ND vs Stanford Game Thread

[Carnac]

ND Press Conference. It was a short one. Starts around the 4 minute mark

That has to be one of the most difficult things to do after a BIG loss, is to attend a press conference and answer questions by the press. Especially those that ask you "how do you feel after this devastating loss"? One could easily tell none of them wanted to be there.

 

[uconnever]

In the 4th qtr, Muffet looked uptight and Tara looked relaxed. To their credit, ND players played well in a back and forth game but that last play was dumb. This one is on MM as even though she did not have Turner, the team was in a position to win a game and she did not get them in the position to win. Tara's team showed they are resilient and that comes from their coach.

For that last play I saw an asst drawing up a play with McGraw and the other asst's listening, so maybe she should have taken charge. I wasn't in her huddle, but if I didn't know her team, I would have thought McGraw was an asst.

 

[Phil]

Really hard to judge 2.9 seconds in your head (and anticipate the clock guy getting it exactly right) and make that bounce pass. You are as likely to see the backboard light up with the ball still on your teammates finger tips as you are to get it exactly right.

I totally agree. I'm stunned at the number of games I've watched recently (WV Men, Wisconsin men come to mind) where the losing team was still dribbling when the shot clock expired. There was one women's game, forget which, where someone got the ball with 4.5 seconds left, dribbled 3/4 of the way up the court, passed it to someone with about one second left, who then passed it to someone else whose back was to the basket. Players need to have a better sense of time remaining.

 

[Phil]

For that last play I saw an asst drawing up a play with McGraw and the other asst's listening, so maybe she should have taken charge. I wasn't in her huddle, but if I didn't know her team, I would have thought McGraw was an asst.

It isn't unusual for head coaches to ask assistance for play suggestions, even in critical situations. While it technically wasn't the final play the game it was the most important play the game and one of my favorite stories about UConn. We were down against Texas in the semifinal and Geno asked the assistants for a play recommendation. I don't recall now whether it was Tonya Cardoza or Jamelle Elliott, but I think it was Jamelle, who suggested running a double screen so someone could take a three from the sideline. Geno agreed then ask who to run it for. Jamelle pauses briefly and says "who do you think, ". They ran it for Taurasi, and she hit it. I usually tell a story to emphasize how comfortable Jamal was with Geno to be able to make such a comment but it does illustrate that in critical points even someone is heralded as Geno will turn to the assistants for a play recommendation.

 

[osceola48]

I totally agree. I'm stunned at the number of games I've watched recently (WV Men, Wisconsin men come to mind) where the losing team was still dribbling when the shot clock expired. There was one women's game, forget which, where someone got the ball with 4.5 seconds left, dribbled 3/4 of the way up the court, passed it to someone with about one second left, who then passed it to someone else whose back was to the basket. Players need to have a better sense of time remaining.

Phil, I agree that it is difficult to make the right decisions with time running out. The pressure must be huge, and especially today, with the Final Four on the line. But we have seen UConn make the extra pass and score with time running out numerous times this year. I did not say it was easy. I said UConn would have done it, and done it successfully.

 

[Zorro]

I don't know, I think it's just jitters myself. A lot of teams play them with great intensity in the first half until they run out of gas.

Cannot believe I left the house w/o setting the DVR. #@$%&#@!

 

[cabbie191]

Got up at 9 am PT.
Had to decide between Church and Notre Dame.
Notre Dame won.

One and the same the way some folks look at it, nest-pas?

(Upon edit, I see I was beaten to the punch line.) That's because I was at church!

 

[Ron and Vida]

In the 4th qtr, Muffet looked uptight and Tara looked relaxed. To their credit, ND players played well in a back and forth game but that last play was dumb. This one is on MM as even though she did not have Turner, the team was in a position to win a game and she did not get them in the position to win. Tara's team showed they are resilient and that comes from their coach.

Actually, The last play was vintage MM. Give the ball to Skylar drive to the basket lean into the defender and draw a foul or sell it to the ref and get the call. Only problem is Ogunbowale is not Skylar (but nobody is)

 

[cabbie191]

You are so right. Watch the final play. Ogunbowle has a wide open teammate (#33) in the lane. An easy bounce pass for an easy 4-footer, but she tries to take the shot in the middle of three defenders.



I have no doubt that any of UConn's first six players would have made that sweet, simple bounce pass for the game winner.

I'm sorry to disagree with you on this one. Given the close spacing between the Ogubowle and #33, I'm not certain that this is an easy pass to make. Not much room for making a pass that has a decent ascent in the arc after the bounce, so #33 has to reach down close to the floor - perhaps too much time and too good of an angle for the Cardinal to react and block.

 

[cabbie191]

An interesting stat from the box score - only four TO's for the Irish. How often does a team do so well protecting the ball and wind up on the losing end?

 

[HuskyFan1125]

Stanford 22 assists on 28 baskets
Irish 11 assists on 29 baskets, maybe just a little too much one on one in the end. I was not stunned by the end result, but rather how poorly Stanford played defense in the first half.

