Week 14 - Feb 3 to 9

[dabears17]

Stanford‘s best player, Nunu Agara, got hurt early in the first quarter. 5 players who probably would of made up a good portion of the starting lineup are playing for UCLA, U$C, TCU, Baylor, and North Carolina this year,

 

[nwhoopfan]

Stanford‘s best player, Nunu Agara, got hurt early in the first quarter. 5 players who probably would of made up a good portion of the starting lineup are playing for UCLA, U$C, TCU, Baylor, and North Carolina this year,

I had to think for a minute about who all those players are. Several departed a few years ago.

The transfer portal giveth and the transfer portal taketh away. Although sometimes it mostly just taketh away.

 

[Blueballer]

Stanford‘s best player, Nunu Agara, got hurt early in the first quarter. 5 players who probably would of made up a good portion of the starting lineup are playing for UCLA, U$C, TCU, Baylor, and North Carolina this year,

Nevertheless, I would never have thought a Stanford team would lose by 49 points. Incredible.

 

[azfan]

Bobcats are the real deal. After a 14-point deficit early in the first half Montana State takes total control of the game. Boy Morales is really really good but this Montana State team is deep and long and will deservedly win the regular season and I'm not sure how coach Payne can figure out a way to beat them as they may well meet again in the tournament championship game.

Tough loss, but the Jacks were clearly out matched

 

[nwhoopfan]

Bobcats are the real deal. After a 14-point deficit early in the first half Montana State takes total control of the game. Boy Morales is really really good but this Montana State team is deep and long and will deservedly win the regular season and I'm not sure how coach Payne can figure out a way to beat them as they may well meet again in the tournament championship game.

Tough loss, but the Jacks were clearly out matched

I was watching off and on. Looks like Chirrick was at it again w/ steals and layups. She's gonna be fun to watch for 3+ more years. Ditched those big black glasses though.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Texas beat Vandy 87-66.

 

[YoDore]

She was sick.

Beers didn't play tonight, anyone know why? Oklahoma wins by 10. Shows how much I know.

 

[YoDore]

Texas beat Vandy 87-66.

Five-point game midway through the third quarter, but Vandy couldn't hang. Texas makes three 3-pointers per game. They were 9 of 13 tonight.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Maryland cruised past Oregon on the road 79-61. Hopefully they wore themselves out before their trip up I-5 to Seattle.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Who misses Pac 12 games on Friday night?

Not much on tap for tomorrow, although a bunch of Missouri Valley games. Interesting race going on in that conference. Belmont on top at 9-1, Missouri St., Murray St. and Illinois St. at 8-2 and Drake at 7-3.


Hmm...kinda looks like the recent interlopers from the Ohio Valley have taken over the Missouri Valley.

 

[YoDore]

Who misses Pac 12 games on Friday night?

Not much on tap for tomorrow, although a bunch of Missouri Valley games. Interesting race going on in that conference. Belmont on top at 9-1, Missouri St., Murray St. and Illinois St. at 8-2 and Drake at 7-3.


Hmm...kinda looks like the recent interlopers from the Ohio Valley have taken over the Missouri Valley.

I enjoy the style of play in the Missouri Valley. I'm biased, though, because I'm a Belmont fan. The league has plenty of shooters, good ball movement and athleticism, just not the size of the elite conferences.

 

[triaddukefan]

Not the beatdown they deserved, but nonetheless.

 

[WBBTakeover]

Stanford‘s best player, Nunu Agara, got hurt early in the first quarter. 5 players who probably would of made up a good portion of the starting lineup are playing for UCLA, U$C, TCU, Baylor, and North Carolina this year,

So, excuses?

They've brought in transfers despite their fans reminding us every five seconds how difficult it is for undergraduates to gain admission as transfer students. We were told that coaching continuity would help make the transition to ACC play smoother.

You can be undermanned, as injuries do happen. But you cannot lose by 50 to a conference opponent when the conference you play in is a P4. Notre Dame hasn't been routinely beating conference foes by 50 and they shouldn't have done so tonight.

I'd like to see where Stanford is in two years, but the early returns for Kate Paye are not favorable. She does not look like she's the one for the job.

 

[azfan]

I was watching off and on. Looks like Chirrick was at it again w/ steals and layups. She's gonna be fun to watch for 3+ more years. Ditched those big black glasses though.

Lol....right.

Morales is also excellent, but this is a complete team. Well coached. Wonder which regional they'll end up in

 

[packwrap]

I'd like to see where Stanford is in two years, but the early returns for Kate Paye are not favorable. She does not look like she's the one for the job.

I just noticed you are not a fan of Kara at Duke and if I recall right also of Jensen at Iowa.

I'm curious, who are some good young coaches schools like Duke and Stanford should be considering?

It's normal for schools to go in house for a hire after a coach has a long run. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Stanford has a good class next year, so this experiment probably gets a 3 year trial. The beat down at Notre Dame sure did not look good though.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Lol....right.

