#6 Stanford @ #13 Oregon - 2/15/21

[bbsamjj]

Minus the turnovers both teams played relatively well, given they both seem to be excellent defensive teams. You get the sense though that neither has quite found its groove, which I would say is more concerning for Stanford than Oregon given their (relatively) more experienced lineup.

Something I do wonder for people who follow both teams more closely--there is A LOT of talent on both rosters, enough that it seems both coaches were rotating players in and out constantly. Yet, minus a few players on each team (Williams, Brink, Lexie Hull for Stanford--and you can see the potential in Jones; Paopao, Sabally, despite her flaws, for Oregon), they all seemed a bit interchangeable to me. While that's great from a depth perspective, do you think that hurts from a consistency perspective? In that, you're never quite sure who will show up, and there are almost too many lineup variations to try?

 

[CocoHusky]

How does DeBerry compare to Brink?

Personally I think Brink is slightly better than DeBerry more range on the jump shot.

Do you mean the Jones who was to be a can't miss star? Well, at least it was predicted by some BY posters. Maybe she will get there.

I don't think they were talking about Jones. Haley Jones was hurt for most of her Freshman season. She was a POY candidate earlier this season when Stanford was ranked #1. Stardom was predicted by BY like me for her if she had attended UCONN. On this UCONN roster she would be the best wing player and UCONN would never have had interest in transfers like Dijonai Carrington.

 

[CocoHusky]

Did Brink visit UConn? I thought I saw a picture of her and Geno at one time, if she picked UConn I could definitely see her starting at the 4 by now.

Sabally had a few good moments earlier in the season, it’s a bit of a gamble but if given the choice I might take her over Collier if she was to declare this season.

Brink did visit UCONN it was on the same weekend that Haley Jones also visited UCONN both players had played in the Boo Williams tournament down in VA and then came north after. Unfortunately it appears that it was more of a convenience proximity (we are in the neighbor hood) type visit for both since those players decided to stay home. Stanford admissions is hard for UCONN to compete with and UCONN appears to have finished 2nd for both Jones and Boston from that class-still stinging!

 

[topogigio]

Nice comeback, but not good enough for Oregon. It was like the battle of the Titans with the unusual height on both teams, with numerous players 6'4" - 6'7"! Very sloppy, however, with a ton of turnovers and missed foul shots. Brink impressed me most!

 

[Figurehead]

Something that occurred to me watching last night’s game is the roster depth of both teams and how that relates to the coming logjam in WBB. Other than a few dozen top players headed to the pros, teams across the country, like OR, Stanford, UConn and many others are going to have to manage a situation when players want to come back for a 5th or 6th season because this year doesn’t count towards eligibility, new recruits are coming in and the NCAA has implemented liberal transfer rules.

As one example consider the situation of 5th year player Erin Boley. Does she come back for a 6th season at Oregon? Does Kelly Graves even want her for a 6th season or is he looking to give her minutes to a younger player next year? Graves decision could result in either Boley or a younger player seeking PT elsewhere.

This type of decision will play out all over the country, in both WBB and MBB, and it will play out for up to 4 seasons as the logjam created by the extra year of eligibility this season works itself out. We’re heading for a Brave New World.

Boley and Giomi won't come back. Only two seniors on that team are done after this year.

 

[oldude]

Boley and Giomi won't come back. Only two seniors on that team are done after this year.

Are you saying that Boley & Giomi won’t come back to OR and may end up at another school, or are you saying that their basketball careers will be over at the end of this season? Because I don’t see either player in the W?

 

[CocoHusky]

Are you saying that Boley & Giomi won’t come back to OR and may end up at another school, or are you saying that their basketball careers will be over at the end of this season? Because I don’t see either player in the W?

2021 is a rather weak draft class in which Boley is projected to go as high as 12th based on some mock drafts. She could possible go higher if Evina and Charli Collier (projected #1) does not declare.

 

[oldude]

2021 is a rather weak draft class in which Boley is projected to go as high as 12th based on some mock drafts. She could possible go higher if Evina and Charli Collier (projected #1) does not declare.

That surprises me. I think Boley is a really good college player, but I wonder if she has the athleticism necessary to excel in the W. Brings to mind Megan Gustafson in some ways.

