WBB 2023-24 AAC Games

[1972Shocker]

Jobe and Morrow back in the lineup to open the 2nd half. Shocks with the 1st possession of the 2nd half and Tre'zure promptly makes a bad pass that turns into an atomic bomb layup. That was followed by a shot clock violation by the Shocks and a UTSA 3-pointer and in the blink of an eye UTSA is up 38-30.

Shocks switch back to the man-to-man.

Salese Blow has a very long leash. Coach Nooner finally pulls her and puts Tre'zure back in.

Shocks hanging in there trailing only by 1 at 49-50 at the end of the quarter. Shocks got to the free throw line 11 times in the quarter making 9 of those.

[WuDrWu]

I want to support this team, and I like what I've seen from Coach, but the women's game, at least mostly what WSU plays and who they play against, is all but unwatchable.

UTSA's fat ass center literally doesn't leave the paint for 5-8 seconds at a time, all but punches her way to the rim, and is constantly rewarded. There was a play near the end of the 3rd quarter where a UTSA player took at LEAST 4 steps with no call. It's BRUTAL. It's almost not sports. It's really just a joke more than not.

And there have been plenty of walks by both teams. Also endless turnovers and almost no basketball IQ. This isn't what the game, a beautiful game, is supposed to be.

Even cutting it to 1, I never felt (and I bet 1972Shocker will agree) that WSU had a chance to win this game. They just can't overcome all the negatives (many of their own making).

Down 5 with 6:33 to go.

[1972Shocker]

I want to support this team, and I like what I've seen from Coach, but the women's game, at least mostly what WSU plays and who they play against, is all but unwatchable.

UTSA's fat ass center literally doesn't leave the paint for 5-8 seconds at a time, all but punches her way to the rim, and is constantly rewarded. There was a play near the end of the 3rd quarter where a UTSA player took at LEAST 4 steps with no call. It's BRUTAL. It's almost not sports. It's really just a joke more than not.

And there have been plenty of walks by both teams. Also endless turnovers and almost no basketball IQ. This isn't what the game, a beautiful game, is supposed to be.

Even cutting it to 1, I never felt (and I bet 1972Shocker will agree) that WSU had a chance to win this game. They just can't overcome all the negatives (many of their own making).

Down 5 with 6:33 to go.

I wish I could take issue with some of these comments, but I really can't.

Aniya Bell who really gave the Shocks a boost apparently convinced herself she was something she is not and started hunting her shot including some very ill-advised drives.

[shoxlax]

We haven’t had much basketball IQ nor talent since Jody Adams left. Not saying that it wasn’t time for her to leave, but her players were on an entirely different level that the ones that followed.

I take that back. Asinde would have done well on her teams.

[1972Shocker]

Shocks were pretty good in the 2nd and 3rd quarters winning those 41-31 but were absolutely terrible in the 1st and 4th quarters losing those by 43-19.

UTSA was clearly the superior team. The Shocks did well only to trail by 1 after 3 quarters but still lose by 14.

The Shocks have now lost 8 of their last 10 and showing no signs of really be able to turn things around.

[flyingMoose]

For grins, I went to look at the UTEP season. Below are the Quadrant records for the two teams.


Q1:
0-1 Shockers
0-0 UTEP

Q2:
0-4 Shockers
0-3 UTEP

Q3:
4-1 Shockers
0-5 UTEP

Q4:
3-0 Shockers
4-0 UTEP

It will take (I think) at least until the '25-'26 season to know if we have a coach who can build a program. The Shockers are very unlikely to benefit from the portal. Can HCTN and the staff recruit and teach is the question.

[1972Shocker]

The Lady Shocks hosted Temple on Tuesday night and this was totally off my radar screen. Perhaps that was a good thing as the Ladies were as frigid as the weather. Not sure that is PC to describe a group of women as frigid, but it seems like the best way to describe 18-64 (28.1%) from the field including 1-19 (5.3%) on three pointers and 12-19 (63.2%) from the field as Temple blasted the Shocks 72-49. Temple led 55-28 at the end of 3 quarters.

