tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195996282024-03-12T16:01:50.855-07:00Stanford FBC: Stories of the SeasonAll the news about Stanford Women's BasketballBob Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02270634743446567487noreply@blogger.comBlogger2598125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19599628.post-14807102141576278342024-03-12T16:01:00.000-07:002024-03-12T16:01:19.785-07:00The Last and Extraordinary Pac-12 Tournament – and What’s Next<p> </p>Warren Grimes<br />
<p class="MsoNormal">In a tournament that was physical and unprecedented in numerous
ways, USC won the championship over top-seeded Stanford.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was a disappointment for a Stanford team
that plays with unselfish chemistry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
game did not seem that close, as Stanford lost every quarter except the third
(where the teams tied in points).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The tournament was very seedy – the higher seeded team won each
of the first ten games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s never
happened before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By way of contrast, in last year’s tournament,
seventh seeded Washington State won the championship by upsetting 3 higher seeded
teams.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The tournament broke records such as for double overtime
games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There had been none before, but
now there are two in the record books (OSU over Colorado and USC over UCLA).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There were stirring comebacks – OSU came back in the fourth
quarter to tie Colorado and win in double overtime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stanford came back in the second half to defeat
both Cal and OSU.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the tournament’s first game, Colorado set a record by
winning with a 40-point margin against bottom-seeded Oregon.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">USC can now claim to be the best team in the conference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Trojans are 4-1 against their biggest
rivals (Stanford and UCLA).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>USC this
year has become a powerhouse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Freshman
phenom Juju Watkins may be the best player ever to wear a USC uniform.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s backed up by 4 other starting players
who have length, athleticism, and experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Three of the other starters are 5<sup>th</sup> year seniors who
transferred from Ivy League schools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Stanford managed to hold Watkins to 9 points (2 for 15 shooting)
in the title game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Multiple player defense
worked well to hold down Watkins output, but allowed other USC players to shine
(McKenzie Forbes, who had transferred from Harvard, had 26 points). The
Stanford defense of having multiple players converge on a driving Watkins also
contributed to USC’s rebounding dominance (48 to 28).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An interior defender focused on a driving
Watkins cannot simultaneously block out for the rebound.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Shooting well from the outside, Brink and Iriafen
contributed 19 and 18 points respectively but were unable to stop USC from
grabbing 18 offensive rebounds.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There is no shame in losing to USC.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can easily see USC getting to the Final
Four and possibly taking down the other USC (undefeated University of South
Carolina).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both USCs are talented, well-coached,
and appear to have great chemistry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Lindsay Gottlieb does not quite have the resume of Dawn Staley but watch
out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As for Stanford, the team has its own special chemistry and can
make a strong run to the final four.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
can learn from the defeat the importance of preventing an opponent from
dominating the boards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A question mark
is the point guard position, where Talana Lepolo is said not to be 100
percent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Against USC, Chloe Clardy came
in for 15 minutes, scoring 4 points with 2 assists, a steal, and 0 turns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It is quite possible that the Conference’s top three teams
will get two number one seeds (Stanford and USC) and one number two (UCLA).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oregon State seems suited for a number four
seed, allowing them to play first and second round games on their home
court.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will be cheering first for
Stanford, but second for all the other Pac-12 teams in the tournament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All Pac-12 players and coaches appear to be
unified in their dislike of the conference’s demise. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s hoping the Pac 12 teams are ready to
show the world that this vanishing conference is going down with flags flying.<o:p></o:p></p>Warren Grimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932754118601734074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19599628.post-87478824630357565322024-03-02T18:50:00.000-08:002024-03-03T08:00:11.320-08:00Weekend Oregon Tales: Von Oelhaffen vs. Brink; Rueck vs. Vanderveer; Kelly Graves vs. Himself<p> </p>Warren Grimes<br />
<p class="MsoNormal">Stanford finished off conference play with an on-the-road flourish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The team won a hard-fought game
against then second-place Oregon State on Thursday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On Saturday, they followed up with a W
against Oregon.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The OSU game might best be described as Oregon guard Talia Von
Oelhaffen vs. Stanford’s Cameron Brink.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Von Oelhafen had a career high of 27 points – that’s almost 43 percent
of her team’s total.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like her team, Von
Oelhaffen refused to give up, continuing to score fourth-quarter points despite
being hobbled near the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brink had 25
points (37% of her team’s total) along with a career high 23 rebounds (48.9% of
her team’s total).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She played 38 minutes
for the Cardinal, fouling out with less than 10 seconds left in the game.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There was drama to the OSU game, as the Beavers closed to
within 2 points late in the fourth quarter but could not overcome the last
gap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kiki Iriafen had 14 points and 7
boards; no one else was in double figures, but seven of the other eight
Stanford players who had minutes scored between 2 and 7 points each.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a Brink-led team victory.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The coaching stand-off between Tara VanDerveer and Scott
Rueck guarantees that both teams were well prepared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rueck took over a demoralized OSU program in
2010 and has produced excellent results, including a final four performance in
2016 and three conference championships (2015-2017). Stanford has won 14
straight games against OSU, but Thursday’s win was a nail biter. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rueck has great respect for Van Derveer (the
respect is mutual), indicating that he learns from coaching against
well-prepared Stanford teams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rueck has had some
success in recruiting top high school players but has been very successful in
developing talent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like VanDerveer,
Oregon State uses a careful scouting report defense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year, Rueck’s team was predicted to
finish tenth in the conference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
have outperformed that prediction, finishing fourth, and
rising to a nationally top-10 ranked team until recent losses (with the injury
to star Raegan Beers).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Based on that
record, Rueck should be a candidate for conference coach of the year.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On Saturday, Stanford pulled away to defeat last place
Oregon thanks to another exceptional Brink performance (18 points, 17 rebounds,
5 assists and 3 blocks).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brink seems to
thrive when playing in her home state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She’s a shoe-in for the conference’s best defensive player; given her
overall performance (points, boards, assists, blocks, free-throw shooting), she
has a solid case for conference PoY.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal">Against Oregon, Stanford put up 76 points with three other players in double figures
(Kiki Iriafen -16, Hannah Jump 12, and Brooke Demetre 11).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stanford achieved this with Talana Lepolo
resting up for the tournament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was
barely a hitch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jzaniya Harriel played the
point, garnering 6 points with 4 assists and only 1 turnover.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So what’s with Oregon coach Kelly Graves?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a man with a sterling record at
Gonzaga before coming to Oregon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is
a man who coached a Sabrina Ionescu led team to a co-favorite position to win the
2020 NCAA tournament, only to have that opportunity thwarted when Covid 19 forced
cancellation of the tournament.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After that year, Graves continued to attract top talent to
Oregon, but has now been forced to watch many of those players transfer to
other schools (talented guard <span style="background: white; color: #4d5156; line-height: 107%;"><span>Te-Hina Paopao is now
starring for South Carolina). As much as
Stanford may have been disappointed by transfers at the end of last season,
Oregon has suffered much more. Kelly Graves
is too good and too experienced a coach to allow his team to continue as a
conference last place team. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background: white; color: #4d5156; line-height: 107%;"><span>Now it’s on to the tournament. Stanford has the top seed, probably destined
to play California</span></span><span style="background: white; color: #4d5156; line-height: 107%;"><span> </span><span>in</span> </span></span>the quarterfinals.
Stanford would not have to face either of the most formidable opponents
(UCLA or USC) until the finals. With Lauren Betts back in the lineup, UCLA has won its last 5 games, several against top-flight opponents. A story book end game would be for Stanford to face off against a Betts led UCLA team. But I
should know better than to assume that the higher seeded team will win any
given game in this wonderfully chaotic conference.<o:p></o:p></p>Warren Grimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932754118601734074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19599628.post-56660344557260995992024-02-26T10:20:00.000-08:002024-02-26T11:59:23.060-08:00Weekend Update: After Demoralizing Loss, Conferce Chaos to the Rescue<p> </p>Warren Grimes<br />
<p class="MsoNormal">For those who slept through the weekend, there were upsets of each of the top three teams in Pac-12 play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First place Stanford lost on Friday to seventh
place Arizona, leaving the Cardinal with only a one game lead over the tied
second place teams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On Sunday, conference
chaos produced upset losses for each of the second-place teams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Playing on the road in L.A., sixth place Utah
upset USC.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Playing at home in Seattle,
tenth place Washington upset Oregon State.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The upshot was that Stanford players were donning conference
champion t-shirts at Maples.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By
defeating Arizona State, and with a little help from short term friends Utah
and Washington, Stanford had guaranteed itself at least a share of the
championship.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The story has more drama than a brief synopsis can impart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Going back to Maples last Friday evening, one team achieved a come-from-behind Cinderella result while the other suffered a gut-wrenching
loss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last Friday, it was Stanford that
suffered the demoralizing and frustrating defeat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Stanford led Arizona from the get-go and did not give up
that lead until there was only 1:56 left in the fourth quarter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An Iriafen lay up tied the game again, but
with just 31 seconds on the clock, Arizona guard Jada Williams banked in a
three-pointer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stanford did not score
again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The fourth quarter was a disaster for Stanford.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beginning with an 8-point advantage, Stanford gave up 31 points to Arizona while scoring only 16 of their own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Arizona run was punctuated by lots of
turnovers and some exceptional shooting from Arizona guard Williams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All of Arizona’s three-point conversions (4
of them) occurred in the fourth quarter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Emblematic of Stanford’s fourth quarter trials was an
offensive foul on Talana Lepolo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arizona
had tied the game on a lay-up following a Stanford turnover.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Talana Lepolo rushed down the court to accept
the inbounds pass, in the process obliterating an Arizona defender whom she had
not seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lepolo was called for an
offensive foul and Stanford had turned the ball over before even attempting an
inbound pass.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Arizona win was an upset, but less so because Stanford
was Brinkless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cameron Brink was recovering from a tough
case of the flu and did not play on Friday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Is that a big deal?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brink has a
unique and potent set of tools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On
defense, she blocks, alters shots, and steals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On offense she scores, boards, and shoots free throws with ruthless
efficiency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her unavailability is a difference
maker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Stanford, however, still played to win.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kiki Iriafen stepped up with more than usual
stats: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>21 points, 15 boards, 4 assists,
and 3 blocks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Booke Demetre replaced
Brink in the starting line up and generated 15 points, 4 boards, and 2 blocks
of her own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hannah Jump contributed 13
points on 3 for 5 shooting from distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And for the second time in conference play against Arizona, Chloe Clardy
clocked major minutes as a ball handler.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In 20 minutes, Clardy contributed 7 points and 2 assists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clardy also was credited with 2 steals that
were critical in a late third quarter Stanford run.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Going into Sunday’s game against ASU, Stanford knew that its
lead against second-place USC and OSU was down to one game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The big question was: could Brink play?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal">Play she did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Although she later conceded feeling only 60%, in just 23 minutes on the
court, her stats were the usual exceptional: 14 points, 9 boards, 7 assists,
and 5 blocks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Iriafen, perhaps
benefiting from Brink’s presence, had an All American performance with 22
points, 20 boards, and 4 assists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
is, however, more drama to this game.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Talana Lepolo, Stanford’s stalwart point guard, was held out
of the game pending further medical input on an injury.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her point guard role was filled by Jzaniya
Harriel, who started her first game at Stanford.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Harriel contributed just one assist but led
the offense with only a single turnover and added 12 points on 4-8 shooting
from distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In her final conference
home game, Hannah Jump added 11 points and 4 assists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nunu Agara added her own 11 points on some
impressive offensive boards and putbacks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Stanford is a team with very good chemistry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Agara comes in off the bench for just 13
minutes and contributes 4 offensive boards and 11 points (on 4 for 5 shooting), that’s
a sign that she has learned how to contribute to team success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Players who learn to play their role, and
play it well, add to team strength and generate more good chemistry. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Tara VanDerver has been a leader of the soon to disappear Pac-12
conference. She frequently reminds the
world that the conference’s competitive schedule is a major plus in preparing Stanford
and its rivals for the big dance. The
results of last weekend demonstrate the conference’s high level of play from
top to bottom. Tenth place Washington
brought down second place Oregon State. Eleventh
place ASU lost on the road to first place Stanford, but the game was
competitive from start to finish. ASU is
unlikely to be chosen for the big dance.
It is still a very good team that has a non-conference record of 8 wins
and 4 losses. Given a chance, ASU could certainly defeat some of the 64 teams that will play in the NCAA tournament.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As a fan of Stanford and the game, I am excited about
Stanford’s chances in the tournaments ahead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I am also disgusted that the economics of college athletics have
produced the demise of a wonderful conference, not just for women’s hoops, but
for most of the other sports in which Stanford competes.<o:p></o:p></p>Warren Grimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932754118601734074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19599628.post-90491575900138859192024-02-18T18:06:00.000-08:002024-02-18T18:06:54.966-08:00Was this Year’s Pac-12 Schedule Fair? Why Unfairness Issues Will Be Exacerbated by Conference Realignments<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Warren Grimes<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Pac-12, in its last year, is a peculiarly strong conference:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>one in which virtually all its 12 teams had a
winning record against non-conference opponents; one in which Washington, tied
for tenth place in the conference, was able to take the first-place team
(Stanford) to overtime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is also,
however, a conference in which the top six teams, each of whom at one point in
the season has been rated among the top 10 or 11 teams nationally, have created
a substantial gap with the bottom six teams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Pac-12 scheduling provides for 18 conference games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s not enough for a home and away game
against every opponent (that would require 22 games).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each team is matched with a rival (Stanford
with Cal, UCLA with USC, etc.).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On a
rotating basis, each pair of rivals is scheduled to play 4 opponents only
once.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This season, for example,
Stanford and Cal played the Mountain schools only once (on the road) while
playing the LA schools only once (at Maples).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That can be an advantage or a disadvantage depending on the strength of
opponents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This season, the conference results may be skewed more than
usual because of the strong demarcation between the top six and the bottom six
teams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the conference standings, UCLA
and Utah are tied for fifth with 9 wins and 5 losses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both have been among the top 5 in the country
and have largely stayed among the nation’s top 20 teams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>UCLA, once ranked #2 in the country, has victories
over U Conn and Ohio State.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just below
them is the seventh ranked team, Arizona, which has 8 losses and 6 wins in
conference. Arizona is a good team with an overall 14-12 record but not deserving of the
national recognition that UCLA or Utah have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The top six teams, collectively, have won 64 conference games with just 24
losses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Almost all those losses have
come in contests against one another. For example, Colorado, Oregon State and UCLA had losses this last weekend,
in each case to another top six team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The conference champion is determined by total won/loss
record in the conference, with no adjustments for the strength of the
conference opponent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any team forced to
play one of the top six teams more than the bottom six has a disadvantage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By this measure, among the six contenders,
Stanford has the easiest schedule and Oregon State the toughest.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Stanford – Plays top six conference teams a total of six
times (Oregon State twice and the LA and Mountain schools only once each).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Oregon State – Plays top six teams a total of ten times
(each of the five other contenders twice).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mountain and LA Schools – Play top six teams a total of nine
times (play each other and Oregon State twice but Stanford only once).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">By this measure, Stanford has an advantage and OSU (and the
other four contenders) a disadvantage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That,
of course, does not mean Stanford, should it win the championship, is not the
best team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It just means that the road
to the championship was somewhat easier than it was for Oregon State and the
other four top ranked teams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Conference results matter for seeding in the conference
tournament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this year’s Pac-12
tournament, being either a one or a two seed is a substantial advantage – the
top two seeds will not meet any of the other top six teams until the semifinals
at the earliest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In contrast, the three
and four seeds may face another of the top six teams in the quarterfinals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Next year, scheduling unfairness will be exacerbated by
conference realignments that increase the size of conferences – it becomes more
and more difficult to schedule home and away contests against everyone in the
conference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One way of adjusting for
this is to weigh the value of a win more heavily when the opponent has a strong
national standing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Adjusting the value
of a win can reduce unfairness, but the messiness of this solution is another
reason that creation of huge conferences is not in the interests of women’s
basketball and most other college sports.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So, who is the conference’s best team?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stanford has only 2 losses, putting it two
games ahead of Oregon State, Colorado, and USC in the loss column.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To be fair, would Stanford have only 2 losses
had it faced, as Oregon State has, the mountain and Southern California schools
in four additional games?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s a
question with no certain answer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whatever
the scheduling inequities, Stanford would prove something if it can win its
last four games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of those would be a
road game against an impressive Oregon State team, currently tied for second
place, that has faced the roughest conference schedule of any of the six
contending teams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Against California, Stanford impressively held California to
its lowest point total of the season (49 points).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No other conference team has bested Cal by a 35-point
margin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were 5 players in double
figures, led by Kiki Iriafen with 23 points.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Cameron Brink had 14, as did Hannah Jump.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Elena Boscana and Brooke Demetre had 11
points each.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The team converted
three-point shots at a 45.5% clip with 36 points in the paint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the most impressive facets of the game
was the solid physical defense, helped by player-to-player communication and the
interior strength of Cameron Brink and Iriafen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Perimeter defenders can face three-point shooters more aggressively when
they know there is backup near the basket. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That physical and in your face perimeter
defense threw Cal off its otherwise proficient offense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If Stanford can retain its focus and play the way it did
against California, it can capture the conference championship and credibly
claim to be the conference’s best team.<o:p></o:p></p>Warren Grimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932754118601734074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19599628.post-13780627046470435892024-02-12T13:38:00.000-08:002024-02-12T13:38:22.646-08:00The Stanford Bench: Who’s on the Court in Crunch Time?<p> </p>Warren Grimes<br />
<p class="MsoNormal">With substantial depth and diversity in the Stanford roster,
it’s fascinating to see who Coach VanDerveer calls upon during critical
moments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Crunch time is often in the
fourth quarter when the team is fighting to overcome a deficit or to hold on to
a lead. The players who play these minutes vary over time as young players
settle in, injuries or foul trouble limits availability, and matchups change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On any given day, a hot hand can earn a
player a role in critical minutes.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Four Stanford starters are, assuming they are available,
likely to be on the floor in critical moments: Cameron Brink, Kiki Iriafen, Hanah
Jump, and Talana Lepolo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Foul trouble
can limit their time. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So who among the
bench players is most likely to be in the game when it matters most.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Brooke Demetri is often the first off the bench, and
averages 20.5 minutes per game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s an
obvious choice in crunch time because of her steady defense, her 2 to 1 assist
to turnover ratio and her ability to take and make critical three-point
shots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the critical overtime win
against Washington last Friday, Dimitri shot only once.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She converted a critical three point shot in
the fourth quarter that allowed Stanford to hold on to the tie in regulation. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Last weekend, however, it was not Dimitri who got the most
minutes off the bench.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Freshman Courtney
Ogden averaged 21 minutes of play against the Washington schools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She scored 11 critical points against the
Huskies, playing the entire overtime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With 6 seconds on the clock and holding a slim 2-point lead, Stanford
was having difficulties inbounding the ball.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ogden broke free of her defender to take an inbound pass and convert a
contested layup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With just 5 seconds
left, the Huskies could not convert, ensuring the Stanford win.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Against Washington State two days later, Ogden once again played
the most minutes off the bench (19 minutes), making both of her shot attempts
(including a three-pointer) and pulling down three boards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One reason that Ogden is winning this floor
time is her solid defense and steadiness under pressure (a 1.3 assist to
turnover ratio).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ogden has learned to
let the game come to her and is developing into a valuable crunch-time
player.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Other players have gained the trust of the coaches and earn
minutes during critical moments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
Demetri, Jzaniya Harriel is the highest scoring bench player in conference
play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is averaging 4.2 points per
game while playing defense and shooting 55% from the three-point line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nunu Agara is close behind, averaging 4.1
points in conference play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Agara is most
often a replacement for interior standouts Brink and Iriafen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the last six games, those two players have
largely avoided foul trouble, limiting Agara’s time on the floor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> In conference play, </span>Agara is converting
her shots at a 56.8% clip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That leaves Chloe Clardy, averaging just 6.8 minutes since
conference play began.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That understates
her value as a ball handler and assist maker. When Arizona’s pressing guards
were disrupting Stanford’s offensive flow, Clardy came in to steady things,
scoring 6 points and dishing out 4 assists in 21 minutes of floor time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Meanwhile, during the last six games, the MVP award goes to
Cameron Brink, who has avoided foul trouble while playing an average of 32.8
minutes, scoring 21 points and hauling in 15 boards per game. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those numbers don’t adequately describe Brink’s
value to the team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brink had 28 blocks
during the six games, with countless other shots altered or not taken because
of Brink’s presence in the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> That's why Brink is a serious candidate for a league or national MVP award. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>Warren Grimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932754118601734074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19599628.post-39704431346101405872024-02-05T11:41:00.000-08:002024-02-05T11:48:53.300-08:00Positives From a Weekend Split: WAT-KIN-S-top A Player Like That?<p> </p>Warren Grimes<br />
<p class="MsoNormal">JuJu Watkins is an amazing player-- the best USC has ever
had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is more versatile and has more
finesse than either Lisa Leslie or Tina Thompson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is a wonderful point guard who can battle
with the bigs on the inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quite
simply a phenom who can shoot inside and out, block, defend, board, and
assist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She emphatically documented this
by scoring 51 points against Stanford, a national best for the year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a freshman, she is well positioned to be
the conference player of the year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The disappearing Pac-12 has had some fantastic players,
including Washington’s Kelsey Plum and Oregon’s Sabrina Ionescu.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I get to choose first, it’s an easy
choice:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll take Juju Watkins any day
of the week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Watkins scored all but 16 of USC’s 67 points in the upset
win over Stanford on Friday night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Stanford still won the interior battle:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Brink had 19 points and 15 boards; Iriafen had 16 points and 9
boards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But both shot poorly – their
collective 31% is well below either player’s average.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>USC played tough on the inside, in the
process fouling out 3 of its interior players.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They had enough, however, to disrupt Stanford’s offense and limit the
team to 58 points on 31.6% shooting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The game was a disappointment because, Watkins notwithstanding,
a team that exploited USC’s defensive choices could have prevailed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On any given day, USC can challenge anyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But a team that relies so heavily on one
player is vulnerable when the star has an off day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ll see.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Would Stanford be able to bounce back against number-7
ranked UCLA?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any doubt seemed resolved
when Stanford converted its first six shots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The team never looked back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stanford
more than doubled its shooting percentage from the previous game – from 31.6%
to 63.5% - the best percentage in a decade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>37 of those points came from
Brink and Iriafen, but contributions came from Jump (10) and four other players
with 5 or more points.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were 17
turnovers, always an issue when playing UCLA, but Stanford compensated by blocking
10 UCLA attempts and outrebounding the Bruins 43 to 29.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">UCLA played without its pivotal inside player Lauren Betts
and missed a bunch of other talented bigs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Emily Bessoir, a 6 -4 big who can shoot the three, is injured and will
miss the entire season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Izzy Anstey, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>6 -4, was also out for medical reasons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lina Sontag, 6 -3 and from Germany, started against
Cal but left before the Stanford game to join the national team for Olympic try
outs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That left Angela Dugalic, also 6-4
but relatively inexperienced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She scored
6 points in 22 minutes on the floor (and now leaves for Serbia to play with the
Serbian national team). UCLA has superior guards but is quite unexpectedly short
of tall talent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Bruins desperately
need Betts to come back, or at least for Olympic try outs to end.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Stanford is still favorably positioned to win the
conference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are tied with Colorado,
each with two losses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Colorado will
face Utah, UCLA, and USC, all on the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Stanford’s toughest road game, at least on paper, is against Oregon
State.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, as VanDerveer constantly
reminds her team, any conference team can knock you down.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Brink now has four consecutive games with 15 plus points and
15 plus boards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even more critical for
the defense, Brink had 15 blocks in the two weekend games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her 3.6 block average for conference games
makes it easier for Stanford to focus on perimeter defense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s no surprise that Stanford is 1<sup>st</sup>
in the conference in three-point conversions allowed and second in conference percentage field goal defense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brink makes any opponent rethink their
offense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meanwhile, no Stanford opponent
has been able to stop Kiki Iriafen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
two players make one another better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stanford
is first in the conference in rebounding margin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For Stanford to improve further, the perimeter players must
add to the offensive diversity of this team. More than anything else, to win,
Stanford must maintain focus and intensity for every minute in every single
matchup.<o:p></o:p></p>Warren Grimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932754118601734074noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19599628.post-73375077176554012982024-01-30T14:11:00.000-08:002024-01-30T23:06:17.193-08:00Stanford's Nice Place in a Wonderfully Chaotic Conference<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Warren Grimes<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The women's hoops Pac-12 season, now at the halfway point, is wonderfully
chaotic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The preseason rankings are
already a misfire; bottom half teams are winning games against top teams (as in
Washington and Washington State’s victories in Southern California last
weekend); and the quality of basketball, although uneven, is very high.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Stanford, picked to finish third, leads the conference with
an 8-1 record.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Colorado, picked to
finish fourth, is in second place with a 7-2 record.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oregon State, picked to finish tenth, is in
third place with just three losses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Meanwhile, Utah, picked to finish first, has four losses. while UCLA,
picked to finish second, has three losses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Injuries and health have had an impact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Utah lost its best three-point shooter and
(for a time) a starting point guard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>UCLA has played its last couple of games without Lauren Betts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Arizona and Washington State have lost
