Achonwa (merged)

[doggydaddy]

I just think it's premature to pronounce ND dead. Teams with talent - and Notre Dame has talent - are often able to adjust to the loss of a key player. One approach might be to press our ball handlers and frustrate their ability to pass into the post. Would it work? I don't know. But it's possible. I'm sure Muffet is dreaming up ways to try to cope with the loss of Achonwa.

Yeah, but she needs to think about Louisville or Maryland for that. One step at a time.

 

[meyers7]

Not only is she going to miss the FF, she missed the Canadian National Team AND, her first year in the WNBA. Wonder how the draft will look at her???

 

[doggydaddy]

With a week to prepare and their high basketball IQ, I am certain that N D will be ready to compete at a very high level. They have two AA's remaining and that should be enough to get them to the championship game.

I respect Muffet's ability to scheme a game-plan that will put us to the test. Yes they are missing their premier post but have three capable bench players. If Loyd or McBride have an A+ game and the supporting cast steps up, we are in battle.

Louisville and MD have one AA each, but I believe after including the AA's on all three teams, both Louisville and MD have more talent. I'd put Smith, Gibbs, Taylor, Hammond and Jude over Allen, Braker, Mabrey, Reimer and Wright.

It would be a heck of a game.

 

[ctdad]

Not only is she going to miss the FF, she missed the Canadian National Team AND, her first year in the WNBA. Wonder how the draft will look at her???

Hard to say on the draft, but even if she can't play, she'll finish up in May with a degree from ND's School of Business, which has been ranked 1 or 2 nationally for several years now by whoever does such things. She'll be fine. One of the things I like about the women's game is that most of the players are actual college students.

 

[Blueballer]

Louisville and MD have one AA each, but I believe after including the AA's on all three teams, both Louisville and MD have more talent. I'd put Smith, Gibbs, Taylor, Hammond and Jude over Allen, Braker, Mabrey, Reimer and Wright.

It would be a heck of a game.

I would agree with your talent assessment, however the ND women really play as a unit extremely well. How much Achonwa has to do with that will soon be evident. But ND is certainly better coached than MD. Louisville is a different story. Walz (If Louisville wins tonight) will have a difficult time game planning for ND without Achonwa because there is no tape of them without her (Just some bits and pieces when she was on the bench in foul trouble during the year). But Jeff is certainly up to the task. Judging a team on talent alone is always risky, just look at our old buddies TENN . No lack of talent there but....

 

[hoophuskee]

With a week to prepare and their high basketball IQ, I am certain that N D will be ready to compete at a very high level. They have two AA's remaining and that should be enough to get them to the championship game.

I respect Muffet's ability to scheme a game-plan that will put us to the test. Yes they are missing their premier post but have three capable bench players. If Loyd or McBride have an A+ game and the supporting cast steps up, we are in battle.

You could be right but you seem way too over-confident that they'll get there. The other teams have players with high baksetball IQ's too, right? And the other teams will be ready to compete too, right? And since when does just two A/A's autmatically get you into the finals (which you've seemed ot make that jump)? Tina and Maya? You think the 2 ND players are at their level? Griner and Sims couldn't get by Louisville without any a/a's. And most of the whole team from Louisville just once removed from a huge upset is facing two a/a's again.

SO you respect Muffett but not someone like Walz who has gotten to two finals as an underdog? While you respect Muffett dont you respect Geno too in identifying weaknesses of his opponents and exploiting them? It seems like you just want to look at things one way.

 

[pap49cba]

One thing is for sure: They will fight to the death. Bear in mind that UConn won a couple of tough games early in the year with two key players out. Really good teams find a way to compensate but I will admit Achonwa seems like a vital cog in their machine, both as a player and a leader.

 

[rocky rococo]

Mike Thibault will grab her if she drops in the draft. He doesn't hesitate to use picks on injured players.

 

[hoophuskee]

One thing is for sure: They will fight to the death. Bear in mind that UConn won a couple of tough games early in the year with two key players out. Really good teams find a way to compensate but I will admit Achonwa seems like a vital cog in their machine, both as a player and a leader.

The difference is - UCONN had three a/a's - while ND has two. Secondly, UCONN had inside-outside balance. Generally teams with balance win. SO to have balance either Reimer has to come through, one of their gaurds needs to be able to take shots in close enough where our smaller gaurds gets exposed forcing our bigs to help, or they shoot unreal from the perimeter. All three are a tough task.

 

[Sonny44]

Tough way to bow out fine lady. We will miss you in the finals, we hope.

 

[Sonny44]

It eliminates them from competing for a national championship.

Not so fast!
They may very well make to the finals.

 

[UConnCat]

Yeah, but she needs to think about Louisville or Maryland for that. One step at a time.

And UConn needs to think about Stanford or UNC.

 

[toadfoot]

Argh!! Lot of bad karma being generated in this thread I'm not even going to think about the implications of a UConn-ND final without Achonwa until UConn beats the Stanford/NC winner.

 

[hoophuskee]

And UConn needs to think about Stanford or UNC.

Yes but it is fun to speculate. It's fun to speculate how Achonwa's basketball skills affect the entire ND team even tough she is probably considered their "3rd best caliber a/a" - if small or little etc.

Anyhow- if UCONN loses to Stanford or UNC - it will be a super-shock - huge upset.

But if ND loses - will it be a super-shock now?

 

[MilfordHusky]

ND is not out of the running. This probably makes their task tougher, maybe much tougher. It certainly makes it different.

Reimer will get more PT, but I think Muffett goes with a small lineup and tries to get her team 40 FTs. Hopefully, we can control the inside (if we meet) and stay out of serious foul trouble.

