The Minnesota Lynx open the defense of their WNBA title on Friday (September 28) at the Target Center against the Seattle Storm having lost 2 of their final 3 games. So what?
Well, it's fair to say that the Lynx and their fans expect a repeat, but that it won't be easy and an upset in the Western Division finals is not out of the question. Assuming they get by the Storm (16-18) which, frankly, seems likely, they'll get the L.A. Sparks or the San Antonio Silver Stars. The Sparks hammered the Lynx 92-76 last week while it was the Stars who clobbered the Lynx yesterday 99-84.
Still, the Lynx finished up with a stellar 27-7 record, compared to 25-9 for Eastern Division leader Connecticut, 24-10 for L.A. and 21-13 for the San Antonio Silver Stars. None of that means a whole lot, of course. Any of these 4 has the talent to win the WNBA title, it's a question of who plays best over the next 7 to 10 games. But it does get the Lynx the home court advantage throughout the playoffs, and everybody knows that that's a pretty good deal maker.
The Five
What else is a deal maker for the Lynx is--well, everybody knows about their 3 Olympians--Seimone Augustus, Maya Moore and Lindsay Whalen. But seriously, I prefer to think about their starting 5 including Rebekah Brunson and Taj McWilliams-Franklin. All 5 of them are back from the 2011 championship edition of the Lynx, and the fact is that as a 5 they've been better than they were a year ago.
Last year the team's MVP was either Augustus or Whalen, and between the 2 of them they split enough of the vote to finish 5th and 6th in the voting. This year it's Augustus and Moore who have stood out, and who will split up the MVP voting and probably finish 5th and 6th, or maybe 4th and 5th. All 3 played great ball and contributed mightily to the U.S. Olympic gold medal this summer. Nobody can put a dynamic trio on the court like these ladies.
Augustus remains the 1st option. She finished the year with 16.5 ppg on 49 percent shooting with 4 boards and 2.5 assists just for good measure. (Last year she was at 16.2, 50 percent, 3.5 boards and 2 assists.) Not only that but she's become the Lynx' defensive stopper, more often than not being assigned to the opponent's top perimeter threat.
Moore has, of course, come on like gangbusters, as everyone expected her to do. She overtook Seimone for the team scoring lead with 16.6 ppg on 47 percent shooting, and added 6 boards and 4 assists (compared to 13 ppg, 44 percent, 5 and 3 a year ago).
Lindsay seems to have slipped, I suppose. She's not mentioned as the team's MVP anymore. But 11.5 ppg on 51 percent shooting with 5 assists and 4 rebounds in hardly child's play. (Last year she was at 13.6, 51 percent, 5 assists and 3.5 rebounds. The bottom line is she took 68 fewer shots than a year ago.) And anybody who saw the Lynx flounder against L.A. last week with Lindsay out for the night knows what a difference she makes regardless of what the box score says.
Meanwhile Brunson and Taj have more than held their own in the paint with 20 ppg, 14 boards, 4 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks between them. (Last year it was 18.5 ppg, 15 boards, 4 assists and 2 steals.)
The Bench
But, along with Moore, the biggest improvement has been in the Lynx bench, and specifically rookie Devereaux Peters and 3rd year Monica Wright. Peters is scoring 5 points with 4 boards on 57 percent shooting, and has come on like gangbusters just recently--10 ppg, 11 boards, 3 assists and 3 blocks per game these past 3 outings. Wright is up to 8 ppg on 45 percent shooting versus last year's 5 and 37 percent.
As a Team
And as a team they've improved on most of their numbers from a year ago, out-scoring opponents by 10 (86-76) versus 8 (82-74) a year ago. They're out-rebounding 'em 38-31 versus 36-30 in 2011. They're out-shooting 'em 47-40%, while a year ago it was 46-41%. And they're getting 21 assists per game versus 18 a year ago, while opponents got 15 each year.
So the 2012 Lynx look better than their 2011 alter ego.
The Challenge
But the challenge is not to be better than the 2011 Lynx, it is to be better than the 2012 Sparks, Stars, Sun and so forth, and all of their main challengers look better than a year ago, too. Connecticut, #1 seed in the east, is 24-9 right now versus 21-13 a year ago. L.A. is 24-10 compared to a mere 15-19 last year, when Candace Parker missed 15 games and the Sparks missed the playoffs. San Antone is 20-13 versus 18-16 last year, when they nevertheless carried the Lynx to a 3rd game in their Western semi-final series.
Fortunately we'll only play one of L.A. and San Antone, because those are a couple of tough hombres. Personally I think we'll get the Sparks, if only because they (the Sparks) have the home court advantage against the Silver Stars in the other Western semi. But they also have the WNBA's best player who won't win the MVP award in Parker. Her numbers are slightly inferior to Tina Charles' and so the award will go to Tina. But at crunch time, personally, I'd rather not face Parker. But in addition to Parker being healthy, L.A. also has a more mature Kristi Toliver, who raised her scoring from 11 ppg to 17.5 this year, and her assists from 3 to 5. She's become, simply, one of the WNBA's premier point guards, surpassing San Antone's Becky Hammon in the process.
But the bottom line is the Lynx are the better team. As we saw (above) they out-scored their opponents by an average of 10 points (86-76). For L.A. it was 84-78, San Antone 82-77 and Connecticut also 82-77.
The Lynx out-shot their opponents (all FG) 47-40%. L.A. 46-42, San Antone 44.5-43, while the Sun were 43-43.
The Lynx out-rebounded our opponents 38-31. L.A. 37-34. San Antone and Connecticut were both out-rebounded 33-35 and 34-35, respectively.
Again, that's too many advantages. Besides, when the Lynx lost to L.A. and San Antone--first, against L.A. Augustus was just back after missing 3 games with a sprained right foot, and Whalen was sidelined with a cold. Against San Antone, it was Brunson who got a rest (of course, it should be pointed out that San Antone rested both of its big guns, Sophia Young and Becky Hammon).
