Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, South Carolina, Southeastern Conference, Tennessee, women's basketball on January 31, 2011|
and the SEC news (some of which you’ve read about, but Ps. did put in the time and effort of gathering, and we’re grateful!)
LSU upsets Georgia, now on a two game skid. Both teams only score 20 points in the 2nd half!
Tennessee beats a determined Arkansas team behind Strickland’s 26:
Vanderbilt overwhelms Ole Miss with a new starting lineup:
Toles leads Auburn past South Carolina in closing minutes of the game:
Down at the half, Kentucky ends up beating Alabama.
Florida beats Mississippi State.
Posted in NCAA Division I, tagged CAA, Duke women's basketball, Georgia, Hampton, Miami University women's basketball, Ohio State, poll, University of Connecticut on January 31, 2011|
AP Poll Thoughts, CAA Scramble, NCAA Bracket
Quick thoughts while killing time before heading up on post-midnight ride to Yukon, er, UConn territory for the Duke showdown.
Looks like several showdowns are ahead for the Huskies on this stretch.
Incidentally, it seems there could be as many as three vacancies in the AP voters minds as of this writing – caused by Georgia, Ohio State and possibly Georgia Tech depending on value of an overtime loss to Miami – in casting their ballots this week.
Which leads to Charlie’s latest bracketology and bubbles.
Which leads to Lady Swish: ODU, JMU, UNCW remain deadlocked atop CAA and The (Hampton) revolution will be televised
Posted in WNBA, tagged Candice Wiggins, Sylvia Fowles on January 31, 2011|
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Boston University, DePaul University, La Tech, Louisiana Tech University, LSU, Marist, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, Ohio State, Penn State, Suzie McConnell-Serio, Tennessee, Teresa Weatherspoon, Texas, Texas Longhorns basketball, West Virginia, women's basketball on January 31, 2011|
West Virginia’s gentle out of conference schedule is showing, as is DePaul’s quiet strength. The Blue Demons took the Mountaineers down. With authority, 78-55.
Marist is still unbeaten in the MAAC.
In spite of a key injury, the Princeton Tigers are still rolling. And, their coach is feeling honored to be in charge.
Maybe flashbacks are good? Texas has won three in a row, and the WATN? for the 1985 undefeated team continues.
The Terriers, with their 9th straight win, are getting more local coverage.
Note to Wolverines: Do not overlook a Gopher.
Th sweet shooting Nittany Lion Lucas helped send Ohio State to another loss.
More press for Suzie: Duquesne’s McConnell-Serio has success at many levels
Oooo, this is a pretty tortured trying-to-be-cute headline: Broncos weathered by Techster storm: Former WNBA star coaches La Tech to victory against BSU
UCLA is off to its best start in 30 years.
Tennessee continues to be the class of the SEC, but you have to wonder how hard Georgia is going to have to work to earn a NCAA bid, as they go down to LSU.
Posted in NCAA Division I, tagged Baylor Bears women's basketball, Big 12 Conference, Brittney Griner, Gary Blair, Odyssey Sims, Texas A&M Aggies on January 31, 2011|
this might have been you at about the 3-minutes left mark in the second half of the Baylor/TAMU game:
“Are you freakin’ kidding me? I yelled at the television. (And yes, I did really say freakin’ because it’s Sunday. This has nothing to do with the lord but with the fact that the new school week starts tomorrow and I need to clean up my potty mouth before entering a classroom. )
And what did I get to see instead? Another game? Another nail biter? No, my friends, the Celtics pre-game show. A pre-scheduled 30 minute show for a game CSN wasn’t even airing.”
Yup. They cut away. And you missed it. And have you sent a “Are you freakin’ kidding me?!?!” email to your local provider? I hope so, or it’ll keep on happening.
As to the game. It kinda felt like a tight, back and forth mess. Great crowd (well, duh, it’s the Big 12). And, when it came to the end (that some of you didn’t see), I must say I thought it was over when Danielle Adams fouled out with one of the dopier fouls I’ve ever seen. But, credit the Aggies, they found a way to claw close.
And then the Odyssey spoke and the game was Baylor’s. (Can we say Frosh of the Year award is leaning heavily towards her?) Said A&M coach Gary Blair:
“That’s the difference,” Texas A&M coach Gary Blair said of Sims. “I don’t think there’s a freshman point guard in the country better than her. She’s got the ability to control in mid-air and bump into you and push off and be physical. Most freshman don’t know how to use that arm.”
