RebKell's Junkie Boards

[vanyogan]

I went ahead and posted this for those interested in what the Gophers have this year.

The first interesting point is that they have listed Liz Podominick as a starting power forward. That would indicate to me that there is still room for one of the sophmores to start at center, even after Broback returns to the starting line_up.

The second interesting point to watch this weekend for the Gophers is that Broback won't play and Calhoun, a starting guard last year will play limited minutes. So Williams will start at center and Davis and Fox will get substantial minutes at guard as well as Lacy at center. These players are completely unknown to most fans outside Minnesota but there is a good chance they won't be come Monday morning. I give the Gophers a 50/50 chance of beating Stanford, just on the basis that they seem to be farther along at this point than prior teams. Stanford is playing away and has only one non-competive game under their belt.

The other point is that the Gophers, I believe, have personnel that can defend Wiggins and Smith. If Sophmore Natasha Williams ever wanted an opportunity she will have it if the Gophers play Stanford on Sunday. Should be interesting.


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http://www.gophersports.com/sportsNews/press_release.asp?news_id=11522&sport_id=wbasket

<snip>

Podominick Ready for Challenge of Starting Role
Liz Podominick has spent two seasons as one of the top post players off the bench for the Gophers. Now, as a junior, Podominick has earned a starting role at power forward. Podominick averaged 6.4 points and 3.5 rebounds per game last season but was even more successful in her second Gopher sport - track and field - where she won both the Big Ten Conference Outdoor titles in the shot put and discus and advanced to the NCAA Championships in both events.

Super Sophs Ready to Make Bigger Impact
If the Gophers’ first exhibition game is a sign of things to come, Minnesota fans are going to have a lot to cheer about as sophomore post players Natasha Williams and Lauren Lacey display their skills. Williams posted a double-double with 15 points and 16 rebounds, while Lacey led the team in scoring with 17 points off the bench. Williams and Lacey both scored 11 points in the second exhibition game.

Roysland Steady No Matter the Role
Starter or a top-notch sixth-player, Kelly Roysland is a reliable contributor for the Gophers. Roysland has answered the call whenever she has been placed in the starting lineup, averaging 9.1 points per game in her nine career starts. As a freshman, Roysland started in place of the injured Lindsay Whalen.During her sophomore season, Roysland started a pair of games in place of the injured Shannon Bolden.

Gopher Rookie Fox Shows Great Potential
Eight assists without a single turnover is a stat line any coach would love from a guard but when those numbers are contributed by a true freshman, heads turn. Emily Fox has quickly become a crowd favorite with her flair on the court. Fox capped several Gopher fast-break opportunites versus St. Cloud State with nifty passes as the 5-9 rookie tallied eight assists, without a turnover, in 22 minutes of action. Fox also added eight points and a team-high six steals.

Broback’s Returns to Practice Next Week
Minnesota head coach Pam Borton announced that junior Jamie Broback will return to the Golden Gopher women’s basketball team after taking a one-week leave of absence. Broback will be on the bench in street clothes for the Gophers’ season-opening Subway Classic this weekend then return to practice next week.

“Jamie took care of the matters off the court that she needed to attend to,” said Borton. “As with all players on our team, we want them to be successful in all facets of their lives. We are very happy to have Jamie back.”

Broback, a returning starter at power forward, was selected a Street & Smith Honorable Mention All-American and a preseason All-Big Ten honoree prior to the season.

Calhoun Back in Action
Guard April Calhoun is expected to return to the lineup for the Gophers’ season-opener in the Subway Classic after missing the two exhibition games with a foot injury. Calhoun started all 34 games last season.

Gophers Tabbed No. 16/No. 17 in Preseason Polls
The Golden Gophers open the season ranked No. 16 in the preseason Associated Press (AP) National Poll. Minnesota owns a No. 17 ranking in the final preseason USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll.

Minnesota Continues to Build on Rankings Streak
Minnesota has been ranked in the AP National Poll’s top 25 for the last 66 polls, dating back to Jan. 21, 2002, and is building upon the longest streak in Golden Gopher history. The streak of 66 straight polls is also the longest active streak in the Big Ten Conference.

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http://www.rightnation.us

[gopher5]

Report from Stanford:

http://gostanford.collegesports.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/111705aaa.html

[womens_hoops]

i hate to say it, but i think we are gonna get smoked.

i don't think the Liz/Lacey/Tasha will be able to guard Smith effectively, or Newlin for that matter.

i assume we'll have Boldie on Wiggins most of the game. April guarding her will be tough; Schoney guarding her will be even tougher.

this is a game where we need Jamie, and we don't have her.

i sure hope i'm wrong. and i'll be doing my best to make it rowdy.

[gopher5]

[vanyogan]

[Four]

I would liked to have seen this matchup last year. But then again, there are a lot of teams I would loved to have seen Janel and the gophers play.

[accommodatingly]

I agree with womens_hoops. We have at most one player who can guard Wiggins, Shannon Bolden: that will work fine in half-court sets, but Wiggins is faster than Bolden in the open court and does some of her damage off steals (she'll get some).

We probably don't have anyone who can guard Smith.

You never know-- it's a home game, Schonrock could go off for 21 points in three-pointers, Emily Fox could take over the game (her second ever non-exhibition contest). Stanford lost some key players (Suminski and Borchardt). But I wouldn't pick against Stanford, certainly not if Broback's not playing. I'll be happy to watch a competitive game.

[Keegan]

I can see Minny beating Stanford - due to graduation (5 seniors), there are a lot of questions around the team. Can Newlin stay out of foul trouble? Who's going to help out Brooke Smith in the frontcourt consistently? Who's going to step up in the backcourt to help out Wiggins? How will the frosh do, especially with Harmon and Gold-Onwude expected to play big minutes? It should be a good match.

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Beware of snarky monotremes...

[womens_hoops]

Wiggins is just one of those players that even if you guard her well, she's still gonna score 15-20 points. She's just that good.

So we gotta stop everyone else. My biggest worry is Smith.

I'm not expert on her game, but from what I've seen: she's a finesse post, not a power post. She has a little range, so she scores with jumpers, with tricky (McCarville-like) step-throughs, and most of all, with her old-school hook shot.

She's a smart post, and to defend her, you need to play smart defense. Eg -- her favorite move seems to be the right-handed hook shot coming across the lane. So when she's on that block, what you need to do is cheat middle and send her baseline (or bring quick middle help).

I love the Chicago sophs. I think Tasha is one of the 3 players on our team who might (repeat: might) have WNBA-level talent. (Fox and Broback being the others.)

But Tasha and Lacey don't strike me as terribly smart, especially on the defensive end. Liz has a little more experience, but she is both shorter and slower than Smith, which is a bad combination.

Frankly, I would double her a lot. Don't ever double off Wiggins, but double off just about anyone else. Make some freshman beat us instead.

[dtsnms]

[womens_hoops]

[womens_hoops]

[dtsnms]

that's okay; based on the start of the season for Augustus, Young, etc. I think 27 might be right for this year!