The Stanford Thing

[YCN]

First, I would like to note that the women's West Regional is the only one in either the women's or the men's tournaments with the top 4 seeds still standing.

Having said that, and having perused a Stanford message board today, it is obvious that the Oklahoma Sooners continue to be a fascination among the Cardinal fans.

It is abundantly clear that their fans want to play OU in the regional final in the worst way -- I wonder about their team?

I mention this because while I believe that Stanford wants to beat OU like no other, there is another team that probably has a Cardinal team photo pasted over their dartboard tonight.

Colorado.

I've spent quite a bit of time here in Boulder, and a lot of that time was when the Buffs were a pretty darn good team. Not great, but very good. The one thing that has haunted Coach Barry in her career has a name: Stanford.

Repeatedly the Buffs have made the NCAA tournament, and almost without exception the team has run into a brick wall against the Cardinal. They are without a doubt their #1 NCAA nemesis.

So you tell me - If you were Ceal Barry, and you were playing the Cardinal - how hard would you push your players' buttons in order to get a win?

NOBODY wants to beat Stanford more than they do.

While the posters at the Stanford board occasionally mention that they won't look past CU, of course; I wonder. While their admittedly very fine team has been playing against overmatched opponents night after night, the senior-dominated Buffs have been honing their game against the nation's best conference.

And their seniors, underachievers early in their careers, are hungry - very hungry - to achieve at last an unforgettable measure of success.

So the question of the day regarding the West Regional has to be, will Stanford look past Colorado to Oklahoma?

[vickie1ok]

I frickin' hope so! It works for me.

[Bball Girl]

They may look beyond CU and pay the price for doing so...they did that with ASU in the Pac 10 tourney and it probably cost them a #1 seed. CU is no ASU (and that's a compliment after watching ASU destroyed by Vandy). The Buffs are playing much better ball now than they were at the first of the year. I look to Ceale to have them ready to do battle.

I'm ready for Stanford to go down, I'm tired of hearing everyone pick them to be in the NC against UConn.

I'm glad the West actually has 4 teams from the West and that West of the Mississippi River is well respresented this year..and it will be even better to have 2 teams from the Big 12 playing for a spot in the Final Four.

[swok34]

Stanford lost to Arizona State because Yamasaki was out still due to her surgery and Powell can't carry the load 2 nights in row.....by herself and with no one else stepping up. For all the press that Powell gets (and I certainly think it's deserved); Yamasaki is the leading scorer of the team.

I really don't think a coach like Tara, who's been at this a really long time, will allow her team to overlook any opponent.

You have to remember that you are reading "fan" boards, not team boards. I don't know about many women players read those boards, but I'm willing to bet many do not...who has time between studying, practicing, travelling and playing?.....the fans do and the fans are not always representative of the teams preparation of ballgames.

I had my issues with Stanford fans LAST year, I do not feel the same way this year.

Respect all opponents, fear none

[Beerman]

CU did knock the #1 seeded Cardinal outta the tourney and cleared the way for Tech to then win the whole thing back in '93.

That upset was HUGE is Tech's run at the title.

Stanford had also been a big mental hurdle for the Lady Raiders up to that point and to see them be eliminated was a huge weight lifted off of their shoulders.

Can't believe that was 9 years ago. But here we are again, the 3 of us along with OU playing in the mountains of the Northwest for a ticket to the Final 4. http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/smile.gif

One thing I never understood about that bracket back then was that Tech was the visiting team throughout the tourney.

Since CU was playing the #1 seed, their seed would have had to have been below Tech's #3, yet Tech wore their dark unis and CU wore white in the regional final.

I'm glad that's how it worked out cuz I liked Tech's black unis. I just don't understand how it played out that way.

[carolann]

I really don't think a coach like Tara, who's been at this a really long time, will allow her team to overlook any opponent.

Coaches can talk but the players have to listen and believe. Coaches can talk until they are blue in the face and their players can still overlook a team.

[elfdenmom]

I hope Stanford does overlook CU. I will be rooting for CU big time! Not only do I like Ceal Barry, but I like the gutsy way the players have played all season. Besides I would just love to have 3 Big 12 teams vying for a Final Four spot. Live on conspiracy to get the Big 12 to the final four by putting them in the same region. Of, course we must not forget that conspiracy AGAINST the SEC by putting Vandy and TU in the same region.

[Beerman]

C'mon. You mean nobody knows the rules determining who is the home team and who is the visiting team?

And if they have changed, when did those changes take place?

[swok34]

I thought the higher seed was always the home team.....

[Beerman]

swok,

Thanks for trying to answer. But your answer does not explain why Tech, the higher seed, was weraing their black uniforms back in the '93 regional against CU.

Does the home team not have to wear white? Is that something that has changed?

Why do I care? What's the relevence? Well, basically because TT and CU are in the same regional again and even though it's been 9 years, I still don't know why Tech wore the black unis.....

....and it's been buggin' me. http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/eek.gif

[swok34]

Beerman, I really don't know...OU has always worn their whites in the tourney, except for the Purdue game 2 years ago. In the Big XII tourney games, they were always in whites.

Maybe it has changed since '93?

[YCN]

Just a couple of hours ago (or less?) the broadcast team for the NCAA Division II championship game said that a coin toss determines the home team.

I wonder if that applies to the NCAA Division I tourney as well?