Street & Smith's Annual Yearbook Has ND at #1, UConn at #3

[Alydar]

The Pac 12 is constantly improving in both the level of players they have attracted and coaching. One major difference has been the TV exposure they are now getting. Stanford, Oregon and Oregon St are the names everyone knows, but almost every other program is improving year by year.

Oregon was not over rated. They were a very dangerous team. A lot depends on match ups in the NCAA's. They would not have been overrated at two this season, if not for their injuries. They lost a number of transfers but those would not have been a problem if they were not compounded by injuries. Right now they have a really thin roster. I heard they were down to seven players. The Sabally younger sister being one of the injured, still they should be Ok in the front court. Their weakness, might be their back court depth. However, Sabrina usually plays a lot of minutes.

Oregon St is not bereft of talent. The key for them will be how quickly their frosh front court players develop. The only significant player they lost from last season was Gulish and her inside scoring and defense has to be replaced. They however, have the tallest front court in the history of womens basketball to work with. 6'7", 6'8" and 6'9". The 6'8" being a space eater, and the other two being mobile freshman with big upsides. How quickly the frosh begin to fulfill their upsides this year will depend on how far they go. They also add Maryland PG transfer Slocum. Baring unforeseen circumstances, in 2019/20 they might be the team to beat. Aquino still has a huge upside and her developing skill set ( think a 6'9" Stevens ) might even allow them to eventually put her and the other Frosh 6'7" Morris, on the court at the same time. That would be a match up nightmare.

Some people have been burying Oregon St for the last 3 years. The losses of Hamblin, Weise, Wiesner and now Gulich were supposed to bring them back to earth but IMO their coach is one of the top coaches in the country and I see them getting better as Rueck starts attracting more talent.

 

[victor64]

Alydar said it better than I could. The Pac 12 could have as many as seven teams make the tourney with three potential sweet sixteen or better teams. The ACC, SEC and Big 12 have loaded teams at the top but the Pac 12 can match overall depth. I did not say they were the best conference. I just said they belong in the discussion, which is kind of what we doing.

 

[HuskylnSC]

Who else is old enough to remember when we had to wait on those magazines to get much recruiting news? I also remember when Street and Smith's only had like a 3 page WBB section.

I remember that is where I first heard about this kid Lew Alcindor who played at Power Memorial in NYC.

 

[Reypl21]

He's talking about the opponent she was facing for the trials. Professional athletes competing to make the US national team

My point exactly. No way they’re in the conversation for best conference in th country.

 

[Shmermerer]

I have heard that the younger Sabally tore her ACL?? Is that true?

It wasn't an ACL tear. Reports said she went to the hospital after the game for a possible fracture; however, I saw on a blog that she was didn't play the following day but looked mobile with no crutches or boot or anything.

 

[j66kicker]

Ionescu was facing WNBA guards at the USA national team tryouts. Which conference has guards at that level?

One can make a case that no team right now in the P-12 is at the UConn-Notre Dame level but they are close. And go down to the 3rd-7th teams in the P5 conferences and the P-12 looks better. I'm an East coast bias guy but I've watched a lot of P-12 games the last 2 years and it's much better basketball than you see in the SEC and most of the ACC and B12.

Just out of curiosity I looked up some conference stats from last season. No editorial comment - it just came out how it came out:

 

[Alydar]

Actual results of P-5 teams in NCAA's:

Sweet 16 participants
P-12 - 4
ACC - 4
SEC - 3
B12 - 2
B1G - 0

E8 participants

P12 - 3
ACC - 2
SEC - 2
B12 - 0
B1G - 0

 

[MainefanSC]

Actual results of P-5 teams in NCAA's:

Sweet 16 participants
P-12 - 4
ACC - 4
SEC - 3
B12 - 2
B1G - 0

E8 participants

P12 - 3
ACC - 2
SEC - 2
B12 - 0
B1G - 0

Stats and history can't be refuted. However, it's always fun to see how things evolve as the season progresses. I think all of you P12 fans have a lot to be upbeat about. Let's see how you fare. Without this discussion, I may not have been watching the P12 much. Now, having been enlightened, my interest has been piqued. Thank you.

 

[WestsideWaltz]

Confirming rumors, Raoul reports that Nyara Saballa, sister of Satou will miss the season due to a knee injury. Oregon is said to have only seven healthy players this season.



