I’m here to talk about basketball, but even then I’m barely qualified to do so. My personal hoops highlight was probably dropping 18 points in an LMYA summer league, or maybe a few 9th grade P.E. knock out titles. But if there’s something I’m even less qualified to analyze, it’s rap and/or hip-hop. I like Mumford and Sons, and have a non-ironic appreciation of Journey (Cal band great!). That's enough of an introduction to this:
NOW OBAMA KNOW OUR NAME!
- FullCourt.com's Clay Kallam has a preview of the action in Spokane, and he's pretty confident about our Bears:
The conclusion, obviously, is that even if Layshia Clarendon and Brittany Boyd can’t make a shot (which can happen at times), Gennifer Brandon, Talia Caldwell and Reshanda Gray will simply keep pounding the boards until one of them scores. Yes, Theresa Plaisance is 6-5, but she is not the physical presence that’s needed to keep Brandon, Caldwell and Gray from terrorizing the Tigers on the glass
That Mr. Kallam sure seems like a reasonable fellow to me!
- ESPN has a more cookie-cutter preview up, but also a nifty article on Lindsay Gottlieb's story:\
"We are in the middle of a game, in a situation like South Florida and she's asking, 'What do you guys want to run?'" Pierre said. "I think that she does a great job of making us feel like players as well as adults. And I think that helps us, because you see our team mature and you see greater and better things. And she knows her X's and O's."
If that's true, then some of the players on that bench may just have a future in coaching. Any time we can average better than a point/possession against a Big East team with a top 50 defense, I'm impressed.
- Gennifer Brandon, Tierra Rogers and Eliza Pierre have had to deal with tragedies that nobody should have to go through. These are stories that most of you are already familiar with, it's still kind of shocking to see them laid out in order.
I love Layshia's comment about 'play until someone beats us.'
- Here's a preview article from the LSU perspective:
"That’s her bread and butter, but she has the ability to knock down the 3 ball," Caldwell said. "She has a lot of versatility."
It’s a skill set that mimics that of LSU’s Adrienne Webb, who said the biggest factor working out of a matchup zone will be the trusted standby of any scheme: Deny Clarendon on the catch, or play tight enough to be under her to contest as she leaves the floor on the release.
The pressure will be on Cal's guards to stay active but under control against LSU's zone. It certainly seemed like space was available to attack when I watched them play Penn St.
- So you're nervous, aren't you? You're a fan, and you live or die with the team. You can't focus on anything all day long, you're just going to watch the clock as it slowly, maddeningly ticks toward 8:30, aren't you? Well, the good news is that this team has a stronger constitution than us weirdos:
Also, they dance better than you. But that was probably a given.