Morales is also excellent, but this is a complete team. Well coached. Wonder which regional they'll end up in

Seems like they usually stay relatively close to home. At least for their pod if not Region. So maybe playing in LA for opening weekend. Really not sure any other west coast schools will be hosting, feels pretty bizarre to say that. And of course you are already penciling them in, but they'll have to win the Big Sky Tourney because it's a 1 bid league.

 

[dabears17]

Nevertheless, I would never have thought a Stanford team would lose by 49 points. Incredible.

It was going to be a rough season with 3 starters and most of their points graduating. Their starting point guard from the past two seasons only played the first 5 games this year and is out with a knee injury. So, they only have one starter returning from last season currently.

 

[WBBTakeover]

I just noticed you are not a fan of Kara at Duke and if I recall right also of Jensen at Iowa.

I'm curious, who are some good young coaches schools like Duke and Stanford should be considering?

It's normal for schools to go in house for a hire after a coach has a long run. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Stanford has a good class next year, so this experiment probably gets a 3 year trial. The beat down at Notre Dame sure did not look good though.

Why do they have to be "young" coaches? Why can't they consider coaches who have, I don't know, proven that they can actually coach?

The Jensen hire, in all fairness, had to be made quickly for the sake of continuity and to mitigate portal damage. That worked. But some of her decisions have been puzzling, especially for someone who has literal decades of experience coaching under Lisa Bluder. Jan was not the absolute worst hire, given the circumstances. Doesn't mean that she can't be scrutinized--and she should.

The Paye hire--I get it on the surface. She's homegrown and addresses the continuity issue. But again, puzzling decisions are being made from game to game. Players look like they're crashing out on the court. Adjustments come slooooooowwwly. Not a good look. Sure, they have a great class coming in. Will it help if the coach isn't maximizing what she currently has? While they do need more ACC-caliber talent, it's not the lack of talent that's hurting them the most this season.

I've shared my thoughts on Kara. It's not Duke's job to help her grow. Her growing should've taken place prior to Duke. But--here we are--waiting for a coach to blossom at a university with a tradition of excellence that can't be reached anytime soon because we're waiting for an inexperienced coach to develop. My goodness!

 

[nwhoopfan]

Good night for Belmont. They won, Murray St. and Illinois St. both lost so their lead grows to 2 games over everyone except Missouri St. Drake knocked off ISU so they are now in a 3 way tie for 3rd.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Actually several interesting games this Saturday, unlike the last few that have been a dead zone. Ohio St. @ USC and Kansas St. @ Oklahoma St. are the headliners. 2 other ranked Big 12 teams playing what should be fairly easy games. Out of everything else, the game that most catches my eye is a non conference tilt between 19-4 Ball St. @ 20-4 James Madison.

 

[triaddukefan]

 

[azfan]

Seems like they usually stay relatively close to home. At least for their pod if not Region. So maybe playing in LA for opening weekend. Really not sure any other west coast schools will be hosting, feels pretty bizarre to say that. And of course you are already penciling them in, but they'll have to win the Big Sky Tourney because it's a 1 bid league.

Barring an upset I can't see the Cats losing in the tournament. They beat number two NAU twice relatively soundly and third place Idaho so I would be really surprised to see them drop a game in the tournament.

That said hope springs eternal and if Leia Bettie who played 2 years at Montana State can regain her stroke anything's possible in the tournament... But Montana State will be the overwhelming favorite to close to finish the regular season undefeated in the league and sweep through the tournament.

 

[azfan]

Actually several interesting games this Saturday, unlike the last few that have been a dead zone. Ohio St. @ USC and Kansas St. @ Oklahoma St. are the headliners. 2 other ranked Big 12 teams playing what should be fairly easy games. Out of everything else, the game that most catches my eye is a non conference tilt between 19-4 Ball St. @ 20-4 James Madison.

My eyes will be closed for the rivalry game down in the dirty t as the kitties pound Natasha Adair's club by at least 30. The nice coach from Delaware and 2021 CAA Coach of the Year award winner continues the rebuild and is a lock for a third consecutive 20 loss season. I think I just don't understand what rebuild means at least from the point of view of Michael Crowe and the AD in Tempe

Unlike their previous game I'm suspecting the kitties Cunningham manages to stay out of foul trouble and she will feast. Williams and Jones are salivating at playing against the philosophy that Natasha Adair has instilled as her Sun Devils relentlessly refuse to guard the three line.

I'll be very surprised if the kitties don't drain at least 7 threes and suffer at least 30 fouls at the hands of the hacking Devil defense. It's possible in fact probable the Devils will have more turnovers than made field goals.

McKale will be hopping as the men's game at 5:30 is sold out and I suspect there will be at least 9,000 kitties in the stands enjoying what will in terms of slaughter will rival that famous football game a few years ago.

 

[nwhoopfan]

How did I miss this? The MAC-Sun Belt Challenge is going on today!

 

[azfan]

the game that most catches my eye is a non conference tilt between 19-4 Ball St. @ 20-4 James Madison.

Thx! You are absolutely correct what a game