Kate Westbeld may, but may not, be okay

[bags27]

Muffet says x-rays are negative and that Kate's a game-time decision. Would be terrible for her (and of course for a team already depleted) if it's serious. Muffet is saying they're trying to keep the swelling down, so it's got to be a concern going forward regardless.

(BTW, Geno said recently that he doesn't want to meet Nova and Harry either).

4 minutes in:

 

[CocoHusky]

Hope she is OK. ND should not need her to beat Villanova.

 

[Dillon77]

Muffet says x-rays are negative and that Kate's a game-time decision. Would be terrible for her (and of course for a team already depleted) if it's serious. Muffet is saying they're trying to keep the swelling down, so it's got to be a concern going forward regardless.

(BTW, Geno said recently that he doesn't want to meet Nova and Harry either).

4 minutes in:

This is an interesting press interview from an Irish fan's perspective. In the beginning, Marina is seemingly joshing a bit with Muffet about defensive lessons that Coach McGraw was seemingly just imparting. That's not something you usually see players do at the MM pressers. But even more interesting to me was after Mabrey and Nelson leave, McGraw is asked how hard it is to finish out a game once a team has a large lead. And she said it was Marina who was after the other players to keep their focus during the second half of the first-round game....constantly. So, the once offensive-minded wing has become a "lead guard" and now is taking on her coach's persona.

Good -- no, great -- development for player, coach and team. With change, there are opportunities and unexpected developments. (sister Mike must be smiling....in fact, she'll probably be at the game tonight, as will Megan Duffy, who played against Villanova enough.)

 

[Orangutan]

Kat*

Sorry, it's the pedant in me, but I've never heard her called "Kate". Kat, Kathy, or Kathryn, yes. Kate, no.

Anyhow, she had her right ankle surgically repaired last offseason. I don't think it's ever got back to 100%. Now, she's rolled her left ankle.

Honestly, nothing could define Kat's ND career more than playing on two bad ankles in the NCAA tournament. That young woman is tough as nails.

ND's '14 recruiting class just feels like it was cursed between Kat's ankle injuries, Turner's shoulder and ACL injuries, and Johnson's laundry list of injuries of which the ACL tear is only the latest and most severe.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Kat*

Sorry, it's the pedant in me, but I've never heard her called "Kate". Kat, Kathy, or Kathryn, yes. Kate, no.

Anyhow, she had her right ankle surgically repaired last offseason. I don't think it's ever got back to 100%. Now, she's rolled her left ankle.

Honestly, nothing could define Kat's ND career more than playing on two bad ankles in the NCAA tournament. That young woman is tough as nails.

ND's '14 recruiting class just feels like it was cursed between Kat's ankle injuries, Turner's shoulder and ACL injuries, and Johnson's laundry list of injuries of which the ACL tear is only the latest and most severe.

I had been thinking of asking one of you ND guys if Kat had ever recovered to 100%. My understanding was that as of last fall, she hadn't.

I truly feel sorry for her and the others. I hope Turner can get one full year in at full strength. I also feel sorry for MM, her staff, her players and the ND fans. This is all way beyond unfair.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Kat*

Sorry, it's the pedant in me, but I've never heard her called "Kate". Kat, Kathy, or Kathryn, yes. Kate, no.

Anyhow, she had her right ankle surgically repaired last offseason. I don't think it's ever got back to 100%. Now, she's rolled her left ankle.

Honestly, nothing could define Kat's ND career more than playing on two bad ankles in the NCAA tournament. That young woman is tough as nails.

ND's '14 recruiting class just feels like it was cursed between Kat's ankle injuries, Turner's shoulder and ACL injuries, and Johnson's laundry list of injuries of which the ACL tear is only the latest and most severe.

Muffet should call Geno and get the brand etc of Lou's "neat new ankle brace that actually works" - she switched to it about 2 months ago.

 

[ConnecticutBB]

Texas A&M vs Notre Dame....any thoughts?

 

[Centerstream]

Texas A&M vs Notre Dame....any thoughts?

It will probably be another 8 on 5 game. The NCAA (refs) wants the Domers to make it to the FF because of all the injuries that they have had to deal with this season and MM has done such a fantastic coaching job.

 

[Orangutan]

Texas A&M vs Notre Dame....any thoughts?

It will be interesting to see how ND goes about defending Carter. They don't really have the personnel to guard her man-to-man but playing zone might lead to open 3s for her.

 

[cohenzone]

It will be interesting to see how ND goes about defending Carter. They don't really have the personnel to guard her man-to-man but playing zone might lead to open 3s for her.

I hope she is on fire and leads them to victory and then, if they get to face UConn, she forgets what a basketball is.

 

[Orangutan]

I hope she is on fire and leads them to victory and then, if they get to face UConn, she forgets what a basketball is.

Tough. But fair.

 

[Bayareahusky]

hope westbeld is ok like to see everyone at full throttle...

 

[oldude]

It will be interesting to see how ND goes about defending Carter. They don't really have the personnel to guard her man-to-man but playing zone might lead to open 3s for her.

Eventually, almost all freshmen play like freshmen. Last year Destiny Slocum was tearing it up until MD met OR in the Sweet 16 where she played not so good. So Ionescu was the next big thing, until a game later vs the Huskies when she started the game like a TO machine and her coach had to sit her down to watch for awhile.

