Ole Miss takes down Stanford (merged)

[hoopsnloops32]

Would you take her over Bueckers and Clark in next year’s draft, assuming they all enter? Posts as good as her are hard to come by

I don't think either Clark or Paige will be in the draft next year. Brink wouldn't surprise me considering how rarely Stanford players stay but also wouldn't surprise me if she stayed given how much she'll make in NIL and how long it might take her to make that much again in the WNBA.

 

[cohenzone]

To be fair brink was still sick. She said she was winded the whole game and you could see her on the sideline trying to get nutrients in her. She was just getting an IV a couple days ago. With that, I think she did as well as she could and still had a nice game

Unless they are a one person team, i don’t think i criticized Brink. She was pretty much the only player Miss couldn’t handle. What more do you think she could have done that she didn’t do? Her illness didn’t seem to do anything thst compromised Stanford. Their backcourt was terrible handling defensive pressure. .

 

[BRS24]

Brink wasn’t 100% and hadn’t played in a week, but she was still the most dominant player on the floor and played her heart out. Ole Miss defended extremely well but Stanford missed SO many chippies they normally make with ease.

Looking at the box score, Brink and Jones put up 36 pts, 73% of team total, with only 3 pts from bench. Ole Miss had 3 players in double figures, 36 pts (67% total), however they had 11 bench points. All the other stats were fairly equal, so it seems that OM's intent on defense put Stanford in a bind and forced the game onto two players, one of which was on an IV drip a few days ago. Also, in contrast (and yes, SHU was a weaker team), Stanford played 13 in their 1st round game (no one over 25 min), and 11 yesterday, where 4 of 5 starters played 32+ mins. The burden was solely on Brink & Jones.

 

[bovwa10]

I don't think either Clark or Paige will be in the draft next year. Brink wouldn't surprise me considering how rarely Stanford players stay but also wouldn't surprise me if she stayed given how much she'll make in NIL and how long it might take her to make that much again in the WNBA.

I agree that it is highly questionable whether or not Paige will enter next year, given all her injuries at UConn, but I’d be very surprised if Clark stayed a 5th year.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

I agree that it is highly questionable whether or not Paige will enter next year, given all her injuries at UConn, but I’d be very surprised if Clark stayed a 5th year.

She already teased that she was going to. I think it depends on if they get any decent big in the transfer portal this year to replace Czinano and if she and Clark have chemistry and a chance at a National Championship. A lot of ifs but I can see it.

 

[bballnut90]

Would you take her over Bueckers and Clark in next year’s draft, assuming they all enter? Posts as good as her are hard to come by

Clark I'd take over anyone. 2 years ago I would've taken Paige over her, but Paige a tough one since she's been quite injury prone. I'd probably risk it and take her over Brink since she's another really unique talent and has a knack for seizing big moments. Both her and Clark are possibly the best guard prospects since Taurasi IMO.

Brink would slotted at 3rd, I think she's going to be a great pro with her length and face up game. Reese is another really intriguing prospect, though her game needs some refinement. Realistically I could see all 4 returning for a 5th season though.

 

[bballnut90]

I agree that it is highly questionable whether or not Paige will enter next year, given all her injuries at UConn, but I’d be very surprised if Clark stayed a 5th year.

Clark's stated she's considering returning for a 5th year. She's a bonafide star in Iowa and genuinely seems to love being there, I think there's a good chance she stays (along with Bueckers).

 

[nwhoopfan]

When your 6'5 reserve player is your best 3 point threat that's a problem.

Jump is their best 3 point threat, by miles. Prechtel is good behind the arc, but come on now. I'd say Demetre is ahead of Prechtel in that regard as well.

 

[Topdawg]

Post game presser from Ole Miss. Well worth a watch.

Ole Miss coach and players.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Why is Stanford not getting guard talent anywhere near the front court talent?

That's really been an issue for forever. They've had some good guards over the years, but to me Wiggins is the only one that was of the same caliber as many of their front court players in the last nearly 20 years.

As to the why? I don't have a good answer for that.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

Jump is their best 3 point threat, by miles. Prechtel is good behind the arc, but come on now. I'd say Demetre is ahead of Prechtel in that regard as well.

