USF at Texas, Friday, 6:00 PM

[brnkj]

We're just not good right now. Hopefully that will change...

 

[Born in ATX]

Not a good look folks. It'll be quite awhile before we re-enter the top20. Did Vic forget Morris was on the team? She sat almost all of the 2nd half.

 

[xdxmmxchxxl]

Man I wanted to win but you can see improvement every game. This performance was better than Princeton, USF is a good team.

Yeah we missed a lot under the basket but they defended us very well down low. They just had a couple really hot shooters tonight.

We will get better and better and I’m not worried about this team one bit moving forward.

Shaylee was the best guard for us tonight and I was not expecting that. She looked extremely comfortable out there. What a game from her! Gaston, Aaliyah, Rori played great as well.

this won’t be a bad loss by committee time although it definitely hurts our seed. Going to have a few games in a row to get some wins under our belt and should head into the B12 with some confidence.

 

[brnkj]

The difference in the game was the 3pt line.
South Florida vs. Texas - Women's College Basketball Box Score - December 2, 2022 | ESPN

 

[WCBBNUT]

Where's Sonya?

It appeared like Vic was unhappy with her in the 2nd quarter. After that she didn’t see much court time.

 

[JoeDallas]

USF is going to make some waves this year if they always play like that. I thought Gonzales and Moore had really good games.

It appeared like Vic was unhappy with her in the 2nd quarter. After that she didn’t see much court time.

I think he is unhappy with her a lot, which concerns me, since she is our best shooter. I thought Moore and Gonzales had really great games tonight. USF is going to make some waves if they keep playing like that. Our defense in the first half was really bad.

 

[texexted]

USF exposed Texas’ lack of speed. We couldn’t stop their drives to the basket and never guarded #5’s wide-open three pointers.
I’m also not following Vic’s substitutions and lineups as the game goes on. I guess that’s why he’s paid
millions and I pay thousands to sit in the stands and watch.
I still think Texas will be tough when conference rolls around. But I never would have guessed we’d be 3-4. Shocking.

 

[STHAustin]

USF is going to make some waves this year if they always play like that. I thought Gonzales and Moore had really good games.

I think he is unhappy with her a lot, which concerns me, since she is our best shooter. I thought Moore and Gonzales had really great games tonight. USF is going to make some waves if they keep playing like that. Our defense in the first half was really bad.

What could Morris have done that was so bad she couldn’t get in the game the second half? We certainly could have used a couple of threes from her in the 3rd quarter. I was at the game so didn’t have the advantage of any tv commentary. I thought perhaps her back was bothering her again.

 

[WCBBNUT]

What could Morris have done that was so bad she couldn’t get in the game the second half? We certainly could have used a couple of threes from her in the 3rd quarter. I was at the game so didn’t have the advantage of any tv commentary. I thought perhaps her back was bothering her again.

I sit behind the bench and he just seemed to be riding her tonight… but that seems to be his thing most games win or lose. I did not expect us to be 3-4 but am willing to trust that Vic will get his house in order.

 

[geewago]

I attended the game snd thanks to dfwhorn for sending me his tickets. This was my first time at the Moody arena and it was very nice. Just like Irwin though quite a hassle to find good parking. I knew USF would be good. Ive watched several of their games this year. They really shouldnt have lost the two games they have. I really thought when the season started that TX had all the pieces to just dominate the Big 12. But now after 4 losses im beginning to wonder. It seems they just dont play with the urgency I expected.

 

[JoeDallas]

I sit behind the bench and he just seemed to be riding her tonight… but that seems to be his thing most games win or lose. I did not expect us to be 3-4 but am willing to trust that Vic will get his house in order.

He has talked about how players who came from previous basketball programs have to break their old habits and learn to fit into his system. Andrea Loyd made an interesting comment tonight about how Morris played a wide open, fast game at DePaul, something like that. Those might be some clues about what is going on. Or maybe not, who knows? Whatever, it is frustrating to see good players sitting on the bench for long stretches. It brings up memories of Matharu last year to me.