Posted in WNBA, tagged Diana Taurasi, drug testing on January 31, 2011|
Diana Taurasi denies allegations
“I have the most respect for the testing process. When it’s not done the right way, when protocol isn’t followed, I do have some problems with it,” Taurasi said. “I’ve never needed anything to help me. Only thing that I’m guilty of is taking too many jump shots.”
Read the comments and see how helpful the denial was.
Posted in NCAA Division I, tagged Caroline Doty, Connecticut Huskies, Duke Blue Devils, Geno Auriemma, women's basketball on January 31, 2011|
from Swish Appeal: UConn Women Get Ready to Battle Duke Without Its Swagger
When the 2nd ranked Connecticut Huskies (20-1) squares off with 3rd ranked Duke Blue Devils (20-0), tonight at 7:00 PM (ESPN 2), UConn will be without the services of Caroline Doty. It’s nothing new as they have been without her all season, with a torn ACL, but there are times when that loss is felt more than others. Monday night might be one of those times.
BTW, ESPN’s Page 2 picks up the Doty trick shots video.
Posted in NCAA Division I, tagged Jeff Walz, KFC Yum! Center, Louisville Cardinals, University of Louisville, women's basketball on January 30, 2011|
check out this success story from Eric Crawford at the Courier-Journal: Louisville women’s basketball a hot ticket
University of Louisville women’s basketball coach Jeff Walz said his neighbors hadn’t seen his team play yet this season, and late last week he encouraged them to come out when the Cardinals hosted Cincinnati.
He wasn’t surprised when they showed up before the game in the KFC Yum! Center to wish him luck. He was surprised when they told him they had to buy tickets from scalpers to get in the door.
Posted in NCAA Division I, tagged Baylor Bears, Big 12 Conference, Brittney Griner, Texas A&M, women's basketball on January 30, 2011|
Baylor v. TAMU is sold out.
Check your local tv listings and you might be able to catch this (1pmEST) match up between 1 & 5.
Baylor star sophomore Brittney Griner, already a Final Four veteran, has played in enough big games to recognize one at hand. And they don’t get much bigger in the regular season than the top-ranked Lady Bears taking on sixth-ranked Texas A&M at noon today in a sold-out Reed Arena.
“This is good for our program,” Griner said of the hype surrounding the nationally televised showdown. “It’s good for both programs. You’ve got two top teams, going at it right here in Texas.”
Posted in NCAA Division I, tagged Connecticut Huskies women's basketball, Geno Auriemma, male practice players, Maya Moore on January 30, 2011|
It’s interesting to see how often that phrase comes up in the searches that find this blog.
Inquiring minds now have a new article on the topic from Jim Fuller at the New Haven Register: A few good men helping Huskies refine their game
“You can simulate certain things,” Auriemma said of the practice players. “You don’t care how tired they are. You can run them into the ground, send them home and then tell them to be back here the next day and do it again. If Maya Moore wants to work on some stuff and all she wants to do is be on offense for an hour, somebody has to be the guinea pig, and it is going to be one of those guys. They are great about doing whatever you ask them to do.
“They are not on scholarship, they are not getting anything. They are doing it because they love the game, they love being around our players. They enjoy the camaraderie. They all paid their own way to the Final Four last year. They get as much satisfaction if we do something well as we do. There will be times are practice when they will be (annoyed) when our guys get it wrong because they feel ‘hey, we are here to help you get it right so get it right.’ It is funny to see them when they get upset. They are competitive and they have fun. I don’t know if we’d be able to do what we do and be where we are and done what we’ve done without those guys.”
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Atlantic 10 Conference, Hampton, Liberty Flames, Temple, women's basketball on January 30, 2011|
Temple’s Treys Keep Owls in First Place Tie
Until Saturday afternoon it was easy to believe how Temple coach Tonya Cardoza looked to UConn’s Geno Auriemma, her boss for 14 seasons with the Huskies, for mentoring her into running her own program.
However, judging by the Owls’ heady 84-56 Atlantic 10 victory over visiting Richmond at McGonigle Hall, when it comes to tactical execution she may have been using Villanova’s Harry Perretta as her secret role model.
From Lady Swish: Liberty, Hampton cruise with suffocating defense
There’s no such thing as a perfect defensive effort, but we suspect even Lady Flames coach Carey Green will be hard-pressed to find many flaws with the lockdown his team applied Saturday. Consider that Winthrop’s top three scorers combined to score zero points.