key players for at least a few games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Stanford (fingers crossed) lost Cameron Brink for most of a two-game weekend
but has been relatively unaffected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The wonderful chaos will continue this weekend as the Southern
California schools visit Maples in key matchups.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With Stanford’s rise to the top of the
standings comes extra motivation for opponents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Expect USC and UCLA to bring
their very best games to Maples on Friday and Sunday. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Having lost two #1-ranked high school recruits (Haley Jones
and Lauren Betts) as well as Fran Belibi, Ashten Prechtel, Indya Nivar, and Agnes
Emma Nnopu, there is no wonder that the media did not make Stanford the
favorite for this season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The three transferring
players are starters for their new teams (Betts for UCLA, Emma-Nnopu for TCU,
and Indya Nivar for North Carolina).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Stanford is exceeding preseason expectations for several
reasons, mostly named Kiki Iriafen and Talana Lepolo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both players continue to improve as the
season progresses. In the nine conference games played so far, Iriafen has
assumed the role as the team’s highest scoring player, averaging 22.6 per game
and shooting at a team-leading 52.6% clip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She is tied with Brink in rebounding, averaging 12.4 per game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And she’s converting 87.5% of her free
throws. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> A small p</span>art of Iriafen’s success can be
attributed to being in the game while Cameron Brink is distracting
defenses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you believe that Iriafen is
leaning on Brink, however, consider the Oregon State game where Iriafen scored
a career high 34 points while an injured Brink sat on the bench.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the nine conference games, Lepolo has also moved beyond
her earlier performances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the entire
season, Lepolo’s three-point conversion rate is an excellent 42%.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But since conference games began, Lepolo has
converted 17 of 30 three-point attempts for an amazing 56.7% rate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her assist to turnover rate is 2.77 for the
entire season but is 3.06 in conference play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Iriafen and Lepolo are not the only players who have
improved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Coming off the bench, Jzaniya
Harriel has made 9 of 16 three-point attempts (56.3 %) and substantially leads
the team in steals per minute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the
Arizona game, Chloe Clardy came off the bench for 21 minutes to score 6 points,
get 4 assists and 2 steals to steady the team against Arizona’s aggressive and theft-oriented
defense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brooke Demetre remains the
first player off the bench and scores field goals at a 47.3% clip while
maintaining an impressive 2 to 1 assist to turnover ratio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both Nunu Agara and Courtney Ogden continue
to contribute, playing 10 plus minutes per game. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">During all of this, Cameron Brink continues her leadership
and statistical dominance in many areas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Since the conference games began, Iriafen has scored more points than
Brink (.74 points per minute compared to Brink’s .67 points per minute) and has
a higher conversion precentage (52.6% versus Brink’s 47.9%).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Brink continues to lead the team in other
ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brink is number one in free throws
(93%) and in blocks (4 times as many blocks per minute as Iriafen).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In rebounds, Brink has .55 per minute compared
to Iriafen’s .41 per minute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Brink
gets more assists per minute (.099) than Iriafen (.067).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Together, Brink and Iriafen are a formidable duo. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last weekend in games against the Arizona schools,
they scored 53% of Stanford’s points and grabbed 60% of Stanford’s rebounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>May that pattern continue.<o:p></o:p></p>Warren Grimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932754118601734074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19599628.post-64904311879911834072024-01-22T14:01:00.000-08:002024-01-23T08:34:30.312-08:00What's Next: Thoughts on Tara VanDerveer's Coaching Strategies<p> </p>Warren Grimes<br />
<p class="MsoNormal">En route to Coach VanDerveer’s record breaking total wins,
Stanford dominated Oregon 88 to 63 and, playing without Cameron Brink, fought
to a 65 to 56 victory over Oregon State.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Two players stood out in these victories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kiki Iriafen had a phenomenal weekend,
scoring 21 points with 15 boards against Oregon and a career high 36 points
with 12 rebounds against Oregon State. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To
put things in perspective, Iriafen scored over 55% of the team’s points in the
pivotal game against Oregon State.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
did that despite the absence of Brink, allowing both opponents to focus on defending
Iriafen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She did that despite being guarded by players
who were as tall as or taller than she was. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She did that by converting many shots from the
outside including her first two ever three-pointers against OSU.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The second highest scorer in both games was Talana Lepolo,
who averaged 13.5 for the two games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Stanford’s point guard was 5 for 9 (55%) from distance and had 14
assists with an amazing 7 to 1 assist/turnover ratio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Both players did what was needed at critical points.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other players stepped up as well, with Brooke
Demetre starting her first game ever (against OSU) and contributing 10 points
in each of the matchups.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jzaniya Harriel
came off the bench to score 2 three pointers against Oregon; against OSU,
Harriel had 3 steals that took the wind out of OSU’s second-half attempted
comeback.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Coaches don’t play the game, but they deserve credit for teaching
and motivating their players to perform at their best.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tara VanDerveer has been doing that for almost
half a century.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She started when she was
24 years old and, at 70, she’s still going strong. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hard work, dedication, and love of her players
are part of the formula.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A coach’s record of past wins is, in some ways, an overrated
statistic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Van Derveer lives for the
present and thinks of the future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Dwelling on the past is a guaranteed pass to oblivion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fans and athletic administrators want
performance now and, while respecting the past, won’t tolerate a coach who can’t
bring the Ws.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reason for VanDerveer’s
impressive victory chain is that she is focused on the now.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">No matter how talented a coach and how gifted the players,
injuries occur.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Utah has learned that
the hard way, losing three early season conference games after losing its best three-point
shooter and, at least in the short term, its starting point guard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The loss of Cameron Brink early in the Oregon
game and for the entire OSU game could have changed results. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other injuries are likely among the key Pac-12
teams and could affect who wins the conference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Coaches can’t stop injuries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Coaches do have some control, however, over defensive strategies and
physicality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A team such as Colorado plays
in-your-face defense and generates turnovers, often leading to uncontested lay
ups.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Watching Colorado over the past
decade, that team has a reputation for starting fast and strong but losing some
of its momentum toward season’s end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Will that be true this season?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Colorado’s Jaylyn Sherod had 4 steals in Colorado’s victory over
Stanford, but her physicality probably does raise risks of injury to her and to
opposing teams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will Sherod and her
teammates be fit and motivated at season’s end?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Injuries may be a wildcard in basketball, but a coach who
emphasizes positional defense over in-your-face physicality may have a better
chance of keeping players healthy over a long season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The hoopla over total coaching wins is over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With some uncertainty over Brink’s return and
the continued fitness of other players, Stanford’s quest for a conference title
continues, one game at a time.<o:p></o:p></p>Warren Grimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932754118601734074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19599628.post-26928925608273431552024-01-16T14:28:00.000-08:002024-01-16T14:28:20.134-08:00The Mountain Schools Road Trip: What Can Stanford Learn?<p>Warren Grimes</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Stanford returned from what on paper should be its roughest
road trip of the season with one victory and one loss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Stanford hung on to defeat Utah 66-64.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Utah was the preseason selection for #1 and
is the best three-point shooting team in the conference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Against Stanford, Utah played without its
best three-point shooter and without its starting point guard. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, Utah made things tough, shooting 40.6%
from distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The game was tied 7 times
until Stanford took the lead in the second quarter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Utah rallied in the fourth and the game went
down to the wire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kiki Iriafen led
Stanford with 25 points and 16 boards.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In Boulder, Stanford could not overcome Colorado’s aggressive
focus and lost 71-59.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Particularly
harmful was Colorado’s 22-11 third quarter point margin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Colorado’s aggressive and physical defense disrupted
the Stanford offense with 11 steals and 28 points off 18 Stanford turnovers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kiki Iriafen was once again Stanford’s leader
with 19 points and 19 rebounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stanford
won the rebounding battle and shot 100% from the charity stripe, but too few fouls
were called against Colorado’s physical defense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Colorado is now the only undefeated team in the conference,
while Stanford, UCLA, and USC have one defeat each.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Utah, the preseason favorite, now has 3
losses and sits in sixth place behind Oregon State’s two losses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next weekend should be interesting with the
LA schools visiting Colorado and Utah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Colorado’s road to the championship remains a challenge, with 2 games
each against UCLA and USC.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So what lessons can Stanford learn from the weekend?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Let’s begin with Cameron Brink, who remains critical to the
team’s offense and defense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brink got
into first half foul trouble in both mountain games, playing just 27 minutes
against Utah and 24 minutes against Colorado.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In four conference games, Brink is averaging just 24 minutes and 12.5
points.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her fouling ways are not just
due to defensive blocks – Brink has learned how to swat shots while minimizing
physical contact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, in recent
games, offensive fouls have put Brink on the bench.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Opponents have learned to step in front of
Brink’s post moves, generating offensive fouls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Against Utah, in a questionable call, Brink drew another offensive foul
for setting up a screen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the proper
focus, Brink’s first half game strategy should be able to minimize physical
contact on offense, at least until the team has a sense of how the referees are
calling the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brink has fall back
jumpers or other interior moves that are less likely to generate fouls.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Talana Lepolo, who had put up lots of points in earlier
conference games, scored only 4 points against Utah and 2 points against
Colorado.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On multiple occasions, Lepolo
would dribble into the key, see a clogged middle, then dripple out again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If Lepolo could make the pull up jumper part
of her arsenal, she could score more points and perhaps unclog the middle for
an assist to an interior player.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Turnovers in the back court are particularly harmful because
they often generate uncontested layups by an opponent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That happened too often against
Colorado.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A pass to the interior may be
stolen or go out of bounds but would be less likely to facilitate an opponent’s
fast break offense. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Jzaniya Harriel has seen more minutes since the conference
games began, and for good reason. In four conference games, she’s 5-8 (62.5%)
from distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Harriel could be even
more valuable if she demonstrates creativity off the dribble, perhaps a pull up
jumper. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Indeed, can anyone hit a pull up jumper?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> This is one area in which Haley Jones is sorely missed. </span>Against a team like Colorado, a bit more
creativity could enhance Stanford’s offense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Iriafen’s fall back shots have become a critical part of the offense and
explain why she has been the team’s leading scorer since conference play began.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The team will have extra motivation this weekend to put
Coach VanDerveer atop the list of all-time winningest coaches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But a steady focus will be required for every
single upcoming conference game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
going to be a brutal season with the conference winner likely, my hunch, to have 2 or more
conference losses.<o:p></o:p></p>Warren Grimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932754118601734074noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19599628.post-83229128426994557532023-12-30T19:23:00.000-08:002023-12-31T10:34:27.158-08:00Little Things from a Deep Roster – A Winning Formula<p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">Opposing coaches know about Stanford’s top three scorers: Cameron Brink, Kiki Iriafen and Hannah Jump. If these are the only defensive challenges that Stanford poses, Stanford could still win against lesser opponents, but it would lose many a game against top-ranked opponents. When Brink and/or Iriafen are on the bench, someone else must step up to provide the points. And Stanford’s defense loses a great deal. Indeed, the lack of credible interior defense played a role in the loss to Gonzaga when Brink and Iriafen played only a combined 35 minutes. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">The loss against Gonzaga and the win against Cal presents an interesting contrast. In both road games, Stanford scored 78 points, losing to Gonzaga by 18 points and defeating Cal by 27 points. The defensive difference is striking. Gonzaga managed 98 points against Stanford, almost twice Cal’s 51 points. To be sure, Gonzaga’s offensive potential was doubtless greater (Gonzaga shot three balls at a 41.7% clip while Cal was a miserable 12.9% from distance). Still, Stanford’ perimeter defense is better when Brink and/or Iriafen can guard the interior. For more than half of the 80 minutes against Cal, Brink, Iriafen, or both were in the game.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">On offense, Stanford must threaten with a more diversified scoring. To achieve this, starters such as Elena Boscana and Talana Lepolo must command the defense’s attention. Players off the bench such as Brooke Demetre, Nunu Agara, Courtney Ogden, Jzaniya Harriel, and Chloe Clardy must be offensive threats.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">Below, I take a look at each of these seven players who can make a difference, each of them averaging 12 minutes or more per game. I begin with the two starters, Lepolo and Boscana.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><b>Talana Lepolo</b> is averaging 25.6 minutes per game, second only to Hannah Jump’s 31.8 minutes. She leads the team in assists with a commendable 2.26 assist to turnover ratio. With a modest 5.3 points per game, she is only the team’s seventh highest scoring player despite her many minutes. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">But consider this. Lepolo scored a team and career high 20 points against Cal, going 6 for 10 from the three-point line. In the previous game against UC Davis, Lepolo made both of her three-point shots. When left unguarded on the perimeter, it is critical that Lepolo make the opponent pay – and she did exactly that against Cal. If opponents continue to pack the interior, Lepolo will get lots more chances.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><b>Elena Boscana</b> is fearless in driving the basket or in taking the outside shot. She is just below 30% from the three-point line. She is a much-improved rebounder, averaging 5.7 boards per game. She gets assists on offense and steals on defense. Boscana is a substantial contributor to the offensive and defensive balance that the team needs.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><b>Nunu Agara</b> is one of the first players off the bench and rightly so. She is the team’s number four scorer (8.8 points per game). She drives the basket strongly and creatively and draws fouls (second only to Brink in foul shot attempts). At the line, she is 92.5%, second only to Brink’s 94.4%. The two players’ combination of drawing the fouls and converting the shots makes Stanford the top foul-shooting team in the conference. Agara also battles inside and averages 4.1 boards per game.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><b>Brooke Demetre </b>gets more minutes than any other bench player and averages more minutes than Boscana. She is an interior player with a shooter’s touch, averaging 32.4% from distance. Against Cal, she drained a three from the parking lot in the last seconds of the first quarter. She is an assist leader and an improving rebounder as she has moved to playing post positions. She needs to continue to shoot from inside and out.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><b>Courtney Ogden</b> is the team’s top-ranked freshman recruit and showing it with a 33% three-point shooting rate. She is a team player and contributes assists on offense and steals on defense. She made 13 points in the Gonzaga loss. After missing two recent games (injury related), Ogden is on a track to success.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><b>Jzaniya Harriel </b>also missed two recent games but has shown a shooter’s touch from the distance (38.7%) and a defensive mindset, leading the team with 10 steals while averaging only 12.6 minutes per game. She has demonstrated her value on court.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><b>Chloe Clardy </b>is the last of the three promising freshman. Her outside shooting could improve, but Clardy does not hesitate to drive the basket. Her quickness on both ends of the court is an asset, with 17 assists and 16 defensive boards. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">One or more of these seven players could make Stanford’s season.</p>Bob Stevenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02270634743446567487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19599628.post-51692649226569653722023-12-05T17:59:00.000-08:002023-12-05T17:59:46.131-08:00After Gonzaga - What Next?<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Evening talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel has repeatedly joked
