Dominant Defense and Conference Awards

 

Dominant Defense and Conference Awards

Warren Grimes

Stanford successfully finished its undefeated conference season, not in dominating fashion – but with dominant defense.  Both Washington schools brought their best and held Stanford to seven point  victory margins (WSU lost 54-61 and Washington went down 56-63).

Of the two games, Washington, with only two conference wins but playing with late-season attitude, was the bigger challenge.  In the first half, the Huskies shot 50% overall and 44% from distance, holding a two point lead at half time.  Meanwhile, Stanford struggled mightily with a full game 34% shooting percentage (21% from distance) -- this from a team that had the conference’s highest field goal shooting percentage – and the highest three point shooting percentage.  Reliable three point shooters had off days (Jump was 2-6 from distance and Prechtel was 0-3). 

No excuses, but one partial explanation is that Washington made a high percentage of its shots, meaning that transition opportunities off of rebounds were fewer than average.  Stanford still managed 20 fast break points, but few of these were three point shots. 

Still trailing by one with roughly one minute on the clock, Anna Wilson stole a sidelines inbound pass, converting the layup to put Stanford back in front to stay.  Wilson and her mates built that lead to a seven point margin thanks to free throws.  Stanford did it with defense, holding Washington to 10 points in the fourth quarter while scoring 16 of their own, this despite missing all four of the team’s three point attempts in the quarter.

Entering the tournament with a perfect conference record, Stanford can expect to receive its share of conference awards.  These awards are supposed to be based on merit, but that goal is compromised by the overall goal of generating conference-wide interest by distributing the awards widely. 

Let’s talk about the conference PoY award.  Stanford has three players who could legitimately win this award: Cameron Brink, Haley Jones, and Lexie Hull.  If offensive scoring is the key statistic, no Stanford player has a chance – Brink ranks 11^th, Jones 15^th, and Lexie Hull 16^th in conference scoring stats. 

The three top scoring conference players, each averaging above 17 points per game, are Jade Loville (ASU 18.64 ppg), Jordyn Jenkins (USC 17.87 ppg) and Jayda Curry (Cal 17.30 ppg).  Each of these three play for a team in the bottom half of the conference.  None of these three teams has anyone else in the top 20 conference scoring average.  Each of the three top scoring players should make the all-conference team, but none are likely to be chosen conference PoY.

Therein lies one of the keys to understanding Stanford’s unblemished conference record.  Stanford is a multiple threat team that has eight or more players that, on any given day, could put up double digit points.  If a Stanford player is to win the PoY award, it has to be based on a broader look at how that player contributes. 

My pick for PoY is Lexie Hull.  She is a long shot to win the award because she is only the third highest scorer and the third highest rebounder on the team.  I like Hull because of EVERYTHING she does on the court.  In the overall stats it shows.  Matched against other conference players, Lexie Hull is number 2 in steals, number 6 in three point shots made, number 11 in three point shooting percentage (38%), number 11 in offensive boards, and number 16 in scoring.  For a non-post player, Hull’s offensive boarding stands out – she is an opportunistic boarder.  For her to do that well in boards is indicative of her focus, quickness, and intensity.  Hull also is a 77% free throw shooter.  LEXIE HULL DOES NOT QUIT.  Someone else must like what Lexie does for the team: she plays significantly more minutes than any other Stanford player.  Coach VanDerveer says that it is Lexie Hull and Anna Wilson who make Stanford go.  

My second choice pick for PoY is Haley Jones.  Once again, Jones is probably not the favorite – she is just second on the team in scoring and rebounding.  Jones, however, leads the league in defensive boards, is second in the league in total boards, is 6^th in assists, is 9^th in field goal percentage, is 10^th in assist turnover ratio, is tied for 12th in blocks, is 15^th in total scoring, and is 15^th in free throw percentage.  Her turnovers per game, unhappily, are a negative, but Jones still has the 10th best assist/turnover ratio.  She is a clutch player who gets points when they are most needed.  Who can forget her fourth quarter productivity in Eugene in that come-from-behind win against Oregon. 

My third choice pick for PoY is Cameron Brink.  Brink leads the team in points, rebounds, and blocks.  Her conference-wide stats are also impressive.  Brink is number one in boards, is second in field goal percentage (behind Fran Belibi), and is number three in blocks and in both offensive and defensive boards.  Her free throw shooting is improving, but not yet ready for a letter home.  Brink is an inspirational player that will get better, but not yet the clutch performer that Jones is.

