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Post by kiyoat on Nov 5, 2024 18:23:26 GMT -6
Oh yeah agree 100 percent. Applauding the situational coaching but stating it as a concern going forward. And it’s one game so easy to overreact I don't know about the rest of you, but I feel like the fact that we appeared to actually have a defensive strategy is already a step in the right direction. 100%. And this is no fault of Kayla's but it also gives me some peace of mind that this staff already has a track record, proving that they have fielded teams that do what they talk about wanting to do (defense, rebounding, ball control). We will get there. Coach Eighmey has also talked about customizing the strategy to the skills we have on the roster... so if we are lacking in height or athleticism, maybe the game-plan accounts for that. And if we have good shooters (we do) then we probably want to have an offense that isolates our shooters on the perimeter. As great as Grace is, if she had a better kick-out we would be pretty deadly, since she easily draws a crowd. She does that somewhat, but I've seen better "kick-out" artists. WIU's Emily Clemens was a magician. |
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90yote
Senior Member
Posts: 650
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Post by 90yote on Nov 5, 2024 18:56:06 GMT -6
I thought the first half was pretty disastrous, with caveats about it being the first game of course. Was glad to see Duffney take over after the timeout early in the 3rd. She got downhill with purpose. The Yotes scored 46 points in the last 18.5 minutes.
I agree with some others that starting lineup just doesn't work, but that's not necessarily a criticism of Eighmey, but more of a reflection of where the roster is at.
Carson in the starting lineup was a surprise, and she didn't look a whole lot different than before, but she hasn't played in two years. Hopefully her interior defense improves. Looked like she sprained her ankle and when they were high-fiving the fans around the court after the game she was really limping.
Klosterbuer needs to play a lot, and I think she will earn that time. She's too explosive offensively, and she can get her own shot too, even from deep. Her defense is an issue. Late after one of her 3-pointers she let Calhoun go to her strong hand and gave up the baseline for a key layup. That was a double sin. She needs experience so she can hopefully become passable defensively.
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Post by Men's League Waterboy on Nov 6, 2024 11:59:56 GMT -6
I'm not saying this team absolutely won't be able to defend anybody. I'm saying that it's going to be a mighty struggle against anybody that's any good.
They simply will be overwhelmed by most above average college basketball teams. Once again, they're small and not particularly athletic.
I watched the SDSU-Rice game the other night. Two mid-major conference winners that the Yotes not all that long ago would have considered peers and measuring sticks. The bigs from both those teams will absolutely savage this squad and no amount of coaching or gameplanning is really going to do much about it. The Mike Tyson adage about having plans until getting punched in the face comes to mind here. There's just a point where you either get overpowered on the block because you don't have anybody who can stand up one on one or you collapse multiple defenders, start scrambling and give up wide-open threes to shooters, hope they miss ... and pray that you can grab a defensive board. This team is going to have more than a few games where "hope they miss" is going to be the only hope. And it may work sometimes. Obviously as a mid-major playing power conferences that's going to be a more often than not strategy. But I'm afraid this team is going to be facing that conundrum against quite a few teams that aren't from power conferences.
I'm really not trying to belittle anybody involved with this team. I think they'll win plenty of games. I think they're working hard and competing their asses off. As I've said before, I'm looking at this through the lens of where I think this program should be -- competing with the SDSUs, Drakes and Creightons on the court and in recruiting.
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