2017-2018 Season Previews

Discussion in 'Women’s Basketball' started by DFW_Horn, Oct 25, 2017.

  1. DFW_Horn

    DFW_Horn 2,500+ Posts

    I know we have the NCAA Big 12 Preview but thought it would be nice to have a thread for any previews others might come across - both for the team and the conference. This is from SummittHoops.com - they presented it in slide format that I'm not a fan of so I've posted the Texas segment and the predicted standings:

    10. Kansas
    9. TCU
    8. KSU
    7. Iowa State
    6. Texas Tech
    5. Oklahoma State
    4. OU (sucks)
    3. West Virginia
    2. Baylor
    1. Texas

    Texas

    Projected finish: 1st

    Key returners:
    Brooke McCarty 14.1 ppg, 46%, 3.6 rpg, 3.6 apg, 34 mpg
    Ariel Atkins 12.8 ppg, 46%, 4.2 rpg, 1.6 apg, 27 mpg
    (Joyner Holmes) 12.1 ppg, 44%, 8.2 rpg, 27 mpg

    Biggest losses:
    (Joyner Holmes) 12.1 ppg, 44%, 8.2 rpg, 27 mpg
    Kelsey Lang 9.1 ppg, 53%, 7.6 rpg, 27 mpg
    Brianna Taylor 4.8 ppg, 47%, 4.2 rpg, 1.8 apg, 21 mpg

    Newcomers:
    Destiny Littleton G, 5-9, La Jolla, CA, Freshman, #9 guard (Hoopgurlz)
    Chasity Patterson G, 5-5, Houston, TX, Freshman, #1 PG (Hoopgurlz)
    Rellah Boothe F, 6-3, Ocala, FL, Freshman, #1 forward (Hoopgurlz)
    Jatarie White F/C, 6-4, Charlotte, NC, Junior

    Head Coach: Karen Aston will begin her 14th season overall at Texas. She was an assistant and associate head coach for eight years under Jody Conradt. She returned in 2012 to be the head coach of the Longhorns. The recruiting ability of Aston is second to none. This year’s team features ten McDonald’s All-American’s, three of those being freshman. ESPN.com ranks this recruiting class at number 3. Anything less than a Big 12 title, is this team selling itself short.

    Key non-conference games:
    Tennessee 12/10
    Florida State 12/17
    UConn 1/15

    Outlook: There is so much talent on this team. The main concern is going to be chemistry. With having so many players that were the go-to in the past, they are going to have to adjust to perfecting their role. Brooke McCarty and Ariel Atkins are the senior leaders on this team and will set the expectation. A big factor that the Longhorns will have to deal with is the return of 2016-2017 freshman of the year, Joyner Holmes. Holmes is suspended from UT for the fall semester but will return in December. The adjustment of the newcomers to Holmes will definitely be an interesting dynamic.

    First team All-Big 12 (in no particular order):
    Kalani Brown, Baylor
    Kaylee Jensen, Oklahoma State
    Brooke McCarty, Texas
    Ariel Atkins, Texas
    Tynice Martin, WVU
    Jatarie White, Texas

    Second Team (in no particular order):
    Joyner Holmes, Texas
    Maddie Manning, OU
    Bridget Carleton, Iowa State
    Kristy Wallace, Baylor
    Vionise Pierre-Louis, OU
    Chasity Patterson, Texas


    Found the way Joyner was categorized as both a Key Returner and a Biggest Loss funny. I don't think Chasity will see enough minutes to qualify for an all-conference team - Sug would seem to have a much better shot at one of those honors.

    Complete article:
    https://summitthoops.com/2017/10/24/sec-preview-texas-baylor/
     
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  2. DFW_Horn

    DFW_Horn 2,500+ Posts

    Excelle Sports projects Texas #6 in their preseason rankings though they seem to focus more on comments made by Rellah than actually discussing the team's strengths/weaknesses:

    In Austin, fans hope the future is now. Both Rellah Boothe and Chasity Patterson, the third- and fourth-ranked recruits, looked impressive in the McDonald’s All American game on March 29 and will be counted on to help replace Texas’ two departing starters, Kelsey Lang and Brianna Taylor. According to an ESPN story, Boothe promised to lead Texas to multiple national championships—although she also said before last season that she’d average 45 points per game as a high school senior at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Flor. and she managed only half that. But the foundations are there, and the Longhorns finished only second to Baylor in the Big 12 and reached the Sweet Sixteen before falling to Stanford.

    http://www.excellesports.com/news/best-womens-college-basketball-teams/
     
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    Last edited: Oct 25, 2017
  3. Zig72

    Zig72 500+ Posts

    Great idea. Not sure why LSU (#23 in this old poll) was left off Key non-conference games. That will be our first real test, and at a neutral site.

    Circle Dec. 28 - Karen has never won in Norman. Great way to kickoff the Big12 with a W.
     
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    Last edited: Oct 25, 2017
  4. LutherIsMyDog

    LutherIsMyDog 1,000+ Posts

    USA Today Poll

     
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  5. DFW_Horn

    DFW_Horn 2,500+ Posts

    Not sure how Notre Dame is still ranked in the Top 5 after losing a top guard to an ACL a few days ago and with Brianna Turner sitting out the season - only 8 scholarship players on this season's roster.
     
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  6. loyallonghorn

    loyallonghorn 500+ Posts

    I also think South Carolina is too highly rated #2 after losing Coates, Davis, and Gray.
     
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  7. BabHorn

    BabHorn 10,000+ Posts

    http://www.hookemplus.com/story/texas-no-6-preseason-espn-poll/
     
  8. SCspur

    SCspur < 25 Posts

    Where would you rank them?? Because I can't see anyone other then UCONN who should be ranked ahead.
     
