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Post by bennyskid on Feb 26, 2017 20:50:38 GMT -8
At this stage of the season, the two teams are basically tied. Conference champs, same record, similar RPI. This team still has some work to do to match the achievements of last year's team . . . but that doesn't mean that we can't play the What If game.
Sydney (2017) v. Sydney (2016) - Sydney was pretty darn good, but Sydney is absolutely awesome.
Gabby (2017) v. Gabby (2016) - Obviously Gabby is better.
Mikayla v. Jamie - A clear-cut advantage for the 2016 team.
Marie/Bre/Kolbie v. Ruth/Devin/Sam - Ruth's defense gives the 2016 team an advantage, but the new girls provide a more versatile offense. I think the 2016 edition is better, but not by nearly as much as everyone assumed at the start of the year.
Katie (2016) v. Katie (2017) - Katie by a bit.
Kat/Taylor/Maddie v. Taylor/Jen/Bre/Kolbie - Kat is the biggest contributor out of all of these, but overall we had more depth last year.
My first instinct would be to say that Jamie was special and she'd will the 2016 team to victory over the 2017 ladies. But my second thought is that Sydney is just as "willful" in 2017, and the 2017 team has more paths to victory. So I'm not quite sure.
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Post by Werebeaver on Feb 26, 2017 21:53:30 GMT -8
At this stage of the season, the two teams are basically tied. Conference champs, same record, similar RPI. This team still has some work to do to match the achievements of last year's team . . . but that doesn't mean that we can't play the What If game. Sydney (2017) v. Sydney (2016) - Sydney was pretty darn good, but Sydney is absolutely awesome. Gabby (2017) v. Gabby (2016) - Obviously Gabby is better. Mikayla v. Jamie - A clear-cut advantage for the 2016 team. Marie/Bre/Kolbie v. Ruth/Devin/Sam - Ruth's defense gives the 2016 team an advantage, but the new girls provide a more versatile offense. I think the 2016 edition is better, but not by nearly as much as everyone assumed at the start of the year. Katie (2016) v. Katie (2017) - Katie by a bit. Kat/Taylor/Maddie v. Taylor/Jen/Bre/Kolbie - Kat is the biggest contributor out of all of these, but overall we had more depth last year. My first instinct would be to say that Jamie was special and she'd will the 2016 team to victory over the 2017 ladies. But my second thought is that Sydney is just as "willful" in 2017, and the 2017 team has more paths to victory. So I'm not quite sure. It's an unanswerable question. And you have to contemplate the 2017 versions of Syd, Gabby, Breanna, Kolbie, Katie, Marie and Taylor playing against their 2016 versions. My brain can't do that. I will say that all the returning 2017 players are better than their 2016 versions. And in the cases of Marie, Breanna and Kolbie - dramatically so. Do I think 2017 can go as far in the tournament as 2016 did? Sure, why not. |
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2ndGenBeaver
Sophomore
Posts: 1,837 
Grad Year: 1991 (MS/CS) 1999 (PhD/CS)
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Post by 2ndGenBeaver on Feb 26, 2017 21:58:50 GMT -8
Last year's team won the Conference, won the Pac-12 tournament, and got to the Final Four. That was all very special....
This year' team has so far won the conference, has the opportunity to win the Pac-12 tournament, and then we will see how far they can progress....they did also get the first win ever at Maples.
To me, last year's team "wins" so far because they really set the bar high on accomplishments:
We have now gotten in the habit of being in the mix for Pac-12 conference and Pac-12 tournament championships. And we are used to advancing into the NCAA tournament (which I appreciate greatly - there is no feeling more deflating than 1-and-done that OSU men's hoops have subject me to for as long as I have been following them - granted, great accomplishment getting there, but "the run" last year in women's hoops, or in baseball make for lasting memories.....)
But this year's team has a chance to create it's own legacy - either win the conference tournament or do enough to host the first two rounds, and then use those first two NCAA tournament games as a springboard to see if they can "beat" last year's team. :-).
What a great day. The only other coach in the Pac-12 who has built a program like ours is named Tara VanderVeer. We just honored her, and her 1000 wins, as she likely ponders heading off (someday in the near future) to a well deserved retirement, while our coach still has many years of coaching and program building left in him......I marvel at the implications of that fact.
Go Beavs!
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