Next Four Grade (Big Ten/Power 5 Matchups)

[bball_craz_31]

I figured Now that the team has played another four, including 3 power five/1 big ten game, could see if peoples grades have changed, improved or worsened. The team sits at 5-3 overall (1-0 in conf) currently. Here are the things to consider...

Per WarrenNolan.com

Current NET Rating: 88
Current RPI: 111
Current Non-Conf RPI: 163
Current Strength of Schedule: 126
Current Non-Conf SOS: 177
Best NET Win: Liberty 81
Best RPI Win: Penn State 24
Worst NET Loss: NDSU 204 (Without Braun)
Worst RPI Loss: NDSU 94 (Without Braun)

-The Gophers have not faced a deficit bigger than 11 points at any point this season (33-22 in 2nd quarter at Virginia)

-In four of the 8 games, Gophers have faced a 10-point deficit in the 4th quarter (LeHigh, Virginia, Wake Forest, and Penn State) however in all four they have rallied to get a lead, tie or within 1-point in that quarter.

-In 3 Power Five games (Virginia, Wake Forest, and Penn State) averaging 22.33 turnovers a game while forcing 17.33 in those same games.

-Rose has fouled out of two of the three Power Five matchups

-Mara Braun is averaging over 25 points a game in the 3 power five matchups.

Here is my grade/thoughts..

I'm staying a B. I have to admit, I love the fight this team has game in and game out. Yes the turnovers are BAD BAD. They have to find a way to clean them up, but the fact that they fight back every time is so encouraging. I can't remember the last time we had a team that didn't break easily. Also this may or may not be unpopular, I'm perfectly fine Powell and Scalia left to make way for Mara and Amaya. I feel they are smarter basketball players and play as a team much better.

However, Rose and Katie HAVE TO get on the level of the freshman. In the Wake Forest game, Rose started so off. She was a black hole when she got the ball and it was either a missed layup or turnover. Katie can't be having these wild passes to no one or like in the Penn State game, they were on a 8-0 run, Gophers had cut a 10-point deficit to 56-58, had the ball and she just attacks 1 on 3 and forces a bad shot without a single pass. WHY?!

The three freshmen play hard 1000% of the time but they are Freshman, is it really sustainable to expect those three to play 36-40 minutes and produce 60-80% of the team scoring? Kentucky will be another test of a team pressing and looking to force turnovers. Something's gonna give as in either they learn to not turn the ball over, or they won't be able to recover like they have in the previous games.

 

[Ragnor]

I figured Now that the team has played another four, including 3 power five/1 big ten game, could see if peoples grades have changed, improved or worsened. The team sits at 5-3 overall (1-0 in conf) currently. Here are the things to consider...

Per WarrenNolan.com

Current NET Rating: 88
Current RPI: 111
Current Non-Conf RPI: 163
Current Strength of Schedule: 126
Current Non-Conf SOS: 177
Best NET Win: Liberty 81
Best RPI Win: Penn State 24
Worst NET Loss: NDSU 204 (Without Braun)
Worst RPI Loss: NDSU 94 (Without Braun)

-The Gophers have not faced a deficit bigger than 11 points at any point this season (33-22 in 2nd quarter at Virginia)

-In four of the 8 games, Gophers have faced a 10-point deficit in the 4th quarter (LeHigh, Virginia, Wake Forest, and Penn State) however in all four they have rallied to get a lead, tie or within 1-point in that quarter.

-In 3 Power Five games (Virginia, Wake Forest, and Penn State) averaging 22.33 turnovers a game while forcing 17.33 in those same games.

-Rose has fouled out of two of the three Power Five matchups

-Mara Braun is averaging over 25 points a game in the 3 power five matchups.

Here is my grade/thoughts..

I'm staying a B. I have to admit, I love the fight this team has game in and game out. Yes the turnovers are BAD BAD. They have to find a way to clean them up, but the fact that they fight back every time is so encouraging. I can't remember the last time we had a team that didn't break easily. Also this may or may not be unpopular, I'm perfectly fine Powell and Scalia left to make way for Mara and Amaya. I feel they are smarter basketball players and play as a team much better.

