WBB vs. Sac State

[rfischer94]

KJ Limardo spotted walking out from the locker room. Not playing obviously but sends to be okay. What a relief!

[nevadacat]

Idaho State rerun, with one difference: we are rebounding. Winning the turnover battle but can’t convert into points. Shooting is awful. Thankfully, Sac is shooting much worse than we are.

Hall and Janssen have only 20 minutes between them at halftime, sitting with 2 fouls each.

[rfischer94]

They are still missing a lot of bunnies at the run, but that last possession before the end of Q3...3 O boards! My goodness!

[MSU01]

Cats win 60-54. Defense and rebounding! Hopefully KJ is back sooner rather than later because the shooting...yikes.

[BelgradeBobcat]

We were pretty fortunate to be playing Sac State tonight, because I don't think we would have beaten anybody else. About 2/3 of our roster are freshmen. It shows at times. Malea Egan had a nice game-in between the turnovers and mistakes, there were some really nice moments with her game tonight.

[HiLineCat]

Shot 30% from the field and were 1 for 14 from 3, and still got the win.

[TheJoeGoldstone]

KJ Limardo spotted walking out from the locker room. Not playing obviously but sends to be okay. What a relief!

Thanks for the news. Yep, this team does NOT need any more casualties

[Helcat72]

Freshmen! It seems that one thing I have always criticized with the women's team for the last 20 years is how they can make a perfect drive to the basket elevate and blow a layup. Or make a great move into the lane and throw up a shot like they thought all they had to do is throw it in the direction of the basket and be called a college basketball.player. I always wondered if the coaches ever drilled them to look at the basket and shoot to make it when they had an opening around the basket. Not until the year that John Stockton helped coach the players did I notice that the upperclassmen actually made an attempt to look at the basket when driving hard to the rim.
In the last say 4 years I see more and more of them making their shots around the basket and it has resulted in some championships. It may have been a small thing or a big thing during the years, but finally they have figured out how to grind it into the game of the juniors and seniors at least. Freshmen still appear to me like, "Hey, did you see that spin move, euro step, and crossover I laid on that poor point guard?"
Of course it was a great looking move if only you'd been able to at least hit the rim!
My point is that the more playing time that these freshmen get, the more they are able to make those shots and are able to compete against more veteran teams. Natalie Picton is a good case in point. A month ago she would make several drives to the hoop and throw a wild shot at the basket. More and more she is pulling back and passing the ball trying to get someone else a good shot. She still drives to the rim but she appears to be looking to get the ball in the basket rather than throwing up a blind hook shot that bounces off the backboard.

[BLACKnBLUEnGOLD]

This team's gonna be real good in a year or three.

[nevadacat]

Freshmen! It seems that one thing I have always criticized with the women's team for the last 20 years is how they can make a perfect drive to the basket elevate and blow a layup. Or make a great move into the lane and throw up a shot like they thought all they had to do is throw it in the direction of the basket and be called a college basketball.player. I always wondered if the coaches ever drilled them to look at the basket and shoot to make it when they had an opening around the basket. Not until the year that John Stockton helped coach the players did I notice that the upperclassmen actually made an attempt to look at the basket when driving hard to the rim.
In the last say 4 years I see more and more of them making their shots around the basket and it has resulted in some championships. It may have been a small thing or a big thing during the years, but finally they have figured out how to grind it into the game of the juniors and seniors at least. Freshmen still appear to me like, "Hey, did you see that spin move, euro step, and crossover I laid on that poor point guard?"
Of course it was a great looking move if only you'd been able to at least hit the rim!
My point is that the more playing time that these freshmen get, the more they are able to make those shots and are able to compete against more veteran teams. Natalie Picton is a good case in point. A month ago she would make several drives to the hoop and throw a wild shot at the basket. More and more she is pulling back and passing the ball trying to get someone else a good shot. She still drives to the rim but she appears to be looking to get the ball in the basket rather than throwing up a blind hook shot that bounces off the backboard.

This was my lament some years back — throwing the ball toward the basket instead of shooting it. I had forgotten about it, but your post makes me realize it’s back. The good part is that it’s underclassmen that are mainly doing it and hopefully will grow out of it.

On the other hand, Taylor Janssen has clearly worked hard on that baby hook that nets her a half-dozen points per game, and Madison Hall rarely misses a layup. Our freshmen are hopeful paying attention.

Picton, Bunyan, Dykstra: all future first team Big Sky — provided the portal doesn’t bite us.

[Bobcat4Ever]

@Helcat72 @nevadacat
We certainly agree that the “throw the ball at the basket (and dream of a foul?)” strategy is not a good one, and that it has returned, in some part due to the young team. After watching some other conferences, the Big Sky produces some cringeworthy moments. But — I believe that it is fixable for most or all players, and here’s why. The team had a bad case of this back a number of years ago, but the situation was almost totally eliminated during the Stockton era! So I firmly believe that coaching can really help. I don’t know what was added to the team’s collective knowledge then — whether it was how to make a layup, confidence, how to pass out of a mess, or how to avoid getting into the situation. I think a visit back to the Stockton era practice methods or game film might offer some assistance. Just my opinion, but if we could get a lid on “hope(less) shots” our shooting percentage and scoring would improve. They go in the book as a missed shot, but in reality they are turnovers. The team is certainly athletic enough to improve.

