[teejers1]

A few weeks ago I would have said that we were edging close but not yet up to last year's levels.  Brink's improvement has been dramatic and replaced a lot of the offense we lost with Williams' graduation and that is the most significant positive change.

But Anna Wilson's dramatic improvement offensively in the last couple of weeks does make me think that we are now better than we were.   Last summer I said that we could repeat if Anna Wilson came back and if her offense developed, and she did and now it has.  I'm eager for rematches with any or all teams that previously beat us this year.  None of those losses were by very much, and we are dramatically improved since them.

However, a lot depends on whether, in the first quarter of any game, we get a few three point shots to go down.  There is a certain level of luck in that.  When a few go in it loosens the defense for the rest of the game.  When they don't we have to bludgeon our way to victory with defense--and those are the close, low scoring games.  With potentially six games left to play, I just hope that a couple of our players are hot from three point range in each game. 

Getting back to the thread topic.  I do think we should be the 1 overall based on our record in the second half vs South Carolina's record in the second half.  We are undefeated and they have lost twice.  But head to head does favor them.  Fortunately, it won't matter.

We'll see how Stanford fares against teams with elite guards who can cause turnovers ==> easy buckets in transition.  Those are killer.  I don't think we're able to gauge how Stanford will fare in that situation until we see it.

Last year, Stanford did just enough to eke out a championship - two one-point Ws in the FF is the definition of "eke out."
Also, last year, Stanford enjoyed some good fortune.  Missed bunny in semis the #1 bit of luck; and I don't know how you characterize Prechtel saving the team's bacon in the Elite 8 game, but Stanford was lucky (a) she was on the roster, (b) coach put her in, and © she rained some big 3s.  It may take another unexpected contribution to get Stanford to the mountaintop this season, too.

Long way of saying:  it's hard to say with any certainty whether this team is better, the same, or worse than last year's version.  I mean, it's possible Stanford is better and still doesn't win the championship.  [Could healthy UCONN firing on all cylinders just be too much?].

Could Stanford be worse and still win a championship?  I don't know, but that strikes me as less likely, given the good fortune we had last season.

I will say this: IF Stanford cuts down the nets, and does so without ultra thing margins, then there will be a strong case for this team being better.

[teejers1]

A few weeks ago I would have said that we were edging close but not yet up to last year's levels.  Brink's improvement has been dramatic and replaced a lot of the offense we lost with Williams' graduation and that is the most significant positive change.

But Anna Wilson's dramatic improvement offensively in the last couple of weeks does make me think that we are now better than we were.   Last summer I said that we could repeat if Anna Wilson came back and if her offense developed, and she did and now it has.  I'm eager for rematches with any or all teams that previously beat us this year.  None of those losses were by very much, and we are dramatically improved since them.

However, a lot depends on whether, in the first quarter of any game, we get a few three point shots to go down.  There is a certain level of luck in that.  When a few go in it loosens the defense for the rest of the game.  When they don't we have to bludgeon our way to victory with defense--and those are the close, low scoring games.  With potentially six games left to play, I just hope that a couple of our players are hot from three point range in each game. 

Getting back to the thread topic.  I do think we should be the 1 overall based on our record in the second half vs South Carolina's record in the second half.  We are undefeated and they have lost twice.  But head to head does favor them.  Fortunately, it won't matter.

We'll see how Stanford fares against teams with elite guards who can cause turnovers ==> easy buckets in transition.  Those are killer.  I don't think we're able to gauge how Stanford will fare in that situation until we see it.

Last year, Stanford did just enough to eke out a championship - two one-point Ws in the FF is the definition of "eke out."
Also, last year, Stanford enjoyed some good fortune.  Missed bunny in semis the #1 bit of luck; and I don't know how you characterize Prechtel saving the team's bacon in the Elite 8 game, but Stanford was lucky (a) she was on the roster, (b) coach put her in, and © she rained some big 3s.  It may take another unexpected contribution to get Stanford to the mountaintop this season, too.

Long way of saying:  it's hard to say with any certainty whether this team is better, the same, or worse than last year's version.  I mean, it's possible Stanford is better and still doesn't win the championship.  [Could healthy UCONN firing on all cylinders just be too much?].

Could Stanford be worse and still win a championship?  I don't know, but that strikes me as less likely, given the good fortune we had last season.

I will say this: IF Stanford cuts down the nets, and does so without ultra thing margins, then there will be a strong case for this team being better.