[81alum]

I don't think anyone has commented on this -- but both Brink and Bilibi had field goals that were mid-range jump shots, NOT in the paint. Don't think I've seen that previously this season, almost certain it was the 1st from Bilibi, and one of the 1st from Brink.  If they continue this in future games, that's a real plus.

I noticed that and was quite pleased.  That will be essential if we run into zones and our three point shooting is cold.  And it opens it up for back door cuts when the bigs can drag defenders out a bit.

[81alum]

I don't think anyone has commented on this -- but both Brink and Bilibi had field goals that were mid-range jump shots, NOT in the paint. Don't think I've seen that previously this season, almost certain it was the 1st from Bilibi, and one of the 1st from Brink.  If they continue this in future games, that's a real plus.

I noticed that and was quite pleased.  That will be essential if we run into zones and our three point shooting is cold.  And it opens it up for back door cuts when the bigs can drag defenders out a bit.

[jonnyss]

Going forward, we must figure out how to defend the Utah three point play, which commonly involves a guard attacking the basket but then pitching back to an open three point shooter.  It happened way too often.  Definitely our worst defensive game of the year.  Utah is the 3rd highest scoring team in the nation, but we did not know what to make of that stat with limited games.  Well, it seems legit, and is the result of a really good offensive scheme and not superstar players.  I admire them.

utah screens very well. we can learn a lot from their tape. when we did not switch and tried to go under the screen, the ball handler was briefly open for the 3.  when we did switch, we then had a big on a guard and a guard on their big. instead of shooting, they passed down low. we had to double to help our our small on their big.  they passed back out to the perimeter for a wide-open shot. at the end of the game, we seemed to play that quasi-zone we use sometimes: no switching at all on the perimeter and keeping a big down low. that seemed to work better, especially after McFarland fouled out.

i thought anna was fabulous today. she's added a mid-range jumper. she's not kiana yet, but she's becoming an offensive threat.

[jonnyss]

Going forward, we must figure out how to defend the Utah three point play, which commonly involves a guard attacking the basket but then pitching back to an open three point shooter.  It happened way too often.  Definitely our worst defensive game of the year.  Utah is the 3rd highest scoring team in the nation, but we did not know what to make of that stat with limited games.  Well, it seems legit, and is the result of a really good offensive scheme and not superstar players.  I admire them.

utah screens very well. we can learn a lot from their tape. when we did not switch and tried to go under the screen, the ball handler was briefly open for the 3.  when we did switch, we then had a big on a guard and a guard on their big. instead of shooting, they passed down low. we had to double to help our our small on their big.  they passed back out to the perimeter for a wide-open shot. at the end of the game, we seemed to play that quasi-zone we use sometimes: no switching at all on the perimeter and keeping a big down low. that seemed to work better, especially after McFarland fouled out.

i thought anna was fabulous today. she's added a mid-range jumper. she's not kiana yet, but she's becoming an offensive threat.

[BosCard]

Going forward, we must figure out how to defend the Utah three point play, which commonly involves a guard attacking the basket but then pitching back to an open three point shooter.  It happened way too often.  Definitely our worst defensive game of the year.  Utah is the 3rd highest scoring team in the nation, but we did not know what to make of that stat with limited games.  Well, it seems legit, and is the result of a really good offensive scheme and not superstar players.  I admire them.

utah screens very well. we can learn a lot from their tape. when we did not switch and tried to go under the screen, the ball handler was briefly open for the 3.  when we did switch, we then had a big on a guard and a guard on their big. instead of shooting, they passed down low. we had to double to help our our small on their big.  they passed back out to the perimeter for a wide-open shot. at the end of the game, we seemed to play that quasi-zone we use sometimes: no switching at all on the perimeter and keeping a big down low. that seemed to work better, especially after McFarland fouled out.

i thought anna was fabulous today. she's added a mid-range jumper. she's not kiana yet, but she's becoming an offensive threat.

I agree about Wilson.  Lacie started but Wilson got the majority of the minutes.  She is getting more and more comfortable driving and pulling up for the short jumper.  And she had some nice entry passes to Brink.  And stellar defense as always.

[BosCard]

Going forward, we must figure out how to defend the Utah three point play, which commonly involves a guard attacking the basket but then pitching back to an open three point shooter.  It happened way too often.  Definitely our worst defensive game of the year.  Utah is the 3rd highest scoring team in the nation, but we did not know what to make of that stat with limited games.  Well, it seems legit, and is the result of a really good offensive scheme and not superstar players.  I admire them.

utah screens very well. we can learn a lot from their tape. when we did not switch and tried to go under the screen, the ball handler was briefly open for the 3.  when we did switch, we then had a big on a guard and a guard on their big. instead of shooting, they passed down low. we had to double to help our our small on their big.  they passed back out to the perimeter for a wide-open shot. at the end of the game, we seemed to play that quasi-zone we use sometimes: no switching at all on the perimeter and keeping a big down low. that seemed to work better, especially after McFarland fouled out.

i thought anna was fabulous today. she's added a mid-range jumper. she's not kiana yet, but she's becoming an offensive threat.

I agree about Wilson.  Lacie started but Wilson got the majority of the minutes.  She is getting more and more comfortable driving and pulling up for the short jumper.  And she had some nice entry passes to Brink.  And stellar defense as always.