 

[HornView]

I keep thinking good thing this injury bug is early in the season but it’s hard to gel with all the newcomers when we can’t get em all on the court together. I hated to leave at the end of the 3rd to go to the volleyball game but I guess it’s just as well.

From my viewpoint in the arena it often didn’t appear that what constituted a foul on their end of the court did on ours. I will still watch the broadcast of this one from the beginning for a better feel for what happened

 

[Born in ATX]

I sit behind the bench and he just seemed to be riding her tonight… but that seems to be his thing most games win or lose. I did not expect us to be 3-4 but am willing to trust that Vic will get his house in order.

Sonya is our leading scorer and we had a really hard time scoring inside. She should have been playing in the second half. USF played its starters 32-40 mins. Our leading scorer played 20 mins.

 

[UTexRulz23]

So many times I was wishing that Moore and Gaston switched. There were so many times that Gaston was getting the ball but I wish it were Moore. Having said that, Gaston really improved as the night went on.

 

[Born in ATX]

Villanova lost to Bailer by 5 pts a week ago. Then Villanova beat USF by 22 pts. the next day. Then USF beat . . . . uh uh, you get the idea. Oh my, I'm gonna go watch the replay of the VB game.

 

[Hornsup43]

I think Vic may be a little guilty of or recruiting transfer players with numbers rather than athletes who are a fit.This group all seem limited defensively and not uber athletic. How long is Hunter out? What is her situation?
Morris didn't play because the group on the floor was engaged and on a roll and Vic usually lets them ride when that happens.I am not crazy about Morris's game. Round hole /Square peg and and curious what attracted us to her and vise versa in the 1st place. At least Shaylee buys in and has better body language,

 

[brnkj]

At least Shaylee buys in...

I think that's the deal with Morris right now. Vic is struggling to get her to buy in. We wanted post touches last night. Moore was almost unstoppable whenever she got the ball in the paint and Gaston was good also. In the first half we weren't getting far enough into our offense or getting the ball into the post. Morris' quick shots weren't helping the situation. She's struggling with having to play a new way at the moment.

It seems to be more habitual, I don't think she doesn't WANT to buy in. Nevertheless, if you don't follow coach's instructions you're gonna have to spend time next to him on the bench.

 

[Bobcat]

We don’t at this point have enough outside threats to spread the floor. I don’t get benching Morris….. We need Rori to be more assertive offensively. They said she gained 12 pounds of muscle, but she is noticeably slower and has lost some quickness. Not a fan of bulking up that much at her size. Ive said it over and over. If you don’t have legit 3 point threats, it’s almost impossible to be a legit contender in todays game. We don’t have the type of players to run the dribble drive. Losing Matharu and now Hunter was big. Imo, benching Morris was puzzling. This could be a long year……

 

[JoeDallas]

I think that's the deal with Morris right now. Vic is struggling to get her to buy in. We wanted post touches last night. Moore was almost unstoppable whenever she got the ball in the paint and Gaston was good also. In the first half we weren't getting far enough into our offense or getting the ball into the post. Morris' quick shots weren't helping the situation. She's struggling with having to play a new way at the moment.

It seems to be more habitual, I don't think she doesn't WANT to buy in. Nevertheless, if you don't follow coach's instructions you're gonna have to spend time next to him on the bench.

This whole Morris situation presents interesting questions about coaching methods. Why did he recruit her? Why did she come, if her style doesn't work well for Vic? She probably assumed he would want people who could score a lot of points. (One would tend to make that assumption.). Did he tell her she would need to play a different type of game? She was going great guns in the first half, at least in the first few minutes. Andrew Loyd said twice that this was the kind of game that suited her well. How much do you stifle a player so that they will fit into your system? I don't know the answer. Seems to see that it should be a two-way adjustment, with the coach adjusting to her strengths (taking advantage of them), as well as her adjusting to his style. Andrea made a point about how Morris hasn't looked like herself, hasn't looked happy out there on the floor. This may be another one of those power struggles this year between coach and player (like I believe Vic and Matharu had). That would be a real shame. I have heard her says she wants to go pro. If she has joined a team where the coach is going to ride her and be unhappy with her greatest skill ... well, that is a problem for both of them.

