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YoDore said:
Vandy vs. Columbia will be at 8 p.m. CST Wednesday on ESPNU.

vucommodores.com

First Four Game Time Set

The No. 12-seeded Commodores will take on No. 12-seed Columbia Wednesday at 0:00 p.m. CT on ESPN
vucommodores.com vucommodores.com
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Someone on the ESPN bracket show suggested there was some type of bad blood between Columbia and Vandy, "if you know you know" which I found strange. Any idea what they were suggesting?
 
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TRest said:
Someone on the ESPN bracket show suggested there was some type of bad blood between Columbia and Vandy, "if you know you know" which I found strange. Any idea what they were suggesting?
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Following her team's loss to Princeton this weekend, Columbia coach Megan Griffith was making the case for her team to still get into the NCAA tourney. Among her remarks she said the NCAA says it wants to grow the game, but they put 15-14 SEC teams in the tourney. That's what caught former Lady Vol Andrea Carter's attention and led to her remarks. In her defense, Carter seemed to just be having fun with it.

That doesn't apply directly to Vandy but it could be a considered a swipe at the SEC implying Griffith thinks her team could be displaced by a mediocre SEC team in spite of the fact that Columbia lost by 17 to a 13-18 Georgia squad.

I also think Shea Ralph took exception to Griffith's post-game remarks last season when Shea took a depleted Vandy squad to Columbia and came away with a surprising win. After the game, Ralph praised Columbia and coach Griffith. However, Griffith, not looking to excuse her team's performance, had little positive to say about Vandy, instead noting the Commodores were picked to finish last in the SEC, and her team should not lose to them.

Shea took notice. In a post-game press conference after a game a few days later, she found a way to work in a comment saying, and I paraphrase, "If you're paying attention, the last-place team in this league last year beat two Sweet 16 teams. This league is no joke."

Nothing major, really. Just the equivalent of two competitive coaches trading paint coming down the backstretch. I actually like coach Griffith. She's sassy. Coaches like she played, and so does coach Ralph. Griffith obviously doesn't care for the SEC. Many people don't, and I can see their point. But, I also like that my coach has the fire in her belly to speak up when she feels the need.

Not exactly much ado about nothing. Certainly much ado about not much.
 
YoDore said:
Vandy vs. Columbia will be at 8 p.m. CST Wednesday on ESPNU.
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CDT. Sorry, peeve of mine.

YoDore said:
...Columbia coach Megan Griffith was making the case for her team to still get into the NCAA tourney. Among her remarks she said the NCAA says it wants to grow the game, but they put 15-14 SEC teams in the tourney.
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Emphasis added. Coaches say stuff like that when they want to make a case for selection, although I'd be stunned if it has any positive effect on the committee. Maybe it helps recruiting down the road. And hopefully it motivates our team a bit, not that anyone should need it.

Not exactly much ado about nothing. Certainly much ado about not much.
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Well summarized.

The SEC was an obvious target this year with 4 broadly-bubble teams but in the end it was an ACC team with a casus belli. If the NET has any predictive power, VU-CU should be very close. Public perception probably underrates Columbia, but anyway it's a tossup on paper.

Hoping we play better than our NET, but regardless, it's been a really key season for Shea and I hope she stays to build on this for decades to come.
 
YoDore said:
Following her team's loss to Princeton this weekend, Columbia coach Megan Griffith was making the case for her team to still get into the NCAA tourney. Among her remarks she said the NCAA says it wants to grow the game, but they put 15-14 SEC teams in the tourney. That's what caught former Lady Vol Andrea Carter's attention and led to her remarks. In her defense, Carter seemed to just be having fun with it.

That doesn't apply directly to Vandy but it could be a considered a swipe at the SEC implying Griffith thinks her team could be displaced by a mediocre SEC team in spite of the fact that Columbia lost by 17 to a 13-18 Georgia squad.

I also think Shea Ralph took exception to Griffith's post-game remarks last season when Shea took a depleted Vandy squad to Columbia and came away with a surprising win. After the game, Ralph praised Columbia and coach Griffith. However, Griffith, not looking to excuse her team's performance, had little positive to say about Vandy, instead noting the Commodores were picked to finish last in the SEC, and her team should not lose to them.