that Gonzaga doesn’t exist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Stanford
women’s basketball team knows better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">With a commanding physical presence, the Zags decisively bested
then number 3 Stanford 96-78 on an early December Sunday afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When was the last time anyone scored 96
points against Stanford?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When was the
last time anyone scored 32 points on Stanford in a single quarter?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Zags did both of those things, adding 44 points in the
paint (compared to Stanford’s 34) and an overall 31-29 rebounding
advantage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gonzaga used motivation,
sound preparation, and talent to play its best game of the season. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Stanford now goes on a break to focus on final exams, with
its next games at home against Portland and UC Davis before the Christmas
holiday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the meantime, the team must
take what it can from this loss and regroup for the conference season. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Maybe it won’t take that much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were extenuating circumstances
associated with the loss to Gonzaga.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cameron
Brink was ill and played only 11 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Her post mate Kiki Iriafen got in foul trouble and played only 24 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Iriafen picked up her fourth foul early in
the third quarter and had to watch from the bench as the Zags outscored
Stanford 32-16 in that quarter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the
Zags holding a 20-point lead, Iriafen returned to play most of the fourth
quarter but the team could reduce the margin by only 2 points.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Viewing the contest on video, my impression was that
Stanford’s defensive game plan fell apart in the third quarter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With both Brink and Iriafen out, the Zags
started getting productive in the interior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Stanford tried to bolster interior defense but, in the process, left
more three-point shooters open (the Zags were deadly from inside (62%) and
outside (56%) during their third quarter blitz.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If one leaves out the third quarter, the game was closely contested and
could have been won by either team.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So what’s to be done about the defensive collapse?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Iriafen has run into foul trouble twice in
recent games and should learn from this game the importance of staying on the
floor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, during a long season,
there are sure to be other games in which both Brink and Iriafen have to sit
for more than a few minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their substitutes, primarily Brooke Demetre
and Nunu Agara, have to learn what they can about defending against strong post
players.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebounding from these subs
could also improve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The team should
prepare for a help defense that still leaves the opponent’s primary three-point
shooters closely guarded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Stanford’s offensive performance showed promise even with
Brink (and often Iriafen) not on the floor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The three top scorers (each with 13 points) were Hannah Jump and
freshmen Nunu Agara and Courtney Ogden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ogden was 3-6 from distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Brooke Demetre was 2-3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stanford shot
threes at a 45% clip, adding 27 points to its 78-point total.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the interior, Stanford suffered on the
boards and clearly missed the scoring dominance that Brink and Iriafen
typically bring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The team’s two other shortcomings
were the 53% shooting from the foul line and the 16 turnovers (the Zags had
only 7).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Leaving aside neutral court games, Stanford is 1 for 2 in
away games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The road percentage must
improve if Stanford is to contest the conference championship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite the disappointing loss to Gonzaga, Stanford
still has the talent, chemistry and motivation to win every game it plays and contest
for the conference championship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>Warren Grimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932754118601734074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19599628.post-10994017837151049732023-11-12T22:16:00.000-08:002023-11-12T22:16:20.645-08:00A Great Team in the Making? Chemistry and Intensity<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Warren Grimes</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After scoring a mere 87 points against unranked Hawaii,
Stanford put up 96 against 9<sup>th</sup> ranked Indiana.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indiana
coach Teri Moren described Stanford as “terrific.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe she was right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Indiana met Stanford at Maples on a Sunday mid-November afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stanford looked like a formidable final four
team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indiana scored 64 points but trailed
massively early on, with Stanford holding a 54-26 lead at the end of the first
half.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The final margin of victory was 32
points.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Indiana is a very good team, likely to compete for a big-10
championship, but Stanford brought intensive defense and unselfish inside-outside
play on offense that the Hoosiers could not match.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is Stanford better than last year?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A bit early to say, but things are looking
pretty good.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The loss of All American Haley Jones was big, but that loss
is being offset.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year’s team brings
an intangible team chemistry, led by leaders like Cameron Brink.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brink,
and others, bring experience, intensity, and unselfish team play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition to chemistry, there are at least
two other notable strengths to this team that contribute to its inside-outside
dominance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, the returning veterans
are improved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Second, the three freshmen,
led by Nunu Agara, are impressive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Kiki Iriafen’s improvement, while perhaps expected, is noteworthy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last year, Iriafen averaged 6.7 points and
3.8 boards per game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year, after
two games, the average is 21.5 points and 12 boards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last year, Iriafen shared a lot of minutes
with Lauren Betts, but the combined total of those two players was 12 points
and 7.3 boards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I expect Iriafen’s
totals will moderate as the season progresses, but she is now a part of the
best post duo in the conference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
expect double-doubles will be frequent in Iriafen’s junior season.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The other half of that duo is All American Cameron
Brink.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brink has benefitted from playing
3 on 3 basketball over the past Summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Her post moves are quicker than ever, and she has hit 2 of her 4 three-point
attempts so far.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She leads the team in
boards with 12.5 per game despite playing an average of just 22.5 minutes so
far.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Against Indiana, she had 20 points,
17 boards, and 4 blocks (2 against Indiana’s All American center Mackenzie
Holmes).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stretching back to last season,
Brink has made over 50 consecutive free throws, and she gets lots of
opportunities.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Other starters are also showing improvement. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fifth year senior Hannah Jump leads the team
in minutes played and has converted three-point shots at a 50% rate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She seems more active in give and go moves,
scoring six of her nine baskets inside the three-point line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Elena Bosgana has started two games and is
averaging 10 points per game on a combination of threes and interior moves.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Starting point guard Talana Lepolo continues with major
minutes as a ball handler (and swishing 2 of 3 three-point attempts against
Indiana).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’ve not mentioned Brooke Demetre, who once again with her
steadiness and outside shooting may lead the team in minutes off the bench.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She can help out in the post positions, as
she did late-game against Indiana.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Jzaniya Harriel is a veteran guard also likely to get more minutes
this season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Harriel is averaging 15 minutes
and 3 points per game so far.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Now let’s talk about the freshmen, starting with Nunu
Agara.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The preseason hype on 6’2” Agara
was that she could play the shooting guard position well and help
elsewhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was an understatement,
particularly with respect to her inside game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So far, Agara is averaging 15.5 points (second highest on the team) and
5 boards in an average of just 18 minutes per game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wow!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Agara turns out to be quick, strong, and creative on the inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She can also shoot from distance (1 for 2 so
far).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although not the highest ranked of
the three incoming freshmen (Agara was ranked no. 37 by ESPN Hoopgurlz), she
may get more minutes (and a starting assignment) more quickly than her
classmates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her teammate Cameron Brink
says Agara can play any of the 1-5 positions.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Courtney Ogden, ranked no. 10 by Hoopgurlz, is a shooter,
but at 6’1” also someone who can battle inside. Ogden is averaging 13 minutes and
3.5 points.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I see an upward curve for Ogden
as she adjusts to the faster collegiate game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Chloe Clardy, a guard ranked no. 39 by Hoopgurlz, has a
great handle and three-point shooting skills, also averaging 3.5 points in just
under 13 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She can play the point
and shoot the three (3-8).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her future
looks bright.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The chemistry seems exceptional.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The players play with intensity and support
for one another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The future looks bright
for a team that has superior inside-outside potential.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>Warren Grimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932754118601734074noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19599628.post-30065989530092783562023-11-05T18:17:00.003-08:002023-11-06T13:20:13.566-08:00New Season Optimism: How Much?<p>Warren Grimes<br />
</p><p class="MsoNormal">Best Year Ever! <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That’s the slogan for this year’s Stanford women’s
basketball team in the final year of Pac-12 play.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Can that happen?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here
are two takes on the prospects for this year’s team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first lists some reasons why optimism
should be guarded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second examines
why the team could substantially outperform its preseason ranking of 15 (AP
poll).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Reasons for Guarded Optimism<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Stanford has lost versatile All-American Haley Jones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A point forward who could lead the fast
break, Jones led the team in assists and steals; she was a close second to
Cameron Brink in points and rebounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She was a go-to player able to create her own shot in a crowded interior..<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Jones was one of two #1 ranked high school recruits that
left the team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other was promising
post Lauren Betts, who transferred to UCLA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Another transfer loss was Indya Nivar, an athletic and versatile guard
who left to play at North Carolina.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The loss of Betts, Ashten Prechtel and Jones means Stanford
has lost depth and rebounding in the post positions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once the conference’s leader in post depth,
Stanford is now a bit thin in these positions.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Meanwhile, the road to a conference championship is as
difficult as it’s ever been.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
conference’s top five rivals for Stanford have maintained a solid roster or
even improved (UCLA being a primary example).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>UCLA and Utah are ranked #4 and #5 in the preseason AP poll and three
more Pac-12 teams are ranked behind Stanford in the top 25 (Colorado, USC and
WSU).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arizona, Oregon, and Washington
also received votes.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Reasons Stanford May Exceed Expectations<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Stanford brings back four of its five starters from last
year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those four, and other veterans, will
be better, more experienced players. Cameron Brink and Kiki Iriafen are
probably the best four-five combination in the conference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Brink is a candidate for the Naismith award. Iriafen is an improving strong and athletic post player with solid moves and rebounding skills. </span>In addition, Hanna Jump, who has improved
every year, will be back as a three-point shooting guard as good as any in the
conference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Talana Lepola also returns as the team’s starting guard with
a good handle and an excellent 2:1 assist/turnover ratio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lepola can increase the team's offensive diversity if
she asserts herself from the three-point line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To replace Jones, there are several prospects, including veteran
Elena Boscana.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last year, Boscana shot
at a 44% clip overall and 32% from distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her defense is improving, and she
can create shots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Against Dominican, Boscana
started and scored 19 points, including 2-4 from distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Three-point shooting is a skill that Jones
did not demonstrate in her last year at Stanford.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If Jones’ replacement is a three-point threat,
this could help open up the inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Last season, Brooke Demetre had more minutes off the bench
than any other Stanford player.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Demetre
may or may not start, but she is destined again for major minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is steady, with 2:1 assist-turnover ratio,
and can shoot from the outside (33% last year).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Against Dominican, Demetre had an off night shooting but pulled down 12
boards in 21 minutes on the floor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Expect
Demetre to be playing the post positions much more than last year when she was
used mostly on the perimeter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A post
player who can shoot from the outside is always a major plus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In conference play, Stanford could also benefit from scheduling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This season, Stanford plays only a single
game against four of its top-five ranked opponents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stanford has only one home game each against
UCLA and USC and only one away game each against Utah and Colorado. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>The Role of the Three Freshmen<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Its risky to draw too many conclusions from the exhibition
game against overmatched Dominican, but the 126 point-performance is a
positive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With Elena Boscana in the
starting lineup along with last year’s starters, that group scored 66 points
while averaging just over 16 minutes each on the floor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The group was scoring at .80 points per player
per minute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not to be forgotten, Stanford’s
three freshmen (Nuna Agara, Courtney Ogden, and Chloe Clardy) came off the
bench for an average of just over 17 minutes each and contributed 40 points (or
.78 points per player per minute).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> That's exciting. </span>The full story of these freshmen has yet to be
written, but all seem destined for major minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ogden added 10 boards and 2 assists to her 16-point
total, all in just 14 minutes on the floor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ogden’s ability to score inside
and out while rebounding well makes her another promising replacement for Haley
Jones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We will know more in two weeks, after four more games in a
two week period, including one against higher ranked Indiana and another against
highly respected Duke. <o:p></o:p></p>
I'm excited.<br /><br /><p></p>Warren Grimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932754118601734074noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19599628.post-59786231336775325272023-09-04T16:08:00.000-07:002023-09-04T16:08:42.883-07:00Can the Non-Football Sports Recover From Chaotic Realignment?<p> </p>Warren Grimes<br />
<p class="MsoNormal">Coach Tara VanDerveer has spoken of the grief of seeing the
storied Pac-12 conference abruptly disintegrate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As the conference’s number one WBB proponent, VanDerveer can rightly
lament the undoing of what was probably the nation’s number one WBB
conference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This was a money and football driven event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Football provides the money, the money comes
from big sports networks, and the networks care about their own bottom line and
not much else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Among college women’s
sports, women’s hoops generates the most revenue, but it is a pittance compared
to football.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Neither VanDerveer nor any
of the other non-football college coaches had a meaningful say in what
transpired.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Realignment is about the rich getting richer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Schools fortunate enough to join the Big Ten
or the SEC will get more revenue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those
with the least leverage, such as Washington State or Oregon State, are likely
to end up with less revenue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Realignment is a particular threat to many non-football college
sports.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of regional-based
conferences, many of these teams (some playing 2 or 3 times as many games as
football) now must reckon with the extensive travel involved in a national
conference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to the Stanford
press release, 14 sports will have to deal with significant scheduling changes.
