A New Season of Crusader Women's Basketball

[KL31NY]

First game, albeit an exhibition, to open the 2012-13 women's basketball season tonight vs. Holy Cross (Ind.). How well do you think we'll do this season? In case you'd like some info before voting, here's some quick hits...

Last season: 10-21 overall, 5-13 league (T-8th/10 Horizon), HL First Round win @ No. 8 UWM, HL Quarterfinal loss @ No. 1 Green Bay

Notable losses from last year: 5th/Sr. F Ashley Varner (double figure scorer, led team in rebounds, charges taken); Sr. G Ashley Timmerman (Off guard, team's leading 3-point shooter); G Betsy Adams, C Stef Lang, F Mallory Ladd (mid-season) transferred; HC Keith Freeman & AHC Greg Kirby

Notable returners: Jr. F Tabitha Gerardot (Preseason 2nd Team All-Horizon League, 13 PPG, 6.8 RPG last year); Sr. F Gina Lange (Starting post, roughly 9 PPG); Sr. G Laura Richards (Point guard, 4.7 PPG, 3.6 APG); G Jessica Carr (Main reserve) and Shaquira Scott (December ACL injury)

"New"comers: R-Jr. G Charae Richardson (Vincennes transfer ruled ineligible for last season before offseason trip to China); Freshmen guards Abby Dean, Lexi Miller, Sarah Godwin, Jessi Wiedemann

Big non-conference games: Indiana (regular season opener, home), Duke (road), Louisville (road), Michigan (road)

Preseason Poll results: 9th/9 46 points, trailing Youngstown State (8th; 77) *Note: assuming my match is correct, unanimous last would be 27 points if it makes a difference

[valpotx]

It will really depend on what type of system our new coach plays, as we really don't have the height that prior successful VU teams had and depended on.  We were successful when I was in school with Marlous Nieuwveen and Tamra Braun in the middle for a several year period, but haven't been able to duplicate that success since that time.  It seems that if you get a solid big in the middle for a mid-major, you will have success (Zane Teilane at WIU when I was in school).  If you don't have that big, you need scorers who don't consistently miss lay-ups.  Whenever I watched a WBB game the last few years, we miss way too many open looks and lay-ups.  Here's hoping we are more disciplined this year.

[valporun]

No audio, but watching Gametracker. The women are shooting about 50% from the field, and have been to the free throw line 10 times in the first half. Is this a more aggressive style of women's basketball we're seeing, or is it just a matter of it being NAIA Holy Cross that we're playing? I'm liking the stats I'm seeing so far.

[KL31NY]

Tough to tell after one half of play vs. an NAIA opponent, but I'd go with you, run, that this team is going to be more aggressive. Heard a few interviews, seeing the #'s climb, and reading pgmado's tweets, and it seems that we're picking up the tempo this season compared to play under Freeman

Update: About 12 MIN left, and I'm sure we've scored well past last season's average. We could be on pace for 80+ points tonight!

[KL31NY]

98-49 win vs.  Holy Cross tonight. Year-by-year results do not include exhibitions, but this could be our highest scoring game since we defeated Purdue-Calumet on December 9th, 1998. The score... also 98-49. Solid double up tonight. Gerardot had a great game, and Ieva Jansone was a surprise by leading all scorers with 22 points w/ near perfect shooting all-around

[jack]

Nice tune up to get everyone going. I think all but a couple of players saw some action, and everyone scored. Can't put a yardstick on this one as it was HC. The true litmus test will be Friday. We should get a good idea of where we are at, and what we need to work on. Take aways from tonight: we need to work on finishing inside. Missed too many bunnies. And free throws. Missed a bunch early on. I think with our lack of size, and the up tempo game it appears we'll play, we'll have some opportunities to get to the stripe. We have to make them count.
Great effort from all tonight. Nice start for the coaching staff.

[historyman]

I didn't go to the game tonight but a friend who I talked to on the phone before retiring for the night couldn't get over the fact that Ieva Jansone shot extremely well and scored over 20 points. My friend kept thinking that if only Freeman had found a way to play Jansone on a depleted team last season what a huge difference it would have made.

Hope Ieva finds someway to showcase to Keith exactly what he missed on when Valpo plays Wright State for the first time.

