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Message: [QUOTE="Los24, post: 2948686, member: 7629"] So I have not posted much this year but have to jump in here. Just so I don't seem like I am over reacting to the ND game, I said we have the talent to beat anyone and called out that CW was going to have a breakout game (I will point to comment if doubted.) I said this because it seemed that she was holding back to fit in and feel her way with the rest of the high caliber players on the team. CW is what people refer to in baseball terms as "The Natural." I wrote a big reply (ok this is not short either) with all kinds of details but deleted because the next sentence I think captures the most critical component beyond any numbers...... [B]The eye test tells me this is a better team for one simple reason.... CONFIDENCE![/B] They had so much that I felt it during the game, I was normally on edge with every position in the games we lost and even some others we won over the past 2 years. In this years ND and St Johns games [U]I felt like they felt they were going to win[/U]. The truth is, we were outplayed in the two FF OT games we lost. We were lucky to be in OT not the other way around. It felt like we were trying to not lose in those games, this year it just seems different. Time will tell but I agree this team can be better than the past two before the ND game. Important to note that "it can be," no one can definitively state after 8 games. That said, every game is different, but this team did just beat last years squad that is supposed to be even better plus it was on their home court. Side note: Ono is the wild card and admittedly I did not have a fix on how she was going to play. I think she can help close the gap (along with MW) regarding some of the things that Gabby offered the team but obviously in a different way. To me CW is already better than Kia, and that is not a slight on Kia who was a great teammate/player but not a shot creator and much of her "scoring" came on uncontested wide open 3s and fast break layups. Yes I know defense matters but regardless of what some stated CW did not seem like a freshman on defense either. She did not look lost or confused and leads the team in steals. CW is not a lock-down defender but does not need to be, Kia had much more help from team defense than some wanted to admit. Regardless of who agrees or not, Go Huskies! [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach