Hooboy, I’m more tired than usual. Fell asleep during Oregon at Portland, and Pacific at Arizona State.
I’m not sure why. Some writers exert themselves in harrowing adventure, or running through airports. I sit on my butt, fueled with coffee and Spindrift.
Advent of Code started, and that’s hard on my brain, because I’m not very good at making code that works, and whose workings won’t make other coders barf.
Today I looked up the word “advent”, and found that monotheists use calendars like Advent of Code to count down the days until Jesus — whom I recognize as a “South Park” character, but I take it there are more interpretations — returns from the dead.
I think that’s nuts, but I believe in underhand free throw shooting, so call it even.
South Carolina 65
North Carolina 58
North Carolina led early, but South Carolina eventually imposed their Cardoso-sized will.
I got the feeling that the Tarheel ballhandlers lost some confidence in the second half. They were making good ball fakes, but the Gamehen defenders didn’t bite, and kept their position.
In that fraction of a second when the ballhandler has to choose between moving the ball or shooting it, I thought UNC determined as a group that they weren’t sufficiently clear of their defenders. Maybe in the first half, they would’ve taken those shots in the first half, but it appeared to me as though they feared Cardoso coming from 30 feet away to knock the shot down.
Virginia Tech 64
LSU 82
I can’t always tell if a team isn’t making shots because the defense isn’t giving them the shots they want, or if they’re just not shooting well while their own defense isn’t generating easy offense.
Virginia Tech made just 6 assists, while Kitley the 56% shooter, made 6-of-16. The Hokies have the problem that people will look at Kitley’s line, and think ‘hmm, that must be it’.
I know it’s a bullshit thing to do, but there have been two coaches of whose ensembles I take note. One was San Jose State assistant Jourdan Willard. HC Craighead (who either played for or with Utah coach Roberts at Seattle Pacific) led her staff in dressing impeccably, and Willard invariably killed.
Oregon 60
Portland 91
I think UO coach Graves would say I was correct to fall asleep during the first half. I briefly woke near the end while Portland’s broadcast crew played Pilots highlights, of which there were many.
Stanford 85
San Diego State 44
Media had better temper itself, else run out of things to say about Cameron Brink.
The WBCA and Pac-12 defensive player of the year improved her individual performance with absolutely no effect on the Cardinal — Brink takes the same number of shot attempts, making one she didn’t make last year. She takes one additional free throw attempt, and makes TWO she didn’t make last year.
I consulted the record book for the best FT percentage for one season: Fresno St.’s Haley Cavinder shot 109-of-112 (.973) in 2022. Brink is 51-of-53 (.962).
We hold up Elena Delle Donne as the best free throw shooter ever. In her best year for WNBA Washington, Delle Donne made 114-of-117 (.974). I truly wish she were an underhand FT shooter, for that would’ve been the finest example.
I think it’s noteworthy that Cavinder holds the NCAA record, because it would too easy to write her and her twin sister off as curiosities (who nevertheless will make millions in media deals). Haley re-entered the portal with the plan to play in 2024-25, the first time in their lives the twins won’t be playing together.
UC Davis 52
Washington St. 77
The Aggies were down by 7 at the beginning of the 4th quarter. Then the Cougars shot 11-of-22, with 9 assists.
UC Davis is 2-5. Why aren’t they one of the best mid-major teams in the country. At the mid-major level, UCD should be dominant, considering Coach Gross won the Big West coach of the year award FIVE YEARS STRAIGHT.
I think there’s an implication that for one to win an annual award many times in a row, one has to get a little better each time. For example, Jordan probably should’ve won the NBA MVP award in the years they gave it to Barkley or Malone for the sake of variety, while Michael was merely the greatest, rather than the greatest and then some each time.
For Coach Gross to win coach of the year five years running, I figure the Aggies should’ve improved some every time, which should’ve should’ve enabled them to land every recruit they wanted. That’s my theory, which isn’t holding up in the case of UC Davis.
Pacific 66
Arizona St. 76
Really, one of the most brutally physical games I can remember. Pacific cut a 14-point 4th quarter deficit to tie it with 2:58 left. The Sun Devils made 9-of-10 FT in the last minute.