But Wait, What About Seattle
Yes, I'm overlooking Seattle, which is probably not a good idea considering they were WNBA champs as recently as 2010 (to go with a previous title in 2004) and boast 3-time WNBA MVP Lauren Jackson (2003, 2007, 2010). Jackson played in just 9 games this year, but is now back from a left hamstring injury. And with Sue Bird, whom Geno Auriemma called "the greatest point guard on the planet," also in the lineup, Seattle might be described as a dark horse.
Or maybe not. I think not. The Lynx have trouble matching up with elite post players, but Jackson is no longer playing on the level of Charles and Parker. And Lindsay Whalen neutralizes Bird as well as any point guard in the league. And the two of them just don't have enough help. Lynx in 2.
Then in the Finals
L.A. falls short of the WNBA finals, winning 3 games at home (2 against San Antone and 1 against the Lynx) but none on the road. That means they're 2-1 in the semis, but 1-2 in the division finals. And the Lynx will move on to face Connecticut and likely MVP Charles.
Here's why. Because the Lynx have too many weapons, too much balance and too many smarts. They'll take what the opposition gives them. And they'll play with all the intensity that its opponents can possibly bring, and then some.
And that is also why they take the Sun. But this one goes a full 5 games for the 1st time since 2009, and the Lynx again prevail 3-2. Tina Charles, Kara Lawson and Renee Montgomery typically give the Lynx fits, but Olympian Aisha Jones has been slowed by injury and that could be the fatal blow to the Sun's championship dreams.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Old-Time Boys Basketball Coaches You Should Know About
Congrats to the 2012 electees to the coaches halls of fame.
• The Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association has elected Franz Boelter of Faribault Bethlehem, Ron Causton of St. Paul Highland, Don Roberts of Simley and Bruce Young of Long Prairie.
• The Minnesota State High School Coaches Association has elected Bill Quenette of Moorhead, along with 5 others representing other sports besides basketball.
• The Minnesota State High School League has not announced its 2012 inductees. Its most recent selections are Ziggy Kauls of Mounds View and Dean Verdoes of Henry Sibley in 2011.
Good choices all. But perusing the list of Hall of Fame members of each group, I was struck by one thing. Where are all the old-timers? By that I mean coaches whose primary claim to fame came before 1960. I mean, this is practically the entire single class era, 1960 being the 48th year of the state tournament, whereas we are now headed into the 53rd year since 1960.
Yet, the MBCA, for instance, has just 11 Hall of Famers who coached primarily before 1960 versus nearly 100 since then. The MSHSCA has 12 out of maybe 40 basketball coaches. That hardly seems equitable.
The problem, of course, is that so little is known about the old-time coaches...or so little was known. A lot more is known now, largely thanks to research by Matt Pederson, the face behind Minnesota Basketball Records.
But, just for the record, the old-time coaches who have made all 3 Halls are Ove Berven, Austin; Wayne Courtney, Mpls. Roosevelt; Mario Retica, Austin St. Augustine, Buhl, Hibbing; and Louis Todnem, Mankato.
Totally Missing
First, here are some coaches who are missing from all 3 of the Halls mentioned above--the MBCA, the MSHSCA and the MSHSL.
1. Ray Parkins, Mpls. Edison. Parkins brought Duluth Central to the 1922 tournament, but if elected he would surely be wearing an Edison hat. The Tommies made 6 state tournaments under Parkins, winning it all in 1937 with a team that was widely regarded as the best Minnesota team ever before WWII. Not only that, but he developed a number of great individuals over the years including:
• Mike Cielusak, class of 1927, later named by Gopher coach Dave MacMillan as one of his 2 best guards (MacMillan coached 1925-1948)
• Willie Warhol, class of 1937, star of that greatest of Edison teams, later a Minnesota Gopher
• Don "Swede" Carlson, class of 1938, later a Gopher about whom MacMillan said was the best defensive player he ever coached
• Marty Rolek, class of 1934, Gopher all-American in 1937 and 1938
• Tony Jaros, class of 1940, who set a slew of Minneapolis and Minnesota scoring records and later played for the Gophers and for the Minneapolis Lakers
Parkins retired in 1943 after coaching for, maybe, 25 years or so.
2. Dick Reinhart, DeLaSalle. Granted, he coached through 1969. But his reputation was made with 4 straight state Catholic titles at the end of the 1950s (and 7 overall). He finished at 373-107, the wins ranking #9 at the time of his retirement.
3. Edwin McKee, St. Paul Mechanic Arts. Coached the Trainers from 1916 to 1928, won the state title in 1925, runner-up in 1916. Still the top coach in St. Paul history on winning percentage (125-48, .765).
4. Harry Nelson, St. Paul Washington. Won 237 games from 1938 to 1959, the most in St. Paul history at the time of his retirement, and the state title in 1943.
5. Frank Cleve, Mpls. Patrick Henry. This guy had to be a greeeeaaattt coach! He was the very 1st guy ever elected to the MN Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Then, he led Concordia (Moorhead) to its only MIAC (basketball) title over a period of 60-some years in 1931. And, finally, he taught Jim McIntyre to play the game, and the 2 (and others, of course) combined to win the 1944 and 1945 state titles.
6. Leonard Froyen, Braham. Went 402-176 from 1931 to 1967.
Missing from 2 of 3
1. Harvey Roels, Chisholm. The greatest coach in Minnesota history is a member only of the MBCA Hall of Fame. Had 499 wins, #1 in the state, at the time of his retirement after almost 40 years on the bench in 1954. He took the Bluestreaks to 6 state tournaments including 5 in a row from 1930 to 1934, winning the title in 1934.
Not only that but Harvey Roels kept the running game alive during the so-called "dead ball" era. In the 1920s and 1930s, most Minnesota teams played a slow, ball control style of game. The 1926 state title game ended with a score of 13-9. As late as 1933, it was 16-13. But Roels' state tournament teams were mostly known as "Point-a-Minute" teams. And Chisholm had such success that most Iron Range teams copied Roels' strategy. That's why Iron Range teams were so popular at the state tournament. They, and (usually) only they, ran with the damn ball. Fortunately, the dead ball era ended with the abandonment of a jump ball after every made basket in favor of the concept of alternating possession.
