BIG TEN Regular Season

[sweetspot]

It's possible that Bluder wasn't aware of the actual attendance number. The overall size of the arena at 17,000 might've made it feel like a significantly smaller crowd than say sellouts in Carver or at Assembly Hall. I agree with the points that we should continue to support and encourage attendance wherever it is.

It's on the box score that every coach gets postgame.

 

[GoChips20]

It may mean nothing but Ohio State has posted on social media about Senior Night and it seems they are only honoring Taylor Mikesell. The first 500 guests get a signed Taylor Mikesell Poster. I assumed Jacy would return because she wouldn't want this senior year to be her final year, but wasn't sure about Rebeka Mikulasikova, Rikki Harris, (redshirt-jr), Eboni Walker, and Hevyne Bristowe all are academically seniors. Madison Greene is also an academic senior but is a redshirt-jr. That bodes well for next season where OSU kind of whiffed on high school recruiting. Granted, there is always the transfer portal out. I think having a healthy Sheldon and Green next season will help OSU stay competitive.

A healthy Sheldon and Greene outweighs the loss of Mikesell (even though you’d love to have all three). OSU might get a second chance next year at what started as a dream season. They really need to pick up a decent post from the portal. RM is crafty and can make a lot of different shots but she adds nothing defensively and OSU gets eaten alive by teams with talented frontcourts.

 

[bballnut90]

All of her players?

Obviously not all, but it sure feels like it. Going back 10ish years you have:
Lexie Brown-3rd Team All American as a sophomore, transfers out
Destiny Slocum-Big Ten Freshman of the Year, has a fantastic freshman year, transfers out.
Shakira Austin-All Big Ten 2nd Team as a sophomore, was becoming a really strong post presence for Maryland, transferred
Taylor Mikesell-2 year starter, Big Ten Freshman of the Year, still starting and playing at a high level as a sophomore, transfers out
Angel Reese-3rd Team All American as a sophomore, transfers out
Ashley Owusu-3rd Team All American as a sophomore, transfers out after injury riddled junior year

Others have transferred out and had brilliant careers elsewhere (Kiah Gillespie, Kiara Leslie, Jenna Staiti).

Aside from the UNC exodus in 2014/2015, I can't think of any other school that has had multiple high profile players transfer prior to graduation when they were a star player on a successful team. It's just bizarre that it only seems to happen at Maryland.

Worth noting, a lot of her standouts were not top 5/top 10 players coming out of high school (ex. Diamond Miller, Brionna Jones, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, Kaila Charles, Shyanne Sellers) and her players often go on to become terrific pros.

Brenda clearly has an eye for talent and knows how to develop players, she just can't keep them.

 

[Darwin]

I have watched many B10 games this season, almost all of the games between the top 6-7 teams. Let me just say it, MD can beat anyone in the B10 tourney as can IU of course. I don’t see Iowa as being able to win that tourney, Czinano can pneumonia so easily negated from the big games, she just labors to move up and down the court and is 100% reliant on great passes to get a shot off, cannot create. Holmes is just the opposite. Md and IU are the class of the B10 which has not sent a team to the final four in forever.

 

[GoChips20]

I have watched many B10 games this season, almost all of the games between the top 6-7 teams. Let me just say it, MD can beat anyone in the B10 tourney as can IU of course. I don’t see Iowa as being able to win that tourney, Czinano can pneumonia so easily negated from the big games, she just labors to move up and down the court and is 100% reliant on great passes to get a shot off, cannot create. Holmes is just the opposite. Md and IU are the class of the B10 which has not sent a team to the final four in forever.

I’d be surprised if that streak doesn’t end this year. Any one of Indiana, Maryland, or Iowa (in that order, most likely) could make it.

 

[GoChips20]

I was surprised at the attendance.... around 50 per cent capacity.

I generally find Bluder to be pleasant but this was not it. I hope it was a genuine slipup moreso than an intentional dig at MD.

 

[TerpWomenFan]

Obviously not all, but it sure feels like it. Going back 10ish years you have:
Lexie Brown-3rd Team All American as a sophomore, transfers out
Destiny Slocum-Big Ten Freshman of the Year, has a fantastic freshman year, transfers out.
Shakira Austin-All Big Ten 2nd Team as a sophomore, was becoming a really strong post presence for Maryland, transferred
Taylor Mikesell-2 year starter, Big Ten Freshman of the Year, still starting and playing at a high level as a sophomore, transfers out
Angel Reese-3rd Team All American as a sophomore, transfers out
Ashley Owusu-3rd Team All American as a sophomore, transfers out after injury riddled junior year

Others have transferred out and had brilliant careers elsewhere (Kiah Gillespie, Kiara Leslie, Jenna Staiti).

Aside from the UNC exodus in 2014/2015, I can't think of any other school that has had multiple high profile players transfer prior to graduation when they were a star player on a successful team. It's just bizarre that it only seems to happen at Maryland.

Worth noting, a lot of her standouts were not top 5/top 10 players coming out of high school (ex. Diamond Miller, Brionna Jones, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, Kaila Charles, Shyanne Sellers) and her players often go on to become terrific pros.