[81alum]

Going forward, we must figure out how to defend the Utah three point play, which commonly involves a guard attacking the basket but then pitching back to an open three point shooter.  It happened way too often.  Definitely our worst defensive game of the year.  Utah is the 3rd highest scoring team in the nation, but we did not know what to make of that stat with limited games.  Well, it seems legit, and is the result of a really good offensive scheme and not superstar players.  I admire them.

utah screens very well. we can learn a lot from their tape. when we did not switch and tried to go under the screen, the ball handler was briefly open for the 3.  when we did switch, we then had a big on a guard and a guard on their big. instead of shooting, they passed down low. we had to double to help our our small on their big.  they passed back out to the perimeter for a wide-open shot. at the end of the game, we seemed to play that quasi-zone we use sometimes: no switching at all on the perimeter and keeping a big down low. that seemed to work better, especially after McFarland fouled out.

i thought anna was fabulous today. she's added a mid-range jumper. she's not kiana yet, but she's becoming an offensive threat.

I agree about Wilson.  Lacie started but Wilson got the majority of the minutes.  She is getting more and more comfortable driving and pulling up for the short jumper.  And she had some nice entry passes to Brink.  And stellar defense as always.

Wilson's minutes have been soaring.  And today not only did she have 12 points--probably her best in years--she also had no turnovers.  South Carolina and Colorado were bad turnover days for her, but she seems to be pretty steady otherwise.  Wilson started the first six games this year before losing that job to Lacie, but it seems to be drifting the other way now.

[81alum]

Going forward, we must figure out how to defend the Utah three point play, which commonly involves a guard attacking the basket but then pitching back to an open three point shooter.  It happened way too often.  Definitely our worst defensive game of the year.  Utah is the 3rd highest scoring team in the nation, but we did not know what to make of that stat with limited games.  Well, it seems legit, and is the result of a really good offensive scheme and not superstar players.  I admire them.

utah screens very well. we can learn a lot from their tape. when we did not switch and tried to go under the screen, the ball handler was briefly open for the 3.  when we did switch, we then had a big on a guard and a guard on their big. instead of shooting, they passed down low. we had to double to help our our small on their big.  they passed back out to the perimeter for a wide-open shot. at the end of the game, we seemed to play that quasi-zone we use sometimes: no switching at all on the perimeter and keeping a big down low. that seemed to work better, especially after McFarland fouled out.

i thought anna was fabulous today. she's added a mid-range jumper. she's not kiana yet, but she's becoming an offensive threat.

I agree about Wilson.  Lacie started but Wilson got the majority of the minutes.  She is getting more and more comfortable driving and pulling up for the short jumper.  And she had some nice entry passes to Brink.  And stellar defense as always.

Wilson's minutes have been soaring.  And today not only did she have 12 points--probably her best in years--she also had no turnovers.  South Carolina and Colorado were bad turnover days for her, but she seems to be pretty steady otherwise.  Wilson started the first six games this year before losing that job to Lacie, but it seems to be drifting the other way now.

[Card10Fan]

Wilson was great! No reason for Tara to change the starting lineup but I think Wilson will continue to get the majority of the PG minutes if she plays as well as she has coming off the bench. Her mom was also in attendance right in front of Brink's parents. Glad to see those two players shine with their families in attendance. 

Going forward, we must figure out how to defend the Utah three point play, which commonly involves a guard attacking the basket but then pitching back to an open three point shooter.  It happened way too often.  Definitely our worst defensive game of the year.  Utah is the 3rd highest scoring team in the nation, but we did not know what to make of that stat with limited games.  Well, it seems legit, and is the result of a really good offensive scheme and not superstar players.  I admire them.

utah screens very well. we can learn a lot from their tape. when we did not switch and tried to go under the screen, the ball handler was briefly open for the 3.  when we did switch, we then had a big on a guard and a guard on their big. instead of shooting, they passed down low. we had to double to help our our small on their big.  they passed back out to the perimeter for a wide-open shot. at the end of the game, we seemed to play that quasi-zone we use sometimes: no switching at all on the perimeter and keeping a big down low. that seemed to work better, especially after McFarland fouled out.

i thought anna was fabulous today. she's added a mid-range jumper. she's not kiana yet, but she's becoming an offensive threat.

I agree about Wilson.  Lacie started but Wilson got the majority of the minutes.  She is getting more and more comfortable driving and pulling up for the short jumper.  And she had some nice entry passes to Brink.  And stellar defense as always.

[Card10Fan]

Wilson was great! No reason for Tara to change the starting lineup but I think Wilson will continue to get the majority of the PG minutes if she plays as well as she has coming off the bench. Her mom was also in attendance right in front of Brink's parents. Glad to see those two players shine with their families in attendance. 

Going forward, we must figure out how to defend the Utah three point play, which commonly involves a guard attacking the basket but then pitching back to an open three point shooter.  It happened way too often.  Definitely our worst defensive game of the year.  Utah is the 3rd highest scoring team in the nation, but we did not know what to make of that stat with limited games.  Well, it seems legit, and is the result of a really good offensive scheme and not superstar players.  I admire them.

utah screens very well. we can learn a lot from their tape. when we did not switch and tried to go under the screen, the ball handler was briefly open for the 3.  when we did switch, we then had a big on a guard and a guard on their big. instead of shooting, they passed down low. we had to double to help our our small on their big.  they passed back out to the perimeter for a wide-open shot. at the end of the game, we seemed to play that quasi-zone we use sometimes: no switching at all on the perimeter and keeping a big down low. that seemed to work better, especially after McFarland fouled out.

i thought anna was fabulous today. she's added a mid-range jumper. she's not kiana yet, but she's becoming an offensive threat.

I agree about Wilson.  Lacie started but Wilson got the majority of the minutes.  She is getting more and more comfortable driving and pulling up for the short jumper.  And she had some nice entry passes to Brink.  And stellar defense as always.

