DblT81
02-11-2002, 09:06 PM
These two AP articles came out last week and demonstrate that staying a top 25 program is very difficult.
----------------------------------------------
Tuesday, February 5
Georgia struggling in post-Miller era
By Paul Newberry
Associated Press
ATHENS, Ga. -- Andy Landers leaned back in his chair, stared at the ceiling and rubbed his eyes so hard it appeared he was trying to wipe away the debacle he had just seen.
Georgia coach Andy Landers: "The day they start listening to what I say and do what I tell them to do, we'll be a lot better off.''
In 23 years as the women's basketball coach at Georgia, Landers has never had a team that lost three straight at home. But last Thursday's defeat was almost too much to take -- the No. 19 Lady Bulldogs squandered an 11-point lead in the final two minutes and fell to Mississippi State 72-71 Thursday night.
"We don't look like a basketball team," Landers moaned.
These are dark times at a school that has routinely been one of the nation's best programs, winning seven SEC championships and reaching the Final Four five times during the Landers era.
Georgia (15-6) is off to a 4-5 start in the SEC, its worst start since 1992-93. In a conference that includes six ranked teams, the Lady Bulldogs have put themselves in precarious position just to reach the NCAA Tournament.
After starting the season 11-0, Georgia has lost six of its past 10 games. The next game takes Georgia to No. 11 South Carolina. After that, the Lady Bulldogs return home to face No. 12 Florida and No. 2 Tennessee two days apart.
Landers claims he saw trouble coming all season. The Lady Bulldogs have started 10 different lineups, searching for a combination to fill the void left by departed stars Kelly Miller, Coco Miller and Deana Nolan, all picked in the first round of the WNBA draft.
The Miller twins were four-year starters in the backcourt, teaming with Nolan to make Georgia a team that looked to its guards. And if things got harried, Landers could count on Kelly Miller's calming influence from the point.
This team has size -- Braxton, McDonald and Christi Thomas are all at least 6 feet 4 -- but no one to run the floor. The guards include two freshmen, Law and Nikki Eason, and two more experienced players, Lycett and senior Camille Murphy, who were backups until this season.
During its slump, Georgia has averaged 19.8 turnovers a game. During the 11-0 start, the number was even worse: 20.4.
"I don't want to regroup," Landers said. "Regroup means to get back where we were. I don't want to be there. Where we were was turnover city, and jack-up-any-shot city and poor accountability. I don't want to go back there."
The last time Georgia missed the NCAAs was 1994, but Landers is more concerned with the basics. "It's the same thing it's been all year," Landers said. "The day they start listening to what I say and do what I tell them to do, we'll be a lot better off."
----------------------------------------------
Whoa. And some Marsha Sharp critics gripe when she says the Lady Raiders need to play with more intensity. Good thing Landers isn't in Lubbock.
-------------------------------------------------
Saturday, February 9
Traditional powers Rutgers and Kansas struggling
By Chuck Schoffner
Associated Press
They are proud programs, each with a rich history of success. Rutgers went to the Final Four as recently as 2000. Kansas made nine straight NCAA tournament appearances from 1992 through 2000.
C. Vivian Stringer led Rutgers to the Final Four in 2000, but a trip to the Big Dance in 2002 seems doubtful.
Their coaches are pioneers. They fought the early battles for recognition and acceptance long before women's basketball achieved the popularity it enjoys today.
But this season, C. Vivian Stringer at Rutgers and Marian Washington at Kansas are watching in frustration as their teams stumble to one loss after another.
Rutgers, coming off four straight NCAA Tournament trips, is 7-15 overall and 4-6 in the Big East. It has been even worse at Kansas, which is 0-12 in the Big 12 and 5-20 overall.
At Rutgers, the problem is youth and numbers. Stringer has used only nine players and five are freshmen, all of whom have started at one time or another. With freshman guard Chelsea Newton out with a broken finger, the roster is down to eight.
"We're having one heck of a mess," Stringer said. "Sometimes we do things offensively that I swear I don't even recognize. They don't, either. They look at the film the next day and it's like, 'Dang, what were we doing there?' "
Rutgers' problems have been compounded by the absence of guard Cappie Pondexter, a partial qualifier who is ineligible this season. Pondexter was Parade magazine's national high school player of the year last season.
How much difference would she have made?
"That's an awful lot of burden to put on a freshman," said Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma, who coached Pondexter in the junior world championships last summer. "I do know when I was coaching her, she was the kind of kid who would go into games at times and have a huge impact.
"Whether or not that's the difference Rutgers is missing, I don't know. But anytime you have a player like Cappie not available, obviously that means you're not as good a team as you would be otherwise."
Kansas has plenty of experienced players. The Jayhawks just can't shoot.
In all 12 of their conference games, the Jayhawks have failed to score 60 points. They were beaten at home by Colorado 70-35 and shot 28.6 percent in a 75-50 loss to Iowa State on Wednesday night before a 69-57 loss to Missouri on Saturday. KU is shooting just 39.5 percent for the season.
------------------------------------------------------
Even good coaching cannot overcome inexperienced youth and lack of talent. The youth part highlights the incredible success by Kansas St this year.
