Duke Routs Va. Tech Women.....with UConn after taste

[HGN]

Washington Post article states that midway through the second half of Duke's 77-33 drubbing of the Va. Tech Lady Hokies , Va. Tech fans stated screaming for Duke coach Joanne P. McCallie to take her dominating starters out. "McCallie ignored them, and kept shuttling her stars in until less than five minutes remained." " This is not high school" she said later , laughing at the notion that the fans were angry at her.

The Washington Post article later states ......" Turns out, the Blue Devils (23-1 , 13-0 ACC) have dominated every team but one on their schedule , and the game they lost--a 79-49 drubbing at No.3 Connecticut on Jan. 21. That game stays with Duke still. " They played harder for longer than we did. That's something that we think about a lot." Said McCallie.

 

[RadyLady]

So beating up a much lesser team helps them learn how to win. Joanne, you need to take a page from Geno's book, he clearly takes the foot off the gas pedal when the win is decisive.

think about it: You did win decisively against MD, UNC, and CAL, all ranked teams. Do you need to stomp those who are not faring as well just cause you lost to UConn?

 

[alexrgct]

I just don't think she's an elite coach. How many times has she lost to Uconn? Basically none of those games have been competitive. Her teams have always been outclassed and outworked by Geno's.

Bottom line, Duke was in a better place with Gail at the helm. Not an order of magnitude better or anything. But better...

 

[EricLA]

I'm not sure I get her comments or logic. Did she leave ALL her starters in till about the 4 minute mark in the 2nd half? If that's the case, I don't blame the Va Tech fans. On the other hand, no Duke player had more than 29 minutes. 9 of them had over 10 and the other player who got PT had 8. It looks remarkably similar to the PT allotted in UCONN wins over PC, Marquette, etc.

If she is trying to work on things, like UCONN does, I could see why she'd leave 2 or so starters in till late and have them work with the reserves to run plays, etc. Not having seen the game or the timeline I can't really comment on the substitution pattern, but with no player even getting 30 minutes, I can't see how there's much to complain about.

So she thinks the reason they lost is because UCONN played harder for longer? I think it had to do with adjustments Geno made at half time as the team stormed out of the locker room and started the 2nd half on a big run. Halftime lead was 2. 4 minutes into the 2nd half it was 10. 8 minutes in it was 17. 12 minutes in the lead was 26. So I guess if her point is UCONN played harder for 20 minutes longer than Duke did, then she needs to teach her team that the game is 40 minutes, not 20.

It's not like the game was close till 5 minutes left in the game...

 

[Vowelguy]

So beating up a much lesser team helps them learn how to win. Joanne, you need to take a page from Geno's book, he clearly takes the foot off the gas pedal when the win is decisive.

Huh?
In many games Geno could've played Heather Buck, the frosh, and Stokes for the *entire* 2nd half and still won comfortably. He chose not to. In part because he still had things to work on with his players.

 

[triaddukefan]

I'm not sure I get her comments or logic. Did she leave ALL her starters in till about the 4 minute mark in the 2nd half? If that's the case, I don't blame the Va Tech fans. On the other hand, no Duke player had more than 29 minutes. 9 of them had over 10 and the other player who got PT had 8. It looks remarkably similar to the PT allotted in UCONN wins over PC, Marquette, etc.

If she is trying to work on things, like UCONN does, I could see why she'd leave 2 or so starters in till late and have them work with the reserves to run plays, etc. Not having seen the game or the timeline I can't really comment on the substitution pattern, but with no player even getting 30 minutes, I can't see how there's much to complain about.
..

Like I stated in another thread a few minutes ago..... I went to the game vs Wake Forest over in Winston Salem last month... and some of the Wake fans were upset that Duke was playing hard until the last second.... one female fan behind me was yelling at Coach McCallie for not calling off the dogs...... for continue to play pressure defense until the buzzer sounded. Personally I didnt see anything particularly wrong with playing hard for 40 minutes. Of the 10 players who played last night..... 8 of them have started at least 15-20 games in their career, Im sure the VPI fans didnt know that bit of information.

 

[Jim]

I didn't see the game, but it is my understanding that people were upset because with 2 minutes left in the game and Duke up 40, they still had the full court press on. You would think that being up 40 that they could find other things to work on for two minutes.

