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Oldfandepot2



Joined: 05 Jul 2013
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PostPosted: 10/18/14 11:58 am    ::: Your team, your perspective Reply Reply with quote

I was reading the thumbnails on Collegesportsmadness about the teams and their overview for the upcoming season and was thinking (dangerous) that most of the useful insights I have gained about other teams came from this board or other boards similar to this board, but only piecemeal as part of a monographic thread.

With that in mind I would like to ask each and everyone of you if you would take the time to provide a comprehensive capsular synopsis, a succinct overview of your respective team; strengths, weaknesses, what your expectations are for the team this year and why. The players, what you expect to see of them individually in relation to last year, what about the new ones. Any other thoughts which I myopically neglected such as your toughest opponents and how will your team do against them.

I find on this board with its history and its members a wealth of WCBB knowledge that in my estimation is without peer anywhere else and it is out of respect for that knowledge I post this thread.



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Happycappie25



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PostPosted: 10/18/14 3:14 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

This is a great idea, I hope several people contribute...with that in mind, here's Seton Hall:

Strengths:

Scary good veteran backcourt of the identical cousins Kadidre and Dashia Simmons. Both are double digit scorers. Kadidre is a low level WNBA prospect with a good mix of distribution and scoring/driving ability. Most know Dashia from her transfer struggles but she's a troublesome guard with a good scoring ability and moves the 2nd scoring option to the 2 and away from the 1, which is a good thing. Backup Jordan Mosley is highly touted as well.

Tabitha Richardson Smith is streaky but can score in bunches and can put up a 20 point game in minutes. Good outside game but can slash.

Backing her up is a 6'1 three shooter in Freshman Claire Lundberg who is highly rated and can cover for her on bad nights.

Post you have former Kentucky farmhand Ali and 6th year mega senior Janae Johnson. Both can board and Ali has scoring ability.

In English, this team can run 10 deep.

Weaknesses: The 5 consists of 2 newcomers and a player from the Donavan era who doesn't fully fit the current system.

Tiffany Jones is a highly ranked Juco from ASA and I'm putting her as the starter. If she's half the hype SHU is set.

Jordan Molyneaux is a freshman project who may fit better at 4

then your moving Janae Johnson over from 4 (like last year) which works on D but not offense. And then Eckwidge who started the first half of last year but fell out of favor.

SOS gets ramped up early, Tony Bozzella teams feed off his passion and emotion. 2nd game (in all likelihood) will be on the Mountain. That will be a tough 2nd game but as long as they hang tough they will be fine, but too much doubt and you can look at an early unraveling with Illinois and Georgia looming (albeit both at home)

Very dramatic off season could be a distraction but doesn't seem like that's the case.

Senior dependent team, so the pressure to get the NCAA bid now is high.

Expectations: top 3 in the Big East and RPI High enough to be in the NCAA picture.

Bottom Line: Tony Bozzella unlocked a lot of potential from AD's recruits last year...he did good recruiting on his own and solidified the 5 which was the big hole last year. Not a lot of fat on this roster, he has 2 solid lines which in a conference like the Big East...wins ballgames. Need to watch getting bummed or shell shocked early but 3 + seniors should prevent that and they have a great motivator and promoter behind the bench (Overshadowed by Marist's great run was Bozzella on his heels most every year with Iona)

A lot of hype but they should live up to it.

PREDICTION: 23 wins, 2nd in big east, 7 seed NCAAs This is a good team with a lot of talent. One to watch this year...they will live up to Coach Bozzella's heavy promotion/



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PickledGinger



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PostPosted: 10/18/14 3:39 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

WASHINGTON HUSKIES

I think most people are slotting the Left-Coast Huskies in at 5 or 6 in the Pac-12 to start the season, but I think they could end up doing much better than that. Their backcourt of Kelsey Plum and Jazmine Davis is easily the best in the conference, and Plum is an early favorite for Player of the Year. The league overall is better, Stanford has come down to earth a little bit but will still be good; Cal, OSU and likely UCLA all have very promising squads, and everyone is itching to see what Kelly Graves does with Oregon; but I think Washington will surprise a lot of people and can contend for a Pac-12 Title, contingent on a few things:

1) Depth - For parts of last season the Huskies only had 8 healthy players on the roster. They didn't even practice for most of the season (!!!) because they didn't have enough bodies to run, and because Neighbors didn't want to wear on those of players who would be going 35-40 minutes every game. In the win against Stanford, the bench played 15 total minutes. This year, they are starting out with 14 girls, all healthy as far as I know.
2) Improved Passing and Defense - Their biggest loss from last season was Mercedes Wetmore, who was their best passer and perimeter defender. Plum has said that these were her two focal points for the off season. If she and Davis learn to look for their teammates a little more, it will just make them that much more dynamic. Actually being able to practice should help substantially in this regard.
3) Development of a post scorer - They already have two premier scorers at the guard positions and adding an inside element to their offense could be deadly. Calling Talia Walton! At 6-2, she has played more like a guard on offense and a post on defense; taking way too many 3s and not utilizing her size and finesse to her advantage inside. If she can improve down low and get her field goal % up from the 34 it was last season (really bad for a player with her skill-set) to 45-ish (which is should not be that hard for a post), it will be very difficult to stop this team from scoring. I've seen her do a lot of good things when she does get the ball down low, she just needs to go there more. The development of Katie Collier and Chanel Osahor will be interesting as well.

