I would like to know how many points we score (baskets and/or free throws) related to the number of times we lob the ball into the post. Not just for this game, but for this season and previous seasons. It feels that our success rate is not very high (against good teams) with wild passes, passing into stacked defenses, passing to players behind the backboard, traveling calls, missed shots, and missed free throws far out weighing the points we actually score. But I could be wrong.

Kudos to U of A. They are a program on the rise with stellar recruiting, as of late.

We played truly ugly basketball for 35 out of 40 minutes of that game. We did have that nice stretch in the 3rd with Caldwell/Smith hitting back to back 3's.... but besides that- UGLY. Ugly, ugly, ugly. 4th loss in 5 games.

Another loss. And the team that played with less fight and less smarts. This is the crowning KA/AT senior season and we are not playing determined and intelligently. The team's progress is not good.

blungld said:

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Another loss. And the team that played with less fight and less smarts. This is the crowning KA/AT senior season and we are not playing determined and intelligently. The team's progress is not good.

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The progress is not good because the coaching is not good. Come on... this ain't hard folks. Coach G is a WONDERFUL human. However, we will continue to see the same disheveled basketball if she is leading the charge. She's gotta go.

This was just another typical disappointing loss by a team that underachieves due to poor preparation.

Gottlieb needs to make some staff changes.

AGREE!!!

No progress of players means obvious coaching deficiencies. I hope they buy out LG's contract or whatever they have to do and get rid of the rest. These players deserve better. MUCH better.

Starting with herself.

The way I see it our guards didn't play well enough to win. I don't know how to defend McDonald, but neither does anyone else. At the other end Recee hit 5 of 8 but our other guards just 4 of 22. We also lost on turnovers 18 to 6.

blungld said:

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Incomprehensible shot selection in final minutes by Bears.

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this also seems to be a common thread in games

Teams " on a rise" are supposed to pay their dues when up against ranked teams.....Well, at least I thought that is the way it works.

Oh, next up ASU...Whoops.

Y'all... I don't think Gottlieb's a good coach...

With a team Gotlieb inherited

No big donors available for a buy-out in women's basketball. We can still make the tournament this year. But after that, it is hard to identify a way forward.

I didn't see the game. just looked at the box score.

another game where I look at the stats and just scratch my head

KA with 20 rebounds? 20?!???
Cal out rebounds AZ by 12

KA with 7 blocks?!?!?? Is this volleyball?

AT 1-9, with 2 assists and 4 TO!???!!?

Fab Freshmen Forbes 0-4??!??!!

West plays 3 minutes?!??!!??!

Cal with double the assists as AZ (12 to 6) ?!?!?!!

can't imagine what that game looked like!?!?!?!!

Stanford holds off ASU, 72-65! Cardinal scores 72 on the road against a team that allows 52-54 ppg. Cal scores only 55 on the road against the other Arizona school that yields 52-54 ppg. Stanford is a big time program with a bigtime coach. Cal is not a bigtime program and does not have a bigtime coach.

Cal was slow and unprepared in the first half like every game and trailed by 11 points, 33-22. Then Gottlieb gives her halftime pep talk and the Bears outscore the Wildcats by 11 to tie the game up late. Then Cal went on their infamous scoring drought down the stretch and kept stopping the clock by fouling McDonald. She made 7 out of 8 to seal the victory. I cannot remember the Bears losing to the Wildcats in eons...How many years has it been?

I have the game on dvr and followed it via Live Stats. I'll watch it tomorrow. The stat sheet shows a game of Anigwe versus McDonald. The remainder of both lineups contributed little. Asha Thomas is Cal's #2 scorer
and did not score until two minutes left in the game. Both of these teams will struggle when they face teams with 3-4 star players because they cannot match up...Any good team can handle a team with one star if they possess
quality coaching.

Well-no more top 25 rankings for ASU or Cal anymore. Stanford shut down Ibia with 6 points (3 for 8 shooting).
Watch her go off again against da Bears!

Well, when one looks in their crystal ball and sees the future (come 2020) of Cal Men's BB looking more promising than Cal Women's BB it does not bode well, especially when Cal Men may win but a couple in league this year. Womens BB starts OK and goes down hill year after year. Hmmmmm.

