Stanford vs. Baylor November, 2012 in Hawaii
I watched the entire game on DVD because I wanted to know how
Stanford beat Baylor. I learned a lot about both teams. Stanford's
new look offense is going to be hard to defend because they can shoot it with
range, play unselfish basketball and can score from 5
positions.
Baylor was a different team without Odyssey Sims who played only
4 minutes. At the 15:40 mark in the first half, she got hurt, left the game not to return. Baylor was up 9-7 and Sims had hit a 3. She’s their best 3 point shooter and one of the best on ball defenders in basketball. In this game, Baylor didn't look like they improved shooting the ball. This is exactly the kind of loss that will
propel Mulkey to the think tank. Because it’s all fixable and in some ways, there is no worry about the “streak”. Mulkey already said what matters is the last 6 games.
Stanford had a plan and they executed.
Stanford never filled the low block and ran to the 3 pt line in transition filling 5
spots with Chiney Ogwumike in the middle at high post area. Excellent
spacing. Brittany Griner (BG) was guarding Chiney so she was constantly in the high post area, defending elbow to elbow.
Stanford hit shots and limited BG touches in 1st half with a front defender, a back
defender and gap help from the perimeter to discourage passing the ball to BG.
It worked because Baylor didn't hit any perimeter shots, lost their patience in
getting it inside, lost their confidence and their leader Sims. BG made a
2 dribble, spin move from top for her 1st basket and she had to work for that.
Stanford ran Princeton cutting/motion game and ball screening action mostly late in the shot clock. They didn’t run the Triangle unless BG was out of the game.
They played thru Chiney at the high post and it was effective.
They are running "UCONN's motion game".
That’s right, UCONN. Notre Dame runs the same offense and it works. Why don’t more teach and run this passing/motion game?
In this game, Baylor didn't look like they improved their perimeter shooting. They
can go 4 or 5 consecutive possessions and not get BG a touch. At the 10 minute
mark in the 1st half, Stanford up 9 and BG has 2 points
BG doesn't hedge, switch or trap on-ball screens. She gaps and clogs and takes up space
to discourage turning the corner. Stanford played with an attacking, high IQ game plan and took advantage many times off the dribble. Each dribble penetration was followed by a fill behind the dribbler. It was a consistent game plan with discipline.
Baylor had 11 pts with 8:13 left to play in the 1st and haven't gotten ball inside to
BG, terrible perimeter shooting at this point and really miss the skills and the
intangibles of Sims. Freshman Niya Johnson is playing in the biggest game of her short career and you can tell. She was unsure.
This will be turning point for her career.
Stanford was called for back to back illegal screens. That's how much their offense changed
away from the triangle offense that Stanford perfected with Jan Appel and
Candice Wiggins, former Stanford players.
If BG catches and reverses ball from high post, her tendency is to cut to opposite
block. That’s not synergy sports assessment, that’s mine. BG catches at
high post and cuts opposite. Baylor lacked their typical discipline on both
ends; didn't get ball to BG and fouled several times late in shot clock.
Stanford lost their double digit lead in the 1st because Baylor pressed,
played thru BG, got to FT line, changed tempo with D and cut the lead to 1 pt
with 2 minutes left in the 1st half. Stanford turned it over and got called for 2 illegal screening calls
during Baylor’s run. In the last 2 minutes of the 1st half, BG finally scores on the low block thru the
double team. She had 4 first half points. Stanford committed to a
game plan for BG on both ends of the floor. Their offensive attack kept her in the
high post area on the defensive end and they sandwiched her on the offensive end
to make someone else for Baylor beat them. What a terrific game plan by Stanford.
Their first half makes me think about the top coaches in our game. They
have a plan and a disciplined commitment by their teams to run the plan. This requires the ability to teach, demand, discipline and emphasize. Tara changed her offensive system to accommodate her personnel. I assume teaching the “Princeton-like/UCONN-like” offensive is not easy.
If it was, why aren’t more teams running it?
Even Notre Dame went to it after they struggled to beat UCONN for many
years and their recruiting led to more athletic, skilled players with a
basketball IQ. With Stanford, we’re talking “Nerd Nation” here! They
can think thru anything. By the way they looked, they weren’t thinking, they were playing.
