LADY SADERS doin' their thang @ LOYOLA (2/13/13 game thread!)

[jack]

Amazing. Down 9, we break up the Richards, Richardson tandem, and in a couple of minutes, we are only down 3. Someone needs to be taking notes.

[StlVUFan]

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...

No argument there.  I get pissed at ESPN announcers who don't do their homework, so ...

[jack]

Down 3. Pull Scott, put in Richardson. 4 minutes, now down 9. We will never had consistent success with Richards, and Richardson on the floor at the same time.

[ValpoHoops]

Scott can't play 40 minutes...she needs a rest sometime. I don't know why Carr isn't playing, but I'm sure there is a reason...and I'll trust that the staff has a good reason.

The "offensive" lineup just can't get a big stop when they get close, and the "defensive" lineup is able to get stops, but can't score enough...

[KL31NY]

Hopefully. If we don't have Carr's services and play with just 7 regulars, it spells some trouble.

Anyone thinking we're not defending close enough to Loyola? The difference in the space we allow their ball handler versus the space they give us is not even close.

[ValpoHoops]

Anyone thinking we're not defending close enough to Loyola? The difference in the space we allow their ball handler versus the space they give us is not even close.

We don't have the athletes/quickness that they do. They can get into the handlers and stay there, knowing they can recover if beat. Also, they have a couple girls inside who are shot blockers...they know they have help behind them if they allow penetration to the rim.

[jack]

Coaching staff clueless in this one. Down 6, with 3:40 left, and we move Richardson to point, and pull Richards. Then we pull Scott, who's been our best offensive threat tonight, and all of our 3 point threats, minus one, are on the bench. ValpoHoops, you can spin this how you want, but our coaches were lost tonight. Would like to here the story on why Carr didn't see any minutes. She didn't appear hurt. Horton hits a 3 tonight and in 20 seconds, she's sitting. We need a voice of reason on the sidelines. We are 3 - 6 in the HL, because we deserve to be.

[ValpoHoops]

GameTracker stopped running at the 2:11 mark (for me at least) so no final numbers, but I really feel like the game was lost in the last few minutes of the first half (3:41 to be exact).

Charae put in a pair to make it 24-23 Loyola at that point, but Loyola went on a 10-2 run to take their halftime lead. Not only does that give them the nine-point cushion, it really serves as an emotional boost for them and a downer for us going to the break.

Post play tonight wasn't very good. We did a poor job at finishing around the basket (all players, not just the bigs) and there were too many turnovers (16 with 2:11 to go). Loyola made some threes, but otherwise didn't shoot anything spectacular (42% or so)...

And again...basketball at its simplest....score more points than the other team, whether that be by scoring a ton or holding them to few...and we did neither well enough in this one.

[KL31NY]

Our MPG for our main players in HL play entering tonight + today's minutes (misc. notes)

Gerardot     33.8 + 33 (11 PTS on 14 FGA)
Richards     33.8 + 30 (0 PTS, 8 REB)
Richardson  32.1 + 34 (TH 16 PTS, 5-5 FT)
Lange        31.5 + 30 (6 PTS, 10 REB, fouled out)
Scott        27.9 + 30 (15 PTS, good aggressive play)
Carr          15.1 + 0 (Dressed, did not play)
Wiedemann 13.9 + 24 (Career-high for minutes)
Horton        9.4 + 17 (TCH 2 assists)
Callaway     5.4 + 0 (Did not dress to play)

Not much of a surprise on minutes. Weidemann, Horton, and Lexi Miller (2 MIN) combined for the usual amount played collectively by the reserves. Like I said earlier, hopefully Carr is back soon for whatever kept her from playing tonight. She gives some nice minutes and an extra option outside.

[ValpoHoops]

GameTracker stopped running at the 2:11 mark (for me at least) so no final numbers

Posts: 10-27...not so good (and did not attempt a free throw...)
Guards: 12-33...also not so good

Really can't say I agree with some of the substitution patterns either, jack, but I'm not at practice, I don't sit in on meetings and I don't know the players personally, so I have to just leave that to the coaches somewhat (not that I have to agree...but its not going to do me any good to post it here...). I do agree that it seems like we take players out who are starting to get going on offense...which is definitely frustrating. I know the situation at the end, Richards was at the table to play defense and there wasn't a whistle so she ended up in the game for offense...which doesn't do much for us.