HoopDreams said:

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I didn't see the game. just looked at the box score.

another game where I look at the stats and just scratch my head

KA with 20 rebounds? 20?!???
Cal out rebounds AZ by 12

KA with 7 blocks?!?!?? Is this volleyball?

AT 1-9, with 2 assists and 4 TO!???!!?

Fab Freshmen Forbes 0-4??!??!!

West plays 3 minutes?!??!!??!

Cal with double the assists as AZ (12 to 6) ?!?!?!!

can't imagine what that game looked like!?!?!?!!

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We have one of the best players in the country in Anigwe. She is absolutely a player you build a team around. She has the physical tools and the mental tools. Our building around her is lobbing into her in the post. That is running a play, not building a team around her. She has been here for 4 years--this is our last season with her. Programs rise and fall in 3-5 year waves. This is supposed to be a peak, while next year looks like the start of a valley.

And yet, here we are losing 4 out of 5 and not looking poised or mentally sharp or determined or intimidating the other team. It looks to me that both Brown and West are not used properly to move the double team off of KA. Outside shooters like RC and KS and even AT are not set up to receive at the arc and shoot the open threes to draw defenders out at them. They do not receive passes ready to shoot. They stand flat footed and look inside to KA, let the defender close them out, and then either force a pass or shot, or pass to the next guard to repeat action. There are other ways to get KA. the ball, and getting her shots underneath doesn't mean forfeiting wide open 3s.

Another pet peeve, when KS, JB, or AT do drive into the lane against a zone, they often over penetrate or shoot leaning into the defender instead of a classic pull up. That shot is there for them.

And CJ has got to calm down under the basket. She rushes simple bunnies and so many come way too hard off the glass.

I don't mean to call out players, but it's hard to watch this team, especially this year, make the same mistakes and not take a huge mental step forward, The start and ends of games is where the mental aspect should be shining for this team and it is precisely where they have played their most rushed and sloppy.

I'm not quite going to get into the sky is falling mode yet because this was a game on the road all though being one and two to start conference. It does seem that the four years of KA as center have been somewhat of a disappointment wasn't she the third player of her class?

blungld said:

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HoopDreams said:

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I didn't see the game. just looked at the box score.

another game where I look at the stats and just scratch my head

KA with 20 rebounds? 20?!???
Cal out rebounds AZ by 12

KA with 7 blocks?!?!?? Is this volleyball?

AT 1-9, with 2 assists and 4 TO!???!!?

Fab Freshmen Forbes 0-4??!??!!

West plays 3 minutes?!??!!??!

Cal with double the assists as AZ (12 to 6) ?!?!?!!

can't imagine what that game looked like!?!?!?!!

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We have one of the best players in the country in Anigwe. She is absolutely a player you build a team around. She has the physical tools and the mental tools. Our building around her is lobbing into her in the post. That is running a play, not building a team around her. She has been here for 4 years--this is our last season with her. Programs rise and fall in 3-5 year waves. This is supposed to be a peak, while next year looks like the start of a valley.

And yet, here we are losing 4 out of 5 and not looking poised or mentally sharp or determined or intimidating the other team. It looks to me that both Brown and West are not used properly to move the double team off of KA. Outside shooters like RC and KS and even AT are not set up to receive at the arc and shoot the open threes to draw defenders out at them. They do not receive passes ready to shoot. They stand flat footed and look inside to KA, let the defender close them out, and then either force a pass or shot, or pass to the next guard to repeat action. There are other ways to get KA. the ball, and getting her shots underneath doesn't mean forfeiting wide open 3s.

Another pet peeve, when KS, JB, or AT do drive into the lane against a zone, they often over penetrate or shoot leaning into the defender instead of a classic pull up. That shot is there for them.

And CJ has got to calm down under the basket. She rushes simple bunnies and so many come way too hard off the glass.

I don't mean to call out players, but it's hard to watch this team, especially this year, make the same mistakes and not take a huge mental step forward, The start and ends of games is where the mental aspect should be shining for this team and it is precisely where they have played their most rushed and sloppy.

