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View Full Version : Sweet 16 Duke Women v. Texas A&M



Bluedawg
03-30-2008, 03:39 PM
Duke plays The Aggies tonight

GO DEVILS!

gadzooks
03-30-2008, 04:03 PM
We've seen they can play like the Duke team we've known and loved, so here's to a big win tonight!

GO BLUE DEVILS!!!

Karl Beem
03-30-2008, 08:31 PM
It's hard to believe Waner's shooting.

Duvall
03-30-2008, 08:33 PM
It's hard to believe Waner's shooting.

Unless you've watched Duke this year.

godukecom
03-30-2008, 09:13 PM
Duke missed over 10 free throws. They hit those, they win
very sad ending to the year (well ok there are 30 seconds left as I type this)

_Gary
03-30-2008, 09:17 PM
Duke missed over 10 free throws. They hit those, they win
very sad ending to the year.

Yep, very sad indeed. This has, thus far, been the sports year from Hell for me. I'm a life-long Patriots fan, and of course I bleed Blue Devil blue so this one hits me hard too. Dang what a crappy sports year this has been, and we aren't even a quarter of the way through it yet.

Gary

Duvall
03-30-2008, 09:19 PM
Duke missed over 10 free throws. They hit those, they win
very sad ending to the year (well ok there are 30 seconds left as I type this)

They lost by 14.

Free throws really weren't the problem. This team simply hasn't been efficient enough on offense to beat quality opponents all year.

godukecom
03-30-2008, 09:23 PM
Many of those points were added on late A&M Free throws...
Duke missed them early when they mattered- they had a 4 point lead and missed multiple chances to stretch the lead and didnt

ehdg
03-30-2008, 09:24 PM
This team also wasn't as good defensively either as in past years. Not sure what the issues where with the team. I know they tried hard and we've all been spoiled by them but this years team didn't for some reason peform as good as they have in the past. I have an idea but think it's too early to say that. More time is needed.

burnspbesq
03-30-2008, 10:57 PM
This outcome was about what I expected for the women this year, given the combination of losing two WNBA first-round picks, a coaching transition, and a freshman PG.

Another year like this and and you'll find me among the the "McCallie must go" crowd.

gadzooks
03-30-2008, 11:04 PM
Feh. That was so disappointing. Abby looked really unhappy pretty much the whole game. Almost nobody shot well. I couldn't even watch the end of the game, it was so depressing. :(

I really, really hope next year is better.

KandG
03-30-2008, 11:05 PM
I'm with Burns -- I think McCallie gets a pass for this year as her first year. I've been vocal about how unhappy I've been with the way we've looked in some losses (and some wins as well), but getting this far was more or less what was expected.

As Coach P gets time to implement her system and get her type of players, I would hope to see improvement. I don't have high hopes that the team will ever be as fun to watch as it was under Gail, but more winning (and at the very least, more consistently competitive efforts against the elite teams) will always make the games a little more enjoyable to watch. I'm crossing my fingers for the best.

heyman25
03-30-2008, 11:11 PM
Abby made 2 meaningless 3's Her shooting % is off the charts in the wrong direction. If there aren't too many defections they get Shay Selby for pt guard. Jasmine Thomas is a shooting guard. They have no capable perimeter shooters.They were a very unfocused group this year.Don't know what has happened but the Coach G fans think its the Coach McCallie personality.

In any event both the Men and Women's programs have their work cut out for them.:confused:

Bluedawg
03-30-2008, 11:19 PM
Losing two WNBA players, no true point guard, a new coaching staff, a drastic new system on both offense and defense and the team made the ACC finals and the NCAA sweet 16.

Not a bad year, except for those who just want to find something to complain about. One loss from this year, 3 new freshmen and a team who has a year under their belt with the system.

Excuse me for being optimistic but I think both teams have a lot to look forward to.

DevilAlumna
03-30-2008, 11:23 PM
And, Texas A&M is a darned good team, 2nd in the Big 12, won something like 15 of their last 16 games. Give them some credit for running their offense very well, forcing turnovers, and playing some really tough tough D.

I'm proud of how our women played this year, given all the changes. I hope Coach P and the team have a well deserved rest, and come out fired up next season!

godukecom
03-30-2008, 11:24 PM
Duke's success this year was largely due to the leftover talents from Gail's recruiting classes combined with the fact that the majority of the teams Duke played this year were not that good and Duke was able to 'out-talent' them.

