Preview:
This is a big-ticket game. Arizona, who we played in the national championship game two years ago, is a formidable opponent. They are 12-1, their sole loss being a rather inexplicable 27 point drubbing at home by Kansas. Their best win was their own 21 point drubbing of Baylor. They are ranked 18/15, Massey has them at 15, the NET at 29.
As the astute reader of Bob's FBC Arizona preview knows, Arizona lost 8 players to transfer. Normally I would consider that a disaster, but times have changed. Barnes added 4 transfers in and 3 frosh--and a couple of those transfers in (Jade Loville and Esmery Martinez) have become critical to the team's success.
As for style of play, Arizona is a defense-first team. They hold opponents to 59 ppg, and hold their opponents to 39% field goal shooting. They play a pretty close man defense and make sure that every shot is contested and awkward to set up.
On offense, these are their main scorers:
#1 Shaina Pellington, a 5'8" 5th year guard that we are very familiar with, has become their leading scorer at 14ppg. We are more used to seeing her in a defensive role, but she has branched out. She hasn't hit a 3 point shot all year but is hitting a whopping 57% of her other shots--she scores a lot on fast breaks and slashes to the basket. She also is their pg and has 39 assists to 18 turns.
#30 Jade Loville, a 5'11" 5th year guard who was ASU's star player last year. She averages 13ppg. Unlike Pellington she is a prolific 3 point shooter, at 49%, and she has made 26 already. But she can score from all three levels, making her a very difficult defensive match up.
#25 Cate Reese, a 6'2" 5th year forward who has been Arizona's lynchpin inside player her whole career. But this year she is joined by #12 Esmery Martinez, another 6'2" forward who transferred in from West Virginia. They each score about 12 ppg, but Martinez is hitting 57% compared with Reese's 47%.
Arizona is exceptionally deep--with 11 players averaging double digits and no player averaging over 25.
In short, Arizona is actually more experienced than Stanford, now, and plays an effective close defense that neutralizes a lot of talent advantages. I expect it to be a tough game. However, I see us with an advantage inside. As good as Reese and Martinez are, I think our bigs are better than their bigs.
Arizona also is not much of a three point shooting team--except obviously for Jade Loville. I see Lepolo not getting Loville but Pellington. Hopefully Emma-Nnopu is back and available for Monday, since she might be needed for Loville.
The contrast with ASU will be profound. I can't imagine scoring 101 on Arizona.
This is a big-ticket game. Arizona, who we played in the national championship game two years ago, is a formidable opponent. They are 12-1, their sole loss being a rather inexplicable 27 point drubbing at home by Kansas. Their best win was their own 21 point drubbing of Baylor. They are ranked 18/15, Massey has them at 15, the NET at 29.
As the astute reader of Bob's FBC Arizona preview knows, Arizona lost 8 players to transfer. Normally I would consider that a disaster, but times have changed. Barnes added 4 transfers in and 3 frosh--and a couple of those transfers in (Jade Loville and Esmery Martinez) have become critical to the team's success.
As for style of play, Arizona is a defense-first team. They hold opponents to 59 ppg, and hold their opponents to 39% field goal shooting. They play a pretty close man defense and make sure that every shot is contested and awkward to set up.
On offense, these are their main scorers:
#1 Shaina Pellington, a 5'8" 5th year guard that we are very familiar with, has become their leading scorer at 14ppg. We are more used to seeing her in a defensive role, but she has branched out. She hasn't hit a 3 point shot all year but is hitting a whopping 57% of her other shots--she scores a lot on fast breaks and slashes to the basket. She also is their pg and has 39 assists to 18 turns.
#30 Jade Loville, a 5'11" 5th year guard who was ASU's star player last year. She averages 13ppg. Unlike Pellington she is a prolific 3 point shooter, at 49%, and she has made 26 already. But she can score from all three levels, making her a very difficult defensive match up.
#25 Cate Reese, a 6'2" 5th year forward who has been Arizona's lynchpin inside player her whole career. But this year she is joined by #12 Esmery Martinez, another 6'2" forward who transferred in from West Virginia. They each score about 12 ppg, but Martinez is hitting 57% compared with Reese's 47%.
Arizona is exceptionally deep--with 11 players averaging double digits and no player averaging over 25.
In short, Arizona is actually more experienced than Stanford, now, and plays an effective close defense that neutralizes a lot of talent advantages. I expect it to be a tough game. However, I see us with an advantage inside. As good as Reese and Martinez are, I think our bigs are better than their bigs.
Arizona also is not much of a three point shooting team--except obviously for Jade Loville. I see Lepolo not getting Loville but Pellington. Hopefully Emma-Nnopu is back and available for Monday, since she might be needed for Loville.
The contrast with ASU will be profound. I can't imagine scoring 101 on Arizona.