11-12-2025, 03:13 PM
This weekend marks Stanford's first road trip of the season and while on paper Gonzaga appears to be the bigger challenge, potential dangers lurk when the Cardinal face Washington State. Despite a poor start and never having beaten us, nothing in basketball is a 'given'.
Here's what I'll be watching in no particular order: AGGRESSION- WSU will come out and try to be the aggressor. It's more challenging to be aggressive on the road, but we must match their aggression while playing smart and in control. BE MORE SELECTIVE IN 3-POINT SHOTS- Stanford, as a team, is (at best) a streaky 3-point shooting squad. When shots aren't falling at home, adjustments are easier to make, but not so easy on the road. The 3-pointer should not be the first option. FIND A WAY TO GET THE BALL INSIDE- It appears as though Kate is once-again committed to the old, pass the ball around the perimeter offense. This means Agara, Somfai, Swain, etc. have had to really work to find driving lanes because of perimeter pressure (and because those lanes are often occupied by defenders), Stanford must mix things up to disrupt them. It's disappointing that Kate has appeared to abandon the inside-out game, which better-opens up more open three's. Lastly, ESCHMEYER MUST REGAIN HER CONFIDENCE and play more assertively, like she had in the first couple of games. The best way to do that is get her the ball when she's posting on the block, but since she's not getting the passes inside, she's forced to post up high. She is very capable of driving to the hoop from that position, but for reasons I don't understand, she looked tentative out there and deferred to passing- although she did make some nifty passes to players for easy scores. I remain perplexed why Kate elected to sub Stevenson off the bench before putting in Alex. Mary Ashley is a high energy player and vocal leader on the court, but with limited offensive skills, athleticism and size. Whether you agree or disagree with Kate's decision making, when you're on the road you need as many offensive threats as possible. That's why you play Eschmeyer; maybe not start her, but put her in early and tell the team to get her the ball. Let's keep our win streak going against the Cougars.
Here's what I'll be watching in no particular order: AGGRESSION- WSU will come out and try to be the aggressor. It's more challenging to be aggressive on the road, but we must match their aggression while playing smart and in control. BE MORE SELECTIVE IN 3-POINT SHOTS- Stanford, as a team, is (at best) a streaky 3-point shooting squad. When shots aren't falling at home, adjustments are easier to make, but not so easy on the road. The 3-pointer should not be the first option. FIND A WAY TO GET THE BALL INSIDE- It appears as though Kate is once-again committed to the old, pass the ball around the perimeter offense. This means Agara, Somfai, Swain, etc. have had to really work to find driving lanes because of perimeter pressure (and because those lanes are often occupied by defenders), Stanford must mix things up to disrupt them. It's disappointing that Kate has appeared to abandon the inside-out game, which better-opens up more open three's. Lastly, ESCHMEYER MUST REGAIN HER CONFIDENCE and play more assertively, like she had in the first couple of games. The best way to do that is get her the ball when she's posting on the block, but since she's not getting the passes inside, she's forced to post up high. She is very capable of driving to the hoop from that position, but for reasons I don't understand, she looked tentative out there and deferred to passing- although she did make some nifty passes to players for easy scores. I remain perplexed why Kate elected to sub Stevenson off the bench before putting in Alex. Mary Ashley is a high energy player and vocal leader on the court, but with limited offensive skills, athleticism and size. Whether you agree or disagree with Kate's decision making, when you're on the road you need as many offensive threats as possible. That's why you play Eschmeyer; maybe not start her, but put her in early and tell the team to get her the ball. Let's keep our win streak going against the Cougars.