Preview of the Miami and Florida State teams

Miami is the higher ranked team but both teams have similar ACC records.  With Nunu in the rotation we have a much better chance of winning these two road games.  Miami has played FSU twice and they each won at home.  The condensed game highlights from the game played in Miami is included below.

Feb 18 at 5 pm PST vs Miami

Miami Website

Miami is 13-12 and 5-9 in league play. Their net ranking is #56 vs Stanford at #43.

Ra Shaya Kyle, 6-6 Grad Student Center,  is averaging 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Gal Raviv, 5-9 Soph Guard,  is averaging 13 ppg. 

Amarachi Kimpson, 5-8 Jr Guard,  is averaging 12 ppg.

Miami shoots 30% from three. 

10:56 Condensed Game in Jan - Miami 89 FSU 73 at Miami

For Miami, Ra Shaya Kyle scored a career-high 30 points to go with 10 rebounds. Gal Raviv finished the game with 13 points, nine assists, and two rebounds. Amarachi Kimpson made four three-pointers and scored 17 points. For Florida State, Sole Williams had 19 points, four rebounds, three assists, and a steal.

 

Feb 22 at 11 am PST vs Florida State.  

FSU Website

Florida State is 9-17 and 4-10 in league play.  Their net ranking is #108.

Sole Williams is, 5-9 Jr Guard, is averaging 15 ppg. 

Jasmine Shavers, 5-8 Sr Guard, is averaging 12 ppg.  

8 of the 10 players are transfers. 

Amaya Bonner transferred from Cal and is averaging 6 ppg. 

Nunu brings energy and drive – and Stanford suffers tough Loss

 

Warren Grimes

In late January, Nunu Agara went out with her injury late in the Cal game and missed the next five games. Without Agara, Stanford rotated just 7 players and went 1-4.  Pittsburgh was the only W.  Making the Big Dance seemed a foregone conclusion before Agara went out.  Now, even with Agara back, it seems doubtful.

Agara came back for the Virginia game and played with energy and intensity.  It wasn’t enough.  It was a one possession game at the end.   But Stanford’s late fourth-quarter scoring draught sealed the team’s fate.

There were some things to like about the Virginia game.  The return of Agara is at the top of the list.  She scored 21 points while playing for 38 minutes.

Hailey Swain had a great all-around game with a team-leading 6 boards, 5 steals, and 13 points.  The steals stand out – more of those could contribute to a strong season’s end.

Ogden (10 points) and Clardy (12 points) were also in double digits.

The Stanford team, which seemed to have lots of depth at season’s outset, no longer does.  Stanford played four players for 31 minutes or more, with Agara, Swain, and Clardy all playing 35 or more.  Compare that to Virginia, which had only one player on the floor for more than 25 minutes (Kymora Johnson played for 37 and was Virginia’s top scorer).  Virginia had 36 points from the bench, compared to Stanford’s 6. 

The lack of depth was more of a factor because of Lara Somfai’s foul difficulties.  She had her first foul with just over 2 minutes gone in the first quarter.  She sat down, then came back in the second quarter only to draw her second.  Coming back at the end of the second quarter, she drew her third.  These issues might not matter except that Stanford really needs Somfai in the game.  Somfai is a strong candidate for conference rookie of the year, for good reason.  She managed to play for 25 minutes, but one wonders whether her contribution in the fourth quarter was constrained by the four fouls hanging around her neck.  Virginia, a physical team, outrebounded Stanford 37 to 27, a stat that might have looked different if Somfai had been in the game for more minutes.

Stanford shot under 20% from distance, another reason the team came up short. 

So what is the prognosis for the rest of the season?  I can’t comfortably predict an NCAA bid, but I very much want this team to show its best side in the next three weeks.  The team is hard-working, seems to have good chemistry, and is capable of winning its last four conference games.  Add one or two wins in the ACC tournament and you have an almost  Cinderella ending to a tough season. 

After Four Losses, What Will February Bring?

 

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 Swain 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 Swain 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 Swain 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.