Vanderbilt

[packwrap]

Nice move here, Coach Ralph will now even have some depth.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Does VU have any size coming in? Poor Sacha needs help!

 

[BigTenGuy]

Wanted to include this on the Vandy thread.

An interesting pickup, and an unusual player. A pitiful offensive player her first 2 years at PSU, who couldn't figure out what is a good shot for her, and shot a poor percentage, especially in conference (46.7% from 2 her sophomore yr, 17.9% from 3, 60.9% at the line). Not a PG on offense - a bad perimeter shooter, more turnovers every year than assists, and low total assists.

But in her 3rd year, with PSU having lots of perimeter options, Kapinus could shoot like a power forward/guard, close in to the basket, and with selective, largely wide open perimeter shots for the player who would take the 6th most 3s on her team. Her percentages skyrocketed her junior year, 63% from 2, 41% from 3, though only 64.1% from the line, 55.9% in conference. She led her team in rebounds, turnovers, steals and blocks, an unusual statistical profile.

On the offensive end, she has an unusual game, and it will be interesting to see if Vandy can replicate her very good junior year. If Vandy tries to make her a perimeter force, or a facilitator, disaster awaits.

On the defensive end, a very good rebounder and a very good, versatile physical defender (overly physical for my stylistic preference), with 13 foul-outs over the last 2 seasons. But if my Boneyard education is correct, the SEC may be a better fit for her and her physical defense.

I will have to watch more Vandy games next season to see how she does.

 

[YoDore]

An interesting pickup, and an unusual player. A pitiful offensive player her first 2 years at PSU, who couldn't figure out what is a good shot for her, and shot a poor percentage, especially in conference (46.7% from 2 her sophomore yr, 17.9% from 3, 60.9% at the line). Not a PG on offense - a bad perimeter shooter, more turnovers every year than assists, and low total assists.

But in her 3rd year, with PSU having lots of perimeter options, Kapinus could shoot like a power forward/guard, close in to the basket, and with selective, largely wide open perimeter shots for the player who would take the 6th most 3s on her team. Her percentages skyrocketed her junior year, 63% from 2, 41% from 3, though only 64.1% from the line, 55.9% in conference. She led her team in rebounds, turnovers, steals and blocks, an unusual statistical profile.

On the offensive end, she has an unusual game, and it will be interesting to see if Vandy can replicate her very good junior year. If Vandy tries to make her a perimeter force, or a facilitator, disaster awaits.

On the defensive end, a very good rebounder and a very good, versatile physical defender (overly physical for my stylistic preference), with 13 foul-outs over the last 2 seasons. But if my Boneyard education is correct, the SEC may be a better fit for her and her physical defense.

I will have to watch more Vandy games next season to see how she does.

Thanks for the insight. Actually, what you point to as her strengths is exactly what Vandy needs. Coach Ralph has some outside shooters who do not thrive with the physical play near the basket. If she plays defense, rebounds and shoots a good percentage inside 15 feet, she'll be a big help.

 

[YoDore]

Does VU have any size coming in? Poor Sacha needs help!

Sorry. I overlooked this post.

You’re right. Sacha needs some help. We have a 6’4 rising sophomore, Aiyana Mitchell, who showed flashes last season, but Shea just never seemed to get to the point where she trusted her completely. She praised her at midseason, saying after a slow start she had caught up, and she expected her to help in conference play. Still, when it came down to it, she played very little. She’s fast and athletic and has some skills around the basket.

There’s a 6’3 freshman coming in, Trinity Wilson, who played on the North Tartan EYBL team out of Minnesota with Maddyn Grreenway and Aaliyah Crump, two highly touted recruits. She seems to have a true post mentality and doesn’t wander out of the paint very often on offense. She’s not one of these slender, grey-hound types. I’m hoping she and Mitchell in some combination will provide some relief for Sacha.

Shea has some Geno in her makeup. Every game seemed close, and as the pressure mounted late in the season to make the tournament, the rotation seemed to tighten. Quite a few games with only seven getting meaningful minutes.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Sorry. I overlooked this post.

You’re right. Sacha needs some help. We have a 6’4 rising sophomore, Aiyana Mitchell, who showed flashes last season, but Shea just never seemed to get to the point where she trusted her completely. She praised her at midseason, saying after a slow start she had caught up, and she expected her to help in conference play. Still, when it came down to it, she played very little. She’s fast and athletic and has some skills around the basket.

There’s a 6’3 freshman coming in, Trinity Wilson, who played on the North Tartan EYBL team out of Minnesota with Maddyn Grreenway and Aaliyah Crump, two highly touted recruits. She seems to have a true post mentality and doesn’t wander out of the paint very often on offense. She’s not one of these slender, grey-hound types. I’m hoping she and Mitchell in some combination will provide some relief for Sacha.

Shea has some Geno in her makeup. Every game seemed close, and as the pressure mounted late in the season to make the tournament, the rotation seemed to tighten. Quite a few games with only seven getting meaningful minutes.

