Interesting Opening Day/Week Games

[nwhoopfan]

LSU will finish 5-7 in the SEC with this current group.

If I was a betting man I'd put money on you being wrong about that. Other than South Carolina, who is clearly better than LSU? We already saw Tennessee and Ole Miss lose games this year.

 

[bballnut90]

LSU has a lot of talent on the team and Kim will find the right combinations to be very successful but repeating is extremely difficult and now they have a target on their back so my guess is they may not even make to the Elite 8. The other major concern is who does she have to play point guard. Converting a shoot first guard which is what Hailey is, to a pass first guard is harder than converting a pass first player into a shoot more player. I just don't know if one year of tutelage is enough for Kim and Hailey to figure it out. This has been tried before and I just don't recall it ever blossoming. Against the cupcakes, this issue gets masked but against good to great teams, this issue will be exposed.

Kim did an excellent job with Chloe Jackson, Te’a Cooper and Alexis Morris. All 3 transitioned from being primary scorers off ball to PG and did a terrific job. I think Hailey Van Lith will be fine, it’ll just take time to adjust and figure out her role and how she can contribute. It takes time melding a lot of talented players together who are used to commanding bigger roles. Hailey Van Lith isn’t jacking up bad shots or getting baited into 1 on 1 ball so I think that’s a great sign even if the playmaking isn’t at the level LSU fans hoped it’d be.

 

[bballnut90]

If I was a betting man I'd put money on you being wrong about that. Other than South Carolina, who is clearly better than LSU? We already saw Tennessee and Ole Miss lose games this year.

I am pretty sure the poster is the LSU fan who endlessly makes sarcastic claims about how awful LSU is…I don’t think any of their LSU criticism is real.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I am pretty sure the poster is the LSU fan who endlessly makes sarcastic claims about how awful LSU is…I don’t think any of their LSU criticism is real.

Yeah, I've mostly learned to not take the bait, but I slip up still sometimes.

 

[Hester42]

Kim did an excellent job with Chloe Jackson, Te’a Cooper and Alexis Morris. All 3 transitioned from being primary scorers off ball to PG and did a terrific job. I think Hailey Van Lith will be fine, it’ll just take time to adjust and figure out her role and how she can contribute. It takes time melding a lot of talented players together who are used to commanding bigger roles. Hailey Van Lith isn’t jacking up bad shots or getting baited into 1 on 1 ball so I think that’s a great sign even if the playmaking isn’t at the level LSU fans hoped it’d be.

I may sound crazy but stay with me…

I actually feel fairly confident Kim can make Hailey Van Lith an effective distributor. In her first couple games I’ve liked her passing mostly minus a few sloppy plays but the assists could have been up more if players would finish open shots.

The main issue with Hailey Van Lith in my opinion is not her ability to play PG but her defense…. She isn’t super athletic and lacks speed making her vulnerable to speedy guards. Lsu has this exact issue with Jasmine Carson last year who was also terrible on D… they will have to get creative with some lineup combinations. I don’t know if Kim can fix her D to the level she wants it in just one year…

Throw in morrow, Mikaylah all completely new and unfamiliar with the other players, I’m not shocked to see them so unorganized early on. It’s gonna be a major work in progress for them.

LSU won’t have any issues scoring the ball this season even if it looks clunky. How they develop on defense will determine how successful they can be.


And good news for lsu IMO early on at least is Hailey Van Lith and Morrow are not jacking up terrible shots and playing team ball. That will bode well for them this season but it’s apparent both are trying to find their role in the chemistry department so far

 

[nwhoopfan]

Creighton hammered South Dakota today. 81-55 final and they doubled them up in Q1. I don't know exactly what USD returned from last year, but they are usually solid. I'd consider this result surprising.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Arkansas barely held off Murray St. 82-79. Outscored by 10 in Q4. Nice to see Goforth is back in action for them. Played 18 minutes today.

 

[Hester42]

Arkansas barely held off Murray St. 82-79. Outscored by 10 in Q4. Nice to see Goforth is back in action for them. Played 18 minutes today.

Still early but it Feels like the exact same Arkansas type of team. Great electric guard play. Not much defense or rebounding

 

[maple]

Almost halfway through Syracuse/CCSU. Syracuse has pulled away but they’re still a bit sloppy and get bullied in the paint by the much smaller CCSU players. Right now Syracuse is winning due to a significant height advantage, but I think they might struggled against teams more on their level. They look better on offense than previous years but it still doesn’t quite have that “flow”.

 

[nwhoopfan]

If I was a betting man I'd put money on you being wrong about that. Other than South Carolina, who is clearly better than LSU? We already saw Tennessee and Ole Miss lose games this year.

Add Georgia to the list of teams not better than LSU. Getting crushed by Belmont right now. Same Belmont team that lost probably their 2 best players from last year to the transfer portal. So, yeah.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Chicago St. is trying to reclaim their crown as worst team in D1 women's hoops. Already got thumped by Loyola Chicago in their opener and getting hammered by Detroit Mercy currently.

