Miami or not, lots to like.
14 players saw action, 9 with double digit minutes, none with 30+ minutes.
5 players scoring in double figures.
Big 4 being the Big 4 (Agarwal having earned a promotion).
Young, Gealer, Okpara, Stinson, & Cammann all making significant contributions and minimizing mistakes.
Cameron Grant giving us a glimpse into his future. At the chalk talk, he was mentioned as a player who, according to the analytics used during practices, is probably deserving of more playing time. He lived up to that tonight in a limited opportunity. Not sure if that's significant for this season, but hopefully for the next 3 years.
Sitting behind the bench, it's apparent that these guys are really having fun and really supporting each other - or else they're all good actors.
I don't think anyone would claim this to be a bigger win than the one at UNC. But to me it's significant that Stanford followed up that upset by taking care of business vs. a team that they "should" beat, and doing so in dominant fashion. It's making me re-evaluate how I would define success for them. They are now in a tie for the 5, 6, & 7 spots in the ACC with a 5-3 record. The remaining schedule is favorable. 3 games with teams ahead in the standings (1 home, 2 away), 2 games vs. one of the teams in the tie (home & away vs. SMU), and 7 games with teams trailing in the standings (5 home, 2 away).
Getting to 20 wins and finishing in 5th, 6th, or 7th place would have sounded a bit crazy to me when the season began - but now seems within reach. Finishing in the top 4 would be ideal (that gets a double by in the ACC tourney and a spot in the quarterfinals), but that seems out of reach even for an optimist like me. Places 5-9 all get a first round bye, but the 8vs9 winner likely gets Duke in the 2nd round. Not finishing in the top half of the league (i.e., 10th or below) feels at this point like it would be a disappointment. Still more than half the league schedule remaining, so lots of basketball left to play and things can change quickly, for better or worse. But I'm having fun watching it all unfold.
14 players saw action, 9 with double digit minutes, none with 30+ minutes.
5 players scoring in double figures.
Big 4 being the Big 4 (Agarwal having earned a promotion).
Young, Gealer, Okpara, Stinson, & Cammann all making significant contributions and minimizing mistakes.
Cameron Grant giving us a glimpse into his future. At the chalk talk, he was mentioned as a player who, according to the analytics used during practices, is probably deserving of more playing time. He lived up to that tonight in a limited opportunity. Not sure if that's significant for this season, but hopefully for the next 3 years.
Sitting behind the bench, it's apparent that these guys are really having fun and really supporting each other - or else they're all good actors.
I don't think anyone would claim this to be a bigger win than the one at UNC. But to me it's significant that Stanford followed up that upset by taking care of business vs. a team that they "should" beat, and doing so in dominant fashion. It's making me re-evaluate how I would define success for them. They are now in a tie for the 5, 6, & 7 spots in the ACC with a 5-3 record. The remaining schedule is favorable. 3 games with teams ahead in the standings (1 home, 2 away), 2 games vs. one of the teams in the tie (home & away vs. SMU), and 7 games with teams trailing in the standings (5 home, 2 away).
Getting to 20 wins and finishing in 5th, 6th, or 7th place would have sounded a bit crazy to me when the season began - but now seems within reach. Finishing in the top 4 would be ideal (that gets a double by in the ACC tourney and a spot in the quarterfinals), but that seems out of reach even for an optimist like me. Places 5-9 all get a first round bye, but the 8vs9 winner likely gets Duke in the 2nd round. Not finishing in the top half of the league (i.e., 10th or below) feels at this point like it would be a disappointment. Still more than half the league schedule remaining, so lots of basketball left to play and things can change quickly, for better or worse. But I'm having fun watching it all unfold.