#1 Stanford @ #6 Arizona - 1/01/21

[KnightBridgeAZ]

As expected. I think you are underestimating the quality of some of the Arizona players, a number are on their national teams, etc. Some are young. They should have competed better, even if a victory was not in the cards.

Stanford is really, really good this year. Deserving of the #1 ranking at this point, unquestionably.

 

[DefenseBB]

I actually think many people underestimated how good Stanford is and due to them being motivated from last years loss, they dominated Arizona with their depth and passing. Arizona is a distant 3rd in the PAC12 behind Stanford and Oregon. Arizona is good but they are not an Elite 8 good, at least not yet.

 

[Plebe]

People shouldn't act like this result is a total shock. Arizona added good pieces primarily through the transfer portal, but they have really struggled to find the same chemistry that last year's squad exhibited. (Indeed, this is always the risk of playing the transfer market and suddenly having a bunch of good players who have no experience playing together.)

Stanford, meanwhile, has consistently shown itself to be leaps ahead of last year's iteration, in no small part because the well-documented injury woes seem to be largely behind them for now.

Arizona flirted with some disastrous losses earlier in the season against, frankly, weak competition, and survived primarily through sheer grit. But grit wasn't going to be enough in this one. I dare say Stanford is one of precious few teams in the country that Arizona is at this moment simply unable to compete with.

 

[Sched234]

As expected. I think you are underestimating the quality of some of the Arizona players, a number are on their national teams, etc. Some are young. They should have competed better, even if a victory was not in the cards.

Stanford is really, really good this year. Deserving of the #1 ranking at this point, unquestionably.

Stanford reminds me of the 2018-19 Baylor team. Ranked #1 midseason, but they hadn’t been to a FF in awhile and it didn’t feel like anyone really took them seriously as a national title threat. It was pretty clear by season’s end who the best team was. I think Stanford has the potential to do the same—stay at #1 headed into March and do so with respect as a potential title favorite.

 

[jonson]

I actually think many people underestimated how good Stanford is and due to them being motivated from last years loss, they dominated Arizona with their depth and passing. Arizona is a distant 3rd in the PAC12 behind Stanford and Oregon. Arizona is good but they are not an Elite 8 good, at least not yet.

I think this is the best Stanford team--in a decade? (or so)--and legitimately the #1 team in the nation at this point. Last year (after Jones was injured) they were undone by turnovers and scoring droughts--the latter due imo to being overly dependent upon Williams and the volume shooting of one of the Hull twins (don't remember which), both of whom were inconsistent. This year there are many more scoring options, including Wilson from 3 and Brink, who, with Jones, is a star in the making. (I suppose one could say Jones is already there.) I'd like to think Oregon might give them a challenge, especially in the second meeting or maybe in the tournament, but they've got a ways to go to get there.

Arizona, on the other hand, seems to me basically the same team as last year despite the infusion of new talent: overly dependent upon McDonald and even more prone than Stanford was last year to long scoring droughts. Given the talent in Tucson, the whole also seems to me less than the sum of its parts.

 

[nwhoopfan]

the volume shooting of one of the Hull twins (don't remember which)

gotta be Lexie you're thinking of

Arizona, on the other hand, seems to me basically the same team as last year despite the infusion of new talent: overly dependent upon McDonald and even more prone than Stanford was last year to long scoring droughts. Given the talent in Tucson, the whole also seems to me less than the sum of its parts.

Honestly, I thought they were better last year, despite having more talent on paper this year. Maybe McBryde was the secret sauce and her impact went way beyond her modest stats. Something isn't quite working for them this year.

 

[Floridaduck]

I'd like to think Oregon might give them a challenge, especially in the second meeting or maybe in the tournament, but they've got a ways to go to get there.

This is correct. Stanford is clearly a finished product. Oregon is not. Prince is yet to show she can be a force. 3 point shooting not close to what Graves was anticipating (well... checking the stats...39% for the season is pretty good...best among top ten teams...)

 

[nwhoopfan]

This is correct. Stanford is clearly a finished product.

I think Stanford still has room for improvement. I don't think they've had a game yet where Jones, Williams and Lexie Hull are all hitting shots. If they got all 3 going at the same time, that would be a sight to see.

 

[Shades]

 

[jumpstart]

Stanford has cemented itself for now as the best team in the country. The season is young but they seem to be the team to beat at this point.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

gotta be Lexie you're thinking of


Honestly, I thought they were better last year, despite having more talent on paper this year. Maybe McBryde was the secret sauce and her impact went way beyond her modest stats. Something isn't quite working for them this year.

Disparate parts not yet together. McBryde was very highly touted for her contributions.

You have Pellington, Ware, Yeaney and Baptiste, all of varied background and all new being slotted as contributors and synced with Thomas, Reese and (of course) Aari. Several other players are also expected to contribute, of course, including Smith, Puelo and Tara M.

I don't think Stanford is particularly a good matchup this year for Arizona, never mind their obvious superiority.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Thanks for posting the game link, I got a chance to watch it this afternoon.

Stanford made life in the paint miserable for Arizona, and the Cats clanked one jump shot after another. It was a combination of good defense and really cold shooting.

 

[willtalk]

Stanford seems to be the obvious best team in the Nation this season. They not only have quality at ever position, but quality depth behind the starters. Depth goes a long way when it comes to consistency. Teams like Arizona and also UCLA this season have quality starters by little depth. This is why when their starters have off games they can not compete with solid teams like Stanford. Oregon also appears to have depth behind quality starters, but we shall see how they will match up against Stanford.

This does not mean that Stanford is unbeatable. We need to remember that any team can be beaten by a team close to their level of talent on a given night. However, the odds decrease when a team has the level of talent and depth that Stanford posssesses. We should also always put individual games into perspective and not allow them by themselves to dictate our complete opinion of any team. Teams and players play on a sliding scale and individual games will fall somewhere between their good and bad performances. We can not really judge where a teams performance level is based on a single game.