THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE
-Four BIG EAST schools receive bids to NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament
-Louisville WBB vs. Texas A&M Friday night.
The first three I've listed above I have no problem with. Marquette won the regular season title, their first BIG EAST Tournament title and finished with a 16-2-2 record and went 9-0-1 in the BIG EAST. They are ranked #13 in the nation. Well done, MU!
Georgetown had a very good season also. 15-3-3 and 8-1-1 in the BIG EAST. Played for the BIG EAST Tournament title for the first time in school history. Ranked #31 by the NCAA. Another school worthy of the bid.
But Rutgers? Someone explain this selection to me like I was a six-year old, please. I just don't get it.
They were 5-5-1 in the BIG EAST. Louisville was 5-3-3 and USF 6-2-2. Overall, the Scarlet Knights were 12-7-1. Louisville was 10-4-3. USF 10-5-4.
Rutgers is #47 in the NCAA rankings. Louisville #45. South Florida #52.
The only possible reason that makes any sense with regards to including Rutgers before Louisville in the tournament selection would be that they defeated the Cards in the regular season.
Obviously, that must mean more than league finishes, overall records, NCAA rankings and common sense. And, if that's the case...why bother with a BIG EAST Tournament?
Louisville got a bad break. To use a more popular term...they got hosed. Something to motivate the Cards for the 2013 season.
OVERALL RECORD BIG EAST RECORD RANKING
Louisville 10-4-3 South Florida 6-2-2 Lou. #45
South Florida 10-5-4 Louisville 5-3-3 Rutgers #47
Rutgers 12-7-1 Rutgers 5-5-1 South Florida #52
NCAA SELECTION: Rutgers
COMMON SENSE SELECTION: Louisville and South Florida
Someone explain it to me.
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We can't disagree. A&M comes in with just two starters back from last year, but a highly-ranked and talented freshman class. Louisville loaded with talent...all but Tia Gibbs and Asia Taylor ready to play and looking forward to filling the Arena.
$2 tickets available at the box office with your Kroger Plus card. No home football Saturday, so you have no excuse not to be there.
Shoni Schimmel
Shawnta Dyer
Sara Hammond
Bria Smith
Megan Deines
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..
...
I start Vails and go big...moving Hammond to the wing and put Deines on the bench to start. As many minutes as Mo can go are crucial.
ReplyDelete--Joe Hill--
Vails to start based on what stat? Scoring , steals, rebounds or turn overs per minute?
DeleteTough break for w.soccer. They deserved a bid. Exeter being injured and gone was a drawback.
ReplyDeleteStarters:
Reid
Dyer
Vails
Smith
Shoni
Will be a tough game but we should pull it out. A&M is young and will pick up a a lot of fouls. I think we win by 8 or so.
ReplyDeleteWill A&M play man or zone or both? They lost their defensive coach last season so that is a huge plus for us!
We were also in this game at the half last year (which was horribly officiated) without 3 of our best players. A&M didn't open it up until the 2nd half. A&M should pick up 20+ fouls if they play their typical physical style. Playing at the YUM is not an easy task for any team. I remember a very talented Tennessee team that came here and turned it over 30+ times due to the amazing atmosphere. An amazing advantage.
ReplyDeleteWho starts does not matter, it is who finishes, right? It is fun to speculate, though.
ReplyDeleteI am going with:
S. Schimmel, Smith, Hammond, Dyer and Vails.
Mo is first off the bench and we will see Slaughter and Deines in too.
With Bone in the middle for aTm, we go big, and fast (which is where Deines will come in to play on the wing).
Jenny
Will partially agree with Jenny in that Walz doesn't like to start Monique Reid, so I don't see the Cards changing the starting lineup from the Eckerd College game. Shoni, Smith, Megan, Hammond and Dyer. Reid off the bench first, Harper and Jude get a swing at guards first half and Vails and Walton spell the bigs. Slaughter if they pack it in a zone against us. Shoni sees 35+ minutes in this game. Cards by three.
ReplyDeleteCurtis Franklin