I also think people too easily overlook USC who could be a real troublemaker. Trakh is not talked about often, but I think he's a quality coach and certainly superior to some other longer term Pac coaches.

 

[jonson]

Confirming rumors, Raoul reports that Nyara Saballa, sister of Satou will miss the season due to a knee injury. Oregon is said to have only seven healthy players this season.

This has also been confirmed by the local Eugene newspaper, and it's really bad news for Oregon, since, as the tweet says, Graves believed she would be their third straight Pac-12 freshman of the year, with 20-25 minutes/game on the court. I don't think the numbers are quite as bad as some have said (there will be, I believe, 9 healthy players by the time the season starts), but they're obviously not very good. If S. Sabally makes the proverbial sophomore leap and there are no additional injuries, this could still be a very good team--not #2, certainly (I don't think they were ever that), but with Final Four potential. But an injury to any of the starters (I'm including Boley in this) would be serious trouble.

 

[HuskyFan1125]

It wasn't an ACL tear. Reports said she went to the hospital after the game for a possible fracture; however, I saw on a blog that she was didn't play the following day but looked mobile with no crutches or boot or anything.

 

[nwhoopfan]

That's a tough break for UO. They might miss McGwire more than some think. Gildon may get some significant minutes this year. Her playing time has varied over the years but she's delivered when they've called on her. She's a bit undersized but tough in the post.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I'm digging all this love for the Pac 12. Thanks BYers!

 

[Shmermerer]

ApparentIy I was mistaken. It was an article from a previous game. My bad!

 

[PAC-12HoopFan]

The two best players on Oregon last year were both sophomores. In fact the team did a great job considering how young they were. Graves is a great coach and there is every reason to see them not only winning the P-12 but going deep into the tournament. As for Ionescu's lack of speed you need to consider who she was facing. No one in the P-12 comes close to that level.

If I am not mistaken, Ioenscu played against UCLA's Jordin Canada the past two seasons as they battled in the PAC-12. Kiana Williams of Stanford is also jet quick. USC's Aliyah Mazyck is as athletic as any guard in the country.

Has Alydar watched much PAC-12 basketball over the past two seasons?

 

[Alydar]

If I am not mistaken, Ioenscu played against UCLA's Jordin Canada the past two seasons as they battled in the PAC-12. Kiana Williams of Stanford is also jet quick. USC's Aliyah Mazyck is as athletic as any guard in the country.

Has Alydar watched much PAC-12 basketball over the past two seasons?

Canada et al are certainly quick but I was responding to a comment that said that Ionescu was slow-footed and couldn't guard the players at the USA team trials. I doubt that any of those you mentioned would fair well facing Bird/Taurasi or the other WNBA guards. I don't remember seeing Ionescu looking lost against any college player in the last 2 years. On the contrary, more often it was she giving the lesson.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Speed/quickness can be really useful, but it can also be overrated. Bird and Whalen aren't exactly speed demons and the US team has been doing fine with them running the show for a long time. Taurasi isn't noted for her eye popping athleticism, yet may very well be the best ever. Those are just a few examples, I could keep going. Ball handling, body control, ability to change pace, craftiness can all be more important than pure speed. Strength isn't bad either. Some players, once they get a shoulder past you it's all over because they are too strong and you aren't going to get between them and the basket. I've been saying it for a while, Ionescu has some parallels to Taurasi. She's gonna be fine despite not being as athletic as some other players.

 

[Dillon77]

Oregon is not overrated. Oregon will only be better this upcoming season. Oregon has an unbelievable set of players on their team. Sabrina, Ruthy Hebard (UCONN would love to have Ruthy Hebard), Maite Cazorla who is a dynamite guard as well, Satou Sabally, and now her 6' 3" sister (also a stud). I'm an OSU Beaver fan, and, I'm telling you, Oregon will be great in 2018-19 season. UCONN will not blow out UO if UCONN gets a chance to play UO next season (injuries aside).

I have heard that the younger Sabally tore her ACL?? Is that true?

Went directly to the source for the Sabally injury and also for a look at the current roster.
Pac-12 champion Oregon Ducks women's basketball team returns to practice

As much as it pains me to bring up Erin Boley's name, I think she'll add a tremendous amount of firepower to Oregon's already potent offense. Double Hebard and she'll knock down anything.
She's also a willing rebounder who isn't scared to battle in the lane. If there's an area with a question mark, it's how she'll do on defense if they play her at a "3." It's been more than a season, but I don't recall a lot of lateral foot quickness. With Erin on the floor at Oregon and Slocum in the lineup at OSU, offenses will get even sharper at the two Oregon schools.