 

[doggydaddy]

Huh?
In many games Geno could've played Heather Buck, the frosh, and Stokes for the *entire* 2nd half and still won comfortably. He chose not to. In part because he still had things to work on with his players.

She said that Geno takes the foot off the gas pedal. I don't believe that means play the bench as much as it means not press, not fast break and work the clock.

 

[RadyLady]

Huh?
In many games Geno could've played Heather Buck, the frosh, and Stokes for the *entire* 2nd half and still won comfortably. He chose not to. In part because he still had things to work on with his players.

that's right, he did, and Heather is the biggest example of one who is left out, and one whose presence would least benefit the team down the stretch. Mostly, he did this mixing in the bench liberally with a few starters. In some earlier games Vowel, if you recall, putting in the entire bench made blowout wins look less so because there was little or no scoring fro our folks. However, you cannot deny that in the last three games, we were on a pace to score well over 100 points, but in the second half, it was clear that the press had been called off. Clear to me, at least.

 

[RadyLady]

She said that Geno takes the foot off the gas pedal. I don't believe that means play the bench as much as it means not press, not fast break and work the clock.

oops.....didn't see this. Thanks, DD

 

[RadyLady]

Huh?
In many games Geno could've played Heather Buck, the frosh, and Stokes for the *entire* 2nd half and still won comfortably. He chose not to. In part because he still had things to work on with his players.

Also, FWIW, this very thing was discussed in a thread started this past Sunday by DD

 

[doggydaddy]

Also, FWIW, this very thing was discussed in a thread started this past Sunday by DD

I believe he has me on ignore.

 

[RadyLady]

I believe he has me on ignore.

ooo ooo ooo - then let me quote you!

If you put someone on ignore, does that mean that you cannot see a thread that they start?

 

[doggydaddy]

ooo ooo ooo - then let me quote you!

If you put someone on ignore, does that mean that you cannot see a thread that they start?

I wouldn't know. I don't have anyone on ignore.

 

[ed4ourgirls]

. . .How many times has she lost to Uconn? . . . Her teams have always been outclassed and outworked by Geno's. . .

That's true since she's been at Duke, but I remember some years ago she brought
a Michigan State team to Connecticut and soundly beat the Huskies. MSU won
every quarter of that game - we were never in it.

 

[HuskyMJ]

Like I stated in another thread a few minutes ago..... I went to the game vs Wake Forest over in Winston Salem last month... and some of the Wake fans were upset that Duke was playing hard until the last second.... one female fan behind me was yelling at Coach McCallie for not calling off the dogs...... for continue to play pressure defense until the buzzer sounded. Personally I didnt see anything particularly wrong with playing hard for 40 minutes. Of the 10 players who played last night..... 8 of them have started at least 15-20 games in their career, Im sure the VPI fans didnt know that bit of information.

I'm not surprised you are fine with it but there is a difference in your idea of playing hard and full court trapping up 40 with under 2 minutes to go. Sorry, you can play hard defense without trying to force turnovers right when a clearly inferior team is just trying to get the game over with. Its only proloning the game because more traps will lead to more jump balls, more dead ball turnovers. Its like the moronic coaches who keep fouling when they are down so much that they have no chance to get back in the game.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

I'm not surprised you are fine with it but there is a difference in your idea of playing hard and full court trapping up 40 with under 2 minutes to go. Sorry, you can play hard defense without trying to force turnovers right when a clearly inferior team is just trying to get the game over with. Its only proloning the game because more traps will lead to more jump balls, more dead ball turnovers. Its like the moronic coaches who keep fouling when they are down so much that they have no chance to get back in the game.

Fine line there. I was at the Arizona game last night, a game that we lost to Colorado and we were never in it. Eight game losing streak. However, we stopped trying to win long before the game was over. I WAS glad we didn't foul, and equally glad that - with 3 minutes left - they stopped trying to score until the shot clock was almost out because we stopped defending - BUT I would have felt a lot better if we continued to play hard (sans fouling) for the entire 40.

I oppose this to a game I was watching on TV (don't remember who) and both sides played hard until there were 20 seconds on the clock. Both teams defended hard and played hard to score, even though there was a 20 point differential. The better team did put in some scrubs with a couple of minutes left, but the game continued to be played the same. JMHO - I liked this.