyn, Bonnie, and Toni. Just one guard. That seemed effective and I think it was the group we had in place when we regained and extended the lead. Is a 1-guard rotation viable for the future?
4. It took 15-20 seconds to bring the ball up court against the Tennessee press, but we usually did it carefully and without a turnover. While I am sure that Tara wanted to avoid the turnover at all costs, it was almost painful to watch the players being so slow and meticulous. On a couple of trips it left so little time to run the offense that we might as well have turned it over. And on a few occasions Nneka bailed us out with a miraculous last second basket. It seems to me that we have to learn how to break the press more quickly, or we will see a steady diet of this in weeks to come.
5. This was a career high not only for Nneka, but for Shekina Stricklen. Something in our defense did not work.
A few questions/ observations.
1. Newspaper stories report that Jasmine Camp injured her foot in practice and that is why she did not appear in the game. Anyone at the game see if Jasmine was there and what her condition looked like?
2. Agreed with your concerns, VG, about Joslyn's offense--but we have seen her have spectacular offense in the past. While Joslyn played 16 minutes and had no points, she did have 4 blocks and no fouls. It must be very hard to block four shots and never get called for a foul! Perhaps solid defense is all we really needed from her tonight.
3. For a few minutes in the first half Tara had this rotation: Nneka, Chiney, Joslyn, Bonnie, and Toni. Just one guard. That seemed effective and I think it was the group we had in place when we regained and extended the lead. Is a 1-guard rotation viable for the future?
4. It took 15-20 seconds to bring the ball up court against the Tennessee press, but we usually did it carefully and without a turnover. While I am sure that Tara wanted to avoid the turnover at all costs, it was almost painful to watch the players being so slow and meticulous. On a couple of trips it left so little time to run the offense that we might as well have turned it over. And on a few occasions Nneka bailed us out with a miraculous last second basket. It seems to me that we have to learn how to break the press more quickly, or we will see a steady diet of this in weeks to come.
5. This was a career high not only for Nneka, but for Shekina Stricklen. Something in our defense did not work.