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Tara's swan song?

C

colhenrylives

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Sep 25, 2009
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Was tonight's tourney loss the Stanford finale for her? She is nearly 71. She has been the boss on The Farm since 1985. She has multiple NCAA titles. She is the all-time winningest coach in NCAA Division I history. What's left to prove? The ACC will be a travel challenge for her. Recruiting elite teens without strong academic credentials is not in the cards. It just feels like it's time.
 
on the mens side the commentors seem to think the opposite with the new coach.
the 3rd quarter tonight was a blitz.... damn gina
 
I've just had a feeling this is Tara's last season. And the incoming frosh aren't at the level of the graduating seniors.
 
Cameron Brink was dominating defensively, but once she got in foul trouble and especially after she fouled out, it was an easy waltz down the lane for NC State just about every possession. No answers from teammates or Tara.

Pretty surprising... Tough for Stanford, but the difference Brink/no Brink HAS to raise Brink's pro stock even more.
 
kiddman32 said:
Cameron Brink was dominating defensively, but once she got in foul trouble and especially after she fouled out, it was an easy waltz down the lane for NC State just about every possession. No answers from teammates or Tara.

Pretty surprising... Tough for Stanford, but the difference Brink/no Brink HAS to raise Brink's pro stock even more.
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she fouled out her last two games. she better work on that
 
She might be able to do what she does with fewer fouls in the W.
 
colhenrylives said:
Was tonight's tourney loss the Stanford finale for her? She is nearly 71. She has been the boss on The Farm since 1985. She has multiple NCAA titles. She is the all-time winningest coach in NCAA Division I history. What's left to prove? The ACC will be a travel challenge for her. Recruiting elite teens without strong academic credentials is not in the cards. It just feels like it's time.
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In today's age I don't think there is a problem with elite talent having Stanford grades. I just don't believe a lot of the elite girls want to go to Stanford. But Tara pretty much has a elite girls there now and she has done a great job. The competitive landscape is tough for NCAAW. But I was wondering the same. Is this her last year. Will she be up for the long traveling schedule of playing in the ACC.
 
I don't think the travel will be a big issue. After all, Stanford had to fly to every Pac-12 game, but on a charter. And so this just means the flights are a few hours longer.

I think the future of the program might have more to do with it. Iriafen is an elite player, but that's it. The incoming recruits do not appear to be at the level of those leaving, and Stanford cannot mine the portal.

We'll see ...
 
ClayK said:
I don't think the travel will be a big issue. After all, Stanford had to fly to every Pac-12 game, but on a charter. And so this just means the flights are a few hours longer.

I think the future of the program might have more to do with it. Iriafen is an elite player, but that's it. The incoming recruits do not appear to be at the level of those leaving, and Stanford cannot mine the portal.

We'll see ...
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I think Brooke Demetre is a top level player and Lepolo can shift gears when needed. I haven't analyzed the rest of the players. I just wonder if that Stanford system doesn't really fit some of those players there?
 
Here's more speculation: Would the Warriors new WNBA team try to lure Tara off The Farm for a couple of years as a marketing move? Would she even be interested?
 
GBBall4L said:
I think Brooke Demetre is a top level player and Lepolo can shift gears when needed. I haven't analyzed the rest of the players. I just wonder if that Stanford system doesn't really fit some of those players there?
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Clay is correct. Cardinal have one returning impact player. The PG position was a glaring deficit this year. And the bench was less than productive. Stanford needs a major injection of fresh talent. And lots of it.
 
colhenrylives said:
Clay is correct. Cardinal have one returning impact player. The PG position was a glaring deficit this year. And the bench was less than productive. Stanford needs a major injection of fresh talent. And lots of it.
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when the point guard was signed i thought she was going to be a liability. in the lost she had zero points. that cant happen.
 
Those who recall their last year in college might remember how desperate most of us were to be done with school. After 17 years or so of classrooms and tests, the allure had become very thin.
 
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ClayK said:
Those who recall their last year in college might remember how desperate most of us were to be done with school. After 17 years or so of classrooms and tests, the allure had become very thin.
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and we did it pre zoom classes and google!
 