However, Rose and Katie HAVE TO get on the level of the freshman. In the Wake Forest game, Rose started so off. She was a black hole when she got the ball and it was either a missed layup or turnover. Katie can't be having these wild passes to no one or like in the Penn State game, they were on a 8-0 run, Gophers had cut a 10-point deficit to 56-58, had the ball and she just attacks 1 on 3 and forces a bad shot without a single pass. WHY?!

The three freshmen play hard 1000% of the time but they are Freshman, is it really sustainable to expect those three to play 36-40 minutes and produce 60-80% of the team scoring? Kentucky will be another test of a team pressing and looking to force turnovers. Something's gonna give as in either they learn to not turn the ball over, or they won't be able to recover like they have in the previous games.

I did not do the poll because it is not clear to me what I am grading. Please elaborate and I will, it is probably clear to others but not me for some reason. thanks

 

[bball_craz_31]

I did not do the poll because it is not clear to me what I am grading. Please elaborate and I will, it is probably clear to others but not me for some reason. thanks

Similar to the first post, grading the team. It can be how they are doing? Your satisfaction with the team to date, thoughts and feelings. for Example, I gave B as they are slightly above expectations I had for this year, plus how hard they play and having impressive late wins over Lehigh and Penn State

 

[MNGolfer]

I figured Now that the team has played another four, including 3 power five/1 big ten game, could see if peoples grades have changed, improved or worsened. The team sits at 5-3 overall (1-0 in conf) currently. Here are the things to consider...

Per WarrenNolan.com

Current NET Rating: 88
Current RPI: 111
Current Non-Conf RPI: 163
Current Strength of Schedule: 126
Current Non-Conf SOS: 177
Best NET Win: Liberty 81
Best RPI Win: Penn State 24
Worst NET Loss: NDSU 204 (Without Braun)
Worst RPI Loss: NDSU 94 (Without Braun)

-The Gophers have not faced a deficit bigger than 11 points at any point this season (33-22 in 2nd quarter at Virginia)

-In four of the 8 games, Gophers have faced a 10-point deficit in the 4th quarter (LeHigh, Virginia, Wake Forest, and Penn State) however in all four they have rallied to get a lead, tie or within 1-point in that quarter.

-In 3 Power Five games (Virginia, Wake Forest, and Penn State) averaging 22.33 turnovers a game while forcing 17.33 in those same games.

-Rose has fouled out of two of the three Power Five matchups

-Mara Braun is averaging over 25 points a game in the 3 power five matchups.

Here is my grade/thoughts..

I'm staying a B. I have to admit, I love the fight this team has game in and game out. Yes the turnovers are BAD BAD. They have to find a way to clean them up, but the fact that they fight back every time is so encouraging. I can't remember the last time we had a team that didn't break easily. Also this may or may not be unpopular, I'm perfectly fine Powell and Scalia left to make way for Mara and Amaya. I feel they are smarter basketball players and play as a team much better.

However, Rose and Katie HAVE TO get on the level of the freshman. In the Wake Forest game, Rose started so off. She was a black hole when she got the ball and it was either a missed layup or turnover. Katie can't be having these wild passes to no one or like in the Penn State game, they were on a 8-0 run, Gophers had cut a 10-point deficit to 56-58, had the ball and she just attacks 1 on 3 and forces a bad shot without a single pass. WHY?!

The three freshmen play hard 1000% of the time but they are Freshman, is it really sustainable to expect those three to play 36-40 minutes and produce 60-80% of the team scoring? Kentucky will be another test of a team pressing and looking to force turnovers. Something's gonna give as in either they learn to not turn the ball over, or they won't be able to recover like they have in the previous games.

This is so spot on!

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

Before we hit the hardwood versus Kentucky and Iowa, I’m grading a solid C. It’s certainly the most entertaining group since the best of the shoot first, ask questions later Stollings teams. And they get extra points for pinning Carolyn Kieger at the extreme end of the flustered meter on Saturday night. But it’s still a freshman driven outfit which seriously could use some occasional help from a transfer or two.

The teamwork was visible last Saturday. A minute into the 4th quarter Whalen called a time out after a Marissa break away layup put Penn State up by ten. Lindsay appeared to have some choice words for the team and then they broke early to return to the court. The players huddled up and began to sort out who was to do what. They, of course, began to look confused and finally looked over to Lindsay for some further guidance. It must have worked, as the Gophers cut the lead to two. The point being this team has a natural urge to communicate.