[valpotx]

Didn't Oren speak fairly often last year about Jansone being one of our better shooters?  I thought my old RA was crazy because of the stats she put out, but maybe Keith just had no clue on how to play her style of basketball

[valporun]

valpotx, don't forget Freeman used to always love to scream at players, regardless of how good they might be, since they weren't doing exactly what he wanted them too. Marlous and Mayella were two of his major points of screaming during our time at VU, so I'm guessing something Jansone he just didn't like about her game, like not playing how he wanted her to, which was his way or the highway(bench).

[SadersofthelostArc]

I'll be providing a full analysis at a later time, but this ain't your grandparents Lady 'Saders y'all!  Coach Dorow had the LS'ers playing hot...almost as hot as she is!  :drool:

This team is going to win 18 games.

[milanmiracle]

Good start for the L'ders, even against an NAIA team. A coach who plays to his players strength...Can we introduce the womens basketball coach to the football coach?

GO L'DERS!

[SadersofthelostArc]

Good start for the L'ders, even against an NAIA team. A coach who plays to his players strength...Can we introduce the womens basketball coach to the football coach?

GO L'DERS!

A few questions, milan...

1) How do you feel about the impact Richards will make this year?  Will she finally go from zero to hero?

2) How many wins do YOU see the Lady Saders picking up?

3) More of a personally note...on a scale of 1-10, how do you rate Coach Dorow----first on coaching ability, second on hotty-ness? lol

GO L'DERS!!!!

[valpotx]

I won't rate Coach Dorow, but I can definitely say that your standards are quite a bit different than mine

[SadersofthelostArc]

I won't rate Coach Dorow, but I can definitely say that your standards are quite a bit different than mine

It's not JUST about looks...she has certain intangible qualities.

You're used to getting that Los Angeles, big league tail...I understand we are on different ballfields, so to speak.

[valpotx]

All I care about is her turning the program back into what I remember watching at Valpo, competitive each time out, even against the big teams.  We used to play the Notre Dame and Purdue's of the world closely, even beating one or both at some point I believe

[govalpogo]

Oh, what a bummer the Duke game is during Thanksgiving break!  I thought I was gonna be able to bring my gold student section shirt out of retirement...alas.

[milanmiracle]

Good start for the L'ders, even against an NAIA team. A coach who plays to his players strength...Can we introduce the womens basketball coach to the football coach?

GO L'DERS!

A few questions, milan...

1) How do you feel about the impact Richards will make this year?  Will she finally go from zero to hero?

2) How many wins do YOU see the Lady Saders picking up?

3) More of a personally note...on a scale of 1-10, how do you rate Coach Dorow----first on coaching ability, second on hotty-ness? lol

GO L'DERS!!!!

Basically this is the evaluation period, and I like to give the coach time to adapt to the players and the conference. Along those lines I am certainly not ready to rate on coaching, and I certainly don't rate on "hotty-ness"...If they're a good coach (male or female), they could be purple for all I care.

[HC]

If the women could drag their game out a little extra tonight I'd greatly appreciate it.  Maybe an overtime game or a game close enough to warrant some fouling, can't make the second game until about 8:15.  Go get um Valpo

[setshot]

"Holy Cow!" A double digit win over a Big 10 school - Fanf-----gtastic! We want more. CONGRATULATIONS! GO VALPO!

[valpotx]

Good start to the season, though IU did look like a pretty poor Big 10 team

[FWalum]

Wonderful confidence builder for the women.  I don't care if IU ends up being the worst team in the BIG 10, any time you can beat someone from one of the BCS conferences I will take it!

[valporun]

IU only won about 6 or 7 games last season, and they've never been a big name team in the B1G on the women's side. I'm happy with the win, but we need to keep it up especially with the schedule we have this season.

[vu72]

Still, they are a BIG team and we won impressively not on a desperation 3 against a much bigger team.  Very good effort.  Let's hope it continues.

[SadersofthelostArc]

New thread open to discuss the game....jump on in over there, the water's fine!!!!

[VULB#62]

Is it too early for this?   Based on first impressions by those of you who saw the opener and are also familiar with recent past Valpo WBB teams, care to share an analysis of this team in comparison to previous teams? The MBB side of the basketball forum is filled with that kind of thing.  Be nice to have someone do a good analysis of talent, style of play, conditioning, attitude, etc.