Their schedule starts off against a decent BCS team in Oklahoma and they play Florida State in Mexico 2 weeks later. But I am most looking forward to their last non-conference game vs. Texas A&M, which should be a great indicator of where the Huskies are going into the Pac-12. It should also be a fantastic game, as TAMU also boasts one of the elite backcourts in the country.


NoDakSt



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PostPosted: 10/18/14 4:12 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Good thread idea.

Here's what I think with regards to Iowa:

Strengths:

*Senior lead team: Sam Logic, Melissa Dixon, Bethany Doolittle all will start and are experienced contributors from a team that last season set record for most victories.

*Logic is the best pro prospect. At point guard, she has a style of bullying similar to Lindsey Whalen and she leads the team in rebounding ala former Iowa guard Kachine Alexander.

*Doolittle is a consistent scorer in the post who doesn't get into foul trouble. Dixon is a three point specialist.

*Sophomore Allie Disterhoft had a fantastic first year.....she moved into the starting lineup midway thru the B1G season and is a solid rebounder and who can score off the dribble, post up, and hit from the perimeter. This kid will be special before her Hawkeye career is ovah.

*Team lead the BiG in assists last season.

*who fills out the 4th starting position vacated by Theirra Taylor's graduation remains to be seen. Junior's Kali Peschel and Claire Till took turns starting before Disterhoft made the spot her own. Both are 6'0-ish wings that are forced to defend the oppositions post players. Neither had great offensive performances.

Weaknesses:

*Post depth. after Doolittle, experience is thin. Oft-injured Junior Nicole Smith is supposedly healthy after only playing 5 games last season. Sophomore Forward Haily Schinden was a walk-on last season who earned a schollie this season. Two frosh are 6'0 Carly Mohn and 6'3 Chase Coley.

*Perimeter defense. Iowa has struggled with teams that can either shoot the 3 ball well or can create from the perimeter. Michigan State's Aerial Powers, Tori Jankoska, and Annalise Pickerell picked Hawkeyes apart in Carver-Hawkeye last season. Hawks also couldn't stop Jordan Hooper and Nebraska in two matchups last season. And Louisville destroyed them in the NCAAs. All these teams have talented perimeter players who can hit the 3 or drive and create their own shot.

*Iowa plays Louisville, Colorado, and Iowa State during the first week of December, the latter two games being in Carver-Hawkeye. These teams all defeated the Iowa last season. While graduation and injuries have impacted these three teams, this will still be a good barometer for the Hawks prior to entering into BiG play where they have been predicted to finish third behind Maryland and MSU.

*BiG Schedule is not kind to Bluder's Bunch as they have to play Maryland, MSU AND Rutgers on the road. I predict that BLuder's bunch will have 6 losses (with 5 coming in-conference) and that they will make the BiG conference championship game. Mark them for an 8th consecutive NCAA appearance and a Sweet Sixteen appearance is not out of the realm of possibility.


myrtle



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PostPosted: 10/18/14 7:55 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Stanford
Without dominate post play, this will be a totally different team than seen in the past. That could be good or it could be bad, but is definitely kinda scary. It’s definitely a wishin and hopin kind of year. We do at least have a nice balance between vets and youngsters – probably 2 seniors and 3 sophomore starters.

Our backcourt starters are really solid with Orrange and Lili Thompson (pronounced Leelee) - with Orrange being a bit underrated but a very careful ball handler and Lili having great explosiveness.

Who backs them up is a real question. Roberson was out injured a lot last year but there is still hope that, if healthy, she can contribute. Green and Camp sounded good out of high school but are now in the wishful thinking zone for usefulness. It may be that we have Karlie Samuelson play some two, which is a letdown athletically but gives more outside firepower.

The three position is packed with three shooters with Greenfield and the Samuelsons. Tara may also try to play Greenfield some at the four. How soon super rookie Taylor Rooks is ready may make a huge difference by the end of the year as she should bring a totally different look to the team and could be really useful against certain teams.

Now the biggest question, who replaces Chiney and Ruef? It will probably be the Sophomores, Kailee Johnson and Erica McCall with their primary backup possibly being Freshman Kaylee Johnson and as mentioned before possibly some time here for Greenfield.

Basically we’re hoping for a big step up from our Sophomores, Lili, Karlie, and the two posts. If we get it, we should be fine…after that blowout when CT comes to town. OOC games against Texas, North Carolina, and Tennessee will be major tests. I would consider it a really good sign if we win two of them. If we lose all, it will be a long season. If we win two of these, I think we only lose two games in conference. If we lose all, Katy bar the door, we could lose as many as six or even more, which would not be good!



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readyAIMfire53



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PostPosted: 10/18/14 9:24 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

DUKE:

With 7 players 6'3 and over and 1 returning guard, it should be no surprise that Duke will be a half court team looking to score in the paint. Starting backcourt will likely be Sr. Ka'lia Johnson and RS Fr Becca Greenwell. Neither is a PG, but both will be putting time there unless JC transfer Mercedes Riggs earns significant playing time. Sr. Jenna Frush, who's been on the team as a walk on has earned a schollie for her senior year and will continue to be the sign that the game is over when she gets on the floor.

