Warren Grimes
Stanford has lost four in a row, including the last two at
Maples. Fans may understandably ask, is
this just a repeat of last year?
Last season, Stanford began with a winning record, then hit
the down button once the conference season began.
Last season, Stanford was struggling in ACC competion, then,
in mid-season, lost Nunu Agara, the top scorer and rebounder.
Last season, Stanford struggled in frustration against the
ACC’s top teams.
Not much difference this year.
Well, there are some differences. For one, this season, Stanford beat North
Carolina in overtime, on the road.
This season, Stanford has started two freshmen from the
get-go, and, in the last two games, has had three freshmen starters. All three are on an improvement curve and are
likely, barring injury, to play their best basketball in February. Lara Somfai has struggled in her last two
outings, but she is still a candidate for conference freshman of the year.
Call them explanations or excuses, but all four losses were
against very good teams. Louisville was
#1 in the conference and #7 in the national poll. Stanford played the last two games with a
7-player rotation (Haley Swaine played 40 minutes in the last game). The game
against Hidalgo & Friends (aka Notre Dame) featured a 37-point performance
for Hidalgo (47% of the team’s points). The
Irish also had a seven-player rotation, but Hidalgo’s presence was like an
extra player on the floor.
How much were the last three games affected by Nunu Agara’s
absence? There’s no point in sugarcoating
it: Agara has been a critical player for Stanford. She tops the list in points and offensive boards. When she is in lineup, opposing coaches must
plan their defense to hold Agara in check.
That gives other players, including Somfai and Eschmeyer, more options
to score. It was no accident that, playing without
Agara, Stanford got out-boarded by both Louisville and Notre Dame.
Not knowing Agara’s status, what will Stanford do in
February with its seven-player rotation, starting Eschmeyer in place of Agara
and Clardy in place of Lepolo? Stanford
still has options. Various players
stepped up in all three of the Bay Area losses. All three of the freshmen scored double
digits against Cal (Somfai 16, Eschmeyer 16, and Swaine 10). Somfai’s last second three-pointer took the
game into overtime. Eschmeyer, coming
off the bench, had a career-high 16 points and 7 boards. Against Notre Dame, she had a similar
line.
Agara’s junior classmates have continued to contribute, with
Ogden offering 23 points and 10 boards against Notre Dame. Ogden had 16 points against Louisville. Clardy is always there, averaging 15.3 points
in the last three games.
Replacing Lepolo is a challenge because of her steady
leadership and defense, but Swaine and Ijiwoye have stepped up. Swaine has been in double figures each of the
last three games, averaging 10.3 points.
Ijiwoye had 15 points against Louisville.
So, Agara’s return would be a major plus, but Stanford in
February will learn to adjust and be competitive in all its games, with (at
least) seven players fighting to make it a winning month.
