[Softball Fan]

After a pathetic game against USC, it's time for Tara to step up and make some serious changes in the O. Just tinkering with the status quo is not acceptable if she wants to make a run for the Championship. How the heck can a team both double Brink down low AND blanket Jump and other three-point shooters? Part of the answer is Jones's poor shooting. She also needs to step it up bigtime on O and move beyond her dismal field goal shooting the last three games  -- 3 for 14, 6 for 16, and 3 for 13 (amounting to 12 for 43 or 27.9%) and no three pointers -- to something at least at the 40% level. Not only did Stanford score only 4 points in Q1, we scored only 15, 14, and 13 in the other three quarters! I'd consider giving Belibi, Agnes, Talana, and/or Elena more time to show what they can do. It doesn't look to me like even the starters have mastered crisp passing and ball screening. That's inexcusable at this point in the season. Let's see if there are personnel shifts, new strategies, and a significant improvement in caliber of play against Utah and Colorado.

This loss should result in the team getting better.   Probably not too much would change in strategy if the result was a W.   I anticipate Tara and staff will at least consider some substantial changes.  I wouldn't count on the shooting getting that much better although it probably will for at least one of the two upcoming games.  The end of season challenge is a team has to win six straight games in the NCAA tournament to win an NC. 

I'm confident Tara and staff will figure out the best use of talent by tournament time.   I don't have the answers. Looking forward to this weekend's games to see what the staff comes up with.

[Softball Fan]

After a pathetic game against USC, it's time for Tara to step up and make some serious changes in the O. Just tinkering with the status quo is not acceptable if she wants to make a run for the Championship. How the heck can a team both double Brink down low AND blanket Jump and other three-point shooters? Part of the answer is Jones's poor shooting. She also needs to step it up bigtime on O and move beyond her dismal field goal shooting the last three games  -- 3 for 14, 6 for 16, and 3 for 13 (amounting to 12 for 43 or 27.9%) and no three pointers -- to something at least at the 40% level. Not only did Stanford score only 4 points in Q1, we scored only 15, 14, and 13 in the other three quarters! I'd consider giving Belibi, Agnes, Talana, and/or Elena more time to show what they can do. It doesn't look to me like even the starters have mastered crisp passing and ball screening. That's inexcusable at this point in the season. Let's see if there are personnel shifts, new strategies, and a significant improvement in caliber of play against Utah and Colorado.

This loss should result in the team getting better.   Probably not too much would change in strategy if the result was a W.   I anticipate Tara and staff will at least consider some substantial changes.  I wouldn't count on the shooting getting that much better although it probably will for at least one of the two upcoming games.  The end of season challenge is a team has to win six straight games in the NCAA tournament to win an NC. 

I'm confident Tara and staff will figure out the best use of talent by tournament time.   I don't have the answers. Looking forward to this weekend's games to see what the staff comes up with.