Experimental Rules for Vanguard Exhibition Questioned...

[Huskies Rule]

- I really like the idea of using a 24-second shot clock (from the 30) and the 8-second backcourt violation (down from 10 seconds). It should make the game more up tempo and much to quicker teams' (UConn) liking.

- Widening the lane from 12 to 16 feet sounds interesting, too- it may open up the inside game and clear the lane quite a bit for the more skilled athletes to get to the basket and take away much of the advantage of the plodding bigs who lack quickness and rely mostly on just being big. More space to create for Morgan, Stewie, Mo and Kia.

But... using the men's basketball is a bad idea. Men have bigger hands, and asking girls who have always played with a women's ball (28.5 inch circumference) to suddenly get comfortable handling and shooting the considerably bigger men's ball (29.5-30 inches) will be very very difficult. That inch, inch and a half is huge. There is also about a 2 ounce weight difference. The feel for the ball won't be there, and I suspect the shooting will be way off.

Additionally, with this bigger ball, the girls are also going to have the three-point line pushed back more than 12 inches? That's a lot to ask. Maybe if they practiced for months with the men's ball they would be proficient with it, but not this way. Gauging the extra distance will be troublesome without practice to acclimate.

Some good ideas, some really bad ones.

http://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball...n-womens-exhibition-basketball-game-be-played

 

[sarals24]

Well, I guess that's why they are trying it in an exhibition. The missed layups in women's basketball are often attributed to the smaller ball.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Well,HR...I figure the bigger ball will be small potatoes to Geno having the rims lowered half a foot or more on the QT before the game.

 

[meyers7]

What size ball did they use in the First night scrimmage?

 

[NewCorn]

- I really like the idea of using a 24-second shot clock (from the 30) and the 8-second backcourt violation (down from 10 seconds). It should make the game more up tempo and much to quicker teams' (UConn) liking.

- Widening the lane from 12 to 16 feet sounds interesting, too- it may open up the inside game and clear the lane quite a bit for the more skilled athletes to get to the basket and take away much of the advantage of the plodding bigs who lack quickness and rely mostly on just being big. More space to create for Morgan, Stewie, Mo and Kia.

But... using the men's basketball is a bad idea. Men have bigger hands, and asking girls who have always played with a women's ball (28.5 inch circumference) to suddenly get comfortable handling and shooting the considerably bigger men's ball (29.5-30 inches) will be very very difficult. That inch, inch and a half is huge. There is also about a 2 ounce weight difference. The feel for the ball won't be there, and I suspect the shooting will be way off.

Additionally, with this bigger ball, the girls are also going to have the three-point line pushed back more than 12 inches? That's a lot to ask. Maybe if they practiced for months with the men's ball they would be proficient with it, but not this way. Gauging the extra distance will be troublesome without practice to acclimate.

Some good ideas, some really bad ones.

http://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball...n-womens-exhibition-basketball-game-be-played

I agree. The bigger ball will kill 3-point shooting and ball handling.

 

[NewCorn]

Well, I guess that's why they are trying it in an exhibition. The missed layups in women's basketball are often attributed to the smaller ball.

Now the missed 3-pointers will be attributed to the bigger ball.

 

[ndmb]

In the short term, sure, a bigger ball will throw off shooting. If they ever get the ball size changed at all levels of play, not only will shooting percentages improve, but opportunities to play will increase for girls who don;t have the luxury of always playing with the smaller ball.

 

[Drumguy]

- I really like the idea of using a 24-second shot clock (from the 30) and the 8-second backcourt violation (down from 10 seconds). It should make the game more up tempo and much to quicker teams' (UConn) liking. - Widening the lane from 12 to 16 feet sounds interesting, too- it may open up the inside game and clear the lane quite a bit for the more skilled athletes to get to the basket and take away much of the advantage of the plodding bigs who lack quickness and rely mostly on just being big. More space to create for Morgan, Stewie, Mo and Kia. But... using the men's basketball is a bad idea. Men have bigger hands, and asking girls who have always played with a women's ball (28.5 inch circumference) to suddenly get comfortable handling and shooting the considerably bigger men's ball (29.5-30 inches) will be very very difficult. That inch, inch and a half is huge. There is also about a 2 ounce weight difference. The feel for the ball won't be there, and I suspect the shooting will be way off. Additionally, with this bigger ball, the girls are also going to have the three-point line pushed back more than 12 inches? That's a lot to ask. Maybe if they practiced for months with the men's ball they would be proficient with it, but not this way. Gauging the extra distance will be troublesome without practice to acclimate. Some good ideas, some really bad ones. http://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball...n-womens-exhibition-basketball-game-be-played

iirc, Geno has always been a proponent of the bigger ball.

