[OutsiderFan]

I don't think it's fair to dump on Monty for his NCAA tournament disappointments.

For all of you who follow Stanford football and basketball, YOU KNOW the Achilles heel for all Stanford teams is inadequate speed and quickness.  I remember back in the Nicole Powell days, Stanford WBB was very good until it faced top tier teams with quickness. I'm no Stanford WBB junkie, but I've seen numerous games, including at South Carolina a few weeks ago, Stanford absolutely melt when pressured by quickness on defense.

Casey Jacobsen and Dan Grunfeld were very good players, but not NBA athletes. I remember Stanford MBB losing to Alabama with Latrell Sprewell and Antonio McDyess.  Reminded me of the Warriors play the Sonics in the playoffs when they were favored, and gettin blitzed by Gary Payton, Nate McMillan, Derrick McKey and Shawn Kemp.  Same thing.

Monty got some top talents, but rarely did he get THE TOP talents. None of the players on those NCAA teams that disappointed had real NBA players - top of rotation guys. Another team Stanford struggled against and barely beat when the higher seed was St. Joseph's with a backcourt of Delonte West and Jameer Nelson, both NBA players. 

My view is Monty's teams overachieved and were exposed in tournament play much like Tara's teams routinely getting dispatched int the Final Four.  Tara in general had better talent relative to Monty's teams, thus her teams going a bit further.  But both programs have struggled to beat quicker, more athletic teams because they simply don't land quicker more athletic players themselves. Instead, they get bigger players who are highly rated and already reach their ceilings, while lesser developed athletes with more athletic skill - usually guards and wings - go to the schools that beat Stanford when they have more experience.

[OutsiderFan]

I don't think it's fair to dump on Monty for his NCAA tournament disappointments.

For all of you who follow Stanford football and basketball, YOU KNOW the Achilles heel for all Stanford teams is inadequate speed and quickness.  I remember back in the Nicole Powell days, Stanford WBB was very good until it faced top tier teams with quickness. I'm no Stanford WBB junkie, but I've seen numerous games, including at South Carolina a few weeks ago, Stanford absolutely melt when pressured by quickness on defense.

Casey Jacobsen and Dan Grunfeld were very good players, but not NBA athletes. I remember Stanford MBB losing to Alabama with Latrell Sprewell and Antonio McDyess.  Reminded me of the Warriors play the Sonics in the playoffs when they were favored, and gettin blitzed by Gary Payton, Nate McMillan, Derrick McKey and Shawn Kemp.  Same thing.

Monty got some top talents, but rarely did he get THE TOP talents. None of the players on those NCAA teams that disappointed had real NBA players - top of rotation guys. Another team Stanford struggled against and barely beat when the higher seed was St. Joseph's with a backcourt of Delonte West and Jameer Nelson, both NBA players. 

My view is Monty's teams overachieved and were exposed in tournament play much like Tara's teams routinely getting dispatched int the Final Four.  Tara in general had better talent relative to Monty's teams, thus her teams going a bit further.  But both programs have struggled to beat quicker, more athletic teams because they simply don't land quicker more athletic players themselves. Instead, they get bigger players who are highly rated and already reach their ceilings, while lesser developed athletes with more athletic skill - usually guards and wings - go to the schools that beat Stanford when they have more experience.