And, they were playing in a non-robotic fashion.
To play this style takes time, rhythm, repetition and unselfish
players. By this measure, Stanford is loaded. They can score, they are big on the perimeter and they are hungry.
2 pt game at half
Stanford can shoot the ball! Stanford filled behind every dribble penetration.
Stanford made BG chase Chiney off screening action. BG came out of the top of the key area
which allowed driving lanes. Stanford point guard, Toni Kokenis got to the line off dribble
penetration.
Second half adjustments: Baylor on ball pressure full court, BG gets touches on low
block and is patient with the “sandwich-defense” that Stanford is playing.
Kim Mulkey made adjustments on both ends and Niya Johnson did better job of
attacking in 2nd half. She grew up from 1st half to the 2nd.
Did Baylor lack defensive discipline? Were they lazy on help because they are used to having BG protect the rim? Was it the fear of the Stanford 3 point shooting that had the Baylor defense “hugging” their defenders on the weak side? Kokenis kept dribble alive, made good choices and drove hard with right hand to bucket several times to score.
Baylor didn't back off their pressure and Stanford sliced them up, 70% cutting game,
ball screens late in shot clock. It was very challenging to help with all those 3 point shooters on floor.
When BG wasn't in the game, Chiney went to the block to post.
It was the only time they occupied the low block on offense.
Stanford showed the poise of a program that has been to the last 5 final fours. They changed the tempo of their offense with passing/motion game and it was very much like the change of pace I see with UCONN teams.
Kokenis played well late in 2nd and hit some key shots. Denying Kokenis the ball did
cause shot clock violations. Tara VanDerveer played Amber Orrange with Kokenis late in the game when the momentum was shifting and it got Stanford back in rhythm with their offense.
Inside final minute, Baylor doesn’t execute and Stanford does.
There is a late baseline out of bounds (blob) and Stanford scores on weak
side up screen for a lay-up! It was a major defensive breakdown in communication. Baylor misses a wide open layup, Kim Mulkey tosses her sweater into the scorer's table upset with the easy
missed lay-up.
Chiney scores on a drive to basket and uses the rim to keep BG from blocking it. Destiny Williams hits the three to pull Baylor within 1 with 9.7 left. Stanford inbounds, Kokenis fouled, Stanford time
out, makes 1 of 2 for 2 point lead. 4.2 left, Baylor calls time out. Direct inbound pass to BG and she
misses the jumper. Stanford celebrates.
I leave this game with the following thoughts:
1. It’s wide open for the NCAA Tournament? Still 3 teams that can win it in Baylor, UCONN, Stanford.
The FF in New Orleans will be great!
2. What am I going to do with my AP vote? I decided to go with UCONN at #1. They easily handled Texas A&M and I had Stanford at #6 before this victory so I wasn’t going to jump UCONN.
Baylor was without Sims and that was a factor.
3. Hall of Famer Tara VanDerveer is a tremendous teacher, like we didn’t already know
that! Maybe we all need a retreat in August to refresh the body and the mind. She and her staff did some serious teaching, tweeking, thinking. She wants to win the NCAA title badly. Love the empowered way her team played with this new offense.
4. What “buy-in” by Stanford to change to a new system.
5. Baylor is fine and maybe it’s a blessing to lose early on a neutral court with
officials even I never heard of. . . who were those 3 in stripes?
6. BG is still the best game changer. What a compliment to UCONN and Baylor that
Stanford changed what they do to win. No ego, no “my way attitude” just find a way to win.
Why doesn’t our government work like that? Tara for President!
7. Mulkey has her team in an excellent position to improve. Little Mulkey might need more playing time. She can shoot it!!
8. Why didn’t Mulkey get a technical foul for throwing her sweater/jacket into the
scorer’s table? Isn’t this the era of sportsmanship? I'll tell you why, she ain’t gonna get one at that point in the game. So, nothing has changed.
9. I believe it’s important to referee Griner before you get on a big game. What do they do in the NBA? Do you think someone who has never refereed Kobe/ LeBron etc is gonna be on a big game if
they didn’t ref them in a different situation? No way!
10. It’s just November and I want to be consistent with this blog. Anyone want to ghost-write for me?