 

[Bobcat]

Vic’s first two years have been impressive. It will be interesting to see if he can get this turned around without the type of personnel to play HIS defense and dribble drive offense. Can he evolve and adjust to these players? With the exception of South Carolina, all the top programs generally execute top notch half court schemes with exceptional spacing, passing and 3 point shooting. They recruit SKILLED offensive players that fit their philosophy. South Carolina wins with exceptional talent, length and athleticism. It appears at the moment that like last year with Matharu, Vic and Morris are butting heads. Morris is our best outside threat so how this plays out will be interesting. Why can’t we get some of these dead eye 3 point shooters??? Hard to be elite now without them. I never thought we would be in this position….

 

[Zig72]

It's not easy for fans to remain positive as the L's pile up. It's just not human nature.

We often hear about coaches in glowing terms who adapt to the strengths of their players. That's not Vic Schaefer. Don't expect a coaching epiphany.

As a player, your choices are to embrace the system or sit. As fans, our choices are to watch the season unfold or not.

I'm not saying that this transition period is easy to watch. It's just something that has to happen.

None of us know the season outcome with this group of players, but the final outcome is the only thing that anyone will remember and how this coach will be judged.

 

[brnkj]

I'm not real pleased at the moment... I also find myself questioning some things Vic is doing. But I'll give him the benefit of the doubt because of what I've seen him do.

I think in this particular game the big issue was a game plan that was clearly conveyed (even the game announcers made mention of it) was not being followed. We had a huge advantage inside that we needed to exploit. Once the opponent's defense adjusted to that, then things could have opened up for better options from the perimeter (ball movement, better shots, etc).

USF only had one true post player, so Vic deliberately wanted to go inside repeatedly to Amo and Gaston. That wasn't being done in the first half. Things got ugly because of that.. the game plan wasn't being followed and that's why there was so much confusion on the court amongst the players.

In the previous two seasons when we finally got our act straight, we heard players in post-game pressers attribute victories to following the game plan. It's why you scout, study film, and practice accordingly in the days leading up to a game.

 

[Bobcat]

It's not easy for fans to remain positive as the L's pile up. It's just not human nature.

We often hear about coaches in glowing terms who adapt to the strengths of their players. That's not Vic Schaefer. Don't expect a coaching epiphany.

As a player, your choices are to embrace the system or sit. As fans, our choices are to watch the season unfold or not.

I'm not saying that this transition period is easy to watch. It's just something that has to happen.

None of us know the season outcome with this group of players, but the final outcome is the only thing that anyone will remember and how this coach will be judged.

I agree 100%, BUT if Vic can’t or won’t adjust to the present personnel and their strengths and weaknesses, I’m not sure we are suited to play his style. Evolving and adjusting are paramount to success, but it’s a two way street. Our glaring lack of quickness on both ends, and lack of depth, ball handling and passing on the perimeter are huge concerns. I’m hoping for the best, but at least at this moment, there is just reason for concern…

 

[Zig72]

I’m hoping for the best, but at least at this moment, there is just reason for concern…

With everyone, for the very reasons you mention. The confidence is missing, and the team psyche appears to be fragile. At least those issues are fixable if adversity is properly used as a challenge.

 

[TempestHorn]

We're obviously missing Taylor and the early start plus VB game screwed up attendance, but none of that is an excuse. We shouldn't be down like this to USF. Their FG% is 20% higher than ours right now, so lets hope that changes in the 2nd. That's the diff. in the game.

