Clemson @ Notre Dame - 12/29/19 | Page 3 | The Boneyard

Clemson @ Notre Dame - 12/29/19

Who will win this game?

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These are a lot better.
ACC Network version of highlights.
Spray was hitting some ridiculous threes.
 
UConnCat said:
She doesn't seem thrilled with Sniezek not playing. "Up to her . . . I have no idea"
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I was taken aback by her answer to "How much did it hurt not having Marta today?" She was basically, "I don't think it mattered. It would've been nice to have an extra sub." Damn
 
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Shades said:
These are a lot better.
ACC Network version of highlights.
Spray was hitting some ridiculous threes.
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The 5th three just before the half time buzzer within spitting distance of Muffet was surreal.
 
UConnCat said:
She doesn't seem thrilled with Sniezek not playing. "Up to her . . . I have no idea"
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Now that is a telling remark perhaps? Hard to blame Muffet for her discomfort. That team scored 6 points in the second quarter!
 
Just listened to Muffet and she quickly says "we hung our heads" and "we need another year", "we need a go to player" and in saying all that I don't think she's challenging this team, she's writing it off. And yes, all that deep breathing ... she felt like crying out of frustration.
 
Shades said:
Sounds like McGraw is pretty much throwing in the towel for this year. Threw the bench under the bus.
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She threw a couple starters under the bus as well. What’s more, this is the 2nd game in a row (Clemson & DePaul) that MM has appeared bitter and overly critical about her team. Has MM gotten some pointers about how to host a postgame press conference from Holly Warlick?
 
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Shades said:
Does it you remind you of Warlick’s last year?
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Yes, absolutely. I used to think MM only dropped bitter, critical remarks about other teams and coaches, i.e. Geno, UConn, Jeff Walz, etc. But it appears that her own team is fair game as well. I’m beginning to understand MM’s struggles with transfers, players leaving early for the pros and recruiting. Who wants to play for this kind of coach?
 
Wow rough season for ND. Probably no NCAAs this year. I cant imagine this is what Muffet envisioned for her team a few years ago. None of her strong 2015 class is still there, they'd be a top contender if they had Patberg, Boley and Young. Not to mention Danielle Patterson.

Their top 3 players are all freshmen and they have a strong class coming so I think theyll rebound in the next few years, but this is as stark a contrast as I've ever seen a program endure. 8 straight #1 seeds and back to back title games to likely a losing record and no NCAA tournament.
 
I understand that people are licking their chops over ND's struggles this season but I do have sympathy for the frustration that MM is going through. I dont think she thought that it was going to be this daunting. One has to think if she has enough desire and motivation to be able to salvage the season especially with this particular group and their growing pains. I really think though that ND can still make the NCAAs but losing to Clemson to start the ACC is not quite the promising start.
 
enigmatic said:
I understand that people are licking their chops over ND's struggles this season but I do have sympathy for the frustration that MM is going through. I dont think she thought that it was going to be this daunting. One has to think if she has enough desire and motivation to be able to salvage the season especially with this particular group and their growing pains. I really think though that ND can still make the NCAAs but losing to Clemson to start the ACC is not quite the promising start.
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I have zero empathy and less sympathy for what Muffet is going thru. After her comments about Stewie winning the NPOY, her snarky comments about Geno, and her general comments about male coaches etc, she can't lose enough for my taste. Let's hope they go 14-18 and don't even make the NIT...

It's gotta be hard on the players. I feel for them on one hand, but on the other hand, they are the ones who chose ND.
 
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bballnut90 said:
Wow rough season for ND. Probably no NCAAs this year. I cant imagine this is what Muffet envisioned for her team a few years ago. None of her strong 2015 class is still there, they'd be a top contender if they had Patberg, Boley and Young. Not to mention Danielle Patterson.

Their top 3 players are all freshmen and they have a strong class coming so I think theyll rebound in the next few years, but this is as stark a contrast as I've ever seen a program endure. 8 straight #1 seeds and back to back title games to likely a losing record and no NCAA tournament.
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Ali Patberg was part of the 2014 class, and she wouldn't have been there this season if she had stayed at Notre Dame. I wouldn't write ND off yet because there's 17 more conference games left and the ACC doesn't look particular strong at the moment.
 
EricLA said:
I have zero empathy and less sympathy for what Muffet is going thru. After her comments about Stewie winning the NPOY, her snarky comments about Geno, and her general comments about male coaches etc, she can't lose enough for my taste. Let's hope they go 14-18 and don't even make the NIT...

It's gotta be hard on the players. I feel for them on one hand, but on the other hand, they are the ones who chose ND.
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I am shocked that Notre Dame, 13 games into the season, still hasn't shown signs of rounding into form. Maybe it is, indeed, a lost cause, but there is still a lot of talent on the bench...and they do have MM to guide them. I haven't written them off completely, yet...but the Clemson game is disturbing.
 
sivad40 said:
I wouldn't write ND off yet because there's 17 more conference games left and the ACC doesn't look particular strong at the moment.
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But ND is the biggest underperformer in the conference, so I’m not understanding the “ACC doesn’t look strong” theme.
 
sivad40 said:
Ali Patberg was part of the 2014 class, and she wouldn't have been there this season if she had stayed at Notre Dame. I wouldn't write ND off yet because there's 17 more conference games left and the ACC doesn't look particular strong at the moment.
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2015 class but she redshirted in 2015-16 so even without the transfer she wouldve been eligible this year.

They're 5-8 which means theyll need to go at least 10-7 in conference and win their first ACC tourney game to be NCAA tournament eligible. They also have 7 combined games left against Florida State, Cuse, Louisville, NC State and Miami. NCAAs arent out of reach but isnt going to be easy either.