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Tis not all on the players. Another coach may have corrected all of the above.

Ccajon2 said:

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I'm not quite going to get into the sky is falling mode yet because this was a game on the road all though being one and two to start conference. It does seem that the four years of KA as center have been somewhat of a disappointment wasn't she the third player of her class?

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Anigwe was the #1 post in her class. She could very well leave Cal winning only one postseason game.

Anigwe is 22-35 in conference play. Pretty amazing when you think about it.

I think the one way to salvage this season is to let the players have a players only meeting and let them decide how they want to play for the rest of the year. Let them free-wheel and find a style of play that works best for them. Maybe they could then at least play without hesitation.

GATC said:

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Anigwe is 22-35 in conference play. Pretty amazing when you think about it.

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KA has had an unbelievable career, but the win/loss record is woefully below where it should be. She has not been without talent around her, and yet the team never seems to fully utilize her as a scorer and more importantly as a way to create open shots for others. Lobbing her the ball gets her a lot of points and frustrates the other team, but it also results in a lot of turnovers, fast breaks going the other way, and makes the rest of the team static. There has to be more than this...and there are tools and talent on this team.

KA and AT should be first team conference selections. KS (who is a very smart player) should be honorable mention. And JB should be that killer athletic 6th player. RC should be the calming coach on the floor. And CJ got herself in great shape, but doesn't always play with tenacity and panics under the basket and hasn't drawn enough attention away from KA's double-teams. AS is long and could be a Cowling type slasher, but she is not there yet. Forbes has a great stroke--should set up and shoot every time she is open at the arc. I don't know what is going on with Mo, I thought she would be an assigned defensive stopper who could be put on a hot player like McDonald last night to cool them off with a few minutes of high pressure. And Chen is still not aggressive after 3 years. We miss Cayton badly. Still, that is 3 conference selections and strong role players.

There have been several high calibre players in the conference with a lot less surrounding talent who made a much bigger impact (Plum for instance, even McDonald last night). Anigwe and this team should be challenging for a conference title and no less than a Sweet Sixteen. Finishing 5th or 6th in conference is serious underachievement...again.

I really like LG and the players on this team, but it is way past time to solve the repeated mistakes and to play like fighters. They need to get angry and stop accepting these slow starts and passive play from one another.

annarborbear said:

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I think the one way to salvage this season is to let the players have a players only meeting and let them decide how they want to play for the rest of the year. Let them free-wheel and find a style of play that works best for them. Maybe they could then at least play without hesitation.

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I agree. It may be that kind of situation. They've been coached for years, they have the talent, they know the style of play, what is missing is an edge and attitude. That has to come from within at this point (not to excuse some coaching deficiency that has put them here).

HoopDreams said:

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I didn't see the game. just looked at the box score.

another game where I look at the stats and just scratch my head

KA with 20 rebounds? 20?!???
Cal out rebounds AZ by 12

KA with 7 blocks?!?!?? Is this volleyball?

AT 1-9, with 2 assists and 4 TO!???!!?

Fab Freshmen Forbes 0-4??!??!!

West plays 3 minutes?!??!!??!

Cal with double the assists as AZ (12 to 6) ?!?!?!!

can't imagine what that game looked like!?!?!?!!

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Some of my observations:

- AT had 5 TOs. Most were bad lobs into the post

- Brown hustled the entire game, rebounded well, and made her close-in shots, but shot 3 - 3s and all (or most) missed without touching the rim.

- Anigwe played all 40 minutes. She clearly got tired near the end shooting an air ball (short) from the top of the key at a critical time at the end of the game. UA did a good job of double teaming her with tall players which made passing to her difficult, but we still tried over and over again. Her defense was the best I've seen. Her blocks were legit.

- The team went 5 for 22 on 3 pointers, many were open shots. We just couldn't hit them.

- Much of the time we seemed to pass up an open perimeter player to make a low percentage pass into the post. Several times the pass was thrown so deep, Anigwe caught it behind the backboard with no place to go.

