WBB. - Horizon league opener @ Wright State

jack · December 28, 2011, 08:14:53 AM

The team should be rested and ready to go tonight at Wright State. Giving the ladies a little more time off then planned could be a possitive factor tonight. Rest is the biggest need when playing with the short bench.
Keys to the contest:
Keep up the D. The Lady Crusaders lead the conference in points allowed, and are ranked 13th in the country in this stat thus far. That's amazing, playing this short handed. WS averages 69 pts. a contest. I don't see them getting close to that tonight.
We have to keep a hand in Demmings face whenever she touches the ball. Limiting her looks will be very important tonight.
Blocking out: We've done a good job on the boards thus far: we could do a bit better though - Keeping Fox off balance and blocked out will be another key factor.
On offense, We have to take care of the ball. They have 12 Freshmen on their squad who are all fighting for floor time, and will come in aggressive when given the chance. Turnovers could play a part in this one, if we let them.
Our guards need to get off early from outside. Forcing Wright State to step out and guard us will allow us to take advantage of their youth and find the seems to get the ball inside for some easy baskets. It also will negate some of their speed on transition as we'll by allowing us to get back quickly on D if they come up with the miss.
X factor - If Jasone is given the green light tonight, this could give our ladies some much needed rest throughout the contest - it will also give us the opportunity to work her into the fold, and give us a different look that noone has had the opportunity to scout yet.
We need to see Timmerman get minutes tonight, and look to score. If we can get some minutes from Horton tonight, That should help others with the fatique factor in the last 5 minutes of the game.
This is a very winable game tonight. These ladies are tough, resilient, and never quit. Getting off to a fast start may prove to be the biggest key if we can keep this very young, inexperienced squad back on their heals early.
Go Lady Crusaders! Bring home the W.

vu72 · December 28, 2011, 11:18:52 AM

Will Betsy Adams be able to play??

valporun · December 28, 2011, 01:31:26 PM

Quote from: vu72 on December 28, 2011, 11:18:52 AM
Will Betsy Adams be able to play??

How many ladies will be released by the 'infirmary' for tonight's game? More than Adams would be nice. Got a bit tired of seeing all the black warmup suits on the bench, and not enough white uniforms on the court.

Crusader03 · December 28, 2011, 04:21:54 PM

Quote from: vu72 on December 28, 2011, 11:18:52 AM
Will Betsy Adams be able to play??

From what I've heard, she will be in the lineup but will still be limited.

Crusader03 · December 28, 2011, 04:24:21 PM

I think the key to this game (and maybe the season) for the Lady 'Saders is whether or not Timmerman can continue her progression. I've been very impressed by the strides she has made in the last two games. Can she keep it up?

valpotx · December 28, 2011, 04:45:58 PM

Getting Jasone and Adams in the line-up over the next few games could have a profound impact on our season I imagine

jack · December 28, 2011, 06:56:39 PM

Not looking too sharp the first half. The last shot of the half tells it all. We aren't finishing underneath. Jansone is struggling in her debut. WS is killing us from downtown. That's the difference in the game. I don't know what anyone has heard, But it was my belief that Adams was looking to redshirt this season. Probably a smart move at this juncture. She deserves a full season before she parts. I guess Horton is still not available. Any news on Gerardot? She's appears to be slowed by something.
Got to get it together and going the 2nd half.

Crusader03 · December 28, 2011, 10:22:31 PM

Am embarrassing loss tonight for the Lady 'Saders. You just can't shoot 28% from the field and expect to beat anyone in the Horizon League.

Every time they reel me in and make me a believer, they throw me back to the sharks. I don't know what to think about this team anymore. One game they look like a team who could make a deep postseason run, the next game they look like a team that needs to move to the NAIA.

Not sure how much I can take from this squad, emotionally.

valporun · December 29, 2011, 12:13:46 AM

Quote from: Crusader03 on December 28, 2011, 10:22:31 PM
Am embarrassing loss tonight for the Lady 'Saders. You just can't shoot 28% from the field and expect to beat anyone in the Horizon League.

