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DivAAA
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luvDhoops
Joined: 24 Jun 2005
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 Posted: 04/08/08 10:07 pm ::: |
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| I would have sworn we lost the game when STACEY picked us.
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Queenie
Joined: 18 Nov 2004
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| Posted: 04/08/08 10:08 pm ::: |
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| accommodatingly wrote: |
| pilight wrote: |
| If Stanford would quit throwing the ball out of bounds every third time up the court they might have a chance. They look like they've never been pressed before. |
That was my thought. How on earth did they beat Rutgers in November? |
Epiphanny Prince's disturbing propensity for mind-numbingly st00pid fouls.
Also, according to my notes, Epiphanny Prince and Matee Ajavon making a lot of really bad passes and/or taking a lot of really bad shots.
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Scarab
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jimmyk
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| Posted: 04/08/08 10:13 pm ::: |
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Wow...what a game!
I was really surprised that Stanford didn't play better, but I guess that's what good defense does to you. I'm never comfortable with a 10 point lead, so it was pretty late before I got comfortable with the lead the Lady Vols had.
Number Eight for Tennessee. Wow. That's awesome.
And on a personal note...I just noticed, 6 big nice shiny trophies for my teams since 10/12/04. Wow. That leaves me speechless.
Congrats to the Lady Vols...2008 National Champions!
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Sass
Joined: 22 Mar 2005
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| Posted: 04/08/08 10:17 pm ::: |
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| Wow, UT doesn't mess around. The game ended at maybe 7:40 p.m. They're getting their trophies about 10 minutes later. And the VollMall sent me an email with their championship gear selection at 7:56 p.m.
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LakotaStorm
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jap
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LadyDevilFan
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Str8_Butta
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| Posted: 04/08/08 10:29 pm ::: |
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| The Press Conference is on ESPN -N (News) and on ESPN U they are showing bits of it.
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DivAAA
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Str8_Butta
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DivAAA
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| Posted: 04/08/08 10:33 pm ::: |
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| Pat just called out Kara. She said that her team took it personally when a Lady Vol alumni was up on ESPN picking Stanford.
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Scarab
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Scarab
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| Posted: 04/08/08 10:38 pm ::: |
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| Hope ESPN.com eventually posts video of the press conference so I can see it
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Sass
Joined: 22 Mar 2005
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| Posted: 04/08/08 10:38 pm ::: |
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| DivAAA wrote: |
| Pat just called out Kara. She said that her team took it personally when a Lady Vol alumni was up on ESPN picking Stanford. |
Uh oh. I wondered if that would happen.
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beknighted
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| Posted: 04/08/08 10:39 pm ::: |
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I'm back at my hotel. One good thing about the Lady Vols winning - none of their fans left even after the trophy presentation. (I didn't stay for the nets coming down.)
First, a bit of news announced at the ceremony that might not have made ESPN, the all tournament team:
Fowles
Wiggins
Bobbit
Anosike
Parker - MOP
I posted at one point during the game that it was just like last year's game. Of course it wasn't in some respects (no real foul trouble for Stanford in the first half, while Zurich got two quick ones for Rutgers), but in the big picture it seemed the same. Tennessee extended its defense out pretty far and stuck tight with the Stanford perimeter players so they really couldn't see the passing lanes. And the press - not featured last year, as I recall - really disrupted Stanford's offensive rhythm. (Geno really must be unhappy he didn't do it sooner on Sunday night.) The comment about Tennessee being big, BTW, is absolutely right. That was a huge factor against Rutgers last year, and I think it was key this year. It made it harder to see whether passes would work, made it easier for Tennessee to rebound and just generally was trouble for Stanford.
Other things that were very similar: Bobbitt killing the opponents with her threes, many points off offensive rebounds, even the score. When you consider how fast the game started, Stanford's 48 might even be worse than RU's 46. Also like last year, Stanford crushed its semifinal opponent with 3s, but got hardly any tonight.
It will be interesting to see both of these teams next year. Tennessee is losing a ton of key players, and I think might miss Bobbitt a lot (not as much as Parker, of course), but is bringing in a very talented class. Stanford loses only one key player, but it's Wiggins. Some of the other players will have some growing to do, but they're certainly capable of it.
I should add that, like some of you, I thought Tennessee more or less took control of the game and kept it. After the Lady Vols responded to Stanford's opening flurry in the 2nd half, it seemed like the game was something of a foregone conclusion. Heck, Rutgers got within single digits later in the game last year than Stanford did this year.