Give P a pass for this year, fine. but do not give her a pass for any other seasons.

Next year they will beat lesser talent on talent alone... it is the 09-10 season that will really be telling...

And I agree; Abby's shooting is going in the wrong direction- from all acc to 3rd team all acc in 1 year; these things do not happen in a vaccum.

Bluedawg
03-30-2008, 11:41 PM
And I agree; Abby's shooting is going in the wrong direction- from all acc to 3rd team all acc in 1 year; these things do not happen in a vaccum.

Last year Abby was a shooting guard with a POY, 1st round draft pick playing the point and creating opportunities for her. Abby is trying to play point and create her own shots. this dual role is much harder especially with all of the responsibilities of playing point.


There are a host of reasons why Waner's scoring has dropped.

Under Gail Goestenkors, Duke's defense kept Waner near the top of the key, allowing her to cheat out and convert turnovers into quick layups.

Waner is not in the same spot in Joanne P. McCallie's matchup zone, although Waner creates roughly that same number of steals a game. She leads Duke with 76 steals.

One of the biggest differences is how much Waner has to run the point. Goestenkors used Waner a third or fourth option at the point, but McCallie uses her there frequently.

Waner leads Duke with 3.9 assists per game -- McCallie says Waner is one of the best passers she's seen -- and she oftens run the offense even if freshman point guard Jasmine Thomas is on the court.

"Abby's had a tremendous [year] in so many ways," McCallie said between Duke's first- and second-round games. "But unfortunately, people do want to define her only by shooting, and that's not something I believe in at all for Abby. ...

"Abby's had to step in and shoot off the dribble and not just shoot off the pass."

Waner does more than score for Duke; Junior's scoring is down, but game is on the rise (http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/story/1018368.html)

She is truly an outstanding player!

Indoor66
04-01-2008, 09:12 PM
How would this team have benefitted if Brittany Hunter had not transferred to UCon? Imagine her in our front line!

Duvall
04-01-2008, 09:39 PM
How would this team have benefitted if Brittany Hunter had not transferred to UCon? Imagine her in our front line!

She would have graduated by now without the redshirt year (though I suppose she could have taken a medical redshirt.) Either way, she never fully recovered from her injuries.

MHTorringjan
04-02-2008, 10:43 AM
As much as I've been disappointed in some of the games' outcomes this year, I'm pretty excited about next year.

In contrast to some of the previous posters' comments, I actually thought that we looked good on defense this year, with the notable exception of the UNC games and the UConn game at the beginning of the year (but again, that was depleted with injuries). And as much as I want us to always beat Carolina (GTHCGTH), they're a damned talented team and you're not going to keep them down every time.

I most certainly don't want Coach P to be on the hot seat after only two seasons, because not only has she shown the ability to coach in big-time games (think the close losses to Tenn and at Maryland, which was closer than 15 points until the FT's at the end, and the wins over Rutgers and Maryland), but she has proven that she can take the situations that the game gives her and work with them. Not making it to the Final Four every season is not a reason to skewer a coach, regardless of the situation or location. Just give her some time to get her players in place and a couple of recruiting seasons, and I think we'll be just as good as we were under Goestenkors, if not better. Plus, her visibility and charisma are doing wonders for the image of the program, IMO.

Personally, I'm looking forward to seeing Jasmine, Joy, Chante, Krystal, and Abby (assuming she can get herself out of this slump she's been in all season), because with the notable exception of Abby, they all showed significant improvement over the course of the season. If Jasmine can become a consistent scorer and distributor like she showed flashes of this season, and Chante continues to develop as she has during this season (and it'd be nice if Krystal could work on her post moves over the summer), I think we'll be in the top 5 for the entirety of the season next year, and in the running for the NC again.

Anyway, that was a long post, thanks for everybody who read it. :-)

M.H.

JG Nothing
04-02-2008, 11:11 AM
As much as I've been disappointed in some of the games' outcomes this year, I'm pretty excited about next year.

...Just give her some time to get her players in place and a couple of recruiting seasons, and I think we'll be just as good as we were under Goestenkors, if not better. Plus, her visibility and charisma are doing wonders for the image of the program, IMO.