Ella Johnson is going to be a star.

[WalkOn79]

Freshmen! It seems that one thing I have always criticized with the women's team for the last 20 years is how they can make a perfect drive to the basket elevate and blow a layup. Or make a great move into the lane and throw up a shot like they thought all they had to do is throw it in the direction of the basket and be called a college basketball.player. I always wondered if the coaches ever drilled them to look at the basket and shoot to make it when they had an opening around the basket. Not until the year that John Stockton helped coach the players did I notice that the upperclassmen actually made an attempt to look at the basket when driving hard to the rim.
In the last say 4 years I see more and more of them making their shots around the basket and it has resulted in some championships. It may have been a small thing or a big thing during the years, but finally they have figured out how to grind it into the game of the juniors and seniors at least. Freshmen still appear to me like, "Hey, did you see that spin move, euro step, and crossover I laid on that poor point guard?"
Of course it was a great looking move if only you'd been able to at least hit the rim!
My point is that the more playing time that these freshmen get, the more they are able to make those shots and are able to compete against more veteran teams. Natalie Picton is a good case in point. A month ago she would make several drives to the hoop and throw a wild shot at the basket. More and more she is pulling back and passing the ball trying to get someone else a good shot. She still drives to the rim but she appears to be looking to get the ball in the basket rather than throwing up a blind hook shot that bounces off the backboard.

This was my lament some years back — throwing the ball toward the basket instead of shooting it. I had forgotten about it, but your post makes me realize it’s back. The good part is that it’s underclassmen that are mainly doing it and hopefully will grow out of it.

On the other hand, Taylor Janssen has clearly worked hard on that baby hook that nets her a half-dozen points per game, and Madison Hall rarely misses a layup. Our freshmen are hopeful paying attention.

Picton, Bunyan, Dykstra: all future first team Big Sky — provided the portal doesn’t bite us.

I yell that at least 2 or 3 times a game!! At everyone but Jack and Lex before she got hurt.

[WalkOn79]

@Helcat72 @nevadacat
We certainly agree that the “throw the ball at the basket (and dream of a foul?)” strategy is not a good one, and that it has returned, in some part due to the young team. After watching some other conferences, the Big Sky produces some cringeworthy moments. But — I believe that it is fixable for most or all players, and here’s why. The team had a bad case of this back a number of years ago, but the situation was almost totally eliminated during the Stockton era! So I firmly believe that coaching can really help. I don’t know what was added to the team’s collective knowledge then — whether it was how to make a layup, confidence, how to pass out of a mess, or how to avoid getting into the situation. I think a visit back to the Stockton era practice methods or game film might offer some assistance. Just my opinion, but if we could get a lid on “hope(less) shots” our shooting percentage and scoring would improve. They go in the book as a missed shot, but in reality they are turnovers. The team is certainly athletic enough to improve.

Ella Johnson is going to be a star.

Yep! Reminds me of a young Peyton Ferris, or Blythe Hommes!

[Joe Bobcat]

@Helcat72 @nevadacat
We certainly agree that the “throw the ball at the basket (and dream of a foul?)” strategy is not a good one, and that it has returned, in some part due to the young team. After watching some other conferences, the Big Sky produces some cringeworthy moments. But — I believe that it is fixable for most or all players, and here’s why. The team had a bad case of this back a number of years ago, but the situation was almost totally eliminated during the Stockton era! So I firmly believe that coaching can really help. I don’t know what was added to the team’s collective knowledge then — whether it was how to make a layup, confidence, how to pass out of a mess, or how to avoid getting into the situation. I think a visit back to the Stockton era practice methods or game film might offer some assistance. Just my opinion, but if we could get a lid on “hope(less) shots” our shooting percentage and scoring would improve. They go in the book as a missed shot, but in reality they are turnovers. The team is certainly athletic enough to improve.

Ella Johnson is going to be a star.

Yep! Reminds me of a young Peyton Ferris, or Blythe Hommes!

Yeah Ella is playing so well it makes me wonder if she is performing far better than coach Binford expected she could or would in her true freshman year. Now I realize that without the injuries the team has had it probably did make sense to red shirt Ella but as well as she's playing now and how good she could be by the end of the year it almost seems crazy to have ever thought of leaving that talent on the bench this year. Not really questioning or second guessing coach Binford just wondering if Ella is performing far above expectations.

Through mutual friends and acquaintances I see coach Binford a number of times mostly off season and I never start any talk about basketball, but if she starts that conversation, she knows I'm going to be asking a half dozen questions. This thought about Ella will be one of them. This next statement is not a criticism just an observation from an amateur talent scout but I can see why coach Binford was trying to red shirting Lea Boulanger. I fully expect Lea to develop into a very good D1 player, she's just not there today and it might be mostly her level of confidence right now.