Every time they reel me in and make me a believer, they throw me back to the sharks. I don't know what to think about this team anymore. One game they look like a team who could make a deep postseason run, the next game they look like a team that needs to move to the NAIA.

Not sure how much I can take from this squad, emotionally.

Wow!! The 180 being thrown here by Crusader03 is laughable. He goes from saying that the women could get to the postseason after two big wins where we're severely undermanned, and now we're having to talk him off the ledge because they couldn't win a conference game. Come on! The women have some rust to get out, and some playing time, after not having played since the Sunday before Christmas, if I recall correctly. Don't throw them under the bus for bad play when they rested for so long.

vu72 · December 29, 2011, 07:12:18 AM

So, what is up with the injuries on this team? They've been playing for a couple of months and 7 of 13 have played. I understand that the foreign player just got eligible but what about the rest? Are these season ending injuries requiring a redshirt year or will they be back? What is taking so long to heal? Just seems odd. Stafanie Lang comes to mind. Any answers?

jack · December 29, 2011, 07:32:40 AM

I hate to say it, but there's more then holiday rust working here. A loss wasn't the worse that could have happened, but losing the way we did was troublesome. MS, with all of their youth, schooled us. How you can continue to let their shooters shoot from long range without getting a hand in there face is un-acceptable. I don't know what D we were running, as it wasn't recognizable. And why we didn't change out of it or even try to adjust it in the second half is beyond me. They had 2 players we needed to concetrate on. Demmings with the ball, and Fox on the boards. We did neither. That one's on the coaches. What ever game plan they were working off of, needs to be crumbled up and tossed - and should have been at the break. From my vantage point we made zero adjustments in the second half.
Offensively, we were slow and unsure of ourselves. I don't think Jansone was ready to play, and others looked like they didn't want to be there. We are dealing with a short bench anyway, so why at several times during the game, did we have 2 scorers sitting at once? That can't happen. Several times we had our long range shooters standing wide open on the left side of the basket, and our bigs aren't kicking it out to them, or skip passing from the right. Our passing was slow and suspect. We absolutely looked loss on the inside game. Off balance, forced shots seemed to be the theme from 8ft in. This didn't even look like the same team that competed before the holiday.
We fought all the way back in the second half, only to let them rain 3's on us again. At times it looked like we were playing 4 on 5. They had a player wide open on every possesion. At some point you have to change things up and give them a different look. Never happened.
At the end of the day, You just won't win many, if any games in this league when you end the game with 4 pts in the paint.
We need to put this one behind us and get ready for the weekend. I'm hoping the coaching staff watches this game film over and over, and realize, that, this one was on them. We came in unprepared, with the wrong plan.

Crusader03 · December 29, 2011, 10:41:04 AM

Quote from: jack on December 29, 2011, 07:32:40 AM
I hate to say it, but there's more then holiday rust working here. A loss wasn't the worse that could have happened, but losing the way we did was troublesome. MS, with all of their youth, schooled us. How you can continue to let their shooters shoot from long range without getting a hand in there face is un-acceptable. I don't know what D we were running, as it wasn't recognizable. And why we didn't change out of it or even try to adjust it in the second half is beyond me. They had 2 players we needed to concetrate on. Demmings with the ball, and Fox on the boards. We did neither. That one's on the coaches. What ever game plan they were working off of, needs to be crumbled up and tossed - and should have been at the break. From my vantage point we made zero adjustments in the second half.
Offensively, we were slow and unsure of ourselves. I don't think Jansone was ready to play, and others looked like they didn't want to be there. We are dealing with a short bench anyway, so why at several times during the game, did we have 2 scorers sitting at once? That can't happen. Several times we had our long range shooters standing wide open on the left side of the basket, and our bigs aren't kicking it out to them, or skip passing from the right. Our passing was slow and suspect. We absolutely looked loss on the inside game. Off balance, forced shots seemed to be the theme from 8ft in. This didn't even look like the same team that competed before the holiday.
We fought all the way back in the second half, only to let them rain 3's on us again. At times it looked like we were playing 4 on 5. They had a player wide open on every possesion. At some point you have to change things up and give them a different look. Never happened.
At the end of the day, You just won't win many, if any games in this league when you end the game with 4 pts in the paint.
We need to put this one behind us and get ready for the weekend. I'm hoping the coaching staff watches this game film over and over, and realize, that, this one was on them. We came in unprepared, with the wrong plan.

