OU starting lineup shakeup Part 2

[Jennifer]

Maria is out of the starting lineup; here's the starting lineup for today.
Dionnah Jackson
Laura Andrews
Lauren Shoush
Beky Preston
Chelsi Welch

That is a very young lineup-3 FR, 2 Soph.

[JohnHenry]

What's wrong with Villa?

[YCN]

That's got to be one of the youngest starting lineups in the country.

[JohnHenry]

Looks like OU's getting torn up inside, and shooting horribly ...but i've only got gametracker to go on...Wecker has 10, Ohlde 7 w/ 7rebs...looks like Andrews is holding her own on the boards with 8 for OU...now if they can only hit some shots.

Is Villa hurt?

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[This message has been edited by JohnHenry (edited 02-01-2003).]

[JohnHenry]

OK, that was an experiment that failed miserably.
They looked really bad, too - slow, poor execution, the works.
74-45. Ouch.
I only got to SEE a few minutes of the 2nd half - I guess the reality was that OU just didn't match up at all with KSU and Coale just wanted the kids to get some good PT under their collective belts....

They could have sat Ohlde the entire 2nd half. I suppose we'll see a different OU next week, though. Coale's too good to let the wheels come off completely. They'll get it back together and learn a few things from this one.
Damn, KW is the real deal; a straight-up hustler. Can we not get her pissed off again, ISU? She was the Big Nasty today.

[Jennifer]

Well, Shoush is a sparkplug...fun to watch. Chelsi Welch is really coming along. Beky Preston looked good, to-you can see her game-to-game improvement. Andrews is turning out to be quite the rebounder. There are positives, but the shooting continues to be a big negative. They do have some possessions where the look good, run through the offense, make good sharp passes and score. Those are just few and far between.
So OU has lost to the top 3 teams on their home court. It seems even more jumbled in the middle with OU, Colorado, Baylor, ISU, and Missouri.

[YCN]

Jennifer, I completely believed that OU would finish in the top six this year, but I had no illusions about OU finishing in the top 3.

Considering the conference we are in and the fact that we lost 4 starters to graduation, and 2 starters already this year to injury, I'm not going to be upset by KSU jumping on us and stomping a little bit.

We'll be better, but it takes time.

[MsProudSooner]

I wonder if Maria has hit that proverbial 'wall' that lots of JC players encounter their first year in D-1 basketball.

Hopefully, she will find her second wind.

[schooner2]

Originally posted by MsProudSooner:
I wonder if Maria has hit that proverbial 'wall' that lots of JC players encounter their first year in D-1 basketball.

Hopefully, she will find her second wind.

There's gotta be more to it if she is not starting. How often do you see a team's top scorer not start? Obviously Coach Coale is sending a message to Maria and Teresa. And Teresa still has not awaken. Lets see what it does to Maria.

Agreed on other posts, I really like our freshman Andrews is a great rebounder, Welch is unstoppable at times, and Preston made some great moves at times against Ohlde.

[swok34]

I guess the reality was that OU just didn't match up at all with KSU and Coale just wanted the kids to get some good PT under their collective belts....

except Sherri Coale doesn't think this way......I've heard Sherri say in the past two weeks that OU's second five is just as good as it's starting five.

I really think she's looking for the right combination. I, at first, had thought Beky Preston starting was not a good idea...
but she really does a better job than Schuknecht. Now I'm not sure if I'm willing to say Schuknecht is playing better off the bench.....she's not.

And, Maria's ball-handling skills have always been suspect. I did think she had been improving....but the last 2 games, she has turned the ball over quite a bit.

[JohnHenry]

Seemed like Jackson was their best ball-handler regardless of who else was on the floor...i'd have to agree about Preston, based on what little I have seen...re: Villa - I just figured she was still a better scoring threat in spite of her recent performances....sometimes it helps to put'em right back on that horse, y'know? Her confidence and rhythm may not have been well-served by 10 minutes off the bench, but I'm certainly not the one getting paid $$ to make those decisions.