On the wing, there is Fr Sierra Calhoun and Fr Azura Stevens. Calhoun is a natural wing while Stevens, at 6'5, is part of the new wave of tall players who like to dribble and shoot. And there's Becca, a natural 2-3 who can shoot lights out when not needed to run point.

Post is where the wealth is, headed by Sr. Elizabeth Williams, who's one of the best post defenders in the country and can score. Then there's RS soph Amber Henson, true sophs Oderah Chidom and Kendall Cooper and Fr Erin Mathias and Lynee Belton.

If Coach McCallie can figure out how to make use of all that height, this team can do some damage. Or it could be a long season. Next year there will be two top 5 PG's coming in. Famine to feast.



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Howee



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PostPosted: 10/18/14 10:32 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Oklahoma:

The Sooners (drastically) UNDER-achieved last season, and I only mention that because I believe Coach Coale won't let that happen 2 seasons in a row.

That said, she's got a lot of experience to replace, having lost a superstar (Ellenburg) and 2 other highly-contributing seniors (Griffin and Hook)

I don't necessarily agree with Collegesportsmadness' take on who will start. But knowing Coale, I doubt SHE knows yet who'll start.

For example, I think Gioya Carter proved herself very nicely last season, and will be seeing some starting time as the rotations are formulated initially. And she may well inherit the point in Hook's absence.

Newcomers Gabby Ortiz (see: my avatar) and TAMU transfer Peyton Little also bring a ton of talent to Coale's backcourt stable, so that should help with the Ellenburg/Hook loss.

The low post players are not as solid, by comparison: Last year's senior, Nicole Griffin, at 6'6", was never as formidable as hoped, so her loss is less dramatic, but still, she was a defensive presence that will be missed. Of the returning posts, Kaylon Williams is the sturdiest. But there's some high hopes for freshmen Vionise Pierre-Louis and also McKenna Treece.

There are a few other new faces that I can't wait to see performing, but one returning face that I have high hopes for is Maddie Manning. She should be starting her junior season, but had 2 ACL setbacks, so she's a redshirt sophomore. Before her first injury, she had cracked the starting lineup as a freshman, and I was hugely impressed with her--reminded me a lot of UConn's Breanna Mae in style and athletic ability. Then--shot down. I hope she's recovered and remains healthy.

Of course, one must look to the experience of senior Sharane Campbell-Olds and junior Nicole Kornet to be critical to any success the Sooners can expect to achieve.

All in all, I think a "Solid" season in the Big 12 is a fair expectation, hopefully with yet another NCAA bid to conclude the season. Sherri Coale is someone who makes the best of what she has, most years, so I'm looking forward to seeing them progress.



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Oldfandepot2



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PostPosted: 10/18/14 11:59 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Thank you!



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Jlcarter



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PostPosted: 10/19/14 12:18 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Good idea Very Happy
Tennessee returns everyone except Meighan Simmons.
Mercedes Russell will redshirt. Diamond DeShields has too sit out this year due too transfer rules. Jannah Tucker will be playing this year. Ariel Massengale is back and healthy. Also adding three freshman Jaime Nared, Alexa Middleton, and Kortney Dunbar. This year the three point shooting should be improved. Dunbar and Tucker both are good shooters. That is one area of improvement for this season. The biggest concern for me is with Russell out. Harrison can't get in foul trouble. Graves also needs too play better than last year. It should be a fun season.


NoDakSt



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PostPosted: 10/19/14 1:57 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Nebraska:

Connie Yori just this past week stated that her Cornhusker team is in no way as far along as last year's team at the opening of Fall practice. Yori returns 4 starters and has 4 seniors but may find practice slow going because of 7 new comers to the program. The Huskers won the B1G conference championship but somewhat underachieved in the Dance, failing to get out of the 32 falling to BYU in a game that laid the Huskers main weakness open bare....a lack of depth which saw four of the five starters playing all 40 minutes. So it is wise for Yori and staff to bring the 7 newcomers along slowly; their growth is essential if the Huskers are to offset the loss of AA JOrdan Hooper and advance beyond the first weekend in the tournament.

Strengths: Four starters return for Huskers. The key member of this group and recently named to the BiG preseason conference team is junior pg Rachel Theriot. Theriot is the picture of efficiency; making great decisions and averaging 7 assists. At 6'0 she's able to see over defenders in distributing the ball and able to get her shot off; she was second on the team in scoring. Emily Cady was 3rd on the team in scoring and tied with Hooper in snagging over 9 rebounds a game. Cady anchored the post could be that next long wing that's a threat to score from anywhere ala Hooper and Kelsey Griffin. Tear'a Laudermill came into her own offensively last season and gave the Huskers 4 double digit socrers. Hailee Sample has been a two year anchor in the forward spot.

Weaknesses: Depth. Brandi Jeffrey is the only player outside of the starters who saw substantial playing time. Natalie Romero is the next point guard for this team. Sophomore Allie Havers, a 6'5" post could provide the post presence allowing Cady to play more perimeter. JUCO transfer Anya Kalenta at 6'3" may also see action down low. 6'2" Kaylee Page might contribute on the wing.

