Been to almost all the home games. The second half of the season we have been shooting 3s pretty well, which is a welcomed surprise because we never have been known for that. Here's my (opinions) but analysis from what I've seen. This is also all in general, as other have said we have been inconsistent.
Shrita Parker - she has taken over the reigns. Plays the point, I feel comfortable with the ball in her hands. She can make plays late in the shot clock by driving (ala Corey Sanders on the men's team), and can nail the 3. Good for 1-2 a game in the recent. She passes well too. She will be a great compliment to Tyler next year.
Kandiss Barber - a new player, at the beginning of the year I was saying how what this team needs is a Kahleah Copper-type player, someone on the taller side but who is fast and can take the ball inside and make that clutch shot when we need it. Kandiss began to emerge as that type of player at the beginning of B1G play. However, I think down the stretch she has lost a little confidence and has been settling for her sterotype play which is drive a little until the defense posts her, then she steps back and takes a jump shot. She can still make big plays on the inside though. She reminds me of Freeman on the men's side. Does lots of things well and has potential despite some mistakes and bad shots occasionally. As she gets cleaned up this offseason, she will be important to us next year.
KK Sanders - most inconsistent player on the team. Can nail some clutch 3s, can drive to the hoop, but also can make some bad passes and cause turnovers, such as shot clock violations and 10 second violations, etc. She will get better also with time if she can clean those things up. Cviv gets in her face when those things happen because she is the PG and needs to make sure the whole team knows the clock, etc. She puts in effort though.
Our centers - Desiree Keeling and Victoria Harris. We need some help in the tall girl department. We have basically no depth, we are a roster of Guards. When either one of these girls gets into foul trouble, we get in trouble because we can't sub someone in for the other. However, the stat lines show, we don't get as many rebounds from them as we need, and also don't get much on the offense side. I can't think of a whole lot of examples of when we dished it inside and one of the girls made a move and put one in the basket. Need to have that as a part of our offense, and that is really what has been missing. Also, can't shoot FTs. They haven't been playing to the level we need them too, I think because Rachel Hollivay played so much last year so these girls just didn't have the Big Ten experience. Now they are getting it, but it's a tough learning curve.
Aliyah Jeune - a very bright spot on the roster. She is a fantastic 3-point shooter. Probably the best percentage on either the mens or womens team. We run plays to get her open and she hits great shots and very smoothly. However, we don't use her as much as I think we should. We should look for her at least once every possession if we have the chance, and she should have unlimited reigns - if you have the open shot, take it. She's also tall. If we can get her inside when the ball is in other's hands, she can help rebound a bunch too.
Jazz Rollins - like KK, inconsistent but can really hit a jump shot when we need it and open up the other team's defense. Can hit bricks though often. When she gets hot though, she can't miss. Need that to happen more often.
That's pretty much everyone that's gotten significant playing time this year. As a team, we have the ABILITY to do some things well (hit 3s, play perimeter defense). However, the list of things we are struggling with is lone, and some of them mighty. For one, we cannot capitalize on transition offense. When we get the steals and run down the court, we often look like we have no plan, and either a bad pass, a lost dribble out of bounds, or a missed layup results. Speaking of missed layups - this is not a stat that anyone keeps track of in the books, but if there was such a thing as "missed shots within 3 feet of basket/layups/backboard", this year's team would have broken the NCAA record I'm sure of it. I think like the Men's free throw woes, it's part talent, a lot mental. Often we have an easy shot or close one and we go for a layup and the ball goes flying over the basket, literally an air ball layup, may not hit the backboard either. Last game was the worst where I think we kept missing and getting the rebound and put the ball up 4-5 times in a few seconds and couldn't get it to go in. Trying to not be too harsh about it in case the players or anyone reads the board, but man we gotta work on that! Have to get the easy ones. They know it too. So yes, there's some good things we do, but I truly think we just don't have the horses this season to compete with our short bench, etc. I think though everyone knows, including the team, that next year we are going to be a force to be reckoned with. Barring crazy injuries, there will be no more depth issues, we won't get tired at the end of games, we will have options of shooters on the bench in case some girls go cold (whereas this year if 2-3 girls were not having a good night then we were basically up the creek). Seeing the situation and the play this season from the girls who are out there who are up against so much, I have 110% faith in the ladies and Coach that next year we will rock.
Oh, and the refs have sucked all year ;) but that's a given these days for the poor women since we've joined the B1G. Don't know why but it's worse than the men and coach has even talked about it in her press conferences. I will still never forgive them since 1st year at the B1Gs in Chicago playing NWestern and they were fouling us so bad, injured both Rachel and Essie, and NW had about 1 foul called on them each half. Anyway, we can fix that by being good and I think we are about to be.