That likely includes major non-football sports such as basketball, volleyball,
soccer, swimming, track and field, and gymnastics.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That hurts.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That hurts the student athletes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They must spend substantially more travel
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their lives as students are more disrupted;
stress and mental health issues could worsen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That hurts coaches and staff, who in addition to enduring
expanded travel, must also reckon with more <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>complex scheduling.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That hurts fans, who lose traditional rivalries and have
greater difficulty travelling to away matches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That hurts athletic departments that must pay costs for more
expensive travel (perhaps chartering planes for some of this travel).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That hurts recruiting for schools that lose out on revenue
or prestige, and perhaps for schools that must endure the most disruptive
travel.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And it even hurts the environment as hundreds of athletes
log more time on planes travelling cross country on multiple occasions.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So what’s to be done? <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Facing this challenge, the non-football coaches and staff
should fight for their programs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
should pressure their own athletic departments to make adjustments that will
protect the integrity of their sport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Doing so in coordinated fashion will increase their leverage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The big winners among the Pac-12 schools are
UCLA and USC, which have the most lucrative payouts from joining the Big
Ten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the non-football sports at
these schools face burdens similar to everyone else. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are in this together.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The women’s basketball coaches of the soon to be former
Pac-12 know each other and care about the future of their sport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As VanDerveer leads her team through the
final Pac-12 season, she can interact with her colleagues from other schools
about how best to preserve the values of their sport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other non-football coaches will have a
similar opportunity. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have several
points of leverage to influence future developments.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Let’s start with economics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Since money is driving realignments, why shouldn’t budget-conscious administrators
also seek to cut travel budgets by scheduling more regional games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, the advantages go well beyond
money, as coaches know well the toll extensive travel takes on them and on
their student athletes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The big sports networks probably don’t have much money in
this game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, they would want to
televise many of these non-football contests, but some of the best matchups will
involve regional rivalries and schools that don’t necessarily excel at football
(U Conn’s or Gonzaga’s men’s and women’s basketball teams, for example).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Pac-12 coaches will soon be split asunder (presumably in
four separate conferences), but they can build a network with their colleagues
in future conferences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The interests of
non-football coaches in the Big Ten, the Big 12, or the ACC are no different
than those of the Pac-12 schools.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Coordinated appeals should focus on several ways of
improving the sport and lessening travel burdens.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.5in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">I.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Football conference alignments could be
separated from the conference alignments of other collegiate sports.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This would be the cleanest solution. Football
is unique not simply because it generates the most revenue, but also because of
the relatively small number of games played. Freeing the non-football sports from
the link to football would allow more regionally based alignments.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.5in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">II.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->To the extent that non-football sports remain in
the same conference with football, several mitigating reforms could lessen the
travel burdens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The conference schedule,
for example, could be reduced so that teams have discretion to schedule more
regional games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The conference
championship would be based on fewer intra-conference games, perhaps placing
greater emphasis on an end-of-season conference tournament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.5in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">III.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Another variation on this theme would allow each
conference member to schedule a set number of games against worthy regional
opponents that are not members of the same conference (these games could still
count in the conference championship).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.5in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">IV.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Inter conference agreements could establish a
system of cross conference games that would count toward the conference title,
with these games designed to favor regional rivalries. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Realignments are unlikely to end with the demise of the Pac-12.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other vulnerable conferences, including the Atlantic
Coast Conference, are likely to see schools such as Florida State or Creighton
bolt for greener (as in the color of money) pastures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These moves are selfish, even to the point of
being ugly, and certainly disrespectful of traditional alignments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These developments have already sparked negative
stories and commentary, including from Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles
Times, PBS, and NPR.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Do non-profit educational institutions really want to be
seen as cut-throat money grubbers who place the dollar above the interests of
their own student athletes?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The selfish and
decidedly unsavory conduct of schools raises the possibility that one or more committees
of a dysfunctional Congress may decide to hold hearings on the realignments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Members of Congress may disagree on a
solution, but they could join hands in holding a hearing that will generate
national publicity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have done so in
the past and it is not unlikely that they will do so again. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A member of Congress from a state or district where a school
has suffered revenue or prestige loss from realignment would enthusiastically
support such a hearing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While perhaps
unlikely to result in legislation, a hearing could shine a light on the issues
and generate indirect pressure for universities to rethink how they deal with
each other and with their student athletes.<o:p></o:p></p>Warren Grimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932754118601734074noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19599628.post-51908252030154514692023-08-15T10:45:00.002-07:002023-08-15T23:08:29.260-07:00Realignment Chaos: Can the Non-Football Programs Preserve Traditional Rivalries?<p> </p>Warren Grimes<br />
<p class="MsoNormal">With conference realignment foremost on our minds, it is
appropriate to ask what will befall the non-football programs – programs that are central to Stanford regularly winning the Directors Cup and supplying the
Olympics with gifted athletes. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A focus
on football money streams is, unfortunately, unlikely to adequately address the
interests of non-football programs and their student athletes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Stanford’s realignment has yet to be resolved, but most
possible outcomes will raise concerns for Stanford Women’s Basketball as well
as 30 plus other non-football programs, including men’s basketball, baseball,
softball, women’s volleyball, and men’s and women’s soccer, tennis, swimming,
gymnastics, and track and field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Realignments
may force time-consuming and expensive travel and the loss of traditional
rivalries that motivate fans and players.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dismantling the Pac-12 conference will make it difficult to
preserve regular contests with traditional opponents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stanford has decades of storied contests with
the three other California-based Pac-12 members: California, UCLA, and
USC.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And four other Pacific Coast schools
(each a member of the old Pac-8) are regular rivals (Oregon, OSU, Washington,
and WSU).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Why is it important to maintain these traditional
rivalries?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Well, for one, the fans and the players value these
rivalries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Historical ties make for
sharper focus and more intense competition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The regional rivalries also make economic and environmental sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why spend the time and money on long-distance
cross-county treks when the competition is as good or better close to
home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, there is the recruitment
value of playing in a region where Stanford finds most of its recruits.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To be sure, Stanford recruits nationally and
internationally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For WBB, all three of
our incoming freshman recruits are non-West Coast people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two others on the roster are from Greece. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That said, seven of the team’s upperclassmen
are West Coast people – one from Oregon and six from California.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This season’s starting line up could well be
made up solely of Pacific Coast players (Brink from Oregon and Iriafen,
Demetre, Lepolo and Jump from California).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There is an advantage in recruiting players who feel at home
on the West Coast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was it an accident
that all three players who transferred out of the program last year were
non-West Coasters?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t answer that,
but it’s simply good advertising to have Stanford perform in areas where most potential
recruits live.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Southern California has
long been a key recruiting ground for Stanford WBB.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Football and men’s basketball provide most of the revenues
for college athletics, but the bulk of an athletic department’s personnel are
involved in non-football sports.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These coaches
and staff are not just potted plants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
any given sport, coaches have close ties to others in their sport, especially their in-conference colleagues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These
non-football coaches, while acknowledging the need for football generated
revenues, will push for what is best for their sport and their program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One might expect that they will push in the
direction of freeing their sport from the ties of football conferences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Failing that, if a conference schedule requires
long and expensive journeys to faraway places, they will push to lighten the
conference schedule, broadening their discretion to schedule nearby
rivals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These coaches and administrators
already have substantial control over scheduling non-conference contests.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What’s good for Stanford is also good for our rival
schools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>UCLA and USC, for example,
doubtless see advantage in maintaining a non-football sport rivalry with
Stanford, including the relatively short one-hour flight from Los Angeles to
the Bay Area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is likely that every school
leaving the Pac-12 will share Stanford’s interest in maintaining regularly
scheduled contests among Pac-12 rivals.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Taking one additional step, it may be in the non-football
programs’ interest to formalize these rivalries in a way that can ensure their long-term
survival.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Schools in different conferences could still
agree to regularly schedule games with one another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, UCLA and USC could still agree
to play one women’s BB game against Stanford each year, alternating home and
away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More broadly, an agreement between
women’s BB programs could keep all the original Pac-8 schools on a once-a-year
contest schedule.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Assuming Stanford was
in a different conference from each of the other seven schools, this would mean
7 non-conference games each year, each against a traditional rival and each
involving relatively manageable travel (If Cal, OSU, and WSU end up in the same
conference with Stanford, that will mean only four non-conference games).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This kind of agreement would preserve longstanding
relationships among the schools and their coaches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The agreements should be sport specific.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Baseball or women’s soccer, for example,
would have to work out scheduling arrangements suitable for their sport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Stanford could take the lead in proposing such agreements,
which arguably are in the interests of all the Pac-8 schools (and could even be
broadened to include all schools currently in the Pac 12).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cooperation among the Pac-12 coaches and
administrators in non-football sports, in the longer term, could pave the way
for separating football and non-football conferences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is precedent for that separation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stanford sports such as men’s volleyball,
soccer, and water polo are part of conferences that have participants not conforming with Pac-12 membership.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>Warren Grimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932754118601734074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19599628.post-28685408566661494032023-08-08T15:10:00.000-07:002023-08-08T15:10:46.354-07:00Demise of the Pac-12 and Other Off-Season Events<p>Warren Grimes</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For women’s hoops fans, it’s been an interesting summer –
not to mention the spring that preceded it.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We learned at season’s end that the two top-ranked recruits
from last year’s freshman class were transferring. Lauren Betts, the #1 ranked high school
recruit from last year, decided she preferred to play at UCLA. Indya Nivar, another top 20 recruit, wanted
to play closer to home in North Carolina.
On top of that, rising senior Agnes Emma-Nnopu opted to transfer to
Texas. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If there was a positive to be found anywhere in the
off-season events, it was that Talana Lepolo, well behind Betts and Nivar in
high school ranking, had become Stanford’s starting point guard and started for
the U19 USA team that won the championship this summer. Oh, and Cameron Brink – yes thank goodness
for Brink – was the MVP of the champion USA team in the three-on-three WBB world
competition in Vienna. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But in terms of what’s happened lately, it’s all about the
disintegration of the Pac-12 conference.
After USC and UCLA announced their intention to join the Big Ten last
year, the future of the conference was uncertain at best. It’s worth noting, however, that even without
UCLA and USC, the conference still could have been the best women’s hoops
conference in the country. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Three-time
NCAA champion Stanford, with the winningest coach in BB history, was still
there. So was Arizona, which played in
the NCAA championship game against Stanford in 2021. Oregon could have won it all in 2020 if the
NCAA tournament hadn’t been cancelled. Then
there was Utah, which shared the conference title with Stanford in 2023. And not so lowly WSU, which pulled the most
startling upset by winning the conference tournament last March (WSU still
hasn’t bested Stanford in women’s hoops).
