ISU WBB @ Colorado -- dangerous game

[mred]

Colorado is near the bottom of the conference this season, but don't let it fool you. Look at their Big 12 home games so far:

Baylor -- lost 63-50
Oklahoma -- lost 72-58
Texas Tech -- lost 66-60
Nebraska -- won 75-73

1-3, but actually fairly respectable scores.

They also won @ Missouri. This is a team playing on par with Nebraska and better than Missouri. They have some good scorers:

Spears (6-1 F) is averaging 17.8 ppg, 7.9 rpg, and is a 34% 3pt shooter
Richards (6-4 C) is averaging 12.3 ppg and 6.9 rpg
Smith (5-9 G) is averaging 10.8 ppg and is a 40% 3pt shooter

Colorado's weakness: they don't have a single player with at least 7 more assists than turnovers on the season. Their leader in assists (Fressle with 69) has 78 turnovers. As a team, they have 252 assists and 358 turnovers. ISU, for comparison, has 295 and 311. ISU's been good at forcing turnovers against turnover-prone teams, and this is another game where that needs to happen.

ISU should win: a loss would be a huge letdown. The team can't afford to look past this one to the OU game, and I'm sure BF won't let them.

 

[mred]

Another important stat: ISU is outrebounding opponents this year by 9.0 per game. Colorado is being outrebounded this year by 5.2 per game.

With the exception of Baylor (who outrebounded us 41-40) we've outrebounded every conference opponent this season by at least 5. That needs to continue against Colorado.

 

[jdoggivjc]

For as many problems as all teams in the Big XII seem to have playing in Boulder (I know the altitude must really mess with their game), I am really surprised that Colorado has never seemed to work that to their advantage long term and both teams have been poor for as long as I can remember.

 

[mred]

Colorado letting in fans for free: NGWSD Set for February 7 - CUBuffs.com—Official Athletics Web site of the University of Colorado

Prior to your CU Women's Basketball team taking on Iowa State at all kids (boys and girls) in 8th grade and under are invited to participate in a Skills & Fitness Challenge on the Coors Events Center concourse from 12-1 p.m. During the challenge kids will meet CU female student-athletes from basketball, cheerleading, golf, volleyball, track & field, tennis, and soccer. The first 750 kids (8th grade and under) who complete the challenge will earn a free commemorative tee shirt. Following the skills challenge on the concourse the CU student-athletes will sign autographs from 1-1:30 p.m. Then stick around and cheer on the CU Women's Basketball team at 2 p.m.

All activities are FREE for kids and adults including the women's basketball game. To receive free general admission you must enter the Coors Events Center through the northwest entrance between noon and 1 p.m. After 1 p.m. free readmission is not available.

 

[The_Architect]

You guys aren't factoring in the "any ISU team playing in Boulder" factor. Chalk it up as an L.

 

[Aclone]

Classic trap door game, after being sky high beating AM. We'll see how they do.

 

[mred]

For as many problems as all teams in the Big XII seem to have playing in Boulder (I know the altitude must really mess with their game), I am really surprised that Colorado has never seemed to work that to their advantage long term and both teams have been poor for as long as I can remember.

Ceal Barry had some great success there. In 22 seasons there (83-05) she was 427-242 overall. Each season from 00-01 to 03-04 they were 11-5 in conference and had at least 22 overall wins. In 04-05, CU was 9-19 (2-14) and she was pushed into retirement. There are a LOT of CU fans who refused to go to games after she left because they were unhappy about how that went down. Barry still has a position in the CU athletic office, and she does color commentary for CU MBB/WBB.

Colorado was about to hire Kevin Borseth from UW-Green Bay to replace her, but he backed out hours before the news conference. He claimed he didn't want to move his family etc. but supposedly the real story is that he didn't do his homework and once he saw the real estate prices he realized perhaps his salary wasn't as good as he thought. He stayed at UW-GB for a little while longer and then left for Michigan, where he's doing a fine job of turning around a perennial doormat there (although they too are taking a step back this year).

After Borseth backed out, Colorado hired Kathy McConnell-Miller, a successful coach at Tulsa. She improved Colorado each of her three seasons (getting a WNIT berth last year) but this season is a step back.

They are 10-10 overall, and out of 8 remaining games they have two against ISU, two against KSU, one @ A&M, one @ Nebraska, one at home vs Kansas, and one at home vs Missouri. That last game is the only one they would be considered a favorite. To manage a .500 record, they need to win the last three I listed, steal one against ISU/KSU/A&M, and win their first-round Big 12 Tournament game.

