Bigbluebrotha
01-02-2009, 10:14 AM
I was looking for local coverage of the UNH and I did a Web search for "Kevin McGuff" and I came up with the following interesting item from Bruinreportonline.com regarding the Arizona State game. The first item proves we're not the only ones noticing suspect officiating and the second is pretty good insight into the team:
A sad sideshow during this game was the demeanor of referee Michael Price, who ejected a boisterous ASU fan early in the game. When a courtside fan accused Price of “rabbit ears,” he taunted back “Do you want to be next?” Later in the game, as the calls continued to go against the visitors in what was being called at one end did not seem to be called at the other end, Coach McGuff tried to get an explanation from Price. Instead he got the T sign with 15:57 left in the second half. After January made the two free throws, the lead ballooned to 46-32. In spite of some seemingly favorable calls from officials Catherine Cornell and Wendy Dailey over the next six minutes, the visitors never got the lead below 11 points the rest of the way. The lead reached as high as 21 (75-54) with 1:40 left in the contest.
Xavier Woes…
A troubling note for the Musketeers was the lack of touches for 6-6 sophomore center Ta’Shia Phillips who finished with 11 rebounds but only 6 points on 3/7 from the field in 34 minutes. The Indianapolis native has a sturdy WNBA built but must work harder to get open and be more committed on defense. She runs well for her size and has good touch around the basket. She was badly outplayed by the trio of ASU low posts (Sybil Dosty 11 points on 5/6 from the field in 21 minutes; Lauren Lacey 13 points on 6/9 in 11 minutes; Kirsten Thompson 4 points on 2/5 from the field in 9 minutes). For the evening the home team won the points in the paint contest 34 to 24.
Look at wings 5-11 senior Tudy Reed and 6-0 junior Dee Dee Jernigan and you will see two quality athletes with WNBA bodies (lean and agile) with good looking strokes but lacking results as through 12 games Reed has been shooting 35.3% from the field and Jernigan a miserable 26.4%. In this contest they combined for 4/13 from the field. Both are transfers from Rutgers where defense is known to come first.
Speculation continues as to whether star power forward 6-5 junior Amber Harris will play this season. The Indianapolis native is rehabbing her knee and there is reason to believe she might be ready to play by the March post season. Given that Harris is possibly a WNBA lottery pick when she becomes eligible for the 2010 draft, look for her to go pro as soon as possible and give up her red-shirt year (which would occur if she entirely sat out this season). A healthy and fully functional Harris would give the Musketeers a front line capable of playing with any in the country and a chance to make a serious run in the NCAA Tournament this spring or next.
Regardless of this setback, the Musketeers are the favorite in this year’s Atlantic 10 and should make a top 20 appearance before Harris departs, but that may not be until next year.
A sad sideshow during this game was the demeanor of referee Michael Price, who ejected a boisterous ASU fan early in the game. When a courtside fan accused Price of “rabbit ears,” he taunted back “Do you want to be next?” Later in the game, as the calls continued to go against the visitors in what was being called at one end did not seem to be called at the other end, Coach McGuff tried to get an explanation from Price. Instead he got the T sign with 15:57 left in the second half. After January made the two free throws, the lead ballooned to 46-32. In spite of some seemingly favorable calls from officials Catherine Cornell and Wendy Dailey over the next six minutes, the visitors never got the lead below 11 points the rest of the way. The lead reached as high as 21 (75-54) with 1:40 left in the contest.
Xavier Woes…
A troubling note for the Musketeers was the lack of touches for 6-6 sophomore center Ta’Shia Phillips who finished with 11 rebounds but only 6 points on 3/7 from the field in 34 minutes. The Indianapolis native has a sturdy WNBA built but must work harder to get open and be more committed on defense. She runs well for her size and has good touch around the basket. She was badly outplayed by the trio of ASU low posts (Sybil Dosty 11 points on 5/6 from the field in 21 minutes; Lauren Lacey 13 points on 6/9 in 11 minutes; Kirsten Thompson 4 points on 2/5 from the field in 9 minutes). For the evening the home team won the points in the paint contest 34 to 24.
Look at wings 5-11 senior Tudy Reed and 6-0 junior Dee Dee Jernigan and you will see two quality athletes with WNBA bodies (lean and agile) with good looking strokes but lacking results as through 12 games Reed has been shooting 35.3% from the field and Jernigan a miserable 26.4%. In this contest they combined for 4/13 from the field. Both are transfers from Rutgers where defense is known to come first.
Speculation continues as to whether star power forward 6-5 junior Amber Harris will play this season. The Indianapolis native is rehabbing her knee and there is reason to believe she might be ready to play by the March post season. Given that Harris is possibly a WNBA lottery pick when she becomes eligible for the 2010 draft, look for her to go pro as soon as possible and give up her red-shirt year (which would occur if she entirely sat out this season). A healthy and fully functional Harris would give the Musketeers a front line capable of playing with any in the country and a chance to make a serious run in the NCAA Tournament this spring or next.
Regardless of this setback, the Musketeers are the favorite in this year’s Atlantic 10 and should make a top 20 appearance before Harris departs, but that may not be until next year.