Schedule: Huskers play 3 Pac10 teams over 10 days sandwiching a home game with Utah between games in Pullman and in LA at Pauley Pav. They host Duke in the ACC/Big Challenge. In BiG play they play Iowa and Maryland twice while they have RUtgers and MSU away. I see them at 14-4 heading into the conference tourney and maybe with a loss in th ooc schedule. I could see this team in the Sweet 16.


Brinx



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PostPosted: 10/19/14 4:58 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

UCLA

Last season was rough with all the injuries; there were several games that we only had 6 or 7 players available to play. Hopefully we have a healthy season. We’re also debuting our first ever top-ranked class and 8 out of our 15 are freshmen!

Returning: Nirra Fields, Kari Korver (returning from ACL injury), Kacy Swain (returning from ACL injury), Madeline Poteet (Brooks), Corinne Costa, Luiana Livulo, Dominique Williams

New faces: Savvy Trapp (RS freshman), Paulina Hersler (RS freshman), Jordin Canada, Recee Caldwell, Lajahna Drummer, Kelli Hayes, Monique Billings, Chrissy Baird

Nirra Fields was one of our leading scorers last season as a sophomore and I expect her to play a big role this year; especially since returning from the FIBA World Championships where she played for Canada.

Key players: Kari Korver. We will need her outside shooting to keep the floor spread for our posts and drives. Nirra Fields is our best player coming into this year and the team will look to her for leadership and experience. As far as our new faces go, we have some high hopes from the three McDonalds All-Americans (Caldwell, Canada, and Drummer).

Weakness: Foul trouble for Costa and Livulo hurt the team at times last year, with the added depth this shouldn’t hurt as much, but staying out of foul trouble would be an improvement. Although yet to be determined, a whole new team chemistry is being worked on with so many new players, so that could potentially take time.

Questions: Savvy Trapp. She’s still listed on the roster but has been noticeably missing from the few practice videos the team has posted on social media. Don’t know why.

Schedule: We’ll see North Carolina in November, UConn and ND in December. The Pac-12 is looking a lot stronger overall with OSU, Cal, Washington all improving; hopefully we’ll be in the mix for the Pac-12 title.


NoDakSt



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PostPosted: 10/19/14 5:54 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Trapp isn't listed on the mobile version roster.


AAOK423



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PostPosted: 10/19/14 6:56 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Louisville

My Expectations

After losing Gibbs, Slaughter, Taylor, and S. Schimmel this season is going to be filled with questions. Scoring is defiantly the biggest question so my expectations for this season are not particularly high. However, with Walz steering the ship im not too doom and gloom. Walz has always been able to get more out of very little so I still expect the to get to a Sweet 16.

Strengths

Louisville's strength for the past four years has been 3pt shooting and defense. Losing three 3pt shooters is going to force their strength to be interior and post play. Fortunately, Sheronne Vails is finally healthy and has had a surgery that should allow her to have a bit more speed. Also, this season they will have many capable forwards with good size instead of a ton of guards and having no size. Louisville will have a lot of leadership and experience in their three seniors and two redshirt seniors while also having plenty of youth in their five freshmen. Another advantage will be having a decent bench that can come it and not have too much let up.

Players to Watch

Sara Hammond- I believe this will be Hammonds break out season. She is a strong and physical forward that can cause havoc on the defensive end and also can take the ball to the basket, hit mid-range shots, or occasionally extend her range to the three point line. She got some good experience over the summer competing for the USA 3x3 and from recent pictures she looks to be in peek physical condition. Once again this season I expect her biggest issue will be foul trouble and consistency.

Jude Schimmel- Once again out of her sisters shadow I expect Jude to have her best season yet. Ill be surprise if she doesn't earn a starting spot and if she does I imagine she will be moved from PG to SG with Smith starting at PG. Jude is quick on defense,a great passer, can dribble-drive, and also has long 3pt range. Jude will have to improve her mid-range game and her size (5'6") may be a problem with position change (but I doubt it).

Bria Smith- former McDonald's All-American Smith has had ups and downs throughout her Louisville career including having to deal with injuries last year. However, she's a point guard I always enjoy watching because she always plays with an aggressive intensity as opposed to Jude's more smooth and thoughtful approach to the position (honestly I think the point guard position could be interchanged between them given the team they are playing). I expect Smith's FG% to improve because it has consistently improved throughout her career and I expect her point production to greatly improve from last year as well. Smith's biggest downfall is that for a guard she is an incredibly bad 3pt shooter.

Freshmen- (in order of who I think will be most valuable this season) Mariya Moore, Myisha Hines-Allen, Sydney Brackemyre, Ariana Freeman, Arica Carter.

Starting lineup- Sara Hammond, Jude Schimmel, Bria Smith, Sheronne Vails, Shawnta Dyer (or possibly one of the freshmen)

Weaknesses- With Jude being the only consistent 3pt shooter (not including the Freshmen) 3pt shooting will be a weaknesses. After losing four seniors last year everyone is finding their role on the team again and if no one is will to step up and be the rebounder or the scorer it could be a rough season. For once in a long time Louisville has no real super star so seeing how they deal with that this season will be interesting.


myrtle



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PostPosted: 10/19/14 8:38 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

NoDakSt wrote:
Nebraska:

Connie Yori just this past week stated that her Cornhusker team is in no way as far along as last year's team at the opening of Fall practice.