Regardless of how well McCallie can coach, her stated disinterest in recruiting is very troubling. This attitude is in stark contrast with G who was a recruiting machine. McCallie's top recruit for 2008 had already committed under G. Her 2009 and 2010 recruiting classes will tell a lot about the future of this program. Alleva says McCallie was hired to take Duke to the "next level." Do not be surprised if Duke women fans hold her to that standard.
As far as the image of the program goes, it is at rock bottom right now among many dedicated fans. There are a lot of rumors out there and obviously some very real problems exist. Quoting Mechelle Voepel from ESPN's NCAA Tournament notebook:
"With the Blue Devils, we'll have to see what shakes out in the offseason for a program that had some turmoil behind the scenes with a new coach. Joanne P. McCallie and some of the Blue Devils have to work -- and it shouldn't all fall on the players -- to mend fences. Are they up for it?"
Obviously, Voepel places part of the blame on McCallie.

Bluedawg
04-02-2008, 12:08 PM
Alleva says McCallie was hired to take Duke to the "next level." Do not be surprised if Duke women fans hold her to that standard.

I had the opportunity to speak with her before the season and she is holding herself to that standard.

Bluedawg
04-02-2008, 12:12 PM
As much as I've been disappointed in some of the games' outcomes this year, I'm pretty excited about next year.

In contrast to some of the previous posters' comments, I actually thought that we looked good on defense this year, with the notable exception of the UNC games and the UConn game at the beginning of the year (but again, that was depleted with injuries). And as much as I want us to always beat Carolina (GTHCGTH), they're a damned talented team and you're not going to keep them down every time.

I most certainly don't want Coach P to be on the hot seat after only two seasons, because not only has she shown the ability to coach in big-time games (think the close losses to Tenn and at Maryland, which was closer than 15 points until the FT's at the end, and the wins over Rutgers and Maryland), but she has proven that she can take the situations that the game gives her and work with them. Not making it to the Final Four every season is not a reason to skewer a coach, regardless of the situation or location. Just give her some time to get her players in place and a couple of recruiting seasons, and I think we'll be just as good as we were under Goestenkors, if not better. Plus, her visibility and charisma are doing wonders for the image of the program, IMO.

Personally, I'm looking forward to seeing Jasmine, Joy, Chante, Krystal, and Abby (assuming she can get herself out of this slump she's been in all season), because with the notable exception of Abby, they all showed significant improvement over the course of the season. If Jasmine can become a consistent scorer and distributor like she showed flashes of this season, and Chante continues to develop as she has during this season (and it'd be nice if Krystal could work on her post moves over the summer), I think we'll be in the top 5 for the entirety of the season next year, and in the running for the NC again.

Anyway, that was a long post, thanks for everybody who read it. :-)

M.H.

I take exception to your attack on Abby, and instead of repeating myself I'll link back to my post: http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showpost.php?p=128465&postcount=17

MHTorringjan
04-07-2008, 11:28 AM
I take exception to your attack on Abby, and instead of repeating myself I'll link back to my post: http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showpost.php?p=128465&postcount=17

No, I didn't really mean it as an attack, merely as a critique of my perception of her play this season. My perception of her play this past season is partly due to the alteration of her role on the team. Certainly, I agree that she has diversified her abilities and improved in terms of rebounding and assisting and likely certain intangibles, and I agree that there is a reason behind the decline in point production, which could be linked to the new system. But at the same time, the decline in point production (and not only production, but shooting percentage, which is likely the more important statistic of the two) and the rumors of disagreements behind the scenes are troubling.

JG, that's a good point that you bring up about the rumors of turmoil, I had only started hearing about those around the time of the tournament, and was really basing my opinion on the attitude at the beginning of the season. You're probably right, though.

Out of curiosity, does anyone have a reference for the statement earlier about the stated disinterest in recruiting?

But overall, like I said, I'm excited to see the team next year, because I think we'll be even better than we were this year.

M.H.

Bluedawg
04-07-2008, 12:03 PM
Out of curiosity, does anyone have a reference for the statement earlier about the stated disinterest in recruiting?

M.H.

I've read this on this board, but I have not seen a direct quote from her on this.

blueprofessor
04-07-2008, 12:34 PM
Out of curiosity, does anyone have a reference for the statement earlier about the stated disinterest in recruiting?



