Game 16: Gophers @ Maryland (2-26-17)

Ignatius L Hoops

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http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/...-terps-women-seniors-0226-20170223-story.html

It's Senior Day for the Terps:

Four years of growing up in Xfinity Center, and they had never stared at the banners from this vantage point. The names — Coleman, Toliver, Doron, Bullett — looked back at them on eye level.

As Brionna Jones and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough posed for photos on a catwalk above the arena where they've won 63 games and lost just five, their position seemed fitting. The two seniors are now immense figures in the story of Maryland women's basketball, just like the All-Americans who preceded them to the rafters.

On Sunday, when the Terps host Minnesota, that status will be formalized. A veil will drop to reveal their jerseys, residing in the pantheon.


It was hardly clear that would be the case when Jones and Walker-Kimbrough arrived in College Park in the summer of 2013. They were solid prospects but hardly the cream of the crop if you perused ESPN's HoopGurlz rankings. Jones was rehabilitating a bum knee and needed to lose 40 pounds. Walker-Kimbrough was a toothpick who had only recently settled on basketball as her primary sport. Coach Brenda Frese had to keep shouting that greatness was within her reach, because Walker-Kimbrough didn't always believe it herself...


...But even as chaos sometimes reigned around them, the pair maintained a relentless ascent. Walker-Kimbrough became the greatest sharpshooter in the history of the program, Jones the surest two points in the women's college game.

"They're both extremely competitive, Shatori outwardly and Bri inwardly," Frese said, reflecting on her senior stars. "You see that consistency in the way they prepare — the first to arrive for workouts and the last to leave."

Jones and Walker-Kimbrough have led such dogged, head-down lives that they seem almost befuddled by how high they've climbed now that they're down to a handful of college games.
 


And the B1G regular season ends worse than it began. Hubbard was not available (on TV, they said injury; I didn't hear a mention on the radio pre or post game; but I might have missed it)

We know the Gophers are locked into 10th in the B1G tourney; but who they play is pending.

Minutes Played with Starters in Bold

40 Wagner
32 Bell
32 Brunson

22 Hedstrom
21 Tinjum
20 T. Bello

15 Fernstrom
14 Kaposi
3 Edwards
1 Lamke
 

Another uninspiring performance by our Gophers. Gophers forced 21 Maryland turnovers, but had 19 of their own, led by Bell , who was back to her old self, with 6 turnovers. Gophers offense consisted almost entirely of Bell or Brunson driving to the hoop. Wagner was blanketed defensively and finished with only 5 points on 2 of 13 shooting. I could be wrong with this, but she's looked tired in recent games. Maybe all those minutes she has logged this season are catching up with her. Only 3 minutes for Edwards today. What's with that? Not much silver lining in today's cloud, although I was slightly encouraged by Brunson's performance.

Anyone else bored with the pre-game locker room pep talks from Brenda Freese? Maybe it's just me. And kudos to B. Jones and Walker-Kimbrough as they end terrific careers for the Terps.
 

We do not have the offensive scoring balance to survive a poor shooting performance by Wagner. We played them within 10 @ home but this 33 point defeat is depressing. Hope they can rally for the BTT.
 




Looking at transfers and recruits:
Tinjum: For a 5th year senior, she makes an unusual amount of mistakes. I've never seen a kid shoot more airballs, or be our of position on rebounds. She seems to get flustered. Grade C
Fernstrom: Unbelievably slow to the ball and plays with little passion. They were trying the lob pass to her yesterday an she has no elevation: Grade F
Bell: Very good athlete, but who makes numerous bad mistakes at the point. She can put the ball on the floor and has a good drive and pullup jumper from 15 ft. Not a 3 point shooter. When she is engaged , a very good defensive player. Best athlete on the team, I would move her to the
4 spot or at least the 3 spot, She could be another Kelly if Brunson evolves at the point. Grade B.
Bello: Should have been RS She gets pushed off the the ball really easy. Don't know who her HS coach was,, but I've seen 10th graders with better post moves.She needs a lot of work on shot finishing.When she gets beat down low on defense she holds her hands straight up and doesn't elevate to try and block the shot.Grade C.
Brunson: Starting to get it. She has to pick her spots when to drive the lane. With her height, a lot of the shots get blocked . Plays good person defense, but at times gets lost in the zone matchup.Probably the second quickest player on the team. Grade B
Hubbard: I think the mono really set her back. Before she contracted that she was more aggressive on offense. Has a good spot up 3 and has some ability to put the ball on the floor
On defense she has very quick hands. In HS she was the go too player. I think she is having trouble adjusting to the Wagner/Bell influence on offense. Grade C
Kaposi: Question? Was she damaged goods coming in, or did she get hurt in practice? At least now she is running up and down the court. She does have length. Grade. Incomplete.
Summary: I haven't seen as many games as Iggy or Shades, but from an old baller, this is what I see.
 

Rupert, I must acknowledge that I enjoyed reading that post. I agreed with several of your points and I have watched the team at least 8 times this year.

A couple of the players are alarmingly slow and mistake prone, and there are also several younger players with a big upside.

I agree that K Bell deserved a B and is a good player. I think the staff did not do her any favors, in what they put in place around her, and maybe failed to best take advantage of her great speed, athletic ability and finishing skills.

I'll take this over what Pam Borton had going on the last few years, but I did expect more from Stollings. She may be on very thin ice in the future.
 






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