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

[shizam]

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...).

You are correct Sir! The Or State guards were exploited and harassed and LVille broke the game open just before halftime and continued causing chaos and dominating in the 2nd half.

 

[shizam]

Watch out for McKenzie Forbes a freshman on Cal out of Folsom Cali. She’s a Magic Johnson type that plays several positions. A small forward that can handle the ball, dish and compete on the glass. She’s a very versatile defender with a soft floater and outside touch on perimeter with range. She’s way ahead of Gabby Green and Mikayla Cowlings from 2014 Cal class.

 

[Shmermerer]

Watch out for McKenzie Forbes a freshman on Cal out of Folsom Cali. She’s a Magic Johnson type that plays several positions. A small forward that can handle the ball, dish and compete on the glass. She’s a very versatile defender with a soft floater and outside touch on perimeter with range. She’s way ahead of Gabby Green and Mikayla Cowlings from 2014 Cal class.

Cal is going to be really good this year. Recee Caldwell who has transferred everywhere will finally be able to thrive IMO. She and Cal will be one of the major surprises of the year IMO.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Cal intrigues me. Anigwe was of course good last year but didn't seem quite as good as she should have been. If she can bounce back to previous form that would be big. I was impressed with Kianna Smith as a Fr. They have some nice pieces to work with. Can they move up into the top 4 of the conference this year?

 

[JellyBean]

Wow. Oregon at #2? That program has come a looooong way. Congrats, Coach Graves.

 

[PAC-12HoopFan]

You are correct Sir! The Or State guards were exploited and harassed and LVille broke the game open just before halftime and continued causing chaos and dominating in the 2nd half.

I attended that Elite Eight game in Lexington in March. shizam's memory is a little bit off. The game was a seven-point game at the half with Louisville leading 31-24. Louisville outscored Oregon State 28-12 in the third quarter to break the game open. Oregon State emptied its bench early in the fourth quarter while Louisville left its starters in for much of the fourth quarter and extended the lead by another 10 points in that quarter. Check the box score below.

Oregon State vs. Louisville - Box Score - March 25, 2018 - ESPN

 

[Shmermerer]

Cal intrigues me. Anigwe was of course good last year but didn't seem quite as good as she should have been. If she can bounce back to previous form that would be big. I was impressed with Kianna Smith as a Fr. They have some nice pieces to work with. Can they move up into the top 4 of the conference this year?

I think part of the problem was Anigwe didn’t have options to pass out to. Three point shooting wasn’t very good. Anigwe has two issues. She tries to dribble through multiple defenders instead of passing back out or to a cutter(she has shooters on the team now so that should be solved). Two, she gets in to foul trouble way to often.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I attended that Elite Eight game in Lexington in March. shizam's memory is a little bit off. The game was a seven-point game at the half with Louisville leading 31-24. Louisville outscored Oregon State 28-12 in the third quarter to break the game open. Oregon State emptied its bench early in the fourth quarter while Louisville left its starters in for much of the fourth quarter and extended the lead by another 10 points in that quarter. Check the box score below.

Oregon State vs. Louisville - Box Score - March 25, 2018 - ESPN

That's what I was thinking too. First half was tough but they were still in the game. First few minutes of the 3rd quarter and it was all over.

 

[LoTrader]

That's what I was thinking too. First half was tough but they were still in the game. First few minutes of the 3rd quarter and it was all over.

Louisville shut down Gulich with their physical posts. Gulich was double/triple teamed, and the remainder of the OSU squad didn't pick up the slack. Even if Gulich didn't score, she was integral to ball movement and Louisville did an excellent job keeping Gulich from touching the ball. That ultimately did in the Beavers, because OSU didn't adjust to Louisville's overplay of Gulich.

 

[Grad1990]

Ho-hum. As if we all haven't seen this before. Like the past 8 years, UConn has control over their destiny. Its up to another team to take it away from them. At best a tough undertaking.