I kind of wondered if this was a real opinion or if she was just trying to lower expectations and/or motivate players. It seems like a weird thing for a coach to say.



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if only we’re brave enough to see it.
If only we’re brave enough to be it.
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Howee



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PostPosted: 10/19/14 9:56 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

myrtle wrote:
NoDakSt wrote:
Nebraska:

Connie Yori just this past week stated that her Cornhusker team is in no way as far along as last year's team at the opening of Fall practice.


I kind of wondered if this was a real opinion or if she was just trying to lower expectations and/or motivate players. It seems like a weird thing for a coach to say.


It IS a bit *odd*, given she has 4 returning starters. Maybe Hooper was such a major kingpin that her absence alone has upset the apple cart.



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scfastpitch



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PostPosted: 10/19/14 10:20 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

South Carolina :
Two players not returning - Senior forward Wilka Montout (averaged around 8 minutes per game ) and junior walkon guard LeAnna Morrison . Morrison could possibly join the gamecock track team as she was on the track team at UNC-Charlotte for 2 years . Newcomers (all freshmen) forwards A'ja Wilson and Jatarie White , and guards Bianca Cuevas and Kaydra Duckett . Guard/forward Doniyah Cliney is academically ineligible . She will enroll at South Carolina and hopefully be eligible to play next season as a redshirt freshman .

Strengths of the team should be rebounding and interior defense , and guard Tiffany Mitchell's all-around game . Weaknesses of the team last season were the lack of another consistent 3-point shooter other than Mitchell , and I think at times the perimeter defense was not as good as it needs to be (especially vs teams that like to spread the floor and pull the bigs away from the basket ) . Dawn will have a lot more options this year , as far as matching up defensively . Against teams that don't have a true center she might play White some at center , or even Wilson .However, I think Wilson will mostly switch between the small forward and power forward spots , as will Aleighsa Welch . It will just depend on the matchups for whoever they happen to be playing . As far as 3-point shooting goes , Cuevas could provide some help , but other parts of her game may limit her minutes initially . How fast she progresses could be the key to how much the team improves over last year . I saw Duckett play a little in high school and I don't think she's the answer . I hate not having Cliney this year because she is a better shooter than some realize . I've been told Jatarie White has 3-point range but I want to see that with my own eyes . She missed the ones I saw her take in the Mcdonalds game . And I've seen Wilson hit a couple of threes in high school but I don't know how consistent her shot is . It mostly comes down to Cuevas , or else one of the returnees will have to improve .

My expectations are for the team to take another step forward - elite 8 or maybe final 4 . They may be a year away from being a true contender for the national championship , but I certainly hope I'm wrong about that .


ucbart



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PostPosted: 10/20/14 7:36 am    ::: Re: Your team, your perspective Reply Reply with quote

This is great. Here is UCONN.

Strengths:

1. Star power. We have one of, if not the best, point guards, shooters and players in the nation. And they all play different positions.

2. Defense. Geno's teams always play great team defense. It might come along a little slower this year with all the new faces, but I expect it to be great again by seasons end.

3. Balance. We will be able to score from several different positions.

4. Guard depth. Hopefully we will be able to extend our defense full court.

5. 3-point shooting. We have some tremendous 3 point shooters. The only person who can't take and make them that will see regular minutes, is Stokes.

Weakness:

1. Post depth. We are very thin in the post and losing Dolson is huge. Every bot of that offense ran through her and her versatility as a post player. She could pass, score inside, set a nasty pick and hit from the elbow. Kiah Stokes can do none of that as well as she can.

2. Relying on the freshman. Our freshman are good, but they are freshman. Enough said.

3. Target. We have a target on our backs and have a lot of pressure to keep the NC's going. How will the freshman respond?


summertime blues



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PostPosted: 10/20/14 9:53 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Tennessee

Strengths: Graves, Harrison, and Burdick can all score up front, and Graves is a beast on the boards. Some real speed with Carter, Reynolds, and (hopefully) Massengale now that she's healed up, and some long bombs coming from the new kids on the block, Dunbar and Middleton.

Weaknesses: Harrison's propensity for foul trouble; unknown quantities in Tucker and the new kids; missing Mercedes who is redshirting this season (feet) and transfer DD sitting out the year.


JMU

Strengths: Toia Giggetts and Precious Hall return on offense with some speed; Jazmon Gwathmey, conference defense POY is also back; transfer Ashley Perez is eligible in Jan. for 3-pointers.

Weaknesses: unknown, haven't seen them yet. Transfer Tasia Butler is sitting out the year and there are 3 freshmen.



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mzonefan



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PostPosted: 10/20/14 2:00 pm    ::: Michigan Reply Reply with quote

Unlike last year when Michigan was a huge question mark after graduating around 90% of its scoring, this year there are four returning starters solidly in place. The Wolverines went 20-14, 8-8 in the B1G season and went into the third round of the WNIT. I expect them to get back to the NCAA tournament this season, but with the new B1G that's not going to be an easy task.

