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Let's Talk Next Season

chuck.bentjen

By chuck.bentjen
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chuck.bentjen

chuck.bentjen

Posted
Posted

With the departure of Jessica Shepherd, I'd like to talk about what next season might look like. I honestly expect us to be much better than this season.

 

Coach Williams likes to play an up-tempo fast-paced game. She likes her teens to shoot more shots than the other team. Last season she didn't have players. In my opinion, that changes in the coming year. We will certainly be guard/wing heavy, but that suits coach Williams' style of play. Hannah and Nicea are now seasoned veterans. Janay and Bria also bring a lot of experience to the court. Further they now have a season of experience in coach Williams' system. We all know how hard Emily works and plays. Maddie really started to come on at the end of the season. Taylor Kissinger is an excellent shot, and I'm confident Riley will continue to grow.  Jazz is solid as well. 

 

We obviously won't have much of a presence down low; however, Rachel Blackburn is one of the hardest working players I've ever seen. She reminds me a lot of Kelsey Griffin in that regard. I'm also pressed by Grace Mitchell. She really started to come on strong at the end of the season. Finally, Darrien showed significant improvement last season, and, if she works hard in the off-season, I think she can play some significant minutes.

 

It certainly wouldn't hurt us to add a couple of players. That might be difficult at this juncture, but not impossible.

 
chuck.bentjen

chuck.bentjen

Posted
  • Author
Posted
37 minutes ago, Bugeaters1 said:

The question is can a team survive the big ten without a center?

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 

It's a good question.  How will Rach and Derrian hold up?  Grace needs to be at the wing if possible. We really need to add one more post player. 

Fastbreaker

Fastbreaker

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, chuck.bentjen said:

With the departure of Jessica Shepherd, I'd like to talk about what next season might look like. I honestly expect us to be much better than this season.

 

Coach Williams likes to play an up-tempo fast-paced game. She likes her teens to shoot more shots than the other team. Last season she didn't have players. In my opinion, that changes in the coming year. We will certainly be guard/wing heavy, but that suits coach Williams' style of play. Hannah and Nicea are now seasoned veterans. Janay and Bria also bring a lot of experience to the court. Further they now have a season of experience in coach Williams' system. We all know how hard Emily works and plays. Maddie really started to come on at the end of the season. Taylor Kissinger is an excellent shot, and I'm confident Riley will continue to grow.  Jazz is solid as well. 

 

We obviously won't have much of a presence down low; however, Rachel Blackburn is one of the hardest working players I've ever seen. She reminds me a lot of Kelsey Griffin in that regard. I'm also pressed by Grace Mitchell. She really started to come on strong at the end of the season. Finally, Darrien showed significant improvement last season, and, if she works hard in the off-season, I think she can play some significant minutes.

 

It certainly wouldn't hurt us to add a couple of players. That might be difficult at this juncture, but not impossible.

 

Darrien did not show improvement last year.  She was a lazy slob just like Jess.

chuck.bentjen

chuck.bentjen

Posted
  • Author
Posted
1 hour ago, Bugeaters1 said:

The question is can a team survive the big ten without a center?

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 

It's a good question.  How will Rach and Derrian hold up?  Grace needs to be at the wing if possible. We really need to add one more post player. 

  • hhcmatt changed the title to Let's Talk Next Season
HB

HB

Posted
Posted
10 hours ago, chuck.bentjen said:

 and I'm confident Riley will continue to grow.  Jazz is solid.

 

We obviously won't have much of a presence down low; however, Rachel Blackburn is one of the hardest working players I've ever seen. She reminds me a lot of Kelsey Griffin in that regard. I'm also pressed by Grace Mitchell. She really started to come on strong at the end of the season. Finally, Darrien showed significant improvement last season, and, if she works hard in the off-season, I think she can play some significant minutes.

 

 

 

 

Chuck, with all due respect, your predictions going into this season were completely delusional, and ultimately proved comical.  This stuff above is more of the same.  Seriously, if you think Darrien showed significant improvement this year, you couldn't have been watching.  Your world view of peace and love takes over, which I'm sure is pleasant to be around, and Shawn Eichorst would love it--but it has nothing to do with the real world.  I have bad news for you--Jazz, Grace and Riley are never going to be players who allow us to compete at a high Big 10 level.  Lots of obvious reasons but I'm not going to spell them all out.   If this is going to happen its going to be because of recruiting.  Like all the drivel before this season about "fun!" and improved chemistry and kumbaya would make us good.  7-22 says it takes players; this staff better go find a bunch.  

chuck.bentjen

chuck.bentjen

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Posted
1 hour ago, HB said:

 

Chuck, with all due respect, your predictions going into this season were completely delusional, and ultimately proved comical.  This stuff above is more of the same.  Seriously, if you think Darrien showed significant improvement this year, you couldn't have been watching.  Your world view of peace and love takes over, which I'm sure is pleasant to be around, and Shawn Eichorst would love it--but it has nothing to do with the real world.  I have bad news for you--Jazz, Grace and Riley are never going to be players who allow us to compete at a high Big 10 level.  Lots of obvious reasons but I'm not going to spell them all out.   If this is going to happen its going to be because of recruiting.  Like all the drivel before this season about "fun!" and improved chemistry and kumbaya would make us good.  7-22 says it takes players; this staff better go find a bunch.  