M.H.

************************************************** ********
USA Today article from three years ago:



http://www.usatoday.com/sports...homegrown_x.htm

Quote: "We do nationally recruit, but if we can go 30 miles, that's how far we're going to go because I can't stand recruiting," McCallie says. "I will take the shortest distance to a recruit. I think if you can get great talent in the Midwest, why would you go somewhere else?"

Best regards.:)

MHTorringjan
04-07-2008, 01:25 PM
************************************************** ********
USA Today article from three years ago:



http://www.usatoday.com/sports...homegrown_x.htm

Quote: "We do nationally recruit, but if we can go 30 miles, that's how far we're going to go because I can't stand recruiting," McCallie says. "I will take the shortest distance to a recruit. I think if you can get great talent in the Midwest, why would you go somewhere else?"

Best regards.:)

Thanks for that. Hopefully, in the past three years, her attitude would have changed somewhat, although from the statements of some of the others around here suggest it may not be the case.

I mean, on the one hand, I think I can see what she's saying, if you have to choose between two players that have equal perceived value to the team and one is 30 miles away and the other is 1000 miles away, and you have to choose between the two, then I could see why you would only talk to the closer one.

However, to succeed at the highest levels, recruitment of a variety of high-level recruits is vital and getting your tendrils out everywhere would make more sense.

Anyway, that's just my take on it.

M.H.

Bluedawg
04-10-2008, 12:49 PM
************************************************** ********
USA Today article from three years ago:



http://www.usatoday.com/sports...homegrown_x.htm

Quote: "We do nationally recruit, but if we can go 30 miles, that's how far we're going to go because I can't stand recruiting," McCallie says. "I will take the shortest distance to a recruit. I think if you can get great talent in the Midwest, why would you go somewhere else?"

Best regards.:)

While trying to bring up this article to read it in its entirety I found this:


The requested document was not found.

Is there a better link?

blueprofessor
04-10-2008, 01:23 PM
[QUOTE=Bluedawg;134346]While trying to bring up this article to read it in its entirety I found this:



Is there a better link?[/QUOTE

************************************************** ************************************************** ************************************************** ************************************************** ************************************************** ************************************************** *******************************************
I just did and the article was available.Give it a try Bluedawg!

Try also;
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/womensbasketball/tourney05/2005-04-04-mich-state-homegrown_x.htm

Best regards.:)

Bluedawg
04-10-2008, 01:37 PM
[QUOTE=Bluedawg;134346]While trying to bring up this article to read it in its entirety I found this:



Is there a better link?[/QUOTE

************************************************** ************************************************** ************************************************** ************************************************** ************************************************** ************************************************** *******************************************
I just did and the article was available.Give it a try Bluedawg!



Best regards.:)

FOUND IT..and the next paragraph was interesting:


Since recruiting has become a game of high-tech silliness, electronic courtships with coaches text messaging teenagers like love-struck suitors, McCallie wishes for a return to a more genuine time.

the lead-in to it was also interesting:


Like her counterpart on the men's side, when McCallie came to East Lansing five years ago, she tried to "put a fence around the state, the area, and keep those great players in here," men's coach Tom Izzo has said.

The formula worked. Tonight the Michigan State women will play Baylor for the national championship at the same arena where the Spartans men won the 2000 title

I figured there was more to it than that one quote.

GrayHare
04-10-2008, 01:51 PM
I figured there was more to it than that one quote.

Right again...


I'm hoping that we [Michagan State] can be so good one day that they could just know us by watching us be successful and say, "I want to go there," and then come visit.

blueprofessor
04-10-2008, 01:56 PM
[QUOTE=blueprofessor;134364]

FOUND IT..and the next paragraph was interesting:



the lead-in to it was also interesting:



I figured there was more to it than that one quote.
************************************************** *************
...was "...because I[McCallie] can't stand recruiting."

The universe of excellent female bballers in high school is substantially smaller than that of men bballers.
Recruiting at the top level is ,perhaps, more critical in the women's game given the relative numbers of available, top talent among high school women ballers.In the men's game talent can be found everywhere,while a good deal of talent coalesces among about 6-8 college teams in the women's game.Duke needs to be one of those talent magnets,as it was for many years under Coach G.

Best regards.:)