Random women's basketball chatter thread

[badger]

With all the hype for men's basketball on this forum now, I decided to dedicate this thread to all the rest of OU basketball news: The top 10-ranked women's team.

Lauren Willis was a walk-on, but Sherri Coale gave her a great Christmas present: A scholarship (http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/colleges/oklahoma/stories/122208dnspocolbkwokla1.7fc9cb7.html). Coale said she earned it through her hard work and team-first efforts. More here, picture of her and her parents in playing days below:
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/images/photo/2008/12/05/1205-OKLAHOMA/26055101.JPG
Speaking of parents, the NY Times has a feature on the team's pedigree. Link here (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/05/sports/ncaabasketball/05oklahoma.html?_r=1), make sure to check out the slideshow!

Other than performances so frustrating that you want to bench your starters and start your benchers, it's good to see OU getting positive publicity on the women's side of Lloyd Noble. I still think we have a successful year and a shot at the Final Four. I just hope that the women believe they do, too.

[LoyalFan]

I'm disappointed that this thread has gone unnoticed 'til now but I'd like to say that it's deserving of perusal and commentary.
I never paid the least attention to women's basketball at any level until Coach Coale arrived at OU. Now, I'm a fan and watch every televised game from start to finish.
The Lady Sooners are deserving of our support and encouragement for they have done much to further OU's athletic fame and fortune.
You GO, Girls!!!

Thanks, Badger!

LF
Badgers? We don't need no esteenking badgers!

[badger]

I love having two successful teams, but often times when both are successful at a school one ends up overshadowing the other. I know that it's been awhile since we've had a men's team ranked this high and the women's team has always seemed to be ranked near the top of the country, but I'm sure we all remember when it wasn't that way and thus, we need to enjoy both teams while we can.

And now... for more pictures:
http://i41.tinypic.com/op4c8y.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/2ey8dno.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/ilf8uv.jpg

[LoyalFan]

OK. I guess we need esteenking badgers after all.

Keep up. Maybe some others will appreciate the effort. I know I do.

LF

[badger]

Right now ESPN has us as a two seed in the Raleigh NC bracket (http://proxy.espn.go.com/ncw/bracketology#)... with a bracket location in OKC, I hope the team makes an extra effort to get into that one.

:D Of course, I hope they also make an extra effort to make it out of 1st-2nd round play and make the semi-final brackets. I don't want to get to the point where I can count on TWO hands the times that OU could come back home to make the Final Four.

The common denominator in many Coale tourney runs screeeeeeching to a stop long before they should is Stanford. PLLLLLEAAAAASE, Coach Coale, you have to put Stanford on your regular season schedule. We hate Stanford, you hate Stanford, and what better way to learn how to beat the in the tourney than to play them early-on in the season?

[Salt City Sooner]

Don't hold your breath on that one. To say that VanderVeer & Sherri aren't exactly the best of friends would be an understatement of pretty large proportions.

[badger]

Don't hold your breath on that one. To say that VanderVeer & Sherri aren't exactly the best of friends would be an understatement of pretty large proportions.

This is EXACTLY why we NEED this game! You think UConn's male man coach or Tennessee's old lady were friends? (neither need to be introduced or called by their names here... they've met OU before and it wasn't pretty). Yet they had the best women's basketball rivalry going until it finally got discontinued!

We can have a big non-conf draw like that in Stanford! If any other women's basketball fans out there would not buy tickets for that game just to boo Stanford out of the building, please speak now or forever return your fan card at the door :P

[Salt City Sooner]

This is EXACTLY why we NEED this game! You think UConn's male man coach or Tennessee's old lady were friends? (neither need to be introduced or called by their names here... they've met OU before and it wasn't pretty). Yet they had the best women's basketball rivalry going until it finally got discontinued!

