Big 12 Tournament

I like your new coach but you seem to overlook that we will most likely meet up with Mulkey in the Sweet 16 and then yearly when we leave to the SEC. So we can’t move on from Mulkey, but we will move on from Baylor just like she did.

And I will never forgive her for the all-time low of trash-talking student athletes. Pitiful but very Baylor.

 

I'm going to have to disagree. Throw it in the trash. An off game. I give Texas credit BUT. These are not statements giving Texas the credit and admitting Texas was simply the better team. Now if she had said, "Texas was the better team, I give them all the credit. They deserved it." No BUTS, Then my opinion may be different.

 

Enjoy!

 

Or youtube Bob

 

Lots of moans and groans at the Baylor selection show watch party…

 

I don’t know if anybody has already commented on this…..but I JUST have to before I move on. I wonder if Fennelly and fans/players watched the game Sunday. If he thought previous games was physical…….he would have to reassess. The referees did call a few fouls that got Smith and Ebo in a little trouble. However, overall they let the players decide the outcome. There were several hard hedges as well as hips thrown into the defensive player on screens that would have been called in regular season. Make no mistake…….in a championship game the referees don’t want to be the focus and they want the players to decide the outcome by staying in the game. As an example there was one screen that a hip was thrown by a Texas player and the referee felt she had to make a gesture that no foul was there. As a former referee, that display by the referee on plays that there is potential question on is good. It lets coaches/players/fans know she saw it but didn’t see enough to call a foul and play on. Fennelly needs to realize that physical play will ratchet up in the NCAA tournament and they better get ready. This is a real advantage for Texas as they are used to physical play, and may even get to play that way even more.

 

I can't believe it! LHN is currently airing a replay of the win over Baylor! Have never seen LHN do that for our women in a Big 12 tourney game. Of course, only 1 minute left in the game! Chances are they replay it again.

 

And, who exactly are all those folks dressed alike? Baylor only has 8 players on its roster!

 

@Austin Bear

 

Just because it was such a source of heartburn for all of us around here earlier in the season I want to point out the Longhorns hit 86% of their Free Throws in the B12 tournament. Clearly some work was put in on FT shooting

 

I did this a few days ago…
Free Throws

• Non-conference - 163/255 - 63.9%
• Conference - 270/368 - 73.4%
• Current 11-game winning streak - 157/197 - 79.7%

 

No kidding. If LHN replays it once, they replay it 1,000 times!

 

Instinctively, we knew this. Our eyeballs don't lie. But it's great to see it confirmed in numbers. Nice work.

 

Yes, but look at all those championships agy has since joining the SEC. Certainly proves they would be right up there with Texas, if not ahead, if they were still in the B12.

Oh wait.

 

After thinking about this further, I realized my eyeballs witnessed only two periods in our season concerning free throw shooting....before the win streak and after. In other words, I thought the team free throw performance was very mediocre in the early portion of the season, including conference games.

Then, magically, the turnaround occurred. I don't believe I ever witnessed this night-and-day dynamic with a previous Longhorn team. The numbers:

• First 21 games: 294/448 - 65.6%
• Next 11 games: 157/197 - 79.7%
• Season: 451/645 - 69.9%

I don't see how "practice" could suddenly be the reason. It must be something else, something in the brain of every player. Not sure I could ever explain it.

Was Texas Fight magically born after the 2nd Baylor loss?

 

One player that definitely found something that works is Lauren.

• First 20 games (did not include the exhibition): 34/58, 58.6%
• Next 11 games: 36/46, 78.3%

That's very significant as she is 2nd on the team in FT attempts (104) behind Rori (123). Her self confidence and assertiveness on the court over the last 11-12 games means she's also going to the line more (2.9 FT per game to 4.2) just as she's started sinking her FTs. Really drives the point home about how confidence and comfort at the FT line can be just as important, if not more important, than form (unless you've got Delle Donne's stroke).

 

You're missing a game. UTRGV? We shot only .565 in that blowout.

 

I am still ticked about Iowa State's Lexi Donarski being voted Big 12 Defensive POY.

For those who watched the game against them on Saturday, who of our players did she guard? I'm assuming mainly Joanne Allen-Taylor and Matharu. Jo finished with 13 points, while Matharu scored 7 points. So, if those were the two, Donarski allowed 20 points scored. When I re-watched the vid highlights posted earlier in this thread, Donarski just sits around on the edge of the very soft zone and rarely even gets close to her player (Matharu); just can't believe that.

As for Donarski's defensive stats, zero rebounds and zero blocks; 2 steals.

 

That was a much bigger head scratcher for me than the Rori 2nd team result. Ayoka Lee, Nalyssa Smith, Rori or a few others would've made more sense.

 

I'm just catching up after going to Kansas City.

Freedom of movement, ha! I guess he means Rori's defense is so quick good Emily Ryan couldn't move anywhere on the court.

 

While at the tournament, I spoke to the Joens family after Texas had just defeated their Cyclones. Brian Joens, Ashley's and Aubrey's father, was complimentary. He also gave my 11 y.o. daughter some basketball advice, encouraging her to practice ball handling every day. As we departed, he wished our Longhorns the best and remarked, "anyone but Baylor winning is a good thing" since Baylor has dominated the conference for so long.

 

I have not seen Bickle's tweet, but I appreciate her lunch pale/workman like effort on the court. What Bickle does for Baylor is akin to what Audrey Warren means to the Longhorns. Just blue collar hustle players.

 

Actually I have always had an appreciation for her efforts on the court as well, as she plays an important role for Baylor IMO. But that mouth is one of the main ones that needed to be shut.

Be careful about laughing first because you might not be the one laughing last...

 

Thank you Austin Bear.

I'm probably in the minority here. I love Kim Mulkey and what she's meant and brought to Baylor. Prior to Mulkey, Baylor women's basketball was perennially at the bottom of the league (except in the mid-1970's). But Kim turned that program around and set the standard in the Big 12 for everyone to chase.

I subscribe to the tide lifting all the boats up and Baylor under Kim has done that for the Big 12. And finally Texas under Chris Del Conte made the bold move to chase after and spend the money on Vic Schaefer to compete against Baylor.

Ever since hearing Nicki Collen's introductory conference, I have loved her. It's a difficult position she finds herself following a legend. I've also been able to watch the Baylor basketball coaches streaming show on ESPN+ and just wow, she's separated from her family as they have remained in Atlanta while she is in Waco. What a tough situation she finds herself in.

I wish Baylor and Coach Collen the best.

 

WCBBNUT, was there ever any information on what Kim Mulkey had said to Empress Davenport?

I recall Baylor was leading by about 20 pts, and she subbed in her bench players who played minimal minutes. But Aston kept her starters in a full-court press and cut the lead to something like 10 points. Mulkey was upset and responded by re-inserting her starters to finish the game.