Going forward, if we only have seven players like tonight (I'm not really counting the 2 minutes Miller played), it doesn't really matter...you have a rotation and you pretty much have to roll with it or someone isn't going to get enough rest. Hopefully tonight wasn't a harbinger of things to come.

[jack]

I really think we are losing the battle with the rotations we are using. I know we talk about Miller needing another year to get used to the D1 pace, and intensity, and it showed for what few minutes we saw her tonight. I truly believe, with all due respect, our coaching staff has some of the same issues they need to get used to as well. The game needs to be planned out from start to finish, with concessions for the unforseen. We seem to be adlibbing at every turn. Again, I have no idea why Carr didn't see any minutes, but if it wasn't due to injury, then I'd like to hear the reason why. I think we could have used her services big time tonight. Our guards were clearly not getting the job done. It was a good move to pull Richardson early, and I thought Weidemann gave us some possitive minutes. Our bigs struggled tonight on the offensive end, and maybe should have been substituted out sooner.
When you look at the game as a whole I think, what strikes me most is the last 5 minutes. Rather then make any specific assesments, take a look at who was on the floor, and in what role they were out there for. We absolutely, possitively, did not put ourselves in the best possition to overcome the deficit we were in.
It really isn't about the personnel we have to work with. We have the talent to be a 500 team at worst. It's about implementing an offense that works to your strengths. If, what ValpoHoops suggest, that the offense we run has been proven affective, but we don't have the personnel to run it, then maybe we need to be looking at running an offense we can run successfully. I certainly don't have all the answers, but I do know, if the coaching staff is watching the same game film I am, and they continue the same starting 5, with the same vannila offense, then they can certainly expect the same results.

[ValpoHoops]

We have the talent to be a 500 team at worst

I disagree...I won't get into why I think this, I could type all night. This is an overexaggeration, but donkeys don't win the Kentucky Derby.

I think this team, this year - IF THEY PLAYED THEIR ABSOLUTE BEST FOR TWO MONTHS - could go .500 in HL play...but realistically, 6-7 wins is (and always was) probably about right...hopefully the higher end of that. The next three home games (UIC/UWM/WSU) need to be wins...that's 6 wins and perhaps they get one of the YSU/CSU trip (CSU is beatable again).     And, there should be one more win from the loss at WSU.

Last year, basically the same team went 10-21/5-13...this year is 8-14/3-6 (see above for 11-18/6-10 heading into HL Tournament).


Rome wasn't built in a day...I know patience isn't real big among sports fans...but that's really all we can do...it's not going to happen overnight...but it sure isn't any fun watching them be close and lose games...

[SadersofthelostArc]

ml, I hope you're reading this.  Is it possible to go ahead and sign up jack as the head coach of the women's program?  If he were at the helm, we'd be .500 at worst.  It's obvious the current coaches are clueless.

[jack]

We have the talent to be a 500 team at worst

I disagree...I won't get into why I think this, I could type all night. This is an overexaggeration, but donkeys don't win the Kentucky Derby.

I think this team, this year - IF THEY PLAYED THEIR ABSOLUTE BEST FOR TWO MONTHS - could go .500 in HL play...but realistically, 6-7 wins is (and always was) probably about right...hopefully the higher end of that. The next three home games (UIC/UWM/WSU) need to be wins...that's 6 wins and perhaps they get one of the YSU/CSU trip (CSU is beatable again).     And, there should be one more win from the loss at WSU.

Last year, basically the same team went 10-21/5-13...this year is 8-14/3-6 (see above for 11-18/6-10 heading into HL Tournament).


Rome wasn't built in a day...I know patience isn't real big among sports fans...but that's really all we can do...it's not going to happen overnight...but it sure isn't any fun watching them be close and lose games...

Not expecting a championship team, just a better plan to maximize our talent. Actually, this is a much different team then last season. We didn't have the services of Horton, and we didn't have Richardson, Weidemann, or Miller. We lost Varner and Timmy, but we picked up some speed. take away the silliness of scheduling top 25 teams early on, and scheduling games we had a shot at winning, and there really isn't any reason we couldn't be sitting around .500 right now.