 

[j66kicker]

Speed/quickness can be really useful, but it can also be overrated. Bird and Whalen aren't exactly speed demons and the US team has been doing fine with them running the show for a long time. Taurasi isn't noted for her eye popping athleticism, yet may very well be the best ever. Those are just a few examples, I could keep going. Ball handling, body control, ability to change pace, craftiness can all be more important than pure speed. Strength isn't bad either. Some players, once they get a shoulder past you it's all over because they are too strong and you aren't going to get between them and the basket. I've been saying it for a while, Ionescu has some parallels to Taurasi. She's gonna be fine despite not being as athletic as some other players.

"Speed/quickness can be really useful"?? Good one! Seriously, good points. Ionescu is a great player and she'll probably end up being a great WNBA and international player. But just imagine if she was fast, too. Make no mistake - speed cannot be overrated.

 

[jonson]

Went directly to the source for the Sabally injury and also for a look at the current roster.
Pac-12 champion Oregon Ducks women's basketball team returns to practice

As much as it pains me to bring up Erin Boley's name, I think she'll add a tremendous amount of firepower to Oregon's already potent offense. Double Hebard and she'll knock down anything.
She's also a willing rebounder who isn't scared to battle in the lane. If there's an area with a question mark, it's how she'll do on defense if they play her at a "3." It's been more than a season, but I don't recall a lot of lateral foot quickness. With Erin on the floor at Oregon and Slocum in the lineup at OSU, offenses will get even sharper at the two Oregon schools.

I suspect that they will put S. Sabally at the 3, if one thinks of the lineup in conventional numbers. She is certainly quick and athletic enough, although last year her defense was a work in progress. If she improves in that area and becomes more aggressive on offense, I think she will be a really tough challenge for other teams.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Make no mistake - speed cannot be overrated.

Speed without control leaves a lot to be desired. Jordin Canada is probably as fast as anybody, but she gets a lot of criticism around these parts. She needs to play with more control. Speed + control is lethal. How many players really have that? It's been so long since Jefferson has been 100% healthy that I forget what she was like at the top of her game.

 

[shizam]

That sounds like a bit of a slight. Pac 12 schools have been performing very well in the NCAA Tourney in recent years.

Louisville was 3-0 verse Pac 12 last year. 2-0 in the tourney - Oregon St by 33 points in Elite Eight and trounced Stanford in the Sweet 16. They met Oregon in the reg season and Oregon looked surpirisingly poorly coached and disinterested. The Ducks shaped up fast after that game and had a great year.

 

[Alydar]

Louisville was 3-0 verse Pac 12 last year. 2-0 in the tourney - Oregon St by 33 points in Elite Eight and trounced Stanford in the Sweet 16. They met Oregon in the reg season and Oregon looked surpirisingly poorly coached and disinterested. The Ducks shaped up fast after that game and had a great year.

The Cardinals were also 2-0 against Notre Dame. The first win was by 33 in which the Irish "looked surprisingly poorly coached and disinterested". 56-28 at the half.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Louisville was 3-0 verse Pac 12 last year. 2-0 in the tourney - Oregon St by 33 points in Elite Eight and trounced Stanford in the Sweet 16.

Louisville did what Tennessee and Baylor failed to do--took advantage of their superior athleticism and talent against OSU. That game got ugly (well not if you're a Louisville fan I suppose...).

 

[jonson]

Louisville was 3-0 verse Pac 12 last year. 2-0 in the tourney - Oregon St by 33 points in Elite Eight and trounced Stanford in the Sweet 16. They met Oregon in the reg season and Oregon looked surpirisingly poorly coached and disinterested. The Ducks shaped up fast after that game and had a great year.

A bit of context (for Oregon): the loss was on the road (by 13 points) and in mid-November (the finals of the preseason WNIT). It was only their fourth game of the season and followed another road game in the WNIT Tourney (a victory at Texas A&M). (Oregon actually outscored Louisvillea by a bit in the second half.) I completely agree that it served as a wake-up call for the program (Graves inserted S. Sabally in the starting lineup in place of McGwire after that game), and things might have been different later in the season.