Temple on the other hand was very efficient from the filed hitting 30-59 (50.8%) overall and a very solid 7-18 (38.9%) on three pointers.

Jeniah Thompson and Jayla Murray combined to shoot 6-12 (50%) from the field including 1-2 on three pointer. Otherwise, the other 10 Shockers who saw action were a combined 12-52 (23.1%) including 0-17 on three pointers.

The Shocks were outrebounded 46-33.

While the Shocks did have 19 turnovers that was actually better than the 25 turnovers by Temple which included 12 Shocker steals and yet Temple still outscored the Shocks 21-5 on points off of turnovers.

DJ McCarty still on the sidelines although that would not have changed much in this game. Temple was without their leading scorer, 5-10 Jr. guard Tiarra East who has missed the last 2 games with an injury.

I might take a look at the ESPN+ replay although not sure why. It sounds like it was pretty unwatchable. My guess is Temple packed the paint on defense and dared the Shocks to beat them from the perimeter. At least that is what I would do with this team.

The Shocks now have lost 9 of their last 11 games and seem to be regressing. Unlikely that the Shocks are going to get well at North Texas on Sunday afternoon. The Mean Green are 12-3 coming off of an 86-52 home win over FAU and prior to that they beat Temple 74-63 in Philadelphia.

[flyingMoose]

... including 1-19 (5.3%) on three-pointers...

And at least three of the misses were air-balls.

[WuDrWu]

We take very few good shots. Some of that is just not being very good, and some of it is not being very intelligent and the rest is not being disciplined.


Right now we excel at all 3.

[1972Shocker]

The Lady Shocks, despite Tre'zure Jobe only playing 8 minites in the first half, find thesmselves up 32-24 over North Texas at the half behind the play of freshman Salese Blow. Tre'zure played 5 minutes in the 1st quarter and then picked up 2 fouls in the first 3 minutes of the 2nd quarter. Ornella Niankan also picked up 2 quick fouls and only played 5 minutes in the first half. Salese powered the Shocks to an 18-10 advantage in the 2nd quarter hitting all 4 of her shots, including 1 trey and 1-2 from the line for 10 points.

Can the Shocks make that lead stand up over the final 20 minutes? Stay tuned.

The Shocks are off to a good start outscoring the Mean Green 8-2 at the 3rd quarter media timeout to extend their lead to 14 at 40-26.

The Shocks extend their lead to 17 after the media timeout on a 3-pointer by Aniya Bell but North Texas closed the quarter on a 7-2 run to make it 53-42 heading into the final quarter.

North Texas goes on a 9-0 run in the first 2 minutes of the 4th quarter and the Shocker lead is down to 2 at 53-51. Over the final 2 minutes of the 3rd quarter and the first 2 minutes of the 4th quarter North Texas has outscored the Shocks 20-2.

North Texas forges ahead by 6 at 70-64 with 53 seconds remaining. Shocks pull back to withing 2 at 68-70 but only 5 seconds left and UNT has the ball at half court. A Shocker foul results in 2 free throws for North Texas and the Mean Green has a big comeback win 72-68 win.

The Shocks have now lost 10 of their last 12.

D.J. McCarty did play but was not, unsurprisingly, not a factor. Getting D.J. healthy, or close to fully healthy, this year looks to me to be a pretty iffy proposition.

A lousy winter it makes when both the Shocker men's and women's basketball programs are circling the drain.