 

[Bjbod]

Very impressive for a neutral site game

Clark drops 44 in front of 15K fans at Ally Tipoff

Iowa G Caitlin Clark scored 44 points in front of more than 15,000 spectators in Charlotte last night at the Ally Tipoff between the Univ. of Iowa and Virginia Tech.

www.sportsbusinessjournal.com

Nice investment by the folks in Charlotte: $150K each to Iowa and VaTech, estimated economic impact on the Charlotte area: $9,000,000.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Georgia down 24 w/ 1 minute left. Uh, the SEC has some 'splaining to do in some of these early games.

edit--76-50 final

 

[dws3665]

Still early but it Feels like the exact same Arkansas type of team. Great electric guard play. Not much defense or rebounding

Neighbors trying to prove he has depth left a really inadequate lineup in the game for far too long. Game should have been won by 20 pts.

That said, the Hogs have not looked good so far, at all.

 

[nwhoopfan]

There are actually fans in the stands at USC. Maybe the Watkins show is enough to draw them in. Halftime program they are honoring the '83 and '84 back to back National Champions. Cheryl Miller, McGee twins etc. are there.

 

[Hester42]

Add Georgia to the list of teams not better than LSU. Getting crushed by Belmont right now. Same Belmont team that lost probably their 2 best players from last year to the transfer portal. So, yeah.

I knew Georgia was in for a major struggle this year with what they lost but losing to Belmont by that margin is embarrassing none the less.

 

[nwhoopfan]

FGCU jumped out 9-0 to start the game and opened the 2nd half on an 11-2 run. Otherwise it was all USC in a 67-51 win. They were up as much as 22. Watkins looked human. 18 on 8-19 shooting, only 1-4 from the FT line. Marshall also scored 18. They have some other nice players. Aaliyah Gayles made her debut after getting shot twice in spring of '22.

I guess FGCU is in rebuilding mode, lost their top 4 scorers from last year.

 

[ochoopsfan]

I wasnt at the game but was watching it on the computer. First time I have seen fans in the upper level for a WBB game at Galen Center. I was at a game years ago that was a double header where there people in the upper levels for a MBB, who got there early for the womens game.

One thing I did notice that USC is doing with Ju Ju is on defense she seems to only be guarding perimeter shooters. She is 6'2". I didnt see enough of her in HS to see what she did. Perhaps it is coach Gotleib's initial plan to do this.

 

[visitingcock]

There are actually fans in the stands at USC. Maybe the Watkins show is enough to draw them in. Halftime program they are honoring the '83 and '84 back to back National Champions. Cheryl Miller, McGee twins etc. are there.

Attendance 4,712

2021/2022 average attendance was 740

 

[GoChips20]

I don’t think we’ve ever had an opening week as dynamic and exciting as this one. If this holds up we’re in for a treat this season and it’ll mark the year closest to matching the night-in, night-out upsets that make so many prefer the men’s game. Those following know the women’s talent parity is increasing tenfold.

Thinking about Sunday’s big games:

Maryland @ South Carolina could get interesting. SC has the clear-cut talent and overall heigh advantage but IMO it’s a bad matchup for SC’s guards who are all 5’11” or shorter (aside from Hall who plays the 3). Briggs, Sellars, Nelson are all 6’1” or taller. Don’t think the Terps can handle Cardoso/Watkins/Feagin inside and the game is at Colonial Life so have to think SC is the favorite here, but it could be a game.

UConn @ NC State. NCST doesn’t have the bigs to compete but they may have one of the most athletic backcourts in the NCAA with James/Rivers/Brooks/Hayes. I’m particularly excited to see what Rivers looks like in year three. The transfer has seemed to do her well but she still hasn’t reached the level so many expected of her out of high school. I think Bueckers will have a big game and could see Arnold holding her own as well. Edwards will likely single-handedly outplay the Baldwin/Collins duo.

Iowa @ Northern Iowa: This doesn’t hold up to the other big games but it is part of Iowa’s unofficial “state tournament” between the four major programs. At this point though I just can’t pass up an opportunity to talk about Clark. I think it’s pretty clear that she’s one of the best guards we’ve ever seen. Iowa can beat absolutely anyone in any circumstance at any moment simply because they have her. I don’t think this will actually happen but I think she has as good a chance as any prospect we’ve seen since Parker to win WNBA MVP in year one.

Indiana @ Stanford: Probably the most competitive game on paper. Can’t wait to see the Holmes/Brink matchup. Holmes dominated pretty much any post she played against last year but we also never saw her against the likes of a Boston, Brink, or Kitley. I think she’s a phenomenal player and I love rooting for her but I think Brink will win the matchup. I’m also not sure IU has anyone to guard Iriafen. Indiana has far superior guards, though, and have much more experience playing together. Tara is one of the greatest coaches of all time but Moren is fabulous as well and IU’s program is reaching new heights. The fact that Stanford’s home-court and -crowd advantage isn’t as overwhelming as other power programs makes me think Indiana pulls this one out on the road but I won’t be surprised if it goes the other way.

