NCAA Game 1: Gophers v UW Green Bay in Eugene (3-16-18)


We meet up again with Kevin Borseth.

Looks like their 2 bigs the Wolf sisters average just over 3 points a game. Their seniors Lindstrom and Le Claire are their leading scorers @ 15 and 14 points / game. Maybe we match up OK with them @ the guard position. It would be nice for them to get one W.
 

I'll leave the detailed preview for Iggy, but UW-GB has an impressive resume. Some nice non-conference wins against other teams in the NCAA tourney. Only two BIG teams they played were Wisconsin and Northwestern. Green Bay trounced the Badgers early in the season and beat Northwestern only by 6. Gringa, I did the same thing you did and looked at the stats of their post players. It doesn't seem that the Gophers will have any trouble matching up with them in the post...no Megan Gustafson clones. They have a 6'1" guard/forward who is averaging a double-double (15 & 10). Decent size on the perimeter. Can they match the Gophers uptempo offense, especially Bell's speed. I'm guessing that this should be a close game.
 

A quick look at the Phoenix:

Green Bay finished the season 29-3 (16-2 in the Horizon League).

Top 55 RPI wins:

25 Marquette 63-55
28 South Dakota State 55-41
36 @ Dayton 75-64
55 Arizona State 61-48 (Cancun)

Big Ten Wins:

@ Northwesten 63-57
@ Wisconsin 67-34


Losses:

5 Mississippi State 46-67 (Cancun): In their third game in three days the Phoenix trailed 20-31 at the half.

255 @ Northern Kentucky 54-62: UWGB committed 22 fouls and Northern Kentucky went 22-26 from the line. Northern was 10-24 from three while UWGB was 4-26.

134 @ Cleveland State 60-71: Despite Phoenix guard Jessica Lindstrom's 23 point and 21 rebound effort, Green Bay never got on track. Cleveland State was 13-22 from three while UWGB was 9-31. This 15 February loss was their last.

Green Bay averages 65.2 points/game while allowing 46.09.


A couple of players to note:

6’1” G/F Senior Jessica Lindstrom 32.4 minutes, 15.2 points and 10.5 rebounds/game. Lindstrom is 63-166 from three
5’10” G Senior Allie LeClaire 34.3 minutes and 14.3 points game.
 

Creative Charters is going to attempt to put a trip together now that we know where we are going. You can contact them via their web site creativecharter.com to find out more. Eugene is about 110 miles south of Portland.
 



I think the Gophers do best when their offense is free-wheeling and unimpeded. That’s why I was not pleased at the thought of the Gophers going up against GB a while back when Charlie Creme proposed the matchup in one of his bracket updates. Green Bay is a nationwide leader in defensive stats.

Scoring Defense (PPG)
1. Green Bay 46.1
2. Central Arkansas 49.8
3. Campbell 51.9
4. UConn 51.9

FG% Defense
1. Green Bay 32.1
2. Baylor 32.2
3. Norfolk St 32.8
4. UConn 33.1

Three Point % Defense
1. Texas St 25.1
2. Texas Southern 25.4
3. Jackson St 25.8
4. Green Bay 26.5
 

http://fox11online.com/sports/college/phoenix-confident-in-7-10-matchup-with-minnesota


"We're happy about it honestly just to see our name, we're excited," senior guard Allie LeClaire said. "We know every team is going to bring their A game and we're going to bring ours. We're excited to get after it at practice this week, know who we're playing and hopefully win some games."

"We've been through this four years now, in year's passed we saw it and said cool but then we saw Minnesota and everyone almost had a fire like this is very doable," junior guard Jen Wellnitz said. "Let's get out here and show we can get one of these done."

For a senior class that's known plenty of success, the one thing they haven't done: Win a national tournament game in March.

"I'm excited, yes this is the last time Allie and I will see our names," LeClaire said. "We're excited to go out there and do work, because it's our last time to. I think everyone is on the same page with us."
 

GB has only lost 3 times this season. They were upset twice. In those upsets, it seemed like the teams came out and smacked GB in the mouth in the first half. Hopefully the Gophers come out with that aggressive mentality from the start. They don’t want to dig themselves a whole for GB of all teams. Here’s the recap page of NKU’s big upset over GB. It includes a highlight video of the game.
https://www.nkunorse.com/news/2017/...ked-win-in-upset-over-no-19-20-green-bay.aspx
 



I'm glad no one went cliche with this match-up

The Irresistable Force vs The Immovable Object:)
 

http://www.espn.com/womens-college-...rning-questions-women-ncaa-tournament-bracket

Graham Hayes:

Jessica Lindstrom, No. 7 Green Bay: Is she a guard with post skills or a post with guard skills? You might see her listed as either, but it's her ability to play inside and outside that sets her apart. She has as good a feel for rebounding and post moves as any mid-major player, but she also led the team in 3-point shooting. She's Green Bay through and through
 

I don't mind this match up. Seems like Green Bay is a very solid team, but they won't be the first good team the Gophers have seen this year. When you're a #10 seed, these are the kind of match ups you get. It will be interesting to see which team is able to control tempo in this game. The Gophers will want to get up and down; Green Bay, not so much. If the Gophers want to control tempo, they'll have to be able to rebound and obviously get some defensive stops. Also, it will help if Pitts can stay out of foul trouble and hit some shots and also if Hubbard can hit some shots. I'm still questioning whether Green Bay will have an answer for Bell's speed, and if Bell can make good decisions on when she drives to the hoop. All being said, I think the Gophers will have a good chance to advance.
 




