The quality of Stanford's coaching is significant.
Haas is similar to Shaw in one way: he apparently cannot coach offence. Tara definitely can coach. Watching yesterday both the women and men was night and day. As another poster noted, only one MBB player stood out -- because someone else had coached that Jones for four years. All Tara's WBB players understood their roles on a team. Even the stellar sophs and frosh. Haas' players often seem to get worse -- see, e.g., Harrison's first game stats -- or often leave. Tara's players always seem to improve or finally understand the team's rhythm. Iriafen and Demetre and Bosgana were good examples in limited minutes.
Stanford's WBB apparently will run, run, run. They will play exceptionally tight defence. Fouling out will matter less because the team is so deep. Compare Jump and Bosgana. Players' physical exhaustion also becomes less a worry when substitutions do not significantly degrade the quality of the players on the floor.
With great rebounding, fast accurate passing in transitions becomes so important. One first year player poses an interesting issue. How can you keep the amazing Lepolo off the floor? Which other player would not want her precise lightning passes? Eleven assists her first real game? Unreal.
As many have noted, Tara's major issue, even more than last year, will be the distribution of minutes.
Haas is similar to Shaw in one way: he apparently cannot coach offence. Tara definitely can coach. Watching yesterday both the women and men was night and day. As another poster noted, only one MBB player stood out -- because someone else had coached that Jones for four years. All Tara's WBB players understood their roles on a team. Even the stellar sophs and frosh. Haas' players often seem to get worse -- see, e.g., Harrison's first game stats -- or often leave. Tara's players always seem to improve or finally understand the team's rhythm. Iriafen and Demetre and Bosgana were good examples in limited minutes.
Stanford's WBB apparently will run, run, run. They will play exceptionally tight defence. Fouling out will matter less because the team is so deep. Compare Jump and Bosgana. Players' physical exhaustion also becomes less a worry when substitutions do not significantly degrade the quality of the players on the floor.
With great rebounding, fast accurate passing in transitions becomes so important. One first year player poses an interesting issue. How can you keep the amazing Lepolo off the floor? Which other player would not want her precise lightning passes? Eleven assists her first real game? Unreal.
As many have noted, Tara's major issue, even more than last year, will be the distribution of minutes.
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