A quick review indicates Jump shot 44% from 3 and Prechtel shot 30%. I stand corrected. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[nwhoopfan]

It was another brutal "football" game. In both men's and women's basketball, it seems that the physicality keeps getting worse and worse.
I am getting so tired of watching the brutal defense + offense in the game which used to be a game of skill.

I keep wondering why the college game is like this. The NBA went thru an era that was nearly unwatchable and resembled pro wrestling more than basketball. Thankfully they were able to move past that many years ago. It's still a physical game, but they've gotten back to celebrating athleticism and skill, and these days there are a bunch of very high scoring NBA games.

 

[Bone Dog]

I keep wondering why the college game is like this. The NBA went thru an era that was nearly unwatchable and resembled pro wrestling more than basketball. Thankfully they were able to move past that many years ago. It's still a physical game, but they've gotten back to celebrating athleticism and skill, and these days there are a bunch of very high scoring NBA games.

I guess it really matter what sort of athleticism the rules and the officiating favor. Currently, it's the wrestling sort. I suspect we all (or mostly) would prefer the agility and quickness sort.

 

[bovwa10]

That's really been an issue for forever. They've had some good guards over the years, but to me Wiggins is the only one that was of the same caliber as many of their front court players in the last nearly 20 years.

As to the why? I don't have a good answer for that.

They’ve missed out on a ton of good guards over the past few years: Miles, Citron, Rice, Watkins, Hidalgo, etc.

 

[nwhoopfan]

A quick review indicates Jump shot 44% from 3 and Prechtel shot 30%. I stand corrected. Thanks for the heads up.

It's not just %, but number of made 3s. Prechtel has been an important player at Stanford during her career, but she did not play much this season. Her role was much reduced compared to prior seasons.

Looking at their stats, she was 5th on the team in made 3s, and well down the list for % also.

 

[Bone Dog]

I like Prechtel's game, always have. She's not a low post banger, but she can do that, too. But a high post passer and shooter is what she does best.

 

[southie]

Brink happened and took her spot/minutes, and then fighting for playing time with Betts/Prechtel/Iriafen also reduced minutes. I hope Belibi grad transfers somewhere, she could be a huge force at another program. Duke could be a good fit with her academic background. She could also play overseas but I don't think she's a WNBA caliber player. Coming out of HS she talked about wanting to become a doctor (she had a near perfect GPA/test scores in HS) though if she goes the med school route, basketball is probably over for her.

Just because you don't get starter minutes, that doesn't mean you still can't develop as a player over a 4 year college career.

Betts barely arrived this season and is a true center; her arrival shouldn't really have had an impact on Belibi's playing time or development. Prechtel doesn't even play much in the paint; all she wants to do is launch 3-pointers; completely different skill set than Belibi.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Wow, looking at stats for Stanford is interesting. If you ever asked "Can you have too many front court players?," I think the answer was yes for them. Jones and Brink averaged 33 and 25 minutes. After that it drops sharply. Iriafen started most of the year, but only averaged 12 minutes. Betts and Belibi both about 10 minutes, and Prechtel 8. I was surprised by Iriafen's lack of production after how good she looked at the beginning of the year, but it's hard to do too much when you're hardly on the court. They probably would've been better off with 1 or even 2 less players to try to work into the rotation.

 

[Dillon77]

Just because you don't get starter minutes, that doesn't mean you still can't developer as a player over a 4 year college career.

Betts barely arrived this season and is a true center; her arrival shouldn't really have had an impact on Belibi's playing time or development. Prechtel doesn't even play much in the paint; all she wants to do is launch 3-pointers; completely different skill set than Belibi.

I've been following both of these players for years: Belibi is a tweener forward at best who never really developed her offensive skills in either area. And, to be frank, she's not terribly physical on the 50-50 front. Prechtel is more than a 3-pt. launcher. She can play defense and block shots, but this is another instance to seemingly reaching her peak (at least for Stanford) early in her career. Frankly, I was hoping she'd hit the portal trail to South Bend for one year, but it appears she's going pro.

 

[OldSchooler]

So well said, Monte. Watching Georgia vs. Iowa and then Ole Miss vs. Stanford definitely lessened my appetite to watch...

And the last 2 minutes of every close game take forever -- just like the NBA.

 

[Dillon77]

You know, for a guy who lives in the town Yogi Berra adopted as his hometown, I can say this: the Stanford-Ole Miss game was deja vu all over again. Why? I had seen another team from the Magnolia State -- Mississippi State -- follow the same game plan against Notre Dame. And it was another 5-pt. game, but in the case of ND, they won it.