You may have more knowledge of the inner-workings of the LS's staff...how are game preparation responsibilities broken up among the coaches? How about in-game responsibilities? Obviously, the buck stops with Keith but I'd be curious how much power he needs to wrestle back from some of his assistants. Are Helm, Komara or *shudder* Kirby big culprits in this loss?

I've replayed this game in my mind about a thousand times since last night....I think you're right Jack, this one falls on the staff. I'm usually a big supporter, but the injury excuse is running its course...they have to have these girls ready to play. Maybe Keith needs to send a message by letting someone on the staff go to shake things up and get everyone serious? Thoughts??

jhnmttws75 · December 29, 2011, 11:15:42 AM

These girls need to learn to play with who they have right now because from what I have heard no one else is coming back.
Shaquira Scott- ACL tear out for remainder of season
Charare Richardson- Red shirt due to eligibility reasons
Betsy Adams- Knee problem (got surgery) (I heard though that she was only suppose to be out for 4 weeks tho..hmmm...)
Stefanie Lang- Knee surgery, then severe back injury, and now her knee is hurt again
Maegan Callaway- Red shirt due to severe back injury
Liz Horton- Concussion

I have a question? From what I hear in the stands Adams, Lang, and Callaway should ALL be back playing right now or sooner. What is going on with the rehab that is holding them back? I know they have a new athletic trainer, but i just question how those girls can be out for this long! I heard they aren't even practicing yet! And sadly I have also heard some pretty disturbing things within the program..

Good luck girls...stay strong, hang tough, ,and keep fighting

jack · December 29, 2011, 11:43:54 AM

I have no knowlege of individual coaching resposibilities or how Keith delegates responsibilities during games, or practices. My comments are just from opinion based on years of coaching, and enjoying the ladies game. It's a more fundamental product to watch, then the men's game.
Speaking of which, I believe this was the breakdown last night. Outside of some questionable coaching, I think some of the blame must rest on the players execution, and fundamentals. We failed, both on the floor, and on the bench, to recognize what WS was giving us on offense. Their plan was obvious. Crowd the inside, don't let Gerardot get decent looks, and keep Varner from slashing to the basket - mission accomplished. We made no adjustments offensively to counter this. Case in point: at one point Carr had been sitting for a time and was brought back in. I believe on the first play, she hits a 3, and got back on D to slow down the ball. In a matter of 2 minutes, she was back on the bench. Same thing happened with Timmerman. I understand neither are still 100%, but neither asked to come out from what I saw, and neither appeared to being coached about anything on the sidelines. Richards is a good little guard, but it was obvious we needed outside scoring with the way the contest was unfolding. Sometimes I think Keith does things in spite of what's best, but only he can answer that. WS was giving us many open looks outside, but we continued to go inside to a game that just wasn't on last night. Maybe if our shooters start knocking them down from 10ft and out, it opens up our inside game a little by forcing their defenders out a little. There were some great opportunities also, to utilize the pick and roll as most of their defenders were packing it inside, and their help D wasn't present outside. The give and go was available numerous times too, but I don't recall 1 time when we tried it. Our guards were setting some nice screens at times, but our bigs were oblivious to them it seemed. Just my observation, but it appeared that some of the ladies were playing scared, which was surprising considering all they've been through thus far. Personally, I think that Jansone could help out as the season progresses, but 14 minutes in her first contest were far too many. 5 or 6 to give others a blow would have made more sense. She wasn't at game speed when she was in.
There's plenty of blame to go around on this one, but, as you said, the buck stops with Freeman. Our coaching staff must do a better job of recognizing what the D is giving us, and, even though the bench is short, we have to have the right personnel in at the right time to maximize our efforts. Having our shooters sitting for any length of time in this one was wasn't a good decision.
I guess it's easy to second guess what's going on from the sidelines after the fact, but I truly believe if the coaches take a good hard look at this game film, they'll make adjustments and react differently if these circumstances present themselves in the future. I'm also sure If I viewed the game film, I may change some of my opinions about how it unfolded as well. Again, at the end of the day, if you finish a game with 4 pts. in the paint, it really doesn't matter what plan you came in with.