For that matter, Tennessee also could potentially have a tough road making the NCAAs depending on how the season pans out. They really havent played anyone good (besides Stanford where they lost by 27) and their entire tournament resume will be decided in conference play.
 
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LETTERL said:
I am shocked that Notre Dame, 13 games into the season, still hasn't shown signs of rounding into form. Maybe it is, indeed, a lost cause, but there is still a lot of talent on the bench...and they do have MM to guide them. I haven't written them off completely, yet...but the Clemson game is disturbing.
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I know it is ND but they're starting 3 freshmen and 2 transfers, they had literally zero chemistry coming into the season. Plus, only 2 active players on the roster are over 6-0 in Cosgrove and Brunelle and both are more perimeter oriented. Their top 2 returnees have been out almost the entire season and they have just 6 healthy scholarship players on the team. The entire bench is walk ons and Cosgrove. Very far from what I'd call "lots of talent on the bench." In fact, it might be the least talent any P5 team has coming off the bench.

All of this is a recipe for disaster. My guess is they'd be a lot more stabilized with Vaughn, Prohaska and Patterson. Not to mention #1 draft pick Jackie Young who Muffet had to assume was going to play her senior season. All 4 likely start, so Muffet essentially lost 4 starters she projected to have this season. Sort of the ultimate s*** hitting the fan type of season for her. My guess is they come back a lot stronger next season with a year under their belt.
 
Shades said:
But ND is the biggest underperformer in the conference, so I’m not understanding the “ACC doesn’t look strong” theme.
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Meaning that the ACC, in a relatively down year, offers lots of realistic opportunities for wins, enough so that ND could still finish above .500 on the season and, who knows, maybe even steal a bid.

ND plays Pitt and Boston College twice each. That *should* be 4 wins right there. They also *should* be able to beat Wake Forest, Virginia and (sorry to say) Duke. I still think they can win some of their games against Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Syracuse and Miami, none of which are particularly great this year either.

I'm savoring every last drop of every ND loss, believe me, but I'm also not counting them out until the fat lady sings. Remember a couple years ago when they got blown out by 40 by Louisville and everyone counted them out as a title contender? I'm not falling into that trap.
 
I just caught up to watching the Clemson-ND game. I don't see what the fuss on this and the McGraw's Bench board is about. ND was outstanding in all phases. They were outstandingly poor at shooting, dribbling, passing, patience, execution, athleticism and defense. The best and most impressive thing for ND was McGraw's demeanor on the bench where she failed to give her best Linda Blair imitation. That however doesn't excuse her poor coaching through today. Yes, at practice they may execute, but their continued failure to execute in games is on Muffet, and no one else.

In all seriousness looking at the game I was surprised to see Brunelle take a mere 6 shots all game. She had a paltry 3 rebounds against an undersized and mediocre Clemson team. Vaughn returned and was in her limited side to side movement and with her acceleration. Every time Walker dribbled up the floor I cringed while waiting for either another bad shot or a turnover. They failed to put a hand in Sprays face until 4 mins. left in the 3rd quarter when they finally figured out she couldn't dribble. Their coverage in the 2/3 zone was so poor they allowed Thornton to score time after time from the elbow...and Clemson didn't even have to use ball movement or fakes to get the elbow entry pass. Thornton often just stood there and waited for the ball. Being a small, short armed team just kills their chances at closing out the passing lanes. Once again their team speed, which is negligible, killed them in transition and in the quarter court. Once again they got out rebounded, this time by a team roughly their size. Once again they showed little to no patience with their sets in the quarter court. Once again their poor passing, poor shooting, and poor decision making on offense was on display, Sniezek or no Sniezek.

Meanwhile the announcers were going on about how the ACC is the best conference in WCBB, as if they couldn't see Louisville struggling again, against an unranked team. At least this time it didn't take 2 OT's to beat them. Anyone with eyeballs can see that the PAC 12 is the best conference overall, although Oregon is really the team I respect, far and well over the others. Sadly, this year is clearly taking years off of Muffet lifespan: her coaching life and her personal one. Some people here are dancing and gloating, but I really fail to see how this benefits WCBB as ND with its poor recruiting will continue to sink further in the ACC. I mean, I don't see great recruiting classes on the horizon for Walz or Wes Moore either. On a good note, with UConn piling up the great recruits it's hard to see how ND has a chance to beat UConn over the next 8 years.
 
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LETTERL said:
I am shocked that Notre Dame, 13 games into the season, still hasn't shown signs of rounding into form. Maybe it is, indeed, a lost cause, but there is still a lot of talent on the bench...and they do have MM to guide them. I haven't written them off completely, yet...but the Clemson game is disturbing.
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What talent is on the bench? ND plays 2 frosh, 3 sophs, 1 RS jr, 2 grad transfers & 5 walk-ons. The RS jr just came back from a knee injury after missing all last season with a knee injury. One of the sophs is out indefinitely with a serious medical condition. A second soph was too slow to put in the game vs DePaul (MM’s explanation). One of the RS seniors didn’t play today for some unknown reason, while being the subject of a uniquely snarky comment from MM.

MM has bashed this team repeatedly in postgame comments and imo there is a very real possibility that this ND team may quit on her.
 
I think it’s going to take some really creative coaching to turn this season around. Doesn’t seem like she’s really interested in it, which doesn’t send the best message. Their recent recruiting and attrition rate is starting to make sense. Hopefully this group weathers the storm because Brunelle, People’s, and Gilbert can be a solid core for the next few years. I’ll be interested to see how their 2021 class turns out.

I’m definitely happy every time I see the Irish lose, but I also know the value a good Irish squad brings to the women’s game.
 
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