WBB vs EWU

[BelgradeBobcat]

If If If...Any combination of White, Bad Bear, Beattie, and Beasley coming back would have been huge for this team. What about next year? Will Limardo and Janssen come back for their covid year?

[tetoncat]

Shot 24.6% yesterday from the field, 25% so far today. Some of the shots are forced because they're not getting great opportunities, but when they do get a good look, shots aren't falling. As many others have said, gonna have to find a knock down shooter or three. I also think you've got to have a player or two who can create, and maybe a big who can post up occasionally and get buckets dependably. You'll have games where shots aren't falling.

Lost 3 players last year that could get shots. 2 unexpected so hard to replace. Well see with new recruits but no real spots for transfers doesn't seem

[MSU01]

Shot 24.6% yesterday from the field, 25% so far today. Some of the shots are forced because they're not getting great opportunities, but when they do get a good look, shots aren't falling. As many others have said, gonna have to find a knock down shooter or three. I also think you've got to have a player or two who can create, and maybe a big who can post up occasionally and get buckets dependably. You'll have games where shots aren't falling.

Lost 3 players last year that could get shots. 2 unexpected so hard to replace. Well see with new recruits but no real spots for transfers doesn't seem

We're going to see a historic amount of player movement again this year with basically no transfer rules in place and one last class of grad transfers with an extra year of eligibility from the Covid year. It'll be interesting to see how many players from the current roster aren't back next year and how Coach Binford chooses to fill those spots. I love the incoming freshman class, very excited to see them play alongside this year's group of freshmen.

[arvcat2]

@TomCat I have watched Berry closely all year, as I really like her and think she has tremendous potential. However, she seems to be lacking in confidence — makes lots of little mistakes, shooting percentage is super low on the year, etc. I have seen her in Bin’s doghouse often, which, to be fair, I understand, even though she is one of my favorites to cheer for. I truly hope her confidence grows and she takes a big leap for next year. I think she has the athleticism and basketball ability to be an all-conference player in the future. But she has a lot of growing to do.

Berry played behind MadJackHall & Limardo. The best thing that could happen for her to gain confidence & get going next season is for Limardo to not return for her 5th year.

[lutecat]

Doing everything right. Playing good defense. Just not making shots. Legs look like they're getting heavy.

This was my thought about our offensive woes. And not just that game but the last 10 or so. Only Having so many players with all the injuries has to take its toll eventually on our girls' legs. And when that happens jump shots start not falling.

[lutecat]

Besides the lack of 3-point shooting, it seems like we also missed a lot of shots around the basket, from point blank range. The kind of shots you should make about 90% of the time, while we probably didn't make more than around 50%. It seems like that's also been sort of an ongoing issue with this team, at least in the games I've watched. Especially when you're not a very good perimeter shooting team, you just can't afford to miss those kinds of "easy" shots, when you get them.

Those buckets were falling earlier in the season. I think you're just seeing the injury and depth issue creep up on us. The legs of the players. Instead of getting a good jump to the shot they're shooting flat footed.

[lutecat]

I give the Lady Cats great credit for their scrappy intense effort on defense. No quit in this team. But I'm not a sunshine pumper. I support the Cats with my butt in the seats in the Brick and in Bobcat Stadium but let's call it what it is. The women's basketball program has slipped from an upper echelon program to a middle of the pack program. This is on the coaches for their lack of recruiting. The guy over in Missoula sure has recruited some shooters and I wouldn't be surprised to see them win the tournament. Lots of work to do regarding recruiting some players who can genuinely shoot the basketball. I'm not going to call out individuals but when I see guards and forwards get open looks right on the three point line and not even shoot, I wonder, why was the player offered a scholarship? Again, I really appreciate the effort. They never quit and I enjoyed watching them all year. If the coaches want to see MSU at the upper end of the Big Sky then they need to go find some good shooters. Hard to predict what next year's team will be like, but the biggest weakness is shooting from the perimeter.

This is a bad take if I'm being honest.

I'm thrilled with a 4th place finish for the team this year. Freshman. We played tons of freshman! Amd our depth suffered. We rocked it on defense. I mean rocked it. I would venture we held teams to under their scoring average.
You have to figure, especially at the end of the year in a tournament you play in every day, it was going to catch up to us. When you have tired legs your shot is the first thing to suffer. You don't get the jump you need. And same with free throws. We shot way better than 33% for the year. Just that game, again we suffered from tired legs. And it effected the free throws.

Honest answer from all of you, don't think about how you felt after this game was over but think back to the start of the year and tell me what your realistic expectations for this team were.

[MSU01]

Looking back at the preseason polls, MSU was correctly picked to finish 4th by both the coaches and media. The coaches got the top 4 exactly right while the media swapped NAU and EWU. Portland State was picked 5th in both polls but did not live up to that of course.

[lutecat]

If If If...Any combination of White, Bad Bear, Beattie, and Beasley coming back would have been huge for this team. What about next year? Will Limardo and Janssen come back for their covid year?