 

[GoChips20]

Other thoughts from the first week:

I wouldn’t have bet on LSU over Colorado but I’m not shocked it happened, either. LSU has a ton of potential and is supremely talented but the roster construction is a bit ominous. They have tons of athletic support players but don’t have a true 1 or a true 5. On great teams, the first complements the other two, not the other way around. Kim is a top-three current coach and will get it figured out but I don’t think they’re a top-ten team just yet.

Virginia Tech didn’t look energized during the Iowa game and you’ve absolutely got to bring energy to hang with Iowa. Amoore was fantastic. I’m a believer. She didn’t get her teammates involved but they often looked scared to touch the ball. For the size mismatch she had I thought Kitley had a tough game. They needed to establish her on the block rather than let her shoot fadeaways that took her out of rebounding position. There was a stretch near the end of the game where they fed her 3-4 times over 5-6 positions and it nearly got them back into it. Still, Kitley is obviously highly skilled and I know she’s played much better in other big games. I already wrote about Iowa earlier in this thread but I do think they are as dangerous as their ranking. Bluder does a NCOY-caliber job with them.

USC over Ohio State was a fun upset. OSU will be one of my favorite teams this season but USC showed them exactly what others will — you’ve got to play and defend the 4 and 5. Sheldon had a great game, so good to see her back. Elite two-way guard. I think Ohio State will be in better shape once they get Madison Greene back who is another great shooter and passer. May need to give Parks more minutes. JuJu Watkins had a debut for the ages, although she looked more mortal tonight. Rayah Marshall was already a defensive monster but will be an All-American if she can maintain respectable offensive efficiency. Maybe the most underrated player in the nation right now.

Don’t think anyone saw SC over ND happening like that even if many predicted the overall result. We’ll have to see if SC can keep it up over their next games but we got a clear look at the ceiling and it appeared championship-caliber. Offense seems to have improved more than defense has regressed. Fulwiley is different. I’m not exactly sure what it’ll look like over a season but she just makes plays no one else can. I hadn’t seen her play before the other day but I read many felt her #13 ranking in the class was ridiculous and that she is a top-3 player with Watkins and Williams. Hidalgo was awesome too. ND is going to be elite at the 1 through 3 once they get Miles back. Post is a question mark.

 

[Bone Dog]

USC over Ohio State was a fun upset. OSU will be one of my favorite teams this season but USC showed them exactly what others will — you’ve got to play and defend the 4 and 5. Sheldon had a great game, so good to see her back. Elite two-way guard. I think Ohio State will be in better shape once they get Madison Greene back who is another great shooter and passer. May need to give Parks more minutes. JuJu Watkins had a debut for the ages, although she looked more mortal tonight.

Great rundown of the games, and especially USC-tOSU. It made me think more about Cotie McMahon, who had a great freshman season last year and was a core of their great run. Watkins really seemed to show the limits of her skill set.

Last season McMahon took advantage of the fact that she is bigger than most guards but has the strength to play with the forwards, where she has a speed advantage. But her offensive skills in the low post are not fancy. She mainly depended on speed and an aggressive style of play to dominate opponents last season. But Watkins was ready for her. She is bigger and quicker than McMahon and has better guard skills including a great midrange game, great handles and a full array of paint moves. In that respect, her offensive game is much more sophisticated. I think a lot of coaches probably saw how to contain McMahon in this game. A big guard like Citron on ND or Hall on SC should be able to do the same things to her. I’d expect Paige and Aubrey to give UConn a few different ways to disarm McMahon in a rematch.

 

[FormerCTrez]

FGCU jumped out 9-0 to start the game and opened the 2nd half on an 11-2 run. Otherwise it was all USC in a 67-51 win. They were up as much as 22. Watkins looked human. 18 on 8-19 shooting, only 1-4 from the FT line. Marshall also scored 18. They have some other nice players. Aaliyah Gayles made her debut after getting shot twice in spring of '22.

I guess FGCU is in rebuilding mode, lost their top 4 scorers from last year.

Nice to hear of her return after being shot multiple times. Her healthcare providers did a masterful job in healing her physical wounds, but she exhibited determination and perseverance in getting back on the basketball court. May she continue to emotionally and psychologically also.

 

[cancontent]

Clark drops 44 in front of 15K fans at Ally Tipoff

Iowa G Caitlin Clark scored 44 points in front of more than 15,000 spectators in Charlotte last night at the Ally Tipoff between the Univ. of Iowa and Virginia Tech.

www.sportsbusinessjournal.com

Nice investment by the folks in Charlotte: $150K each to Iowa and VaTech, estimated economic impact on the Charlotte area: $9,000,000.

They invested more than the $300K you mention. The group behind it also had a new court built specifically for this event. Not cheap when they have used an existing one. I'm assuming the city put their best foot forward in the hopes of landing larger events down the road. The end result was amazing to see. They deserve a chance at hosting conference tournaments and the sooner the better .