Looks like OU's most effective 5 is (imo):

Jackson, Villaroel, Welch, Andrews, Preston - Jackson seems pretty versatile; can direct the offense, defend on the wings and the baseline, and make plays off the dribble....I guess you're still looking at a soft spot in the middle, but i'd be encouraged by Andrews' work today in that area - looks like rebounding is in her blood. Shuk may take some time to adjust to her new role, but I think she's got enough goods to provide serviceable relief in the paint.

One thing's for sure: all this youth means lots of early playing time and OJT - this group will be pretty dynamite in a year or two (assuming they stay healthy).

[Jennifer]

Originally posted by YCN:
Jennifer, I completely believed that OU would finish in the top six this year, but I had no illusions about OU finishing in the top 3.

I didn't think they'd finish in the top 3, but I at least hoped they'd upset one of the top 3! Upsets happen...and they've had them all on their home court. The odds are much more against them in Austin or LUbbock to get an upset. So, I just hope they can win the rest of the games they are supposed to and get the #4 seed in Dallas.
Baylor at home
Missouri (at home I think?)
ISU at home
at Colorado
OSU x2
at A&M

and hopefully somewhere along the line their offense will show up consistantly. http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/smile.gif

[Jennifer]

Post game quotes from Coach Coale:

On the lack of offense
"Well if I could explain it I would fix it. It is partly youth and partly the rigors of Big 12 play. Preparing for opponent after opponent, after opponent and how mentally draining that can be. Partly not having a leader, not having senior leadership anywhere."

On Kendra Wecker:
"Well she's big and strong and yet she can shoot the three. She can take you off the dribble, so there is nothing she can't do on the offensive end of the floor. I thought Dionnah did a fairly good job on her early. She made some tough shots. Dionnah for the most part handled her assignment correctly and maybe she didn't get out to contest a few times. For the most part she did a good job. Kendra makes you look silly sometimes because she is so strong, quick and athletic."


The bolded part above is key, IMHO. There just doesn't seem to be that take charge player/leader, who will carry the team on their shoulders...yet. Dionnah is at times. I think Chelsi will be.

[dem]

Originally posted by JohnHenry:

Damn, KW is the real deal; a straight-up hustler. Can we not get her pissed off again, ISU? She was the Big Nasty today.


I'm a big fan of Wecker and I was really looking forward to seeing her play in Ames last Wednesday. But -- of course -- I wanted Iowa State to win. Turned out that Wecker had maybe her worst game of the season that night (some credit to great ISU defense) and I didn't get to see her perform the way she really can. But then, if she had, Iowa State would surely have lost. Maybe I'll have to visit Bramlage some day so I can pull for her without feeling conflicted.

[elfdenmom]

Trying to carry the team on your back as a sophmore is an awful lot to ask. Jia had to do a lot of that last year and, as amazing a player as Jia is, it got to be a heavier and heavier burden as the year wore on. The good news is that, while having so many young and inexperienced players leads to incosistency and frustration this year, it will lead to dividends next year...at least it has at Tech.

[swok34]

Perhaps led by the committee of Welch AND Jackson would best serve this team at this time. I think it's too much of a load for Jackson to carry it alone, and I think Chelsi's too young to carry it alone.

Or heck, do we truly need a "leader"? Though I'm not sure I would call Phylesha Whaley a "leader" in the role she played...she definitely put the team on her back and "carried" them. But, by the same token, Whaley never seemed to be a "leader".....but it was definitely her team. She and Stacey Dales kinda shared it Whaley's senior year....but Stacey had all the quality's of one you would call a leader.

I've never thought OU would end up top three....but I have been hoping for the #4 spot, more because of the bye at the tourney more than anything.....and after this week's games, there seem's to be a larger logjam for those middle spots of 4,5,6. In the beginning I thought OU, CU and BU.....now MU and ISU saw a crack in the sidewalk and decided THEY wanted in, too http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/smile.gif

Why do I have a feeling we are going to have a whole bunch of tie-breaking-figuring-out to do come first week of March?

[This message has been edited by swok34 (edited 02-02-2003).]