2. Glenn Hanna, Moorhead. Made it to 7 state tournaments including 6 in a row from 1926 to 1931, and was the 1st coach to repeat in 1928 and 1929. Yet he is a member only of the MBCA Hall.
3. Chet Bisel, Lynd, Lamberton. Won 344 games, which was good for #7 at the time of his retirement in 1956. Not only that, but he shocked the Minnesota basketball world in 1946 with an all-out fast break by Lynd, the likes of which had never been seen before in the state. Lynd shocked Crosby-Ironton and Stillwater to become the smallest school ever to make the single-class final before losing in the final to Austin. Bisel is a member of the MSHSCA Hall.
4. Bun Fortier, Bemidji. Not really an old-timer but is often linked with Ove Berven, so I don't want you to think I forgot about him.
2 Out of 3 Ain't Bad
1. Butsie Maetzold, Hopkins. Somehow Butsie has failed to get the nod from the MSHSL, though he's got the other 2. Reputed to have won 508 games while losing just 62, though a survey of their records does not appear to support such a claim. But then add the 1952 and 1953 state titles.... He also won 90 percent of football games over the same period....
2. Lloyd Holm, Red Wing, Duluth Denfeld, St. Louis Park. The only coach to take 3 different schools to the state finals. Holm also won 542 games, #1 in state history at the time of his retirement. But also missed out on the MSHSL Hall.
3. Herman Woock, Crosby-Ironton. Also missed out on the MSHSL Hall despite 6 state tournament appearances, including runners-up in 1944 and 1947.
4. Fred Kellett, Brainerd. Another who missed the MSHSL despite 368 career wins, #10 at the time of his retirement, and a .739 winning percent, #9 to this day. He also won the 1954 state title.
The Best of the Best
To the MBCA, MSHSCA and MSHSL: If any of these guys is missing from your Hall of Fame, elect him today.
1. Roels, Chisholm 1934
2. Maetzold, Hopkins 1952-1953
3. Courtney, Mpls. Roosevelt 1956-1957
4. Parkins, Duluth Central, Mpls. Edison 1937
5. Berven, Austin 1946, 1958
6. Reinhart, DeLaSalle 1954-1957, 1959, 1961-1962
7. Holm, Red Wing, Duluth Denfeld, St. Louis Park 1947, 1962
8. Retica, Austin St. Augustine, Buhl, Hibbing 1942
9. Hanna, Moorhead 1928-1929
10. McKee, St. Paul Mechanic Arts 1925
11. Bisel, Lynd, Butterfield 1946
12. Woock, Crosby-Ironton 1944, 1947
13. Fortier, Bemidji 1954, 1961
14. Kellett, Brainerd 1954
15. Cleve, Mpls. Henry 1944, 1945
16. Froyen, Braham 1953
17. Burt Munson, Mountain Lake 1946-1947, 1952
18. Nelson, St. Paul Washington 1943
19. Todnem, Mankato 1949
20. Walter Chapman, Mpls. Marshall
• The Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association has elected Franz Boelter of Faribault Bethlehem, Ron Causton of St. Paul Highland, Don Roberts of Simley and Bruce Young of Long Prairie.
• The Minnesota State High School Coaches Association has elected Bill Quenette of Moorhead, along with 5 others representing other sports besides basketball.
• The Minnesota State High School League has not announced its 2012 inductees. Its most recent selections are Ziggy Kauls of Mounds View and Dean Verdoes of Henry Sibley in 2011.
Good choices all. But perusing the list of Hall of Fame members of each group, I was struck by one thing. Where are all the old-timers? By that I mean coaches whose primary claim to fame came before 1960. I mean, this is practically the entire single class era, 1960 being the 48th year of the state tournament, whereas we are now headed into the 53rd year since 1960.
Yet, the MBCA, for instance, has just 11 Hall of Famers who coached primarily before 1960 versus nearly 100 since then. The MSHSCA has 12 out of maybe 40 basketball coaches. That hardly seems equitable.
The problem, of course, is that so little is known about the old-time coaches...or so little was known. A lot more is known now, largely thanks to research by Matt Pederson, the face behind Minnesota Basketball Records.
But, just for the record, the old-time coaches who have made all 3 Halls are Ove Berven, Austin; Wayne Courtney, Mpls. Roosevelt; Mario Retica, Austin St. Augustine, Buhl, Hibbing; and Louis Todnem, Mankato.
Totally Missing
First, here are some coaches who are missing from all 3 of the Halls mentioned above--the MBCA, the MSHSCA and the MSHSL.
1. Ray Parkins, Mpls. Edison. Parkins brought Duluth Central to the 1922 tournament, but if elected he would surely be wearing an Edison hat. The Tommies made 6 state tournaments under Parkins, winning it all in 1937 with a team that was widely regarded as the best Minnesota team ever before WWII. Not only that, but he developed a number of great individuals over the years including:
• Mike Cielusak, class of 1927, later named by Gopher coach Dave MacMillan as one of his 2 best guards (MacMillan coached 1925-1948)
• Willie Warhol, class of 1937, star of that greatest of Edison teams, later a Minnesota Gopher
• Don "Swede" Carlson, class of 1938, later a Gopher about whom MacMillan said was the best defensive player he ever coached
• Marty Rolek, class of 1934, Gopher all-American in 1937 and 1938
• Tony Jaros, class of 1940, who set a slew of Minneapolis and Minnesota scoring records and later played for the Gophers and for the Minneapolis Lakers
Parkins retired in 1943 after coaching for, maybe, 25 years or so.
2. Dick Reinhart, DeLaSalle. Granted, he coached through 1969. But his reputation was made with 4 straight state Catholic titles at the end of the 1950s (and 7 overall). He finished at 373-107, the wins ranking #9 at the time of his retirement.
