Notre Dame @ Michigan St

[Nuyoika]

Anyone else watching right now on BTN? I don't think Michigan St can win it but I do think they could make it interesting for a bit.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

They've got somebody who may be 5'10" (probably less) guarding Turner. The logic of that? Neither team lighting it up, though ND must have been fairly hot early on.

 

[CocoHusky]

reamer must have gotten a quick hook with two fouls. MSU is playing ND close.

 

[Blue Huskie]

Closer than I would have expected at the half. 41-33

 

[Plebe]

reamer must have gotten a quick hook with two fouls. MSU is playing ND close.

Reimer picks up her 3rd foul just a minute into the 3rd quarter. Back to the bench she goes.

 

[Nuyoika]

It seems like both teams are playing aggressively in the post but only 1 is getting calls.

 

[uconnell]

3rd quarter, MSU can't hit the side of a barn. Only watched for a few minutes. ND can score pretty much whenever they want.

 

[uconnell]

4minutes left in game, ND up12 points.

 

[Orangutan]

Michigan St just doesn't have the horses besides Jankoska.

Only saw the 2nd half but from what I saw was the classic game where ND never really dominates but is never really threatened seriously

+8 in the 1st quarter to create a cushion then +10 the rest of the way to win by 18

Overall, decent effort. Massey projection was ND by 14 so a slightly above average performance.

 

[triaddukefan]

Michigan St just doesn't have the horses besides Jankoska.

Only saw the 2nd half but from what I saw was the classic game where ND never really dominates but is never really threatened seriously

+8 in the 1st quarter to create a cushion then +10 the rest of the way to win by 18

Overall, decent effort. Massey projection was ND by 14 so a slightly above average performance.

I didnt watch the game.... I dont have the BTN. But even if i had... I would only have tuned in to see the post game handslap line

How was it ?

 

[Plebe]

I didnt watch the game.... I dont have the BTN. But even if i had... I would only have tuned in to see the post game handslap line

How was it ?

Let's face it: if it wasn't for the Reimer backstory, this game would've been utterly forgettable. Is anyone monitoring social media for any catty tweets?

 

[Orangutan]

Can't imagine who this subtweet is meant for...

 

[Orangutan]

Reimer's Mom

 

[triaddukefan]

Can't imagine who this subtweet is meant for...

Im not even sure what that means

 

[CocoHusky]

I didnt watch the game.... I dont have the BTN. But even if i had... I would only have tuned in to see the post game handslap line

How was it ?

Uneventful from what I saw. Reimer just came through the line high fives all around.

 

[bballnut90]

Pretty dull game. Notre Dame was thoroughly better than Michigan State. Janoska is a baller, I think she has the goods to be a solid pro. Quick release, can create her own shot, gets teammates involved, etc.

Notre Dame was very Turner focused tonight and it paid off. They need to continue to make her their go to, and have Ogunbowale as a wing/secondary scorer. It makes Arike that much more lethal when she isn't expected to create for herself much of the night. Mabrey's shooting touch is back, Allen looked good.

On the downside, I don't understand how Kristina Nelson is improved from previous years. Every single time she touches the ball, she is bricking layups or finds a way to turn it over. Zero touch, poor footwork, poor decision making. I can't imagine that Thompson is less effective than Nelson.

Taya was pretty much a no show. 4 points, 1 rebounds, 4 fouls in 16 minutes. The paint was thoroughly owned by ND all night. You could see if she was more fired up than usual cheering on her teammates. No drama at all, but we'll see what happens when she logs onto twitter..

 

[Orangutan]

On the downside, I don't understand how Kristina Nelson is improved from previous years. Every single time she touches the ball, she is bricking layups or finds a way to turn it over. Zero touch, poor footwork, poor decision making. I can't imagine that Thompson is less effective than Nelson.

I think she has dropped some weight and is quicker and generally more effective defensively. On the downside, she is a center shooting 33.9%. So yeah...

Muffet was gung-ho on getting her minutes to start the season. Tonight she played 1 minute. If she really was playing well in preseason practices, she hasn't translated it to game day.

And yes, Thompson is worse. She's a walking personal foul. If you started Thompson and played her until she fouled out, she wouldn't make it to halftime. And that's not a joke. Last year she had 24 fouls in 75 minutes of playing time.

 

[UcMiami]

Did not see the game, but reading these comments and checking the box score I wonder if ND has really changed from the game we played? They seem to be sort of 'uninspired'. Yes Turner got more touches and Mabrey hit some shots but they let Michigan hang around and nothing really stands out. I don't think Michigan is that good.

