[TheFarm07]

[quote="joemontes" pid='439330' dateline='1761850099']
The not-so-good news:  Kate is sticking with her predictable offense, which we saw on display last season and a carry-over from Tara's final season. Despite being vastly undersized and less talented, Cal State L.A. had prepared for Stanford's offense and their perimeter defense was effective.  What resulted in an 85-50 blowout was our size, talent and depth. The problem for me is, this perimeter side-to-side passing along with the high post (as more of a facilitator), takes away from one of Stanford's greatest strengths- exceptional size and athleticism on the front line (if you have Eschmeyer at the 5 with Agara and Somfai as bookends).  Far too many times I saw our guards dribbling out on the perimeter with the clock winding down; and not sure what to do.  I watched carefully every time Eschmeyer would post-up with only one defender behind her (calling for the ball) and rarely did the pass go into her.  Instead, the ball was reversed and around the perimeter and only when Alex moved to the high post (where she was much less of a threat), did she get the pass.  Flash back to the Cam Brink era, especially her last season and you saw the same thing.  You had the #1 post player in America; a first team All-American- posting up with only one defender behind her- Yelling for the ball- and she rarely got it.  I wish Kate will install some high/low action on occasion.  We saw it a few times with Brink and Betts, and later Brink and Kiki to good effect, but I'm afraid that will not be in Kate's playbook.

Disappointing, but not surprising and I'm afraid that might limit our ceiling and hamper our recruiting. Elite players, esp. guards who can create their own shot and powerful bigs who can dominate the paint, would not want to go to a program that puts limitations on their full capabilities.

That's why, even though I knew Kate was the automatic successor to Tara, I was hoping they would have taken a chance on a coach from outside who could have refreshed the program in terms of offensive plays. 

We won't have the outright size, length & skill advantage against most of the ACC, much less the UConns, South Carolinas and UCLAs of the world.

[TheFarm07]

[quote="joemontes" pid='439330' dateline='1761850099']
The not-so-good news:  Kate is sticking with her predictable offense, which we saw on display last season and a carry-over from Tara's final season. Despite being vastly undersized and less talented, Cal State L.A. had prepared for Stanford's offense and their perimeter defense was effective.  What resulted in an 85-50 blowout was our size, talent and depth. The problem for me is, this perimeter side-to-side passing along with the high post (as more of a facilitator), takes away from one of Stanford's greatest strengths- exceptional size and athleticism on the front line (if you have Eschmeyer at the 5 with Agara and Somfai as bookends).  Far too many times I saw our guards dribbling out on the perimeter with the clock winding down; and not sure what to do.  I watched carefully every time Eschmeyer would post-up with only one defender behind her (calling for the ball) and rarely did the pass go into her.  Instead, the ball was reversed and around the perimeter and only when Alex moved to the high post (where she was much less of a threat), did she get the pass.  Flash back to the Cam Brink era, especially her last season and you saw the same thing.  You had the #1 post player in America; a first team All-American- posting up with only one defender behind her- Yelling for the ball- and she rarely got it.  I wish Kate will install some high/low action on occasion.  We saw it a few times with Brink and Betts, and later Brink and Kiki to good effect, but I'm afraid that will not be in Kate's playbook.

Disappointing, but not surprising and I'm afraid that might limit our ceiling and hamper our recruiting. Elite players, esp. guards who can create their own shot and powerful bigs who can dominate the paint, would not want to go to a program that puts limitations on their full capabilities.

That's why, even though I knew Kate was the automatic successor to Tara, I was hoping they would have taken a chance on a coach from outside who could have refreshed the program in terms of offensive plays. 

We won't have the outright size, length & skill advantage against most of the ACC, much less the UConns, South Carolinas and UCLAs of the world.