Returners:
Cyesha "Byrd" Goree, the Wolverines' biggest surprise success story last season as a junior, will move back to the 5 after playing a bit of both 4 and 5 last year. She was a 2nd team all-B1G with 12ppg/9rpg after playing less than three minutes per game her sophomore season. She will miss having Val Driscoll's wide body helping down low. Driscoll graduated and will play at Quinnipiac her 5th year.

Goree is expected to improve on the defensive end. Her ceiling was only as high as her foul trouble last year, as her motor never seemed to quit once she really got in shape.

Here's a nice feature on her if you're interested: http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/101614aab.html


Nicole Elmblad is the heady pre-med, Academic All-American, lefty 2-time captain who fills in all of the holes. A hockey player from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, she's a scrappy tweener who played mostly at the 3 last year but will move back to the 4. At just 5'11, Elmblad averaged nearly 8 rebounds per game with her 11 points. She was Michigan's MVP in 2014.

After being left open and dared to shoot (unsuccessfully) her sophomore season, she developed a nice mid-range baseline shot as a junior. She was an all-B1G honorable mention.

Shannon Smith, a shooting guard with some nice slashing moves, is the third senior starter. Smith began her career as a Tarheel, transferred to Trinity Valley CC in TX where she won a national championship, and now goes to the rival school of her parents (her dad played at Michigan State).

Smith shied away from contact last year and was probably the team's weakest defender. I heard last night that she's leading in practice in the hustle areas, so I look forward to seeing a more complete player this year. She averaged just under 13 ppg/4 apg game last year.

Siera "Cee" Thompson, the sophomore point guard, has nerves of steel. I don't think I ever saw this kid rattled last season, and she averaged 36 minutes a game as a freshman. She had one of the best 3-point shooting percentages in the B1G and hit one in every game (75 total). She averaged 13.2 ppg/2.9 apg and was an all-B1G honorable mention. I look forward to seeing what Megan Duffy will bring to Siera's skill set this season.

A returner with significant minutes (25.7) is junior guard Madison Ristovski. A bit of an enigma, Ristovski shot 47% from three last year when encouraged to shoot. She has a tendency to dribble too much and vacillate. Still, she managed 8.9 ppg/3 apg. This is the returner who has the most to gain in minutes. I hope she can really benefit from Duffy's tutelage.

The other returner with significant minutes is sophomore guard Paige Rakers (pronounced "Rockers"). Rakers averaged 4.4 ppg. She was used as a defender and three-point shooter in 14 minutes per game.

The Wolverines have two other returners who missed significant time due to injury, Junior Kelsey Mitchell (ACL and broken foot) and Sophomore Danielle Williams (broken hand). It'll be interesting to see where they fit into the mix after having a full summer and fall of conditioning and practice.

Newcomers:
Considered to be a top-25 class, the 2014 signees are finding their way. Per media day coverage, two are expected to contribute early, Flaherty and Dunston. I'm posting a little summer Q&A from each of the freshmen.

Katelynn Flaherty, a 5-7 guard from New Jersey, is a point guard with a scoring mentality. Ranked #19 by ASGR, Flaherty was invited to U18 USA Trials but was unable to compete due to recovery from a broken foot. It's possible ('cause I can't always remember these things!) that's the first time a Michigan (active or signee) has ever been invited.
http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/072314aaa.html

Jillian Dunston, a 5-11 G/F from Maryland, was #98 ASGR. She's been described as very strong with a lot of toughness.
http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/071514aaa.html

Emoni Jackson, a 6-1 forward from California, was #85 ASGR.
http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/080714aaa.html

Maria Backman, a 6-1 G/F from the Bronx, was #117 ASGR.
http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/072914aac.html

Terra Stapleton, a 6-4 center from Ohio was originally a Minnesota verbal. She has made the most improvement since being on campus and has dropped about 25 pounds.
http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/081414aaa.html

P.S.
Weakness - Size in the post
Strength - Grit
Toughest Opponent - pre-season: Notre Dame conference season: the top half of the B1G Laughing


SportzJunky



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PostPosted: 10/20/14 2:16 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

readyAIMfire53 wrote:
DUKE:

With 7 players 6'3 and over and 1 returning guard, it should be no surprise that Duke will be a half court team looking to score in the paint. Starting backcourt will likely be Sr. Ka'lia Johnson and RS Fr Becca Greenwell. Neither is a PG, but both will be putting time there unless JC transfer Mercedes Riggs earns significant playing time. Sr. Jenna Frush, who's been on the team as a walk on has earned a schollie for her senior year and will continue to be the sign that the game is over when she gets on the floor.

On the wing, there is Fr Sierra Calhoun and Fr Azura Stevens. Calhoun is a natural wing while Stevens, at 6'5, is part of the new wave of tall players who like to dribble and shoot. And there's Becca, a natural 2-3 who can shoot lights out when not needed to run point.

Post is where the wealth is, headed by Sr. Elizabeth Williams, who's one of the best post defenders in the country and can score. Then there's RS soph Amber Henson, true sophs Oderah Chidom and Kendall Cooper and Fr Erin Mathias and Lynee Belton.

