Achonwa (merged)

[doggydaddy]

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.

That's May be true, but even on a funk she is more effective than Reiner.

 

[UcMiami]

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.

I actually think Braker was and will be given Thomas and I believe she can do a good job on her with some help. They will obviously miss having Natalie as the eraser of mistakes on the back line, but how they play Thomas doesn't I think change much. It is how they rebound and guard the other Maryland players that will be an issue.
And against Louisville - the cards have a hard time with fast athletic guards and Loyd I think qualifies. She will need to have a huge game, but she is certainly capable of doing that.

 

[rocky rococo]

Stanford is a known quantity and UConn has their number. I want the Cardinal to erase the very unpredictable wild card, UNC. It's not conventional wisdom, I'm sure, but with Achonwa out, I make the Tar Heels to be UConn's most dangerous potential foe. They can be awful, but they can also be magnificent. That's what comes of having a young, highly talented but undercoached team. You really don't know what you're going to get on any given night. I'd rather not encounter that in the national semis.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Have LLyod and McBride ever combined for 60 points as some find credible?! Post injury last night both Kara and Rebecca said the loss of Achonwa was huge; this from people paid to keep interest alive. Of course, the beauty of college athletics is in part the youth that translates into volatility and unpredictability.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I actually think Braker was and will be given Thomas and I believe she can do a good job on her with some help. They will obviously miss having Natalie as the eraser of mistakes on the back line, but how they play Thomas doesn't I think change much. It is how they rebound and guard the other Maryland players that will be an issue.
And against Louisville - the cards have a hard time with fast athletic guards and Loyd I think qualifies. She will need to have a huge game, but she is certainly capable of doing that.

Braker is also foul prone - she can be goaded into stupid fouls. I think that can be exploited and Jeff has enough bigs to test her.

 

[Shenandoah]

Can we PLEASE stop with the "if we beat Nd, when we beat ND"..stuff? There's a little matter of Stanford/NC that must be beaten before we can play ND...IF they can get by Louisville/Maryland...
We're DOOMED!!!!

 

[rocky rococo]

I actually think Braker was and will be given Thomas and I believe she can do a good job on her with some help. They will obviously miss having Natalie as the eraser of mistakes on the back line, but how they play Thomas doesn't I think change much. It is how they rebound and guard the other Maryland players that will be an issue.
And against Louisville - the cards have a hard time with fast athletic guards and Loyd I think qualifies. She will need to have a huge game, but she is certainly capable of doing that.

I'm sure you're right about Braker, they have no other realistic options to deal with Thomas. The second-order effects of Thomas carving them up inside may indeed be the biggest problem for ND.

 

[rt bb fan]

Was a freak injury. She was going up for a lay-up and then You hear her scream and grab the knee

 

[Kevin G]

This is an easy question to answer. I still think ND reaches the championship game. They can still beat L'ville and Maryland. Against UCONN they have a very small shot at winning. But hey.......this is why we play the game! I am sure ND isn't throwing in the towel. Achonwa's injury will motivate them

 

[RegisteredUconn]

Natalie is a tremendous competitor. She added to the game. Best wishes for a full recovery. Notre Dame still has a team that can give anyone fits. Best wishes to them as well.

 

[Geno-ista]

Achonwa did miss the first 3 games of the season, but only Michigan State would have been considered a decent opponent in those games (ND won by 19).

Braker can handle the passing aspect of what Achinwa gave the Irish. What she can't do is put it on the floor and take it to the hoop from the high post, which is what Achonwa has been doing a lot of in the tournament, especially early in games.

As an ND fan, I have considered UConn a bad matchup for the Irish this year due to the Huskies' size. Without Achonwa, Lloyd and McBride will have to shoot the lights out for the Irish to keep close and I just don't see that happening against UConn's D. Of course, Villanova did beat Georgetown many years ago ...

Ct dad- you hit the nail on the head - only teams with tall athletic big seam to have slowed us down lately. A tough match up just became monumental. They still prob beat everyone else, with much more difficulty. And beating us wouldn't be impossible.

 

[SWHuskyFan]

I think the plan for ND doesn't have to change much. They didn't change it after 20'charging calls in the Baylor game.

As mentioned above, I think 50 free throws is the plan. It accomplishes 2 things, score points and put Stewie on the bench. Stewie will have to be very careful or she'll end up playing 25 minutes instead of 35.

 

[hoophuskee]

A short time ago Kara and Rebecca were asked of ND's chances. Kara said "none." To paraphrase Rebecca said "they won't be able to beat UCONN." They can be wrong - but anyhow the discussion is fun.