Carter is the most mercurial freshman I can remember in a very long time, capable of either carrying her team or sinking it, sometimes in the same game. On the road, against a well-coached ND team, I wouldn’t be surprised if Carter shoots about 8-35.

 

[Huskie78]

Texas A&M vs Notre Dame....any thoughts?

Yes. Go Aggies!!

 

[Dillon77]

Eventually, almost all freshmen play like freshmen. Last year Destiny Slocum was tearing it up until MD met OR in the Sweet 16 where she played not so good. So Ionescu was the next big thing, until a game later vs the Huskies when she started the game like a TO machine and her coach had to sit her down to watch for awhile.

Carter is the most mercurial freshman I can remember in a very long time, capable of either carrying her team or sinking it, sometimes in the same game. On the road, against a well-coached ND team, I wouldn’t be surprised if Carter shoots about 8-35.

That's very much a part of my thinking (hoping?). Carter is interesting in that she wants to control a lot of what happens. Against man to man that can be salvation...beat your opponent and go.
This is where the active Irish zone could come in handy by forcing her into areas she does not want to go. Mabrey and Young are very active up top and could frustrate her (I've noticed she likes to shoot from straight on a lot). The key there though is the wings have to be active and that means Westbeld has to be at full strength and mobility.

The other challenge is that Texas A&M likes to hit the boards and the zone could be open to crashing.

On the flip side, ND has gotten much better at beating pressure with it's passing and cuts to the basket from the weak side. They're shooting well. When Young has confidence, she can be a very effective counterpart of Ogunbowale.

 

[Alydar]

When I watch SEC games I see defenses that sag into the paint and dare teams to shoot 3's.

That's why this game will be over early.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

It's gotten boring and so I say GO Aggies. Besides , well never mind, I already have one up on the board for reasons I'll never understand.

 

[DefenseBB]

It will probably be another 8 on 5 game. The NCAA (refs) wants the Domers to make it to the FF because of all the injuries that they have had to deal with this season and MM has done such a fantastic coaching job.

OK, did you really think there was a referee bias in either of the ND games? I didn’t and add in how “chippy” a few players from Nova were and how “chippy” Ariel Howard at Texas A&M plays, there should be significant fouls called.

I really do not see Texas A&M giving ND a real game. Too reliant on 1 player and ND will put Jackie Young on her to neutralize her.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I'm really shocked that Muffet would take plays from Bob Belichick.

PS. The Bob is a sign of my distain.

 

[jonson]

OK, did you really think there was a referee bias in either of the ND games? I didn’t and add in how “chippy” a few players from Nova were and how “chippy” Ariel Howard at Texas A&M plays, there should be significant fouls called.

I really do not see Texas A&M giving ND a real game. Too reliant on 1 player and ND will put Jackie Young on her to neutralize her.

For what it's worth, Oregon beat A&M twice this year--once in College Station (by 15), and once on a neutral court (by 18). Carter scored 23 in the first and only 13 in the second. She's the real deal, but she is also wildly up and down. A&M's Achilles Heal imo is that they usually have fairly long stretches during a game in which they struggle to score. I'm sure they are better now, since the two games were early in the season, but Oregon's defense, as many posters have pointed out, left a lot to be desired back then as well, and A&M didn't score 70 points or break 40% overall on field goals in either game. Given that, I don't think that a team with the firepower that Notre Dame has should have trouble making it to the regional finals.

 

[shizam]

Kat*

Sorry, it's the pedant in me, but I've never heard her called "Kate". Kat, Kathy, or Kathryn, yes. Kate, no.

Anyhow, she had her right ankle surgically repaired last offseason. I don't think it's ever got back to 100%. Now, she's rolled her left ankle.

Honestly, nothing could define Kat's ND career more than playing on two bad ankles in the NCAA tournament. That young woman is tough as nails.

ND's '14 recruiting class just feels like it was cursed between Kat's ankle injuries, Turner's shoulder and ACL injuries, and Johnson's laundry list of injuries of which the ACL tear is only the latest and most severe.

I have never seen a worse defensive player than Westbeld. Now I know why. Her injured ankle she’s dealt with all year. She is awful. ND is pretty bad overall defensively. Muffet doesn’t bother to deny it.

 

[Orangutan]

I have never seen a worse defensive player than Westbeld. Now I know why. Her injured ankle she’s dealt with all year. She is awful. ND is pretty bad overall defensively. Muffet doesn’t bother to deny it.

ND allowed 45 points in the first half without her. She came in the 3rd quarter and they allowed only 8. How "awful".

If you watched that game, she can't have been the worst defensive player you ever saw because the people they had in the lineup in her place were doing far worse than her. That's not even mentioning Shepard who got blown by multiple times.

I've heard for her entire career on this board how terrible she is. All I know is that Notre Dame is much better on both ends with her on the floor.

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

Carter is the most mercurial freshman I can remember in a very long time, capable of either carrying her team or sinking it, sometimes in the same game.

@oldude , a freshman Kelsey Mitchell says hello.

 

[oldude]

@oldude , a freshman Kelsey Mitchell says hello.

How soon we all forget.....

 

[ConnecticutBB]

Hoping the ref's call the game fairly...