If Coach McCallie can figure out how to make use of all that height, this team can do some damage. Or it could be a long season. Next year there will be two top 5 PG's coming in. Famine to feast.


After last year, I really did not have much hope for Duke (with seniors graduating and Alexis transferring) BUT for some reason when I break down the team...I think they are going to suprise ALOT of teams. Our strength is ALOT of teams weakness (our inside) and we still have a few people to watch out for from the Arc. Teams will pressure us, no doubt but I think we will be able to handle that better since its not a surpise (losing all true PGs). Lastly the leadership is different to me. KJ may not be the BEST guard but her fight is AMAZING!!! EW knows she has to be more a vocal leader and they have stated that Becca has been a great competitor (the most competitve out of all of them) so far too. They said that in practice last year (after Jan. that Becca was the best player on the floor at times and I believe them). Becca seems like Liston to me BUT she is faster and already can handle the ball. Their are alot of unknowns on the team but I think that makes it exciting because our unknowns are highly recruited!

HUGE problem- Coach P. Unfortunately, I just do not know how she is going to handle having this much of a raw team. The potential is their but she has to coach/scout ALOT BETTER than she displayed in the past seasons. Game plans need to be better with good back ups. I do like that she is not saying that EVERYTHING must go through EW!!! Teams knew that and just tried to make us uncomfortable by denying EW the ball. EW and Coach P has stated this will not happen this year. Will EW be the go to person, more than likely yes BUT they are trying to make other people active and involved.

Most excited to see EW playing, this was EW FIRST summer that she was able to work on her game since Freshman year!!! Last summer she spent trying to get into shape from being hurt for almost 2 years. Im excited to see the new things she added and the things she has improved on!



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PostPosted: 10/20/14 7:17 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

This will be short, mainly because I haven't followed the pre-season so far...

Illinois

Realistic goal:
WNIT. We can't go from awful to NCAA's overnight and I'm patient. I see Bollant playing more of "his players" this year (and not Law's leftovers). We'll see if he is cut out for the Big Ten. I'm honestly just glad we have a lot of players. This team has been killed by injuries/transfers the last 5 years.

Strengths: Defense. Bollant's buzz defense set records in his first year, but last year we simply didn't have the roster to follow up that performance. Should be better this year. Youth. Young players don't know that they should lose. Sometimes they play out of their minds. Now sometimes they're inconsistent but an upset or two would be nice. Depth. It seems like forever that we've had a roster with this amount of able-bodied players. It'll be good to see lots of players get time.

Weaknesses: Turnovers. Lots of young players, especially in guard positions, usually means turnovers. Hopefully we can cut down on them but I'm not sure. Lack of post depth. The team itself got deeper, but we have only two legit post players and they are a sophomore and a freshman.

New players:
Kyley Simmons (Mizzou trans.), Brittany Carter (Ball State), Chatrice White (FR, McD AA), Amarah Coleman (FR), Kennedy Cattenhead (RS FR), Brooke Kissinger (FR).

Players to watch:

Chatrice White. Apparently she's the real deal. She's big, strong, good passer from the post. Could be deadly for us. If she's anywhere near as good as they're projecting we're in for a treat.

Ivory Crawford. This is her last go around. Ivory has moments of greatness and moments of embarrassment. Sometimes I think she could play in the WNBA and sometimes I think she could barely make a Rec League. I hope we see more good Ivory.

Kyley Simmons. Apparently this is her team. From the minute she transferred Bollant said she took leadership of the group. We need shooting and she can bring it. Alexis Smith, while good, was prone to high turnover numbers and was not the consistent shooter. Hopefully Simmons is an upgrade.



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PostPosted: 10/20/14 7:34 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

My team has the somewhat bizarre roster of four seniors and eight freshpersons. I have no idea how good they will be.



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PostPosted: 10/20/14 8:19 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Michigan State has been picked to finish second in the Big Ten. I think that may be a Tall task considering the likes of Maryland Iowa and Nebraska along with a couple other teams who feature an experienced complement of players. The Spartans will be led by a group of sophomores who had fantastic freshman seasons. Ariel Powers is predicted to be a first-team all-conference player and she led the team in scoring And rebounding last season. Fellow sophomore Tori Jankowska was second on the team in scoring and filled in for point guard when Kiana Johnson was suspended from the team. Both of these players will be in the starting lineup the season. Brandeis Agee Played significant minutes off the bench accruing more courttime as the season went on.

The team is going to have to deal with the graduation of Annalise Pickrell. The 6'3" forward may have been the most versatile player on the team; third in scoring,second in rebounds, Third in assists And among the leaders in steals and three-point shooter. It will be a team effort to replace what she brought to the team. Senior forwards Becca Mills and Jasmine Hines will be big contributors in the post. Madison Williams is still with the team and Coming up another injury suffered last spring. She is a Model of resiliency for this team.

Justin Lumpkins is a highly ranked First year player who will be relied on to make a big impact for this team as depth will be an issue. I will be surprised if the Spartans end of second in the conference but I do think they should make the NCAA's easily.


