Guess I am not surprised she is doing well. She, like Aubrey, really hustles. She looked like she was working pretty hard on defense last year and seemed that when she got burned it was from being maybe out of position more than not being quick enough?
2024-25 ISU WBB Season Thread
- Thread starter mred
- Start date
Guess I am not surprised she is doing well. She, like Aubrey, really hustles. She looked like she was working pretty hard on defense last year and seemed that when she got burned it was from being maybe out of position more than not being quick enough?
Thing about highlights and stats for the portal transfers is that very few highlights ever show anyone playing defense unless they are a low scoring post who has blocked shot highlights. We have a ton of players (seemingly) that can score and a bunch with great 3-point % but I am not sure who really plays good defense.
We were last place in the Big 12 in scoring defense last season. Probably not too surprising with all of the freshman minutes we played. #3 in scoring offset that to a great extent but you know they want to be better on defense this season. Maybe the only player last season that you might point to as being good on defense was Jackson. We don't have to be great, just better. With the freshman being sophomores now I'd guess we will see improvement.
Just for fun I looked at last year. Sooners and Cyclones were the most unbalanced in the top group for scoring offense versus scoring defense. With Texas and OU gone #1 is up for grabs on the offense. ISU and OU were markedly unbalanced compared to the others. Of course that didn't hurt Iowa the last two season but that's not usually the case.
Texas #1 offense, #1 defense
OU #2 offense, #13 defense
ISU #3 offense, #14 defense
BU #4 offense, #4 defense
WVU #5 offense, #2 defense
KSU #6 offense, #3 defense
It seems that ranking in defense is dependent on two things...being very physical and officiating letting you get away with it.
And there I was with ISU3Pointland in the second row behind the ISU bench!
I think that it is important to play through Crooks. She needs to touch the ball and force the defense to choose. Do you risk guarding her one on one or do you bring a double or triple team. She was pretty good at passing out of double teams last year and finding the open player. I imagine she has worked on that even more in the off season. Playing through Audi will create mismatches/advantages all around the court. ISU has even more shooters this year to make teams pay as well as some pretty darn good offensive rebounders.
It should be fun.
To this day Mrs. Velo still gives me crap because I used to have a bit of a crush on Julie Hand.
Redheads!
I nominate @VeloClone to keep tabs of Crooks touches.
He'll have to did it himself because while the NBA does keep a "touches" stat the NCAA does not.
The USA Today Coaches Preseason poll was released today and we came in at #9 (#8 in the AP poll). CBF is the Big 12 coach who votes this year.
Other Big 12 teams:
Baylor #12
K-State #13
WVU #15
Receiving Votes
TCU #27
Utah #31
Colorado #35
Other Big 12 teams:
Baylor #12
K-State #13
WVU #15
Receiving Votes
TCU #27
Utah #31
Colorado #35
NCAA Women’s College Basketball Coaches Poll | USA Today Sports
Weekly results from the USA TODAY Sports NCAA Women’s College Basketball coaches poll, conducted weekly using a panel of head coaches at Division I schools.
sportsdata.usatoday.com
Day 5 also gets 2 people. 2 amazing homegrown post players. Remarkable how many great posts we have had from our own backyard and Crooks is continuing that great legacy.
Sadly Christopherson was forced to play out of her natural position. If we had a solid post during her time she would have been even better than she was.
Her first three years were playing with Poppens and Prins. Their final game together in the NCAA's with a healthy Prins:
"The Cyclones were led by Chelsea Poppens' 10th double-double of the season, scoring 14 points and grabbing 17 rebounds. Anna Prins led the team in scoring with 23. Junior Hallie Christofferson also added 12 points in the Cyclone effort."
Lot less support in the paint her senior year when she did have to play out of position as we didn't really have true post player.
That’s exactly what I remember. Prins was never a consistently dominant post player. Pop was perhaps the hardest working player I’ve seen. Her playing post was also out of her natural position, but I’ve never seen anyone improve from freshman to senior as much as she did.
Last edited:
For discussion's sake...take a look at the coach's picks for the Big 12.
1. KSU
2. ISU
3. Baylor
4. TCU
5. WVU
6. Utah
7. Ariz
8. Kansas
9. Colorado
10. TTech
11. OSU
12. BYU
13. Cincy
14. UCF
15. ASU
16. Houston
Discussion Point 1. The top three are easy choices based on returning firepower. Their order could be hotly debated. IYO, why would coaches pick KSU over ISU after last year's head to head victories by ISU and ISU's performance in the Big 12 tourney? Baylor has talent but seemed soft last year. I'd almost put WVU over Baylor, but they are a one trick pony much of the time.
Discussion Point 2 - Is TCU picked in their slot because of the return of a very dysfunctional team and/or the addition of Van Lith (who has underwhelmed)?
Discussion Point 3 - the next four teams after WVU (#s 6-9) seem interchangeable. What might make one stronger than the rest?
Discussion Point 4 - of the bottom part of the conference (#10-16) who might make the most noise and why?
1. KSU
2. ISU
3. Baylor
4. TCU
5. WVU
6. Utah
7. Ariz
8. Kansas
9. Colorado
10. TTech
11. OSU
12. BYU
13. Cincy
14. UCF
15. ASU
16. Houston
Discussion Point 1. The top three are easy choices based on returning firepower. Their order could be hotly debated. IYO, why would coaches pick KSU over ISU after last year's head to head victories by ISU and ISU's performance in the Big 12 tourney? Baylor has talent but seemed soft last year. I'd almost put WVU over Baylor, but they are a one trick pony much of the time.
Discussion Point 2 - Is TCU picked in their slot because of the return of a very dysfunctional team and/or the addition of Van Lith (who has underwhelmed)?
Discussion Point 3 - the next four teams after WVU (#s 6-9) seem interchangeable. What might make one stronger than the rest?
Discussion Point 4 - of the bottom part of the conference (#10-16) who might make the most noise and why?
Her FT% improvement and smashing all ISU records in offensive rebounds both attest to that.
Plus the Pop flop, let's be honest that red ponytail and a good head snap as you went to the floor hard drew a lot of refs attention.
She was the best ISU player I remember at being able to draw the charge.
I believe KSU should be the preseason favorite to win the WBB title, with rationale as follows: 1) If Ayoka Lee can stay healthy, and that's a giant IF, she's an unstoppable force. 2) Serena Sundell is an experienced player and a fine leader. 3) The Glenn sisters are spunky and experienced. 4) KSU was much better defensively than ISU last season and should be again this season. 5) People are going to hate this, but CBF is entering his 30th season at ISU with zero stand-alone conference titles - he hasn't won when it really mattered in 20+ years. Great coaches will steal a W once in awhile with something unexpected - CBF will always play the percentages and is predictable. JMHO