 

[CocoHusky]

That surprises me. I think Boley is a really good college player, but I wonder if she has the athleticism necessary to excel in the W. Brings to mind Megan Gustafson in some ways.

Well it was Mechelle doing the Mock draft so I'm not surprised that you are surprised.

WNBA mock draft 2021: Texas Longhorns' Charli Collier projected to go No. 1 to New York Liberty

The New York Liberty will have the first pick in the WNBA draft for the second straight year, and Texas center Charli Collier is projected to be the No. 1 overall selection.

www.espn.com

 

[oldude]

Well it was Mechelle doing the Mock draft so I'm not surprised that you are surprised.

WNBA mock draft 2021: Texas Longhorns' Charli Collier projected to go No. 1 to New York Liberty

The New York Liberty will have the first pick in the WNBA draft for the second straight year, and Texas center Charli Collier is projected to be the No. 1 overall selection.

www.espn.com

Interesting. I note Voepel’s comments that Las Vegas might be interested in Boley if they believe her defense is good enough. Last night, If memory serves, Graves did a little bit of offense-defense with Boley, subbing her in and out of the game on offense and defense respectively.

 

[UConnCat]

Brink did visit UCONN it was on the same weekend that Haley Jones also visited UCONN both players had played in the Boo Williams tournament down in VA and then came north after. Unfortunately it appears that it was more of a convenience proximity (we are in the neighbor hood) type visit for both since those players decided to stay home. Stanford admissions is hard for UCONN to compete with and UCONN appears to have finished 2nd for both Jones and Boston from that class-still stinging!

Well, not exactly. Brink visited in Nov 2017 and attended UConn’s season opener against Cal. It was Jones who made an unofficial visit to UConn after an AAU event on the east coast. Of course, we know that Jones later took an official visit to UConn.

 

[DefenseBB]

A few of my own observations-the game was exciting and well played despite Oregon's early troubles and Stanford's later troubles. Haley Jones is a star despite having a subpar game. Brink as improved already this season and should be a strong consideration for any national Freshman team. She will probably come in 2nd for the PAC12 FOY to Leger-Walker of WSU. Sabally, is a physical center and I suspect will leave after this year for WNBA or Europe. Kelly did a nice job getting his team to fight back, where as I thought Tara mismanaged her team in the 3rd and 4th quarters as she did not use any timeouts at all when Oregon was making their run. Lots of talent and both will be be contenders for the next 2-3 years.

 

[jonson]

Interesting. I note Voepel’s comments that Las Vegas might be interested in Boley if they believe her defense is good enough. Last night, If memory serves, Graves did a little bit of offense-defense with Boley, subbing her in and out of the game on offense and defense respectively.

In answer to your last three comments/questions. Everyone at Oregon believes that this year is the end of the college careers of both Boley and Giomi (their decisions, not Graves's). There is some speculation about Boley and the WNBA; none regarding Giomi. (Both are terrific people, by the way.) I agree Boley in the WNBA is a reach, but I suspect some team will take a chance on drafting her.

Graves has regularly gone offense/defense with Boley since she's been in Eugene, often having another player on the court in her place toward the end of games for defensive purposes. (Last year, I think it was often Taylor Chavez.) And she does have a habit of disappearing. In her defense (this year), she has been dealing with back issues and that may be one reason for her minutes (she looked really good early in the season, but not so much since) and the fact that her shooting has not been what it was in past seasons. One of the great puzzles/frustrations of this Oregon team, which, according to Graves, is probably the best shooting team he's ever had, is that it's been anything but that on the court.

 

[TheFarmFan]

I think Oregon's issue is it lacks a clear leader. Sabrina more than occupied that role for four years, and by personality (Boley) and role (Giomi) neither of the seniors have it. I think Sabally is probably the closest, Pao Pao will play into it as she matures, but right now I get the sense the Oregon team just isn't fully cohesive and isn't quite sure who to turn to in tight moments.

 

[Shades]

Sabally is a physical center and I suspect will leave after this year for WNBA or Europe.

She doesn’t qualify for early entry into the WNBA unless she graduates. Got any intel on that?

 

[jonson]

I think Oregon's issue is it lacks a clear leader. Sabrina more than occupied that role for four years, and by personality (Boley) and role (Giomi) neither of the seniors have it. I think Sabally is probably the closest, Pao Pao will play into it as she matures, but right now I get the sense the Oregon team just isn't fully cohesive and isn't quite sure who to turn to in tight moments.

