The Bobcat Nation

The Womens basketball team lost last night to Carroll. I know some may pull a "chicken little" on this result, but I have confidence Binford and these women are the direction this program needs to go. Not one senior on the team and some exiting young players, and energetic coach. If you are a true Bobcat make it a point to go out of your way to show your support for Ms. Binford and the rest of the Cat basketball team. Let them know, that we know the program is up to some very big things down the line.

mslacat wrote:The Womens basketball team lost last night to Carroll. I know some may pull a "chicken little" on this result, but I have confidence Binford and these women are the direction this program needs to go. Not one senior on the team and some exiting young players, and energetic coach. If you are a true Bobcat make it a point to go out of your way to show your support for Ms. Binford and the rest of the Cat basketball team. Let them know, that we know the program is up to some very big things down the line.

It is along season and coach Binford will make improvements........CO CATS!

Honestly with how much this program was in disarray, I expect it will take at least one season before this team becomes competitive again.

No worries Binford, get these girls playing hard! We all have faith in you!

I saw a lot of things that I liked. The team showed some serious poise that was lacking all last year, when they dug a hole at the first and then clawed their way back. I think turnovers will continue to go down.

I liked the coaches comments on the radio after the game, all very positive and all in a "teaching" mode. I liked her comments on the reach-in fouls which actually just killed them last year.

As for new players, Nubia Garcia was a pleasant surprise, 6-2, moves well, and knows how to play. Jenny Heringer played on a sore ankle and did well.

I liked the interactions of the coaching staff with the players, before and during the game. I think they are actually trying to help them know what to do.

This team is definitely headed in the right way, and thanks to Carroll for showing us what we need to work on. They've got a very excellent team.

I'm sorry, but losing to an NAIA team, and being completely dominated by their guards???? SHOULDN'T HAPPEN!!! Maybe an upset by 1 or 2, but by 22 points????

This was Carroll's 4th game, MSU's first. It totally showed.

Carroll is vastly more experienced, they even have seniors!

I sometimes saw three true freshman on the court for MSU.

And they may play in NAIA, but they have players from Montana that are comparable to ours. I read their Web site and the high school awards are pretty much the same. Like Jolene Fuzesy and Jenny Heringer won the same things. So NAIA or not, they have excellent and experienced players. And a good coach. That means success.

MSU will improve.

mslacat wrote:Not one senior on the team and some exiting young players...

If there are no seniors, who will be left to play after the young players exit? Go Saints!

GFGriz wrote:

mslacat wrote:Not one senior on the team and some exiting young players...

If there are no seniors, who will be left to play after the young players exit? Go Saints!

What?

Cat Pride wrote:

GFGriz wrote:

mslacat wrote:Not one senior on the team and some exiting young players...

If there are no seniors, who will be left to play after the young players exit? Go Saints!

What?

Jokingly or not, GFgriz was referring to the fact that cat pride accidentally had a typo in his comment. It should have read exciting and not "exiting".

oohhh mmaann we should have crushed them

**edit**

sorry it wasnt a defeat - we got crushed by them

I went to the game and I think Carroll could play fairly decently in the big Sky. They have some good athletes, they play with poise and confidence and are very well coached.

I was real disappointed with the defense. I'm guessing it's generally a lack of quickness on the team. Carroll players routinely drove right past the Bobcat defenders and the help defense was typically lacking. I also didn't see much out of the offensive plays. Carroll's offense was in constant motion, crisply run, and produced a lot of nice shots---obviously...

I really liked the play of Garcia. With her stats, you gotta ask---why didn't she get the ball more??? Heringer has a real pretty shot and I suspect will be more of an offensive threat very soon.

It looks like a long year---but hopefully we'll be turning it around next year with some good recruiting... Looks like a very classy coach.

I too am a big Cat fan. Yes Carroll is good but I look at the Lady Cats and the Saints and the Saints flat out have better athletes and better basketball players blame it on the old staff or the new but we need to do a better job of recruiting female athletes that can compete at a Division 1 level

i don't think carroll could play in the big sky...i think we have to face the fact that right now the cats are young and very thin in talent...due to the problems of the last five years...face it they just aren't very good right now and may not be the rest of the year...i am a binford fan and i think she will get it turned around...she has a small core of players to build a whole new program with...she will be able to recruit in montana very well and with her connections she will be able to recruit effectively throughout the west...lighten up on them and be patient...

Keep your heads up, Lady Cats! You have so much potential and everything to gain by staying positive and looking forward to a great future - beginning with the next game and continuing for many years.

We're behind you 100%!

couloir41 wrote:i don't think carroll could play in the big sky...i think we have to face the fact that right now the cats are young and very thin in talent...due to the problems of the last five years...face it they just aren't very good right now and may not be the rest of the year...i am a binford fan and i think she will get it turned around...she has a small core of players to build a whole new program with...she will be able to recruit in montana very well and with her connections she will be able to recruit effectively throughout the west...lighten up on them and be patient...

The only question raised in last night's game is NOT whether Carroll could play in the Big Sky this year (they obviously could), but whether State will be able to do so. I wonder why Carroll's Nelson didn't apply for or get the job at State, but the Saints' coaches seem pretty loyal to their kids and the school It will be exciting to watch how far the Saints go this year in the NAIA playoffs. Carroll is turning out a stunning amount of athletic talent on many fronts, which is amazing given its size. I doubt that many higher division teams will make the mistake of State in assuming they can beat Carroll just because they are much bigger. This is an exciting time for sports across Montana. Go Griz; Go Saints; Go State!

I think Binford will do a great job but only ten girls in the entire program?

Granted she got the job in May but there has to be some J.C. or someone out there that can play?

The last time they had so few was back in the 80's when Schwartz took over for another disaterous coach Henman they had only 8 but they made the playoffs and finished in the top four of the conference. From what I saw last night I do't think that is going to happen but like I said I am a fan and I hope they can turn it around.

The Carroll MSU game showed how the great Potera Haskins ruined the MSU program, there were several players on the Carroll team that wanted to play at MSU but were told they never could, it was kind of a redemption game for them

gfg...read the posts...nelson did not apply for the job because it was in disarray...

i don't believe carroll can stay in a bsc game other than the cats and whomever was picked 8th...they would be perrenial bottom dwellers if they were in the schedule...the griz would have them for hors d vors...and so on...to me that's not "playing"...that's existing...the cats will improve...

next you'll be trying to sell that the saints fb team could take down the griz...???

First off Carroll is a great team, and hats off to them. That said I feel pretty confident that if the Cats played them Mid season or later it would have been a much more compeditive game. I am not going to insult Carroll, but these two teams are in two completely phases of developement. Simply ignoring talent for a minute, the Cats are just so green on almost every level, the Carroll team is a pretty seasoned, and mature team. We are going to be so much better by mid season, if we can stay away from the injury bug. The women need confidence, and time on the court to work out the bugs. Hopefully Binford can keep the energy level high and not let these women get too caught up in the growing pains they are going to go through.