Thanks for your thoughts. Keep them coming!

 

[YoDore]

 

[YoDore]

Looking good.

 

[YoDore]

The SEC released opponents for each team today. Vandy's lone home/home opponent will be Ole Miss. In previous years, there were three home/home opponents. When Oklahoma and Texas joined, the league decided to stay at 16 conference games, so there can be only one home/home foe. That team will rotate each season.

 

[YoDore]

 

[YoDore]

 

[YoDore]

Tons of folks are after her. Now Vandy is, too.

 

[JeannoCT]

@YoDore And your baseball team just put a beating on the vols. Tennessee blown out 13-4.

 

[YoDore]

@YoDore And your baseball team just put a beating on the vols. Tennessee blown out 13-4.

It is as it should be.

 

[YoDore]

Shea's response:

“I’m tremendously grateful for this supporter’s generosity and excited to see our community rise to the challenge offered,” women’s basketball head coach Shea Ralph said. “Memorial Gymnasium at full roar is an unsurpassed home-court advantage on game day, and the operations center and practice facility will provide an invaluable at-home advantage every day for our student-athletes, coaches and staff. This will be a home where our basketball family can grow and thrive for years to come.”

 

[YoDore]

Kinda dead around here. Time for a May May dance. She enjoyed the trip to Blacksburg.

 

[YoDore]

Dores on the road for the second year in a row in ACC-SEC Challenge. It's OK. We play better on the road.

 

[YoDore]

 

[YoDore]

Is it too early to whine about schedules? I think I'm justified, so I'm going for it.

Vandy’s SEC road schedule can only be described as brutal this season. Looking at last year’s final standings, we play number 2 (LSU), 3 (Ole Miss) and 4 (Alabama) on the road (we also play Ole Miss at home). Add to that the two newcomers, Texas, which could challenge South Carolina for the conference title, and by extension, the national title, along with Oklahoma, which actually won the Big 12 regular-season crown over Texas last year. They return most of that team and added one of the nation’s top true post players, Reagan Beers, through the portal.

It would not be out of the question to predict those five teams, who were 64-20 in their respective conferences last year, will be among the top-six in this year’s standings, along with South Carolina.

If my paranoia kicked in, I’d be tempted to say someone at the SEC office didn’t like seeing upstart Vandy rising up to sixth place in the standings last season. I actually don’t believe that. I think the conference powers would actually be happy to see Vandy do well, maybe especially in basketball where there is a history of success.

I have no clue how the schedule is constructed. Whatever the process was, it sure didn’t favor the Commodores this time around.

Road Games
Oklahoma 15-3 (Big 12)
Texas 14-4 (Big 12)
LSU 13-3
Ole Miss 12-4
Alabama 10-6
Auburn 8-8
Florida 5-11
Missouri 2-14

 

[Gus Mahler]

Is it too early to whine about schedules? I think I'm justified, so I'm going for it.

Vandy’s SEC road schedule can only be described as brutal this season. Looking at last year’s final standings, we play number 2 (LSU), 3 (Ole Miss) and 4 (Alabama) on the road (we also play Ole Miss at home). Add to that the two newcomers, Texas, which could challenge South Carolina for the conference title, and by extension, the national title, along with Oklahoma, which actually won the Big 12 regular-season crown over Texas last year. They return most of that team and added one of the nation’s top true post players, Reagan Beers, through the portal.

It would not be out of the question to predict those five teams, who were 64-20 in their respective conferences last year, will be among the top-six in this year’s standings, along with South Carolina.

If my paranoia kicked in, I’d be tempted to say someone at the SEC office didn’t like seeing upstart Vandy rising up to sixth place in the standings last season. I actually don’t believe that. I think the conference powers would actually be happy to see Vandy do well, maybe especially in basketball where there is a history of success.

I have no clue how the schedule is constructed. Whatever the process was, it sure didn’t favor the Commodores this time around.

Road Games
Oklahoma 15-3 (Big 12)
Texas 14-4 (Big 12)
LSU 13-3
Ole Miss 12-4
Alabama 10-6
Auburn 8-8
Florida 5-11
Missouri 2-14

Gads

 

[YoDore]

I'm sure there is a lot of this going on all across the country. Surely it will be basketball season soon, right? Oh, and I like Vandy's new strength/conditioning coach, Jena Ready. She replaces the lone holdover from Stephanie White's staff.

 

[YoDore]

Vandy's holiday tourney games from Palm Springs will be nationally televised on TruTV. Should be a good series of games.

Dores Set for a Pair of Nationally Televised Games

 

[YoDore]

My girls are smart.

 

[YoDore]

Invasion of the Ralph house.

 

[YoDore]

Invasion of the Ralph house.

A second view of the home invasion.



More evidence in case the coaches need it to determine how many wind sprints will be involved in the next practice. Lesson for the coaches: Don't ever let 'em get bored. No telling what they might come up with.

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