 

[mred]

You guys aren't factoring in the "any ISU team playing in Boulder" factor. Chalk it up as an L.

The women have actually won there three times in the past five seasons, although it took 2OT last season and we still had Wieben. Before that 5-year stretch, ISU lost there a few seasons in a row back when CU was good.

The boxscore from the 2OT game is weird. ISU only played 7 players the whole game. Three players (Wieben, Nisleit, Lacey) played 46 or 47 minutes. ISU only had 17 fouls and CU only had 15. CU was actually ranked at the time -- it was only their 2nd conference game -- and the ISU game started a 10-game stretch where Colorado went 1-9.

 

[MidwestZest]

We have often struggled playing in boulder. Lost games we shouldn't have, gone to OT in others as mentioned above. I just don't think our girls can play in front of less than 400 people, that's all.

 

[xcylnt]

Also, Coach Fennelly has has not lost a Saturday or Sunday game at CU.

 

[mred]

Colorado must have had a special promotion last season. They had 4165 people at the ISU game but only averaged 1900 people in their other 20 home games.

 

[brentblum]

Colorado must have had a special promotion last season. They had 4165 people at the ISU game but only averaged 1900 people in their other 20 home games.

I think it was Senior Citizen Day for that game. Seriously. Anybody over 50 got in free. It was a robust crowd for them. And a very entertaining game.

CU is very inconsistent..as usual...but if they are making shots, they can give ISU a run. Smith and Spears are tough when they are on. Let's hope they are not.

 

[isuno1fan]

Can't afford a step backwards. Girls need to win this one.

 

[jay moe]

Colorado is near the bottom of the conference this season, but don't let it fool you. Look at their Big 12 home games so far:

Baylor -- lost 63-50
Oklahoma -- lost 72-58
Texas Tech -- lost 66-60
Nebraska -- won 75-73

1-3, but actually fairly respectable scores.

They also won @ Missouri. This is a team playing on par with Nebraska and better than Missouri. They have some good scorers:

Spears (6-1 F) is averaging 17.8 ppg, 7.9 rpg, and is a 34% 3pt shooter
Richards (6-4 C) is averaging 12.3 ppg and 6.9 rpg
Smith (5-9 G) is averaging 10.8 ppg and is a 40% 3pt shooter

Colorado's weakness: they don't have a single player with at least 7 more assists than turnovers on the season. Their leader in assists (Fressle with 69) has 78 turnovers. As a team, they have 252 assists and 358 turnovers. ISU, for comparison, has 295 and 311. ISU's been good at forcing turnovers against turnover-prone teams, and this is another game where that needs to happen.

ISU should win: a loss would be a huge letdown. The team can't afford to look past this one to the OU game, and I'm sure BF won't let them.

Definitely a trap game for the ladies. They need to be focused and determined to get out of Boulder with a win.

 

[Skyh13]

Another important stat: ISU is outrebounding opponents this year by 9.0 per game. Colorado is being outrebounded this year by 5.2 per game.

With the exception of Baylor (who outrebounded us 41-40) we've outrebounded every conference opponent this season by at least 5. That needs to continue against Colorado.

Holy Fundamentals, Batman!:yes:

 

[jaretac]

BF is one of the best coaches at preparing teams for games, ISU will be ready for this won. :wink:

FYI- I'm not sure about your first post, you have Colorado at 1-3 with wins at Missouri and against Nebraska?

 

[mred]

Holy Fundamentals, Batman!:yes:

The crazy thing is that Spears is averaging 7.9 rpg and Richards is averaging 6.9 rpg, while ISU has nobody getting over 5.5 rpg. ISU is getting it done with balance.

Lacey 5.5
Wieben 5.0
Nisleit 5.0
Bolte 4.7
Arlen 3.8
Ezell 3.0
Stuckey 2.8

We've maintained our 9.0 rebounding margin in conference play while Colorado's rebounding deficit in the Big 12 is 7.1 per game.

 

[mred]

BF is one of the best coaches at preparing teams for games, ISU will be ready for this won. :wink:

FYI- I'm not sure about your first post, you have Colorado at 1-3 with wins at Missouri and against Nebraska?

1-3 at home. They are also 1-3 on the road for a total conference record of 2-6.

 

[MidwestZest]

1-3 at home i think he means

 

[ISU_REV]

ISU will win this game by at least 10 points.