Are You Kidding Me?

[Alpha X]

Congrats on a great season, but watching this team over the last few weeks has been as frustrating as can be. How can a team with two of the most dominating big girls in the college game continue to hoist up three after three ( 1 for 14 tonight) and not get the ball inside with any consistency? Why would the coach allow players to shoot from the outside while the bigs have their defenders posted up and pinned, calling for the ball and yet get ignored? If I were coaching, they would be on the bench until they learn to work toward our strength and get the ball inside. How does Phillips go the whole first half with ONE shot?

How does a coach call a man to man defense that allows a player to dribble the length of the floor in 4.3 seconds, knowing that our girls are slower than what Stanford had on the floor? Why wouldn't Amber Harris be back near the lane to at least present the threat of a block? Instead she stood near half court looking like a matador as the girl blew by her.

How many lay ups can a team miss in a game, and I'm not just talking about the two missed uncontested bunnies under 10 seconds?

I'm afraid Coach McGuff can recruit, but he was thoroughly outcoached all the way down the stretch of the season and into the post season, even in the games we won, and anyone who would be honest about it knows I'm right about it.

[xuhuh!]

Alph, if you remember Stanford was doing a great job double teaming the player on the block to the point that X was unable to pivot. Even the color commentator illustrated it for you. X did not shoot the 3 well nor did Stanford. X was effective with Amber getting the ball at the free throw line shooting or driving. One more made free throw...........................

[muskieman]

Congrats on a great season, but watching this team over the last few weeks has been as frustrating as can be. How can a team with two of the most dominating big girls in the college game continue to hoist up three after three ( 1 for 14 tonight) and not get the ball inside with any consistency? Why would the coach allow players to shoot from the outside while the bigs have their defenders posted up and pinned, calling for the ball and yet get ignored? If I were coaching, they would be on the bench until they learn to work toward our strength and get the ball inside. How does Phillips go the whole first half with ONE shot?

How does a coach call a man to man defense that allows a player to dribble the length of the floor in 4.3 seconds, knowing that our girls are slower than what Stanford had on the floor? Why wouldn't Amber Harris be back near the lane to at least present the threat of a block? Instead she stood near half court looking like a matador as the girl blew by her.

How many lay ups can a team miss in a game, and I'm not just talking about the two missed uncontested bunnies under 10 seconds?

I'm afraid Coach McGuff can recruit, but he was thoroughly outcoached all the way down the stretch of the season and into the post season, even in the games we won, and anyone who would be honest about it knows I'm right about it.

you are crazy. McGuff drew up those plays at the end and it was the players that missed the shots. Even the pro stanford announcers were giving praise to McGuff for the play that would have put X up by 2.

[Alpha X]

That still doesn't excuse him standing by chomping his gum and watching while we fire up the threes and miss while the bigs go begging. Not only this game, but we were darn lucky to win the first game against East Tennessee against a MUCH smaller team, and also against Vandy. Same with the A-10 tourney. Nobody can match up against X inside, and we don't play to our strength. This team did not play like the #5 team in the country.

[xuhuh!]

That still doesn't excuse him standing by chomping his gum and watching while we fire up the threes and miss while the bigs go begging. Not only this game, but we were darn lucky to win the first game against East Tennessee against a MUCH smaller team, and also against Vandy. Same with the A-10 tourney. Nobody can match up against X inside, and we don't play to our strength. This team did not play like the #5 team in the country.

Should be the Luckyteers then. You do know Stanford's ranking? They didn't play as well as a one loss team. I think the Stanford coach had some kind words for X

[muskieman]

That still doesn't excuse him standing by chomping his gum and watching while we fire up the threes and miss while the bigs go begging. Not only this game, but we were darn lucky to win the first game against East Tennessee against a MUCH smaller team, and also against Vandy. Same with the A-10 tourney. Nobody can match up against X inside, and we don't play to our strength. This team did not play like the #5 team in the country.

I didn't know you were firing up threes!

This team is a normally good three point shooting team, tonight they had an off night. As for the other games didn't X win those games so stop bitching and if makes their normal % they win this game too. when you shoot the threes as well as X does those open shots can not be passed up. By the way the only three they made was DeeJ's three.

X was beaten by the 2nd ranked team in the nation by a lucky shot. You must be 'woods' with your McGuff hate.

[hoosiermark]

great effort against a great team. Cincinnati has to be very proud of the Lady Muskies. Not sure the game winning shot can be classified as a lucky shot, Muskieman. Most great teams hit layups consistently. Xavier ladies should have had another field goal but every game has situations where someone should have made a shot or something bad happened. The off season will slowly heal up the sting of the loss but I'm betting they'll work harder and be better prepared for the tourney next year if no major injuries occur.

[passthepuck?]

In addition to my men’s tickets, I also have seasons for the ladies. Sometimes I feel like I live at Cintas. Last season the way to defeat X was to collapse on Phillips and dare the rest of the team to shoot. To his credit coach understood this and got Katie Rutan this year. The three ball then became part of the game and the results were great. Notice the record this year. You may recall that in the Vandy game, Katie could hit the ocean in the first half, then got hot at the end. Sometimes the three point shooters go cold. I am so pleased that the ladies took the second best team in the nation to the wire after years of disappointment in the early rounds. I feel so bad for Dee Dee, I have been there when she has taken over games. What a tough way to end your college career.

[Alpha X]

The fact is that this team continued to fire up the threes down the stretch of the season, and just didn't play to its strength, the bigs. Look at the three point stats for the A-10 and NCAA tournament games:
Richmond 1/6 .167
Charlottte 2/13 .154
Temple 8/25 .320
East Tenn St. 7/26 .269
Vandy 7/20 .300
Gonzaga 3/12 .250
Stanford 1/14 .071
Total: 29/116 .250

This was far below their season average of .350. They haven't shot that well at the end of the season from outside. When this is consistently happening, it is on the coach to get the team refocused by calling the TO and getting the ball worked inside. Yes, the last play drawn up last night was great (except for the ultimate execution) and the play at the end of the ETSU game to Harris was great, but it points out with even more clarity that that is the way this team plays best. Why aren't those kind of plays being run the entire game? Get it inside. Harris and Phillips just can't be contained by most teams.

[muskieman]

The fact is that this team continued to fire up the threes down the stretch of the season, and just didn't play to its strength, the bigs. Look at the three point stats for the A-10 and NCAA tournament games:
Richmond 1/6 .167
Charlottte 2/13 .154
Temple 8/25 .320
East Tenn St. 7/26 .269
Vandy 7/20 .300
Gonzaga 3/12 .250
Stanford 1/14 .071
Total: 29/116 .250

This was far below their season average of .350. They haven't shot that well at the end of the season from outside. When this is consistently happening, it is on the coach to get the team refocused by calling the TO and getting the ball worked inside. Yes, the last play drawn up last night was great (except for the ultimate execution) and the play at the end of the ETSU game to Harris was great, but it points out with even more clarity that that is the way this team plays best. Why aren't those kind of plays being run the entire game? Get it inside. Harris and Phillips just can't be contained by most teams.

AlphaX do you know who are the two leading scorers on the team? Do you know which two players have attempted the most shots?