Messages

As far as delivery is concerned, he's *tons* better than the Valpo announcers I've heard the past couple of years, who are not nearly as comfortable on the air.

This part is definitely better (hence why I'm listening to the HLN feed...). However, it annoys me to no end when announcers don't pronounce names correctly. Someone needs to let him know that its WEE-demann, not WHY-demann...

I guess I shouldn't complain...we do get to watch the games for free...

Also, where are the fans? I know women's basketball isn't the most exciting thing on a Wednesday night, but there's maybe 50 fans that I can see, and I think that's generous

I'm putting it at 79, and that includes the band.

To me, Loyola's defense is a big reason why our posts are struggling. Most of our shots inside look forced.

I know this sounds crass (haven't used that one in a while...), but if you don't get fouled, you have to make the shot. If you can't, kick it out or go sit down and let someone else who can play. Can't use "tough defense" as an excuse inside in a game that's been, for the most part, not physical.

Godwin was not dressed on Saturday either...not sure about Callaway

Decent first 18 minutes, but gave up a bunch there at the end of the half. Our post play is really hurting us right now (5-17 from the field, no free throw attempts) on the offensive end and we have too many turnovers. Also, we've managed to turn 10 offensive rebounds into just six points (this goes along with posts shooting bad). If Shaquira didn't have that stretch where she scored a bunch of quick points, this could be really ugly.

Defensively, we were OK (just OK) until the very end of the half. In the middle of the half it felt like post defense was bad, but overall Loyola's bigs are 6-16, so it wasn't...just that Law got three quick ones and Hambric followed with a jumper.

Second half keys:
- Take care of the ball...5 TO or less on offense
- Force mistakes...easy baskets happen in transition, and we have managed to force but four TO's
- FINISH...basketball at its simplest is scoring more points than the other team...if you miss shots, you don't score

2011

ValpoHoops, that wasn't by any chance you doing the color commentary on this particular game, was it?

No, never did any mens games.

Trying to save paper!! 

+1


Little known fact that may only interest me: many times, emails for a former MBB coach would be printed for him to read (thinking maybe tech wasn't his thing?). I learned the hard way to be short and sweet with those messages...

Ryan was on GB's board as "hot"...they didn't want to allow him to shoot
Kevin was listed as "cold"...no need to run out, he can't make that shot

If you have an opportunity to watch tonight's game, keep an eye on this.

I certainly will see the game. One of the things that one must realize is that with the system the team is running, it isn't necessarily set up for cutting/slashing/backdoors (this sounds like I'm trying to toot my own horn - and it certainly isn't intended that way, but I spent time with the staff when they learned this particular system, so I know it really, really well). Yes, we get a few early in games at times, but then the defenders just sag off of the perimeter players and meet the cuts (we are still cutting, just not open)...and why wouldn't they...we don't make enough shots to scare them.

Another thing to recognize is that when players are making these cuts, many times it is a post with the ball at the top of the key (again, just part of the offense...not good or bad). Our posts - and most posts as a general rule - are not as good of passers as the guards.

What the team, in my opinion, really needs to do better is understand how teams are guarding the ball screens and take advantage of this...we are clearing a side for a two-person game but it seems that we are using the screen to pass, rather than score. There are a bunch of ways to guard a ball screen (jam, switch, soft hedge, hard hedge, under, over, flatten, trap, blah, blah, blah) and each has a weakness...we need to find the weakness and exploit it.

20 wins

Hot-close out long, make him dribble it, don't let him shoot

Cold-close out short, he's not going to make threes, don't run at him and allow him to drive by

Tonight was probably the fault of the HL and their schedule, making them play Valpo and Deteoit back-to--back.

Not the prettiest, but it's a win, a road win, a conference win...that's all that really matters.

My big concern is that we have no one signed for next year. Good D1 players sign early.

The problem with that is, good D1 players start getting recruited the day the NCAA allows them to be, and in many cases before. The previous staff was well into their 2013 recruiting and started on 2014 no doubt. With the change, you basically have to throw that out and start over, and many times this is what gets new coaches in trouble....they never get a foothold in recruiting and once the previous coach's players are gone, it's all over.

I know this staff has their sights on some very good players, have worked very hard to recruit them and they believe that these players will come to VU and help build the program back to where it belongs.

We don't need to worry about "rooting" for teams to lose conference games. We need to win the HL Tournament (that would be step 1) and then have a bunch of upsets in the conference tournament...aka, #1 seeds losing.