Sorry to report - but Creative Charters is not able to put a trip together for Gopher fans to go to Eugene.
 

I was surprised Borseth couldn't bring Michigan to an elite level. He took backwater Michigan Tech to multiple division 2 National Championships and turned Green Bay around.
 

I was surprised Borseth couldn't bring Michigan to an elite level. He took backwater Michigan Tech to multiple division 2 National Championships and turned Green Bay around.

The team he left behind went to the NCAA's under Kim Barnes Arico. But as we found out later, he tried to bail on Michigan the year before he actually bailed. He didn't find Ann Arbor to his liking and he didn't much appreciate B1G teams physically removing the motion from his motion offense. Made for a great moment in post game presser's however:

 

<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 

https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketbal...s-sharp-shooting-carlie-wagner-looking-first-


While most third-grade girls basketball coaches are content with players heaving two-handed set shots toward the rim in the name of fun over fundamentals, John Schultz wouldn't allow Carlie Wagner to get away with any shortcuts.

Thirteen years ago in New Richland, Minn., Schultz would have girls shoot 20 one-handed shots against the wall to force their elbows to remain under the ball and then shoot five flawless-form free throws where makes didn't matter much. He doesn't shy away from being called a stickler.
"We would start every practice that way," Schultz said. "They weren't allowed to play tournaments until their form was perfect."

Before the Gophers practiced last Friday, Wagner was keeping her shooting form sharp inside the gleaming new Cunningham Basketball Development Center. Every day, she strives for 200 makes. As a rebounder kept feeding her passes, she worked her way around the 3-point arc. She jab stepped to her right and then stepped back to her left to create separation for a shot, with her former coach's tips engrained in her head:

Don't follow through to the side. Keep your arm straight, with your hand tilted down, like a goose. Keep the ball near your chest so opponents can't steal it.

"It paid off," Wagner said.
 

http://www.startribune.com/kevin-bo...-green-bay-after-time-in-ann-arbor/477029493/

Marcus Fuller: Kevin Borseth happy to be back in Green Bay.


In 2012, Borseth returned to Green Bay and has been a lot more at ease coaching and winning at the mid-major level again.

"Quality of life is what I've learned," he said. "It was certainly a thrill to be there at that level because it is different. But coaching is coaching and quality of life is everything."

The Phoenix has averaged 28 wins, won six Horizon League regular-season titles and played in five NCAA tournaments in his six seasons back in Green Bay. Borseth also plays the Big Ten every year and beats those teams consistently, including Wisconsin and Northwestern this year.

"He's done a tremendous job there over the years, came back and is doing the same thing," Gophers coach Marlene Stollings said. "It's as though he never left, really. So we have a lot of respect for him and for what he's been able to do at Green Bay certainly."
 

http://www.startribune.com/kevin-bo...-green-bay-after-time-in-ann-arbor/477029493/

Marcus Fuller: Kevin Borseth happy to be back in Green Bay.


In 2012, Borseth returned to Green Bay and has been a lot more at ease coaching and winning at the mid-major level again.

"Quality of life is what I've learned," he said. "It was certainly a thrill to be there at that level because it is different. But coaching is coaching and quality of life is everything."

The Phoenix has averaged 28 wins, won six Horizon League regular-season titles and played in five NCAA tournaments in his six seasons back in Green Bay. Borseth also plays the Big Ten every year and beats those teams consistently, including Wisconsin and Northwestern this year.

"He's done a tremendous job there over the years, came back and is doing the same thing," Gophers coach Marlene Stollings said. "It's as though he never left, really. So we have a lot of respect for him and for what he's been able to do at Green Bay certainly."
Anyone else getting Notre Dame game instead of Gopher game Direct TV, ESPN2.

Sent from my SM-J327P using Tapatalk
 

Anyone else getting Notre Dame game instead of Gopher game Direct TV, ESPN2.

Sent from my SM-J327P using Tapatalk

Only the first few minutes and then it switched to the start of Gophers game. We are having a sloppy start with too many turnovers. Lucky Hubbard and Pitts are making 3's. It remains unbelievable to me how bad we are @ rebounding.
 

Getting killed on the boards.

Also, three Gophers with 2 fouls in the first half.
 

Only the first few minutes and then it switched to the start of Gophers game. We are having a sloppy start with too many turnovers. Lucky Hubbard and Pitts are making 3's. It remains unbelievable to me how bad we are @ rebounding.

Sloppy start is just one of their problems. Rebounding has been extremely poor and their defense has been even worse.
 

Would it hurt to grab a rebound? Being out rebounded 30-14 ouch! Gophers look scared and unprepared for some reason. Wagner and Bell need to find their touch combined 3/13. I would say at this point it looks like the Phoenix just ants it more
 

Our defense leaves a lot to be desired. Open shot after open shot for uwgb.
 

After starting the game well, now Hubbard can't hit the ocean.
 

Our defense leaves a lot to be desired. Open shot after open shot for uwgb.

Defensive and rebounding efforts continue to be absolutely awful. The eye-sore that has always been Stollings' 2-3 zone is back in full force.
 

Got it down to 5 at the end of the third quarter.

Still a -12 on the rebounding.
 

Green Bay over the limit on fouls in the 4th quarter with 5:24 left
 

Green Bay over the limit on fouls in the 4th quarter with 5:24 left

That's a good sign. Hands and anticipation on defense have also improved a bit. Rebounding though, ugh.
 




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