We can have a big non-conf draw like that in Stanford! If any other women's basketball fans out there would not buy tickets for that game just to boo Stanford out of the building, please speak now or forever return your fan card at the door :P
Actually, Geno & Pat were quite friendly (in a Switzer/Osborne, i.e. friendly rivals sort of way) until the Huskies landed Maya Moore. Summit accused UConn of illegally recruiting her, & cancelled the series as a result. They also never accused the other team of deliberately going out of their way to hurt a player on the other's team, something Tara has said about Sherri & OU. When Sherri brought that tape of the incident Tara was referring to to that press conference (which I totally applaud her for, BTW), that was ABSOLUTELY the last straw for Tara. It was a case of the almighty Hall of Famer being stood up to by the relative newbie (at least in her eyes), & her ego was flat boiling after that. She's bristled every time I've ever seen OU brought up in front of her ever since.

I'm not necessarily disagreeing that it wouldn't be a good series, because I think it would (although I begrudingly admit that Stanford's had our number recently). I just severely doubt that it's going to happen anytime soon.

[badger]

Let's forecast the Big 12 season, shall we?

Current Big 12 standings are as follows. Please note that there are no North/South b!tchiness to worry about... it all comes down to regular season and tourney records.

http://i40.tinypic.com/2uyfyxg.jpg

1. Kansas State: There's a reason they're No. 18 in polls and not higher despite being undefeated, and if you're a football fan, you can probably guess why.

2. Texas: Currently undefeated and No. 4 in the national polls, they will be one of our biggest threats to retaining Big 12 control, especially since they beat Tennessee a few days ago. I hope the girls all remember the Sooner Oath they took in the pictures above.

3. Texas A&M: Yes, for those of you just tuning in because our football season doesn't continue/conclude for another week or so, this IS just like football where Big 12 teams crowd the top! Texas A&M is No. 3 nationally with an undefeated resume that includes the likes of Pittsburg, Michigan, Arizona, Penn State, Pepperdine... normally wouldn't include that last one, but remember this is WOMEN's basketball, where the players like academic schools!

4. Baylor: FINALLY! Another team with a loss on the resume (to Wisconsin), but is still a top ten conference power at No. 7. They retain their top rank despite a loss with sig wins over Stanford and Villanova. Oh, and their coach is nowhere NEAR as hot as ours, so quiet, SicEm.

5. Oklahoma: Check out a fun video of Coale on Courtney here (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/clubhouse?teamId=201). The bad news is we have two losses so far to UConn and North Carolina, but the good news is that it's because of games like this that we'll be prepared to face tough teams later on that haven't (*cough* KANSAS STATE! *cough*). We aren't No. 5 on reputation alone!

6. Iowa State: Unranked, 8-2 and behind OU, I don't want any excuse for losing to them this year, and that includes the usual "Coale always loses to them" one. It's getting old.

7. Kansas: Oh Rock Chalk Ladyhawk, don't you wish you could be as good as your big brother program? Don't lose hope, hawkgirls - even your football team made it out of the cellar! But... allow me to yawn thinking about you ever competing for the Big 12. Yawwwwwwwn...

8. Oklahoma State: Ok, so I've stopped yawning at you Ladyboys or Cowwomen or whatever you mutate your mascot into being genderific, but the college basketball world is less kind when you lose to Arkansas-Little Rock. No. 24 and 8-2. You are no longer Goodenough. Hahaha! You fired her but she's the joke that keeps on giving! Yay!

9. Nebraska: For when someone decides to do this for men's basketball... I challenge you to find something useful to say when you get to Nebraska. Haha, you can't do it! Nebraska is bad on both sides! Thus, if we lose to them, it's time for Coale to unbench the benchers and unstart the starters again.

10. Texas Tech: The days of Sheryl Swoopes have long past, but the fans remain enthusiastic. Coale has often said that they are one of the best crowds in the Big 12 for women's basketball. Remember the shirts our players had for their retiring coach? Remember when she blew a kiss to their student section during one of their "welcoming" chants and they started cheering like horny college boys? Well... at least they have the memories, if not the talent.

11. Mizzou: When you lose to Holy Cross in overtime... ugh. If there's any positive thing to say, it's that their losses have mostly been close. Think they secretly have Kelvin as coach?