Overall, a great game plan by Pat and good (if not great) execution by her team. They certainly earned the championship.
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BCBG25
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LadyDevilFan
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| Posted: 04/08/08 10:43 pm ::: |
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| DivAAA wrote: |
| Pat just called out Kara. She said that her team took it personally when a Lady Vol alumni was up on ESPN picking Stanford. |
Lol, hopefully by "called out" you mean -- ribbed her, or gave her backhanded credit for motivating the team, because if she was actually calling out Kara... what was she supposed to do? Be biased and pick Tennessee even if she really thought Stanford would win it!? She may be a Lady Vol alumni, but her JOB now calls for her to be unbiased.
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luvDhoops
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njjosh
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| Posted: 04/08/08 10:47 pm ::: |
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BeK, I don't think Geno could have pressed for very long in that game even if he wanted do. He had very little guard depth and not much more depth inside. His players would have been gassed at the end, and all pressing with tired players is going to do is lead to a layup line for the other team.
Agree with your other points, except on Stanford. They return a lot, but none of them are the type of dynamic individual talent you need to beat the top teams and get to this point - someone like Wiggins, Parker, or Maya Moore. Maybe Pedersen can be, but the others certainly don't look like it. Good to very good players, yes. But not the type who are going to beat teams of Tennessee's caliber on a consistent basis.
It's too bad we'll never get to know how a fully healthy UConn would have done against Tennessee. I'd still pick Tennessee to win because of Parker, but I've got to think it would be a better game than this.
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luvDhoops
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| Posted: 04/08/08 10:48 pm ::: |
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| LadyDevilFan wrote: |
| DivAAA wrote: |
| Pat just called out Kara. She said that her team took it personally when a Lady Vol alumni was up on ESPN picking Stanford. |
Lol, hopefully by "called out" you mean -- ribbed her, or gave her backhanded credit for motivating the team, because if she was actually calling out Kara... what was she supposed to do? Be biased and pick Tennessee even if she really thought Stanford would win it!? She may be a Lady Vol alumni, but her JOB now calls for her to be unbiased. |
I just saw it. It seemed to be just some ribbing to me. I mean she was grinning the whole time she was talking about it.
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beknighted
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| Posted: 04/08/08 10:53 pm ::: |
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| njjosh wrote: |
BeK, I don't think Geno could have pressed for very long in that game even if he wanted do. He had very little guard depth and not much more depth inside. His players would have been gassed at the end, and all pressing with tired players is going to do is lead to a layup line for the other team.
Agree with your other points, except on Stanford. They return a lot, but none of them are the type of dynamic individual talent you need to beat the top teams and get to this point - someone like Wiggins, Parker, or Maya Moore. Maybe Pedersen can be, but the others certainly don't look like it. Good to very good players, yes. But not the type who are going to beat teams of Tennessee's caliber on a consistent basis.
It's too bad we'll never get to know how a fully healthy UConn would have done against Tennessee. I'd still pick Tennessee to win because of Parker, but I've got to think it would be a better game than this. |
Just to be clear, I wasn't saying that Stanford will be great next year; more like that the remaining players will have to improve meaningfully for that to happen. If I were guessing right now, without much thought, I'd put them in the Elite 8 category, not the Final Four, and maybe not even there.
Perhaps Geno's regret is that he didn't have the horses to press, but you still have to wonder what would have happened if he pressed earlier. Just disrupting Stanford's offense for a while, even if not from the 10:00 mark to the end of the game, might have made a difference.
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flojojr2007
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| Posted: 04/08/08 11:05 pm ::: |
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| Yes I would like to see the press conference as well. Man, I really do feel bad for Candice. It makes me want to call it a draw and give both teams a championship... well almost. I think it always hurts when you get that close to something and have it slip... or rather, in this case, ripped out of your grasp. |
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Grumps
Joined: 22 Sep 2004
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| Posted: 04/08/08 11:11 pm ::: |
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| njjosh wrote: |
BeK, I don't think Geno could have pressed for very long in that game even if he wanted do. He had very little guard depth and not much more depth inside. His players would have been gassed at the end, and all pressing with tired players is going to do is lead to a layup line for the other team.
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How many players does he need to press? TN did it with 7, 1 extra guard and 1 extra post player...They didn't look gassed in the end...Thank you Heather Mason (strength and conditioning coach)...
Grumps
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And so did Voepel.
@ Wiggins just now in the press conference.
I seem to remember Pat's veins in forehead were ready to burst. Her veins are thanking her tonight.