And that leaves out Colorado, which has become a no-nonsense team
capable of beating Stanford and anyone else in the conference. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So why take apart the best women’s hoops conference in the
country? <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Well, the demise of the Conference had absolutely nothing to
do with women’s hoops. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It was all about money, money, money, and that money came
primarily from football. Each school
that has chosen to leave the Pac-12, and that includes eight of the twelve
members, has done so for a selfish reason – to maximize its television
revenues. In doing so, the schools
showed little or no concern for the remaining conference members. Nor have they paid much attention to women’s
basketball or to any of the other non-football sports. My hunch is that none of the eight women’s
hoops coaches from the departing schools, while they will make the best of
their opportunities, would have found this decision to be in the best interests
of their program. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So, the remains of the “Pac-4 Conference” are Stanford,
California, OSU, and WSU. The athletic
directors at these schools can understandably ask: “what did we do wrong?” <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I cannot predict what will happen next. A four-school conference is untenable,
although the schools could agree to continue to cooperate in the short term, or
even attempt a collective negotiation that would allow all four to join another
conference. The school with the most leverage
may be Stanford, in part because of its storied record in many sports (winning
the Director’s Cup consistently).
Stanford and California also have leverage because of their location in
a populous Bay Area media market. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Rather than try to predict, let me end by just suggesting
what kind of a solution would be best--best for Stanford, but also best for the
other three schools and college athletics generally. That
would be to separate football from the other sports. As the UCLA football coach has suggested in
an LA Times interview, there could be further consolidation of football
conferences, perhaps even to the point of having a single national conference
for football (with various regional divisions).
That conference could then negotiate lucrative media coverage
contracts. Other sports could be left to
organize in smaller regionally based conferences (bring back a Pac-8 of the
four schools in Washington, Oregon, and California?). They could still sell media rights and bring
in revenue, <b><i>but money would no longer dominate decisions about what is in
the best interests of the athletes and fans</i></b><i>. <o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Warren Grimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932754118601734074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19599628.post-4240570323082413762023-03-21T14:20:00.003-07:002023-03-21T14:20:37.589-07:00Putting the Pieces Together<p> </p>Warren Grimes<br />
<p class="MsoNormal">I find it difficult to write after a tough loss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the second-round loss to Mississippi, on
the Maples home court, was as tough as they come.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was not wholly unexpected, but nonetheless
a gut punch for the Stanford players, coaches, and fans. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It ended the Stanford career for at least some
of the four extraordinary seniors, each of whom played key roles in Stanford’s first
national championship in over two decades.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Going out in the second round was
not how Haley Jones and her mates wanted to write the script.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My immediate response to the loss was to be sad, even a bit
depressed, and to spend a sleepless night wondering what if. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Others responded differently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over
on the Cardboard, a few posters unleashed harsh criticism of Coach Tara
VanDerveer, some of it in angry and disrespectful tones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">VanDerveer has coached more teams to victory than any coach in
WBB history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has three national
championships to her credit, long strings of sweet sixteen and final four
appearances, and numerous conference and conference tournament titles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>VanDerveer is not above criticism, but she’s
entitled to respect because she is a person of principle and because of her amazing
and durable record. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One of the criticisms on the Cardboard is that VanDerveer did not use and develop
the right players.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As an example, one
critic argued that the coach should have played Indya Nivar and Elena Bosgana
more because of their superior offensive potential.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am high on both players, but respectfully
disagree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nivar, for example, could have
seen more minutes by replacing Talana LePolo or Agnes Emma-Nnopu.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But VanDerveer and her staff watch these
players every day in practice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are
going to know far more than outsiders how consistently and intently each of
them performs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The coaches are not
wearing blinders – if a player excels in practice, that player is going to get
more minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> A coach who does not follow these rules should switch to coaching nursery school dodgeball.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The season stats also do not support the critic’s
views.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For one, Indya Nivar DID get
substantial playing time: Nivar was tied with Emma-Nnopu for the sixth most
minutes on the floor and ahead of 8<sup>th</sup> place Kiki Iriafen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When on the floor, Nivar was at times
impressive, but shot threes at a modest 23% rate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Emma-Nnopu, playing the same number of minutes
as Nivar, shot threes at a 42% rate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Emma Nnopu also was equal or better than Nivar in rebounding, free throw
shooting percentage, and in steals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Lepolo, who had roughly twice as many minutes on the floor
as Nivar, shot threes at 37% and had a superior assist to turnover ratio (2:1
compared to Nivar’s 1;1).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The truth is,
none of these three players (Lepolo, Emma-Nnopu, or Nivar) was the kind of
offensive threat that would challenge defensive schemes that collapsed around the
team’s key scorers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Perhaps the statistics provide a somewhat stronger case for more
minutes for Bosgana, who was the 11<sup>th</sup> ranked player in team
minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bosgana is a player ready and
willing to put up shots and she shot threes at a respectable 32 % and field
goals at an overall 44%.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bosgana, like
the other three, was not a consistent difference maker in key games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps each of these players needs more time
to develop, and that’s a reason for hope for next year. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Another criticism of VanDerveer is said to be her failure to
recruit a top ranked point guard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
easy to provide a list of highly ranked point guards who were recruited by
Stanford but chose other schools, including Skylar Diggins, Paige Bueckers, and
Kiki Rice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These were indeed recruiting
disappointments, but the picture is not fully revealed by focusing only on failures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over her career, there is a long list of star
point guards that VanDerveer has brought to Stanford, including Jennifer Azzi,
Sonja Henning, Susan King Borchardt, Jamila Wideman, Amber Orrange, and Kiana
Williams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nonetheless, I would agree
that Stanford has had difficulty in consistently filling the point guard
position with top-flight talent, often forced to turn the position over to talented
but not natural point guards, including Lacie Hull (last year) or Jeanette
Pohlen or Nicole Powell in years past. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed, Haley Jones has been performing point
guard functions during her entire four years at Stanford.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A top ranked high school point guard is a valuable commodity
for every college basketball team in the country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It should surprise no one that Skylar Diggins
or Kiki Rice was intensely recruited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those
two candidates, in particular, were major disappointments because Stanford
seemed to have a recruiting advantage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Diggins had already tentatively committed to Stanford, only to be won
over to Notre Dame at the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
Diggins had a natural South Bend connection, so maybe that should be less
surprising.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As for Rice, we had the Susan King Borchardt family
connection, but that turns out not to be decisive in many recruitments (Bonnie and Karlie Samuelson chose Stanford, but their even more highly regarded sister,
Katie Lou, chose the evil empire).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I see no basis for concluding that Stanford, under Coach
VanDerveer, is somehow inherently disadvantaged in recruiting top point
guards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One theory about this is that
the Stanford style of offense tends to cripple the freedom of action of
freewheeling point guards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This theory
is 90% hooey. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All coaches put limits on
point guard behavior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s true that
some offenses emphasize fast break creativity while others focus more on a half
court set up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But VanDerveer has always
taught her teams to run whenever possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Since Haley Jones joined the team, fast break creativity has been a
focus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Are fans frustrated when Kiki Rice chooses to attend UCLA?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But laying the blame on the coach for most of these individualized decisions
is suspect, particularly when VanDerveer has succeeded in recruiting so many
other top-flight players.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The focus of Stanford coaches is (and ought to be) next
season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With Haley Jones gone, the team
urgently needs balanced perimeter scoring to complement Cameron Brink and
Lauren Betts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anything that Stanford can
do to enhance player development is a top priority.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And there’s lots to work with, even if none
of the four seniors return for a “Covid” year (yet to be determined).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Eight of the eleven players with the most minutes are underclassmen
and should be returning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Brink is obviously pivotal. </span>One other player who
will be back is perhaps a diamond in the rough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She is a player who, although yet to start a game, had the 5<sup>th</sup>
largest number of minutes on a per game basis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She shot 36% from three-land and had an enviable 2:1 assist to turnover
ratio.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Who is it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Brooke Demetre. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> Lets hope that Demetre can diversify her offensive skills and become a major scoring threat.<o:p></o:p></p>Warren Grimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932754118601734074noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19599628.post-6281772696818520472023-03-06T15:04:00.001-08:002023-03-06T15:04:23.932-08:00The Pac-12: The Nation's Best WBB Conference, But Is There a Dominant Team?<p> </p>Warren Grimes<br />
<p class="MsoNormal">The Pac 12 is the best WBB conference in the land, but with
a major question mark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is talent,
depth, and balance in the conference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That was illustrated by the recently completed topsy turvy conference
tournament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are some of the
difficult-to-get-your-head-around facts of that tournament.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Of the 11 games played in the tournament, 7 were won by
the lower seed (that’s 63% of the games)<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Counting only the 7 games played starting with the
quarter finals, 5 of those games were won by the lower seed (that’s 71% of the
games).<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Stanford did not make the final.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s not unprecedented, but it is unusual.<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Stanford was not alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>None of the other top 4 seeds made the final.<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Seeded number 7, Washington State was the lowest seed to
make the final <b>and</b> the lowest to win the tournament.<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>The champion team, Washington State, has never (as in
never-ever) defeated Stanford in WBB.<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>In the first tournament game, the lowest seed in the tournament,
Arizona State, took finalist UCLA to overtime before bowing to the Bruins.<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Conference Co-Champions Stanford and Utah collectively lost
2/3 of the 3 tournament games they played.<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">All of this suggests balance in the league.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the out-of-conference records of these
teams suggest their relative superiority over other conferences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But is there a dominant team in the
conference capable of winning it all?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If there is such a team, a prime candidate would be
Stanford.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Stanford lost 2 of the
last 3 games it played, hardly an indicator of dominance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Utah, in the conference tournament,
couldn’t get beyond its game-one loss to number-7 seeded Washington State.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">All of this presents intriguing questions for the upcoming
NCAA tournament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I expect the Pac-12 to
do quite well in representation (7 or 8 teams?).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And these teams should do well in the first 2
or 3 rounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But will any of them make
the Final Four?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Pac 12 could plausibly
land 3 teams in the Final 4, but it could also end up not sending anyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The up and down performances of every one of
the conference’s teams makes one pause.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As for Stanford, the season-ending games exposed
vulnerabilities that last season’s team did not have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year’s Stanford team lost three of its
late season starters with the graduation of the Hull twins and Anna Wilson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Collectively, those three players provided last
year’s team with 28.4% of its points, 41% of its three pointers, and an
impressive 58% of its steals. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Four different players have stepped in to fill most of the
minutes played by last year’s triumvirate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They are Lepolo, Demetre, Emma-Nnopu, and Iriafen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Collectively, playing slightly fewer minutes
than last year’s graduated trio, these replacements have put up roughly the
same number of team points (28.4%), but fewer of the team’s 3-pointers (37%)
and a lot fewer of the team’s steals (30%).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Of these four players, only one (Lepolo) is averaging over 20 minutes
per game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Demetre, Emma-Nnopu and
Iriafen are all in the 12 to 14 minute range (so is Nivar).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That could mean amazing depth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Less optimistically, it means that the coaching
staff has not found a player that consistently contributes and scores the way
last year’s trio did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although each of
the four replacement players has had very productive offensive games, none so far can consistently
and productively occupy the fifth spot on the floor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When you compare this year’s with last year’s stats, the
current team is shooting free throws much better, is averaging a few more points
per game, and also has the edge in field goal shooting percentage (thanks to the
“B” players – Brink, Betts, and Belibi – all shooting near or above a 50% rate).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last year’s team was shooting threes a bit
better, had a substantially higher average of steals (3 more per game) and had
a more consistent record that brought them both an undefeated conference season
and a conference tournament championship. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One reason for last year’s success is that
Lexie was a creative and effective inside-outside scorer (third highest on the
team) while her sister and Anna Wilson were threats from the three-point
line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Collectively, those three players were
averaging 37% from three-point land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Wilson proved extremely deadly from distance in tournament play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any team that based its defense on sagging to
the middle would pay a heavy price.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To get to the Final Four, Stanford must find someone
other than the big three (Haley Jones, Cameron Brink, and Hannah Jump) to be a
consistent offensive threat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Probably
that player must show inside-outside scoring ability to make a sagging
offensive team pay the price.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed,
impressionistically, the comparison of this season with last season leads to
this: last year Stanford excelled at perimeter guard offense. This year’s team, with the addition of Butts,
has superior inside play, but probably needs improved perimeter play from the
guards to have a chance to win it all.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Stanford can still be a dominant team, but it must prove
it.<o:p></o:p></p>Warren Grimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932754118601734074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19599628.post-5853529795377124842023-02-19T13:33:00.000-08:002023-02-19T13:33:27.598-08:00Coaching Perspectives on the USC Game<p> </p>Warren Grimes<br />
<p class="MsoNormal">Coaches map out defensive and offensive strategies before
each game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Playing USC for the second
time (after a humiliating loss in Los Angeles), how did Stanford coaches adjust
their strategies?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And how did USC
coaches adjust to the loss of Rayah Marshall, a key big who boards, blocks and
scores?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Without actual knowledge of the game plans, these comments
are based on what I saw in the two games and on two basic rules of thumb: (1) that
on the defensive side, a coach tries to make it difficult for the opponent’s
primary scorers to succeed; and (2) on the offensive side, a coach tries to
design an offense most likely to succeed against the opponent’s defense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Stanford and USC are the two best defensive teams in the
conference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>USC allows opponents (on
average) just under 54 points a game; Stanford has an opponent average of just
under 57 points. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On field goal
percentage defense, Stanford comes out on top with .328 with USC number two at
.353.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Both teams did their defensive jobs well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A total of 101 points were scored by the two
teams in the USC victory; only 97 points were scored in the second
matchup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These low scoring totals, well
below each team’s average, are often seen in the NCAA tournament when top teams
meet one another.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>Lindsay Gottlieb’s strategy for</i></b><i> USC</i> – USC
matches up well against Stanford, both in terms of height and athleticism. Gottlieb
succeeded in limiting Stanford’s top scorers in both games: Brink, Jones, and
Jump had their points, but each had a low percentage of conversions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brink, for example, had 11 points in the
first game and 12 points in the second.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But her conversion rate was 21% in the first game and 33% in the second,
well below her season average of 49%.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Jump’s combined performance in the two games was 2 for 11, or 18%, well
below her 45% average.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Offensively, USC is the second lowest in the conference in field
goal percentage (35%).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These percentages
were even worse in the two games (27% in the first game and 22% in the second),
but Gottlieb’s team maintained or surpassed its average in 3-point shooting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without Rayah Marshall in the second game,
Gottlieb may have redesigned her offense to rely less on interior scoring and