12. Colorado: You know, I remember playing Colorado in the Elite Eight in 2002! The game was in Boise and they beat Stanford in order to play us! It was quite an accomplishment to make it that far in the tournament! And then... we beat them by 30. Final Four! Final Four! And then, we beat Duke. Final Two! Final Two! Then, my memory's a little hazy... it can be when the last time you've made it that far was six-seven years ago. Perhaps it's time to recapture some of that magic of 2002, no?

[Remembering Tom Stidham]

That comeback against California was wonderful!

[ouleaf]

I wish our the Lady Sooners well this year, as I do every year. Sherri is an excellent role model and an even better coach. With that said, will they win it all.....I think not. As someone who really, honestly doesn't enjoy watching women's basketball at all, I've actually forced myself to watch at least a couple minutes here and there of the team this year, and I just don't see them winning it all or even the conference for that matter.

[AllAboutThe'O']

Let's forecast the Big 12 season, shall we?

Current Big 12 standings are as follows. Please note that there are no North/South b!tchiness to worry about... it all comes down to regular season and tourney records.

http://i40.tinypic.com/2uyfyxg.jpg

1. Kansas State: There's a reason they're No. 18 in polls and not higher despite being undefeated, and if you're a football fan, you can probably guess why.

2. Texas: Currently undefeated and No. 4 in the national polls, they will be one of our biggest threats to retaining Big 12 control, especially since they beat Tennessee a few days ago. I hope the girls all remember the Sooner Oath they took in the pictures above.

3. Texas A&M: Yes, for those of you just tuning in because our football season doesn't continue/conclude for another week or so, this IS just like football where Big 12 teams crowd the top! Texas A&M is No. 3 nationally with an undefeated resume that includes the likes of Pittsburg, Michigan, Arizona, Penn State, Pepperdine... normally wouldn't include that last one, but remember this is WOMEN's basketball, where the players like academic schools!

4. Baylor: FINALLY! Another team with a loss on the resume (to Wisconsin), but is still a top ten conference power at No. 7. They retain their top rank despite a loss with sig wins over Stanford and Villanova. Oh, and their coach is nowhere NEAR as hot as ours, so quiet, SicEm.

5. Oklahoma: Check out a fun video of Coale on Courtney here (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/clubhouse?teamId=201). The bad news is we have two losses so far to UConn and North Carolina, but the good news is that it's because of games like this that we'll be prepared to face tough teams later on that haven't (*cough* KANSAS STATE! *cough*). We aren't No. 5 on reputation alone!

6. Iowa State: Unranked, 8-2 and behind OU, I don't want any excuse for losing to them this year, and that includes the usual "Coale always loses to them" one. It's getting old.

7. Kansas: Oh Rock Chalk Ladyhawk, don't you wish you could be as good as your big brother program? Don't lose hope, hawkgirls - even your football team made it out of the cellar! But... allow me to yawn thinking about you ever competing for the Big 12. Yawwwwwwwn...

8. Oklahoma State: Ok, so I've stopped yawning at you Ladyboys or Cowwomen or whatever you mutate your mascot into being genderific, but the college basketball world is less kind when you lose to Arkansas-Little Rock. No. 24 and 8-2. You are no longer Goodenough. Hahaha! You fired her but she's the joke that keeps on giving! Yay!

9. Nebraska: For when someone decides to do this for men's basketball... I challenge you to find something useful to say when you get to Nebraska. Haha, you can't do it! Nebraska is bad on both sides! Thus, if we lose to them, it's time for Coale to unbench the benchers and unstart the starters again.

10. Texas Tech: The days of Sheryl Swoopes have long past, but the fans remain enthusiastic. Coale has often said that they are one of the best crowds in the Big 12 for women's basketball. Remember the shirts our players had for their retiring coach? Remember when she blew a kiss to their student section during one of their "welcoming" chants and they started cheering like horny college boys? Well... at least they have the memories, if not the talent.

11. Mizzou: When you lose to Holy Cross in overtime... ugh. If there's any positive thing to say, it's that their losses have mostly been close. Think they secretly have Kelvin as coach?