[jack]

ml, I hope you're reading this.  Is it possible to go ahead and sign up jack as the head coach of the women's program?  If he were at the helm, we'd be .500 at worst.  It's obvious the current coaches are clueless.

I keep wondering if, someday you'll actually post something that would suggest you have an uderstanding of the game. Still waiting.

[ValpoHoops]

ml, I hope you're reading this.  Is it possible to go ahead and sign up jack as the head coach of the women's program?  If he were at the helm, we'd be .500 at worst.  It's obvious the current coaches are clueless.

I keep wondering if, someday you'll actually post something that would suggest you have an uderstanding of the game. Still waiting.

I hope you're patient...

[SadersofthelostArc]

ml, I hope you're reading this.  Is it possible to go ahead and sign up jack as the head coach of the women's program?  If he were at the helm, we'd be .500 at worst.  It's obvious the current coaches are clueless.

I keep wondering if, someday you'll actually post something that would suggest you have an uderstanding of the game. Still waiting.

Learn how to take a compliment!  Based on all I've read from you, it seems obvious you would have the team playing at a much higher level.  The  sign was directed towards the fact that no one interviewed you.

[SadersofthelostArc]

ml, I hope you're reading this.  Is it possible to go ahead and sign up jack as the head coach of the women's program?  If he were at the helm, we'd be .500 at worst.  It's obvious the current coaches are clueless.

I keep wondering if, someday you'll actually post something that would suggest you have an uderstanding of the game. Still waiting.

I hope you're patient...

Ok, I think I know what this is about.  Are you upset that I put together a cool avy for Valpo04 and not for you?  Don't worry, I'll work something up.

[ValpoHoops]

ml, I hope you're reading this.  Is it possible to go ahead and sign up jack as the head coach of the women's program?  If he were at the helm, we'd be .500 at worst.  It's obvious the current coaches are clueless.

I keep wondering if, someday you'll actually post something that would suggest you have an uderstanding of the game. Still waiting.

I hope you're patient...

Ok, I think I know what this is about.  Are you upset that I put together a cool avy for Valpo04 and not for you?  Don't worry, I'll work something up.

No, I'm disappointed that you said in your opening post of this thread that you were going to "break down some womens hoops". I was curious and interested to see that and as of yet, I'm still waiting....

[valporun]

ValpoHoops, I think we have a better shot of Saders breaking down Coach Dorow's fashion choice for each game, than we do her rotation patterns, gameday coaching, answering questions about injuries or why she decided Carr and Miller didn't get minutes that mattered against Loyola. Just sayin'...

[SadersofthelostArc]

ValpoHoops, I think we have a better shot of Saders breaking down Coach Dorow's fashion choice for each game, than we do her rotation patterns, gameday coaching, answering questions about injuries or why she decided Carr and Miller didn't get minutes that mattered against Loyola. Just sayin'...

Et tu, run?

[valporun]

I, at least, had some kind of breakdown of women's basketball here, Saders.

[valpo4life]

So, jack, if you say that this offense won't for these girls then what would you try and do? You can't do a whole lot with the players that are on the roster as of now.

[jack]

I've been pretty specific of the things I would try in this, and other post. I don't pretend to have all of the answers, but I know of one I do have: What we are trying is not working. Turning things around could be as simple as mixing up the starting line up. I did notice last night the energy that Weidmann played with. She also seemed to be moving more purposefully. Could very well be because she got into the game very early on. So much of this game is played in the space between the players ears. We need a spark. We need to mix things up. We need earned playing time. I'm not the only one that feels that starting the same 5, game in, and game out is not working. Period. Again, I think I've probably been more then clear here on what I think we need to try. I'd like to hear suggestions from others. What do you think we need to try Valpo4life?

[mgovalpo]

This team will go as far as its post players can carry it. When they beat Cleveland State, Tabitha and Gina combined for 56, the two combined for 12 against Detroit and until Tabitha scored five late ones, they combined for 10 last night. Does the production from the guards have to be better? Absolutely it does. But this isn't a guard-oriented team, and when Gerardot and Lange struggle (as they have the last two games), it's going to be a struggle to win.