So those are my picks.  Any of these three players would be well deserving of the award.  I suspect that if a Stanford player wins the award, Brink is most likely to win, with a close second to Jones.   I'll stick to my choices.  

Now there’s defensive player of the year.  My pick?  I think the award should be shared by Lexie Hull and Anna Wilson, with another all-defensive team selection for Lacie Hull.  All three of these players are shut down defenders; all three are in the top ten for conference steals (Lexie Hull is 2nd, Anna Wilson is 3^rd, and Lacie Hull is tied for 10^th).   Each of the three is an all-around player.  Anna Wilson is number one in the conference for assist/turnover ratio and number six for assists.  Lacie Hull is number one in the conference in three point shooting; and tied for 13 in assists.

What previous Stanford team has had three players in the conference top ten for steals?  Is this the best defensive team ever for Stanford?   With the Hulls and Wilson doing ball hawking and stealing, and Brink and Jones doing some shot blocking, my bet is YES. 

Stanford Preeminence -- Conference Chaos

 

Warren Grimes

After a hard fought, storybook comeback against Oregon on Sunday, Stanford has established conference preeminence.  Stanford is the only team undefeated in conference and, with two games remaining, has clinched the regular season championship.  There is no one to nip at the champion’s heels; every other team has lost at least 5 conference games.

The statistics back up Stanford’s superiority.  Stanford is number one in the most important statistical categories (counting only regular season conference games): scoring margin, scoring offense, field goal percentage, field goal percentage defense, 3-point percentage, rebounding margin, rebounding offense, rebounding defense, defensive rebounding percentage, assists, and assist/turnover ratio.  If the conference kept stats on points off of turnovers, Stanford would likely excel in that category as well.  The team is second in the conference for three point shots per game, blocked shots, and defensive boards per game.  

And here is one other unexpected plus for this Stanford team: it is number two in the conference for steals per game (tied with Arizona) and number three for turnover margin.  Past Stanford teams have not always excelled in these areas.   The high turnovers against early season opponents such as Texas may be a thing of the past.

Of course, Stanford is not invulnerable.  The team stands out for its poor free throw shooting – only the 9^th best in the league, shooting just 72.9 %.  Even here, however, the team shows improvement, moving up from its 67.9% for the entire season (counting the early non-conference games). 

Stanford’s vulnerability to a conference opponent playing its “A” game was amply demonstrated by the recent Oregon game.   Consider these facts.

Stanford had the lead in only the first minute (thanks to a technical foul called against Oregon for improper lighting of the basket) and in the last 36 seconds of the game.  Oregon held the lead (or was tied) for the other 38 plus minutes, sometimes stretching it out to 10 or 11 points.

Oregon was the first Pac-12 opponent to out rebound Stanford (42-40).  With the exception of one Colorado game (tied Stanford in boards), Stanford handily won other rebounding battles.

Although Stanford leads the league in three point shooting percentage, the team shot only 18.8% (3/16) against Oregon. 

Once again, defense was absolutely crucial.  Stanford won the battle for turnovers and steals, offsetting the team’s low shooting percentages and deficiency in rebounding.   

The storybook narrative for the Oregon game is really about the second half, and especially about the fourth quarter.  Stanford was five points down at the half, but came back in the third quarter after Anges Emma-Nnopu’s three point swish brought Stanford within one (46-47) to start the fourth quarter.

The last quarter began with Oregon getting open threes that built the lead back to ten (46-56 with 8:08 on the clock).  With exactly 5 minutes left, Oregon still held an 8 point lead (52-60).  With Haley Jones taking over, Stanford went on a 14 to 2 run for the rest of the game.

Here are the key plays:

54-60 -- 4:34 on the clock, Iriafen (great game) gets a layup off a smooth feed from Jones.

56-60 -- 3:57 on the clock, Jones gets a driving layup in traffic.

56-60 – 3:15 on the clock, Jones decisively blocks Endyia Rogers’ layup attempt.

58-60 -- 2:41 on the clock, Jones gets a driving spin-move lay up in heavy traffic.

60-60 -- 2:15 on the clock, Brink ties the game on a jumper off a feed from Wilson.