[BillBradley]

Totally agree about Wilson's offensive contributions. In games where we need her perimeter quickness AND she is scoring, she will (and should) play a lot. But if she isn't looking to score, Lacie becomes more valuable due to her defense and rebounding. Or there are teams like Maryland with really big guards and she doesn't match up as well. Couple other random thoughts aside from it being a great win, great game by Cam and Anna, great shooting by Lexie, etc.

- Really thought Jump's 23 foot shot with 36 seconds left, 20 on the shot clock and a 5 point lead was an abysmal decision. OMG. I don't care how great a shooter you are, the clock is on our side and you run that thing all the way to the end. Tara yanked her immediately.
- Brink was the hero in the end, but I thought the jump ball was a questionable call - very quick whistle IMO. Also, she easily could have been called for pushing on Wilson's missed FT with 30 secs left and instead got the O board. That also was not the smartest play, IMO. You want the clock to run and you don't want to give the other team FT's. That easily could have been a 4 point game with 30 secs left. Instead, it worked out and it was the nail in the coffin, putting us up by 8.  
- Our streak of giving up points in the last possession of quarters continues. Today Utah scored at the Q1 buzzer over Demetre and also got to the line on Belibi's foul at the end of the third. 
- As for the "why can't we put 4 good quarters together" question, I think it really comes down to our big 3. When Haley, Cam, and Lexie are all playing well, we are just damn tough. In the first half today, they had 5 buckets and 7 turnovers between them. 2nd half - 12 buckets, 2 turnovers. They just have to be more reliable. Our other players can sometimes step up and fill the gap, but not always. Plus, when the Big 3 are playing well, it opens it up for the other 2 players on the court. Hannah get open shots, as do Lacie, Anna, Prechtel...Then we really get it going.

[BillBradley]

Totally agree about Wilson's offensive contributions. In games where we need her perimeter quickness AND she is scoring, she will (and should) play a lot. But if she isn't looking to score, Lacie becomes more valuable due to her defense and rebounding. Or there are teams like Maryland with really big guards and she doesn't match up as well. Couple other random thoughts aside from it being a great win, great game by Cam and Anna, great shooting by Lexie, etc.

- Really thought Jump's 23 foot shot with 36 seconds left, 20 on the shot clock and a 5 point lead was an abysmal decision. OMG. I don't care how great a shooter you are, the clock is on our side and you run that thing all the way to the end. Tara yanked her immediately.
- Brink was the hero in the end, but I thought the jump ball was a questionable call - very quick whistle IMO. Also, she easily could have been called for pushing on Wilson's missed FT with 30 secs left and instead got the O board. That also was not the smartest play, IMO. You want the clock to run and you don't want to give the other team FT's. That easily could have been a 4 point game with 30 secs left. Instead, it worked out and it was the nail in the coffin, putting us up by 8.  
- Our streak of giving up points in the last possession of quarters continues. Today Utah scored at the Q1 buzzer over Demetre and also got to the line on Belibi's foul at the end of the third. 
- As for the "why can't we put 4 good quarters together" question, I think it really comes down to our big 3. When Haley, Cam, and Lexie are all playing well, we are just damn tough. In the first half today, they had 5 buckets and 7 turnovers between them. 2nd half - 12 buckets, 2 turnovers. They just have to be more reliable. Our other players can sometimes step up and fill the gap, but not always. Plus, when the Big 3 are playing well, it opens it up for the other 2 players on the court. Hannah get open shots, as do Lacie, Anna, Prechtel...Then we really get it going.

[teejers1]

Pretty sure that was the loudest and longest chorus of boos at the buzzer I can recall.

Unhappy that a foul wasn't called on Brink on the rb she grasped over the head of the Col player? Called a tieup instead.

Yeah, well, claims that Brink gets all the whistles called against her are way overblown.

When she is on the floor, she is an exceptional talent.  Play a little more disciplined and sky's the limit.  BTW, that mid-range jumper she hit last season so we should see more of it.  Again, arrow/trajectory up there.

Also, it's safe to say that Tara is zeroing in on her preferred 5, and that they will play almost all the clutch/crunch time minutes:  Wilson, Jump, Lexie, Jones, and Brink.

A few other adds: (i) as someone else noted, Stanford (mainly Brink and think Prechtel once, too) did a poor job of contesting the trey shot after the high screen and switch; (ii) Stanford had several "not smart" plays late in the game, including, iirc, a poor shot by Lexie, followed by the Belibi foul, followed by the Brink aggression on sequential plays (that were not called as fouls, but easily could have been). Maybe it was Jump's bomb and not a Lexie shot, but Stanford made a mental mistake on its possession right before the Belibi jump out foul late. Need to clean those up. And (iii) I thought Utah played well, but is also just a good team and well-coached. Stanford is a better team, but there was nothing flukey about Utah leading for most of that game and "in it" till the very end. For that reason, I think it's a good road W for Stanford.

[teejers1]

Pretty sure that was the loudest and longest chorus of boos at the buzzer I can recall.

Unhappy that a foul wasn't called on Brink on the rb she grasped over the head of the Col player? Called a tieup instead.

Yeah, well, claims that Brink gets all the whistles called against her are way overblown.

When she is on the floor, she is an exceptional talent.  Play a little more disciplined and sky's the limit.  BTW, that mid-range jumper she hit last season so we should see more of it.  Again, arrow/trajectory up there.

Also, it's safe to say that Tara is zeroing in on her preferred 5, and that they will play almost all the clutch/crunch time minutes:  Wilson, Jump, Lexie, Jones, and Brink.