ClayK said:
Those who recall their last year in college might remember how desperate most of us were to be done with school. After 17 years or so of classrooms and tests, the allure had become very thin.
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School was great …
University of Hawaii cruising Kalakaua Ave
In my Corvette picking up tourist and coeds
 
I wonder if she thinks she won't be traveling across the country in the WNBA?

Obviously not... I think this excuse is a cover for...

"No more homework, no more books, no more teachers' dirty looks!"

Well... Either that or she's been a great student and is close to graduation... :)
 
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kiddman32 said:
I wonder if she thinks she won't be traveling across the country in the WNBA?

Obviously not... I think this excuse is a cover for...

"No more homework, no more book, no more teachers' dirty looks!"
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traveling for your job and traveling for school is different. when she travels from indiana to las vegas and los angeles she will stay in better hotels and go back home after the game. she wont have to study and go to class upon return. from san jose to syracuse, boston, miami, chapel hill will be taxing on the body
 
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colhenrylives said:
Was tonight's tourney loss the Stanford finale for her? She is nearly 71. She has been the boss on The Farm since 1985. She has multiple NCAA titles. She is the all-time winningest coach in NCAA Division I history. What's left to prove? The ACC will be a travel challenge for her. Recruiting elite teens without strong academic credentials is not in the cards. It just feels like it's time.
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Maybe you put the idea in her head
 
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I'm hearing some of the girls aren't really feeling Coach Paye but we will see. Could be outside assumptions.
 
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I was alluding how they are going to be pushed early in morning… in the past Stanford women were not always the fittest … some of them may not appreciate the demands
 
"Early in the morning" ...

Young people do not get enough sleep. At Stanford several years ago they did a study and required the men's basketball team to sleep 10 hours a night. All their statistical metrics improve.

It's even worse to get kids up in high school for 6 a.m. practices or, even worse, 7 a.m. Saturday morning runs. Kids need sleep, and they're not going to bed earlier -- or not by enough -- to do something at 6 a.m.

At best, a player would wake up at 5 a.m. for a 6 a.m. workout. To get the 10 hours of sleep they need, they would have to go to bed at 7 p.m.

I have always tried to let my players sleep. My preferred Saturday practice time is 11 a.m., and if the gym is occupied on a weekday, we would not practice rather than try to go before school. (It also disrupts the entire family in a high school setting.)

The point of getting up early to run escapes me completely. OK, maybe shared sacrifice bonds a team, but what you're really after is maximum performance, and that comes from well-rested athletes. If you really feel the need to pound your players into the ground, have them run or practice at 9 p.m. They're not going to sleep until midnight anyway.
 
ClayK said:
"Early in the morning" ...

Young people do not get enough sleep. At Stanford several years ago they did a study and required the men's basketball team to sleep 10 hours a night. All their statistical metrics improve.

It's even worse to get kids up in high school for 6 a.m. practices or, even worse, 7 a.m. Saturday morning runs. Kids need sleep, and they're not going to bed earlier -- or not by enough -- to do something at 6 a.m.

At best, a player would wake up at 5 a.m. for a 6 a.m. workout. To get the 10 hours of sleep they need, they would have to go to bed at 7 p.m.

I have always tried to let my players sleep. My preferred Saturday practice time is 11 a.m., and if the gym is occupied on a weekday, we would not practice rather than try to go before school. (It also disrupts the entire family in a high school setting.)

The point of getting up early to run escapes me completely. OK, maybe shared sacrifice bonds a team, but what you're really after is maximum performance, and that comes from well-rested athletes. If you really feel the need to pound your players into the ground, have them run or practice at 9 p.m. They're not going to sleep until midnight anyway.
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that must have been a boring season for those men that year if they had a bedtime
 
You can have less-than-elite athletes lift and run from now until the cows come home, but, without superb talent as a given, the overall team record will remain iffy at best. Hence Stanford's growing women's hoops dilemma. Talent tumps all.
 
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Character does not beat both, at least in terms of winning games. Talent wins.

And as a fitness person, you know the relation of sleep to performance. Teenagers' body clocks are set differently than adults -- it's not laziness, it's biology. Coaches are older and don't mind getting up, but players are more important than coaches. Schedules should be set to accommodate the players, not the old folks.
 
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