[1972Shocker]

MEMPHIS (5-11, 1-4 AAC) at WICHITA STATE (5-12, 1-4 AAC)
Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024 | 6 p.m. CT
Wichita, Kan. | Charles Koch Arena
TV: ESPN+ with Shane Dennis and Tracey Anderson
Radio: GoShockers.com/Listen with Steve Strain

SCOUTING MEMPHIS
> Led by sixth-year head coach Alex Simmons (first at Memphis), the Tigers (5-11, 1-4 AAC) are coming off their first conference win, beating Temple, 59-57, on the road.
> Memphis is 1-5 on the road this season.
> Two Tigers are averaging double-digit scoring with Madison Griggs leading the team with 17.5 points per game and Alasia Smith averaging 10 points per game.
> Smith leads the team in rebounding with 9.1 per game.
> Memphis was picked 5th of 14 teams in the American Athletic Conference preseason poll. The Shocks were picked 11th.

---

It appears Memphis, based on what they have done so far, has significantly underperformed their preseason expectations. Memphis' current NET ranking is 142. The Shocks' current NET ranking is 235.

On paper looks like a pretty even matchup. Both teams appear to be similar size-wise. Memphis has 9 players who have averaged double figure minutes. Those 9 players include 3 fifth year seniors, 3 seniors, 2 juniors and 1 freshman. All but 2 years of combined 25 years of prior experience was at the D-1 level.

Despite the Memphis experience advantage, I think the Shocks have a chance in this game. They need to keep Madison Griggs at or below her averages. Hopefully, the Shocks will be able to keep the rebounding even and keep their turnovers to around 15 (although they have only done that 4 times this year, and only once in the last 11 games).

The Shockers self-confidence can't be great, especially after blowing an 18 point lead in the final 12 minutes of the game at North Texas in their last game. However, I don't think Memphis is nearly as good as North Texas. North Texas has lost 3 of its last 4 but those loses were by a combined 8 points including a 5 point loss to SMU in double OT. Memphis is coming off a 59-57 road win over Temple. Prior to the game at North Texas the Shocks lost to Temple at home 49-72 and looked horrible in the process.

While I thing the Shocks have a chance I won't be betting any money on a Shocker win.

[1972Shocker]

Against Memphis the Shock fell behind early and still trailed by 10 with 7:25 remaining in the 2nd quarter at 29-19, However the Shocks finished the half strong outscoring the Tigers 22-4 to head into the locker room up 8 at 41-33. The Shocks maintained the lead throughout the first 16.5 minutes of the 2nd half and led by 11 at 69-58 with 3:26 to play. Memphis scored the next 8 points in the next 2.5 minutes to pull within 3 at 69-66 with 1 minute left in the game.. Salese and Dani each split a pair of free throws late as the Shocks hung on for a badly needed 71-66 win.

The Shocks continue to struggle finishing off games. In the final 5 minutes of the game the Shock were 0-5 from the field, 2-4 from the line and committed 5 turnovers.

Turnovers were a problem as the Shocks turned it over 25 times vs 17 for Memphis with Memphis outscoring the Shocks 28-17 on points off turnovers. The Shocks were able to overcome that by shooting 48% from the field to 35% for Memphis and with a strong rebounding game outrebounding the Tigers 47-35. The Shocks definitely need to get those turnovers under control.

The Shocks did hold Memphis star Madison Griggs to 11 points. That was primarily due to an off-night shooting from Griggs who was 4-16 including 1-10 on 3 pointers.

Dani Abies led the Shocks with 18 points making 9-11 from the field and grabbed a game high 16 rebounds for a big double-double. However, Dani did have 5 turnovers.

Tre'zure Jobe was close behind in the scoring column with 17 points on 6-8 (1-2) from the field and 4-5 from the line plus 5 rebounds. However, Tre'zure had 4 turnovers.

Jayla Murray had one of her better games for the Shocks with 12 points on 6-11 from the field and 4 rebounds in 23 minutes. But Jayla also had 3 turnvers and she fouled out.

[WuDrWu]

Boy, this is painful.

[1972Shocker]

Boy, this is painful.

Indeed. Tulsa 56 - Shocks 33 at half.

Tre'zure (15), Dani, (8), and Salese (6) have 29 of the Shocks 33 points.

[flyingMoose]

Tulsa 93-70 Shockers