3. Edwin McKee, St. Paul Mechanic Arts. Coached the Trainers from 1916 to 1928, won the state title in 1925, runner-up in 1916. Still the top coach in St. Paul history on winning percentage (125-48, .765).
4. Harry Nelson, St. Paul Washington. Won 237 games from 1938 to 1959, the most in St. Paul history at the time of his retirement, and the state title in 1943.
5. Frank Cleve, Mpls. Patrick Henry. This guy had to be a greeeeaaattt coach! He was the very 1st guy ever elected to the MN Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Then, he led Concordia (Moorhead) to its only MIAC (basketball) title over a period of 60-some years in 1931. And, finally, he taught Jim McIntyre to play the game, and the 2 (and others, of course) combined to win the 1944 and 1945 state titles.
6. Leonard Froyen, Braham. Went 402-176 from 1931 to 1967.
Missing from 2 of 3
1. Harvey Roels, Chisholm. The greatest coach in Minnesota history is a member only of the MBCA Hall of Fame. Had 499 wins, #1 in the state, at the time of his retirement after almost 40 years on the bench in 1954. He took the Bluestreaks to 6 state tournaments including 5 in a row from 1930 to 1934, winning the title in 1934.
Not only that but Harvey Roels kept the running game alive during the so-called "dead ball" era. In the 1920s and 1930s, most Minnesota teams played a slow, ball control style of game. The 1926 state title game ended with a score of 13-9. As late as 1933, it was 16-13. But Roels' state tournament teams were mostly known as "Point-a-Minute" teams. And Chisholm had such success that most Iron Range teams copied Roels' strategy. That's why Iron Range teams were so popular at the state tournament. They, and (usually) only they, ran with the damn ball. Fortunately, the dead ball era ended with the abandonment of a jump ball after every made basket in favor of the concept of alternating possession.
2. Glenn Hanna, Moorhead. Made it to 7 state tournaments including 6 in a row from 1926 to 1931, and was the 1st coach to repeat in 1928 and 1929. Yet he is a member only of the MBCA Hall.
3. Chet Bisel, Lynd, Lamberton. Won 344 games, which was good for #7 at the time of his retirement in 1956. Not only that, but he shocked the Minnesota basketball world in 1946 with an all-out fast break by Lynd, the likes of which had never been seen before in the state. Lynd shocked Crosby-Ironton and Stillwater to become the smallest school ever to make the single-class final before losing in the final to Austin. Bisel is a member of the MSHSCA Hall.
4. Bun Fortier, Bemidji. Not really an old-timer but is often linked with Ove Berven, so I don't want you to think I forgot about him.
2 Out of 3 Ain't Bad
1. Butsie Maetzold, Hopkins. Somehow Butsie has failed to get the nod from the MSHSL, though he's got the other 2. Reputed to have won 508 games while losing just 62, though a survey of their records does not appear to support such a claim. But then add the 1952 and 1953 state titles.... He also won 90 percent of football games over the same period....
2. Lloyd Holm, Red Wing, Duluth Denfeld, St. Louis Park. The only coach to take 3 different schools to the state finals. Holm also won 542 games, #1 in state history at the time of his retirement. But also missed out on the MSHSL Hall.
3. Herman Woock, Crosby-Ironton. Also missed out on the MSHSL Hall despite 6 state tournament appearances, including runners-up in 1944 and 1947.
4. Fred Kellett, Brainerd. Another who missed the MSHSL despite 368 career wins, #10 at the time of his retirement, and a .739 winning percent, #9 to this day. He also won the 1954 state title.
The Best of the Best
To the MBCA, MSHSCA and MSHSL: If any of these guys is missing from your Hall of Fame, elect him today.
1. Roels, Chisholm 1934
2. Maetzold, Hopkins 1952-1953
3. Courtney, Mpls. Roosevelt 1956-1957
4. Parkins, Duluth Central, Mpls. Edison 1937
5. Berven, Austin 1946, 1958
6. Reinhart, DeLaSalle 1954-1957, 1959, 1961-1962
7. Holm, Red Wing, Duluth Denfeld, St. Louis Park 1947, 1962
8. Retica, Austin St. Augustine, Buhl, Hibbing 1942
9. Hanna, Moorhead 1928-1929
10. McKee, St. Paul Mechanic Arts 1925
11. Bisel, Lynd, Butterfield 1946
12. Woock, Crosby-Ironton 1944, 1947
13. Fortier, Bemidji 1954, 1961
14. Kellett, Brainerd 1954
15. Cleve, Mpls. Henry 1944, 1945
16. Froyen, Braham 1953
17. Burt Munson, Mountain Lake 1946-1947, 1952
18. Nelson, St. Paul Washington 1943
19. Todnem, Mankato 1949
20. Walter Chapman, Mpls. Marshall
Monday, September 10, 2012
Minnesota Boys Rankings
New 2014 boys recruiting rankings are out from Rivals.com.
Tyus Jones, Apple Valley point guard, is ranked #5 in his class. Schools listed are Arizona, Baylor, Clemson, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Kentucky, Marquette, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio State, Pitt, Providence, UCLA, Washington, Washington State. These are schools that have offered, though I suspect there are more not listed,
Rashad Vaughn, Armstrong off guard, is rated #15. Let's just say his list is about as long and includes many of the same schools, including the U of M. Big 10 schools include just Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska and Wisconsin.
Reid Travis, DeLaSalle forward, dropped from #31 to #44. He too has a long list of schools, though the caliber is slightly below that of Jones and Vaughn. Big 10 schools include Minnesota, Michigan Statem, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin.
Tyus Jones, Apple Valley point guard, is ranked #5 in his class. Schools listed are Arizona, Baylor, Clemson, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Kentucky, Marquette, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio State, Pitt, Providence, UCLA, Washington, Washington State. These are schools that have offered, though I suspect there are more not listed,
Rashad Vaughn, Armstrong off guard, is rated #15. Let's just say his list is about as long and includes many of the same schools, including the U of M. Big 10 schools include just Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska and Wisconsin.