I also believe this is the heart of the matter. I think the staff had hopes that Chavez might play a role here, but she has been absent for too many games (family, COVID) to do that. A little bit of Sabrina somewhere in the roster would make a major difference.

 

[DefenseBB]

She doesn’t qualify for early entry into the WNBA unless she graduates. Got any intel on that?

Her date of birth is Feb 26, 2020 so you are right based on her age. I am pretty sure I read it on this forum by a poster saying she wanted to go pro. That said, while she will not be WNBA eligible, she is from Germany so I am sure if she really wanted to she could play professionally over there next year like Salvatores did a few years ago from Duke.
Long story short, no insight/intel on her intentions

 

[CocoHusky]

A few of my own observations-the game was exciting and well played despite Oregon's early troubles and Stanford's later troubles. Haley Jones is a star despite having a subpar game. Brink as improved already this season and should be a strong consideration for any national Freshman team. She will probably come in 2nd for the PAC12 FOY to Leger-Walker of WSU. Sabally, is a physical center and I suspect will leave after this year for WNBA or Europe. Kelly did a nice job getting his team to fight back, where as I thought Tara mismanaged her team in the 3rd and 4th quarters as she did not use any timeouts at all when Oregon was making their run. Lots of talent and both will be be contenders for the next 2-3 years.

Nyara Sabally is not WNBA eligible after this season. Her DoB is 26 Feb 2000. I'm also not sure she is a WNBA caliber center because although the Oregon roster generously list her as 6'5". FIBA list her at 6'2" and as you can see from this picture she is barely (if at all ) taller than Erin Boley who the same roster list as 6'2".

 

[CocoHusky]

Her date of birth is Feb 26, 2020 so you are right based on her age. I am pretty sure I read it on this forum by a poster saying she wanted to go pro. That said, while she will not be WNBA eligible, she is from Germany so I am sure if she really wanted to she could play professionally over there next year like Salvatores did a few years ago from Duke.
Long story short, no insight/intel on her intentions

Once you enter the NCAA you have to wait until the year you turn 22 to enter the WNBA. Same rule regardless you are American born or not. For Angela Salvatores specifically although she left Duke and turned pro in 2016 she was not eligible to enter the WNBA draft until 2019 where she was drafted in the 3rd round. You can't drop out of NCAA go play professionally for a year and then become WNBA eligible. Conversely if you don't enter the NCAA & you are foreign born you only have to wait until the year you turn 20 to be WNBA eligible.

 

[Shades]

Her date of birth is Feb 26, 2020 so you are right based on her age.

She’s just a baby!

 

[Figurehead]

Are you saying that Boley & Giomi won’t come back to OR and may end up at another school, or are you saying that their basketball careers will be over at the end of this season? Because I don’t see either player in the W?

They are done at the end of the season. Every fan is assuming players are coming back another year. It will be interesting to see the percentage that will return.

Almost 99.9% sure they are retiring. Boley worked as an intern at Nike and she has a job if she wants it there when she graduates. Giomi is getting into teaching.

 

[Figurehead]

I also believe this is the heart of the matter. I think the staff had hopes that Chavez might play a role here, but she has been absent for too many games (family, COVID) to do that. A little bit of Sabrina somewhere in the roster would make a major difference.

Yup, Agree with both of you here. No leader

 

[Floridaduck]

I think Oregon's issue is it lacks a clear leader. Sabrina more than occupied that role for four years, and by personality (Boley) and role (Giomi) neither of the seniors have it. I think Sabally is probably the closest, Pao Pao will play into it as she matures, but right now I get the sense the Oregon team just isn't fully cohesive and isn't quite sure who to turn to in tight moments.

This is the crux of the matter and I see no solution this year. Giving it some thought it seems to devolve to Paopao going forward. A little more maturity and recognizing she needs to assume the role and I expect it will be “her” team for the next few years.

 

[Figurehead]

This is the crux of the matter and I see no solution this year. Giving it some thought it seems to devolve to Paopao going forward. A little more maturity and recognizing she needs to assume the role and I expect it will be “her” team for the next few years.

I think Parrish is the type that could be that leader but as Graves has said you can't tell someone to take on that role it has to evolve into that position and happen naturally.