So proud of our Seniors. Really saw good things from Hosey. Boothe will get there. She’s too good not to.
Post play - Guard play - We need to clean up a few things, but I thought overall we were pretty focused on taking care of business.
Thanks for filming this racer. It was nice to be able to see the ceremony. I hope it didn't detract too much from your experience.
An impressive thing that happened was that Brooke's grandmother sang the national anthem. She didn't have a deep voice, but she had the RANGE Later, in the press conference she was asked about it and her words: On maintaining poise after her grandmother sang the national anthem during Senior Night: She did that my senior night in high school. I kind of thought she was doing that tonight but I didn’t know. There’s a lot of emotions that go into senior night, but it was easy just to transfer that onto the court and just play with my teammates and get them going. So it was easy.
Nice! So, you mentioned the post-game press conference. Can anyone tell me if the press conferences are posted online anywhere?
They're very limited (only part of the conference) and not always available when we play away. http://texassports.com/index.aspx?path=wbball
Jordan has really started to come into her own this year. I am really happy to see her play so well. One can see the improvement in Rellah's game since she came back after being out for a number of games. Her understanding of defense is much better and her offensive game inside is great. Still find it hard to believe that it has been four years since that frosh class stepped on campus. What a job those remaining two have done. Surely, at least one of them, if not both, will be honored as All Americans. Good to see Audrey-Ann out there vs OU. Hope she will be able/allowed to be with the team as they continue their playoff run. Those three seniors have set the pace for the team this year. Brooke and Ariel's willingness to talk about their own freshman class' struggles as freshmen can only help the current frosh understand that the transition from HS to college is hard but doable if you put in the work.
Both the Women's and Men's teams got a sweep of OU. I believe the last time that happened, both ended up in the Final Four. Just sayin..........
I wasn't very happy to see Jordan in the starting lineup in stead of Joyner. My first thought was that we were trying to match up with OU's lineup, instead of making them adjust to ours. Coale stated last year that they had no one who could match up with Joyner; the same is true this season. But, perhaps it threw a wrench into their game-opening defense and matchups. As it turned out, I was glad we "took" what they gave us. We were never threatened in the second half, and the players on the court made smart decisions in not forcing things for the most part.
I was surprised to see that change in the starting lineup as well. But except for the backcourt, the frontcourt is more subject to change depending on practice and other factors. Jordan did well in her start. If Joyner is more comfortable coming off the bench this season, we will see that starting combo more often. Matchup-wise, vs OU, Joyner would have been the obvious choice to go up against Maddie-similar height, stronger, similar quickness. Glad I don't have to make those decisions.
Anyone read Sherri Coale's comments in the post-game press conference? She lobbied for team to be included in the NCAA tourney citing their Top 30 RPI. She said they are for sure one of the Top 30 teams in the country, maybe Top 15. I thought she was crazy to think that they are anywhere close to a Top 16 host seed. They are 1-8 against teams in the top 50 (Oregon, Baylor twice, Texas twice, and UConn). OSU is currently at #51 RPI, so they are 1-10 vs the Top 51 RPI. Not sure what she is smoking. The best win they have is against #13 South Florida, and then no significant wins until #66 WVU.
More on Sherri. She was asked if Texas is a Final Four contender. She couldn't bring herself to say "yes". She complimented the backcourt, and described the Texas team as "solid".
I've never been able to decide with Coale if it's just extreme competitiveness, or, at times, some nastiness mixed in in comments she has made about Texas. I lean toward the latter. She's not one of the more gracious coaches, IMHO.
I know it's not this simple, but Texas and OU have gone in opposite directions since Coach Aston's arrival; Sherri knows it, especially in recruiting, and doesn't like it one bit.
Maybe she’s just being honest. I think that Texas is capable of getting to the final Four. But I also think they could lose early in the tournament depending on the matchup.
Any of the #2 and #3 seeds could lose early depending on the matchups. When you are a sure-fire #2 seed, you are a Final Four contender. Sherri tries to pimp her team as Top 16 nationally the other night, but a Top 8 Texas team which beat her team twice (fairly easily) in the regular season isn't a Final Four contender? Sure.
I have mixed feelings about Coach Coale. I don’t know where it originates, but she an Aston barely look at each other during the post-game handshakes. I’m always intrigued with those interactions.
I have a bit of a different take away from their relationship. I often see them at events (golfing etc) and they seem to enjoy each-other. I remember that Karen even gifted her a club in a pregame ceremony honoring one of Coale's accomplishments. You don't do thinks like that for opposing coaches you don't like and respect. Even in their last game, with senior night activities the coaches didn't get to do their pregame handshake routine so Karen made a concerted effort to go over and greet her during the pregame introductions. Again, something you don't do when you don't like that coach. I would never expect to see any of those things done for you know who down in Waco
Coale may not be effusive about the Horns but there’s no mistaking her respect for Ariel. In one of the WNBA draft previews she said this about her: “Atkins is always good. When I get my Big 12 ballot at the end of the year, I always put her immediately because she’s just such a complete basketball payer. She’s poised, and she always hurts us. She’s always steady.” ~ Sherri Coale, Oklahoma head coach
Good to know all this. I'll try to be a little more respectful of Sherri. I do think she's a super coach, and I recall us giving her something pregame as a recognition of getting into some hall of fame or something.
Didn't I read Ariel say that Coale tried sending over flowers to her before their last game and that she (Ariel) was very touched by that gesture?
Yes. It was reported somewhere that Coale has tremendous respect for Arial to the point she considered sending her flowers for Senior night. When Arial was asked about this she said it was an honor to have a coach like Coale think so highly of her. All but one of the B12 coaches tend to be very decent people. All of them have their moments but only one of them seems to constantly live with a trailer hitch stuck up their a**.