Reid Travis, DeLaSalle forward, dropped from #31 to #44. He too has a long list of schools, though the caliber is slightly below that of Jones and Vaughn. Big 10 schools include Minnesota, Michigan Statem, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin.
Lynx: Wow!
If the Lynx were ever going to lose, this was the game. On the road. At one of 4 teams to beat the Lynx this year. Seimone Augustus is out with a foot injury.
But, no. The Lynx dominated the 2nd quarter 25-11 to take a 47-29 half-time lead and never looked back. OK, San Antone got within 59-50 after 3. But with Sophia Young (20 points) the only Silver Star in double figures, they couldn't keep it going and the Lynx pulled away in the 4th for an 81-62 final. A shockingly easy win, again, with Seimone on the sidelines.
Maya Moore again led the way with 18 points and 12 boards, though Rebekah Brunson was right there, too, with 15 and 12. Lindsay Whalen and Monica Wright, starting in place of Augustus, each scored 11. Minnesota shot 55 percent, San Antone 36. Our bench, even with Wright starting, out-scored the Stars' 22-15.
With wins at L.A. and now San Antone, the Lynx are 5 up in the division and 3 up overall for home court advantage throughout the playoffs. Even with 5 of 6 remaining games on the road, the Lynx seem likely to hold on to that advantage, and that would seem to double the likelihood of a repeat WNBA title. Well, if L.A. and San Antone can't play the Lynx any tougher than they have recently, even the home court might not matter.
But, no. The Lynx dominated the 2nd quarter 25-11 to take a 47-29 half-time lead and never looked back. OK, San Antone got within 59-50 after 3. But with Sophia Young (20 points) the only Silver Star in double figures, they couldn't keep it going and the Lynx pulled away in the 4th for an 81-62 final. A shockingly easy win, again, with Seimone on the sidelines.
Maya Moore again led the way with 18 points and 12 boards, though Rebekah Brunson was right there, too, with 15 and 12. Lindsay Whalen and Monica Wright, starting in place of Augustus, each scored 11. Minnesota shot 55 percent, San Antone 36. Our bench, even with Wright starting, out-scored the Stars' 22-15.
With wins at L.A. and now San Antone, the Lynx are 5 up in the division and 3 up overall for home court advantage throughout the playoffs. Even with 5 of 6 remaining games on the road, the Lynx seem likely to hold on to that advantage, and that would seem to double the likelihood of a repeat WNBA title. Well, if L.A. and San Antone can't play the Lynx any tougher than they have recently, even the home court might not matter.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
SDSU Continues to Recruit MN "Bigs"
For the 1st time since 2007, the South Dakota State Jackrabbits will not have a 6-foot-plus freshman forward from Minnesota on their roster.
Still, there are 5 such women on the SDSU roster this year: Mariah Clarin, Leah Dietel, Hannah Strop, Megan Stuart and Megan Waytashek.
And not only that, but the parade will be resumed in 2013 and 2014. The Minnesota high school class of 2013 will be represented in Brookings by Tiffany Flaata of Prior Lake and Clarissa Ober of Glencoe-Silver Lake.
Still, there are 5 such women on the SDSU roster this year: Mariah Clarin, Leah Dietel, Hannah Strop, Megan Stuart and Megan Waytashek.
And not only that, but the parade will be resumed in 2013 and 2014. The Minnesota high school class of 2013 will be represented in Brookings by Tiffany Flaata of Prior Lake and Clarissa Ober of Glencoe-Silver Lake.
Here's a post from 2 years ago that explored this phenomenon, with some more new material at the end.
Wow, what is it with the South Dakota State University Jackrabbits women's basketball team? I mean, aside from the fact that, under coach Aaron Johnston, they've become the #1 team in the Ninth Federal Reserve District.
What I mean is that, with a verbal from Mariah Clarin of Princeton, SDSU is now officially hoarding all the 4s (big forwards) from Minnesota that it can get its hands on. This coming year they'll have junior Jenna Sunnarborg from Osseo, sophomore Leah Dietel from Jordan, and freshmen Hannah Strop from New Prague and Megan Waytashek from Centennial. All of that on top of Maria Boever of Worthington, a 2010 graduate, and Stacie Oistad of Sartell, a 2009 grad.
Of course, it would be silly to question whether there's a method to the madness. Of course there is. Johnston became the Jackrabbits' interim head coach late in the 1999-2000 season, and in 10-and-a-half years he's won 248 games while losing 76 (.765). Lest you complain that much of that came in D2, well, that's wrong. It's already 6 years since SDSU joined D1, and they've been even better in D1, winning 143 while losing 43 (.768). Against the Big 10, they're 5-3 (.625). I don't know how Johnston hasn't been picked up by a major school.
So if you're on a roll, and the Jackrabbits most assuredly are that, you keep doing what you're doing. And one of the things they've been doing, again, is hoarding those 4s from Minnesota. Oistad was the prototype. As a senior (in 2009), the 6-footer started 10 games, played in 35 for an average of 21 minutes and scored 8 points with 4 rebounds.
Of course, Oistad had some other notable Minnesotans as teammates, specifically guard Megan Vogel from St. Peter, class of 2007, who finished up as the Jacks' #2 all-time scorer with 1,850 points.
But sticking to the forwards, the next Minnesotan was the 6-1 Boever. Her main claim to fame in these parts (Minneapolis-St. Paul) is making the game-winning shot at the buzzer in a 59-58 upset of the Gophers at Williams Arena in 2007. In 2010, she led the Jacks in scoring and rebounding at 14 points and 7 boards.
Next on board was the 6-2 Sunnarborg, who started 13 games and played in 33 this past year as a sophomore. She scored 8 points per game with 4 boards in 16.5 minutes of play. Meanwhile, the 6-1 Dietel started 4 games and played in 23 for a total of 17 minutes, and shot 50 percent to Sunnarborg's 46 but attempted barely one-quarter as many shots as Sunnarborg did. So she scored just 4 points per game with 4 boards. Sunnarborg also blocked 41 shots while Dietel blocked just 1. That would seem to say something about athleticism or aggressiveness or something.
