Knee jerk reactions to last couple of games

[atlantasooner]

1. Not sure how good Washington is, but that was a gutty road performance win.

2. The team misses Gioya scoring presence and athletic presence on the perimeter.

3. Due to point 2, Maddie really needs to be that go to number two scorer for this squad. We've seen the potential, we've seen production the last two games. Now, the last challenge, consistency, she needs to bring the scoring aggression every night to compliment Peyton and the Post Duo (KayKay, VLP I think their combined scored is probably the best metric to track rather than individually).

4. After an odd start of the year funk, Ortiz is starting to heat up.

5. (knee jerk reactions ie it's too soon to really make a reasonable judgement)
Is this a NCAA sweet 16 type team?
If Manning can consistently be the 2nd scoring threat and Gioya can return in January. Then yes.

Is this team a Big 12 title contender?
Right now I'm having a hard time viewing this squad as Big 12 Champs.

 

[SoonerNorm]

1. Not sure how good Washington is, but that was a gutty road performance win.

2. The team misses Gioya scoring presence and athletic presence on the perimeter.

3. Due to point 2, Maddie really needs to be that go to number two scorer for this squad. We've seen the potential, we've seen production the last two games. Now, the last challenge, consistency, she needs to bring the scoring aggression every night to compliment Peyton and the Post Duo (KayKay, VLP I think their combined scored is probably the best metric to track rather than individually).

4. After an odd start of the year funk, Ortiz is starting to heat up.

5. (knee jerk reactions ie it's too soon to really make a reasonable judgement)
Is this a NCAA sweet 16 type team?
If Manning can consistently be the 2nd scoring threat and Gioya can return in January. Then yes.

Is this team a Big 12 title contender?
Right now I'm having a hard time viewing this squad as Big 12 Champs.

Good post! Maddie's scoring and rebounding are badly needed going forward. She scored 19 pts at Tulsa but could have scored 30. She only took 7 shots from the field. We need for her to think "score" every time she touches the ball rather than pass. Many of her turnovers are caused when she penetrates then makes an ill-advised pass in traffic rather than taking a 6' jump shot. Everyone seems to know Maddie can score except Maddie. She should take 12+ shots per game even though she doesn't want to shoot that much. Her scoring would go up, turnovers would go down, and we would have easier wins.

If we can get Gioya back, it will make a significant difference on both ends of the court.

 

[Sweetest OU Girl]

I agree that the Washington game was a very nice win for the team. And it was a team effort.

It appears KK has moved a step forward from Vivi. That is not surprising since KK is a 5th year (redshirt) senior and Vivi is a sophomore and is still recovering from injury - much like Maddie was last year - who looks far more comfortable this year. I was really impressed at a moment last night (after KK had 3 fouls) when she showed significant discipline and avoided another foul - which she would have picked up in the past. And KK is displaying a very comprtitive spirit which is a huge advantage when playing inside. She has a great personality for post play - but off the court is just so much fun to listen to. I am hopeful Vivi will continue to progress this year and by next year be ready to take another step forward. Hopefully we will see signs of that later this season. We will clearly need both as the year progresses.

Peyton is struggling a bit, but in a way that is OK. It will not continue forever, and when she gets back on her game we will take a nice step forward as a team.

McKenna did struggle for a moment last night, but that is not surprising. She is young - and is just back from sitting out due to injury. She does appear to have a very competitive spirit - which I like seeing. I predict she will become an excellent player in time.

In fact, this year's team will only be successful when it uses all the tools it has, and continues to play as a team. Everyone has a role to play - and everyone can make a contribution.

 

[sybarite]

I think the Washington game was one that we would have lost in the past two years. We haven't finished well, until this year. This group seems to have a determination or lack of fear that we've missed for two years.

Gioya: well, we will have her, or we won't. We'll worry about that later.

I do think it is a good idea to lump Kay Kay and Vivi together. When one has a lackluster game, the other seems to step up. Kay Kay seems more emotional. Vivi has been losing the handle more in the past couple of games after having excellent handles prior. I wonder if Vivi couldn't score like Kay Kay if she had the confidence?

I don't know about post-season yet. I'm not even sure about conference season yet. I have the feeling that the pieces are there more than they have been in the past three or four years, and they could be better with Gioya. Now, it becomes whether we can mold those pieces.

I actually like the potential of this team more than I did the last Final Four team. The team we put on the floor against Stanford would have had difficulty against this team. But, we need to recognize some things and improve. It might save us ten points a game if we put a ten-foot circle around the basket and said that T'Ona and LaNesia weren't allowed except on a fast break.

 

[MsProudSooner]

Vivi has been losing the handle more in the past couple of games after having excellent handles prior.

With travel to and from the Bahamas and Washington, has this been one of those periods of time when it's been all games and no practice? If so, that might explain it.

 

[Sooners4Life0101]

Not enough is said about ball movement on this thread and because of ball movement I wonder Is there a chance Gioya could be a deficit? I think the ball sticks when Gioya is on the court, and there was some holes in her game that were exposed. She really needed a counter move to her crossover, teams loaded up on it and things got difficult for her. I really thought that Gioya needed a strong offseason to have a major effect this next season, especially since she would come back late in the year, I don't expect a whole lot. She was the most heavily scouted player on our team last season, and they will guard her the same way as they did the second half in conference. If 100% her athleticism could be helpful, if she comes back 100%. But, I don't see her being the dominate guard she was the first half of conference. though, I hope I'm not right.

 

[j2d2]

The whole team needs to learn to stop and pop(except KayKay and ViVi). From what Sherri said post-game(and the way she said it)I gather that Both KayKay and ViVi were really mugged. ViVi may not be used to that to the degree it happened in Washington. We're all holding our collective breath waiting for Maddie to burst out. When Gioya comes back she will need at least a month to get conditioned even if her confidence permits her usual aggression.

 

[soonermike22]

Not enough is said about ball movement on this thread and because of ball movement I wonder Is there a chance Gioya could be a deficit? I think the ball sticks when Gioya is on the court, and there was some holes in her game that were exposed. She really needed a counter move to her crossover, teams loaded up on it and things got difficult for her. I really thought that Gioya needed a strong offseason to have a major effect this next season, especially since she would come back late in the year, I don't expect a whole lot. She was the most heavily scouted player on our team last season, and they will guard her the same way as they did the second half in conference. If 100% her athleticism could be helpful, if she comes back 100%. But, I don't see her being the dominate guard she was the first half of conference. though, I hope I'm not right.

Good analysis. I agree that if Gioya can't work out and play at full speed pretty soon she won't be able to be effective. Better to redshirt her, and give that playing time this year to others. Get Gioya healthy and be a star next year.