jack · December 29, 2011, 12:02:38 PM

Quote from: jhnmttws75 on December 29, 2011, 11:15:42 AM
These girls need to learn to play with who they have right now because from what I have heard no one else is coming back.
Shaquira Scott- ACL tear out for remainder of season
Charare Richardson- Red shirt due to eligibility reasons
Betsy Adams- Knee problem (got surgery) (I heard though that she was only suppose to be out for 4 weeks tho..hmmm...)
Stefanie Lang- Knee surgery, then severe back injury, and now her knee is hurt again
Maegan Callaway- Red shirt due to severe back injury
Liz Horton- Concussion

I have a question? From what I hear in the stands Adams, Lang, and Callaway should ALL be back playing right now or sooner. What is going on with the rehab that is holding them back? I know they have a new athletic trainer, but i just question how those girls can be out for this long! I heard they aren't even practicing yet! And sadly I have also heard some pretty disturbing things within the program..

Good luck girls...stay strong, hang tough, ,and keep fighting

I think you should have said " The coaches need to learn to play with who they have right now" - It's their plan, not the girls. It has to be tough on the coaches when they can't even floor a 5 on 5 in practice. Let's not forget too, that we had a very talented player leave the program that would have made a huge difference. The injury bug has certainly taken it's toll on the team this season, but we have been winning with a very short bench prior to the break. We need to look at, what we did differently last night, and, at some point, we need to look at the players that are hurt, how much did they contribute prior to getting hurt, when, if ever, will they come back to contribute, and help this squad win, and, if not, what direction do we need to go to improve our team, and be able to compete. We have a great core group with these ladies - unfortunately, we lose Varner and Timmerman after this season, Hopefully, Betsy redshirts and comes back next year, we have another year with Lange and Richards, and a couple with Gerardot, and we'll have Scott and Carr for another 3. We've got some good talent waiting in the wings, but we still seem to be missing that one player we need to really be a contender. The type of player we hoped Ladd would be. I think we need to take a good hard look at what our best case scenario would be, even if the injured players make it back, and go from there.

okinawatyphoon · December 29, 2011, 12:16:02 PM

Quote from: Crusader03 on December 28, 2011, 10:22:31 PM
Not sure how much I can take from this squad, emotionally.

Are you serious? They aren't that good and haven't been for a while, so this isn't exactly unexpected. I understand being passionate about a team, but you have to keep the expectations in check as well.

valporun · December 29, 2011, 01:02:04 PM

With all of these injuries, it makes me wonder if it has to do with some of the strength and conditioning training the girls do in the offseason and the weight room, or if the women's team constantly gets a different athletic trainer who have different philosophies from when Denise Criswell was there in the late '90s/early 2000s? I mean if we have so many girls out with injuries, and the athletic trainer for the program goes from one grad student to another every two years, why doesn't Mark LaBarbera talk with Rod Moore about this, and maybe work in getting a salary structure for the women's team to have a trainer that is hired in, instead of one working to build up a grad school resume for a summer internship to help with their career? These injuries have been building up, and I know Scott's ACL tear was very freakish, but what about the other back and knee injuries that have taken their toll on our team? Maybe it's time for Keith and the coaching staff to confront this problem with the trainer, or take it up with Mark LaBarbera, and get someone in that can really answer, "When will so-and-so be able to get back on the court again" or "Do we maybe consider that some of these issues might have something to do with the quality of the Nike shoes that the girls are wearing"?

