Will go further than most think. Maybe I'm too optimistic but it will be a good year. Maybe not finals but an eight.
At this point it is hard to predict which players will emerge as stars, scorers or leaders. Who will be a go-to player? Do we have a player or two that other teams will need to address in preparing for us? Definitely need more than 8 SS players. It should be fun to watch them grow and develop.
although most likely not as successful as recent years.
although most likely not as successful as recent years.
My point on Nixon was not to criticize her. I just think going into this season if you could get inside MM head she would have wished that Nixon would have been a 12-15 minute a game point guard. They could have moved Mabry into a role she was more comfortable with. I still feel that from what I saw this year that Peoples will play a lot of point next year.
I do agree that Peoples will have a decent shot at being the point. I don’t think Nixon got enough playing time this season to get separation from a serious challenger if that’s what Peoples turns out to be.
The starting 5 will be a “new” Irish squad learning to play as a team and working to form an identity based on each player’s strengths and weaknesses. It will be a fresh start for whoever plays point.
Remember that MM told someone (probably Anthony Anderson) that Gilbert would not be playing point this year (meaning 2018-19), probably figuring that Jordan would get into the rotation at point and Katlyn could spell one of the "off guards."
And in this signing-day article, she told Anderson this about Peoples:
"Though widely listed as a point guard, Peoples likely will not fill that role with the Irish, according to McGraw.
“'But she definitely will pick up things quickly,” the coach said, and “be able to handle the ball.'”
Well, that was said before the season, with the assumption that Jordan would go through a year as a regular sub, learning the ropes form Mabrey, Young and Arike.
So, was the plan for Gilbert to become back-up point guard for Jordan in 2019? Or, given what happened to Nixon and the year-ender to Gilbert, are all of them essentially at ground-base zero?
But Peoples will play. You can feel MM looking forward to her ball-hawking abilities:
"Peoples, meanwhile, “is somebody that can guard the ball, which we haven’t had since Skylar (Diggins) graduated (in 2013),” the coach said of the incoming 5-10 guard from Schlarman Academy in Danville, Ill. “We haven’t had anybody that can really get up and pressure the ball, so I’m excited about her ability to defend, but she also can get to the rim."
I would fully expect Abby will see a lot of PT for pretty much the same reasons.
Stay tuned...this is really going to be interesting. Look forward to seeing how these players are molded into a unit.
She needed to basically do a little bit of everything, so her scoring stats were not at eye-catching levels like Ogunbowale. She played point only part-time, so her assists were split with Mabrey. She needed to rebound, but didn't post numbers like Shepard and Turner. Oh, and she also was frequently used to defend the opponent's best player.
Her ability to do everything is what made her the #1 pick, and also what led her to be overshadowed by teammates in different areas.
It would be tough to say that a team that lost the national championship by 1 point underachieved. The only disappointing thing for me is that they consistently started the tournament games slow. Hopefully that was just bad luck and not thinking they could just "turn it on" when needed.
was by not winning the Baylor/championship game. I don't care about the UNC and Miami losses because they worked out fine, we still won the ACC and were a 1 seed and regarding who plays who in the national semi's that all worked out, too. Losing to UConn early was perhaps a wake up call but in the end didn't matter, either.
Regarding conference or national awards for all of our players the issue was we had no weak links in the starting five, the ultimate balance, so no 1 or 2 players really stood out to merit things like national player of the year, etc. etc.
IMHO no, MM didn't want Nixon to start (instead of who, exactly?) but definitely would've liked her to be more part of the rotation. If nothing else, this year's incredibly short bench hurt development for next year. I'm not surprised by the short bench in the tourney but was surprised MM didn't do more to get youngsters experience during the regular season.
Regarding posts...if there were no such thing as 6'7" centers on other teams we'd have a couple more championships right now (and we had trouble with A&M's shorter, stockier post, too that cost us that championship).
the games.
Players earn their game playing time by how they practice.
This wasn’t about earning playing time, it would’ve been about MM selfishly planning for the future and getting the young players more PT whenever she could.
Teams don’t lose their entire starting five all at once that often.
Unless you are there. However, MM generally favors a short bench so I think it's just going to be how it is. However, I do think an opportunity was lost not to develop Nixon more. There were plenty of comfortable wins this year where she could have seen more meaningful time.
MM is a great coach. Over 900 wins and 2 NC's proves that.
...However, there is some things I wish she would change. Sometimes the
way she recruits can make fans nervous. Recruit to the limit and so what
if that causes a transfer. Worry about that when the time comes. Be up
front with all your recruits on your style and use of the bench and why
recruiting to the limit. If you recruit TEAM players, you still will
not have as many transfers. You could also have almost two full groups
to rotate.
...She is very particular the way she uses a bench or not use a bench.
I think that may have hurt her this year. Dani, Mik and Danielle should
have gotten more playing time, and I do not mean garbage time either.
There has been a lot negative comments about Dani over her first 2 years.
Thinks to much, not quick enough, does not know the offense. How is
she going to learn if she does not get quality time during the game and
not just at the end. Danielle never got any quality time at all. There are
many times Mik did not get the quality time she needed.
...Knowing we were losing all our starting post this year. Those 3 players
should have received more playing time to develop their skills. It is not
like we did not have any game in control by half time.
...I have been very clear on this board on my feelings of NY and Philly
players. They are tough and full of pride and determination. They will
not quit or give in. Along with Jordan, I think the best is yet to come
with those 3 players. There are times this year that all 3 showed us why
they were recruited.
