Time for a Real Discussion About Caitlin Clark

[dtISU]

Does that mean in two years I am going to start watching that crap? Turned on local morning news today for the first time in a while as well. If that story somehow becomes about CC too, time for the bag.

I turned 65 last summer and I swear, on that day I had a sudden desire to turn the TV to local news broadcasts. Weird...

 

[BoxsterCy]

If I'm Bluder I'm retiring as soon as CC leaves. She will be 63 this spring and it will never be this good again.

She'll be 63, not 73, she's not retiring with the class she has coming in. Next year might even be fun for her to coach a bunch of talented freshman and a relief from the pressure she must be feeling this year. Sort of like how ISU team looks to be having way more fun this season than last year.

I could see Bill retiring if we make a deep run in 2026-27, Crooks and Brown's senior year. He would turn 70 that spring 2027. 70 is good retirement age for coaches, IMHO, if they are still being successful.

Got me thinking about the age of some of the other top tier or long time coaches with ton-o-wins:

• Tara VanDerveer, Stanford, 70 (she won't retire until Geno does because she wants to go out with the most career wins)
• Geno Auriemma, UConn, 69
• Kim Mulkey, LSU, 61
• Muffet McGraw. Notre Dame, retired at 64
• C. Vivian Stringer, Iowa/Rutgers retired 73 (stayed too long)
• Andy Landers, Georgia, retired at 62
• Gary Blair, Arkansas/Texas A&M, retired at 76
• Sylvia Hatchell, North Carolina, retired at 66

 

[VeloClone]

She'll be 63, not 73, she's not retiring with the class she has coming in. Next year might even be fun for her to coach a bunch of talented freshman and a relief from the pressure she must be feeling this year. Sort of like how ISU team looks to be having way more fun this season than last year.

I could see Bill retiring if we make a deep run in 2026-27, Crooks and Brown's senior year. He would turn 70 that spring 2027. 70 is good retirement age for coaches, IMHO, if they are still being successful.

Got me thinking about the age of some of the other top tier or long time coaches with ton-o-wins:

• Tara VanDerveer, Stanford, 70 (she won't retire until Geno does because she wants to go out with the most career wins)
• Geno Auriemma, UConn, 69
• Kim Mulkey, LSU, 61
• Muffet McGraw. Notre Dame, retired at 64
• C. Vivian Stringer, Iowa/Rutgers retired 73 (stayed too long)
• Andy Landers, Georgia, retired at 62
• Gary Blair, Arkansas/Texas A&M, retired at 76
• Sylvia Hatchell, North Carolina, retired at 66

I happened to look at Stringer's Wiki page the other day because I couldn't remember exactly what success she had at Iowa. It was clearly written by a Rutgers fan because they devote about one sentence to say where she coached at her two stops before and then go in depth about her Rutgers experience. It doesn't seem to me that you should gloss over Final Four appearances when talking about a coach's history.

 

[jspeels]

I think tonight’s game aggravates me even more! Up 30 plus and CC is still in, got her the triple double a mini into the 4th and stayed in a bit. Why the need to pad her stats! We all know she is great! And injury up over 30 would be devastating to their season!

 

[Gonzo]

I think tonight’s game aggravates me even more! Up 30 plus and CC is still in, got her the triple double a mini into the 4th and stayed in a bit. Why the need to pad her stats! We all know she is great! And injury up over 30 would be devastating to their season!

Did you see the minutes for LSU's starters last night beating Mizzou by 20? Yikes.

 

[ClubCy]

I think tonight’s game aggravates me even more! Up 30 plus and CC is still in, got her the triple double a mini into the 4th and stayed in a bit. Why the need to pad her stats! We all know she is great! And injury up over 30 would be devastating to their season!

Did you not watch our non con mens games?

 

[BoxsterCy]

I think tonight’s game aggravates me even more! Up 30 plus and CC is still in, got her the triple double a mini into the 4th and stayed in a bit. Why the need to pad her stats! We all know she is great! And injury up over 30 would be devastating to their season!

Only paid half attention after the Hawks blitzed out ahead. Checking the box score and Clark played 28 minutes. Nine Hawks played 10 or more minutes. Doesn't seem crazy to me.

Did you see the minutes for LSU's starters last night beating Mizzou by 20? Yikes.

Ha, made me look. Starters 38, 37, 37, 37, and 28.

Game was at least sort of close into the 3rd but that is some big minutes. Sort of half paid attention to this one also, on in the background for me.

 

[Cyched]

Was trying to stay out of it but I’ve had a few drinks, so what the hell

Our fans getting bent out of shape over every little thing she does is stupid

Hawk fans white knighting for her on here is stupid

Nuke the thread

 

[Gonzo]

Only paid half attention after the Hawks blitzed out ahead. Checking the box score and Clark played 28 minutes. Nine Hawks played 10 or more minutes. Doesn't seem crazy to me.



Ha, made me look. Starters 38, 37, 37, 37, and 28.