A few other adds: (i) as someone else noted, Stanford (mainly Brink and think Prechtel once, too) did a poor job of contesting the trey shot after the high screen and switch; (ii) Stanford had several "not smart" plays late in the game, including, iirc, a poor shot by Lexie, followed by the Belibi foul, followed by the Brink aggression on sequential plays (that were not called as fouls, but easily could have been). Maybe it was Jump's bomb and not a Lexie shot, but Stanford made a mental mistake on its possession right before the Belibi jump out foul late. Need to clean those up. And (iii) I thought Utah played well, but is also just a good team and well-coached. Stanford is a better team, but there was nothing flukey about Utah leading for most of that game and "in it" till the very end. For that reason, I think it's a good road W for Stanford.

[RuralFan]

I fear that our offense is becoming a bit stale.  The back cuts that were so successful early in the season in generating a quick pass and a layup are no longer as effective.  The Colorado team seemed to know exactly where each Stanford player was going and frequently beat us to the spot. The Utah defense was not far behind Colorado.

My hope is that we are practicing variations, but are unwilling to use them before the tournaments.  I agree with those that have said that recent jump shots may provide additional complexity.

In addition, I dream of increased use of double (hi/low?) posts.  There are very few WBB college teams that can match up against Brink/Prechtel or Belibi/Demetre, and Iriafen is so talented that I don't even know where she fits in.

[RuralFan]

I fear that our offense is becoming a bit stale.  The back cuts that were so successful early in the season in generating a quick pass and a layup are no longer as effective.  The Colorado team seemed to know exactly where each Stanford player was going and frequently beat us to the spot. The Utah defense was not far behind Colorado.

My hope is that we are practicing variations, but are unwilling to use them before the tournaments.  I agree with those that have said that recent jump shots may provide additional complexity.

In addition, I dream of increased use of double (hi/low?) posts.  There are very few WBB college teams that can match up against Brink/Prechtel or Belibi/Demetre, and Iriafen is so talented that I don't even know where she fits in.

[martyup]

The back cuts that were so successful early in the season in generating a quick pass and a layup are no longer as effective.  The Colorado team seemed to know exactly where each Stanford player was going and frequently beat us to the spot. The Utah defense was not far behind Colorado.

I think this is one of the reasons we had so many turnovers early in those two games.  We were forcing passes into lanes that were clogged or to wings that were covered.  Once Tara recognized their strategy and we made adjustments our turnovers decreased dramatically.  

I wish our players would be more patient on offense.  When we settled into our half court offense and moved the ball around the court, we usually got a good shot at the basket.  I also would like to see us exploit mis-matches until they stop working.  Utah could not stop Brink in the paint.  She could have had 40 points in this game if we would have just kept feeding her the ball.

[martyup]

The back cuts that were so successful early in the season in generating a quick pass and a layup are no longer as effective.  The Colorado team seemed to know exactly where each Stanford player was going and frequently beat us to the spot. The Utah defense was not far behind Colorado.

I think this is one of the reasons we had so many turnovers early in those two games.  We were forcing passes into lanes that were clogged or to wings that were covered.  Once Tara recognized their strategy and we made adjustments our turnovers decreased dramatically.  

I wish our players would be more patient on offense.  When we settled into our half court offense and moved the ball around the court, we usually got a good shot at the basket.  I also would like to see us exploit mis-matches until they stop working.  Utah could not stop Brink in the paint.  She could have had 40 points in this game if we would have just kept feeding her the ball.

[Jskass]

agree on all re- passing to Brink but that was truest when 42 (McFarland?) was out with foul trouble. I believe one of her fouls was on Prechtel and another on Lexie (that last one) so even this strategy to exploit a post mismatch is a team effort!

[Jskass]

agree on all re- passing to Brink but that was truest when 42 (McFarland?) was out with foul trouble. I believe one of her fouls was on Prechtel and another on Lexie (that last one) so even this strategy to exploit a post mismatch is a team effort!

[M T]

[quote="RuralFan" pid='341754' dateline='1642441938']
I wish our players would be more patient on offense.  When we settled into our half court offense and moved the ball around the court, we usually got a good shot at the basket.  I also would like to see us exploit mis-matches until they stop working.  Utah could not stop Brink in the paint.  She could have had 40 points in this game if we would have just kept feeding her the ball.

That only works against the non-Final Four level teams.  One of our biggest complaints most years is settling for a half court offense that can't get the ball inside by passing or cutting.  Pass it around the perimeter for 25 seconds hoping to get an acceptable 3pt shot.  I noted that Wilson reverted to not pushing the offense during transition but would pull back and wait for the half court offense to set up (like cement?).  Utah & Colorado aren't the quickest teams, so we were able to win.   But transition is Stanford's strongest part of the game.

Brink is really good, but there are other posts that can push her around.   She's also vulnerable to getting in foul trouble.   Personally, I do like the twin towers (with good mid-range & 3pt shooting).  Against shorter teams, it can be deadly.  Against quick teams, it may not work.

I think this last game pointed out one of Brink's strong points of keeping the ball high on rebounds & shots.  Without their post in, up high was pretty secure.

One other thing that showed up in the game were the court-width passes (almost baseball style) on offense.  I cringe thinking about them as they should be easy to intercept.  But I guess Utah was dropping off the player on the opposite side of the court so they could clog the passing lanes to the players near the ball.

As someone pointed out, it seemed that Utah was knowingly circling around, weaving through the lane in sequence to choose which defender was on what player.  Kinda like doing the combination on a lock.  Get Jones on one player, now Lexie, now Brink, then attack.  They weren't looking for a Stanford misplay as much as they were letting Stanford defend as intended, but winding up with too many mismatches. (Like the game of Twister, you wind up contorted.)  It seemed Stanford was slow to undo those switches.

And, yes, Jump made a terrible decision to shoot in the last minute.  I'd be surprised if she ever does that again.

