Thursday, January 31, 2008

Tennessee vs. Duke

The game was great. Duke had a great game plan. The first half their defense had a great hold on Parker. She was held to under 10 points. Duke stayed strong in the paint, with Chante Black being the points for the the Blue Devils. Waner out shooting has slipped which has left a hole is the perimeter for Duke, they need her sharp shooting to keep a balance. Duke has the inside outside game but until both are hitting Duke's offense is one-sided.

UT has weapons all already but it was obvious that Parker was rattled in the first half. The first half was a strong showing of the ACCs strenght in the Duke maintained the score.

The difference in the game was the offensive rebounding of UT. The second chance points made a difference in the second half with Duke not able to keep them off the boards. Even though Duke lost they had opportunites to win but Waner will make the difference in many tough games as she regains her shooting touch.

Duke and UT may meet again in the Final Four, who will bring their A game.

Monday, January 28, 2008

NCSU vs. Wake Forest

The Wolfpack are truly my favorite team. Kay Yow and the battle she fights is inspiring. I have always loved the PACK. I attended camp at NCSU growing up, got to meet Jimmy V and have pulled for the PACK forever.

The Pack is really going through growing pains this year. They are so young but are holding their own with the middle of the pack. NCSU will probably finish in the middle of the ACC. I watch them play Georgia Tech and was surprised at the strength of Georgia Tech. With the inexperience of NCSU they will continue to grow as a team. The Wake Forest game was not a dominating game for the Pack. They just don't have a strength of scorers. Hang in there Pack you day will come.

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Tarheels vs. Terps

A great ACC matchup #3 TERPS vs. #4 Tarheels. What depth the ACC has with such a strong core of players.

The Terps are lead by Toliver the premier point guard in D1. She is a junior that carries herself with strengths of a senior. Her supporting cast includes Marisa Coleman, Crystal Langhorn and Laura Harper. Langhorn is he strength in the front line bu ther Terps lack depth in the post to support Langhorn. Coleman is a great shooter that opens up opportunities for Langhorn. Harper is a contributor with a mid range game the really adds dimension for the terps. The TERPS lack depth especially in the paint.

The Heels are lead by Larkins, their senior leader who has not had consistent showings this season. The Heels are lacking experience at the point guard position but some big games this year have help DeGraffenreid gain experience and handle some intense pressure that the ACC will bring. The Tarheels are load with depth at the post. The quick, long heels will surely give some matchup problems with the Terps. Intangibles for the Tarheels are LaToya Pringle her rebounding and presences give many teams some matchup problems. McCants has really become a key in the Heels lineup as she continues to show her scoring potential

The game.

First Half - The Tarheels have showed strength by controlling games in the first half. They let teams get close and seem to have spurts of mental break downs. Some of the officiating in the first half was questions for both teams. But the first half was a good showing of the strength in the ACC. Maryland is very good but I think they just don't have the depth to stay with team that match up evenly with them.

Second Half - The Terps came back strong, but foul trouble really hurt them in the end. Their shooting really opened up the second half to force Carolina to have to come from behind. Maryland should have won the game in the first half they played the better half but the Tarheels keep pushing through the tie the game and force OT.

1st OT - INTENSE. It was a back and forth during the first OT and no TEAM really took control of the game. Both had opportunities to win but no one took control forcing a second OT.

2nd OT - The Tarheels prevail. Foul trouble really hurt the Terps in the second OT and the Tarheels pull through to win. Pringle was the force that made a difference in the game.

The Tarheels get the win with Pringle leading the Tarheels with 31. The Terps had strength in scoring with their top performers still maintain their averages.