The VB game didn't screw up attendance. WBB screwed themselves out of a good crowd by choosing to schedule a home game during the 1st and 2nd round playoffs that volleyball has been hosting for ~20 years now. Hosting NCAA playoffs for volleyball isn't some lucky happenstance, you can set your watch by it. There is a fair bit of overlap between the two crowds and to do that kind of scheduling is asinine. I'm not saying a larger, more engaged crowd would have made up for the deficiencies on this team, but it certainly couldn't have hurt.

 

[HornView]

The VB game didn't screw up attendance. WBB screwed themselves out of a good crowd by choosing to schedule a home game during the 1st and 2nd round playoffs that volleyball has been hosting for ~20 years now. Hosting NCAA playoffs for volleyball isn't some lucky happenstance, you can set your watch by it. There is a fair bit of overlap between the two crowds and to do that kind of scheduling is asinine. I'm not saying a larger, more engaged crowd would have made up for the deficiencies on this team, but it certainly couldn't have hurt.

There were actually some people around me that never got the time change info (somehow).

 

[Bucksgal]

For all the hype and anticipation, we're 3-4, unranked, and currently an afterthought in the sports world. What a letdown! AND, I don't like the Morris situation, reminds me too much of Martharu...and we know what happened there.

 

[LutherIsMyDog]

For all the hype and anticipation, we're 3-4, unranked, and currently an afterthought in the sports world. What a letdown! AND, I don't like the Morris situation, reminds me too much of Martharu...and we know what happened there.

Vic was uncharacteristically giddy about this team in the preseason. Granted, this was just after a few practices but he seemed to believe that the team was capable of scoring a lot of points but the defense would lag. He praised their work ethic and maturity.

Our offense looks slow and uncertain. They appear hesitant and afraid of making a mistake. The natural shooters don’t have a green light to shoot and never get into the rhythm of the game. (I believe this is what happened with Kyndall. She’s a shooter that may put up a few bad shots before she gets in her rhythm. She would get pulled too early either for a defensive lapse or an ill advised shot.)

IMO, there needs to be a balance between tough love and loving on your players when they are struggling. From my perspective both Sonya and Jak were put into the penalty box last night. Jak made a couple of mistakes in the 1Q and never saw the court again. Because she’s a scoring threat, Sonya was put into the game in the final minutes but because she sat for so long she wasn’t physically or mentally into the flow of the game.

I’m not sure if Vic has been in this position in his career. A team that started out as #3 and will likely drop out of the top 25. As others have mentioned, Vic needs to design a game plan that suits the strengths and the talent of the team. Typically we are working our way up the ladder. It’s a long season so hopefully we’ll reverse course.

 

[kurupt]

I think Vic may be a little guilty of or recruiting transfer players with numbers rather than athletes who are a fit.This group all seem limited defensively and not uber athletic. How long is Hunter out? What is her situation?
Morris didn't play because the group on the floor was engaged and on a roll and Vic usually lets them ride when that happens.I am not crazy about Morris's game. Round hole /Square peg and and curious what attracted us to her and vise versa in the 1st place. At least Shaylee buys in and has better body language,

I think this is exactly the problem. Which is surprising seeing that he prides himself on recruiting to a fit. I haven't watched the team as much as others, but when you constantly hear that this team just isn't very athletic and lacks speed then you know that fit is certainly a problem.

And if that's the case, then it's obviously up to Vic to adjust his style of play to how the current players on the roster play. It's like the old saying," You can't fit a square peg into a round hole". And just like with @Bobcat the lack of perimeter shooting was something that I was concerned about from the beginning when we had to replace quality perimeter shooting.

It doesn't matter how good you are in the post, if you can't shoot the ball consistently from the perimeter as @Bobcat explained. And now he's choosing not to play the best perimeter shooter on the team, just as he did the other. IMO unless something drastically changes, it's going to be a long year.

 

[LutherIsMyDog]