 

[uconnell]

Seriously I don't know how Michigan State stayed as close as they did, they are not very good and look like they were never taught defense. It was a terrible game to watch.

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

Michigan State is #36 in the Jeff Sagarin/CBN Women's College Basketball Ratings and #32 in the NCAA RPI rankings. And MSU was #32 in the NCAA RPI before playing Notre Dame (the site has not yet been updated to reflect last night's results).

While the Spartans will not be contending for a national title and the team is clearly behind Maryland and Ohio State in the Big Ten, it is not like Notre Dame played "Our Lady of the Worthless Miracle" and only won by 18 on the road.

*** Props to whomever is able to name the movie from which I pilfered "Our Lady of the Worthless Miracle" ***

 

[HuskyNan]

Michigan State is #36 in the Jeff Sagarin/CBN Women's College Basketball Ratings and #32 in the NCAA RPI rankings. And MSU was #32 in the NCAA RPI before playing Notre Dame (the site has not yet been updated to reflect last night's results).

While the Spartans will not be contending for a national title and the team is clearly behind Maryland and Ohio State in the Big Ten, it is not like Notre Dame played "Our Lady of the Worthless Miracle" and only won by 18 on the road.

*** Props to whomever is able to name the movie from which I pilfered "Our Lady of the Worthless Miracle" ***

Michigan State has gotten where it is by feasting on cupcakes and losing to all the decent teams on its schedule.

Michigan State Official Athletic Site

 

[Orangutan]

*** Props to whomever is able to name the movie from which I pilfered "Our Lady of the Worthless Miracle" ***

There's a 50/50 chance I know what movie you are referencing, but there's only a 10% chance of that.

 

[Florida Fan]

Reimer was a high-school All American with size and touch, a gold-plated future star that ND could count on. I'm happy she is able to get graduate credit and continue playing, but she was a non-factor against her old team. Against UCONN she would make an early jumper and get a rebound and the announcers would describe her athleticism and potential impact on the college game. Then Tara would disappear. Would she have lasted in Storrs?

 

[Dillon77]

Did not see the game, but reading these comments and checking the box score I wonder if ND has really changed from the game we played? They seem to be sort of 'uninspired'. Yes Turner got more touches and Mabrey hit some shots but they let Michigan hang around and nothing really stands out. I don't think Michigan is that good.

Michigan State has not had that difficult a pre-conference schedule and has lost to Oregon, Syracuse and Notre Dame and had to go to OT to beat Western Michigan. Janoska showed grit, a quick release and -- as someone characterized her -- is a baller. Without Powers, this is going to be a tough conference year for them. Don't see them doing much more than "ole" to Maryland and Ohio State and Northwestern and Michigan look to have more players on the bench worth getting in, as well.

As for ND, I don't think they're uninspired at all: in fact, I think they've played two of their better games of the year in consecutive order against Toledo (who are not "cupcakes," to borrow Huskynan's description of some teams) and now Michigan State.

As for the uninspired/indifference aspect:
- This is not an overly demonstrative team, very much being like their coach. There is no Skylar, Kmac or Natalie Achonwa who visibly takes charge. There's not even a Mikayla Mabrey who used to be the ringleader on court, particularly during stoppages in play. But they care. However, Allen plays with a quiet confidence and Turner is determined. And there's passion...Mabrey keeps it bottled in and you can tell it's ready to blow at times. And Ogunbowale can be exuberant, in her own way.
- ND teams have a way of not going for the jugular. Could be personality. Could be Muffet playing an extended rotation or perhaps tinkering to see what works best. It can be frustrating, but a few years back I'd take an 18-point win on a hostile away court and be quite content. Some high expectations these days.
- A lot of folks thought ND was returning a veteran team. Yes, three starters came back (Turner, Allen and Westbeld), but Kat was an incidental starter (when Reimer left) and she didn't play as many minutes as most. Mabrey2 and Arike were superfrosh, but still came off the bench. Plus, we were working in two new frosh and hoping Koko Nelson and Ali Patberg would come into the rotation. The mixing and matching takes time to get it right.

