WCH Survey

[uconnfan1]

Thought you would find this intersting
http://www.womenscollegehoops.com/rankearlybird.0304.htm

[Guns Up!]

We did, when it came out back in May http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/rolleyes.gif

Now, maybe you'll find this interesting from the same site:

1)Â* Can anyone beat UCONN? Yes, 6-8 teams COULD do it

50)Â* What will be the biggest surprise in 2003-2004? We will publish our usual 10 predictions for surprising turn of events later this fall, but for now we would tell you that we expect UCONN to NOT go unbeaten this year- and to many that would be a surprise

[swok34]

And some more interesting questions that came out today:

1) Will Texas use its late season momentum to win the Big 12 again? No, the Longhorns will be plenty good, but will fall a bit short in the regular season Big 12 title run

Wonder who they think will win the Big XII.......Texas will get my vote when we get around to doing our projecting.

2) KSU and Penn State both return most of last year’s teams including an All American, how good will they be? Both will be darn good, but unless they learn to play better defense, elite 8 is the limit

Hmmmmm, I think now that Ohlde is a senior and Wecker and company are mainly junior's....their defense will have improved.
Especially since so many of them are spending their summer days playing against international competition.

3) How will Baylor do this year? The Big 12 is once again very tough, but after a rebuilding year in 2002-2003, the Bears will be back in the Big Dance.

Led my Sophia Young, I agree with them.

[DBLTFarmer]

I agree, Texas will get my vote as preseason favorite to win the big 12. In fact, I would wager that the coaches, press, and anybody else will be picking UT to win the big 12.

I tend to agree with WCH that KSU's downfall may be their defense. KSU is a very good basketball team, but I dont think you can win the Big 12 playing mostly zone defense. If they start playing a good man to man defense then I think they have a better shot at winning the big 12.

Baylor is still a big question mark. I think they have the potential to be very good but they are playing in the best conference in the country. To finish in the top four they will have to win some big road games. With that they have to go to Iowa State, Kansas State, Missouri, and all of the big 12 south teams. They may have the toughest big 12 schedule out there. They may have a tougher time getting to 20 wins than most people think but with Sophia Young they will probably get there.

[dem]

Originally posted by DBLTFarmer:
KSU is a very good basketball team, but I dont think you can win the Big 12 playing mostly zone defense.

In 2000, Iowa State was co-Big 12 Champion (and Big 12 Tournament #1 seed and Tournament champion), and played virtually 100% zone defense. In 2001, ISU again won the Big 12 Tournament with the same type of defense.

[carolann]

2) KSU and Penn State both return most of last year’s teams including an All American, how good will they be? Both will be darn good, but unless they learn to play better defense, elite 8 is the limit
Yet the site's preseason poll has Kansas State at #4 (Texas is #6, Texas Tech #10, OU at #21, and Colorado at 25.)

Texas deserves to be the preseason favorite in the Big 12, having lost only one starter and one reserve, Alisha Sare whose season was once again limited by injuries. The Horns also have a strong recruiting claass. That said, it will be very hard to repeat as Big 12 champion. Last year was a tight race at the top and I expect next year to be tight as well.

Texas Tech returns most of a deep and talented team. Yet, Baughman and Robertson have a chance to make an impact by providing personal strengths that were team weaknesses for Tech last year. Baughman may be an effective back-up point guard with better outside shooting than Grant. Robertson may combine all around skills, athleticism, and shooting at the three.

KSU returns the Big 4 plus key reserves Amy Dutmer and Brie Madden. KSU played good defense but they weren't always able to make good adjustments - just one of the ways that KSU's lack of depth hurt the Wildcats. To improve, I think KSU needs a guard or two from its large incoming freshman class to make an impact next year. Another question is whether Koehn can stay healthy for a whole season.

OU could potentially be much stronger. The Sooners have, in theory, a lot of talent coming in. However, there are always questions with incoming freshmen and players returning from injury.

I'm not picking Colorado or Baylor to win the conference but, at the same time, I won't be counting a Colorado or Baylor loss ahead of time against any Big 12 opponent.

[DBLTFarmer]

Dem,

I realize that ISU did win those titles, however I believe that the level of talent in the Big 12 has improved enough to overcome zone defenses. When you look at Texas, Kansas State, Tech, OU, Baylor and others I think they have the quickness and in some cases the outside shooting to beat a zone. Tech beat Kansas State twice last year and Tech wasnt a strong outside shooting team.

Last year it really surprised me to see the zone defenses run in the mens and womens final four. If Im not mistaken, the two teams that won the NC's both ran some zone in the finals.

Kansas State would have really benefitted with trapezoid lane. It would have widened the lane and pushed the offensive posts outside more. Maybe next year.

[35TangoTango]

I have to jump in here. I disagree with the concept that zone defense is only good against inferior or slow talent. ("I believe that the level of talent in the Big 12 has improved enough to overcome zone defenses.") When ISU was at it's peak talentwise, their zone defense was good enough to hamper anyone in the conference, then or now.

Also, UConn has lost one game in two years? To what kind of defense?

IMHO, if KSU has a problem, it's not using zone defense, it's lack of team speed, as shown in the Tech game at the end of last season.

[DBLTFarmer]

I know it probably doesnt sound like it but I actually like a zone defense. In fact, I wish the Lady Raiders would play more zone. In certain situations it is a very formidable defense. In a lot of cases I think teams play zone defenses to make up for certain weaknesses in their teams. As soonerman mentioned KSU's weakness may have been team speed and the zone allowed them to make up for potential match up problems.

When I talk about superior talent in the big 12 I am not only talking about athleticism but the whole package. Yes, I think the players in this league are more athletic but I think they are better mid range shooters, better rebounders, better passers, and better defenders. We have 5 teams and maybe even 6 or 7 that are legitimate top 25 teams. We also have three teams that return most if not all their starters that made it to the elite 8 and one of those to the final four.

Iowa State had the best talent in the conference in the years you mentioned. Their talent was such that they could run a very formidable zone.

If I had to pick between Texas and OU at this point I would pick Texas because of defense. I think both teams are pretty evenly matched with Texas holding an edge in athleticism. Texas would be able to better handle K-States zone defense than K-State would handle Texas's man to man defense.

[swok34]

Iowa State had the best talent in the conference in the years you mentioned. Their talent was such that they could run a very formidable zone.

Didn't (and still does) Bill run a lot of junk defenses? I know OU threw in some junk defenses from time to time this past year.