Every year we go through this. We feast on a weak OOC schedule and then are surprised.  I didn't think they were much better than last year and I still don't. 

I like to be wrong, but this really is a bit of SMS's fault.  She had a weak recruiting class a couple of seasons ago and can't rely on the bigs she brought in.  And her strategy of not offering all scholarships has left her with a very short bench.  

She abandoned this strategy bringing in 6 next year.  

Last edited by duqkurt (1/13/2013 5:16 pm)

I really just think she missed the mark with the last two classes. Of Nurkic, King and Johnson, Belma is the only woman giving her quality minutes.  

Im not sure what happened to Raegan Moore, but she has not developed. April Robinson and Odite were the only recruits last year.  April looks like she will be good.  Free throws aside. 

I am not sure about the incoming class.  I will just say this. Just because you are from Canada, it doesn't mean you are as good as Wumi. 

I still love the play of Wumi. And I think Jocelyn Floyd and Ajah Hall really work hard and are not the problem.  I won't comment on Orsi because she is not streaky or inconsistent.  She has just underachieved greatly.  She is what she is. 

Last edited by duqkurt (1/13/2013 6:48 pm)

duqkurt wrote:

Every year we go through this. We feast on a weak OOC schedule and then are surprised.  I didn't think they were much better than last year and I still don't. 

I like to be wrong, but this really is a bit of SMS's fault.  She had a weak recruiting class a couple of seasons ago and can't rely on the bigs she brought in.  And her strategy of not offering all scholarships has left her with a very short bench.  

She abandoned this strategy bringing in 6 next year.  

 
A weak OOC schedule?  Our current SOS is #69 in the country, and that was after playing a 6-9 team in Xavier.  It was likely top 50-60 before then.  Considering that many teams want to avoid a top 10 midmajor team - and I can't blame them - it makes it hard to schedule a top 50 style schedule. 

I do agree with the short bench, particularly after injuries, and we'll see how it works in the upcoming years.

We will be far better than last year IMO, if for no other reason than that we won't be completely having to change styles of play halfway through the season like we did last year when we lost V and had to have Floyd play PG.  I still see this team as an 11-3 type A10 team in this year's A10, which would be 10-4 or 9-5 last year with the weaker conference.

Road wins are never easy, and IMO people are making too much out of a conference road win and treating it like it is disasterous because we hung on to only win by 2.  I'll throw this out there:  how many times on the men's side would we have lost games like this one?  Or the one to JMU?  We still hung on, and that's what good defense will do.  It will prevent some of the major shooting woes this team can run into.  I still think we'll be ok going forward...

levon1975 wrote:

You  make some good points Kurt, this team really struggles to score; there are no reliable scoring options other than Wumi, who is typically going against a taller opponent.  JFloyd is playing great basketball and is the glue for this team.  She is a great defensive player with special instincts. 
I agree that the recruiting can be questioned; despite winning 20-games year after year, it doesn't seem like we are involved with the type of player we need to beat the top teams in the A-10 year in and year out.  Does anyone have a reading on the ratings for the six players that are signed for this year?

Here's a little tidbit on one of the Dukes' 2013 recruits, 5'10" guard Chelsea Welch, from nationally ranked Fairmont High School in Kettering, OH from the USA Today Top 25 list: "[Fairmont d]efeated Wayne (Huber Heights) as Kathryn Westbeld had 14 points and seven rebounds and Chelsea Welch had 12 points and six rebounds."

Fairmont (12-0) is ranked #9 by USA Today and #6 by MaxPreps.

Last edited by godukes1970 (1/22/2013 3:33 pm)