Game was at least sort of close into the 3rd but that is some big minutes. Sort of half paid attention to this one also, on in the background for me.

I watched some of it, Morrow is so good, easily the best player on that team. Reese hits the boards like a beast. Ridiculous that they're ranked #7. Zero excuse for that team not to win out and win it all.

 

[1UNI2ISU]

I think tonight’s game aggravates me even more! Up 30 plus and CC is still in, got her the triple double a mini into the 4th and stayed in a bit. Why the need to pad her stats! We all know she is great! And injury up over 30 would be devastating to their season!

The women have to game the NET too.

DI college basketball isn't junior high.

 

[1UNI2ISU]

I watched some of it, Morrow is so good, easily the best player on that team. Reese hits the boards like a beast. Ridiculous that they're ranked #7. Zero excuse for that team not to win out and win it all.

The fact they all seem to hate each other is going to present a problem at some point. They are just dripping with talent however.

 

[BCClone]

The fact they all seem to hate each other is going to present a problem at some point. They are just dripping with talent however.

Yeah, but if you can hold the group together and then come tournament time, fire them up that they have 6 games left, win a championship and they won't have to deal with each other ever again, sometimes works.

 

[1UNI2ISU]

Yeah, but if you can hold the group together and then come tournament time, fire them up that they have 6 games left, win a championship and they won't have to deal with each other ever again, sometimes works.

Mulkey should do everything she can to make herself the common enemy for that group which shouldn't be too terribly hard for her. A lot of what Eustachy did for the Tinsley/Fizer group.

 

[madguy30]

Was trying to stay out of it but I’ve had a few drinks, so what the hell

Our fans getting bent out of shape over every little thing she does is stupid

Hawk fans white knighting for her on here is stupid

Nuke the thread

She's really good.

She's taking full advantage of our 'look at me!!' society and NIL deals.

She comes off like a jerk and it makes it not that enjoyable to watch. Hok fan family I have mention her behavior if it comes up.

 

[Cyhig]

Not sure if it’s been mentioned….

But CC tends to take more shots on nights she struggles. She’s taken 30+ shot attempts in four games. In those games, she’s gone 14-34, 12-31, 9-32, and 13-31. Not surprising the team has struggled on those nights, including their loss.

Seems odd a player would shoot more when they have an off night. Seems to be a better strategy to be a facilitator than a scorer for those games.

 

[Cycsk]

Not sure if it’s been mentioned….

But CC tends to take more shots on nights she struggles. She’s taken 30+ shot attempts in four games. In those games, she’s gone 14-34, 12-31, 9-32, and 13-31. Not surprising the team has struggled on those nights, including their loss.

Seems odd a player would shoot more when they have an off night. Seems to be a better strategy to be a facilitator than a scorer for those games.

I'm more interested in whether she shoots more in a close game or not when she struggles. I don't care what happens in a blowout.

 

[Gonzo]

Not sure if it’s been mentioned….

But CC tends to take more shots on nights she struggles. She’s taken 30+ shot attempts in four games. In those games, she’s gone 14-34, 12-31, 9-32, and 13-31. Not surprising the team has struggled on those nights, including their loss.

Seems odd a player would shoot more when they have an off night. Seems to be a better strategy to be a facilitator than a scorer for those games.

Off night > team struggles > closer game > more shots to try carrying the team to a W.

At least that would be my guess. Also have always heard about great shooters trying to shoot their way out of slumps, that could be part of it too. Would be interested to see what her assist #s look like on those 30+ shot nights.

 

[Cyhig]

Off night > team struggles > closer game > more shots to try carrying the team to a W.

At least that would be my guess. Also have always heard about great shooters trying to shoot their way out of slumps, that could be part of it too. Would be interested to see what her assist #s look like on those 30+ shot nights.

But she will shoot around 50% of the team shots on games when she struggles. She tries to shoot herself out of a bad night. If your shot isn’t falling for a particular game, shooting more isn’t helping the team.

That may mean she doesn’t score 25+ points on those games.. but that’s ok if she finds players who are shooting well for that game. That just doesn’t appear to be happening

 

[Gonzo]

But she will shoot around 50% of the team shots on games when she struggles. She tries to shoot herself out of a bad night. If your shot isn’t falling for a particular game, shooting more isn’t helping the team.

That may mean she doesn’t score 25+ points on those games.. but that’s ok if she finds players who are shooting well for that game. That just doesn’t appear to be happening

I'd be willing to bet the mindset of a player at the caliber of CC is that if my shot hasn't been falling, I'm going to get it turned around and start hitting if I keep shooting.

 

[Cyhig]

I'd be willing to bet the mindset of a player at the caliber of CC is that if my shot hasn't been falling, I'm going to get it turned around and start hitting if I keep shooting.

That’s what I call the Kobe approach. The team is better off not having the star player keep shooting over and over on their bad nights. There are great players who recognize when it’s not their night and will then try to be a decoy of sorts to get better shots for their teammates. Keep chucking it up over and over isn’t good for the team.