This.

We lost a player that started all year for a Big 10 team that beat possibly the best college women's player ever and almost beat her in overtime a second time.

We last a player that was the player of the year for MSU-B this year.

We lost a player that sucked to lose buts going to won a big sky championship this year.

We lost a player that didn't fit here with her sloppy frenetic pace but found a team she fits in on. And is going to win a big sky championship.

But our recruiting has taken a hit some say.

It's no longer a guarantee that the other team gets all the best instate girls. It's all but a guarantee that we do. We got the 2 best high school girls in the state this year.

We started a point guard as a true freshman this year. And she looks like she belongs. We aren't the same team without her out there. So she hardly gets any rest. She has no real backup. She's a true freshman! A little spitfire.

But we don't recruit the same way.

For the record I love that Kola and Darian used their covid year to do something they wanted to do. Test themselves at the next level or go home to play. They gave all they could here. And I'm so proud to call them Bobcats.

[Bobcat4Ever]

Where would our all-injury team have finished in the conference? By position:

1 - Dylan Philip
2 - Maddie Olson
3 - Lexi Deden
4 - Drea Brumfield
5 - Lyndsey Hein

Now, sports fans, that’s a pretty good team. Add that to who returns, and throw in three serious freshman recruits — Mother Binford’s cupboard is far from bare.

[BobcatDel]

Looking back at the preseason polls, MSU was correctly picked to finish 4th by both the coaches and media. The coaches got the top 4 exactly right while the media swapped NAU and EWU. Portland State was picked 5th in both polls but did not live up to that of course.

OK… season is over so I can post again.

The team actually performed better than I thought it would. I said it earlier on several posts I thought this was Coach Binford’s most challenging season I have seen. To start the season without three all conference players from last season and your presumed starting point guard (Dylan Philip) out for year. Then six games into the season lose our leading scorer and rebounder and likely all conference player Lexi Deden (13.8 ppg and 8.3 rpg)….well it created some interesting lineups and coaching opportunities, like seeing 5 freshmen on the court at the same time on occasion.

I think when the season stats are all pulled together you will find this team held opponents to the lowest points allowed of any WBB team in history…certainly in the top 5 anyway. And I agree with others that the offensive output is certainly in need of development in the off season that if improved will put them back near the top.

But I just can’t be pessimistic on the team at this point. I see a lot of skills on young players that will mature. On the inside…the Marah/Lexi combo may be best in the league next year with Ella and Lindsey fighting for time and two strong freshman new ladies coming in. Dylan healthy and Natalie with her great freshmen experience and Issy maturing..I’ll enjoy watching them back. Throw in the Chirrick as a shooting guard and I am excited. Then hopefully Berry will turn the corner and Drea get healthy for depth….guess I just see the glass as half full rather than half empty.

[arvcat2]

Looking back at the preseason polls, MSU was correctly picked to finish 4th by both the coaches and media. The coaches got the top 4 exactly right while the media swapped NAU and EWU. Portland State was picked 5th in both polls but did not live up to that of course.

OK… season is over so I can post again.

The team actually performed better than I thought it would. I said it earlier on several posts I thought this was Coach Binford’s most challenging season I have seen. To start the season without three all conference players from last season and your presumed starting point guard (Dylan Philip) out for year. Then six games into the season lose our leading scorer and rebounder and likely all conference player Lexi Deden (13.8 ppg and 8.3 rpg)….well it created some interesting lineups and coaching opportunities, like seeing 5 freshmen on the court at the same time on occasion.

I think when the season stats are all pulled together you will find this team held opponents to the lowest points allowed of any WBB team in history…certainly in the top 5 anyway. And I agree with others that the offensive output is certainly in need of development in the off season that if improved will put them back near the top.

But I just can’t be pessimistic on the team at this point. I see a lot of skills on young players that will mature. On the inside…the Marah/Lexi combo may be best in the league next year with Ella and Lindsey fighting for time and two strong freshman new ladies coming in. Dylan healthy and Natalie with her great freshmen experience and Issy maturing..I’ll enjoy watching them back. Throw in the Chirrick as a shooting guard and I am excited. Then hopefully Berry will turn the corner and Drea get healthy for depth….guess I just see the glass as half full rather than half empty.

Assuming you are aware of their eligibility, where does Janssen & Limardo fit into your glass for next season?

[BobcatDel]

Looking back at the preseason polls, MSU was correctly picked to finish 4th by both the coaches and media. The coaches got the top 4 exactly right while the media swapped NAU and EWU. Portland State was picked 5th in both polls but did not live up to that of course.

OK… season is over so I can post again.

The team actually performed better than I thought it would. I said it earlier on several posts I thought this was Coach Binford’s most challenging season I have seen. To start the season without three all conference players from last season and your presumed starting point guard (Dylan Philip) out for year. Then six games into the season lose our leading scorer and rebounder and likely all conference player Lexi Deden (13.8 ppg and 8.3 rpg)….well it created some interesting lineups and coaching opportunities, like seeing 5 freshmen on the court at the same time on occasion.