Sam Purcell devised an aggressive game plan and unleashed it: wear Soni Citron down (sound familiar?) and attack/pester the other ND ballhandlers constantly. Since ND has a short roster to begin with, there weren't a lot of options for Coach Ivey, so even though the Bulldogs often had 4 guards in, she kept two bigs in all the time: most notably Lauren Ebo and Maddy Westbeld. And those two probably carried the day for the Irish by rebounding (18 for Ebo, 15 for Westbeld), defending (Ebo on Carter and blocking 5 shots, Westbeld on weakside help) and clogging the lane in the 2nd half. Citron kept her cool on defense (4 steals) and hitting crucial FT's down the stretch.

I bring this up because if Tara wasn't getting the guard play she needed, I thought she should've gone big and helped out Brink, not just on offense, but defense. Jones is a good enough point forward to get the ball to, say, Brink and Prechtel. But it didn't happen. Not even tried.

Tara gave an interview earlier this month on Betts saying how she uses certain players a lot one game and might not be there the next. Well, theoretically that sounds plausible, but in reality it's Brink, Jump, Jones and a rotating cast that didn't gel. And a bit disengaged....one thing I can say about the Irish is they are desperate and played like it. Heck, high school senior Cassan Prosper was in the defensive posture we all learned and smacking her hands and the floor. Ebo...not a small person...was hitting the floor for loose balls. Needed passion against Purcell's team. So did Stanford.

Will be really interesting to see personnel usages by the Cardinal next year.

(BTW, kudos to Sam Purcell of Mississippi State. What a good run by the Bulldogs with a team he stitched together from returnees, those who had taken a year off and transfers. And he comported himself with class. Really won over the South Bend crowd.)

 

[Dillon77]

And the last 2 minutes of every close game take forever -- just like the NBA.

Or the guys. Or the NFL.
Hell, be like the NHL...have a centralized center make the decision and get back to them. Done. Move on.

 

[hoophuskee]

I did not see the game but the box score reads pretty ugly to me. Combined the two teams shot 31% from the floor with 15 assists and 38 turnovers so that must have been the most fantastically stupendous defensive performance of all time by both teams to have been considered a great game.

I'm a fan of points. Usually, these types of games are boring to me. But this game was different.

You can see Ole Miss's athleticism is off-the-charts. And you know Stanford's guards are at times "questionable" (trying to be neutral here with that word instead of harsh.).

SO, the excitement from the game came from the freaky athletic team vs two big time all-Americans. The excitement further came out to see fi the two A/A's could literally will their team. What was also fascinating is that both these terrific players seemed to only be able to score in the 4th qtr if they had a short bank shot or got fouled.

And as what was pointed out in this thread, Brink was especially heroic. Not only that, she made the game exciting because you could hear her on TV screaming for the ball when she had low post position several times -- or other times when she missed an easy layup. She was sort of the center of attention in the 4th quarter and she was bleeding with emotion with the ball and without., You're feeling her intensity and to see if she could be great enough to will her team to win. At the other end she's grabbing rebounds and blocking shots. I think she had 7?

And with that said, at the other end, you could both see and feel Ole Miss crumbling offensively because they were so nervous. SO, the expectation was that you keep glued to see the seat because Stanford was going to keep coming with their two A/A's. SO just watching Ole Miss so nervous. Heck if you can watch their last possession, their pg was so nervous she had a bit of an open jumper and she just didn't even set her feet and just flung the ball up toward the rim. But at the other end, they kept playing such inspired defense.

The game in no way was artistic but as a college game- a fascinating and fun watch. The 2 super players almost pulled it out in which one as running on fumes from being sick, while the other team was freakish athletically on defense but you could see them crumbling offensively before your eyes. And you would keep saying if a Stanford fan- "Get the ball to Brink . . ."

 

[bovwa10]

I like Prechtel's game, always have. She's not a low post banger, but she can do that, too. But a high post passer and shooter is what she does best.

Why she was reduced to benchwarmer status this year is beyond me

 

[nwhoopfan]

Why she was reduced to benchwarmer status this year is beyond me

Who's minutes was she gonna take? Like I said above, they had too many options and not enough playing time to go around. She was by far the least productive and least efficient of the players in the post rotation.