[M T]

[quote="RuralFan" pid='341754' dateline='1642441938']
I wish our players would be more patient on offense.  When we settled into our half court offense and moved the ball around the court, we usually got a good shot at the basket.  I also would like to see us exploit mis-matches until they stop working.  Utah could not stop Brink in the paint.  She could have had 40 points in this game if we would have just kept feeding her the ball.

That only works against the non-Final Four level teams.  One of our biggest complaints most years is settling for a half court offense that can't get the ball inside by passing or cutting.  Pass it around the perimeter for 25 seconds hoping to get an acceptable 3pt shot.  I noted that Wilson reverted to not pushing the offense during transition but would pull back and wait for the half court offense to set up (like cement?).  Utah & Colorado aren't the quickest teams, so we were able to win.   But transition is Stanford's strongest part of the game.

Brink is really good, but there are other posts that can push her around.   She's also vulnerable to getting in foul trouble.   Personally, I do like the twin towers (with good mid-range & 3pt shooting).  Against shorter teams, it can be deadly.  Against quick teams, it may not work.

I think this last game pointed out one of Brink's strong points of keeping the ball high on rebounds & shots.  Without their post in, up high was pretty secure.

One other thing that showed up in the game were the court-width passes (almost baseball style) on offense.  I cringe thinking about them as they should be easy to intercept.  But I guess Utah was dropping off the player on the opposite side of the court so they could clog the passing lanes to the players near the ball.

As someone pointed out, it seemed that Utah was knowingly circling around, weaving through the lane in sequence to choose which defender was on what player.  Kinda like doing the combination on a lock.  Get Jones on one player, now Lexie, now Brink, then attack.  They weren't looking for a Stanford misplay as much as they were letting Stanford defend as intended, but winding up with too many mismatches. (Like the game of Twister, you wind up contorted.)  It seemed Stanford was slow to undo those switches.

And, yes, Jump made a terrible decision to shoot in the last minute.  I'd be surprised if she ever does that again.

[BosCard]

I

[quote="RuralFan" pid='341754' dateline='1642441938']
I wish our players would be more patient on offense.  When we settled into our half court offense and moved the ball around the court, we usually got a good shot at the basket.  I also would like to see us exploit mis-matches until they stop working.  Utah could not stop Brink in the paint.  She could have had 40 points in this game if we would have just kept feeding her the ball.

That only works against the non-Final Four level teams.  One of our biggest complaints most years is settling for a half court offense that can't get the ball inside by passing or cutting.  Pass it around the perimeter for 25 seconds hoping to get an acceptable 3pt shot.  I noted that Wilson reverted to not pushing the offense during transition but would pull back and wait for the half court offense to set up (like cement?).  Utah & Colorado aren't the quickest teams, so we were able to win.   But transition is Stanford's strongest part of the game.

Brink is really good, but there are other posts that can push her around.   She's also vulnerable to getting in foul trouble.   Personally, I do like the twin towers (with good mid-range & 3pt shooting).  Against shorter teams, it can be deadly.  Against quick teams, it may not work.

I think this last game pointed out one of Brink's strong points of keeping the ball high on rebounds & shots.  Without their post in, up high was pretty secure.

One other thing that showed up in the game were the court-width passes (almost baseball style) on offense.  I cringe thinking about them as they should be easy to intercept.  But I guess Utah was dropping off the player on the opposite side of the court so they could clog the passing lanes to the players near the ball.

As someone pointed out, it seemed that Utah was knowingly circling around, weaving through the lane in sequence to choose which defender was on what player.  Kinda like doing the combination on a lock.  Get Jones on one player, now Lexie, now Brink, then attack.  They weren't looking for a Stanford misplay as much as they were letting Stanford defend as intended, but winding up with too many mismatches. (Like the game of Twister, you wind up contorted.)  It seemed Stanford was slow to undo those switches.

And, yes, Jump made a terrible decision to shoot in the last minute.  I'd be surprised if she ever does that again.

I think the challenge with our offense is that the only player who is a threat to drive and finish is Jones.  The other players might drive but everyone knows they are looking to pass and so the defense is ready to play the passing lanes.  This is part of the reason why we have so many turnovers.  Lacie driving is definitely going to pass.  Or player x on the perimeter is definitely trying to feed Brink the ball so Brink’s defender is ready to push her or try and poke the ball away.  I hope Wilson becomes more comfortable driving because there is no reason she can’t do it more. She is certainly quick enough to get by defenders.  She is athletic and strong enough to finish with contact. And she is a good shooter if she has to hit the pull up.  I think confidence in shooting the ball is part of the issue.  I hope Tara is telling her to drive and shoot more because it would open up the offense for others.

[BosCard]

I

[quote="RuralFan" pid='341754' dateline='1642441938']
I wish our players would be more patient on offense.  When we settled into our half court offense and moved the ball around the court, we usually got a good shot at the basket.  I also would like to see us exploit mis-matches until they stop working.  Utah could not stop Brink in the paint.  She could have had 40 points in this game if we would have just kept feeding her the ball.

That only works against the non-Final Four level teams.  One of our biggest complaints most years is settling for a half court offense that can't get the ball inside by passing or cutting.  Pass it around the perimeter for 25 seconds hoping to get an acceptable 3pt shot.  I noted that Wilson reverted to not pushing the offense during transition but would pull back and wait for the half court offense to set up (like cement?).  Utah & Colorado aren't the quickest teams, so we were able to win.   But transition is Stanford's strongest part of the game.

Brink is really good, but there are other posts that can push her around.   She's also vulnerable to getting in foul trouble.   Personally, I do like the twin towers (with good mid-range & 3pt shooting).  Against shorter teams, it can be deadly.  Against quick teams, it may not work.