Samuelson, Collier and Dangerfield are the three best players at their position in the Country. Walker will have a spectacular year; she is too athletic, strong, quick and fundamentally sound not to.

UConn has three pro-ready players now, all 1st round draft choices and, I suspect, in Walker a 4rth by year's end.
No team including Oregon, ND or Baylor comes close.

It will take an off UConn night for any team in the country to have a chance to beat UConn this year. No one has a chance of beating Uconn this year when they are on. They will repeat as WCBB best defenders.

Remember that if it had not been for the spectacularly awful call in ND's favor in the last three seconds of last year's championship game (if ever an asterisk should be after a win, this is the one) no one outside of ND would be talking about ND as the team to beat this year.

Uconn is the most probable team to run the table this year. I hope ND's loss to UConn this year in December puts the nonsense to bed.

 

[Bayareahusky]

ND Oregon UConn 1 2 3 in common is very good coaching

 

[Reypl21]

Ho-hum. As if we all haven't seen this before. Like the past 8 years, UConn has control over their destiny. Its up to another team to take it away from them. At best a tough undertaking.

Samuelson, Collier and Dangerfield are the three best players at their position in the Country. Walker will have a spectacular year; she is too athletic, strong, quick and fundamentally sound not to.

UConn has three pro-ready players now, all 1st round draft choices and, I suspect, in Walker a 4rth by year's end.
No team including Oregon, ND or Baylor comes close.

It will take an off UConn night for any team in the country to have a chance to beat UConn this year. No one has a chance of beating Uconn this year when they are on. They will repeat as WCBB best defenders.

Remember that if it had not been for the spectacularly awful call in ND's favor in the last three seconds of last year's championship game (if ever an asterisk should be after a win, this is the one) no one outside of ND would be talking about ND as the team to beat this year.

Uconn is the most probable team to run the table this year. I hope ND's loss to UConn this year in December puts the nonsense to bed.

Remember the no-call on Nurse's clear as hell travel for the tie? Remember? Go look, she took four steps lol. ND's asterik win also includes coming back from down 15 in the second half, a blown wide open layup by McCowan, and a once-in-a-lifetime shot.

Okay rant over lol. UConn definitely still has the most talented team. Maybe not the most experienced because ND returns 4 starters from a championship team and the other starter is Turner. UConn has the lost talented, but they might not be the lost seasoned. They have the potential to go through the season undefeated. If not them, it would be ND.

 

[willtalk]

Watch out for McKenzie Forbes a freshman on Cal out of Folsom Cali. She’s a Magic Johnson type that plays several positions. A small forward that can handle the ball, dish and compete on the glass. She’s a very versatile defender with a soft floater and outside touch on perimeter with range. She’s way ahead of Gabby Green and Mikayla Cowlings from 2014 Cal class.

I have seen her play quite a few times. While she does have a variety of skills, I have not seen that strong competitive fire that elevates a player at their next level. She sort of resembles Green in her skill level although she is a much better parameter shooter. Green had this low release that worked in high school but not at the D1 level. Remember she also made some USA teams based on her versatility. The problem with her was a total lack of competitive desire. It often seemed like she was sleep walking through games and never elevated her play when necessary. Cowling was her opposite in that respect. She was mostly desire and that carried her to be successful where as Greens skills did not.

When I speak of competitive desire, I refer to the will to win. Those that have it hate to lose and play like their lives are at stake. I did saw her display increments of it in one game, but the question is will it be consistently displayed. Unlike high school, the competition at the D1 level requires that competitiveness to be constantly in play. Players can no longer get by on just skill alone. The players the are competing with also have skills. In fact if you follow the ratings, players are getting better every year. In the 2008 class the top PG had a 92 skill rating. Today a 92 wouldn't even get you into the top 150 player list. Perhaps the competition at the next level will stimulate that competitive fire in McKenzie. Only time will tell.