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PostPosted: 10/20/14 8:50 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

South Dakota State (I kind of wrote a book, sorry Wink)

LAST SEASON INFORMATION:
Graduated: Steph Paluch, Hannah Strop, Tara Heiser
Things to keep in mind for SDSU regarding last season (26-10):
• AJ plays a lot of players. Many times sending in five new players at a time. Last year there were 12 players that averaged 8 minutes or more per game, 11 played 10 or more per game and nobody averaged more than 25 minutes per game. (He went with the same five starters for 34 of 36 games though, fyi)
• We had 8 different players score 18 or more points in a game last season. Four of them more than 20. Nine different players led the team in scoring during the season.
• I loved the three seniors last year, they were solid gritty players. That said, in the scheme of things, I think we will miss Paluch the most. She seemed to be a spark plug, inspirational leader for the team.
• Last year was the first time SDSU hadn’t been to the NCAA tournament since making the transition to D1 (6-7 years, I need to double check.) They won the regular season, but were upset in the Summit League Tournament by instate rival USD. SDSU went into the WNIT where they proceeded to win four games before falling to UTEP in the semifinals.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR THIS SEASON:

Seniors: Megan Stuart, Gabby Boever, Rachel Walters, Megan Waytashek, Mariah Clarin
Juniors: Chloe Cornemann
Sophomores: Chynna Stevens, Kerri Young, Clarissa Ober
Freshmen: Alexis Alexander, Kaitlyn Severyn, Macy Miller, Tiffany Flaata (RsF), Ellie Thompson

Returning Starters: Gabby Boever (point guard), Mariah Clarin (center) and Megan Waytashek (forward, 1st team all Summit)

Returning Leaders (all were actually top in the category last season):
Top scorer: Megan Waytashek, 11.8 pts per game.
Top rebounder: Mariah Clarin 6.7 per game
Top Blocker: Clarin with 28 on season, Clarissa Ober had 27 off the bench.
Top Steals: Gabby Boever, 85 on the season
Assists leader: Boever with 95 on the season (as a team we had 489 assists last year)

Things To Know:
• Senior point guard Gabby Boever is out for 2-3 months with a knee injury that happened before practices started. Not sure what happened, but will miss her on the floor. Boever getting hurt SUCKS. I really like Gabby and feel like she has been snake bit in her career. I think this is her third major knee injury. There is no way you can replace her experience at the point, it will/should hurt us a bit in our earlier games (we have BYU and Creighton early not teams you want to be leaning on a new point guard).
• Our sophomore class is good, very good. Our freshman class may be better. Young, Ober, and Stevens accounted for 23.3% of the minutes and 23.5% of the field goals scored and 23.4% of the free-throws scored and 23.6% of the rebounds.
• The freshmen. I have never been so excited for a recruiting class at SDSU. The expectations with this class are seriously crazy. Macy Miller is one of the most accomplished South Dakota prep players in recent history. Wing Kaitlyn Severyn is said to be as athletic of a 6-footer as the Jacks have ever had. Forward Ellie Thompson was regarded as one of the three best players in Minnesota as a prep senior. Point Alexis Alexander was graded as a three-star prospect by ESPN.com. Flaata Redshirted last year and is projected to be a very solid post.


Who do I think will start?
Honestly, I have no idea – Megan Waytashek and Mariah Clarin for sure. Beyond that it is going to come down to chemistry. Had Boever not gotten hurt she would have been our point. Cornemann has backed her on the point for two years, but the freshmen guards (Miller and Alexander are points, as well, and as much as I hate to say it being from Chloe’s home town, more talented players, IMO. Seniors Walter and Stuart have been strong contributors for the last three years and probably deserve to start, but AJ has proven in the past that he looks at which players work best together when putting teams on the floor (I almost consider it having two groups of five, one just happens to start and the other comes off the bench.) Forced to predict a team right now…

Post – Clarin (Senior)
Point – Miller (Freshman)
Wing – Waytashek (Senior)
Wing – Stevens (Sophomore)
Wing – Young (Sophomore)

The order I would expect the rest to come off the bench:
Post – Ober (sophomore)
Guard – Cornemann (Junior)
Wing – Stuart (Senior)
Wing – Walters (Senior)
Guard – Alexander (Freshmen)
Wing – Severn (freshmen)
Post – Flaata (Rs Freshmen)
Post – Thompson (Freshmen)



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PostPosted: 10/20/14 9:45 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

AAOK423 wrote:
Louisville

Jude Schimmel- Once again out of her sisters shadow I expect Jude to have her best season yet. Ill be surprise if she doesn't earn a starting spot and if she does I imagine she will be moved from PG to SG with Smith starting at PG. Jude is quick on defense,a great passer, can dribble-drive, and also has long 3pt range. Jude will have to improve her mid-range game and her size (5'6") may be a problem with position change (but I doubt it).



I agree with most of your assessment, except for moving Jude to SG. I think she much better at running the offense than Bria. Bria was pressed into service at PG to free up Shoni. I think Bria's athleticism works better at the 2.

Last year the trio of Shoni, Slaughter and Gibbs accounted for 221 of 257 made 3-pointers. That output will be difficult to replace. I expect that with their depth at post, they will try to score inside more.

I didn't see any mention of Emmonnie Henderson. She is very strong and has a nice soft shooting touch. If she can keep her weight down and stay out of foul trouble, she can be a significant contributor.

I think freshmen Moore and Hines-Allen could contribute right away.


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