more on three-point shooting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her team
launched 23 long distance shots in the game, and converted 8 of them for a respectable
34.8% conversions (USC averages 34% on its three-point shots).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">An impressive facet of Gottlieb’s game plan was how to use
the natural incentive to play hard against Stanford, the team most Pac-12
opponents most want to beat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One sign of
this motivation was the bench response when USC teammates made a good
play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebounding was something USC did
with passion and focus in the second game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Gottlieb must have reached out to her players to make maximum rebounding
efforts in lieu of an absent Rayah Marshall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The team responded by tying Stanford with 43 total rebounds, but
impressively gathering 20 offensive boards (USC averages 13 offensive boards,
but that's with Marshall playing).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
second half shots weren’t falling for USC, time and again their players
responded with offensive boards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
was a team effort, with 6 players contributing offensive rebounds and with 3 of
those players gathering more offensive than defensive boards (an unusual result
and a demonstration of USC’s determination). <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>Tara VanDerveer’s strategy for Stanford</i></b> – In
January, the Stanford coaches had only a short time to prepare their team for a
Sunday matchup with USC at the Galen Center.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Stanford had played a then top-10 ranked UCLA team on Friday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The coaches had no such excuse for the Maples
game, although they did lack one piece of knowledge that Gottlieb had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gottlieb knew that Marshall would be unlikely
to play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Stanford coaches doubtless
knew of Marshall’s injury the previous weekend, but they lacked any sense of
whether Marshall would be sufficiently recovered to play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stanford had no choice but to plan a game
strategy focusing on the interior, assuming Marshall would play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That they did well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They held USC to 2 points in the paint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although USC made 35% of its three-point
shots, the Cardinal defense held USC to a 15% conversion rate (6 out of 40
attempts) on two-point shots. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although
Destiny Littleton (the high scorer with 18 points in the first game) had a hot
first quarter, her overall shooting was not impressive (4 for 20 and 1 for 8
from 3-point land).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Offensively, Stanford had 8 fast break points (compared to
none in LA) and had major contributions from players other than the big
three.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From off the bench, Indya Nivar had
9 points and Lauren Betts had 4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Starter
Kiki Iriafen played only 16 minutes, but had 9 points and 6 rebounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each of these players was converting their
shots at an equal or higher percentage than were the big three.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the last minutes of the game, Stanford saw its lead, as
high as 11 points in the third quarter, whittled down to 3 points.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jones missed an uncontested layup and twice
the team turned the ball over on inbound passes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The inability of the team to inbound the ball
in crucial minutes almost did Stanford in during the semi-final NCAA game
against South Carolina two years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The defense, however, held up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>USC <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was 0-7 in three point
attempts in the final quarter.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There are still things to work on, and three games against
NCAA-bound teams to play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The conference
title hangs in the balance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>Warren Grimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932754118601734074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19599628.post-80113936917386825712023-02-10T10:01:00.003-08:002023-02-10T10:13:26.949-08:00The Story of Two Games: “Hullsling” Your Way to Victory<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Warren Grimes</p><p class="MsoNormal">On a February Sunday, Stanford endured a disappointing 72-67
loss to Washington, an unranked team that probably won’t get invited to the Big
Dance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stanford played well enough to
win, but Washington had what was likely its best overall game of the season,
including a potent offensive showing that Stanford’s defense couldn’t
squelch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Four days later, on a Thursday,
Stanford held 17<sup>th</sup> ranked Arizona to 60 points in their home arena and
easily prevailed by a 24-point margin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At
one point, Stanford had a 37-point lead over the Wild Cats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a difference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And how does one explain it?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It all comes down to “hullsling.” <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I looked up the word in
my basketball dictionary: <i>To hullsle: to play like a Hull, as in a Lacie or
Lexie Hull.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When a Hull plays basketball, she has her mind on the game
every second.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is always thinking,
always anticipating, always mentally there for the team making the little plays that matter so much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is focused and
aggressive all the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One measure of this hullsling skill is the number of steals
on defense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Stanford played
Washington in last season’s final conference game of the season (and the last
conference game for Lexie, Lacie, and Anna Wilson), the Hulls and Wilson
combined for 11 steals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this season’s
loss against the Huskies, the entire team had just 3 steals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last season, the match was close, but still
resulted in a <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>63-56 win for
Stanford.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last season, Stanford had 19
offensive boards; this year, only 2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That must be a season low for Stanford. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last year, Lexie Hull scored 15 points, had 8
boards, and 5 steals. This year, Brooke
Demetre scored 15 points, but could not make up for Stanford’s overall lack luster
performance. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So a team that hullsles gets steals, gets blocks, gets
offensive boards, gets fast break opportunities, disrupts the offensive flow of
the opponent – and wins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Exhibit number
one is how Stanford played against Arizona, perhaps its best overall game of
the season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stanford had 9 steals (Indya
Nivar led with 3), 10 blocks (Lauren Betts had 4), 24 assists, 22 fast break points,
and out-rebounded the Wildcats 45 to 27.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My sense is that this year’s team too often relies on a few
people (Brink, Jones, and Jump) to do too much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Everyone must be involved in the offense and the defense for every
minute of the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two freshmen announced
themselves against Arizona: Lauren Betts had 12 points, 4 blocks, and 2 nice
assists; Indya Nivar had 8 points, 4 boards, 3 steals, and 2 assists (0
turnovers).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone, not just the All Americans, played
intensively, aggressively, and focused.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’
s how Stanford scored 84 points against a highly ranked team that typically has
a disruptive defense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Returning to the (probably unanswerable) question of which
Stanford team (this year’s or last year’s) is the better team, I’d have to say
that last year’s team wins the mark for consistency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They went undefeated in the conference
season, an amazing achievement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in
terms of which team will be the best at the end of the season, the question is
still open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If Stanford hullsles the
way it did against Arizona, they could easily win out the conference season and
be a serious contender for the national championship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Stanford has 3 more games against tournament-bound teams
(UCLA, Colorado, and Utah) and another against the USC team that humiliated
Stanford in Los Angeles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s hope that
Stanford’s team is inspired by the Hulls, wins the conference, and
continues with that momentum into the post-season.<o:p></o:p></p>Warren Grimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932754118601734074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19599628.post-73379473073675774142023-01-16T15:01:00.000-08:002023-01-16T15:01:24.109-08:00Takeaways from a Tough Loss<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Warren Grimes</p><p class="MsoNormal">Call it a debacle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or
merely a disappointing letdown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Either
way, this last Sunday, Stanford could not execute its offense against a
motivated USC squad and went down almost meekly by a 55-46 score.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The demise of the offense could not have been more
dramatic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stanford managed only 4 points
in the first quarter and finished with just 46 points.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If those were not record low numbers for a
VanDerveer coached team, they had to be close to it.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Why did this happen?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
are inevitably two points of view when there is a major upset.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>USC Coach Lindsay Gottlieb talks about how
well her team played.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the defensive
end, there is no doubt that USC deserves major credit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> USC did what </span>South Carolina could not do -- hold Stanford to 46
points.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Coach VanDerveer spoke about poor screening, poor ball
control and disappointing shooting performances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>True enough, although I think there is more
to be said.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Stanford did not experience a major defensive let down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It held a very good offensive team to 55
points, limiting them to 27% overall shooting percentage (but could not stop
productive 42% three-point shooting).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
outrebounded that team 40-36. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stanford’s
defensive effort should have been good enough to win. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On the offensive side, Stanford shot 30.9%, and a much worse
19% (4-21) from distance. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had no fast
break points.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> And it had 13 turnovers.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">VanDerveer remarked on the poor screening effort, and that
could have affected the long-distance shooting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hannah Jump was 0-3; Cameron Brink was 0-5; and Ashten Prechtel was
1-4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Particularly for Brink, the long-distance
shots seemed relatively uncontested. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There is a link here to USC’s defensive game plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That plan, not unlike other Stanford
opponents, was to follow Jump everywhere she went and clog the middle while leaving
other Stanford perimeters relatively unguarded from distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So Haley Jones and Cameron Brink, for
example, were not closely guarded from outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">By clogging the middle, USC made it extremely difficult for
Jones to penetrate and for Brink to dominate – Brink converted only 3 of 9 from
the interior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This game plan would have
failed miserably if Stanford had found its long-range shooting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Talana Lepolo and Agnes Emma-Nnopu both
converted their only three-point shots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brooke Demetre was 1-3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why not more of that?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Stanford may have become too predictable in its offense – too
reliant on the big three (Brink, Jones, and Jump).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To be sure, these gifted players are hard to
defend, but USC had the personnel, the game plan, and the motivation to do just
that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one can totally stop Cameron
Brink from scoring but limiting her to 3-14 shooting helps a great deal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Last year’s team might well have done in the Trojans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With reliable outside shooting from three other players -- the Hull
twins and Anna Wilson -- Stanford’s three-point percentage would likely have
been respectable, and USC’s defensive game plan would not have worked as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Outside shooting opens up the interior game.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So what adjustments, aside from more effective screening,
could the team make?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Players such
as Lepolo, Emma-Nnopu, and Demetre should be given the green light to shoot from
distance when they are left open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Demetre
has suffered from a recent shooting draught, but, I understand, is still lights
out in practice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stanford’s interior
game is one of its strengths, but when an opponent gambles on leaving open
perimeter players, the watchword should be: “make them pay.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For all of the listed players (and perhaps Indya
Nivar and Elena Bosgana should be added), the coaches need to
encourage perimeter players to walk, talk and execute with swagger. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the shot clock is below 10 seconds, if
the shot is there, take it! <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As far as Haley Jones, the best approach may be for Jones to
be less predictable when faced with a clogged interior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather than take on two or three obstructing
players, perhaps Jones can rely more on a pull up jumper that she can shoot
very effectively.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The USC game should be motivation for the team to make some
of these offensive adjustments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take the
bitterness of this loss, learn from it, and make them pay!<o:p></o:p></p>Warren Grimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932754118601734074noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19599628.post-30930850728257203702023-01-03T16:57:00.000-08:002023-01-03T16:57:02.312-08:00Talana Lepolo: Stanford’s Stealth MVP<p> </p>Warren Grimes<br />
<p class="MsoNormal">Stanford has ample MVP candidates – to begin with, two All
American players (Haley Jones and Cameron Brink).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And don’t forget Hannah Jump, who may well be
the best three-point shooter Stanford has ever had.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Rounding out the starting lineup, Stanford has Kiki Iriafen,
an interior player who, averaging less than 16 minutes per game, still manages
to be the team’s third leading rebounder and fourth leading scorer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Iriafen converts her shots at a 58% rate, better
than Cameron Brink.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That leaves only one other starter: Talana Lepolo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With an average of 5.5 points per game, Lepolo’s
unlikely to win any MVP awards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But her
value to the team?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s worth a careful
look.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Lepolo came out of relative obscurity (a freshman with a
solid high school record, but only the third highest high school ranking among the
team’s incoming freshmen) to be a starter and an invaluable point guard for the
nation’s second ranked team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">No, Lepolo doesn’t shoot the way Kiana Williams did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, Lepolo doesn’t defend and steal quite as
well as Anna Wilson did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lepolo,
however, is a unique player with her own amazing skill set.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She gets the ball up court as fast as any
point guard that I can remember.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her pinpoint
passes often lead to easy conversions on the inside (Brink, for example) or the
outside (Jump, for example).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Against Arizona’s
aggressive and trapping defense, Lepolo had 4 assists against 3 turnovers, but
she proved her mettle by dribbling out of two-player entrapments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One feature that sets Lepolo apart from other storied Stanford
point guards is her strength.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She can
drive the basket with the momentum and stability to stay on course against
large defenders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She uses those same
assets to dribble out of defensive traps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Meanwhile, she does what all point guards are asked to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She dishes out assists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last year, Lacie Hull and Anna Wilson combined
averaged around five assists per game. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lepolo alone is averaging just less than five
per game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meanwhile, Lepolo accomplishes this with a commendable
assist/turnover ratio (2.09).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So, averaging only 5.5 points per game, does that mean that
Lepolo lacks offensive punch? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Opposing
coaches who make that assumption may regret it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Against Creighton, Lepolo scored a team and career high 17 points,
shooting 5 for 11 from distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lepolo
is converting three-point shots at a 41% average, second only to Hannah
Jump.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Free thows?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lepolo has 10 for 12, or 83%
conversions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Does Lepolo benefit from having Haley Jones and three other starters
who help with the ball-handling and are major offensive threats?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, she does.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The important point is that Lepolo knows how
to work in tandem with her teammates, taking advantage of defenders who are
preoccupied with other Stanford players.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When asked about Talana’s playing, Haley Jones offered high
praise at the post-Arizona game press conference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Noting the excellent communication with Lepolo,
Jones expressed “utmost confidence in Talana.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Jones continued: “She’s growing so much in her leadership.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For good reason, Jones and her mates enjoy
playing with Talana.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So, at season’s end, Lepolo may be without MVP honors, but
she makes everyone else on the team better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If overall statistics are honored, Lepolo’s a solid bet for the Pac-12 All-Freshman
team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>Warren Grimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932754118601734074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19599628.post-3179608799132623692023-01-01T17:14:00.001-08:002023-01-02T08:46:13.271-08:00Stanford in December: Depth and Versatility<p> Warren Grimes</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In December, Stanford women played 5 home games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of those (Gonzaga) was played before the finals
break.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Three more (Tennessee, Creighton,
and California) were before the Christmas break.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The last was Arizona State, played on New
Year’s Eve.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Stanford won all of them, four by 20-point plus
margins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s an accomplishment given
that three of the five opponents are likely to be tournament teams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tennessee (a team that had lost six coming
into Maples but still could end the season in the top 20) managed to limit
Stanford to a 7-point margin.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In four of the five games, the top three scorers were Brink,
Jump, and Jones, each of them averaging around 13 points per game over the
season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brink is slightly in the lead.