Pgmado · December 29, 2011, 03:43:00 PM

The amount of misinformation on here just makes me laugh. Adams isn't close to playing. Callaway is taking a redshirt and is shut down for the season. Lang has multiple injuries and there is more concern about making sure she doesn't spend too much time rehabbing than there is with her actually putting on a uniform. The team hasn't been able to practice five-on-five since the men's scout team left for break. Say what you want about the coaching staff and the recent struggles this program has had, but I challenge any of you to field a team with six or seven players and try to win games at this level. This team has overachieved from the moment Ladd left. Her leaving had nothing to do with Valpo, but everything to do with her family in Evansville. Anyone who tries to spin that Ladd left here because of Freeman or her teammates or anything else besides homesickness has a hidden agenda.

This women's team and the players that are currently playing are something special. Varner had a crushing injury last year and rehabbed all season only to come back to a team that has plenty of other crushing injuries. Richards and Lange are asked to play 40 minutes a night and do so without hesitation. Gerardot expected to have loads of help in the post this season with Ladd, Callaway and Lang, but now she's on her own. Carr is a freshman and being forced to play through freshman mistakes. Callaway can hardly speak without tears when she talks about her back injury and how much it kills her not to be on the floor with her teammates. That all says nothing of a coaching staff that has to prepare a team for competition with little/no depth.

It sickens me that people criticize this team.

valporun · December 29, 2011, 05:02:12 PM

Pgmado, I understand where you coming from about people criticizing the women's downfall this season, but there hasn't been a lot of information provided to give an inkling of why players are out for so long. Unless you've written about it in the Times, or posted what you ethically can here, most of us have no clue that Callaway is redshirting or that Adams isn't in any kind of playing condition. Even if Keith can't give all the details, it would be nice if we could at least get some indication from him that the injuries aren't in any condition of getting better right now.

Crusader03 · December 29, 2011, 05:35:06 PM

Quote from: Pgmado on December 29, 2011, 03:43:00 PM

It sickens me that people criticize this team.

C'mon, this is a bit over the top.

IndyValpo · December 29, 2011, 08:19:41 PM

Quote from: Pgmado on December 29, 2011, 03:43:00 PM
The amount of misinformation on here just makes me laugh. Adams isn't close to playing. Callaway is taking a redshirt and is shut down for the season. Lang has multiple injuries and there is more concern about making sure she doesn't spend too much time rehabbing than there is with her actually putting on a uniform. The team hasn't been able to practice five-on-five since the men's scout team left for break. Say what you want about the coaching staff and the recent struggles this program has had, but I challenge any of you to field a team with six or seven players and try to win games at this level. This team has overachieved from the moment Ladd left. Her leaving had nothing to do with Valpo, but everything to do with her family in Evansville. Anyone who tries to spin that Ladd left here because of Freeman or her teammates or anything else besides homesickness has a hidden agenda.

This women's team and the players that are currently playing are something special. Varner had a crushing injury last year and rehabbed all season only to come back to a team that has plenty of other crushing injuries. Richards and Lange are asked to play 40 minutes a night and do so without hesitation. Gerardot expected to have loads of help in the post this season with Ladd, Callaway and Lang, but now she's on her own. Carr is a freshman and being forced to play through freshman mistakes. Callaway can hardly speak without tears when she talks about her back injury and how much it kills her not to be on the floor with her teammates. That all says nothing of a coaching staff that has to prepare a team for competition with little/no depth.

It sickens me that people criticize this team.

The amount of misinformation is directly tied to the complete lack of information from the sports information office and the local papers. Callaway has been shut down? Lang is officially out. All we read is that they are hurt and haven't played in x games. Seems like misinformation that they might. No one until you brought it up blamed this coaching staff for Ladd.