[Richards]

asking for me to break down some women's hoops.

So, exactly where in this post did you "break down" some women's hoops"?


Anywho...

This year's team certainly has some issues, and a lot of it has to do with personnel, as jack and others have said. The problem is this: We have players who are above average at one end of the court and below average at the other.

On the perimeter:
- Richards - Excellent defender, no doubt. I will stop short of calling her a liability on the offensive end, but she's certainly not a player who can be looked at/expected to go out and get 10-12 points every night.
- Richardson - Pretty good on the defensive end, but needs to be more efficient on offense. Shooting 31% (and worse from 2 than from 3) for the season simply isn't going to get it done. She is a solid off-guard in games when she is making shots, but then has to slide to the point when Richards needs a break (more on that later) and that takes away from her offense...running the point really takes away the ability for most players to look to be scorers.
- Scott - The most talented offensive player on the team, but doesn't really fit into a position. She isn't quite big enough to guard inside and isn't quite quick enough to guard great players on the outside. I think she is still growing and will continue to get a LOT better...remember, she isn't yet 20 years old and is a sophomore.
- Wiedemann - Teams have her figured out. She doesn't do much on offense other than shoot threes, and defenders get into her as soon as she catches and she is really unable to do much with the ball. I honestly think she would be better served if the team had a couple "drivers", because she really is someone who is best as a standstill shooter. As the other guards get better, she will improve simply because she will get more open looks. Again, she is young - just a freshman - and the coming summer will be big for her as a time to improve. Defensively, she needs more footspeed to really be a good defender.
- Carr - Can knock down shots, but doesn't come across as a great ballhandler, which means she can't really play the point, especially against pressure. I saw her in high school, and I think that, unfortunately, her injury issues - while behind her - robbed her of a lot of her quickness, which limits her significantly at the defensive end.
- Miller - Hasn't played much lately...and I think the idea that she had committed to D2 is showing. I do believe that she can contribute in the future, but this year she just seems a bit overwhelmed by the athletes at the D1 level. I would think that as she gets older, she will become a solid, but not spectacular, reserve in the backcourt, at both ends.
- Dean - Good player...something is holding her back and I haven't seen enough to know. I know she's not exactly a lock-down defender, but with her length, I think she could be decent. Needs time and a summer.

In the post:
- Gerardot - Don't really need to say much here. She needs as many touches as possible, period. Above average defender, great rebounder (despite not being a great athlete) and knows how to score. She needs breaks, but with media timeouts and such, probably needs to and will continue to play 32+ minutes.
- Lange - Doesn't come across as tremedously skilled on the offensive end, but is a VERY good defender inside. She runs the floor really, really well, which forces opponents to run with her, and this is a much overlooked aspect of post play. On defense, she is a lock down type inside...strong, physical and rebounds well.
- Horton - Might well be the most skilled post on the offensive end, but is below average on defense. It could be noted that in the CSU game, Valpo was up 18-6 when Lange got her second foul, bringing Horton in...the team was forced to play zone and the lead evaporated every time Lange had to leave. She's going to be a starter next year, playing starter's minutes, and she has potential to combine with Gerardot to be a DOMINANT inside force in the Horizon League.
- Callaway - Skilled on offense, really high volume shooter, but doesn't quite make enough. Struggles to defend. Tough to play inside when you can't guard.
- Jansone - Not sure here...she's skilled but doesn't seem to grasp something.


So, basically, you have to choose what you want to do...score points or defend.

The offensive system the team is running works...it has been successful AT EVERY LEVEL - including last season for these coaches at Ferris State. Men's teams run it, women's teams run it, NBA teams run it, high school teams run it, it works. Right now, the team simply doesn't have the players who can get it done on BOTH ends...and that's really a result of the players the current staff inherited. The blame isn't solely on the previous staff, but it's hard to look at this year's team and think they aren't improved.

Some of the things the team is doing this year are, quite literally, the same. Unfortauntely, in my opinion, a side ballscreen offense will struggle with a point guard who doesn't score and off guards who don't attack well. The only player (again, my opinion) who can really thrive with a ballscreen is Scott. The posts are carrying the load right now, but I think with a summer of improvement and a recruiting class that reflects the new coaching staff, this team will quickly see improvement on offense.