I recall the NBA Finals game between the Sixers and Lakers, when Kareem was out. Everyone thought the Lakers were dead, but Magic played center and scored 42 as the Lakers won. I'm not saying Jewell Loyd is Magic Johnson, but strange things happen. I believe that ND may be able to play one game on adrenaline; two games are much harder.

I feel badly for Natalie. This is an awful way to end her college career. It may impact her draft position and will keep her out of the FIBA tourney. I don't feel badly for ND, however. They have some good players and a good coach, and they play very good ball for the most part. But their whining and baiting of the refs is abominable, in my opinion.

 

[Zorro]

You think that without Achonwa they can score 80 against the best defense in the country? Really?

I need a word for the opposite of overly optimistic.

Uh..."underly pessemistic", mebbe?

 

[UConnCat]

Geno Auriemma ‏@genoauriemma 2h
All other issues aside I was sick to my stomach when I heard about Natalie Achonwa tearing her ACL. I've been there and I feel for her.

 

[ScarlettB]

This definitely makes it more difficult for ND and my heart breaks for Natalie, but they are not out of it yet. A lot can happen. Players on the remaining teams could get injured or become ill - heck Diamond went down twice in the last game and is day to day. LSU lost two players during the tournament. No team should think they are invulnerable. UConn could easily have been without KML if her recovery from mono hadn't gone as well as it did - and after watching the two games in Lincoln, I think you would have been in a bit of trouble without her. I just hope everyone remains healthy and for ND fans, that the other players step up. I want to see competitive games.

 

[ndmb]

Yes it does. Notre Dame will have NOTHING inside to combat Dolson and Stewart...NOTHING. All UCONN has to do is pound the ball inside and the game will be over.

But, as people keep pointing out, 2 players can only score so much. Consider the following hypothetical scenario:

Dolson spends a lot of time at the high post, but still does better than her season average: 17 Points
Stewart doesn't play as well as she did in last years tournament, but still hits some clutch jumpers to reach her season average: 19 Points
Moriah: 8 Points
Bria has an off shooting night: 12 Points
Kaleena starts forcing shots a little and ends up 3/9 from three and 2/5 from 2: 15 Points

Total: 71 Points

Loyd has a great night (remember that this is the kid who put up 21 in a half on Baylor): 25 Points
McBride plays like a senior in her last game, including hitting the go-ahead three: 22 Points
Allen: 5 Points
Braker: 5 Points
Reimer: 4 Points
Mabrey gets hot and hits 4 threes: 12 Points

Total: 73 Points

Is the above scenario really that unlikely? Is there any one of those outcomes that seems like that much of a stretch? Before the Achonwa injury, I would have given UConn maybe 70% odds of winning. Now I'd give them 80-85% odds. I think it's a pretty big stretch to say that Notre Dame cannot win.

One thing that I will add though, is that this changes my rooting preferences in tonight's game. I had thought that Louisville had the better odds of winning against Notre Dame, but Thomas' clutch play against Tennessee in combination with one less shot blocker in the post have changed my mind.

 

[ed4ourgirls]

And UConn needs to think about Stanford or UNC.

Yes, I was beginning to think that I was the only one who was a little worried about Stanford - who are
playing pretty well right now.

I'd feel a bit less nervous if UNC can upset Stanford, but I don't think they will.

 

[msf22b]

Just covering the mojo bases here...

There is a little thing of two semi final games before we even go to the "wanted to play/beat them at full strength" scenario. One team, or both, may not win their semifinal game. If that happens the point is moot.

Rest assured, our coaches will be scouting tonight's game and will immediately start on a game plan for the semifinal before they even give ND a thought.

When I was a young thing back in '58, I was at the finals of the US Championship at Forest Hills on grass.
Near the end of the 5th set of a hard fought match between Aussie's Ashley Cooper and Mal Anderson, Cooper suffered a debilitating
knee injury, possibly an ACL and the match was halted while Cooper tried to determine if he could go on.

He actually could hardly walk, but he won nevertheless.
Anderson lost track of what he had to do to finish and wound up losing to a statuary object
who could neither move nor serve.
It actually affected Anderson's game more than Cooper's

there's a lesson here somewhere.

 

[Robert Wordell]

You could be right but you seem way too over-confident that they'll get there. The other teams have players with high baksetball IQ's too, right? And the other teams will be ready to compete too, right? And since when does just two A/A's autmatically get you into the finals (which you've seemed ot make that jump)? Tina and Maya? You think the 2 ND players are at their level? Griner and Sims couldn't get by Louisville without any a/a's. And most of the whole team from Louisville just once removed from a huge upset is facing two a/a's again.

SO you respect Muffett but not someone like Walz who has gotten to two finals as an underdog? While you respect Muffett dont you respect Geno too in identifying weaknesses of his opponents and exploiting them? It seems like you just want to look at things one way.

I respect Waltz and his team.

I chose to move ND into championship in this thread because we have played and beaten the Vill 3 times this season. I want Uconn to beat ND for the prize.

I think Loyd is a superior baller and McBride is a warrior. They are better than any of Waltz's players. The supporting ND cast is not. The wild card is freshman post. Will she rise to the challenge?

 

[doggydaddy]

And UConn needs to think about Stanford or UNC.

That goes without saying.....but you did......lol.

 

[rocky rococo]

Maryland would be a real problem for ND now. Even a team like Tennessee, with quality bigs, was unable to keep Thomas under control. ND without Achonwa would be easy pickings for her.

 

[Robert Wordell]

Louisville and MD have one AA each, but I believe after including the AA's on all three teams, both Louisville and MD have more talent. I'd put Smith, Gibbs, Taylor, Hammond and Jude over Allen, Braker, Mabrey, Reimer and Wright.

It would be a heck of a game.

I agree with you on S Schimel's suporting cast but Hammond has been in a funk for last two games. If it continues tonight I am not sure they get past Maryland.