2009-2010 Lady Buckeyes Basketball (6 straight Big Ten Titles)

[crazybuckfan40]

Gritted my teeth and bought a ticket. Ended up on the side court - but then again, nobody else was there.

Nine-zip in 1:30 with 4 different players scoring. Seventeen-zip before WVU made a basket. Almost flawless play on both ends during that stretch.

Impressed with the tenacity at both ends. With under 4:00 in the first half and a 16 point lead - the time in a game where you might let up a bit - WVU had three straight possessions of less than 5 seconds before they turned the ball over. They just don't quit on D which means there is always something going on.

For the most part the Offense was all about the transition (witness Little at 5 for 5). Half court worked when they were willing to kick it back out but not so much when they were pounding it inside with no real openings. That may just have been something Foster wanted to work on as they did it less when WVU crept back up.

Hill does not play like a Frosh, but still has a long way to go with her game. Of course, she has an entire career less 4 games to get there. Love to watch Little play. Lavender and Prahalis are picking up where they left off. I wasn't sure Schulze was up to playing full time based on what I saw last season. She is. Also impressed with how much more athletic Moeller and to a lesser extent Walker are than what I saw of them last season.

Demographics of the sparse crowd were interesting. First time since the semifinals of my co-ed shuffleboard league championship that I may have been below the median age at a sporting event. Couldn't have found a student if I tits and a beer.

It's a good show. Go see it.

Glad you went, and I agree on the demographic, I believe student tickets are free, and there were none there...

We are looking very good...I would like to see us bring in some big time opponents next year in the non-conf schedule...

 

[Best Buckeye]

Wow, what a nice win by the lady Buckeyes, I expected a closer game.
I can hardly wait until I get to see them.

 

[backabuck]

Well, I sure got some stuff wrong..... Repella's number was 10 not 35 as I said, (my notes indicate that 35 was the number of "minutes" she played in the Marist game, not her jersey number...so I screwed that up) but I did say she might get hot an she sure did. Over 70% from behind the arc and a game high total of 23 points!....I say "nice job" but what I really wanted to do was go out on the court and throw a net over her.

I got some other stuff wrong also but the outcome was glorious wasn't it? I mean we jumped on them and never let them up. This wasn't the "little sisters of the poor".....this was,I believe, a pretty good team. They fought hard and have some good talent. When they cut our lead to eight points in the first half.....the girls went on a 25 to 5 run. Wow. I remember thinking why didn't Jantel sink that shot....it was right in her wheelhouse!!!!! Then I get home and see she went 9 of 10!!! Breathe deeply...settle down...relax. Jantel is the most consistent scorer you have ever seen at OSU......so just enjoy her.

 

[MolGenBuckeye]

Also deserving mention: Prahalis' sick between the legs pass on the break! Unfortunately, Harmon was as surprised by it as everyone else, so no assist. :)

I'd also love to know how much of WV's possession time was spent getting past Little. It seemed like they began each set with only half their shot clock.

Repella was definitely their star tonight. When the opposing crowd applauds you at the end of the game, you know you've had a nice day.

 

[backabuck]

Still thinking about this this game so I took another look at the stats. Some of this stuff has already been noted.....but these are the pluses that jumped out at me;

Shavelle came loaded for bear didn't she?? 5 for 5 from the floor and sunk her only free throw.....11 points from a girl who often last year didn't score at all. Her 2 steals and a block were fun, and I would like to have had a blood pressure check on WVU's little point guard.

Maria's 2 for 2 three pointers, 10 points and no turn overs....very nice

Brittany shooting 75% on threes and 100% at the foul line.....13 points and 2 assists. Is that a "roll player" or a star? I'll take it either way.

When Tayler isn't hitting 3's how is she going to score 14 points? The same way she did it last night.....slash to the basket and get the bucket and/or the foul. 4 of 8 from the field and 6 of 7 from the line. She is good at it now and she will get even better at it as the season goes on.

Lastly, Sarah Schulze, to me, has the prettiest jump shot I have ever seen and she can get it off over anybody!.....that wasn't on the stat sheet....I just wanted to say it.

 

[backabuck]

Nice pre-season WNIT championship ladies!........93-72, and a thing of beauty it was. Oklahoma State has an all-american guard, a deadly 3 pt. shooter from "down under",a wonderful bunch of role players, a billionaire mentor, and probably a steam ferris wheel,......but they don't have as fine a women's basketball team as the Ohio State University!

Go Bucks!!!

 

[MolGenBuckeye]

Jantel had a bit of an off first half, it seemed, but Brittany Johnson was the story! She had 17 points 8 minutes into the first half. Once they guarded Johnson closer in the second, Lavender had a little more space to operate and finished with a nice day if a little lower shooting percentage than we're used to from her. Thanks to Johnson's outburst, we built a nice double digit lead, and really just held on there for the rest of the game.

Johnson finished 7/8 from 3, what a nice day for her! After the game, Prahalis and Lavender were named co-MVPs of the WNIT.

 

[backabuck]

"really just held on there for the rest of the game."

I love Brittany's effort too but I don't agree that we "just held on" after that. After all we were up only 9 at the half yet won by 21. That is more than holding
on.