12. Colorado: You know, I remember playing Colorado in the Elite Eight in 2002! The game was in Boise and they beat Stanford in order to play us! It was quite an accomplishment to make it that far in the tournament! And then... we beat them by 30. Final Four! Final Four! And then, we beat Duke. Final Two! Final Two! Then, my memory's a little hazy... it can be when the last time you've made it that far was six-seven years ago. Perhaps it's time to recapture some of that magic of 2002, no?

The Big XII, in a nutshell (love those observations, Badger, and going by your rankings):
1. Kansas State - So Bill Snyder was actually coaching the women's team during his football hiatus.
2. Texas - The RRS has carried over to the hardwood.
3. Texas A&M - Blair might be the most underrated proven coach in the country.
4. Baylor - I think Rachel Allison has played on their team for at least 10 years.
5. OU - Lost to the top two teams in the country; although I think UConn would beat UNC by at least 20 if they played.
6. Iowa State - If only they had the divisions as they had in football, then ISU would be perhaps the favorite in the North.
7. KU - Dealt a bad hand when freshman phenom Angel Goodrich got hurt in the preseason; I think she alone can be worth a few more wins.
8. OSU - I don't know which team is going to show up on a certain night.
9. Nebraska - Their volleyball studs don't play hoops?
10. Texas Tech - Texas apparently is doing a better job replacing its legendary coach than Tech is.
11. Journalism U. - I can't talk smack about them, considering they knocked us off in the conference tourney last year.
12. Colorado - Kathy McConnell-Miller joins Steve Kragthorpe in realizing that maybe the grass wasn't any greener outside of Green Country.

[badger]

http://i41.tinypic.com/rarz45.jpg

I did this for football, so fair's fair in the Title IX talk!

Color Code:
Big 12 - red
SEC - fusha
Big East - greenish
Pac 10 - blue
Ohio State - puke yellow
Random conferences - brown

Thoughts: The ACC is a basketball haven, like we already all knew. More surprising is the lack of Big 10 schools on this Top 25. What happened up there? Do they just focus on men's athletics? Also surprising is the lack of academic schools, as these are usually the places that can get top female athletes. Sure there's Vandy and Stanford, but no Ivy. Hmm... the Big 12 has very good representation with half of our schools in the Top 25.

Let us do a points thing, shall we? In honor of the bracket breakdown, we will go in groups of 4 (with the last group in 5). If you are receiving any votes, 1 point. If you are 21-25, two points. If you are 15-19, three points. 10-14, four points. 5-9, five points. 1-4, six points.

Big 12: 27
Ranks: 3,4,5,7,21,22, Other

ACC: 23
Ranks: 1,2, 6,16,23, Other

Big East: 19
Ranks:10,12,14,15,19,Other

SEC: 17
Ranks:8,9,18,20, Other

So, looks like we are going to be very good against other top conferences... but we already knew that based on our schedules thus far! Just more stats to have fun with, I guess.

[badger]

Congrats to the women's team on achieving the No. 3 ranking in the country. This is a tremendous accomplishment and a reward for your tough non-conference schedule and performance so far this year.

:D

We as Sooner fans have witnessed many years where OU has ranked this high in football, but it is a rare and welcomed occurrence when it happens in basketball, especially women's basketball.

:)

Of course, we Sooner fans have heightened expectations in all sports, especially one we have invested a lot in like basketball, with our new facilities, paying top-dollar for coaching and selling out arenas and traveling well.

:O

Of course, we have gotten rankings like this before, only to be disheartened later in the season, sometimes in conference play, sometimes in the postseason tournaments, where we wonder and get utterly confused how such a highly recruited, talented and class act group of athletes could have an off-day at the absolute wrong moment against the likes of teams we've barely heard about all season long.

:confused:

And then there is the turnover issue, where the ball suddenly goes up for a bad shot, or goes to the other team during a bad pass, or anything of the such. We then watch it utter horror as the opposing teams seem to never miss any shots or freely pass into open lanes while they close leads and make everyone hold their collective breath in shock and awe.

