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Talent without experience is flawed, sometimes fatally so. We have seen a jump in performance of the four first year players (counting the red shirt of Trinity Oliver in the frosh class) who are still with us. Put NaLyssa Smith with her classmates, keep Ursin down the bench, and I would agree that the four sophomores and Ursin would do real damage. Add Jordyn Oliver and the transfer, Erin DeGrate as the backups to the starters and you might have a conference champ, though one capable of losing two or three games along the way, and relatively few blowouts.

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Those players, under the tutelage of Sherri Coale or Coach G, would average 80+ a game and give any team in the Land a run for their money.

Mulder said:

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Talent without experience is flawed, sometimes fatally so. We have seen a jump in performance of the four first year players (counting the red shirt of Trinity Oliver in the frosh class) who are still with us. Put NaLyssa Smith with her classmates, keep Ursin down the bench, and I would agree that the four sophomores and Ursin would do real damage. Add Jordyn Oliver and the transfer, Erin DeGrate as the backups to the starters and you might have a conference champ, though one capable of losing two or three games along the way, and relatively few blowouts.

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Those players, under the tutelage of Sherri Coale or Coach G, would average 80+ a game and give any team in the Land a run for their money.

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And they would do even better under Karen Aston. Huh Mulder?

Oh, snap!

Mulder said:

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Talent without experience is flawed, sometimes fatally so. We have seen a jump in performance of the four first year players (counting the red shirt of Trinity Oliver in the frosh class) who are still with us. Put NaLyssa Smith with her classmates, keep Ursin down the bench, and I would agree that the four sophomores and Ursin would do real damage. Add Jordyn Oliver and the transfer, Erin DeGrate as the backups to the starters and you might have a conference champ, though one capable of losing two or three games along the way, and relatively few blowouts.

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Those players, under the tutelage of Sherri Coale or Coach G, would average 80+ a game and give any team in the Land a run for their money.

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Great athletes are beating a path to Cherry Cola's door.

setshot said:

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It is fun to speculate. I recall that quite a few on this board were firm in their belief that the "Fierce Five" of last year could have finished second to the Lady Bears if they were competing as a unit in conference play. That was thinking with the heart more so than with a recognition of the realities of competition in the Big 12, even when the league is not as powerful over all as it has been at times in the past.

Talent without experience is flawed, sometimes fatally so. We have seen a jump in performance of the four first year players (counting the red shirt of Trinity Oliver in the frosh class) who are still with us. Put NaLyssa Smith with her classmates, keep Ursin down the bench, and I would agree that the four sophomores and Ursin would do real damage. Add Jordyn Oliver and the transfer, Erin DeGrate as the backups to the starters and you might have a conference champ, though one capable of losing two or three games along the way, and relatively few blowouts.

The perfect example of the advantage of experience as a sort of yeast in conjunction with talent is Moon Ursin. She was explosive and talented as a frosh but it was not harnessed to experience and fouls frequently sent her back to the bench. Last year she improved in that regard and began to show flashes of what was possible at the offensive end of the floor. By season's end she was ready to contribute to the Final Four run to the title.
This year she is a star coming off the bench, as capable as anyone we have in taking over a game. She is an example for the young talent waiting their turn on this year's bench.

The extraordinary defense and the potent offensive capabilities of the current version of the Lady Bears makes the appearance of this conference a deceptive one, something akin to the "rear view mirror effect." Teams trailing along in the wake of the flagship program in this conference are closer than they appear in the rear view mirror. Several of the teams have quality players who shine against other programs, players capable of being considered for All Conference honors. When playing against Baylor, spear headed by arguably the two top defenders in the game this year and stalwart throughout the lineup, many of these opposing star players lose a bit of their luster. It speaks to Baylor's strength more so than to the lack of strength on the part of our opponents, who shine against lesser teams than the mighty Ladies from Baylor.

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The only thing I would add is I believe we have 4 stellar defenders who can frustrate their opposing player into losing their luster

Agreed, the Big 12 is now a very weak women's basketball conference. There are only about 5 teams in the country that are any good which I why I cant watch a game until we are in the elite 8. Men's on the other hand has over 50 teams that are really good and fun to watch Baylor compete against. I am not not sure what women's basketball can do to help their situation but it needs some help. I have always been a fan but simply cant watch the games that are so non competitive. Maybe shrink the NCAA tourney to 32 teams.

joseywales said:

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Agreed, the Big 12 is now a very weak women's basketball conference. There are only about 5 teams in the country that are any good which I why I cant watch a game until we are in the elite 8. Men's on the other hand has over 50 teams that are really good and fun to watch Baylor compete against. I am not not sure what women's basketball can do to help their situation but it needs some help. I have always been a fan but simply cant watch the games that are so non competitive. Maybe shrink the NCAA tourney to 32 teams.

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That is just not true...anytime you have a match up between teams in the top 20 you are likely to have a good game to watch...also in conference rivalry games where the favored team is on the road are usually much more interesting...The Pac 12 this year has 6 teams that are top 25-top 5 quality so a lot of games out there are interesting to watch. MSU and USC last night in the SEC was a great game as the number ! team in the AP poll was pushed at home by MSU...

if you are not watching you just should not opine about the overall quality and depth of teams in the Women's game.

ScottS said:

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Mulder said:

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Remove the pejorative from your post -sic- and I'll consider whether or not to respond.

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UT is a pejorative?

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For almost everyone in Texas NOT wearing burnt orange, yes.

Chibears2 said:

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Amen. Women's basketball is becoming much more competitive. Just because there are only 6-7 teams who can win it all doesn't mean other games aren't competitive. And not that long ago there was UConn and everybody else. Athletics departments are making greater commitments to WBB and more games are being televised or streamed. The game is growing, despite those who wish it weren't. Still behind the men's game, but carving out its space...

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I wonder if cutting the scholarship allotment from 15 to 13 (the MBB limit) would make more teams competitive. And help attendance.

(saying that in the season that looks to be the most wide open, at least nationally, in forever ....)

No more of this BS, okay?

GrizBear said:

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No more of this BS, okay?

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A-freakin'-men

Yeah, during the game I told my associate head coach, dfwbill, we ought to just put the bottom 5 in and win this game.

I know you're joking but I'm glad for every chance we have to see the starters play, gain experience, and improve their skills. We know that will be needed when we get to the tournaments.

historian said:

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I know you're joking but I'm glad for every chance we have to see the starters play, gain experience, and improve their skills. We know that will be needed when we get to the tournaments.

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You know who really gets a chance to improve their game? Our training staff. They get to surgically re-attach parts of a bunch of ***es that Mulkey has chewed and spat out.

Hopefully we have people scouring the sides of southbound I-35W, collecting the remnants.

Big 12 is weak ? Texas beat Stanford and NC St. WVa beat Miss St and Much St OU beat LSU . Tcu and Tech and OU have improved.. Who else ?

SirBearALot said:

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Big 12 is weak ? Texas beat Stanford and NC St. WVa beat Miss St and Much St OU beat LSU . Tcu and Tech and OU have improved.. Who else ?

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Big XII wins 8 of the ten games versus SEC played in 2020!!!!!!!

https://big12sports.com/news/2019/12/8/womens-basketball-big-12-wins-eight-matchups-over-sec-in-womens-challenge.aspx