The podcast is up and here’s some of what you’ll hear:
Snow! Snow! Snow!
Starting Five: Beth tosses five questions at Debbie
1) North Carolina – really struggling.
Debbie: Have lost three in a row. Lack of heart? Mike Petersen at Wake Forest done a great job – might reach 20 wins.
2) Stanford celebrating 1990 championship team and celebrating pounding the Pac-10. 11-0, 21pt a game margin of victory.
Debbie: Might UCLA be the only other Pac-10 team in the NCAA? Maybe only one? NCAA hosting issue – Stanford, Cal, Washington State.
3) ACL good news/bad news: Jacki Gemelos. Kansas loses second starter.
Debbie: Glad to see Jacki back. Sadness for Danielle. Could we please figure out what and why?
4) Surprises in the conference Player of the Year awards? McCray out. Great season for Nebraska’s Griffin. Lavender the only preseason pick/current front runner
Debbie: Agree.
ACC: Monica Wright/Jasmine Thomas. Shenise Johnson at Miami?
Big East: Tina Charles or Maya Moore.
Pac-10: Nnemkadi Ogwumike front runner, or Kayla Pederson
SEC: Kentucky Victoria Dunlap, Ole Miss Bianca Thomas, Tennessee Shekinna Striklen or Kelley Cain
Segue: Auriemma’s ties auctioned off for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.
5) Poll Question: What will be best February Frenzy game?
Please support the Fund.
Jostens “Diamonds in the Rough:” NC State student body — raising funds to create a garden in honor of coach Yow.
Shootaround guests: Kentucky coach Matthew Mitchell and Ole Miss’ Renee Ladner
B/D: What’s been biggest difference this season.
MM: Players worked hard in off-season. That’s on them, not me. Victoria Dunlap hit the gym. Amber Smith, much better year. A’dia Mathies a difference maker.
B/D: Talk about the triple overtime victory vs. LSU.
RL: Epic battle tween two teams with backs to wall. Neither would quit. I felt very fortunate.
B/D: Talk about Bianca Thomas.
RL: Put our basketball team on back. Been leading scorer in our conference. Felt a little disrespected at beginning of season. Diversified her game.
B/D: Picked to finish 11th in league. Now #2 – much of that on Victoria.
MM: A lot like Bianca. Has expanded her game. Come into her own. Very good defensive player. We’d be a very different basketball team without her.
B/D: Give us a hint on what’s happening on your coach’s show?
MM: Can’t give too much away – uptempo guitar and more delicious recipies from Jenna.
B/D: I’m willing to taste test! Rene, tell us about Eddie.
RL: I couldn’t make it without him. He cooks, cleans and helps me coach via osmosis.
MM: I’ll vouch for Eddie – my waistline suffered at Florida.
B/D: Talk about the SEC race.
MM: Really tight and wide open.
RL: Couldn’t agree more. Any night you play, you could lose.
B/D: Scheduling philosophy. Last not getting in tourney last year.
MM: Last year’s schedule geared to a senior laden team. This year figuring out what kind of team we were. Need to schedule challenges, but also time to figure out our identity.
B/D: Championship will go through Knoxville.
ML: You try and take care of home court and try not to let last game be deciding factor.
Werner Ladder “Rising above the Rest:” Senior Jayne Appel, Stanford. New rebounding record for Cardinal. AND got ejected.
Notes from the Cocktail Napkin:
1) Triple/Doubles: Brittney Griner and Katherine Graham, LSU. Points: Monica Wright, 34pts. Dueling 30pt games from Andrea Riley and Danielle Robinson during Bedlam.
2) Shout out to players outside Power-6 conferences: Elena Delle Donne, Delaware might be NCAA scoring leader. Judy Lomax, Columbia, leading rebounder. Courtney Vandersloot, Gonzaga assist leader. Diana Delva, Hartford – shooting percentage: 67%.
3) Congrats to Jen Rizzotti – six consecutive seasons with 20+ wins. One of 9 remaining conference undefeateds: Nebraska, UConn, Stanford, Fresno State, Xavier, North Carolina A&T, Gonzaga, Princeton.
4) Xavier a top-3 seed? Maybe a 2? Everyone keeps losing. SEC, ACC, Big-12 only conferences with a race.
Comments? Questions: Shootaround@wbca.org
Also, if you’d like to be part of the Shootaround “So You Want to be a Sports Journalist” intern program, drop them a line: Shootaround@ wbca.org
Don’t forget: The podcast is up.