It's interesting that Sam McKewon recently shared the same delusions in a recent World Herald article.  Ok -- so it was a stretch to say Darrien improved significantly.  She did have some good minutes down the stretch (very few).  I like pretty much everything else I wrote in my original post.  I'm not predicting we'll be in the top of the league by any means, but I think we are going to be better than we were this season for several reasons:

 

1)  we will add four players to the floor who are proven scorers:  Janay averaged 13 PPG her last season of play, Bria averaged 13 PPG her last season of play, and Rachel averaged 9 PPG during her freshman season, and Taylor Kissinger is plainly and simply a shooter --  Bria also averaged 4 APG

 

2)  Janay and Bria both have Nicea like athleticism and are good on the ball defenders 

 

3)  Rachel is a very, very solid player -- whether she can hold up to the grind of a long season and the B1G is certainly a question -- which is why we need some help there -- I will acknowledge she has to work very hard in the offseason

 

4) Maddie has not yet lived up to her potential but showed some flashes down the stretch.  I think she will continue to grow and thrive in this system.

 

5) I totally disagree with you on Grace Mitchell -- she's going to be very good because she's very solid fundamentally.  She wasn't too sure she belonged out there at first but again started to show some flashes down the road.  We have to remember she played out of position this season as well. 

I feel that will be the nucleus of next year's team.  Jazz, RCJ, and Woody will contribute but will strictly be role players. 

 

Finally, without saying more, I believe team chemistry got a shot in the arm this week.

 

It's easy to predict failure and fun if you're wrong.  I've never taken the easy road and never will.

 

 

redsteve

redsteve

Posted
Posted (edited)
19 hours ago, Bugeaters1 said:

The question is can a team survive the big ten without a center?

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 

 

That's been my question all year, even before JS leaves. (meaning for next year, with possibly Burns not playing. If she can't play that puts us another year away from where we're trying to get to)

 

Don't think you can win in B!G without a strong inside presence. Don't know that we'll be strong enough in just one new year of recruiting/play to win consistently, without a good center . Certainly strong guard play is vital but all the top teams, not just in B1G, do have strong inside play.

 

But ....the but....UConn didn't really have a starter that was a classical style big center this year ...but had a wealth of guard combo forwards with loads of talent, that can rebound and run the floor. Sure not yet but maybe that's where Coach Amy is trying to go eventually. So, if your strong with combo players like UConn ??  We'll see on that one.

 

Yea like Silver said....lots of nothing but good possibilities ahead. Could well be ....with out JS we'll move ahead & progress faster. In my experience of the old day of coaching ....different sports...a problem child can kill the team chemistry, no matter the sport.

 

Edited by redsteve
Cazzie22

Cazzie22

Posted
Posted

I don't share your optimism but I want it to be so.  The two transfer guards have to be an improvement over this season.  NU has a long climb to approach relevance.  It will be interesting to see how much time Coach Williams is granted.  Patience will be required.  

mwm89

mwm89

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Cazzie22 said:

I don't share your optimism but I want it to be so.  The two transfer guards have to be an improvement over this season.  NU has a long climb to approach relevance.  It will be interesting to see how much time Coach Williams is granted.  Patience will be required.  

Fair assessment.

swmckewon

swmckewon

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Cazzie22 said:

 NU has a long climb to approach relevance. 

Maybe. Depends on if everybody sticks around/together for 2-3 years. This is the Big Ten, not the ACC or SEC. 

 

By 2018-2019, this is gonna be a real nice group of guards. That's a start. It'd help to find a functional JUCO post or transfer post.  

HUD

HUD

Posted
Posted

I think that having Jess on the team and being the center of most things hindered us a bit in getting additional forwards to come here.  I think we will get a Juco or 5th year player to come in now as there will be plenty of opportunity to play.

Canadian4NU

Canadian4NU

Posted
Posted (edited)

I don't think next year will be as bad as some of you think. Our four freshman shot really well from three.  In fact they were the top four three point shooters on the team. Some of them even shot better in Big10 play. Plus the addition of the two transfers. I think if we run a four guard motion offense we might be able to compete better than some of you may think.

 

I will also add that sometimes too many "want to be" scorers on the court can cause more harm than good.

Edited by Canadian4NU

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