[81alum]

"It will be critical to drive past that defense and generate some fouls and layups." And who on the team is capable of doing that? Nunu? Bosgana on an assigned mission? I'd be surprised if we score more than 50.

For 6-8 weeks now driving to the basket has been the main focus of the coaches.  Players at press conferences talk about it.  Everyone knows what they need to do to stop us, and every player on our team knows what we need to do to get our offense back on track.  But learning new skills and ingraining them in muscle memory is coming slowly.

For several years we have had little need to do dribble-drive layups.  Anyone who was covered on the three point line just needed to get it inside to Brink or Iriafen who could deliver with back-to-the-basket moves.  And so no one really practiced or executed what they now so desperately need to execute.  Our players had to retool and learn new skills--really a new offense, even if it is the same system.  Strangely, Tess Heal did not need to learn this since it was such a part of her repertoire when she was at Santa Clara.  And we have seen her regularly take it to the hoop--she just is undersized for this level of play.  For our others, it has been coming along slowly, and we would like to see it come faster. 

Duke will give us a report card on our progress.  Most of us are hoping it is not a "D" or an "F".

[81alum]

"It will be critical to drive past that defense and generate some fouls and layups." And who on the team is capable of doing that? Nunu? Bosgana on an assigned mission? I'd be surprised if we score more than 50.

For 6-8 weeks now driving to the basket has been the main focus of the coaches.  Players at press conferences talk about it.  Everyone knows what they need to do to stop us, and every player on our team knows what we need to do to get our offense back on track.  But learning new skills and ingraining them in muscle memory is coming slowly.

For several years we have had little need to do dribble-drive layups.  Anyone who was covered on the three point line just needed to get it inside to Brink or Iriafen who could deliver with back-to-the-basket moves.  And so no one really practiced or executed what they now so desperately need to execute.  Our players had to retool and learn new skills--really a new offense, even if it is the same system.  Strangely, Tess Heal did not need to learn this since it was such a part of her repertoire when she was at Santa Clara.  And we have seen her regularly take it to the hoop--she just is undersized for this level of play.  For our others, it has been coming along slowly, and we would like to see it come faster. 

Duke will give us a report card on our progress.  Most of us are hoping it is not a "D" or an "F".