If they can take the offensive players and teach them to defend (so they don't have to play zone when the better defenders go out...we've seen how well that works) this team can be good. Everyone who plays meaningful minutes except Lange and Richards comes back next year...and those two are players who can be replaced.

Tracey is a fantastic coach and a better lady. She wil represent the program, school and community extremely well and I am proud that she is the coach of my school. I truly believe that he will be able to turn the program back into what it should be.


As for her assistant, the Valpo grad, just a gut feeling that he will be joining her .

There is a women's basketball recruiting period in the spring, this year it's April 20-23 (or thereabouts). That's next weekend. My guess is that there will be a coach in place by then. With only six weeks or so of evaluation periods in a year, a school can't afford to give up a weekend without a coach.

Posting from my phone, so only a link...

http://m.espn.go.com/wireless/story?storyId=7791434

VHS runs baseline to baseline and the arc goes at least ten feet past on each end, plus the extra ten feet of court. Also, the mezzanine at the arc is WAY higher than the sides at VHS.

From the never-ending source of knowledge that is Wikipedia (and, this info is accurate, I just chose to let someone else write it):

The Consensus 2011 College Basketball All-American team is determined by aggregating the results of the four major All-American teams as determined by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Since United Press International was replaced by TSN in 1997, the four major selectors have been the aforementioned ones. AP has been a selector since 1948, NABC since 1957 and USBWA since 1960.[2] To earn "consensus" status, a player must win honors based on a point system computed from the four different all-America teams. The point system consists of three points for first team, two points for second team and one point for third team. No honorable mention or fourth team or lower are used in the computation. The top five totals plus ties are first team and the next five plus ties are second team.[3]

Although the aforementioned lists are used to determine consensus honors, there are numerous other All-American lists. The ten finalists for the John Wooden Award are described as Wooden All-Americans.[4] The ten finalists for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award are described as Senior All-Americans.[5] Other All-American lists include those determined by Fox Sports, and Yahoo! Sports. The scholar-athletes selected by College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) are termed Academic All-Americans.

It has nothing to do with each individual team and how many votes, but a "consensus" among the four major lists.

VHoops, if you can find anything to substantiate such a claim about the Patriot League, I'd be interested.  Bucknell gives out at least 12, however: http://www.bucknell.edu/x571.xml

I stand corrected, I suppose. I recall hearing a few years back (ironically, it was Bucknell, the year they beat Kansas in the NCAA Tournament) that Patroit League schools only gave out five. Now that I've thought for a bit, I also seem to remember that they were discussing it possibly because they were going to change that to be more competitive nationally...

Thanks for the correction.

LaPorte, need to correct your math a little bit. While there are 345 D-1 basketball teams, there are 8 who CANNOT give scholarships. You included the eight schools in the IVY League. Therefore, 337 D-1 schools x 13 scholarships per team=4,381 scholarship athletes. It's still a great accomplishment that Rowdy was an honorable mention AP All-American, but make sure you accurately work your numbers.

Congrats on this awesome honor, Rowdy!

You've missed a few. Patriot League schools have a rule limiting them to five.

EB: a direct link to a specific article reporting that he is interviewing with TU, not a google summary.  I'm not spending meaningful minutes in my day chasing down your wild goose chase.

His link was active earlier. Try this:

http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/TU/article.aspx?subjectid=94&articleid=20120325_29_B1_CUTLIN623737

ESPN reporting that Bill Cormondy will be back with Northwestern next year.

One thing we know for sure is that it won't be held at an NCAA institution. Valpo, ND, Purdue, etc. are all out of the running.

I really want to know what the criteria is for the NCAA decisions on these playing venues.  Are they allowing exceptions for the IHSAA?  Girl's State tournament games were held in Indiana State's arena yet they disallowed the use of campus facilities for things like holiday tournament and the like.  If the facility doubles as a community facility and university home court is that ok??  Examples would be the Memorial Coliseum here in Fort Wayne or the Ford Center in Evansville.  If these facilities are not allowed to host tournaments then this is a big blow to many communities, and if they are then how can the NCAA discriminate between on campus and off campus sites?

The key in the rules is the "non-scholastic" part of the language. Because the state finals are sponsored by the IHSAA, they can play there, but they can't play summer events.

I don't know why the schools can't play holiday events, but if I recall, it has something to do with the fact that there is an outside entity hosting the event (I think of the Region Rumble with this), rather than one of the schools or the IHSAA.