Opinions of Physical Play

[cardinalclone]

I would like your opinions on physical play in women's college basketball. One reason I prefer the women's game over the men's is there some actual basketball skills and finesse on display in those games. I like to watch a defender try to deny her opponent from getting the ball, and then get into good defensive position to cut off the dribble penetration. I like to watch a guard who is skilled at beating an opponent off the dribble and either pull up for the jumper or make a great pass. It was so much fun watching Jackie Stiles do this and she worked many hours to become skilled at that. But if a defender is just pounding on the guard all night, it just seems to be the lazy way out.
I'm concerned that the women's game is becoming too physical. I watched the Iowa State-Eastern Kentucky game on Saturday night and basically EK rotated two point guards and three centers and just pounded on Lindsey Wilson and Angie Welle all night. The two point guards and one center eventually fouled out, but it wasn't a fun game to watch.
I don't watch the NBA at all. It's not fun to watch someone throwing a lob into Shaq and watch him lower his shoulder into the defender two or three times and then dunk the ball. The women's game is more popular than ever and think it would be a mistake if it even became as phsyical as men's college basketball. I've heard that some college coaches actually tell there players to foul on every possession because the refs aren't going to call all of them. Those are the coaches who then complain about the disparity in fouls called. I would like to hear your opinions on this subject.

[elfdenmom]

I totally agree, cardinal clone. Too many really bad injuries being handed out. I love a finesse game!

[RaiderPower1]

Not to start anything...but that is what Marsha said that UT did in Lubbock last year. The refs can't call EVERY foul they see so eventually you're gonna get away with some. http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/confused.gif

[NorthForty]

It was obvious was the game plan versus the Cyclones was this weekend, pound on Angie Welle. She took more elbows and fore arm shivers this weekend then I have seen in a long time. Let's pray that she holds up because a lot of other teams will try to do the same thing.

[kate dawg]

I think Angie can take it and go the distance. It seems to me that people have probably been trying to do that hack-attack plan for the last 2+ seasons anyway, especially last season when she really didn't have a capable backup since Huelman had graduated.

I heard she looks stronger and more fit than ever...Cyclone fans, can you attest to this? She's a tough player and I think she'll take her beatings and hacking and still manage to put double-doubles on pretty much everyone.

[ChipperF1]

The biggest problem with "physical play" is that officials have turned such a blind eye to it. In the last few years, you've had reinterpretations of just about every role governing this issue from player control to the recent hadn-check controversy and still you have hackfest '02 going on.
When collegiate officials go back to the basics of what is and what isn't a foul, you'll have a good balance between physical play and more hacking than a cat with a hairball problem. If an illegal move gains an advantage for a player, its a foul.
In the case of the ISU-Eastern Kentucky game, the officials needed to tighten up early in that game. The first elbow Welle got should have been whistled. In a game where people are going to go elbows high, the official have to set the early tone away from that kind of play. The same goes for point guards who push off nearly every dribble (just about every penetrators in the Big 12 does it), that goes for shooters who pull off the "Grant Hill Chickenwing" (yes, Danielle Crockrum and Lane Caulfield, I'm talk to you. They have the best hip-slingshot moves in the league). Officials have to start calling it.

One thing fans have to realize on the other hand is that this game is getting increasingly more athletic. These player are bigger, stronger and faster than they've ever been. There will be more contact (Basketball has always been a contact sport. It's never been a game when people don't touch people.). Proper officiating will keep the obvious hacking down, and at the same time keep the fineese and the force of the game.