And interestingly enough the two high volum shooters, Mabrey and Ogunbowale, had 0 assists. ZERO!! And they are guards. Very telling stat to me.

 

[Phil]

Phil, I agree that it is difficult to make the right decisions with time running out. The pressure must be huge, and especially today, with the Final Four on the line. But we have seen UConn make the extra pass and score with time running out numerous times this year. I did not say it was easy. I said UConn would have done it, and done it successfully.

Very possible that UConn could have done it. At the risk of sounding a little pretentious, I don't assume that the teams can match UConn's passing ability. Every watch the clip a couple times and I don't see the open pass to an open shooter as clearly as you apparently do. Remember she was blocked from behind so it isn't that she was trying to take a shot into a block she did not know that the block was coming.

 

[osceola48]

I'm sorry to disagree with you on this one. Given the close spacing between the Ogubowle and #33, I'm not certain that this is an easy pass to make. Not much room for making a pass that has a decent ascent in the arc after the bounce, so #33 has to reach down close to the floor - perhaps too much time and too good of an angle for the Cardinal to react and block.

Okay, I did say "easy". I retract the word "easy"! But I repeat that our UConn team would have made that pass and done it successfully. That is one of the things that separates UConn from the rest of NCAAW.

 

[Phil]

An interesting stat from the box score - only four TO's for the Irish. How often does a team do so well protecting the ball and wind up on the losing end?

IIRC UCLA had only six. That's not 4, but still.

 

[Zorro]

IIRC UCLA had only six. That's not 4, but still.

Yes, to our 13, and 8 steals to our 2!! Don't have time to check but that MUST be a low ratio for the year on both.

 

[UcMiami]

UcMiami, I know you are a frequent and respected poster here, but you consistently refute my posts. As soon as I began to read this post, I knew it was from you.

Sorry - it certainly isn't intentional I am seldom all that aware of whom I am responding to. And i agree that there is a pass available which I hadn't noticed live until I read your post. I just think those last second plays are really hard to judge accurately, and any pass has to be perfectly handled by the recipient, or the clock will likely expire on the bobble. Pros get it wrong all the time either taking the shot from half court when they could have gotten to the arc or getting to the arc to discover their hand was still on the ball when they released it. Gabby took an extra dribble before passing ahead to Lou yesterday at the end of the third quarter and the clock expired before she could launch.

And it did take a brilliant defensive play to both block the shot and for one of the three defenders not to commit a foul.

[Maya's three ball with the dribble was one of the best last second shots I ever saw, but I think only one in a thousand players would have the ice water in their veins to take that much time in that situation and I don't expect that of mere mortals.]

 

[BigBird]

ND Press Conference. It was a short one. Starts around the 4 minute mark

No devices can record? Now there's a brilliant marketing strategy for a sport that cries and begs for coverage.

 

[ochoopsfan]

Another interesting stat from the game.
All 75 points that Notre Dame scored were done by McDonalds AA's
Stanford had only 9 points, of their 76 points, by a McDonalds AA, those of Erica McCall.

 

[Carnac]

I would rather get beat by 30, then to get beat by 1.

You lose by 30, you got beat!!!

You lose by 1, you could/should have won, and that loss stays with you a lot longer than a 30 point butt whuppin would.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I would rather get beat by 30, then to get beat by 1.

You lose by 30, you got beat!!!

You lose by 1, you could/should have won, and that loss stays with you a lot longer than a 30 point butt whuppin would.

I'd go somewhere inbetween. Getting beat by 30 is embarrassing. Losing by 1 haunts you for the rest of your left. Losing by 12 or 15 or so, there's no doubt you got beat, but not annihilated.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

Is Coach Mcgraw becoming the John Calipari of Women's Basketball, or is he the Coach McGraw of Men's Basketball?

 

[huskeynut]

For some levity - loved Tara dancing at midcourt with the team!

Always good when th coach lets the hair down a bit.

 

[ivrytontusker]

Is Coach Mcgraw becoming the John Calipari of Women's Basketball, or is he the Coach McGraw of Men's Basketball?

Calipari has the most talented team every single year, based on recruiting rankings.

UK MBB has averaged 5 ESPN top 100 recruits in that period, and 3 in the top 10. Duke is the only program with similar numbers (and still behind UK).

By contrast, ND WBB has averaged 2 ESPN top 100 recruits each year since 2009, and 1 in the top 10. UConn, Baylor, Texas, Maryland, Louisville, Duke, Tennessee, Kentucky, UNC, and Stanford all have similar numbers.

The talent level relative to other top programs is not comparable to Calipari's talent relative to other top programs.

McGraw is more like the Tom Izzo of WBB, imo.

 

[nwhoopfan]

The comparison breaks down almost immediately, because Calipari loses almost all of those recruits every year to the NBA draft and has to start over from scratch the next season. He has to play against teams that have some Jr. and Sr. when his team is perpetually dominated by underclassmen.

 

[Phil]

An interesting stat from the box score - only four TO's for the Irish. How often does a team do so well protecting the ball and wind up on the losing end?

I thought Miss State, with 4 TOs was going to rival that, but they screwed up the narrative by winning.