 

[delawarehusky]

Per Muffet, they are now the underdogs

 

[sarals24]

Kara said that if UConn is upset in the Final Four semis, than ND has a chance to win against Stanford/UNC. But not really against UConn. It's all about the matchups, and right now, without Achonwa, ND doesn't match up well with Dolson and Stewart.

 

[ndmb]

Stanford is a known quantity and UConn has their number. I want the Cardinal to erase the very unpredictable wild card, UNC. It's not conventional wisdom, I'm sure, but with Achonwa out, I make the Tar Heels to be UConn's most dangerous potential foe. They can be awful, but they can also be magnificent. That's what comes of having a young, highly talented but undercoached team. You really don't know what you're going to get on any given night. I'd rather not encounter that in the national semis.

I understand the reflex, but I'd much rather take the chance that a freshman DeShields gets hot than a senior Ogwumike.

 

[Geno-ista]

I understand the reflex, but I'd much rather take the chance that a freshman DeShields gets hot than a senior Ogwumike.

Not me - Chiney can only hurt u around the hoop- where she really can't hurt us!!!!
DD is a Maya like threat from everywhere and difficult to guard everywhere.

 

[Dove]

There aren't many opposing players that I can say I really liked. Achonwa was one. Tasha Pointer was another.

 

[DaddyChoc]

this was another fun read... thanks!

 

[UConnCat]

Four-guard lineup discussed in SBT story with comments from Stephanie White. Of course, a four-guard lineup with Achonwa is much different than a four-guard lineup with Braker/Reimer.

http://www.the-boneyard.com/threads/achonwa-merged.56935/page-3

White thinks that the Irish may shift to a four-guard lineup.

“I like Notre Dame with four guards, because they’re dynamic on the offensive end, and it certainly presents a challenge on the defensive end,” White said. “With the versatility you have with four guards out on the floor, to be able to show a different type of defense, switching, getting out in the passing lanes, creating turnovers … I think what Notre Dame already does on both ends of the floor is a transition four-guard offense.”

McGraw said that the four-guard lineup, with either Michaela Mabrey or Madison Cable starting in place of Achonwa, is a strong consideration. Notre Dame played mostly a four-guard lineup last season to great success, beating Connecticut three times and reaching the Final Four. The four-guard offense would leave senior Ariel Braker, a 6-1 forward, as the probable starting post.

 

[xHunt3r]

Stanford is a known quantity and UConn has their number. I want the Cardinal to erase the very unpredictable wild card, UNC. It's not conventional wisdom, I'm sure, but with Achonwa out, I make the Tar Heels to be UConn's most dangerous potential foe. They can be awful, but they can also be magnificent. That's what comes of having a young, highly talented but undercoached team. You really don't know what you're going to get on any given night. I'd rather not encounter that in the national semis.

UConn was a "known quantity" and ND had their number (4 in a row, 7 of 8.. iirc) going into the final four last year and we all know how that ended.

Even though UConn has beaten every other team in the final four handedly the last time they faced doesn't mean they should overlook any of them.

 

[HGN]

A 4 guard lineup would be a challenge , but when they shoot it they better not miss. And Stewie along with Stef would eat their lunch on the other end on offense. I think UConn will be better at guarding 4 guards than ND would be guarding UConn's size on offense. We may get a chance to see the 4 guard offense of ND against the Terps.

Bring on the 4 guards.

 

[doggydaddy]

UConn was a "known quantity" and ND had their number (4 in a row, 7 of 8.. iirc) going into the final four last year and we all know how that ended.

Even though UConn has beaten every other team in the final four handedly the last time they faced doesn't mean they should overlook any of them.

Do you think that this team would look past anyone?

 

[JellyBean]

Oh that is a shame..... sincerely,. I am over the top UC fan, and dislike ND like the rest of us, but nobody deserves this..... Good Luck, Natalie.

Very well stated.

 

[ndmb]

Not me - Chiney can only hurt u around the hoop- where she really can't hurt us!!!!
DD is a Maya like threat from everywhere and difficult to guard everywhere.

I don't understand why people keep making this comparison. Yes, both are very athletic tall guards, but that's where the comparison ends.

This year, Diamond shot 43% from the floor and 28% from 3. She had an A/TO of 0.76. In Maya's freshman year, she shot 54% from the floor and 42% from 3, with an A/TO that was twice as good at 1.45. Both scored about the same number of points, but DeShields needed 21.1 possessions a game to make that happen, compared to Maya's 16.2 (a pretty astonishing difference).

Diamond might be Maya-like someday, but she ain't there yet.