----------------------------------------------
Tuesday, February 5
Georgia struggling in post-Miller era
By Paul Newberry
Associated Press
ATHENS, Ga. -- Andy Landers leaned back in his chair, stared at the ceiling and rubbed his eyes so hard it appeared he was trying to wipe away the debacle he had just seen.
Georgia coach Andy Landers: "The day they start listening to what I say and do what I tell them to do, we'll be a lot better off.''
In 23 years as the women's basketball coach at Georgia, Landers has never had a team that lost three straight at home. But last Thursday's defeat was almost too much to take -- the No. 19 Lady Bulldogs squandered an 11-point lead in the final two minutes and fell to Mississippi State 72-71 Thursday night.
"We don't look like a basketball team," Landers moaned.
These are dark times at a school that has routinely been one of the nation's best programs, winning seven SEC championships and reaching the Final Four five times during the Landers era.
Georgia (15-6) is off to a 4-5 start in the SEC, its worst start since 1992-93. In a conference that includes six ranked teams, the Lady Bulldogs have put themselves in precarious position just to reach the NCAA Tournament.
After starting the season 11-0, Georgia has lost six of its past 10 games. The next game takes Georgia to No. 11 South Carolina. After that, the Lady Bulldogs return home to face No. 12 Florida and No. 2 Tennessee two days apart.
Landers claims he saw trouble coming all season. The Lady Bulldogs have started 10 different lineups, searching for a combination to fill the void left by departed stars Kelly Miller, Coco Miller and Deana Nolan, all picked in the first round of the WNBA draft.
The Miller twins were four-year starters in the backcourt, teaming with Nolan to make Georgia a team that looked to its guards. And if things got harried, Landers could count on Kelly Miller's calming influence from the point.
This team has size -- Braxton, McDonald and Christi Thomas are all at least 6 feet 4 -- but no one to run the floor. The guards include two freshmen, Law and Nikki Eason, and two more experienced players, Lycett and senior Camille Murphy, who were backups until this season.
During its slump, Georgia has averaged 19.8 turnovers a game. During the 11-0 start, the number was even worse: 20.4.
"I don't want to regroup," Landers said. "Regroup means to get back where we were. I don't want to be there. Where we were was turnover city, and jack-up-any-shot city and poor accountability. I don't want to go back there."
The last time Georgia missed the NCAAs was 1994, but Landers is more concerned with the basics. "It's the same thing it's been all year," Landers said. "The day they start listening to what I say and do what I tell them to do, we'll be a lot better off."
----------------------------------------------
Whoa. And some Marsha Sharp critics gripe when she says the Lady Raiders need to play with more intensity. Good thing Landers isn't in Lubbock.
-------------------------------------------------
Saturday, February 9
Traditional powers Rutgers and Kansas struggling
By Chuck Schoffner
Associated Press
They are proud programs, each with a rich history of success. Rutgers went to the Final Four as recently as 2000. Kansas made nine straight NCAA tournament appearances from 1992 through 2000.
C. Vivian Stringer led Rutgers to the Final Four in 2000, but a trip to the Big Dance in 2002 seems doubtful.
Their coaches are pioneers. They fought the early battles for recognition and acceptance long before women's basketball achieved the popularity it enjoys today.
But this season, C. Vivian Stringer at Rutgers and Marian Washington at Kansas are watching in frustration as their teams stumble to one loss after another.
Rutgers, coming off four straight NCAA Tournament trips, is 7-15 overall and 4-6 in the Big East. It has been even worse at Kansas, which is 0-12 in the Big 12 and 5-20 overall.
At Rutgers, the problem is youth and numbers. Stringer has used only nine players and five are freshmen, all of whom have started at one time or another. With freshman guard Chelsea Newton out with a broken finger, the roster is down to eight.
"We're having one heck of a mess," Stringer said. "Sometimes we do things offensively that I swear I don't even recognize. They don't, either. They look at the film the next day and it's like, 'Dang, what were we doing there?' "
Rutgers' problems have been compounded by the absence of guard Cappie Pondexter, a partial qualifier who is ineligible this season. Pondexter was Parade magazine's national high school player of the year last season.
How much difference would she have made?
"That's an awful lot of burden to put on a freshman," said Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma, who coached Pondexter in the junior world championships last summer. "I do know when I was coaching her, she was the kind of kid who would go into games at times and have a huge impact.
"Whether or not that's the difference Rutgers is missing, I don't know. But anytime you have a player like Cappie not available, obviously that means you're not as good a team as you would be otherwise."
Kansas has plenty of experienced players. The Jayhawks just can't shoot.
In all 12 of their conference games, the Jayhawks have failed to score 60 points. They were beaten at home by Colorado 70-35 and shot 28.6 percent in a 75-50 loss to Iowa State on Wednesday night before a 69-57 loss to Missouri on Saturday. KU is shooting just 39.5 percent for the season.
------------------------------------------------------
Even good coaching cannot overcome inexperienced youth and lack of talent. The youth part highlights the incredible success by Kansas St this year.