[81alum]

1706938410[/url]']
- re: poor coaching...I can't believe Tara let Lepolo guard Juju so much. I just can't believe it. You have to put length on her and make her attack over someone. Force her into Cam and Kiki. She shot over Lepolo time after time after time. She just abused Lepolo, and it wasn't because Telana wasn't in good position or trying hard enough. Physically she can't guard her. I thought Nunu did a really nice job on her and even Ogden and Bosgana's length were a better choice. Or even Cam! Also, why no Harriel in the second half? We couldn't buy a perimeter shot yet our hottest shooter is on the bench?

Many good points
I said before the game I did not relish Coach V having to draw up the game plan to defend JuJu
But I was skeptical as to Lepolo being able to handle it for the same reasons you cited
I actually went into it thinking Bosgana & Ogden the best choices, maybe Harriel too
Realizing that one or more of these would likely foul out guarding her
But yes Lepolo was wildly overmatched both physically and in quickness & made it painful to watch

Bosgana started on Watkins, but did not continue.  Lepolo got a lot of minutes, but Ogden and Agara and Clardy also took turns.  Ogden got 4 fouls in 9 minutes trying to keep up.  At one point Tara sent Iriafen to guard Watkins.  I thought that was a great idea, similar to when Chiney defended Maya Moore.  But Iriafen immediately picked up her fourth foul and that was that.

Basically, Lepolo was not TVD's first choice to defend Watkins, and TVD also tried every other option she could, and none of them worked.  When Lepolo was guarding her she was getting a lot of help rotation.  Lepolo did a pretty good job I think of staying in front of Watkins, but the problem was exactly what you said--Watkins is 6'2" and Lepolo is 5'7" and even when Lepolo was closely guarding, Watkins just shot over her.  7" (probably more) is just too much to give up.

This is where a Hull would have helped a great deal, I think.  I still think that in the long run, the best defender for Watkins will be Agara.  But apparently not tonight.

[81alum]

1706938410[/url]']
- re: poor coaching...I can't believe Tara let Lepolo guard Juju so much. I just can't believe it. You have to put length on her and make her attack over someone. Force her into Cam and Kiki. She shot over Lepolo time after time after time. She just abused Lepolo, and it wasn't because Telana wasn't in good position or trying hard enough. Physically she can't guard her. I thought Nunu did a really nice job on her and even Ogden and Bosgana's length were a better choice. Or even Cam! Also, why no Harriel in the second half? We couldn't buy a perimeter shot yet our hottest shooter is on the bench?

Many good points
I said before the game I did not relish Coach V having to draw up the game plan to defend JuJu
But I was skeptical as to Lepolo being able to handle it for the same reasons you cited
I actually went into it thinking Bosgana & Ogden the best choices, maybe Harriel too
Realizing that one or more of these would likely foul out guarding her
But yes Lepolo was wildly overmatched both physically and in quickness & made it painful to watch

Bosgana started on Watkins, but did not continue.  Lepolo got a lot of minutes, but Ogden and Agara and Clardy also took turns.  Ogden got 4 fouls in 9 minutes trying to keep up.  At one point Tara sent Iriafen to guard Watkins.  I thought that was a great idea, similar to when Chiney defended Maya Moore.  But Iriafen immediately picked up her fourth foul and that was that.

Basically, Lepolo was not TVD's first choice to defend Watkins, and TVD also tried every other option she could, and none of them worked.  When Lepolo was guarding her she was getting a lot of help rotation.  Lepolo did a pretty good job I think of staying in front of Watkins, but the problem was exactly what you said--Watkins is 6'2" and Lepolo is 5'7" and even when Lepolo was closely guarding, Watkins just shot over her.  7" (probably more) is just too much to give up.

This is where a Hull would have helped a great deal, I think.  I still think that in the long run, the best defender for Watkins will be Agara.  But apparently not tonight.