 

[Ragnor]

The teamwork was visible last Saturday. A minute into the 4th quarter Whalen called a time out after a Marissa break away layup put Penn State up by ten. Lindsay appeared to have some choice words for the team and then they broke early to return to the court. The players huddled up and began to sort out who was to do what. They, of course, began to look confused and finally looked over to Lindsay for some further guidance. It must have worked, as the Gophers cut the lead to two. The point being this team has a natural urge to communicate.

Interesting, I was not paying much attention to the huddles down the stretch especially what Lindsay was doing. I am not sure if I have seen her get angry with her team. Some of this is probably good as long as the players feel supported. Any further elaboration on the appearance of her communication to her players and what you guess she might have been saying would be great.

 

[Ragnor]

I put down a B and that is what I think I put last time but I also expected us to win a minimum of 2 of the 5 games (ending with Kentucky) to be satisfied. If they beat Kentucky I will be happy (solid B) but if they lose I might want to go more a C+ and only because I like how they are playing defense and they seem to be improving -turnovers. I think they will win vs. Kentucky because it is at home and I think we will be more prepared for their defensive intensity and will turn the ball over less. Should be a good game!

Side note, I am looking forward to the Czinano sister slugfest come next weekend against Iowa.

 

[Gophers112233]

I voted a B

I really really like the FIGHT this team shows they NEVER give up and they fight until the buzzer as we saw in regulation, getting those two free throws..

The TO's are bad and they will never to be figured and fixed.. we turned it over what 26 times.. and still won.. but if we cut those down we don't need to go into overtime and maybe win by 6-10 points.

The Freshman are REALLY carrying this team, 63 of the 98 points on Saturday, including 19 of our 22 points.. At some point Gradwell, Cayton, Oberg will have to GIVE us something.. We can't relay on the Freshman to be ALL of the offseason, game in and game out.

Rose needs to get better at kicking it out when teams double her, kick it out and then go repost, rather then trying to force a shot.. or dribbling.. if the double is there SOMEONE else is open.. you could hear a few times during the PSU and WF, the guards yelling at Rose to pass it back out but she just tried to go through 2-3 players..

the next two games will be interesting to me.. I hope to see us competitive in both and hopefully cut down the TO's.. I'd be happy with 1-1 split..

 

[MNGolfer]

Interesting, I was not paying much attention to the huddles down the stretch especially what Lindsay was doing. I am not sure if I have seen her get angry with her team. Some of this is probably good as long as the players feel supported. Any further elaboration on the appearance of her communication to her players and what you guess she might have been saying would be great.

I’m right by the bench. There was no yelling on Lindsay’s part. “Choice words” appears to be a negative comment as I interpret the analysis above. It shouldn’t be characterized that way. Let’s not get too critical of a coach’s huddle discussions. These youngsters are amazing and playing better than any all freshman team in the country, I feel. Wednesday night was the 1st time that these 19 year olds played against an aggressive, physical and quick press at the power 5 college level. They did not face anything like that in high school or AAU. Let’s allow for some time to adjust to the this level of play. I have no doubt that by mid year, they will have more control. And, I believe, the players like the head coach and her staff. I graded the team an A! And that is based on playing a competitive schedule to date.

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

I’m right by the bench. There was no yelling on Lindsay’s part. “Choice words” appears to be a negative comment as I interpret the analysis above. It shouldn’t be characterized that way. Let’s not get too critical of a coach’s huddle discussions. These youngsters are amazing and playing better than any all freshman team in the country, I feel. Wednesday night was the 1st time that these 19 year olds played against an aggressive, physical and quick press at the power 5 college level. They did not face anything like that in high school or AAU. Let’s allow for some time to adjust to the this level of play. I have no doubt that by mid year, they will have more control. And, I believe, the players like the head coach and her staff. I graded the team an A! And that is based on playing a competitive schedule to date.

Sorry about that, "pointed" or "demonstrative" would be more appropriate. I'm not critical of her huddle discusssions; Whalen obviously called time out after Marissa hit an open three to put PSU up by ten. There was a problem to fix.