- The one good thing we did was play solid defense. UA did make some top of the key baskets with the help of moving screens, but they were never called.

annarborbear said:

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I think the one way to salvage this season is to let the players have a players only meeting and let them decide how they want to play for the rest of the year. Let them free-wheel and find a style of play that works best for them. Maybe they could then at least play without hesitation.

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I sure hope they have a players only meeting much like the football team did this past season. AT is a vocal leader and needs to address this downward spiral now.

18 turnovers by a veteran team (two seniors, a grad transfer and a junior as starters) is unacceptable!

Watching OSU beat down UCLA at the end of the game in Westwood last night shows me what a well coached team can do, especially to close out a game. Cal has more talent, but lost to the same Bruins in Haas because they couldn't hold a lead. The other thing is how many easy shots OSU had. It was like watching Monty ball. And then there is was a pleasure to watch their guards actually play defense with their feet and switch. Gottlieb's teams always seem vulnerable to good guard play. UofA isn't going to get the same penetration facing OSU.

IssyBear said:

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UA did make some top of the key baskets with the help of moving screens, but they were never called.

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The moving screens were very frustrating to watch uncalled...but might also be an indictment on LG. She has got to ride the refs to get that called. It was over and over, and maybe coach your senior PG to not go unde the screen when their guard is hitting 3 after 3?

I think the proof of the pudding was when SI went to Oregon "unless" and that is a big "unless" she was short on academics which I do not know. Great LaMoRinda player in our backyard with a very good supporting class. Very telling.

blungld said:

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IssyBear said:

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UA did make some top of the key baskets with the help of moving screens, but they were never called.

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The moving screens were very frustrating to watch uncalled...but might also be an indictment on LG. She has got to ride the refs to get that called. It was over and over, and maybe coach your senior PG to not go unde the screen when their guard is hitting 3 after 3?

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The other thing that was frustrating was that after a bad pass into the post, LG would just stand and clap her hands in encouragement. I would have expected her to have a more constructive reaction to a bad play.

The game has changed - but to me what was/is missing from the Bears is a Clarendon - who can hit that mid-range pull-up/in transition jumper. That was the shot which was needed last night. RC was not the player to attempt it. I think Smith could be that player - someday but not yet apparently. And, yes, it's unfair probably to compare people to Clarendon who seemingly as a senior could just turn it on (the at Northwestern game was a prime example) - but there it is. I'm not certain that the lobs into the post are as many turnovers as people on this board think. But then, people complained about Lampleyball and Poweball where the men just lobbed it into Lampley and Powe.

ncbears said:

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but to me what was/is missing from the Bears is a Clarendon - who can hit that mid-range pull-up/in transition jumper. That was the shot which was needed last night. RC was not the player to attempt it. I think Smith could be that player - someday but not yet apparently.

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I agree. But if Asha hits 3 of her 9 shots we win anyway.

stu said:

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ncbears said:

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but to me what was/is missing from the Bears is a Clarendon - who can hit that mid-range pull-up/in transition jumper. That was the shot which was needed last night. RC was not the player to attempt it. I think Smith could be that player - someday but not yet apparently.

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I agree. But if Asha hits 3 of her 9 shots we win anyway.

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Asha and McKenzie were a combined 0-9 on 3-pointers. That's a rarity. Hit 2 or 3 of those and we're talking about a win in the desert.

The biggest mistake in the Mike Williams LG $700k per year contract, not including the five year guarantee, was not putting in some specific rewards and penalities. We have had 37 TO's and have hit only 10-41 three point shots in our last two losses. A 75% reduction in per game payments would have been about right for those two numbers.

annarborbear said:

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The biggest mistake in the Mike Williams LG $700k per year contract, not including the five year guarantee, was not putting in some specific rewards and penalities. We have had 37 TO's and have hit only 10-41 three point shots in our last two losses. A 75% reduction in per game payments would have been about right for those two numbers.

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EXCUSE ME?! Her contract is for $700,000 a year?!

For what, exactly? One postseason win in 3 years? For recruiting whiffs that have left us with just one post- with real playing time on the roster- for next season? I had zero idea that was her salary per season. I am floored.