[Bobcat4Ever]

@Helcat72 @nevadacat
We certainly agree that the “throw the ball at the basket (and dream of a foul?)” strategy is not a good one, and that it has returned, in some part due to the young team. After watching some other conferences, the Big Sky produces some cringeworthy moments. But — I believe that it is fixable for most or all players, and here’s why. The team had a bad case of this back a number of years ago, but the situation was almost totally eliminated during the Stockton era! So I firmly believe that coaching can really help. I don’t know what was added to the team’s collective knowledge then — whether it was how to make a layup, confidence, how to pass out of a mess, or how to avoid getting into the situation. I think a visit back to the Stockton era practice methods or game film might offer some assistance. Just my opinion, but if we could get a lid on “hope(less) shots” our shooting percentage and scoring would improve. They go in the book as a missed shot, but in reality they are turnovers. The team is certainly athletic enough to improve.

Ella Johnson is going to be a star.

Yep! Reminds me of a young Peyton Ferris, or Blythe Hommes!

Yeah Ella is playing so well it makes me wonder if she is performing far better than coach Binford expected she could or would in her true freshman year. Now I realize that without the injuries the team has had it probably did make sense to red shirt Ella but as well as she's playing now and how good she could be by the end of the year it almost seems crazy to have ever thought of leaving that talent on the bench this year. Not really questioning or second guessing coach Binford just wondering if Ella is performing far above expectations.

Through mutual friends and acquaintances I see coach Binford a number of times mostly off season and I never start any talk about basketball, but if she starts that conversation, she knows I'm going to be asking a half dozen questions. This thought about Ella will be one of them. This next statement is not a criticism just an observation from an amateur talent scout but I can see why coach Binford was trying to red shirting Lea Boulanger. I fully expect Lea to develop into a very good D1 player, she's just not there today and it might be mostly her level of confidence right now.

I suspect she knew all about Ella J. and was giving her more seasoning to step in for Lexi Deden next year. But with Lexi getting injured and wanting to come back next year, there wasn’t the need to replace Lexi next year. Then when Lindsey Hein went out, and Marah Dykstra briefly, she simply needed to put Ella on the court, and finally Lea Boulanger, too. I like what I see in Lea — length, movement, etc. She just needs to get some experience playing D-1 and hopefully that will stoke her confidence. She looks like another good one.

[arvcat2]

@Helcat72 @nevadacat
We certainly agree that the “throw the ball at the basket (and dream of a foul?)” strategy is not a good one, and that it has returned, in some part due to the young team. After watching some other conferences, the Big Sky produces some cringeworthy moments. But — I believe that it is fixable for most or all players, and here’s why. The team had a bad case of this back a number of years ago, but the situation was almost totally eliminated during the Stockton era! So I firmly believe that coaching can really help. I don’t know what was added to the team’s collective knowledge then — whether it was how to make a layup, confidence, how to pass out of a mess, or how to avoid getting into the situation. I think a visit back to the Stockton era practice methods or game film might offer some assistance. Just my opinion, but if we could get a lid on “hope(less) shots” our shooting percentage and scoring would improve. They go in the book as a missed shot, but in reality they are turnovers. The team is certainly athletic enough to improve.

Ella Johnson is going to be a star.

Yep! Reminds me of a young Peyton Ferris, or Blythe Hommes!

Yeah Ella is playing so well it makes me wonder if she is performing far better than coach Binford expected she could or would in her true freshman year. Now I realize that without the injuries the team has had it probably did make sense to red shirt Ella but as well as she's playing now and how good she could be by the end of the year it almost seems crazy to have ever thought of leaving that talent on the bench this year. Not really questioning or second guessing coach Binford just wondering if Ella is performing far above expectations.

Through mutual friends and acquaintances I see coach Binford a number of times mostly off season and I never start any talk about basketball, but if she starts that conversation, she knows I'm going to be asking a half dozen questions. This thought about Ella will be one of them. This next statement is not a criticism just an observation from an amateur talent scout but I can see why coach Binford was trying to red shirting Lea Boulanger. I fully expect Lea to develop into a very good D1 player, she's just not there today and it might be mostly her level of confidence right now.

I suspect she knew all about Ella J. and was giving her more seasoning to step in for Lexi Deden next year. But with Lexi getting injured and wanting to come back next year, there wasn’t the need to replace Lexi next year. Then when Lindsey Hein went out, and Marah Dykstra briefly, she simply needed to put Ella on the court, and finally Lea Boulanger, too. I like what I see in Lea — length, movement, etc. She just needs to get some experience playing D-1 and hopefully that will stoke her confidence. She looks like another good one.

Some of the freshmen are really seizing their opportunities with all the injuries. I think Picton surprised us all with her taking the reins out of the gate, Bunyan is a dynamic talent that has obvious Big Sky top tier potential, Johnson, as mentioned above, has really impressed, and now Egan taken her opportunity to showcase her athleticism. I really thought and hoped that Berry would make a big splash, but she really hasn’t and it’s unfortunate for Boulanger to have her redshirt pulled as she doesn’t appear to me to be up to the task yet.