 63-60 -- 00:36 on the clock, on drive in traffic, Jones throws up an answered prayer while falling backwards to the floor, then converts the free throw.  Even TVD was excited.    

63-62 – 00:28 on the clock, Oregon’s Sabally converts two free throws.

65-62 – 00:20 on the clock, Lexie Hull converts two free throws.

66-62 – 00:06 on the clock, after Oregon fails to convert, Emma-Nnopu converts one of two free throws.

That’s it.

Stanford won this game because they overcame poor outside shooting, stayed within reach, and, with Haley Jones’ help and really solid defense, took over the last five minutes of the game.

Meanwhile, the conference lineup for the Pac-12 tournament shows chaos and surprise.  Washington State, a surprise performer, upset Arizona and is now tied for second with Oregon (Both teams have 10-5 conference records).  Arizona falls to fourth, but with a 9-5 record.  None of these three teams will have an easy last weekend, but Arizona has home games against UCLA and USC.  WSU has to play Stanford at Maples, while Oregon has two tough away games against Colorado and Utah, both fighting for NCAA berths.  These three teams are favored, but not assured, to get the top four seeds (and first round byes).

Washington State, based simply on raw talent, may not belong in the top four.  They lost decisively to Oregon and in their first game against Stanford.  Those wide margin losses are offset by clutch performances, as against Arizona (albeit helped by the injury to Arizona's starting center).  

Meanwhile, Stanford continues its quest for conference perfection at home, in its last scheduled games, one of them against WSU -- the other against Washington.  It can be done.

DEFENSE: Stanford Adds Three More to the String

 

Warren Grimes

Yes, Stanford played three home games in six days last week.

 In each, Stanford played 13 or 14 players.

In each, Stanford prevailed by a double digit margin (the smallest was a 17 point margin over Colorado).

In each, Stanford scoring was diversified among starters and non-starters (the two highest scoring players in a single game were Hannah Jump (19) and Fran Belibi (16), each of whom came off the bench against OSU).

In each, Stanford’s defense, while less than perfect, was impressive.  The opponent average for the three games was 56.3, not bad when you consider Utah has the highest scoring offense in the conference, and Oregon State has its own potent offense. 

Stanford was stingy, turning the ball over less (Stanford had 31 turns for the week, while its collective opponents had 58 turns).  Stanford blocked the ball 20 times, while opponents managed only 6.  And, where it really counts, Stanford had 59 points off of turnovers to its opponents’ 23.  For opponents, those are demoralizing stats. 

The intensity of Stanford’s defense was evident.  Crouched low on the perimeter, raised up in the interior, the focus of every player was evident.  There was team help defense, with the players communicating to execute the scouting report.  And the team seemed to amp up in crucial moments, as in the second half against Colorado.  Time and again, a Colorado interior pass ended up in the hands of Lexie Hull (6 steals) Anna Wilson (3 steals).   

So defense is the most critical and most enjoyable part of the game.  Why? 

When Stanford’s defense is working, so too is its transition offense.   The connection is direct.  Transition opportunities almost never result when an opponent scores and forces Stanford to inbound.  When Stanford steals, or disrupts and gets a board, the opponent has less opportunity to organize a defense.  Once a transition is underway, there is fun, creativity, and an opportunity for sharing.  It may be Jones making a length of the court run for an acrobatic layup; it may be Cameron Brink or Fran Belibi running just behind the ball and ready to take a no look feed from Jones or Lacey Hull—once it’s in their hands, forget about it; or it may be Hannah Jump or one of the Hulls posting up for a last second feed beyond the arc for a three.  Swish!   

In the Utah game, there was a box score story.  Six different Stanford players scored in double digits – and a seventh player was on the cusp (Hannah Jump had 9 points).  More should be made of this point, because it is unusual.  How often does a  team score 91 points spread among 6 double-digit scorers.  I’d say rarely, if ever!   It typifies the talent rich and sharing nature of this basketball team. 

Another story line was Haley Jones performance in the second half against Colorado.  Jones had no points and only one board as Colorado ended the first half with a one point lead.   Jones and her mates needed to step it up.   And they did.  Collectively, they held Colorado to just 16 second half points.   Jones grabbed 4 second half boards, put up 10 points, and added two blocked shots. 

