Game 1: Gophers Host Jacksonville (11-9-21)

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Haven’t watched it yet, was planning on watching later but maybe I shouldn’t? I don’t care if Jacksonville comes back and wins the ASUN conference, this team in year 4 should not be losing to a lesser known mid-major. Very disappointed start to the season.
 

To go through a game like that and not make adjustments is disappointing.. Jacksonville controlled the tempo from the opening minute, its no secret, get MN in a half court game because we put to much on the PG every time down the floor. We could of tried a half court trap with Kadi, we could of tried trapping out of zone D, anything to create turnovers or change the tempo. We couldnt play our bigs because they cant get out and cover, so maybe a zone when they are in to keep J'ville guessing.. nothing changed and when you let a inferior team hang around, they hit a couple shots and it was over.
 

It was a little grim inside Williams this afternoon.

I'm still baffled by the play with 25 seconds remaining. Whalen calls time out and then has our only serious scorer, Scalia, drive and kick like she's Shayne Mullaney? Turnover.

Sissoko remains our only post scorer and our offense slowed her down. Helgren missed the rim on an open layup, grabbed a rebound and threw it away and grabbed another board and had the ball stripped away. Sconiers did work hard to get open on the block in the second half but the guards ignored her.

Anyway, we looked slight better with a one post offense. I liked some of the lineups when Winters would sub in for a post.

This certainly rivals some of Borton's losses. Neither players or coaches were prepared today.
 

fanfromthevalley said:
They had hoped that today would be the annual kids game, thus an early start. However, as COVID rates keep being problematic, the kids day did not happen.
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Oh, I know. I've been to one or two kids' days but they really suck for fans -- especially for fans who would like to attend the first actual game in a year and a half.
 

Lots of questions but only 2 I want answered: 1. Smith is not a point guard and can’t play the 2 because she can’t shoot. 2. And because Smith has little or no talent, where was Strande. Hubbard was terrible as well.
 


samloupete said:
Lots of questions but only 2 I want answered: 1. Smith is not a point guard and can’t play the 2 because she can’t shoot. 2. And because Smith has little or no talent, where was Strande. Hubbard was terrible as well.
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Good questions. Whalen has this year and next to get it done or she’s history. So far she has not shown she’s up for the task.
 

Are Hedman and Cumming that bad they can’t play at all? Between Helgren, Sconiers and Mershon that took a total of two shots.
 

Belzx009 said:
I am working so I didn’t not see all the game. Thankfully. Under 2 minutes the SOB was a 1 v1 play of Powell going to the hoop. Or at least that was what they ran. Next possession was Powell dribbling and then pulling up for a 15 foot shot. This is the time in the game where you need set plays. You also need players to execute them. I am not a Powell friend and I think I have made that clear on this board. However with Borowicz being out I really hoped she would surprise me. I did like what I saw from winters. I wanted more Strande minutes last year and now I’m basically begging for them. The energy was a disappointment too. I am disappointed that Micheaux didn’t play.

I am the biggest Whalen fan and have not given up hope on her. However these last 2 weeks have been hard. I thought she was not good at the HS coaches clinic and now I’m disappointed in this performance.
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What happened at the HS coaches clinic?
 

Never been sold on Whalen as a coach. Honestly, she hasn't shown anything to indicate she has the chops to lead the program. Unfortunately, games like today have been par for the course under her.
 




ProspectsNation.com
Nation's Overall Guard Rank in Class
2021 Katie Borowicz 104
2021 Maggie Czinano NR
2020 Alexia Smith 121
2020 Caroline Strande 70
2019 Jasmine Powell NR
2019 Sara Scalia 112
2016 Deja Winters NR
2016 Gadiva Hubbard 149
 

Ragnor said:
What happened at the HS coaches clinic?
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Nothing happened. I was just not impressed with what she showed. It was an hour of pick and rolls. I didn’t think she sold the program much. She compared the pick and rolls to her an Mccarville. Didn’t mention current players very much at all.
 

Belzx009 said:
Nothing happened. I was just not impressed with what she showed. It was an hour of pick and rolls. I didn’t think she sold the program much. She compared the pick and rolls to her an Mccarville. Didn’t mention current players very much at all.
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hope you gave or give her feedback on doing a better clinic in the future, will be important. Thanks
 




Sounds like I was lucky to have to work today and miss the game. Never good sign when the women BB board reads like the FB board after and ugly loss-like BG. Whalen knows she does not have much time until they face UConn so maybe this stinker will serve as a major wake up call.
 

GringaGopher said:
Sounds like I was lucky to have to work today and miss the game. Never good sign when the women BB board reads like the FB board after and ugly loss-like BG. Whalen knows she does not have much time until they face UConn so maybe this stinker will serve as a major wake up call.
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We''re gonna find out alot about this team Friday night at Arizona St. Gonna be interesting to see how they respond.
 

This game was shocking. Jacksonville finished 4-17 last year and 3 of the wins were against non D1 schools. This was an unbelievable upset.
 

It’s been a lot of hours and I’m still stewing over this. I can’t explain my respect for Whalen….. but even I am starting to wonder if she can do this. Quit sucking up to Powell.
 


You have to give Jacksonville credit, that wasn't a 5 win team of last year, those were some solid transfers they brought in. Power5 schools win games like this because they are longer, more athletic, stronger, bigger etc and even though that was us we did nothing to disrupt J'ville offense, in fact, J'ville exposed our front line on the perimeter, especially when Sissoko went out with silly 4 offensive fouls on picks. We need an identity on D, maybe that ends up being a zone to protect the bigs, i'm not sure, but what I will say is opposing coaches are too smart, they will expose our lack of foot speed up front if we dont make the adjustment first. We can not guard the pick n roll unless we go with Sissoko at the 4 and Mershon at the 5.
We'll be ok, but the staff needs to figure this out.
 

MRJ said:
Never been sold on Whalen as a coach. Honestly, she hasn't shown anything to indicate she has the chops to lead the program. Unfortunately, games like today have been par for the course under her.
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You are correct. She is a Terrible communicator and is not a coach. Runs around looking like a slob
 

Belzx009 said:
Nothing happened. I was just not impressed with what she showed. It was an hour of pick and rolls. I didn’t think she sold the program much. She compared the pick and rolls to her an Mccarville. Didn’t mention current players very much at all.
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She’s a terrible speaker and will never recruit top players. She has NO personality
 




adchester said:
....It's literally a top 10 class nationally. 2 players in the top 40. If you aren't happy with that go cheer for UConn.
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It won't matter what ratings/ rankings of any of these players are.
They will never see a pass from starting PG or SG.
 


There are lots of problems with this team that will be fixed with this top 4 nationally recruited group. Make no mistake no better female group of recruits has ever been compiled at this school. Our lack of a true point guard that can consistently control the pace of the game, set up the offense, break down the defense has been recruited with this group. A shooting guard that can play along side small forward Scalia is also in this group. And an inside presence who can actually score is in this group of recruited players. The current team has a lot of short comings. This one does not.
 

Coach needs to get better plain and simple.
Too many excuse makers for the Coach to date she has not been good.
 

Certainly I am not going to excuse Coach Whalen for poor play but great players make even the bad coaches look really good. There are lots of coaches that have a great recruiting staff that gets the kinds of players that make them look really good. The sport is full of them.
 

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