Turning the page to NCAA WBB

[Alydar]

Boston and Cardoso are formidable but it will be interesting to see how they work together. It seems like they play the same position. Can they prosper together?

We have a similar issue with Olivia and Dorka but Olivia is a good passer and seems to be a good option at the high post. Dorka is, hopefully, a banger down low. Can they complement each other? What will Aaliyah add to the mix?

These are not idle "angels on the head of a pin" questions. I think that the team with the better answers cuts the nets down in Minneapolis.

SCar is a formidable inside team but neither Cardoso nor Boston can guard the perimeter. UConn has perhaps the best arsenal of perimeter players/shooters in the country.

 

[DEpup]

When it comes to Stanford, I think folks are really underestimating how much their graduated PG did for them. She really drove everything.. I'm not sold on them being a viable #1 until they can prove they have a floor general.

 

[nwhoopfan]

When it comes to Stanford, I think folks are really underestimating how much their graduated PG did for them. She really drove everything.. I'm not sold on them being a viable #1 until they can prove they have a floor general.

She disappeared in San Antonio and they still cut down the nets. I think they'll adjust. She was never really a PG. Kinda by committee last season.

 

[Alydar]

Without access to the PAC12 net I haven't seen Stanford much lately but I'm sure that Jones will be on preseason POY lists and there's a bunch of players that have years playing together. When Tara has talent and experience she will be there at the end I think.

 

[DEpup]

She disappeared in San Antonio and they still cut down the nets. I think they'll adjust. She was never really a PG. Kinda by committee last season.

We shall see but I remember an analysis leading up to the final 4 where it showed when Kianna was "on" they did well and their losses came when she wasn't "on" so I'm still looking to see how they adapt without her leadership. I hope you would admit that this is a challenge that say SC and UConn don't have for the coming year. All three are in great shape with returners but if you are trying to discern, this is a place to look at for me in thinking through a tight ranking 1-3.

 

[UConnCat]

We shall see but I remember an analysis leading up to the final 4 where it showed when Kianna was "on" they did well and their losses came when she wasn't "on" so I'm still looking to see how they adapt without her leadership. I hope you would admit that this is a challenge that say SC and UConn don't have for the coming year. All three are in great shape with returners but if you are trying to discern, this is a place to look at for me in thinking through a tight ranking 1-3.

Tara did call Kiana the "key" to the team.

Kiana played 40 minutes in both FF games. She shot poorly at the FF but she was important enough not to leave the court. She made the most 3-pointers for Stanford last season by a lot and was the team's leading scorer. Stanford returns a lot of talent but it's not obvious who will replace Kiana's leadership and scoring from the point guard position.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Of course Kiana was an important player. Many teams lose important players every year and keep on rolling. She is the ONLY player they lost. They are loaded. Very experienced team as well, I really don't think leadership is going to be a problem.

I don't think whoever ends up being their PG is going to "replace" Kiana's scoring. That will be accomplished by everyone else scoring a bit more at the other 4 positions.

 

[nwhoopfan]

We shall see but I remember an analysis leading up to the final 4 where it showed when Kianna was "on" they did well and their losses came when she wasn't "on"

Whoever did that analysis should be fired. Blatantly untrue. They only lost 2 games last year. Yeah she was off against Colorado (3-12), but against UCLA she scored 19 on 8-15 shooting, not an off game by any possible definition. So the theory is wrong 50% of the time.

The Stanford website has handy game logs for each player. Here are some not very good performances by Williams in their wins--1-12 against Washington, 5-15 against Cal, 2-7 against UCLA, 2-6 against Arizona, 3-13 against Oregon, 6-16 against Washington St., 7-18 against Oregon St., 5-14 against Arizona, 1-6 against USC, 7-19 against Oregon St. That's 7 wins against Tourney teams in which she didn't shoot very well. And then there's the Tourney itself--4-15 against Oklahoma St., 6-20 against Louisville, 4-14 against South Carolina, 2-6 against Arizona. She shot poorly most of the post season. The idea Stanford needed her to play well has very clearly been shown above to be completely wrong.