ND vs Stanford Game Thread

[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.

 

[UcMiami]

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.

Yeah, but the WCBB coaches get to keep those recruits for four years while Calapri might get 2 years if his is lucky. Just a completely different world - and most of the teams you list have had a net influx of transfer talent.

 

[osceola48]

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.]

Thanks for your response. And you are right - trying that pass is taking a big chance that the execution is perfect. I guess my point is that the players on this UConn team look for the open man and share the ball extremely well, and other teams don't. I think Ogunbowle wasn't even looking for any options- she was going to shoot and that was that. UConn players always look for options, and they trust their teammates to execute and to not be surprised by getting a quick pass.

(This wasn't always the case. Diana Taurasi would have had perhaps 50 more assists for UConn if her teammates had been ready for her passes.)

Now Maya Moore - we have watched a parade of great UConn players over the years, but Maya is still my favorite for graceful, amazing excellence. I have said that you could put together a 30 minute highlight reel, where the reaction to each play would be "How did she do that?"

 

[Carnac]

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.

The reason I chose 30 is (and I speak from experience), it wasn't close. You got beat by a much better team. You forget it, and move on to the next game, because you were never in that one. You lose by point, you could have won by 1 point. But......I get your drift.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

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.

Doesn't she have 8 McDonald's AA on her roster right now?

 

[MilliniumPrince]

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.

Yet his teams are still usually more talented. The question was a tongue-in-cheek questions. However, both only seem to win when they have an overwhelming talent advantage. For all the talent both have coach each has just 1 title.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I can think of only twice (Kentucky and Duke once each) when a team led by multiple supremely talented one and doners won a Championship in the men's tournament. Generally speaking having some talented Jr. and Sr. who weren't good enough to go pro early trumps having a bunch of diaper dandies, as Dick Vitale calls them.

 

[Sakibomb25]

Carmelo Anthony led Syracuse to a title (though later vacated I believe); however I am not sure if he was the only one-and-doner on his team.

 

[UcMiami]

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

I think they are probably trying to protect the amateur athletes from being recorded in an inopportune moment while under their 'control' on the stage - they make the video and a transcript available to all.

 

[ochoopsfan]

Doesn't she have 8 McDonald's AA on her roster right now?

Yes, and all of Notre Dames 75 points were scored by McDonalds AA.
For Stanford, they got 9 points from Erica McCall, a McDonalds AA, and 67 points from the rest of the hard working crew.

 

[sivad40]

Carmelo Anthony led Syracuse to a title (though later vacated I believe); however I am not sure if he was the only one-and-doner on his team.

Syracuse's title isn't vacated and Carmelo was the only one and done on his team. I would say Muffet is more Izzo than Calipari. She's not losing with a starting five of top 10 rated players.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

Yes, and all of Notre Dames 75 points were scored by McDonalds AA.
For Stanford, they got 9 points from Erica McCall, a McDonalds AA, and 67 points from the rest of the hard working crew.

Hard working and well coached.