I think when the season stats are all pulled together you will find this team held opponents to the lowest points allowed of any WBB team in history…certainly in the top 5 anyway. And I agree with others that the offensive output is certainly in need of development in the off season that if improved will put them back near the top.

But I just can’t be pessimistic on the team at this point. I see a lot of skills on young players that will mature. On the inside…the Marah/Lexi combo may be best in the league next year with Ella and Lindsey fighting for time and two strong freshman new ladies coming in. Dylan healthy and Natalie with her great freshmen experience and Issy maturing..I’ll enjoy watching them back. Throw in the Chirrick as a shooting guard and I am excited. Then hopefully Berry will turn the corner and Drea get healthy for depth….guess I just see the glass as half full rather than half empty.

Assuming you are aware of their eligibility, where does Janssen & Limardo fit into your glass for next season?

Oooops didn't mean to leave Malea off the list. She gave us some good minutes on the floor later in the season.

My predictions last year on who would return were so poor I'll not try to forecast on Taylor and KJ return. I have my own speculation/opinions.... but I'll let them tell us later. And as MSU01 said on another thread, let's wait until the portal and retirements decisions are all made after the post season discussions with the coach to sort out who all is returning. Its hard for me to predict who may be getting recruited behind the scenes or be interested in joining a friend/sister elsewhere or like a different style of play or wants to try their hand at the next level...... so the portal continues to make the future somewhat more uncertain.

[tetoncat]

Looking back at the preseason polls, MSU was correctly picked to finish 4th by both the coaches and media. The coaches got the top 4 exactly right while the media swapped NAU and EWU. Portland State was picked 5th in both polls but did not live up to that of course.

OK… season is over so I can post again.

The team actually performed better than I thought it would. I said it earlier on several posts I thought this was Coach Binford’s most challenging season I have seen. To start the season without three all conference players from last season and your presumed starting point guard (Dylan Philip) out for year. Then six games into the season lose our leading scorer and rebounder and likely all conference player Lexi Deden (13.8 ppg and 8.3 rpg)….well it created some interesting lineups and coaching opportunities, like seeing 5 freshmen on the court at the same time on occasion.

I think when the season stats are all pulled together you will find this team held opponents to the lowest points allowed of any WBB team in history…certainly in the top 5 anyway. And I agree with others that the offensive output is certainly in need of development in the off season that if improved will put them back near the top.

But I just can’t be pessimistic on the team at this point. I see a lot of skills on young players that will mature. On the inside…the Marah/Lexi combo may be best in the league next year with Ella and Lindsey fighting for time and two strong freshman new ladies coming in. Dylan healthy and Natalie with her great freshmen experience and Issy maturing..I’ll enjoy watching them back. Throw in the Chirrick as a shooting guard and I am excited. Then hopefully Berry will turn the corner and Drea get healthy for depth….guess I just see the glass as half full rather than half empty.

Assuming you are aware of their eligibility, where does Janssen & Limardo fit into your glass for next season?

Oooops didn't mean to leave Malea off the list. She gave us some good minutes on the floor later in the season.

My predictions last year on who would return were so poor I'll not try to forecast on Taylor and KJ return. I have my own speculation/opinions.... but I'll let them tell us later. And as MSU01 said on another thread, let's wait until the portal and retirements decisions are all made after the post season discussions with the coach to sort out who all is returning. Its hard for me to predict who may be getting recruited behind the scenes or be interested in joining a friend/sister elsewhere or like a different style of play or wants to try their hand at the next level...... so the portal continues to make the future somewhat more uncertain.

I laughed at announcers a few times during games when they would talk about how a team was going to be good next year because had so many coming back.

[aucat]

To me the most amazing accomplishments by this team were whiipping UM and EWU. We never got close to NAU.

I don't know what to expect next year. My biggest concern is the fact that I don't see good shooters from the perimeter.

[WalkOn79]

Besides the lack of 3-point shooting, it seems like we also missed a lot of shots around the basket, from point blank range. The kind of shots you should make about 90% of the time, while we probably didn't make more than around 50%. It seems like that's also been sort of an ongoing issue with this team, at least in the games I've watched. Especially when you're not a very good perimeter shooting team, you just can't afford to miss those kinds of "easy" shots, when you get them.

Mara especially regressed around the rim as the season went on, and KJ lost some mojo after the injury and was tentative in the key.

[saintcat40]

I think Mara has such a huge upside. I really thought she was going to be unquestionably our best player after Deden went down. She is athletic for her size, understands the game well with good vision… but I don’t understand why she has such a tough time finishing shots when headed straight to the basket. If I have one complaint with our coaching staff (I know nothing about this… pure speculation from what I see in games), it is in reference to coaching up our post players to finish. They don’t seem to know how to get their bodies in position first and then use angles off the backboard. I look at Glancey for NAU — she always gets her body in position first, then shots are easy. Why can’t our post players do that?