Zone does in UI women
Tony Bleill has more from Indianapolis on his blog here.
INDIANAPOLIS – When Ohio State coach Jim Foster was the boss at Vanderbilt, he had to figure out how to deal with the SEC's high-caliber athletes.
His choice was a zone defense.
"I didn't have a very quick team," Foster said after Ohio State's 66-55 victory against Illinois on Friday in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals. "I found it to be to our advantage if athletes were standing still."
Foster chose a zone to defend Illinois, and it worked. Again.
The zone that Foster employed in two previous wins against Illinois wasn't the same one he threw at the Illini this time. In a December win in Champaign, the Buckeyes' zone was based on extended backcourt pressure that produced a bevy of steals. Friday's 2-3 zone was packed in around UI senior Jenna Smith, and it dared the Illini to shoot from the perimeter.
"I think the zone really did some good stuff for us," Foster said. "I don't think they were expecting us to play it. It sort of disrupted their continuity."
Illini coach Jolette Law said she wasn't surprised to see the Buckeyes in a zone, but the nature of it was different.
"I was like, 'Wow, OK. They're actually sitting back, not extending it.' We worked on the extended part of it the last couple days in practice," Law said. "In the first half, we were a little unsure (against it), a little tentative. Once we settled down in the second half, we started getting the shots we knew we wanted to get."
By then, the Illini faced a 16-point hole that they never could escape.
Foster on the Illini. Foster, not one to offer false praise, was complimentary of the vanquished Illini.
"They're a very good basketball team," he said. "They've got a first-team All-Big Ten player, they've got an All-Defensive team player, and you've got a player on the (All-Freshman) team. They got players. C'mon. They're good."
His plaudits extended to Illinois' Jenna Smith, saying the senior always has something new in store for opponents.
"You're just always surprised," Foster said. "She's always coming at you with something else. She looks like she's played the game 100 years."
Smith set another school record Friday. Smith's 11 rebounds gave her 338 for the season, a UI record. Lynnette Robinson (335) had held the old mark for 29 years.
Sweet 16. Big Ten coaches are thrilled to be moving back to a 16-game league schedule in 2010-11 after two seasons of an 18-game league slate.
Their thinking: Playing so many games against each other costs themselves the opportunity to get into the NCAA tournament.
"I think it'll change a lot because right now we're beating up on each other, keeping each other out of the NCAAs," Law said. "I think it'll help us tremendously."
Most major conferences play a 14- or 16-game conference schedule. The Pac-10 is the only other league that plays 18 games, a true round-robin.
"Going back to 16 is going to allow us to get more teams in, in my opinion," Wisconsin coach Lisa Stone said.
One of the two extra nonconference games each team will have to schedule next season will be filled by the inaugural Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge. That event will be in addition to the continuing Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
WNIT info. At 16-14, the Illini are likely to be selected by the WNIT for the fifth time in the past seven years. The event this year has expanded to 64 teams, with 31 of those being automatic qualifiers. The highest-finishing team, based on regular season standings, that is not selected by the NCAA tournament is rewarded with an automatic berth in the WNIT, regardless of that team's overall record. For the at-large teams, they must have at least a .500 record at the conclusion of their conference tournament.
WNIT bids will be announced late March 15.
If Illinois is picked, it won't host in the first round, as has usually been the case in the past. First-round games are scheduled March 17-19, and the Assembly Hall is booked March 17-21 with Cirque du Soleil.
If, as expected, the NCAA selects three Big Ten teams (Ohio State, Michigan State, Wisconsin), the league could be in line for five WNIT berths: Iowa, Illinois, Penn State, Michigan and Northwestern will be eligible. The Hawkeyes are making a late push for an NCAA berth.
This year, there's another postseason option, too. The Women's Basketball Invitational is a 16-team tournament that, like the WNIT, will be played entirely at the site of host schools.
Never thought I would see this day. I am angrier than Z, only I have a good cause.
Once again, the community and the university have failed to support WBB. Booking assembly hall during the basketball post season?!?! How about making UI sports (there are 19, not two) the Assembly hall priority?!
Donna; Its called revenue to pay the bills.
UI needs the proceedes from the entertainment side to subsidize Illini sports. Assembly Hall, I would imagine, has a huge fixed cost associated with its operations. Imagine the cost per hour to just heat and light up the place.
However, I believe ILL WBB has advanced to the point where Huff Hall is the best suited WBB location.
Cost is lower, ample parking, and "Fan" friendly. The Courtsiders could operate the concessions. With only a few exceptions, Huff Hall has the best basketball seating anywhere. You can see, hear, taste, smell and almost touch the action. The acoustics are deafening, just what we need to spur-on the team.
I don't know the break-even numbers for Assembly Hall but ILL WBB has to fall way, way, way short.
With State revenues falling like a rock and tuitions, room, and board bound to increase, Huff is the stuff when you're in the ruff for ILL WBB.
I realize the Assembly Hall has to make a buck, but it is not booked 365 days a year & would not go under keeping a couple weeknights available to host the WNIT tournament, just in case that's where the women go post-season. Maybe my total lack of interest in Cirque du Soleil clouds my perception, but is Champaign a big enough market to sell out 7 performances of it, especially on a Wednesday or Thursday night??
Cirque du Soleil runs March 17-21 & the men's NIT 1st round is March 16 & 17. Wow, that leaves a night open just in case the guys don't go to the NCAAs, they could host 1st round NIT game.
The Hall's available for the guys to host & the women got hosed. Why am I not surprised?
You go, AJF.
Incidentially, GB, would you like the dubious "distinction" of being the only university in the Big 10 not allowing the women to play in the same, large venue as the men?
I think that would make another loud statement about how we do not support WBB at the University of Il, yet another thing that WONT help recruiting.
I agree, I think the size of the hall is part of the recruit's decision making process.
I think "who" is the Head Coach is much more important. In the end the only measure is the result.
High School athletes observing someone like Destiny Williams blowing off ILL; senior starters benched for a game; a 9th place season finish and a questionable positive team attitude is more relevant than the size of the arena. Recruits see these events as a sign of a trouble.
Recruits want to be part of a winning program with a shot at the NCAA Tourney.
If ILL WBB had finished the this season 30 - 4 would we be having these discussions?
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