Brenda clearly has an eye for talent and knows how to develop players, she just can't keep them.

Extremely accurate post. Just think of how many Final fours Brenda would have had if she was able to keep all her star players on campus.

 

[TerpWomenFan]

I’d be surprised if that streak doesn’t end this year. Any one of Indiana, Maryland, or Iowa (in that order, most likely) could make it.

I'll be shocked if Indiana doesn't make it this season. Maryland's shooting can be ice cold. They just had a 0 for 18 shooting night from three last week. Also, their last of post prescense could be a problem against South Carolina who is in their bracket in Bracketology.

 

[LowkeyX]

I’d be surprised if that streak doesn’t end this year. Any one of Indiana, Maryland, or Iowa (in that order, most likely) could make it.

Yeah whoever isn’t in SC’s bracket lol

 

[Lorcan]

It's also worth taking Bluder's comments in context. I'll leave you to judge for yourself.

 

[sweetspot]

I'm worried that Lisa Bludes thinks 9,000 is a small crowd and pronounces "raucous" like that

 

[GoChips20]

It's also worth taking Bluder's comments in context. I'll leave you to judge for yourself.

Kind of a foot-in-the-mouth moment but agree it was nothing egregious.

 

[GoChips20]

Yeah. Coach Frese does a great job. Just needs to close the deal. A few years ago, I thought for sure she would get Maryland back to the Championship game.

Was this 2020-21? I remember that MD team looked like a buzzsaw. A few ESPN panelists had them pegged as the likely national champion before they lost to Texas.

 

[TerpWomenFan]

I'm worried that Lisa Bludes thinks 9,000 is a small crowd and pronounces "raucous" like that

Just like someone has mentioned previously, when you play in an 18,000-seat arena, the crowd will look smaller than if you played at Eagle Bank Arena (George Mason) which hold 10,000. But the crowd was very loud. She needs to get her hearing checked.

 

[cancontent]

It's also worth taking Bluder's comments in context. I'll leave you to judge for yourself.

And what context is that exactly? Hearing it live doesn't improve how her words came across from my perspective.

On one hand she says she wants a large raucous crowd, and then goes on to say she doesn't believe the attendance numbers. So which is it? And if the media is asking about the crowd's impact, does that not imply that it was a large crowd in the first place?

 

[LowkeyX]

It's also worth taking Bluder's comments in context. I'll leave you to judge for yourself.

The most important thing she said was “MD was a factor in the way Iowa played”. Should’ve left it at that & moved on instead of commenting on the lack of a “rou-shiss” crowd.

 

[CBus13]

I am biased but Cotie McMahon needs to be in the discussion for national freshman of the year. Has her freshmen mistakes but she’s so impressive.

 

[SECbbfan24]

Going 8-20 from the FT line is definitely a way to lose a game. Remarkable they had the chance to tie it up with those numbers

 

[GoChips20]

I am biased but Cotie McMahon needs to be in the discussion for national freshman of the year. Has her freshmen mistakes but she’s so impressive.

LOVE McMahon. One of my favorite players in the country. She’s going to be one of OSU’s all-time greats. Played her heart out tonight, before the replay that shot looked true and what a moment that would have been.

 

[jdote33]

I am biased but Cotie McMahon needs to be in the discussion for national freshman of the year. Has her freshmen mistakes but she’s so impressive.

Literally came on here to basically post the same thing. I'm not even sure who else is in the conversation, but she is super impressive.

 

[CBus13]

Literally came on here to basically post the same thing. I'm not even sure who else is in the conversation, but she is super impressive.

The ESPN recent article had a unanimous selection from Taniya Latson. But I don’t know what other freshman are really have team leading stats. Plenty of quality contributors, Lior Garzon, but I think Holmes and Berger rightfully take many headlines.

 

[jdote33]

The ESPN recent article had a unanimous selection from Taniya Latson. But I don’t know what other freshman are really have team leading stats. Plenty of quality contributors, Lior Garzon, but I think Holmes and Berger rightfully take many headlines.

Taniya Latson is a really good one. I thought of Garzon too. Kiki Rice (UCLA) and Vanslooten (Oregon) also came to mind. I had some viewer bias after watching the OSU- MD game. Everytime I watch Ohio State she stands out.

 

[The deacon]

Taniya Latson is a really good one. I thought of Garzon too. Kiki Rice (UCLA) and Vanslooten (Oregon) also came to mind. I had some viewer bias after watching the OSU- MD game. Everytime I watch Ohio State she stands out.

Agreed re Latson and the others mentioned.

On a more local level, I've been very impressed by frosh Kennedy Fauntleroy at Georgetown. She might not be at that level right now, but she seems to have the tools to get there. Sadly, she likely will toil out of the spotlight playing for the Hoyas. During the recent G'town/UConn game at the XL Center, she might have been the best player on the floor during some stretches.

 

[cancontent]

Like what McMahon can bring to a team. Feel that she needs to look up more and play with some more control. Love the passion. You can't teach that.

 

[Coler]

While she’s on a losing team this year, Kaylene Smikle has had a great freshmen season at Rutgers.