 

[NYTraveller]

Very nice win and the team seems to really be on the right track.

Sammy and Jantel have both improved from last year, Tayler Hill gives them a perimeter dimension they didn't have last season, Brittany is stepping her game up as is Sarah Schulze. The bench has some good parts and Shavelle Little is a weapon on defense (improved on the offensive end too).

I think Foster deserves credit for re-inventing himself and this team. I thought #3 might be a little high this early in the season for what is still a very young squad, but from what I've seen, they deserve the accolades. Folks, this team is a serious Final Four contender.

Continuing a theme in this thread, Oklahoma State Coach Kurt Budke had this to say about tOSU after the game,

"They know each other really well. They can pass well and always find open players. I am a little disappointed in their crowd. They should get at least 10,000 fans."

These girls play an exciting brand of basketball and they deserve to be supported by the students and fans. I wish I lived closer - I'd be a regular. :osu:

 

[MolGenBuckeye]

"really just held on there for the rest of the game."

I love Brittany's effort too but I don't agree that we "just held on" after that. After all we were up only 9 at the half yet won by 21. That is more than holding
on.

Okay, I phrased that poorly. We did build on it; what I meant was that we never let them get closer, nor did we have any other big momentum runs like that. No slight intended to the team, who played hard the whole way against a good opponent!

 

[crazybuckfan40]

This team is so fun to watch. So many different girls that can go for big nights...

I believe we have had 7 already go for double digits...Lavendar, Johnson, Prahalis, Moeller, Little, Hill, Schulze...

This is not a dull style of basketball...Sammy P makes the 3,000 fans that are there stand up countless times a game with her behind the back, between the legs, and laser overhand passes.

I wish the university would do a little more marketing of this team...I thought it was good the time during the Iowa football game that Lavendar was on the big screen, but outside of that I haven't seen anything that said come watch the #3 squad in the country...

 

[Oh8ch]

I fully believed that Hill was starting as a stop gap while Little served her suspension. But after seeing that Little played only 10 minutes today and further reading Foster's reference to having 5 starters who can both shoot the three and put the ball on the floor - it appears to be permanent.

So digest this. The two time Big Ten player of the year is now coming off the bench. They are that good.

It also means all five of our current starters - however good they may be right now - will be back next year.

If it weren't for UConn....

I wish the university would do a little more marketing of this team...I thought it was good the time during the Iowa football game that Lavendar was on the big screen, but outside of that I haven't seen anything that said come watch the #3 squad in the country...

Now averaging 91 ppg, or roughly one point for every 32 fans in attendance.

 

[backabuck]

About Tayler Hill, I would like to repost from thoughts on the previous game;

"When Tayler isn't hitting 3's how is she going to score 14 points? The same way she did it last night.....slash to the basket and get the bucket and/or the foul. 4 of 8 from the field and 6 of 7 from the line. She is good at it now and she will get even better at it as the season goes on."

Tonight she was 5 for 7 from the field but 0 of 3 from the line....11 points. If she hits her free throws.....14 points again. As long as she keeps attacking the rim, I believe she is good for 12 to 15 points a game! A valuable addition to our scoring and lots of foul problems for the opponents.

About Shavelle Little; I agree she will probably total less minutes this year (lots of guards)......but the shock effect of her coming off the bench and causing general havoc and frustration has got to be fun for her and fun for us. She is truly a delight to watch.

 

[NYTraveller]

Regarding Shavelle and the guard rotation -

I think you have it right - "shock value" is a great way to describe her game-changing abilities. Tayler has done some nice work on D, shot the passing lane a few times for steals, as did Brittany today. Shavelle is improved on the offensive end but is not the weapon in a halfcourt game that either Britt or Tayler are. Add Amber to the mix, Maria's steadiness and Sammy's solid D to go with her spectacular passing/ballhandling and you have a very tough rotation for pressure, rebounding, outside shooting, penetration, passing, etc.

Shavelle's role will be to ramp up the intensity another notch after 6-10 minutes of play and crumble the opposing pg. If anyone gets dinged up or is in foul trouble, there's enough quality reserve minutes there from her and the others to pick up the slack. Minutes among 3-4 of those players could fluctuate pretty greatly depending on game circumstance. It's a great situation to be in.

As good as the frontcourt is (and it is very good with Sarah Schulze playing with the energy and skill she has shown thus far as a starter), that's the area where they could be vulnerable against a really top team like UConn or Stanford (or a few others on a given day) if they hit key foul trouble or (knock wood) an injury. You could, however, say that about almost every team - Stanford is in the same boat with their bckcourt - and it seems to me that the #3 ranking and a real shot at a Final Four spot is justified.

Hopefully, enthusiasm and crowds and coverage will build as the season goes on and they can lay the foundation for continued national recruiting success and sustainable excellence.

 

[MolGenBuckeye]

Hopefully, enthusiasm and crowds and coverage will build as the season goes on and they can lay the foundation for continued national recruiting success and sustainable excellence.

If past tendencies hold true, the crowds do get a little better once the B10 season starts, and a few students may even show up.