Duke and Tennessee

[Dillon77]

Duke's overall performance the last year or two just doesn't seem as right and tight as they had been around 2011 or 2012. That said, their top two players -- Azura Stevens and Rebecca Greenwell -- are both coming back next year, joined by transfer Lexie Brown and their one Top 100 recruit for 2016 (maybe only), Leanonna Odom, from Chaminade Prep in LA. Unless the bottom falls out, I think Coach P. gets another year. I think the Monday game against ND is on one of the ESPNs.

 

[Dillon77]

There was a similar thread on the ND board a few days back that came about because a poster wondered if Jonathan Tsipis, Muffet McGraw's top assistant for a few years and now HC at George Washington, might be considered for a larger program if it comes up. Here's some of the input:

- Down the road from Duke, there's North Carolina, which has been racked by all sorts of disturbances, from transfer to illnesses. Sylvia Hatchell has 7 players coming in next year (rated #13 class) and her long history and service at Chapel Hill wlll probably buy her some time there.
- Rutgers. I used to think Vivian Stringer had unlimited rope at Rutgers, but there is a new AD there and change is in the air with a new football coach. Her teams are one-note and Seton Hall seems to be outperforming them. On the other hand, the men's team is a mess and the facilities are really not all that good, so she might hang on because good is better than the football or guys team right now.
- Looking at the other ACC teams: Clemson and Wake Forest are once again in the back and BC has been a disappointment for a few years. But do the AD's care enough to make a change if they have to pay off contracts?

 

[EricLA]

Totally agree with all the post above and most AD's are spineless with Women's coaches....Gender thing or they afraid of lawsuits.Tenn and Duke have deserved better for the past 5+ years. Take action It affects all WCBB..

How does it affect all of WCBB? Does the fact that Stanford is having a really down year affect all of WCBB?

I would think not so much the opposite (that it affects all WCBB), but rather it creates an opportunity for new rivalries and new teams to rise to the top. SC has eclipsed Tenn as the cream of the SEC crop. ND has eclipsed Tenn as the biggest Rival in trying to stop UCONN in most years. The top 10 now includes not only teams like UCONN and ND who have been there for a very long time, but a welcome back to Texas, Maryland, and Baylor (all of who have won NC's in the past). And it has made room for relative newbies of Kentucky, Oregon State, Ohio State, Arizona State and Tex AM.

Outside of Knoxville and Durham, how is the rest of WCBB affected by the precipitous drop of those 2 programs? Even if/when it ever happens to UCONN, other teams will step in and make big news as they become the new Juggernaut and team to beat for the NCAA title...

 

[jsloanjr]

How does it affect all of WCBB? Does the fact that Stanford is having a really down year affect all of WCBB?

I would think not so much the opposite (that it affects all WCBB), but rather it creates an opportunity for new rivalries and new teams to rise to the top. SC has eclipsed Tenn as the cream of the SEC crop. ND has eclipsed Tenn as the biggest Rival in trying to stop UCONN in most years. The top 10 now includes not only teams like UCONN and ND who have been there for a very long time, but a welcome back to Texas, Maryland, and Baylor (all of who have won NC's in the past). And it has made room for relative newbies of Kentucky, Oregon State, Ohio State, Arizona State and Texas AM.

Outside of Knoxville and Durham, how is the rest of WCBB affected by the precipitous drop of those 2 programs? Even if/when it ever happens to UCONN, other teams will step in and make big news as they become the new Juggernaut and team to beat for the NCAA title...

Very simply, WCBB is losing TV eyes do the poor play of known teams like Duke, Stanford and Tenn the past few years. Granted, there are some new teams playing some inspired BB and hopefully, they will continue it towards March. Just when you see an upcoming team, they lose 2 or 3 games that they should have one.....Baylor very rarely leaves TX.........Texas has a few weaknesses and will be exposed come March........AD's and school Presidents need to place a higher commitment on all women's sports and do it soon....The TV $$$ unless UCONN is playing is very small.......Better coaches is the key along with new commitments from their schools...........The hour glass is running.....

 

[loneycafe]

It's not just the records. It's the way the Tennessee players look lost and confused on the floor and the way Holly Warlick admits in pressers that she has no idea why her team doesn't play well. It's Duke's .75 to 1 Assist to Turnover ratio and scoring 48 points in a dreadful loss to Louisville and 50 points against Syracuse and 62 points to a mediocre NC State despite having superior talent, then Coach P blaming the players.

BTW, Tennessee has no signed recruits for next year and Duke has one.

If Duke and Tennessee were playing hard all the time, running some semblance of an organized offense, and improving, even marginally, as the season went on, it would be one thing but these teams seem to be in a downward spiral and the coaches are clueless to do anything about it. That's why the ADs needs to do...something, anything!

NC State has become better than "mediocre" this season. It's unfortunate the game between them and Louisville wasn't on TV or steamed on ESPN3. Though NC State lost 92-90, it was the most exciting game I have seen this season, and I watch a lot of the games on TV or streamed. The offensive display was impressive.

NC State has two of the best guards in the league (Miah Spencer and Dominique Wilson), and are doing much better than expected. They started the season looking bad and had a bad road loss to Miami, and they lost a key freshman to a knee injury, and I thought it was going to be a long season with all the new faces, but they have come together, coach has found a substitution pattern that works, and they are no longer just "mediocre."

Now watch them to lose to UNC Sunday.