She has an impressive 61% shooting percentage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Jump is just behind in scoring but is shooting threes at a team leading
50% rate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Jones, well she does it
all, but should be singled out for her assists and her “full court” drives to
the basket.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Stanford has no player in the race for top conference
scorer, but the team’s balanced scoring says a great deal about why Stanford is
so tough to defend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The December games
stand out because players other than the top three have stepped up in various
ways to add to the opponent’s difficulty in facing Stanford. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Let’s begin with Gonzaga, a team with injuries and a very
thin bench, but nonetheless a top 20 team with some significant wins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brooke Demetre had a season and career game,
scoring a team high 17 points on 5 for 9 shooting from distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Demetre has stood out in other games as well
in part because of her steady presence and ability to pile up the assists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has 20 assists for the season with a 2.1
assist to turnover ratio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the Tennessee
game, Demetre scored no points but had a steal and 2 assists, not counting
passes to the interior that led to free throws for Brink or other players.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Against Tennessee, Brink, Jones, and Jump carried the
critical load.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The team, however, could
not have won without Demetre’s contribution and Agnes Emma Nnopu, who played 17
minutes with 2 assists (no turnovers), a block and a steal. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Creighton provided an opportunity for point guard Talana
Lepolo, who stepped up with a team and career high 17 points, shooting 5 for 11
from three-point land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Creighton managed
to hold Jump without a three-pointer but paid a price when Lepolo took
advantage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stanford held Creighton to 59
points, well below their season average.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Then came California, where both Lauren Betts and Elena
Bosgana contributed 9 points in ten minutes or less.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both of these players deserve further
mention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Betts has been averaging less
than 10 minutes per game, but in those limited minutes has become the team’s
fifth leading scorer and fourth leading rebounder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On a per minute basis, Betts is in fact the
leading scorer and leading rebounder on the team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She seems certain to get more minutes.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Meanwhile Elena Bosgana has gradually added to her
resume.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Averaging around 12 minutes per
game, she has now become the team’s sixth leading scorer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She shoots the three-ball effectively
(35.5%), something she did not do last year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And Bosgana is an impressive defender: she steals the ball, on a per
minute basis, more than any teammate, although Emma Nnopu is a close
second.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Now we come to New Year’s Eve and the ASU game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once again, the firm of Jump, Brink and Jones
stood out, but had substantial support from Lepolo (10 points on 2 for 3
shooting from distance) and from Betts (10 points and 6 boards in 15
minutes).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add one more player to the
list of substantial contributors: Indya Nivar played 18 minutes, part of the
time at the point, and tallied 8 points.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nivar looked confident out there.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What fun!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This depth
and versatility will be tested as the conference season proceeds – next against
Arizona on Monday.<o:p></o:p></p>Warren Grimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932754118601734074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19599628.post-12807823927940612362022-12-06T15:12:00.002-08:002022-12-07T07:39:54.898-08:00As Good as it Gets?<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Warren Grimes<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Lisa Fortier brought her Gonzaga squad into Maples last
Sunday with only seven players able to play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But those same seven players were instrumental in defeating top-twenty
Tennessee and top-ten Louisville in a November tournament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those two opponents have since fallen in the rankings, but there is no question that the Zags are well
coached and talented – Coach VanDerveer rates them as a solid top 20 team.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It’s difficult to defend Stanford, but Fortier’s planned
defense was well conceived – you might say, “as good as it gets.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortier asked her team to clog the middle
and keep track of Hannah Jump.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
defense could have limited Stanford’s interior players (Cameron Brink, Kiki
Iriafen, and Haley Jones, not to mention all the bench reinforcements).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This defense could have held down Jump’s
three-point barrage, and maybe Stanford’s other outside shooters would have an
off day.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Well, the defense sort of worked for the first quarter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Jump was held in check early in the game, but Stanford ended
up with 15 treys – 45 critical points that made up more than half of Stanford’s
84-point total.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eight different Stanford
players contributed at least one trey, and Stanford shot over 53% from
distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Overall, with the
non-conference season almost complete, Stanford is shooting 39.2% from outside
the circle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s impressive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With three of Stanford’s best outside
shooters gone from last year’s team (Lexie and Lacy Hull plus Anna Wilson),
this year’s squad is so far 4 percentage points above last year’s 35%
three-point percentage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Leading the 3-point charge, Hannah Jump has already made 37 at
an impressive 52% clip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jump is doing it
all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is in excellent shape and tied
with Haley Jones for the most minutes per game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Oh, and she’s tied with Cameron Brink for the team’s leading scorer
(12.4 points per game).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So, who else is making the threes?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, Ashten Prechtel for one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s the second most prolific outside
shooter, with 14 conversions at a 46.7% clip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Next in line is a second-year player who had only 8 three pointers last
year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brooke Demetre has already
eclipsed that mark with 13 conversions at a 36.1% rate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Against Gonzaga, Demetre made 5 of 9 three-point
attempts and had a game and career high 17 points.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Demetre’s emergence is of great value because, at 6 foot 3
and with a high release point, she joins Prechtel as a tall perimeter shooter
difficult to guard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Demetre is also a
steady player with lots of assists and few turnovers – an outstanding 2.8
assist to turnover rate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And we are not done yet with outside shooters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Elena Bosgana was 0 for 10 from three-point
land last year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year, she’s already
made 9 of them at a 33% clip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That means
that Bosgana is not just a slasher and driver, but also an outside threat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At 6 foot 2, she’s another difficult player
to guard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Agnes Emma Nnopu and two of
the freshmen, Indya Nivar and Talena Lepolo are also shooting threes at above a
30% clip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So too is Cameron Brink with
a 35% conversion rate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Altogether, that
gives Stanford eight players (3 starters and 5 off the bench) who are shooting
threes at above a 30% clip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who knows,
maybe Haley Jones can join the 30% club.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Stanford’s two-week final exam break offers a time for
reflection on the first third of the season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The team’s biggest surprise so
far is Telana Lepolo’s performance at point guard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was not the team’s highest ranked incoming
freshman, but she is the only one to break into the starting lineup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She came off the bench in Stanford’s first
three games, but now has started 8 games in a row, including tough contests
against South Carolina, Florida Gulf Coast, and Gonzaga.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her most impressive stat is a team leading 62
assists with a 2.5 assist to turnover ratio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She gets the ball up court in a hurry and knows how to pass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not a prolific scorer, Lepolo is still a
threat to drive the basket or convert the three.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Stanford’s higher ranked freshmen are also showing
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lauren Betts is the real deal on
the inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is the team’s 5<sup>th</sup>
leading scorer (7.3 points per game), achieving this number while averaging
less than 10 minutes per game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her field
goal percentage is a team high 65.2%.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Meanwhile, she’s a formidable rebounder (team high in rebounds per
minute) and the second-best blocker on the team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indya Nivar is playing great defense and
shooting 35% from three-point range.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
is averaging almost 12 minutes per game.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So here are the nominations for the most improved veteran
player.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Most improved senior</i> – Hannah Jump gets this
award.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Haley Jones remains the team’s
best player, but her improvement over last year is less evident.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Most improved junior – Cameron Brink gets this award, in
large part because she is drawing fewer fouls and is shooting a commendable 76%
from the foul line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That matters greatly
because Brink draws more fouls than any other player on the team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Brink has contributed to the team's 76% free throw shooting percentage, well above the 68.7% for last year. </span>Honorable mention goes to Agnes Emma Nnopu,
an amazing defender and rebounder who is shooting more threes.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Most improved sophomore – A three way tie – Kiki Iriafen for
improved confidence and skills on the interior; Brooke Demetre for her steady
play and emergence as a killer from outside the three point line; and Elena
Bosgana for both her improved outside shooting and improved defense (Bosgana
leads the team in steals per minute).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As good as it gets?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Not likely, this team has more to show and a long way to go. <o:p></o:p></p>Warren Grimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932754118601734074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19599628.post-27346036968469672692022-11-13T18:57:00.000-08:002022-11-13T18:57:47.800-08:00What's Exciting About This Year's Stanford Squad?<p> Warren Grimes</p><p>Last year’s Stanford women’s basketball team was
excellent. They won all of their
conference games (a major accomplishment) and made it to the Final Four. A key
to their success was the three starting perimeter players (Lexie Hull, Lacie
Hull and Anna Wilson). </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Those three players were valuable on both offense and
defense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lacie brought the ball up court
and, after Haley Jones, was the leading assist maker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anna and Lexie weren’t far behind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Collectively, the three made over 40% of the
team’s three pointers, shooting at 37% rate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Hull twins were also excellent free throw shooters.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On defense, the three were again leaders, with just under
60% of the team’s total steals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Hulls were the top theft artists on the team, with Wilson not far behind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">You won’t see any of these three playing for Stanford this
season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So who will replace these gifted
starters?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Based on the first four games for this season, there are at
least partial answers, and some are quite exciting.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It looks as though Haley Jones will be sharing point guard
duties with freshman Talana Lepolo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Lepolo started against Portland and handled their full court press
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In all four of the games, she has
pushed the tempo of the game by moving the ball rapidly up court.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is the team leader in assists and
steals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lepolo has missed all 4 of her
three point attempts, but has impressed with her drives to the basket.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On three point shooting, Hannah Jump is predictably leading
the way (12-19), helped by Ashten Prechtel (5-10).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A number of different players have stepped
up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brooke Demetre is 7-14; Indya Nivar
is 5-10; and Elena Bosgana is 5-13.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Although the team has yet to play against a conference level opponent,
the team’s overall 42% shooting from the three-point line is impressive.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Free throw shooting seems also to be improved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The team is shooting 73% with players such as
Kiki Iriafen, Demetre, Bosgana, and Nivar all shooting well above 70%.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The biggest difference from last year may be the improved
play of Kiki Iriafen in the post and the high tempo offense that, at least
against weaker opponents, has resulted in lots of points on high
percentage shots (field goal percentage is 56%).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The team’s average score for the first four
games is 93.8.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Number one-ranked high
school recruit Lauren Betts has played only in reserve so far, but she’s
averaging 9.8 points per game (at a 69% clip), the fourth leading scorer on the
team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Those numbers will decrease as Stanford enters the tougher
part of its schedule.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No reason to fret
-- this year’s edition of Stanford women’s basketball seems destined for an
exciting and very successful season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> There are still questions to be answered and not a little suspense in seeing who will be the key players at season's end. </span><o:p></o:p></p>Warren Grimeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932754118601734074noreply@blogger.com0