jack · December 29, 2011, 09:36:53 PM

Pgmado, This isn't a matter of misinformation, or even information for that matter. You seem to be taking on a paranoid attitude to all of this. As stated, no one has blame the coaching staff, or the players, for Ladd's departure. I know some things were posted on another media that suggested that, and Ladd and her family didn't do anything to help that cause, but it was made clear in the beginning, even before she signed, that there was some apprehension in her decision. As I posted previously, she was having seperation issues for the 1 week she spent away from home during the All Stars run. You are the only one I've seen, to date, that has even suggested that.
The general concesus on this board has been, that these ladies are certainly over-achieving, given the hand they've been dealt. There is no denying that. I can't imagine running a practice without a healthy 10 to put on the floor. Much of their sucess is atributed to the ladies themselves, and the gut, heart, and determination they bring to the team. You are right, this is a special group of young ladies, and they will achieve success, both on the floor, and in the classroom.
My hat is off to the coaching staff for what they've been able to achieve while dealing with such adversity. They have seemed to be snake bit thus far. Having said that, a good coach looks at what's transpired, and learns from it. We had the healthy horses to beat a lessor WS team last night. Period. We didn't come with the right game plan, and we didn't execute like we should have. Period. I'd bet money that Freeman will tell you the same thing. We missed opportunities, and our D, at times, was helter skelter. In my experience, some of that happens when the players realize what they should be doing before the coaching staff does. I've never seen so many uncontested 3's in 1 game in all my years of coaching, and following ladies basketball. That has nothing to do with the short bench, and everything to do with the game plan. We came in knowing we had 2 players to control, to stay competitive. others contributed, but controlling just the 2, and we're in the game. These 2 schooled us, and it had nothing to do with the talent we had on the floor.
I like Freeman, and his staff, but at the end of the day, they blew this one. They'll bounce back, but only if they realize this one was on them, and they need to learn, and adjust.
I, and others, know a little more about this great game then you give us credit for.
It goes without saying that this program has an uphill battle this season. But at some point, we need to quit hoping for reinforcements, prepare the players we have, and utilize each and every one of them to their strengths.
This was a bad loss for the team, coaches, and players. It's time to put this one behind us, learn from it, and head north to take it to Detroit. We know what players we have to utilize, and we need to instill a plan catered to them. They say that situations like this is where the coaches earn their keep. Losing isn't the worse thing that can happen, as long as we come in with a workable plan, are willing to adjust, and the players give us al they have. These three things didn't happen at WS. I trust they will in Detroit.

jimdandy · December 29, 2011, 10:14:57 PM

this has been an ongoing problem-we are not competitive in the horizon league...not just from our rash of injuries recently...

jack · December 30, 2011, 07:55:51 AM

Quote from: jimdandy on December 29, 2011, 10:14:57 PM
this has been an ongoing problem-we are not competitive in the horizon league...not just from our rash of injuries recently...

We can be. With the talent we have, and the talent coming in, we can compete in this league. It's all about a plan, preparation, and utilizing the talent we have. We seem to get hung up on a pecking order. If a Freshman comes in with more talent then an upper classmen, they need to be playing, to help the team, and drive the upper classmen to do better. Prior to Scott getting hurt, her playing time was increased only due to injury. She should have been playing regardless. If we plan on continuing to live by this philosophy when bodies are healthy, we be watching more of the same.

Trufan · December 30, 2011, 11:45:06 AM

Quote from: jack on December 30, 2011, 07:55:51 AM
Quote from: jimdandy on December 29, 2011, 10:14:57 PM
this has been an ongoing problem-we are not competitive in the horizon league...not just from our rash of injuries recently...

We can be. With the talent we have, and the talent coming in, we can compete in this league. It's all about a plan, preparation, and utilizing the talent we have. We seem to get hung up on a pecking order. If a Freshman comes in with more talent then an upper classmen, they need to be playing, to help the team, and drive the upper classmen to do better. Prior to Scott getting hurt, her playing time was increased only due to injury. She should have been playing regardless. If we plan on continuing to live by this philosophy when bodies are healthy, we be watching more of the same.

Honestly, if the philosophy doesn't change soon talent will leave and/or be hard to recruit solid players in the future. WBB game has evolved and we must keep up. I have faith that this will occur with the talent the coaches are bringing mixed w/current players. Keep in mind, the kid that 'killed' us in Wright State game was a freshman!