Posted in NCAA Division I, tagged Cal Bears, Oregon, Oregon Ducks, St. Mary's women's basketball, Stanford, women's basketball on January 30, 2011|
out friends at C&R are feelin’ feisty. Stanford Wins Away from Home, Too
So many other headlines to choose from:
Ogumikes Lead the Way
Kayla Pedersen Breaks Career Minutes Record
Oregon’s Shooting Percent Held to Zero First 10 Minutes
Most Expensive Basketball Court is Also the Ugliest
Cal Triple Threat has coverage of the Bears’ win over USC (Cal is 9-1 at home).
Michelle at Left Coast Hoops has 10 questions with St. Mary’s coach Paul Thomas
Posted in NCAA Division I, tagged Duke women's basketball, UConn on January 30, 2011|
DWHoops has a preview. (And a cat)
Posted in NCAA Division I, tagged Baylor Bears, Boston College, Sylvia Crawley on January 30, 2011|
Stephen Hawkins from the AP writes, “Is Baylor the next UConn?”
On the rare occasion when Kim Mulkey isn’t thinking about her young team’s next game or practice, the coach of No. 1 Baylor allows herself to briefly ponder her program’s long-term potential. “As you coach them in practice and in a game and they do something that’s really good, you think ‘Wow, if we could do that on a consistent basis, this could be a fun bunch.’ “
On they who would be toppled from John Altavilla at the Hartford Courant: Geno Auriemma On The Inexact Science Of Recruiting
On Monday, the Courant will present a story on the challenges of succeeding within the UConn women’s basketball program.
Many players have been interviewed; some of their stories are already listed on previous blog posts earlier this weekend, such as Kristen Phillips, who came to UConn in 2006 and was gone by Christmas.
But no one knows the real deal more than The Boss, Geno Auriemma. And this is what he told us about the inexact process of recruiting.
Speaking for recruiting, Hector Longo at the Eagle Tribune notes: Valley pipeline key to BC’s success
The third-year Boston College women’s basketball coach says her program will be based, first and foremost, on locking down New England talent.
“It is some- thing we talk about a lot in recruiting. We try, with our camps, to facilitate good basketball in the state,” said Crawley.
“We want to keep an eye on the talent here.”
Posted in NCAA Division II & III, tagged Division III, Gallaudet Bisons, women's basketball on January 28, 2011|
catches on to the Gallaudet story.
Posted in WNBA, tagged Angel McCoughtry, Ann Donovan, kate Mills, Turkey, UMass, WNBA, women's basketball on January 28, 2011|
and do a Q&A with ex-coach Donovan.
Speaking of ex-WNBA coaches, from the Auburn Plainsman: Fortner’s passion and confidence key to team’s success
Angel checks in from Turkey.
A less well-known player, UMass’s Kate Mills, talks Europe ball with Delaware Online.
Posted in WNBA, tagged injury, Lauren Jackson, Seattle Storm on January 28, 2011|
and update on the LJ injury.
Posted in NCAA Division I, tagged Oklahoma Sooners, Sherri Coale, Stanford Cardinal, University of Connecticut, women's basketball on January 28, 2011|
Coach Coale’s been writing again and I only NOW find out about it? Catch up time!
The Write Space and Time: Aug. 3
For 20 days in July, college coaches get to evaluate. It always reminds me of Easter and the dead sprint for the most eggs — with your fingers crossed that you’ll stumble upon the golden one with the cash inside. We all run out, and about, and around desperately searching for our savior, the perfect missing puzzle piece, while the clock ticks mercilessly as we scour.
The Write Space and Time: Sept. 1
In the span of a mere 24-hour period, I moved my son into his college dorm, dropped my daughter off for her first day of high school, and found out Whitney Hand couldn’t play basketball for five more months. It didn’t surpass Nov. 26, 2003, (a.k.a. Black Tuesday) on the list of disconcerting landmarks, but I can say without reservation that I’ve lived through better days.
The Write Space and Time: Oct. 11
Our football team is undefeated, my Japanese maple trees have a few crimson leaves, and basketball practice is underway. Seriously, does it get any better than this?
The Write Space and Time: Nov. 3
The dog days of pre-season are over, the adrenaline kick of early practices has passed, and we’re just a day away from our one and only chance to make a first impression. Ready or not, on Thursday we go.
We’re a long way from being good right now, but I have to admit that this bunch has me. I like them. I like their hunger. I like their wide eyes. I like their diligence in little things. And I enjoy teaching them because they want to learn.