 

[tripledouble]

I'm gonna give a C+. That being said, I'm very optimistic about this group. They are already playing better defense than they were at the start of the season. We'll have to see if they can reduce the turnovers going forward. I was encouraged that they were able to handle the PSU press much better in the second half of that game. Many of the turnovers are from the guards, so I'm feeling that they'll be able to bring this number down. I like the way the team seems to be communicating with each other. This is just as important as being told what to do by the coaching staff. I'm still expecting the entire year to be a 'work in progress' and really hoping that this team can make some giant strides as the season progresses.

 

[PhiloVance]

While I graded it a B I cannot find any argument for those who rated the team an A or C. What I'm looking forward to is cutting down on turn overs without losing their aggressiveness or spirit. I would think this takes a delicate coaches hand especially working with 1st year players. By the way I view Katie as a 1st year player too.

 

[MNGolfer]

I'm gonna give a C+. That being said, I'm very optimistic about this group. They are already playing better defense than they were at the start of the season. We'll have to see if they can reduce the turnovers going forward. I was encouraged that they were able to handle the PSU press much better in the second half of that game. Many of the turnovers are from the guards, so I'm feeling that they'll be able to bring this number down. I like the way the team seems to be communicating with each other. This is just as important as being told what to do by the coaching staff. I'm still expecting the entire year to be a 'work in progress' and really hoping that this team can make some giant strides as the season progresses.

I agree with the defense. One noticeable item is how they are aware of the weak side. We always stressed “butt to the baseline” when a couple passes away on the weak side. Last year’s players often would turn their back on the weak side as they moved to be ready to “help”. Consequently dribble drives led to wide open 3pointers. That is just one piece. The whole defense is much better and these players are “long” which also helps them be more effective.

 

[walleye]

Based on their record, I would give them a B-. One might argue that they now know how they are being tested and they will do better. However, this is the beginning of the course and the hard material is coming.

I don't think that I will grade this season only on the W-L record. I will look at where they started from and how much they improved by the end of the season. I will enjoy watching this team more than the last few years. They appear to enjoy playing more, are eager to learn, and are more supportive of each other.

I agree with most people that the defense must improve. They must play defense throughout the game like they did at the end of the game and in overtime.

I loved watching the team in the huddles. They looked like they were listening to Lindsay and buying what she was saying. Last year, I felt like some players were thinking that this is not what our previous coach(es) would do.

I agree that they have way too many turnovers. I think Katie and Amaya need to be more careful with their passes and aware of where they are passing from. On the other hand, the other players need to be looking for a pass at all times because that is what Katie and Amaya are supposed to do.

In spite of her turnovers and fouls, I think Katie is the heart of the team. She plays incredibly hard at all times and is an Everyready Bunny. I watched her when she fouled out. She did not mope or hang her head. She knew that she left everything that she had on the court unlike some players from last year. Furthermore, she immediately turned her attention and support to her teammates.

 

[MNGolfer]

Based on their record, I would give them a B-. One might argue that they now know how they are being tested and they will do better. However, this is the beginning of the course and the hard material is coming.

I don't think that I will grade this season only on the W-L record. I will look at where they started from and how much they improved by the end of the season. I will enjoy watching this team more than the last few years. They appear to enjoy playing more, are eager to learn, and are more supportive of each other.

I agree with most people that the defense must improve. They must play defense throughout the game like they did at the end of the game and in overtime.

I loved watching the team in the huddles. They looked like they were listening to Lindsay and buying what she was saying. Last year, I felt like some players were thinking that this is not what our previous coach(es) would do.

I agree that they have way too many turnovers. I think Katie and Amaya need to be more careful with their passes and aware of where they are passing from. On the other hand, the other players need to be looking for a pass at all times because that is what Katie and Amaya are supposed to do.

In spite of her turnovers and fouls, I think Katie is the heart of the team. She plays incredibly hard at all times and is an Everyready Bunny. I watched her when she fouled out. She did not mope or hang her head. She knew that she left everything that she had on the court unlike some players from last year. Furthermore, she immediately turned her attention and support to her teammates.

For the life of me, I really Dont understand C grades. Prior to the first game, this team has not ever played one minute of college competition together. Normally, new players are integrated into a team with some returning players. Pretty amazing that they have played this well this quickly.

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

For the life of me, I really Dont understand C grades. Prior to the first game, this team has not ever played one minute of college competition together. Normally, new players are integrated into a team with some returning players. Pretty amazing that they have played this well this quickly.

I took it as a grade for the program not specifically a grade for the incoming freshman class.