Joining the fun next year will be the incoming freshmen Strop, a 6-f00ter, and the 6-2 Waytashek, both of whom can play further away from the hoop than Dietel or Sunnarborg but who can also mix it up pretty good inside. Waytashek is probably the most highly regarded Minnesotan the Jacks have ever lured down to the briar patch and one would expect her to contribute right away while Strop, like Dietel, might need a year to get her bearings. This might be Brookings, SD, but it's still D1.
Finally, there's the 5-11 Clarin. She's a 4 in high school and her main claim to fame is her leaping ability. She hasn't been asked to show anything away from the hoop, and so she hasn't. So, as a 4, she seems a bit undersized compared to the girls who have come to Brookings ahead of her. We'll see.
EDIT/New Stuff:
In 2011, Sunnarborg joined the starting lineup and scored 13 points with 4 boards and shot 51 percent in 24 minutes. Dietel played 19 minutes as a sophomore, while Waytashek played 17 and Strop 14, both as freshman. The 3 scored 11 points among 'em, with 9.5 rebounds. The Rabbits went 19-13.
In 2012, Sunnarborg closed out her career with 14 points and 6 boards in 26 minutes, while shooting 44 percent. Dietel, now a junior, again played 19 minutes. Strop played 13 minutes as a sophomore. Clarin and Stuart played a combined 11 minutes, and scored 5 points with 3.5 rebounds between 'em. Waytashek played in only 6 games due to injury. All 3 of the returnees, in other words, saw their production decline, and none of the 5 (other than Sunnarborg) shot as well as even 40 percent.
So the 2013 roster now includes:
Clarin, now a sophomore. I had rated her as the #14 recruit in MN in 2011.
Dietel, now a senior. #19 in 2009.
Strop, now a junior. #16 in 2010.
Stuart, now a sophomore. #17 in 2011.
Waytashek, still a sophomore due to her injury a year ago. #4 in 2010.
You'd have to say the whole group has not really blossomed for coach Johnston. On paper, Waytashek, #4 in her class and scoring 4 ppg as a freshman, has the most upside, though we will have to see how she has recovered from her injuries. Dietel has been a particular disappointment, her scoring actually falling from 4 to 3.5 ppg between her sophomore and junior seasons. She has been dogged by a particular reluctance to shoot the ball, as if she thought that Brittney Chambers was still out there with her. She averaged just 3 FGA in 19 minutes last year, less than 1/3 as many as Sunnarborg took.
Still the prospects for 2013 are good. 2 of 4 full-time starters--Ashley Eide and Steph Paluch --return, along with Dietel and Katie Lingle, who split the 4th starting spot. I would expect Waytashek to be the 5th starter if she is healthy.
As noted above, Tiffany Flaata and Clarissa Ober join the Rabbits roster next year. Flaata is a mobile 6-2 forward who plays a little bit young for her age--i.e. she is still learning the game and how to use her size. Ober is also 6-2 but is a clear inside player and presence. I have Ober as the #22 player in the MN class of 2013, and Flaata just #39, making her by far the lowest rated of the many MN "bigs" recruited by SDSU over the past decade (almost).
Then among the 2014s comes Ellen Thompson of Chaska, another 6-2 "big." She plays the post, but more and more she is playing the 4 as Kendall Baab continues to mature for Chaska. I have Thompson as the #6 player in her class, making her the highest rated prospect on this list other than Waytashek. So in 2015 the Rabbits will have seniors Clarin and Stuart, sophomores Flaata and Ober, and freshman Thompson from Minnesota, carrying on in the tradition of Oistad, Boever and Sunnarborg.
EDIT/New Stuff:
In 2011, Sunnarborg joined the starting lineup and scored 13 points with 4 boards and shot 51 percent in 24 minutes. Dietel played 19 minutes as a sophomore, while Waytashek played 17 and Strop 14, both as freshman. The 3 scored 11 points among 'em, with 9.5 rebounds. The Rabbits went 19-13.
In 2012, Sunnarborg closed out her career with 14 points and 6 boards in 26 minutes, while shooting 44 percent. Dietel, now a junior, again played 19 minutes. Strop played 13 minutes as a sophomore. Clarin and Stuart played a combined 11 minutes, and scored 5 points with 3.5 rebounds between 'em. Waytashek played in only 6 games due to injury. All 3 of the returnees, in other words, saw their production decline, and none of the 5 (other than Sunnarborg) shot as well as even 40 percent.
So the 2013 roster now includes:
Clarin, now a sophomore. I had rated her as the #14 recruit in MN in 2011.
Dietel, now a senior. #19 in 2009.
Strop, now a junior. #16 in 2010.
Stuart, now a sophomore. #17 in 2011.
Waytashek, still a sophomore due to her injury a year ago. #4 in 2010.
You'd have to say the whole group has not really blossomed for coach Johnston. On paper, Waytashek, #4 in her class and scoring 4 ppg as a freshman, has the most upside, though we will have to see how she has recovered from her injuries. Dietel has been a particular disappointment, her scoring actually falling from 4 to 3.5 ppg between her sophomore and junior seasons. She has been dogged by a particular reluctance to shoot the ball, as if she thought that Brittney Chambers was still out there with her. She averaged just 3 FGA in 19 minutes last year, less than 1/3 as many as Sunnarborg took.
Still the prospects for 2013 are good. 2 of 4 full-time starters--Ashley Eide and Steph Paluch --return, along with Dietel and Katie Lingle, who split the 4th starting spot. I would expect Waytashek to be the 5th starter if she is healthy.