:mad:

But through all of these emotions that women's basketball has brought fans these past seven to eight seasons... nine seasons... ten seasons, depending on when you jumping onboard, there is a sense of disappointment and sadness. These athletes chose OU because Coale sold the program as one that would soon be on the map and as a powerhouse (how she could convince recruits that it could be both at the same time is beyond me, but it seems to be working). We see the best players come here instead of places like Tennessee or UConn or God forbid, Stanford. If this team doesn't get the championship it has worked so hard for all of these years through coaching, fan support and a dedicated group of student-athletes, I very well might cry.

:(

But not in public... or at least I'll wear sunglasses so that you can't see my watery eyes.

:cool:

[badger]

I just got done watching the OU-aTm game and from the look of it, a soldout crowd just got done watching it too (yes, a "whiteout" game). Because this is the Aggie women's team we're talking about...
http://www.scsdma.org/images/virtualTour/070214femaleJailBrake/4.JPG
Sorry, that was a future picture of them if they keep their thuggery ways up. Anyways, there was a lot of pettiness and thuggery to go around because of who we are talking about. The refs, on the other hand...
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/69/178899631_ded99f09f9.jpg?v=0
Turned a blind eye most of the time, as CP3, who is usually sent to the line as often as possible (either because she's closest to the basket or... you know, other reasons involving a percentage in the 30s), struggled to reach her usually double-double numbers and camped most of the second half with six points (no typo there) and hardly any free throw ops.

Sister Ashley, on the other hand...
http://assets.espn.go.com/photo/2006/1125/ncw_i_aparis_275.jpg
...oh, sorry. That was a dated, old, file photo. Here is a more recent shot to behold:
http://i44.tinypic.com/mhegk2.jpg
Ashley deserves major kudos, much like the football board did for Duke Robinson's commitment to his conditioning a few years ago.

Anyways, for those of you that missed the game, here is a recap in photo format:

1- 40 minutes of aTm thuggery as usual:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/img/04-08/0403tamu.jpg
2- Sherri Coale death stare at refs for 39 minutes like last year (but with a new hairstyle)
http://media.dailycamera.com/bdc/content/img/photos/2007/01/20/N0121CUBB05.JPG__t120.jpg
3- Another double-double for CP3 despite refs overlooking obvious calls (pic related)
http://www.journalstar.com/content/articles/2008/01/18/huskerextra/womens_basketball/doc478ecd2a41e43023555218.jpg
4- A lot of shots of celebrity parents and family in the crowd...
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2123/1583992556_777e739f35.jpg?v=0
5- OU wins again to retain awesome ranking!
http://i40.tinypic.com/nov8fo.jpg

go us! Boomer!

[Boomer.....]

That game was very sloppy and reminded me of last years team with the exception being Ashley. Way too many forced entry passes to CP3 were stolen and it seemed like every other possession was a turnover, although A&M had more. Ashley played very well and is vastly improving her stock as a WNBA player. OU gave up a huge lead but then pulled ahead at the end and CP3 did end up getting her double-double with around 60 seconds left in the game. As sloppy as it was, it was a huge win against a top 10 conference opponent.

[badger]

Glad to see I'm not talking to myself... or rather, being the only one posting (the thread views suggest there are many non posting lurkers).

[BudsBoy]

This team has about three or four basketball players, the rest are nice kids who should be in a lower division. Willis being one of them. It is very frustrating to see Sherri scholling these girls who just can't play.

[NormanPride]

It was a great win against a very, very good opponent. One who has given us fits in the last few years. we dominated them in every phase of the game, and they only started "coming back" when we took our foot off the gas and made it our goal to get CP3 her double double.

People are down on this win a bit because they got back within 8 or 9 near the end after we lead by 26. Well, guess what? This is/was the #8 team in the nation and we smacked the **** out of them. We made it look easy, and when we coasted they got closer. But even at the most "tense" part of the game, we were still up by 8 or 9 points! Chill, people.