Shocks win 2 of last 3

[trufan]

Hopefully, this is the beginning of what we've all been waiting for. This team is now looking more confident and a few shots are falling. (44% shooting percentage against Ind. St. and against Mo St.) The new "pack" defense is doing it's job more consistently.
One of the best developments has been that Whitney Rice is able to play more minutes and is really contributing in a very special way. Having her healthy (or at least MORE healthy) is something this team has really needed for a year and a half now.
Hopefully, these new trends will continue next weekend against SIU and Evansville. (As I recall, the Shockers played those teams fairly close here at home earlier this season.)

[1972Shocker]

We were pretty competitive against SIU losing 66-61, but not so much against Evansville losing 76-60.

The SIU game is a winnable game. SIU has lost 3 in a row including consecutive road games to Northern Iowa by 2 and a surprising 17 point loss (76-59) at Bradley. SIU does not appear to be playing real well right now.

Evansville would appear to be a much tougher opponent. They have won 7 in a row including nice wins over Creighton and Drake at home and have moved into 2nd place in the MVC behind Illinois State. The Aces will be tough but they are not unbeatable.

The Shocks have not been very good on the road, so this will be a good opportunity for them to show they can compete on the road.

[rrshock]

I think this is still coming too late to save the coach. And honestly I hope it doesn't save her.

[1972Shocker]

I think this is still coming too late to save the coach. And honestly I hope it doesn't save her.

Whether or not it is too late or not I do not know. So far not much has happened. We did get a nice and perhaps unexpected home win over Indiana State.

We lost convincingly to Illinois State but that was a game you did not expect to win, although maybe you would like to be a little more competitive.

The home win over Missouri State was a a game the Shockers should be expected to win as they did.

We are halfway through the MVC schedule with a 2 - 7 record. We have 4 home games and 5 road games remaining. A repeat of the 2-7 first half record definitely would not be good for Jane.

If she goes 5-4 or 4-5 and picks up a couple of wins in the MVC tournament then who knows, maybe she can convince Jim Schaus she is starting to get a handle on things. This week's road trip will give a good inidication of whether such a second half improvement is possible. I would not bet on it happening, but you never know, especially with so many mediocre teams in the MVC this year.

[molly jabali]

a critical thing for her has to be the nature of the losses...if they are close, and talent is the defining issue, one thing...but if they are beaten early and often, that's coaching...

[wushock]

I wouldn't have her back if she wins all the remaining games.

[1972Shocker]

I wouldn't have her back if she wins all the remaining games.

If she wins all her remaining games she will definitely by back because that would mean we would be the National Champions!

;-)

Of course, the chances of that happening are between none and No Way, Jose!

[Shock_You]

trufan, you are a real janefan and I haven't figured out why just yet. I agree that Whitney is a very needed element for this team to succeed, and she is starting to make a difference, but part of the reason she has not been healthy is the incompetent conditioning routines delivered by this staff. She was in great shape when she arrived at school this year. Then the team was subjected to running the mile and 2 mile outdoors on the cushioned track right up to practices for the Canada trip. Then immediately run on the hardwood. Whitney, along with others, suffered severe shin splints, foot problems,and borderline stress fractures. Then after Canada, the same routine until opening day of practice. She has had a hard time recovering as her body has been depleted of calcium. from her medical condition from last year. Since then she has been in constant pain. So again, Jane has caused more harm than good. We need a healthy Whitney, but it is too little too late for this coaching regime.

[ballerfan]

Lady Shocks are a better team with Whitney on the floor. She provides much needed court savvy and leadership. Who is responsible for the pre-season training is it Jane? or is it the plan of the strength and conditioning coach? Just curious.

[SubGod22]

Hasn't Whitney had some health problems that have set her back?

[1972Shocker]

Hasn't Whitney had some health problems that have set her back?

I think Whitney did have some medical issues her sophomore year, although I don't believe it was highyl publicized, although it was often referred to by Coach Albright in vague terms.

This year of course she has battled lower leg problems all season.

[trufan]

ShockYou--I wouldn't call myself as much of a jane fan as a person who really believes in giving people a definite chance to get a job done. I respect the way this whole staff has gone about things, building a very strong foundation based on the best non-BCS athletes available, and working with Pat Summitt and Dick Bennett this summer, among other things. While the wins have not come as soon as I would have liked, I notice some important improvement. When this team has any measure of confidence, and a reasonable percentage of their shots fall, they are an upper-division Valley team. When they lose confidence (OSU, Texas A&M, Bradley, UNI) and shots stop falling, (same games)they are a bottom of the Valley team. I am hopeful that they are growing in their overall confidence and that the remainder of the year will reveal them to perform more consistently like that upper-division Valley team that they truly are.
Like I said before, this team cannot afford to not have a player of Whitney's calibre consistently available. As for the question of whether the strength/conditioning coach, or the basketball coaches are responsible for Whitney's overuse injury, one would look to see if there is a PATTERN of overuse injuries on a team. Given the fact that this team has not suffered from overuse injuries (except for Whitney), it would seem that no WSU staff is responsible for her injury. From your description, it sounds like a fluke injury, arising from her previous medical issues.
As always, I felt that 1972 Shocker made a very objective, thoughtful post regarding how long it takes to turn around programs which have NEVER had tradition. I just imagine that Jim Schaus is as smart as 1972 and before even hiring her, was fully aware that it took 6 years for Coach Albright to turn around those other programs. I also imagine that he HOPED that it would take less time here, but was fully prepared for it to take that 6 years if necessary.

[ictshockolate]

bye-bye Jane.....You have had more than enough chances. More than you gave to alot of your former players.

[The Mad Hatter]

bye-bye Jane.....You have had more than enough chances. More than you gave to alot of your former players.

If you don't like Jane - Fine. If you want to see Jane replaced - Fine. But quit with this long stream of vague attacks on the Jane accusing her of mistreating her players in some way. There have been numerous times that such attacks have come up and they have neither A) been substantiated in any way nor B) align with anything else I know of Jane's character.

Unless you can back up these kinds of vague insults, it is nothing but petty rumor mongering and shouldn't be tolerated.

[wsubballfan]

For accuracy, while stress fractures are commonly overuse injuries, Whitney Rice's stress fractures are not believed to be (by the team doctor) overuse injuries. The medicine Lupron that she was given to treat her endometriosis is known to cause stress fractures. In fact, bone mass density tests are routine while taking the medicine and she did have those tests during her sophomore year.

The appropriate questions are:
Were the results of the bone mass density tests addressed?
Did the program knowingly have her running on stress fractures on surfaces known to increase the harm?
Did the program know that the only known treatment for stress fractures is a minimum six week rest?
Was she allowed that six week rest?

While it could appear that no indvidual WSU staff member is "responsible" for her injury, it could also appear they are "responsible" for her treatment and recovery or lack thereof.

Having a daughter with endo made me curious enough to ask someone who knew her (saw them in a restaurant) about her situation once it was covered in the Eagle. I don't know the answers to the above questions because they shared nothing that could be construed as negative about the program other than that she did not sit out for a consecutive six week period but that the random rests may add up to six weeks. They just jokingly said she'll be able to say she's played college ball in menopause and on half-working legs.

All I know is having the information about the Lupron helped me know not to take that route with my own daughter.