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  9. LutherIsMyDog

    LutherIsMyDog 1,000+ Posts

    Sports Illustrated's Top 10 and pre-season All Americans. The Horns come in at #3 and Baylor is listed at #8.

    I understand that UConn is loaded with talent but is it realistic that they will have three, first team All Americans on their roster? Collier, Williams and Samuelson?


     
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  10. loyallonghorn

    loyallonghorn 500+ Posts

    South Carolina is still a top-10 team heading into this new season. But after losing so much production, I would rank Baylor, Mississippi State, Texas, Notre Dame, and UCLA in front of South Carolina.
     
  11. BabHorn

    BabHorn 10,000+ Posts

    And that's not even counting their transfer from Duke who is eligible to play this year: 6-6 Azurá Stevens.
     
  12. Moooooo

    Moooooo 5,000+ Posts

    I believe 2 of them were first-team last season, and the other was second-team.
     
  13. jusme828

    jusme828 2,500+ Posts

    They also have Batouly Camara, a 6'2" transfer from Kentucky that is eligible this year.
     
  14. 05Longhorn

    05Longhorn 250+ Posts

    Anyone know if there is going to be a Big 12 media day for women's basketball? It seems late and they haven't released the preseason coach's conference rankings.
     
  15. loyallonghorn

    loyallonghorn 500+ Posts

    Sadly, the Big 12 does not host a Women's Basketball preview media day. But Coach Aston will be on the ESPN preview production again this year.
     
  16. 05Longhorn

    05Longhorn 250+ Posts

    Odd, for some reason I thought they did! Thanks for the info.
     
  17. Moooooo

    Moooooo 5,000+ Posts

    I thought so, too. Thought for sure there was at least a pre-season conference coaches poll.
     
  18. Moooooo

    Moooooo 5,000+ Posts

  19. Zig72

    Zig72 500+ Posts

    Can anyone remember the last time AP ranked us #2?

    I can't.

    Good times.
     
  20. SCspur

    SCspur < 25 Posts

    Sorry none of those teams have overwhelming talent that suggest they are better then SC. We return the best player in the nation as well as an underrated supporting class that's going to surprise a lot of teams. Texas, Mississippi State, and UCLA all lost to SC so tnone of them should be ranked higher until they actually beat SC.
     
  21. Moooooo

    Moooooo 5,000+ Posts

    That's just stupid. What you did last year means nothing this year, especially considering the number of starters you lost, two of which were transfers who only played for SC for one season, IIRC. Considering Texas (and UCLA, I think) won't even play SC this coming season, are we supposed to just step aside based on last year's one game result?
     
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  22. SCspur

    SCspur < 25 Posts

    No but based on last year's results the players who hurt Texas (Wilson & Harris) return so therefore no matter who we lost or what we gained they players that did damage in the matchup remain. Same for UCLA and especially Mississippi St (who's 0-11 in our last 11 meetings).
     
  23. Moooooo

    Moooooo 5,000+ Posts

    Fail. It's not 2-on-2 basketball. And, Davis scored more points than Harris.

    Again, the outcome of one game last season has no bearing on this season's pre-season polls, especially when teams you are debating won't even play each other. If you believe USC will advance further in the tourney than UCLA, Texas, and MSU, that's fine; but, your logic leaves something to be desired.
     
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  24. LutherIsMyDog

    LutherIsMyDog 1,000+ Posts

    Although the preseason polls are great for discussion and banter among fans to start the season, once the season starts, the polls start to shuffle as the teams start winning and losing. There will be teams that were overrated and others that will be a surprise and will rise in the rankings.

    If South Carolina truly is the #2 team in the nation then the polls will rectify themselves and South Carolina will rise in the polls. No need to fret about it now.
     
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  25. loyallonghorn

    loyallonghorn 500+ Posts

    Hi South Carolina Spur, certainly there's no right or wrong answers and that's what the polls are for, a discussion during pre-season about women's college basketball. It's one man's opinion against another.
     
  26. loyallonghorn

    loyallonghorn 500+ Posts

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  27. BabHorn

    BabHorn 10,000+ Posts

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  28. Moooooo

    Moooooo 5,000+ Posts

  29. DFW_Horn

    DFW_Horn 2,500+ Posts

    At this point, the ultimate stab in the dark but Charlie Creme does like Texas, #1 seed in Lexington Region.

    upload_2017-11-7_14-9-16.png
     
  30. Moooooo

    Moooooo 5,000+ Posts

    Somebody help me understand the high rankings for Baylor. Even during our exhibition, Nell Fortner ranked BU #2 and us #3.

    Here's my assessment of Baylor:

    - Junior, 6'7 Kalani Brown is the best Center in college
    - Lost Alexis Jones, Nina Davis, Alexis Prince, KK Cave, and Beatrice Mompremier; with those players around the last few years, the best they could accomplish was Elite 8
    - 10 player roster this season
    - 4 true freshmen, none of who are frontcourt players
    - 3 sophomores
    - Lauren Cox (perhaps due to health) couldn't play long stretches in games
    - 3 true frontcourt players in 6'7 Brown, 6'4 Cox, and 6'2 Cohen

    To me, if Mulkey tries to play Brown and Cox together, chances are one of them gets a foul early in the game, and there is absolutely no one else with comparable size on the bench to bring in and play down low. If she plays Brown at Center, and lets Cox be the back up, that might be there best chance.

    I believe Brown averaged 25 minutes a game last season. If she can't average 30-35 minutes a game this season (especially against Top 25 teams), then Baylor is very vulnerable.

    It is very tough for any team to say completely healthy all year long. And, at least one starter struggles in every game. Baylor could have some very good luck in both of those areas, but the likelihood isn't very high, IMO.
     
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