I won't get into Colton since I didn't see any reason to approve of Mike Stoops after the Florida State game of 2000, and I'm not particularly impressed by what I perceive as the efforts of JT Gasso. I don't really know what Gasso and Colton Coale contribute. Not a matter for discussion unless you actually know.
I was disappointed by the Kansas State game. But, at least I saw the game. I'm not sure many did.
Given the history of K State this year, I probably would have let them shoot from outside all night long. They haven't hit those all year. Even after they hit a couple, you would probably be exercising bad judgement to waste your defensive efforts guarding them at the three-point line. Sometimes, teams just have one of those games. K State hit them. They had to stop it sometime. They kept hitting them. They can't keep it up. They kept it up.
K State isn't even that good from two. I wondered if they were ever going to miss a two-point shot. They hit 63% at halftime, and they weren't cripples. They were hitting legitimate shots, the type they can't hit, hadn't hit all year. It happens.
They got ahead 10-0. We actually made a run and pulled within four, 15-11, I think. But, a couple of turnovers that were really stupid, a couple of strange calls, and a couple of threes, and K State never looked back. Every time we got a mini-run of maybe six points, they hit a three, or we had a turnover. Some of the turnovers were suspect calls. We were called for traveling in questionable situations, or moving screens, or charges, or 3-second calls. But, some of our turnovers were just plain dumb. Think.
I think Shaina started the game and the second half. Both times, I think she was pulled after about a minute, and Ana was inserted. Ana played well, and smart. She was the only one who did---the only one. taylor and Jessi were passable. Shaina and Mandy had bad nights. I have no clue what happened to Madi.
The K State announcing crew kept saying what great defense K State was playing. Not true. We couldn't make a shot in an open court. They guarded the three point line. But, they left everything from five to twenty feet pretty much open. We got there at will. But, we didn't shoot when we got there. We were tentative, hesitant, uncertain, incompetent. It's like we feared shooting from ten. We kept trying to set up the three or a layup. Couldn't. Our passing wasn't that crisp. Mostly, we didn't move. We passed the ball around a zone. When we penetrated, we passed rather than shoot. Horrid night of decisions.
We ran into a situation that won't happen often. K-State could have challenged UConn on this one night. They hit shots that UConn didn't. They hit everything. It all worked for them. Three nights earlier, they had lost by 38. They made up for it.
I don't know that there was much to learn from this. We got lost early in the game. We put out effort. We actually outrebounded K State for the first three quarters, despite the fact that we were the ones missing the shots. We got all of the hustle balls in the first half, probably three quarters. We just didn't do anything with it when we got it.
Freshmen played like freshmen, as did a couple of sophs. EJ was in for about ten minutes. One rebound. Did absolutely nothing. Four OU players under the rim, including EJ. One K State player would sneak in and grab the rebound because EJ just stood there taking up space. I think she earned a permanent spot on the bench. No value whatsoever.
It just happens. Wonder how K-State would have fared against Notre Dame or UConn on this one night? They aren't that good. I remember once hitting seven straight shots. I wasn't that good.
I was disappointed by the Kansas State game. But, at least I saw the game. I'm not sure many did.
Given the history of K State this year, I probably would have let them shoot from outside all night long. They haven't hit those all year. Even after they hit a couple, you would probably be exercising bad judgement to waste your defensive efforts guarding them at the three-point line. Sometimes, teams just have one of those games. K State hit them. They had to stop it sometime. They kept hitting them. They can't keep it up. They kept it up.
K State isn't even that good from two. I wondered if they were ever going to miss a two-point shot. They hit 63% at halftime, and they weren't cripples. They were hitting legitimate shots, the type they can't hit, hadn't hit all year. It happens.
They got ahead 10-0. We actually made a run and pulled within four, 15-11, I think. But, a couple of turnovers that were really stupid, a couple of strange calls, and a couple of threes, and K State never looked back. Every time we got a mini-run of maybe six points, they hit a three, or we had a turnover. Some of the turnovers were suspect calls. We were called for traveling in questionable situations, or moving screens, or charges, or 3-second calls. But, some of our turnovers were just plain dumb. Think.
I think Shaina started the game and the second half. Both times, I think she was pulled after about a minute, and Ana was inserted. Ana played well, and smart. She was the only one who did---the only one. taylor and Jessi were passable. Shaina and Mandy had bad nights. I have no clue what happened to Madi.
The K State announcing crew kept saying what great defense K State was playing. Not true. We couldn't make a shot in an open court. They guarded the three point line. But, they left everything from five to twenty feet pretty much open. We got there at will. But, we didn't shoot when we got there. We were tentative, hesitant, uncertain, incompetent. It's like we feared shooting from ten. We kept trying to set up the three or a layup. Couldn't. Our passing wasn't that crisp. Mostly, we didn't move. We passed the ball around a zone. When we penetrated, we passed rather than shoot. Horrid night of decisions.
We ran into a situation that won't happen often. K-State could have challenged UConn on this one night. They hit shots that UConn didn't. They hit everything. It all worked for them. Three nights earlier, they had lost by 38. They made up for it.
I don't know that there was much to learn from this. We got lost early in the game. We put out effort. We actually outrebounded K State for the first three quarters, despite the fact that we were the ones missing the shots. We got all of the hustle balls in the first half, probably three quarters. We just didn't do anything with it when we got it.
Freshmen played like freshmen, as did a couple of sophs. EJ was in for about ten minutes. One rebound. Did absolutely nothing. Four OU players under the rim, including EJ. One K State player would sneak in and grab the rebound because EJ just stood there taking up space. I think she earned a permanent spot on the bench. No value whatsoever.
It just happens. Wonder how K-State would have fared against Notre Dame or UConn on this one night? They aren't that good. I remember once hitting seven straight shots. I wasn't that good.