Monday, January 21, 2008

UNC vs. UCONN

UNC started early and played a strong first leading the entire first half and playing very well. UNC starts with an 8-0 run and sets the tempo for the first half. The Tarheels continue to extend their lead with strong team play and capitalize on UCONN mistakes. The drought of scoring during the first half sparks UCONN as the close the deficit to within 3. UCONN's Montgomery continues to lead the Huskies throughout the first half. The Tarheel's are lead by Pringle who has been a consistent player for the heels this year. Larkins continues to struggle with scoring for the heels. UCONN's Charles is also a strong force in the first half with her interior play. She plays well for the Huskies in the first half to keep them to within 4 points. With only 10 minutes left in the first half UNC stays up by four. UNCs quick long arms help to extend the lead with their ability to block shots. UNCs depth from the bench continues to keep them in the lead. UNCs Breland and Lucas give the needed depth to maintain their strong defensive stand. With a bit over a minute left in the half UNC extends to a 10 point lead as they continue to control the first half play. McCants fouls with half a minute left which leads to UCONN free throws. The exchange is quick with UNC finishing the half with a layup and 11 point lead. UNC plays well in the first half and seems to have executed a great game plan so far.

Second half starts well for the Tarheels they continue to maintain the lead for the first three minutes of play. UCONN packs the "D" inside to force UNC to play a perimeter game. UNCs outside shooters can't seem to pull through to open the defense up. Several missed 3's continue to spark the Huskies play as they close up the middle. At the 15 minute mark the tides turn as the Huskies gain the lead. For the next 3 minutes the exchange of points between the HEELS and the HUSKIES open up the door for a nail bitter between #1 and #4. UCONNs Houston opens up the lead and shows up for this game during the second half. UCONNS Moore continues to show her impact as a scoring threat. With less than 10 minutes left the TARHEELS Pringle ties the game. Pringle's consistency is the stronghold for the Heels for this game. The Huskies stay in the lead during the second half with Houston and Montgomery leading the way. The Tarheels stay within reach with Pringle. McCants gives the needed defensive effort to help the Heels stay within 2 points. With 5 minutes left the Tarheels push to gain the lead with McCants as the scorer. At 4 and some change the Huskies change the tide with some sloppy Tarheel play. At this point there is no turning back for the Huskies as the take the lead and hold on for the 82-71 win.

HEELS - Degraffenreid does some good things but as her experience grows she will too. Larkins has to be consistent, her senior year has not been a stellar year. Pringle is the glue now she is a consistent and continues to provide them a spark. I like the Heels play but you gotta finish the deed. Their defense can make you work, but decisions in the crunch time hurt them. Will the Heels make it to the final two could this be a preview of the national championship game?

UCONN - Montgomery has the game. She has stepped up to the plate and getting the hit. Houston helped tonight but will she continue to be a contributor. Charles is a workhorse and will make the difference in many games. Can the Huskies hold it together and get the to National Championship game?

The Yellow Jackets

Wow. Where have I been. Georgia Tech has come into their own. What a game they have. A burst of energy is how they come at you. Georgia Tech is a fundamental team with lots of options. They play strong team basketball. Mitchell is their leading scorer and is producing some good numbers, with a great supporter in Nnamaka. Tech's only losses come from top UNC, MD in double OT, and Georgia. Tech has an experienced team which will make for a great ACC tourney.

The Tarheels

The tarheels are currently #2 in the conference. The tarheels are explosive with a run and gun style offense. The Heels are averaging 90 ppg and have strong rebounding skills. The turnovers are the downside to their offense. The tarheels matchup well with most teams, their weakness is leadership at the point guard position. The tarheels can hold their own with most teams but the injuries they have sustained may keep them from a final four. Larkins has not had a strong senior year, but the supporting cast for the heels keep them moving forward. The quick, tall heels work hard on defense which complements their transition game. It will be interesting to see how the heels finish the season this year.

The Terps

Maryland is currently leading the conference with a 6-0 record. Maryland's strength is awesome with the ability to put points on the board. Marylands team strengths include scoring and rebounding. They are beating teams by an average of 22 ppg and are strong on the boards. The balanced attacked and strength in the paint continue to provide the Terps with a path to the final four. The Tarheels and Devils should provide a challenge for this team but as long as the Terps stay healthy I believe they will be a final four contender. Toliver's leadership, Coleman's sharp shooting, and Langhorn in the paint offer plenty of match problems for many teams.

ACC Women Lets Get Started

The ACC is a strong conference this year. Look at the history of the ACC women's basketball program. The number of teams participating in the final four and the number of national champions is growing. Promoting the ACC and continuing its competitive fever is where we need to go. Add your comments about your team, recruiting, top players, and predictions. Lets get the ball rolling and grow the support for ACC women's basketball.