As noted above, Tiffany Flaata and Clarissa Ober join the Rabbits roster next year. Flaata is a mobile 6-2 forward who plays a little bit young for her age--i.e. she is still learning the game and how to use her size. Ober is also 6-2 but is a clear inside player and presence. I have Ober as the #22 player in the MN class of 2013, and Flaata just #39, making her by far the lowest rated of the many MN "bigs" recruited by SDSU over the past decade (almost).
Then among the 2014s comes Ellen Thompson of Chaska, another 6-2 "big." She plays the post, but more and more she is playing the 4 as Kendall Baab continues to mature for Chaska. I have Thompson as the #6 player in her class, making her the highest rated prospect on this list other than Waytashek. So in 2015 the Rabbits will have seniors Clarin and Stuart, sophomores Flaata and Ober, and freshman Thompson from Minnesota, carrying on in the tradition of Oistad, Boever and Sunnarborg.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Carl J. Calabrese
Carl J. Calabrese has died. Those who attend Carl's services will probably know him through his work as a 3M executive, and through his family and his church. Not many will know much about his basketball exploits. There may be no one in attendance who saw him play, I don't know. His career was a long, long time ago.
But it was a notable basketball career. Carl hailed from St. Mel's high school in Chicago, and came to Winona to play at St. Mary's College under Moose Krause. These were the best teams St. Mary's has ever fielded, to this day. Krause had been an all-American at Notre Dame, and later had a massively successful run as Notre Dame athletic director. At St. Mary's he had the great good fortune to recruit 2 great players--Calabrese and Clint Wager from Winona. He was also the 1st coach in history to take his team to an away game, at Notre Dame as it happened, via air travel.
In 1939, Wager was a freshman, a 6-5 post, and Calabrese a sophomore forward, and St. Mary's tied perennial power Hamline for the MIAC title. Wager and guard Frank Vaicks made all-MIAC 1st team, Calabrese made the 2nd. Key games were a 29-28 win over Gustavus and a 41-40 OT win over St. Thomas in which Wager scored 13 points. They also beat cross-town rival Winona Teachers 45-32 asw Wager again scored 13. Winona and Hamline represented the Northern Teachers and MIAC, respectively, in the NAIA national tourney.
In 1940 St. Mary's won its only outright MIAC title with just 1 loss. They beat Winona Teachers 47-36 as Wager scored 16, Concordia 58-33 as Wager scored 25. Wager added 20 as St. Mary's defeated Augsburg 44-34 to clinch the title. In total, Wager scored 162 points for a 13.5 average, both MIAC records. Wager and Vaicks again made 1st team all-MIAC but Calabrese did not repeat as 2nd team all-conference. Despite finishing 2nd, Hamline again went to the NAIA tournament.
In 1941 St. Mary's finished a distant 2nd to undefeated Hamline but this year St. Mary's went to the NAIA. Hamline beat St. Mary's 38-37 in a key matchup as Wager scored 21 and Calabrese 14 (35 of St. Mary's 37 points). St. Mary's beat Macalester 64-35 as Calabrese scored an MIAC record 35 points. For the season Calabrese scored a new record 177 points, breaking his teammate's record.
Wally Johnson of Gustavus was also in the running for a season record but St. Mary's hammered the Gusties in the final game of the regular season and Wager out-scored Johnson 22-1. Calabrese scored 15, enough to get the record. This time, Carl was 1st team all-MIAC, Wager 2nd.
In addition to Krause's success as Notre Dame AD, Wager also had a successful post-St. Mary's career, playing both NFL football and pro basketball. Calbrese's post-St. Mary's success was of a different sort, outside of athletics. He taught for awhile, then joined 3M where he retired 42 years later as GM of the Industrial Specialties Division. He also has 5 children, 16 grand-children and 19 great-grand-children.
But it was a notable basketball career. Carl hailed from St. Mel's high school in Chicago, and came to Winona to play at St. Mary's College under Moose Krause. These were the best teams St. Mary's has ever fielded, to this day. Krause had been an all-American at Notre Dame, and later had a massively successful run as Notre Dame athletic director. At St. Mary's he had the great good fortune to recruit 2 great players--Calabrese and Clint Wager from Winona. He was also the 1st coach in history to take his team to an away game, at Notre Dame as it happened, via air travel.
In 1939, Wager was a freshman, a 6-5 post, and Calabrese a sophomore forward, and St. Mary's tied perennial power Hamline for the MIAC title. Wager and guard Frank Vaicks made all-MIAC 1st team, Calabrese made the 2nd. Key games were a 29-28 win over Gustavus and a 41-40 OT win over St. Thomas in which Wager scored 13 points. They also beat cross-town rival Winona Teachers 45-32 asw Wager again scored 13. Winona and Hamline represented the Northern Teachers and MIAC, respectively, in the NAIA national tourney.
In 1940 St. Mary's won its only outright MIAC title with just 1 loss. They beat Winona Teachers 47-36 as Wager scored 16, Concordia 58-33 as Wager scored 25. Wager added 20 as St. Mary's defeated Augsburg 44-34 to clinch the title. In total, Wager scored 162 points for a 13.5 average, both MIAC records. Wager and Vaicks again made 1st team all-MIAC but Calabrese did not repeat as 2nd team all-conference. Despite finishing 2nd, Hamline again went to the NAIA tournament.
In 1941 St. Mary's finished a distant 2nd to undefeated Hamline but this year St. Mary's went to the NAIA. Hamline beat St. Mary's 38-37 in a key matchup as Wager scored 21 and Calabrese 14 (35 of St. Mary's 37 points). St. Mary's beat Macalester 64-35 as Calabrese scored an MIAC record 35 points. For the season Calabrese scored a new record 177 points, breaking his teammate's record.
Wally Johnson of Gustavus was also in the running for a season record but St. Mary's hammered the Gusties in the final game of the regular season and Wager out-scored Johnson 22-1. Calabrese scored 15, enough to get the record. This time, Carl was 1st team all-MIAC, Wager 2nd.