Shea took notice. In a post-game press conference after a game a few days later, she found a way to work in a comment saying, and I paraphrase, "If you're paying attention, the last-place team in this league last year beat two Sweet 16 teams. This league is no joke."

Nothing major, really. Just the equivalent of two competitive coaches trading paint coming down the backstretch. I actually like coach Griffith. She's sassy. Coaches like she played, and so does coach Ralph. Griffith obviously doesn't care for the SEC. Many people don't, and I can see their point. But, I also like that my coach has the fire in her belly to speak up when she feels the need.

Not exactly much ado about nothing. Certainly much ado about not much.
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Oh, if there's one thing your coach has it's fire in her belly. :)

Congratulations
 
YoDore said:
Can you tell folks are proud of this team? Nashville has always been a basketball/baseball town, and basketball has been a sad experience for too many years.
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Great to see the excitement! As a casual WBB fan I'm careful about framing anything in terms of other sports, but I don't think you can avoid the context: Two failed MBB coaches never mind the eternal hopelessness of football have made all of us Vanderbilt folks really hungry for a March success story. I'm so proud of how quickly this program has gotten back on the proverbial map, even if it's the very edge of the map.
 
PhilipVU94 said:
Great to see the excitement! As a casual WBB fan I'm careful about framing anything in terms of other sports, but I don't think you can avoid the context: Two failed MBB coaches never mind the eternal hopelessness of football have made all of us Vanderbilt folks really hungry for a March success story. I'm so proud of how quickly this program has gotten back on the proverbial map, even if it's the very edge of the map.
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Well, well, well! What can I say? Everybody knows that the leader of this ‘Dores’ team is a UConn alumni:)
Both as a student, and coach, Shea Ralph learned from the best — Geno and his staff. She also spent some time as assistant coach at Pittsburgh with Agnus Berenato. Shea Ralph is determined. She is passionate about the game. She is a great leader and mentor to young people. She is also knowledgeable, and together with her husband, Tom, and the rest of her staff, Vanderbilt will soon become a team no one wants to play.
Well done Shea and the ‘Dores.
 
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Shea Ralph's NCAA press conference from Blacksburg.




Player interviews.

 
I wonder why the press conference videos above were removed by the uploader. They're youtube vids. I couldn't find them on the NCAA website.

Let's see if this one works. It's from vucommodores.com

vucommodores.com

Vandy WBB – NCAA First Four Coach Ralph Press Conference – March 19

Vanderbilt women's basketball head coach Shea Ralph talks to the media about the First Four matchup against Columbia
vucommodores.com vucommodores.com
 
Dores beat Columbia 72-68. Just could never really shake them, but that's a pretty familiar pattern for this team. They have a hard time putting teams away, but they did enough in pressure situations late in the fourth quarter to pull it out. I'm very proud of them.
 
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YoDore said:
Vandy had some UConn mojo working last night. From left, dressed in all black for the intimidation factor no doubt, are Kyla Irwin, Kevin Demille and Katie Lou Samuelson.

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And as much as I despise Nike, the white kicks with gold laces were on point. ;):D
 
YoDore said:
Vandy had some UConn mojo working last night. From left, dressed in all black for the intimidation factor no doubt, are Kyla Irwin, Kevin Demille and Katie Lou Samuelson.

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Who do they play next?
 
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No surprise. She got at cross purposes with coach Ralph early on, was listed as "unavailable" through the holidays then redshirted the rest of the season. Never played. She came into the program as a player I called a "project." That's not to insult her, but it's based on the marginal competition she faced in high school and the fact her other offers were from mid-major programs. She's 6'3 and athletic. Hopefully, she'll find a place to get her education paid for and be happy. I think she will.

 
YoDore said:
Coach Ralph's season-ending press conference. The player remarks are worth the listen, too. Shea's remarks start at about the 8-minute mark if you want to skip the players. Great stuff.

First time I've seen Shea cry.

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Shea is just a class act.
Good Luck to the Dores next year and on!!
 
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