Most of the story is not in the stats, but how Jones used her driving skills to score fourth quarter points, maneuvering between and among defenders, to put the game out of reach for the Buffaloes.  I give Jones a large share of the credit for these demoralizing moves – and clearing the bench.

Now it’s on to the Oregon weekend, the toughest one of the conference season.  Stanford has what it takes to continue winning, but it will take all of the team’s focus and intensity.

Stanford’s Silent Killers and Energizer Bunnies

 Warren Grimes

Stanford swept the LA schools this past weekend.  And they did it without Haley Jones (Covid Protocol absentee).

Is that a big deal?

Well, yes, it is. 

Haley Jones leads the team in assists (by a wide margin).

Haley Jones is a magnet for drawing fouls and consistently converts (shooting 86%).

Haley Jones is a key member of the “bring-the-ball-up-the-court” committee.

Haley Jones is the team’s second leading scorer and was the top scorer in 4 of the 8 January games.

Haley Jones is the second leading rebounder (8.2 per game, just behind Brink’s 8.5 per game).

Haley Jones is a strong defender and has the second highest blocked-shot total.

Haley Jones’ creative length-of-the-court drives score clutch points and demoralize opponents.

Candor requires that I also disclose Jones’ team-leading 57 turnovers, or 3.2 per game.  Turnovers notwithstanding, Jones can well be viewed as the single most valuable component in the Stanford machine.  This past weekend, playing without Jones, Stanford did not blink an eye, in part because Cameron Brink had a career weekend, and Fran Belibi ably slipped into the starting lineup with lots of points and rebounds.

To be sure, Jones' absence from the lineup likely influenced the statistics.  In LA, Stanford drew fewer fouls and converted on fewer of them.  Against UCLA, Stanford made only five of ten foul shots.  And turnovers?  Both UCLA (10 turns to Stanford's 8) and USC (17 turns to Stanford's 15) had more turnovers than Stanford did.  

Maybe statistics don’t adequately tell the story, because the Hull twins were silent killers in both contests.  The twins just keep going, and going, and going.  The Energizer Bunny confessed exhaustion, just from watching them.    

Against UCLA, Lexie had 14 points and 10 boards while playing for 36 minutes.  Look deeper -- she also had 5 assists and a steal.  Meanwhile, her sister Lacie played for 26 minutes, had 8 points, 7 assists, 1 block and 1 steal. 

Against USC, Lexie played a mere 30 minutes, but had 9 points, 4 boards, 2 assists, and 2 blocked shots.  It’s that deeper look at the statistics that shows what the twins do -- all the time, non-stop.  Lacie played for 27 minutes, also contributed 9 points and had 4 assists and 3 steals.   

Lacie Hull is the chairwoman of the bring-the-ball-up-the-court committee.  She can still score points, including three point shots against both UCLA and USC. 

If you want entertainment and non-stop action, just watch either of the twins regardless of who has the ball.  They are constantly moving, anticipating, staying focused and in the game.  The beauty of this is that they set a pattern for the rest of the team.    

The total commitment approach of Lexie and Lacie rubs off on others.  Cameron Brink’s passion for the game is visible to everyone.  In Brink’s case, her contributions show up easily in the statistics.  But a number of other players show the total commitment with less statistical showing; the mantra of the silent killer.  Anna Wilson belongs in this category.  So does Agnes Emma Nnopu and Alyssa Jerome, when she gets her occasional minutes. 

And then there’s the freshmen.  Someone like Kiki Iriafen may be a relatively silent killer for now, but not for long.  Her explosiveness on offense and on the boards is already apparent.  She enters the game not just in “junk” time, but in the first half when the game is still in doubt.  Iriafen had 7 points against USC.  Then there is Brooke Demetre, who really fits the role of a silent killer because she is quiet and unselfish on the court.  Demetre had some turnovers earlier in the season, but now seems comfortable in the offense.  Demetre is a very precise passer and can launch killer jump shots from near and far.  Against USC, Demetre had 6 points on 2 for 3 shooting from beyond the arc, and added two picture perfect assists to her mates cutting for the basket.  Both of these players would be starters and stars on most, maybe all, of rival Pac-12 squads. 

Energizers and silent and not so silent Hull protégés will be in demand for the upcoming three home matches in six days, against OSU, Utah, and Colorado.  But, for the real deal, keep your eyes glued on one of the Hulls for a few minutes.  Make sure you have fresh batteries.