The Write Space and Time: Jan. 25
Just a couple of weeks ago I sat glued to ESPN, like most college women’s basketball fans, waiting to see if history would happen. UConn was at Stanford and college basketball’s longest trail of wins was in potential jeopardy. Early in the game as the broadcasters attempted to define the phenomenal Maya Moore’s game: they proclaimed her “the best catch and shoot player in the world.” And they reminded us often. “She’s the best catch and shoot player in the world! ” “In the world! In the world! In the world!” And the truth is: she very well may be. But I couldn’t help but laugh, thinking about the verbal gyrations we in sports go through sometimes to talk about ball. Why must everything be quantified? Why must a player or a play or a move be smothered in hyperbolic gibberish? Why can’t we just talk about what it is that makes it worth talking about instead of drowning the play or the player’s art form in gush?
Posted in WNBA, tagged Dan Hughes, San Antonio Silver Stars, WNBA on January 28, 2011|
The man with the Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon tie is back to lead the SASS.
Posted in WNBA, tagged Atlantic Coast Conference, Baylor University, Chelsea Gray, Duke Blue Devils, University of Connecticut on January 28, 2011|
Mechelle wonders why the 20-0 Duke Blue Devils can’t get no respect: Underestimated Duke heads to UConn
It’s kind of strange. There’s a team from a major conference in women’s basketball that is undefeated at the end of January, and yet … it’s not ranked No. 1. Or even No. 2.
Instead, 20-0 Duke is third in the polls behind Baylor and Connecticut, which each have one loss. The Blue Devils are getting two first-place votes in the coaches’ poll, one in the media rankings. But at least as far as voters are concerned, Baylor and UConn are clearly in front.
All this just might get shaken up by the time the coaches’ poll is released again Tuesday.
Duke’s freshmen, adds Mechelle, are off to a fine start
It wasn’t that Chelsea Gray didn’t look around at schools closer to home in California. She did. But when she traveled across the country to visit Duke, everything just felt right. She walked around the campus and thought, “This is the place. I fit here.”
Still, the Blue Devils freshman knew it was a huge step to take.
Posted in NCAA Division I, tagged ACC, Atlantic Coast Conference, Boston University, Clemson, Dawn Staley, Duke, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State University, Rutgers, South Carolina, Southeastern Conference, UConn, Wisconsin Green Bay, women's basketball on January 28, 2011|
simply plays better when they’re unranked.
Last night, the #23 Buckeyes lost a lead, and then the game, to Michigan. Michigan had never beaten Ohio State twice in a season and the Wolverines had not won in Columbus since Jan. 21, 2001.
In the ACC, #15 Florida State won a barn burner and #22 Miami survived North Carolina State.
Green Bay stayed perfect in the Horizon League after winning a dog fight with Butler. The Ducks were no match for Stanford, and UCLA put away Arizona State.
Friend Pseudonymity has the “who can figure what’s going on here?” SEC wrap up:
Dawn Staley got her first win against a ranked team at South Carolina by upsetting Georgia behind Newton’s 5 of 5 from the 3 pt. line.
#6 Tennessee overcame a first half deficit to rout Mississippi State behind Johnson’s standout performance.
Kentucky grabs the lead in the final minutes to beat Ole Miss.
Arkansas beats LSU in low-scoring game.
Florida beats Alabama to stop the bleeding at four.
Wednesday saw much of the same ole same ole amongst the ranked teams: #3 Duke smooshed Clemson, #2 UConn survived Rutgers, #2o Iowa State handled Nebraska and #5 Texas A&M v #12 Oklahoma was an Adams/Robinson duel where DRob won the battle, but DAd won the war.
#25 Texas Tech was not so fortunate against Texas, as the Longhorns got a nice win.
BU is now 8-0 in the Am. East. Ditto with Middle Tenn St. And Bowling Green’s home win streak didn’t survive its encounter with the Rockets. From Swish Appeal: Toledo’s “Steel Curtain” defense ends Bowling Green’s 23-game home winning streak
Posted in NCAA Division I, tagged Angela Myers, Navy women's basketball on January 28, 2011|
perfect in Conference play, and Full Court has noticed: Mid-Majors Worth Watching: Part III—Navy—The Literal “Mid” Major
One player who was a mainstay throughout the team’s successes and slumps this season has been senior point guard Angela Myers. The diminutive floor general (or should we say, in this case, admiral?) stands just 5-5, but leads her team in points (13.3 ppg), assists (102 on the season, or 5.2 per game) and steals (a total of 50, or 2.5 per game). And despite her height, or lack thereof, Myers is also good for five rebounds per game.