Interestingly enough, we might have a case of addition by subtraction. I think we've gotten a bit stronger since one player has been out. That's not to knock Jackie Young, who may become the most talented guard we've had in years, but it has allowed Muffet to shorten the rotation and that group has played it's roles: ball is going down to Turner more regularly and she'd delivering; Mabrey is shooting better but also playing well overall; Allen is steady as per usual; and, Westbeld continues to become a vital cog,with consistency and more scoring and rebounding as of late. Ogunbowale has cooled a bit, but I suspect she'll run hot and cold, as scorers do.

So, I think we're actually playing better and with more drive since the UConn game. The Irish may not show it on their sleeves, but it's there.

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

There's a 50/50 chance I know what movie you are referencing, but there's only a 10% chance of that.

 

[Orangutan]

Interestingly enough, we might have a case of addition by subtraction. I think we've gotten a bit stronger since one player has been out. That's not to knock Jackie Young, who may become the most talented guard we've had in years, but it has allowed Muffet to shorten the rotation and that group has played it's roles

Well yeah, the starters have to had play more...so that generally will improve play (hence why most teams shorten their bench in the postseason). But I'd still rather have Jackie getting the primary bench role over Mychal if I had to pick one. And a split would probably be better yet.

If anything, it's been addition by subtracting (bless her heart) Nelson's minutes.

 

[Dillon77]

Well yeah, the starters have to had play more...so that generally will improve play (hence why most teams shorten their bench in the postseason). But I'd still rather have Jackie getting the primary bench role over Mychal if I had to pick one. And a split would probably be better yet.

If anything, it's been addition by subtracting (bless her heart) Nelson's minutes.

I'm with you on all counts. As much as I appreciate Mychal's contributions, I think Jackie brings defense, plus rebounding and offense In due time, I suspect. Will be good for her to rest a bit more before hitting the road after Xmas.

 

[UcMiami]

Michigan State has not had that difficult a pre-conference schedule and has lost to Oregon, Syracuse and Notre Dame and had to go to OT to beat Western Michigan. Janoska showed grit, a quick release and -- as someone characterized her -- is a baller. Without Powers, this is going to be a tough conference year for them. Don't see them doing much more than "ole" to Maryland and Ohio State and Northwestern and Michigan look to have more players on the bench worth getting in, as well.

As for ND, I don't think they're uninspired at all: in fact, I think they've played two of their better games of the year in consecutive order against Toledo (who are not "cupcakes," to borrow Huskynan's description of some teams) and now Michigan State.

As for the uninspired/indifference aspect:
- This is not an overly demonstrative team, very much being like their coach. There is no Skylar, Kmac or Natalie Achonwa who visibly takes charge. There's not even a Mikayla Mabrey who used to be the ringleader on court, particularly during stoppages in play. But they care. However, Allen plays with a quiet confidence and Turner is determined. And there's passion...Mabrey keeps it bottled in and you can tell it's ready to blow at times. And Ogunbowale can be exuberant, in her own way.
- ND teams have a way of not going for the jugular. Could be personality. Could be Muffet playing an extended rotation or perhaps tinkering to see what works best. It can be frustrating, but a few years back I'd take an 18-point win on a hostile away court and be quite content. Some high expectations these days.
- A lot of folks thought ND was returning a veteran team. Yes, three starters came back (Turner, Allen and Westbeld), but Kat was an incidental starter (when Reimer left) and she didn't play as many minutes as most. Mabrey2 and Arike were superfrosh, but still came off the bench. Plus, we were working in two new frosh and hoping Koko Nelson and Ali Patberg would come into the rotation. The mixing and matching takes time to get it right.

Interestingly enough, we might have a case of addition by subtraction. I think we've gotten a bit stronger since one player has been out. That's not to knock Jackie Young, who may become the most talented guard we've had in years, but it has allowed Muffet to shorten the rotation and that group has played it's roles: ball is going down to Turner more regularly and she'd delivering; Mabrey is shooting better but also playing well overall; Allen is steady as per usual; and, Westbeld continues to become a vital cog,with consistency and more scoring and rebounding as of late. Ogunbowale has cooled a bit, but I suspect she'll run hot and cold, as scorers do.

So, I think we're actually playing better and with more drive since the UConn game. The Irish may not show it on their sleeves, but it's there.

Thanks. As i said i didn't watch so it is good to get a better spin on the team from someone who did. And i agree - there are times when a long bench causes more problems because no one fully understands their role and the chemistry is harder to get right. I think OSU suffers from that - play 10 people and you have 10 individuals, play seven and they start thinking like a team and anticipating/understanding each players needs/movements. And then you can start adding in the others for specific roles once the core is set.