...I would not be surprised if these 4 players did not spend a lot of
the off season together in making themselves better. I have confidence
and faith in these 4 players. They were all in tough situations and all
fighting injuries.
...Do not give up on these players. They deserve our loyalty just like
their loyalty to the school and us.
...A couple good grad transfers will again make this a tough team to
beat. That is the approach the coaching staff will take.
Thanks
SEG/Chief
I agree this could be a interesting year coming up. However, we all need to be realistic. 19-20 wins might be the best this team can do. With no seniors to lead the young players will have to find their way. If this team makes the sweet 16 it will be a major accomplishment with what is coming back. If you get some good transfers that might change somewhat.
Next year is the definition of a rebuild.
Just once (18 wins in 2005-06) and has had just 20 wins 2 more times (2001-02 and 2006-07). The last time she didn't have 30 wins was 2009-10 (29 wins that season, but 22 the year before that). In her ND career she's failed to hit 20 wins 3 times and had 3 seasons with exactly 20 wins.
Breakdown, number of times for number of wins in a season:
37: 1
36: 1
35: 4
34: 1
33: 2
21: 2
29: 1
27: 2
29: 1
27: 2
26: 1
25: 1
23: 3
22: 3
21: 4
20: 3
18: 1
15: 1
14: 1
I am a big fan. Have been all my 62 on this planet. My reality every year
and every team I follow is we can and will win it all. Until the record
and schedule shows there is no chance. I will not change.
...I stand by the current team that they will have a great season. They
will win. They do need their fans to support and believe in them. What
do we as fans have to lose in believing that this is the best team on
on the planet. Will we go to jail - No, will we be fined - no, will
be banished from the university for ever - no, will we cause the team -
to lose- no. So why not believe this team will win it all?
...I have been a big fan of my favorite teams all my life win or lose.
Even when I transferred around the world. I never changed who my
favorite teams were and are. My favorite teams are the same ones I had
back in the early 60's. I always felt they would all win the title.
...I was a fan of the 76ers when they only won 9 games. A fan of the
flyers when they came into hockey. A fan of the Jets when they were
the Titans. A fan of the Phillies when they could not find theit way
out of last place, even if the league never showed up to play. I also
was a fan of the Irish even though I grew up in Nittany Lion Country.
...My reality is this team will win and make us proud. Hopefully we
can get some good transfers to augment this very young team.
...Trust me on this last point. A leader will show up out of the blue.
Always happens when everything is against a team. That special person
is willing to step forward and be the leader. I have faith in this
process and this team.
SEG/Chief
for you to be this wonderfully devoted. I think most people are just as big a fan as you are on this blog. However, dealing in reality is not being a bad fan. Sometimes its fun to watch a group develop as these girls will. The fact is the talent is not the same and expectations should not be unrealistic.
My big sport was football. A sport is a sport in many ways. Losing for
example. I know what it is like to lose 50-10. I also know what it feels
like when you lose the way our girls did in the championship game. We were
losing with seconds to go and time for one play. Our QB hit our WR in the
end zone for the winning score, we thought. We were jumping and screaming
and having a good time. Until one of the officials (not the primary on
that call), ruled the pass incomplete. Said his foot was out. We all saw his
foot in bounds. No video replay in 1973. So we lost.
...The point of the story is similar what Arike and the ND BB team went
through. You will not feel a more harsh pain in sports than losing a game
you thought you won. Arike and the women to me are still champs. They won
the game. Just did not have the highest score.
...They did not lose 4 games. There were 4 games that the other team
scored more points. That does not make them the best or better team.
...This team were pure warriors and champions. I would take them any
time to compete for a title.
...We will be a better team next year because of this game. First of
all. We always have to have a revenge game. It is written in our
rules book. But most important. The players coming back next year are
not going to want and go through this type of pain again.
SEG/Chief
But I think she had so many nagging little injuries, including a larger concussion, that kept keeping her out, and that moved Abby up ahead of her. Hopefully that will change with practice over the summer and fall.
It's hard to do, as Gilbert and Nixon were often hurt (Gilbert for most of the year, Nixon off and on with many issues throughout the year). Abby and Mik played some. Dani maybe could have played more.
Something also to keep in mind is that although these younger players didn't have a ton of game experience, they had a ton of practice experience with and against the amazing starting five. That will have to pay dividends.
Subbing Tennessee for pre-2011 ND, would have been 2006. Of course, that's mostly because of UConn having a very unusually large streak of 12 straight FFs. The next longest were UConn with 5 (2000-2004), LSU with 5 (2004-2008), Stanford with 5 (2008-2012), ND with 5 (2011-2015), La Tech with 4 (1987-1990), and Tennessee with 4 (twice: 1995-1998 and 2002-2005).
The Final Four was Maryland, UNC, Duke, and LSU. Maryland won the NC that year.
UConn had a three year stretch of not making the FF from 2005-2007.
Another year would have been 1999 with Duke, UGA, Purdue, and La Tech. Purdue won the NC.
Muffet brought this up on an ESPNw article on the draft:
"It's a historic moment for our program,'' McGraw said. "We've had a lot of accomplishments, but this one stands alone. It's probably something that will never happen again. Because of the injury to Bri and Jess coming in, it's atypical of having that kind of class. But it's incredible what they accomplished.'
Cox, certainly. Brown and Jackson already. Richards and Landrum could develop into 1st round picks. Just because they weren't all draft eligible at the same time and couldn't all get drafted in one year doesn't mean Baylor's talent wasn't equal to or superior to ND's.
Probably all in the 1st round
Baylor and UConn have great talent as well.