 

[HuskyNan]

AAU/high school coaches - do you use a men's or women's sized ball for your games?

 

[Huskies Rule]

From the 2016 AAU Girls Basketball Handbook:
("The following rules shall apply to all AAU sanctioned events")

"The Spalding Franchise Basketball 28.5” circumference composite basketball shall be the official basketball for all AAU National Championship Tournaments. It is not required, but strongly recommended, that this ball be used in all AAU licensed tournaments including the District Qualifying Tournaments."

 

[VAMike23]

IIRC, Kaleena , for one, liked the men's ball, preferred it and shot well with it (per KML)

I'd imagine Mo with her small hands might prefer the women's ball especially for ball handling

 

[UcMiami]

Most women have played a lot with men's basketballs, and there are four major manufacturers out there that all have slightly different products. Add in that balls change quickly with use, especially on outdoor courts and every pick-up game will have a ball with a different 'feel'. No one outside of game situations takes a lot of care with inflation levels either which also effects 'feel'. I don't see the ball being a significant issue.

The three point arc is probably more of an adjustment, and the wider lane affects the post play because most of the time players posting up will be further from the basket when they start their 'moves'.

The wider lane and deeper arc will have a big effect on defensive spacing - help side players have farther to go to provide double teams, and guards cheating down have farther to recover getting back to three point shooters. On offense, those changes will force teams to have better spacing - not an issue typically for Uconn, but might actually help less well coached teams.

Most of the Uconn players have some or extensive international experience, so they have already had to deal with the lane and arc issues. I had always thought the international ball was consistent, but they have the same distinctions between men's and women's games. The one competition to be consistent is the 3x3 at all levels across genders which uses a modified women's #6 ball.

 

[ed4ourgirls]

Unless I have misunderstood (always a possibility), the larger ball is used for women
internationally and in all FIBA events. I would prefer that our women's game conform
as closely as possible the international game, so that our women will not have to
adjust in international competitions.

 

[UcMiami]

Unless I have misunderstood (always a possibility), the larger ball is used for women
internationally and in all FIBA events. I would prefer that our women's game conform
as closely as possible the international game, so that our women will not have to
adjust in international competitions.

That was my recollection as well, but I did some research and the international women's game uses the smaller #6 ball - same as in the US.

 

[alexrgct]

I'm taking my children to this very game. If they have a good time with these experimental changes in place, I'll be good with it. If Stewie doesn't do well with the men's ball, I'll just be happy they don't use such a ball in the regular season. After all, my daughter will be going to this game to see some Breanna Stewart! She loves BS, and I hope she gets to see one of the very best in UConn history do great things.

Of course, Stewie could do something great with the rock of Gibraltar for a ball. From Mt. Rushmore...where she resides on behalf of UConn alongside Rebecca, Maya, and Diana.

 

[CocoHusky]

AAU/high school coaches - do you use a men's or women's sized ball for your games?

Never. If a good ref is paying attention before the game that is actually one of the things they are supposed to check.

 

[willingtonfan]

I think the most interesting thing is the shot clock change to 24/8 (24 second clock, 8 seconds to advance to the front court). Given that i think we led the world last season in 10-second violations forced, it will be interesting to see if they try to press to force an eight-second violation on Monday. (Is that what it will be called, or is there some technical name for it other than that?) I will be interested to see which, if any, of these experimental rules is adopted as an actual rule in the future. Much like demonstration sports in the Olympics, my recollection is that most of these experimental rules in the past have become rules two or three years down the road.

 

[Sonny44]

I think we must have led the world in opponents shot clock expirations too.
Any stats about that?

 

[ochoopsfan]

UCLA just beat Vanguard, next weekends opponent, 113-42