I think this last game pointed out one of Brink's strong points of keeping the ball high on rebounds & shots.  Without their post in, up high was pretty secure.

One other thing that showed up in the game were the court-width passes (almost baseball style) on offense.  I cringe thinking about them as they should be easy to intercept.  But I guess Utah was dropping off the player on the opposite side of the court so they could clog the passing lanes to the players near the ball.

As someone pointed out, it seemed that Utah was knowingly circling around, weaving through the lane in sequence to choose which defender was on what player.  Kinda like doing the combination on a lock.  Get Jones on one player, now Lexie, now Brink, then attack.  They weren't looking for a Stanford misplay as much as they were letting Stanford defend as intended, but winding up with too many mismatches. (Like the game of Twister, you wind up contorted.)  It seemed Stanford was slow to undo those switches.

And, yes, Jump made a terrible decision to shoot in the last minute.  I'd be surprised if she ever does that again.

I think the challenge with our offense is that the only player who is a threat to drive and finish is Jones.  The other players might drive but everyone knows they are looking to pass and so the defense is ready to play the passing lanes.  This is part of the reason why we have so many turnovers.  Lacie driving is definitely going to pass.  Or player x on the perimeter is definitely trying to feed Brink the ball so Brink’s defender is ready to push her or try and poke the ball away.  I hope Wilson becomes more comfortable driving because there is no reason she can’t do it more. She is certainly quick enough to get by defenders.  She is athletic and strong enough to finish with contact. And she is a good shooter if she has to hit the pull up.  I think confidence in shooting the ball is part of the issue.  I hope Tara is telling her to drive and shoot more because it would open up the offense for others.

[81alum]

I

[quote="RuralFan" pid='341754' dateline='1642441938']
I wish our players would be more patient on offense.  When we settled into our half court offense and moved the ball around the court, we usually got a good shot at the basket.  I also would like to see us exploit mis-matches until they stop working.  Utah could not stop Brink in the paint.  She could have had 40 points in this game if we would have just kept feeding her the ball.

That only works against the non-Final Four level teams.  One of our biggest complaints most years is settling for a half court offense that can't get the ball inside by passing or cutting.  Pass it around the perimeter for 25 seconds hoping to get an acceptable 3pt shot.  I noted that Wilson reverted to not pushing the offense during transition but would pull back and wait for the half court offense to set up (like cement?).  Utah & Colorado aren't the quickest teams, so we were able to win.   But transition is Stanford's strongest part of the game.

Brink is really good, but there are other posts that can push her around.   She's also vulnerable to getting in foul trouble.   Personally, I do like the twin towers (with good mid-range & 3pt shooting).  Against shorter teams, it can be deadly.  Against quick teams, it may not work.

I think this last game pointed out one of Brink's strong points of keeping the ball high on rebounds & shots.  Without their post in, up high was pretty secure.

One other thing that showed up in the game were the court-width passes (almost baseball style) on offense.  I cringe thinking about them as they should be easy to intercept.  But I guess Utah was dropping off the player on the opposite side of the court so they could clog the passing lanes to the players near the ball.

As someone pointed out, it seemed that Utah was knowingly circling around, weaving through the lane in sequence to choose which defender was on what player.  Kinda like doing the combination on a lock.  Get Jones on one player, now Lexie, now Brink, then attack.  They weren't looking for a Stanford misplay as much as they were letting Stanford defend as intended, but winding up with too many mismatches. (Like the game of Twister, you wind up contorted.)  It seemed Stanford was slow to undo those switches.

And, yes, Jump made a terrible decision to shoot in the last minute.  I'd be surprised if she ever does that again.

I think the challenge with our offense is that the only player who is a threat to drive and finish is Jones.  The other players might drive but everyone knows they are looking to pass and so the defense is ready to play the passing lanes.  This is part of the reason why we have so many turnovers.  Lacie driving is definitely going to pass.  Or player x on the perimeter is definitely trying to feed Brink the ball so Brink’s defender is ready to push her or try and poke the ball away.  I hope Wilson becomes more comfortable driving because there is no reason she can’t do it more. She is certainly quick enough to get by defenders.  She is athletic and strong enough to finish with contact. And she is a good shooter if she has to hit the pull up.  I think confidence in shooting the ball is part of the issue.  I hope Tara is telling her to drive and shoot more because it would open up the offense for others.

Lexie has driven a lot this year.  She usually does a long arc from one side across the paint and curls back to the basket on the other.

[81alum]

I

[quote="RuralFan" pid='341754' dateline='1642441938']
I wish our players would be more patient on offense.  When we settled into our half court offense and moved the ball around the court, we usually got a good shot at the basket.  I also would like to see us exploit mis-matches until they stop working.  Utah could not stop Brink in the paint.  She could have had 40 points in this game if we would have just kept feeding her the ball.

That only works against the non-Final Four level teams.  One of our biggest complaints most years is settling for a half court offense that can't get the ball inside by passing or cutting.  Pass it around the perimeter for 25 seconds hoping to get an acceptable 3pt shot.  I noted that Wilson reverted to not pushing the offense during transition but would pull back and wait for the half court offense to set up (like cement?).  Utah & Colorado aren't the quickest teams, so we were able to win.   But transition is Stanford's strongest part of the game.

Brink is really good, but there are other posts that can push her around.   She's also vulnerable to getting in foul trouble.   Personally, I do like the twin towers (with good mid-range & 3pt shooting).  Against shorter teams, it can be deadly.  Against quick teams, it may not work.

I think this last game pointed out one of Brink's strong points of keeping the ball high on rebounds & shots.  Without their post in, up high was pretty secure.

