when fully healthy I think they rotate between their 5 guards: Twidale, Krimili, Williams, Donez and Donez and 4 fowards Onyiah, Suarez, Noble, and Abigor. Ackerman and Maul provide length for bigger ACC rosters.
I huge plus to this weekend was bench players played useful minutes in a competitive game, rather than mop up duty. The team worked through a 40-minute trap defense vs Fordham and utilized a trap of their own vs Temple in the 3Q which sparked the run out.
My one concern going into ACC play is can they score in the lane. Post ups and dribble drives were suspect at times and led to lots of TOs. An X-factor to their success would be getting offense from their defensive role players: Noble or Donez. Maul, Abigor and King have shown flashes of being offensive weapons though several times in non-con play got lost on switches, though I attribute that to limited minutes with other non-starters on the court.
The Bears halfcourt defense is much improved from last year. Far less ball chasing on the perimeter and when Suarz is healthy Charmin utilizes Onyiah as a help side rim defender helps keep her in games.
Could this team finish top 4 in the ACC and host in the tournament? yes, but that is a long way off and that journey starts when the team is back in Berkeley after the holidays. In the end, it's great to root for a fun and exciting WBB program. Go Bears!
Turnovers are the only way Cal doesn’t get to .500 or better in ACC play. Though their game is predicated on uptempo play and a high volume of threes, it looks like at times they are rushed; as well, the frenetic forty can sometimes backfire-fatigue can result in late game errors. This is why depth is important, but all have to play with composure. The Bears will remain pesky on defense, and as long as the guards make a decent % from three, opening up the inside game for Michelle and Gabby, they’ll be competitive. My main concern is the predictability of their passing sometimes, and that includes some telegraphed and lazy passes into the paint. On the other hand, players will occasionally use a one-handed sling pass to circulate the ball, meant to catch the opponent off guard. These are part of the overall speed game, keeping the defense on its back foot. Completion percentage needs to improve. Otherwise, sky’s the limit.
The Bears have a strong starting five and a very deep bench. This is their best team in many years and, while there are no guarantees, an NCAA bid looks very very likely. Zhara King and Gabrielle Abigor are going to be special players. It was a pretty good Temple team that the Bears demolished last night. I'm excited for conference play.
when fully healthy I think they rotate between their 5 guards: Twidale, Krimili, Williams, Donez and Donez and 4 fowards Onyiah, Suarez, Noble, and Abigor. Ackerman and Maul provide length for bigger ACC rosters.
I huge plus to this weekend was bench players played useful minutes in a competitive game, rather than mop up duty. The team worked through a 40-minute trap defense vs Fordham and utilized a trap of their own vs Temple in the 3Q which sparked the run out.
My one concern going into ACC play is can they score in the lane. Post ups and dribble drives were suspect at times and led to lots of TOs. An X-factor to their success would be getting offense from their defensive role players: Noble or Donez. Maul, Abigor and King have shown flashes of being offensive weapons though several times in non-con play got lost on switches, though I attribute that to limited minutes with other non-starters on the court.
The Bears halfcourt defense is much improved from last year. Far less ball chasing on the perimeter and when Suarz is healthy Charmin utilizes Onyiah as a help side rim defender helps keep her in games.
Could this team finish top 4 in the ACC and host in the tournament? yes, but that is a long way off and that journey starts when the team is back in Berkeley after the holidays. In the end, it's great to root for a fun and exciting WBB program. Go Bears!
Bears move up to 21st in the rankings. https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/rankings
Turnovers are the only way Cal doesn’t get to .500 or better in ACC play. Though their game is predicated on uptempo play and a high volume of threes, it looks like at times they are rushed; as well, the frenetic forty can sometimes backfire-fatigue can result in late game errors. This is why depth is important, but all have to play with composure. The Bears will remain pesky on defense, and as long as the guards make a decent % from three, opening up the inside game for Michelle and Gabby, they’ll be competitive. My main concern is the predictability of their passing sometimes, and that includes some telegraphed and lazy passes into the paint. On the other hand, players will occasionally use a one-handed sling pass to circulate the ball, meant to catch the opponent off guard. These are part of the overall speed game, keeping the defense on its back foot. Completion percentage needs to improve. Otherwise, sky’s the limit.
The Bears have a strong starting five and a very deep bench. This is their best team in many years and, while there are no guarantees, an NCAA bid looks very very likely. Zhara King and Gabrielle Abigor are going to be special players. It was a pretty good Temple team that the Bears demolished last night. I'm excited for conference play.
Nice write-up, Nick. Happy holidays!
The task, and it’s not a given, is to win seven or eight games in conference. That should get them over the line.
Well, we already have one...the decisive win over Stanfurd.
This record should bring a lot of confidence to the start of ACC play- Go Bears!