A product of Taft High School in San Antonio, Texas, Myers was the best lead guard present in the Navy Classic, which included Villanova, Harvard, Oral Roberts and Navy. Now I realize that may not sound like much at first glance. But Myers plays the point position the way it should be played.
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Bill Fennelly, homphobia, Iowa State University, OutSports on January 28, 2011|
From Jim Buzinski at OutSports: Gay couple defend Iowa St. women’s basketball
Matt Schuler and Robert Alden, legally married in Iowa, live in Ames, Iowa, and have been longtime Outsports readers. Both are also frequent posters on our Discussion Board, Matt as “Cyclone Matt” and Robert as “tbbucsalstott.” They have attended Iowa State women’s games for years, are close with many in the program, and Coach Bill Fennelly attended their wedding reception. I found their perspective on the Iowa State program and homophobia to be worthwhile to share.
Posted in WNBA, tagged Shanna Crossley, Tulsa Shock, Turkish professionl basketball, women's basketball on January 28, 2011|
Posted in NCAA Division II & III, tagged C. Vivian Stringer, Jim Valvano, Mary Fleig, Millersville University women's basketball on January 27, 2011|
Congrats to Mary Fleig who teaches at coaches Millersville U. And wins basketball games. 500, to date.
To be the best coach she could be, Fleig went to different clinics to learn some tricks of the trade from top college coaches such as the late Jim Valvano and Dean Smith, to name a few. She also respects what coaches like Pat Summitt and Vivian Stringer have done for women’s basketball.
“I think it’s important for young coaches to attend clinics and watch and learn different concepts,” Fleig said. “The main ingredient of being a successful coach is being able to teach [offense and defense], and have a philosophy of the game. You also have to instill discipline. Kids and professional athletes … everybody needs discipline and accountability. Those are my two biggest things about coaching.”
Posted in NCAA Division I, tagged Delaware Blue Hens, Delle Donne, Lyme Disease, women's basketball on January 26, 2011|
From Mel: Delle Donne Heads Back To Active Duty At Delaware
And from Kevin Tresolini at Delaware Online:
Delle Donne said she has had “every test in the book” to determine the cause of the fatigue and muscle and joint pain she has been experiencing for almost two months that has caused her to miss 11 of Delaware’s 18 games. She has shown improvement from the anti-biotics she began taking recently for Lyme Disease, said Dr. Andrew Reisman, UD assistant AD for sports medicine, and sometimes-hard-to-diagnose Lyme is now viewed as the likely cause of her symptoms.
“I probably won’t be 100 percent this season,” Delle Donne said. “It’s just something I’ll have to deal with, though it kills me that I can’t play at 100 percent. I’m just going to give all I can and try and finish out the season.”
Posted in NCAA Division I, tagged Houston, Lesslee Mason on January 26, 2011|
Houston’s Lesslee Mason is a difference maker
Lesslee Mason is an unsung member of the University of Houston women’s basketball team. Mason, 6’0″, transferred to UH three years ago from The Ohio State University. Due to the NCAA’s transfer rules, Mason sat out the 2008-2009 season; therefore, she did not play basketball for Houston until the 2009-2010 season.
Posted in NCAA Division I, tagged Big Ten Conference, Geno Auriemma, Kevin Borseth, Michigan, Michigan Wolverines, women's basketball on January 26, 2011|
From Graham: Borseth’s major progress at Michigan
When Michigan wanted to become one of the major players in the Big Ten in the spring of 2007, it turned to a coach who had only weeks before earned the respect of no less than Geno Auriemma for leading a great mid-major program into Hartford, Conn., and walking off the court with a halftime lead against Connecticut in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Posted in WNBA, tagged Australia, Flood, Tully Bevilaqua, Women's National Basketball League on January 26, 2011|
Posted in NCAA Division I, WNBA, tagged Louisiana Tech University, New York Liberty, Teresa Weatherspoon, WNBA on January 26, 2011|
From Ethan Conley at the News Star: From player to coach, Tech recruit a winner – Former coach remembers the birthday recruiting gig
Tech went 118-14 during Weatherspoon’s four years. She was a two-time Kodak All-American and the 1988 Wade Trophy winner. She went on to play on two Olympic teams, make five WNBA All-Star teams, and win the WNBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award twice.And now Weatherspoon is Techsters’ head coach.
Women's Hoops Blog 