One other thing that showed up in the game were the court-width passes (almost baseball style) on offense.  I cringe thinking about them as they should be easy to intercept.  But I guess Utah was dropping off the player on the opposite side of the court so they could clog the passing lanes to the players near the ball.

As someone pointed out, it seemed that Utah was knowingly circling around, weaving through the lane in sequence to choose which defender was on what player.  Kinda like doing the combination on a lock.  Get Jones on one player, now Lexie, now Brink, then attack.  They weren't looking for a Stanford misplay as much as they were letting Stanford defend as intended, but winding up with too many mismatches. (Like the game of Twister, you wind up contorted.)  It seemed Stanford was slow to undo those switches.

And, yes, Jump made a terrible decision to shoot in the last minute.  I'd be surprised if she ever does that again.

I think the challenge with our offense is that the only player who is a threat to drive and finish is Jones.  The other players might drive but everyone knows they are looking to pass and so the defense is ready to play the passing lanes.  This is part of the reason why we have so many turnovers.  Lacie driving is definitely going to pass.  Or player x on the perimeter is definitely trying to feed Brink the ball so Brink’s defender is ready to push her or try and poke the ball away.  I hope Wilson becomes more comfortable driving because there is no reason she can’t do it more. She is certainly quick enough to get by defenders.  She is athletic and strong enough to finish with contact. And she is a good shooter if she has to hit the pull up.  I think confidence in shooting the ball is part of the issue.  I hope Tara is telling her to drive and shoot more because it would open up the offense for others.

Lexie has driven a lot this year.  She usually does a long arc from one side across the paint and curls back to the basket on the other.

[old spanish trail]

I

[quote="RuralFan" pid='341754' dateline='1642441938']
I wish our players would be more patient on offense.  When we settled into our half court offense and moved the ball around the court, we usually got a good shot at the basket.  I also would like to see us exploit mis-matches until they stop working.  Utah could not stop Brink in the paint.  She could have had 40 points in this game if we would have just kept feeding her the ball.

That only works against the non-Final Four level teams.  One of our biggest complaints most years is settling for a half court offense that can't get the ball inside by passing or cutting.  Pass it around the perimeter for 25 seconds hoping to get an acceptable 3pt shot.  I noted that Wilson reverted to not pushing the offense during transition but would pull back and wait for the half court offense to set up (like cement?).  Utah & Colorado aren't the quickest teams, so we were able to win.   But transition is Stanford's strongest part of the game.

Brink is really good, but there are other posts that can push her around.   She's also vulnerable to getting in foul trouble.   Personally, I do like the twin towers (with good mid-range & 3pt shooting).  Against shorter teams, it can be deadly.  Against quick teams, it may not work.

I think this last game pointed out one of Brink's strong points of keeping the ball high on rebounds & shots.  Without their post in, up high was pretty secure.

One other thing that showed up in the game were the court-width passes (almost baseball style) on offense.  I cringe thinking about them as they should be easy to intercept.  But I guess Utah was dropping off the player on the opposite side of the court so they could clog the passing lanes to the players near the ball.

As someone pointed out, it seemed that Utah was knowingly circling around, weaving through the lane in sequence to choose which defender was on what player.  Kinda like doing the combination on a lock.  Get Jones on one player, now Lexie, now Brink, then attack.  They weren't looking for a Stanford misplay as much as they were letting Stanford defend as intended, but winding up with too many mismatches. (Like the game of Twister, you wind up contorted.)  It seemed Stanford was slow to undo those switches.

And, yes, Jump made a terrible decision to shoot in the last minute.  I'd be surprised if she ever does that again.

I think the challenge with our offense is that the only player who is a threat to drive and finish is Jones.  The other players might drive but everyone knows they are looking to pass and so the defense is ready to play the passing lanes.  This is part of the reason why we have so many turnovers.  Lacie driving is definitely going to pass.  Or player x on the perimeter is definitely trying to feed Brink the ball so Brink’s defender is ready to push her or try and poke the ball away.  I hope Wilson becomes more comfortable driving because there is no reason she can’t do it more. She is certainly quick enough to get by defenders.  She is athletic and strong enough to finish with contact. And she is a good shooter if she has to hit the pull up.  I think confidence in shooting the ball is part of the issue.  I hope Tara is telling her to drive and shoot more because it would open up the offense for others.

Lexie has driven a lot this year.  She usually does a long arc from one side across the paint and curls back to the basket on the other.

Speaking of driving, both Lexie and Lacie could learn alot by watching Haley. No matter how fast she is approaching the basket, the layup is gentle. Lexie and Lacie not so much, and the ball comes off the backboard hard. It's a skill. Just practice.

[old spanish trail]

I

[quote="RuralFan" pid='341754' dateline='1642441938']
I wish our players would be more patient on offense.  When we settled into our half court offense and moved the ball around the court, we usually got a good shot at the basket.  I also would like to see us exploit mis-matches until they stop working.  Utah could not stop Brink in the paint.  She could have had 40 points in this game if we would have just kept feeding her the ball.

That only works against the non-Final Four level teams.  One of our biggest complaints most years is settling for a half court offense that can't get the ball inside by passing or cutting.  Pass it around the perimeter for 25 seconds hoping to get an acceptable 3pt shot.  I noted that Wilson reverted to not pushing the offense during transition but would pull back and wait for the half court offense to set up (like cement?).  Utah & Colorado aren't the quickest teams, so we were able to win.   But transition is Stanford's strongest part of the game.

Brink is really good, but there are other posts that can push her around.   She's also vulnerable to getting in foul trouble.   Personally, I do like the twin towers (with good mid-range & 3pt shooting).  Against shorter teams, it can be deadly.  Against quick teams, it may not work.