In addition to Krause's success as Notre Dame AD, Wager also had a successful post-St. Mary's career, playing both NFL football and pro basketball. Calbrese's post-St. Mary's success was of a different sort, outside of athletics. He taught for awhile, then joined 3M where he retired 42 years later as GM of the Industrial Specialties Division. He also has 5 children, 16 grand-children and 19 great-grand-children.
An Improbable Win for the Lynx, Who Eye Homecourt Advantage
The Minnesota Lynx roared back from a 25 point deficit late in the 1st half to defeat the Atlanta Dream in a rematch of last year's WNBA finals. The Lynx outscored Atlanta 6-2 to close out the 1st half and to begin getting back in the game.
But the heavy lifting came in the 3rd quarter, and much of it by Rebekah Brunson who scored 10 points in the period on just 2-of-6 FG and 6-of-8 FT, while adding 8 boards, 4 on each end of the floor, a block and a tie up leading to a change of possession.
Maya Moore added 8 points including 2 FT at 1:11 that got the margin into the single digits going into the 4th quarter.
Moore then hit a pull-up jumper at 5:47 of the 4th to get the Lynx within 4, and 17 seconds later blocked an Atlanta shot, leading to a transition 3 by Seimone Augustus on an assist by Candace Wiggins. Suddenly it was a 1 point margin. A minute later Moore hit a 3 on a assist by Taj McWilliams-Franklin to tie it up. Moore scored 2 more buckets, then assisted on a Taj bucket with 30 seconds remaining to tie it up once again. Taj followed with a block to force OT.
In the 1st OT Atlanta needed a driving layup by Angel McCoughtry at 0:00.3 tie force the 2nd OT. In the 2nd OT the Lynx hit 5-of-7 while the Dream hit just 2-of-6 with 3 turnovers. Still it was only a Taj bucket from Lindsay Whalen at 42 seconds that put the Lynx ahead for good.
The Lynx out-shot Atlanta 43-40 percent and 31-24 on the 3, and out-scored the Dream from the line 26-14. But the Lynx lost the possession game with 19 turnovers to 13 for Atlanta, and 17 offensive boards to 18 for the Dream.
Still the Lynx won the game on the inside as Moore and Brunson combined for 38 points and 30 boards. But Atlanta guards McCoughtry and Lindsay Harding outscored Seimone and Lindsay from the backcourt 53-27. In a statistical oddity, each of the Lynx' 5 starters shot the ball 13 times from the floor.
The Lynx move to 23-4, 3 games ahead overall and 4 within the division in the battle for homecourt in the playoffs. But 6 of the Lynx' final 7 games are on the road including 2 at San Antonio and 1 at L.A. A 3-4 finish would not be a surprise. San Antone gets 6 of 8 at home with road games only at lowly Seattle and Tulsa (18-35 between them), while L.A. get 4 of 6 (and all of its last 4 games) at home with an eastern swing to Washington and New York (a combined 16-40). San Antone could easily go 7-1 and L.A. 6-0 down the stretch.
If that happened:
Minnesota 3-4 finishes 26-8
San Antone 7-1/23-11
L.A. 6-0/25-9
Connecticut, meanwhile, gets 4 of 7 at home, but lost to Phoenix at home last night to drop to 20-8. A 5-1 finish is not unlikely, which gets 'em to 25-9.
So I still think the Lynx will get home court throughout the playoffs, despite a tough finish to the regular season. But it could be a close call.
But the heavy lifting came in the 3rd quarter, and much of it by Rebekah Brunson who scored 10 points in the period on just 2-of-6 FG and 6-of-8 FT, while adding 8 boards, 4 on each end of the floor, a block and a tie up leading to a change of possession.
Maya Moore added 8 points including 2 FT at 1:11 that got the margin into the single digits going into the 4th quarter.
Moore then hit a pull-up jumper at 5:47 of the 4th to get the Lynx within 4, and 17 seconds later blocked an Atlanta shot, leading to a transition 3 by Seimone Augustus on an assist by Candace Wiggins. Suddenly it was a 1 point margin. A minute later Moore hit a 3 on a assist by Taj McWilliams-Franklin to tie it up. Moore scored 2 more buckets, then assisted on a Taj bucket with 30 seconds remaining to tie it up once again. Taj followed with a block to force OT.
In the 1st OT Atlanta needed a driving layup by Angel McCoughtry at 0:00.3 tie force the 2nd OT. In the 2nd OT the Lynx hit 5-of-7 while the Dream hit just 2-of-6 with 3 turnovers. Still it was only a Taj bucket from Lindsay Whalen at 42 seconds that put the Lynx ahead for good.
The Lynx out-shot Atlanta 43-40 percent and 31-24 on the 3, and out-scored the Dream from the line 26-14. But the Lynx lost the possession game with 19 turnovers to 13 for Atlanta, and 17 offensive boards to 18 for the Dream.
Still the Lynx won the game on the inside as Moore and Brunson combined for 38 points and 30 boards. But Atlanta guards McCoughtry and Lindsay Harding outscored Seimone and Lindsay from the backcourt 53-27. In a statistical oddity, each of the Lynx' 5 starters shot the ball 13 times from the floor.
The Lynx move to 23-4, 3 games ahead overall and 4 within the division in the battle for homecourt in the playoffs. But 6 of the Lynx' final 7 games are on the road including 2 at San Antonio and 1 at L.A. A 3-4 finish would not be a surprise. San Antone gets 6 of 8 at home with road games only at lowly Seattle and Tulsa (18-35 between them), while L.A. get 4 of 6 (and all of its last 4 games) at home with an eastern swing to Washington and New York (a combined 16-40). San Antone could easily go 7-1 and L.A. 6-0 down the stretch.
If that happened:
Minnesota 3-4 finishes 26-8
San Antone 7-1/23-11
L.A. 6-0/25-9
Connecticut, meanwhile, gets 4 of 7 at home, but lost to Phoenix at home last night to drop to 20-8. A 5-1 finish is not unlikely, which gets 'em to 25-9.
So I still think the Lynx will get home court throughout the playoffs, despite a tough finish to the regular season. But it could be a close call.
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