I think this last game pointed out one of Brink's strong points of keeping the ball high on rebounds & shots.  Without their post in, up high was pretty secure.

One other thing that showed up in the game were the court-width passes (almost baseball style) on offense.  I cringe thinking about them as they should be easy to intercept.  But I guess Utah was dropping off the player on the opposite side of the court so they could clog the passing lanes to the players near the ball.

As someone pointed out, it seemed that Utah was knowingly circling around, weaving through the lane in sequence to choose which defender was on what player.  Kinda like doing the combination on a lock.  Get Jones on one player, now Lexie, now Brink, then attack.  They weren't looking for a Stanford misplay as much as they were letting Stanford defend as intended, but winding up with too many mismatches. (Like the game of Twister, you wind up contorted.)  It seemed Stanford was slow to undo those switches.

And, yes, Jump made a terrible decision to shoot in the last minute.  I'd be surprised if she ever does that again.

I think the challenge with our offense is that the only player who is a threat to drive and finish is Jones.  The other players might drive but everyone knows they are looking to pass and so the defense is ready to play the passing lanes.  This is part of the reason why we have so many turnovers.  Lacie driving is definitely going to pass.  Or player x on the perimeter is definitely trying to feed Brink the ball so Brink’s defender is ready to push her or try and poke the ball away.  I hope Wilson becomes more comfortable driving because there is no reason she can’t do it more. She is certainly quick enough to get by defenders.  She is athletic and strong enough to finish with contact. And she is a good shooter if she has to hit the pull up.  I think confidence in shooting the ball is part of the issue.  I hope Tara is telling her to drive and shoot more because it would open up the offense for others.

Lexie has driven a lot this year.  She usually does a long arc from one side across the paint and curls back to the basket on the other.

Speaking of driving, both Lexie and Lacie could learn alot by watching Haley. No matter how fast she is approaching the basket, the layup is gentle. Lexie and Lacie not so much, and the ball comes off the backboard hard. It's a skill. Just practice.

[acerep]

My report on the Utah and Colorado games is on the Fast Break Club site, www.stanfordfbc.org, even though the teaser shows the previous two home games.
Just click on Richter Reports and the story will show up.

[acerep]

My report on the Utah and Colorado games is on the Fast Break Club site, www.stanfordfbc.org, even though the teaser shows the previous two home games.
Just click on Richter Reports and the story will show up.

[joemontes]

Speaking of driving, both Lexie and Lacie could learn alot by watching Haley. No matter how fast she is approaching the basket, the layup is gentle. Lexie and Lacie not so much, and the ball comes off the backboard hard. It's a skill. Just practice.

Good point here.  I've noticed how Lexie and Lacie missing layups when defended because of their straight up approach and trajectory of their shots. They can definitely learn from Haley.

[joemontes]

Speaking of driving, both Lexie and Lacie could learn alot by watching Haley. No matter how fast she is approaching the basket, the layup is gentle. Lexie and Lacie not so much, and the ball comes off the backboard hard. It's a skill. Just practice.

Good point here.  I've noticed how Lexie and Lacie missing layups when defended because of their straight up approach and trajectory of their shots. They can definitely learn from Haley.

[CompSci87]

My report on the Utah and Colorado games is on the Fast Break Club site, www.stanfordfbc.org, even though the teaser shows the previous two home games.
Just click on Richter Reports and the story will show up.

Thanks!

[CompSci87]

My report on the Utah and Colorado games is on the Fast Break Club site, www.stanfordfbc.org, even though the teaser shows the previous two home games.
Just click on Richter Reports and the story will show up.

Thanks!

[stanford22]

Speaking of driving, both Lexie and Lacie could learn alot by watching Haley. No matter how fast she is approaching the basket, the layup is gentle. Lexie and Lacie not so much, and the ball comes off the backboard hard. It's a skill. Just practice.

Good point here.  I've noticed how Lexie and Lacie missing layups when defended because of their straight up approach and trajectory of their shots. They can definitely learn from Haley.

They seem to rush their layups, and yes, seems throw it up too hard.   Lexie missed several yesterday.   5 point swing in one sequence, 4 point swing in the other.

[stanford22]

Speaking of driving, both Lexie and Lacie could learn alot by watching Haley. No matter how fast she is approaching the basket, the layup is gentle. Lexie and Lacie not so much, and the ball comes off the backboard hard. It's a skill. Just practice.

Good point here.  I've noticed how Lexie and Lacie missing layups when defended because of their straight up approach and trajectory of their shots. They can definitely learn from Haley.

They seem to rush their layups, and yes, seems throw it up too hard.   Lexie missed several yesterday.   5 point swing in one sequence, 4 point swing in the other.

[81alum]

My report on the Utah and Colorado games is on the Fast Break Club site, www.stanfordfbc.org, even though the teaser shows the previous two home games.
Just click on Richter Reports and the story will show up.

Thanks Judy!  I always appreciate your write-ups!

[81alum]

My report on the Utah and Colorado games is on the Fast Break Club site, www.stanfordfbc.org, even though the teaser shows the previous two home games.
Just click on Richter Reports and the story will show up.

Thanks Judy!  I always appreciate your write-ups!

[WBB fan]

My report on the Utah and Colorado games is on the Fast Break Club site, www.stanfordfbc.org, even though the teaser shows the previous two home games.
Just click on Richter Reports and the story will show up.

Thanks, Judy -- you do a great job on these

[WBB fan]

My report on the Utah and Colorado games is on the Fast Break Club site, www.stanfordfbc.org, even though the teaser shows the previous two home games.
Just click on Richter Reports and the story will show up.

Thanks, Judy -- you do a great job on these