First off, the announcers comment lacked class, even though it was basically a true statement.
More importantly, I think a number of posters think our WBB is invincible against fellow Sunbelt teams. I assure that we are not. We give up around 74 PPG which is in the bottom of DIV 1 ( 300+ ). Certainly that is mostly due to our uptempo style. And did anyone consider that 3 games in 4 days would have an affect on our stamina as well ?
Hopefully we can build up a lead and salt away the 8 vs 9 winner next Friday morning. Saturday we will most likely face JMU again. Because they play at ODU today in the regular season finale in a battle for 3rd place. No other team is close enough to the top 4. They (JMU) are not playing particularly well but they did defeat us at the Cam earlier.
If we get past JMU it boils down to us vs. Troy, winners of 16 of their last 18. The GA State game was early in the conference season.
Troy has 3 quick guards that can handle and do pass well. I don't believe our press will be particularly effective, and worse, their bigs are taller and more mobile than most of our bigs. Getting Mo / Tree Matthews back was huge for us, but will it be enough. Oscar blocks out well and takes good paths to in-flight rebounds, but IMHO she is outmatched at the forward position against both JMU and Troy. Troy averages 48 REB/gm.
Troy goes 9 to 10 deep and their reserve bigs are just as tall if not taller than their starters. I saw one huge girl bringing the ball up (uncontested) against Appy. Troy would have difficulty containing our 3-point shooters with a zone defense. If they extend that to the 3-point line it will be up to Bee and CC to penetrate and hit short stop-and-pops.
I could envision a scenario where we are getting beaten for too many easy baskets by their guards beating our vaunted press. If that happens the best way to stop it might be to call off the press and roll out an "un-herdof" zone out to about 18 feet - a range which many Troy players easily have. But who am I to suggest a total identity change to a coach that has gone 17-1 ( by then 19-1 ) vs Sunbelt teams ?
Then there is potential politics, humans being humans by nature. In 20-21 Troy was within 2 points to #2 seed Texas A&M in the final minute and a potential over and back violation which could have given the ball to Troy was not called and Troy lost by 4. The Troy coach described the officials "calling foul after foul" on Troy ( final tally 25-13 fouls ). Then, in last year's tournament with the score tied in the final minute ODU had 6 players on the court and scored to win by those 2 points, causing the league to issue an official apology to Troy U. In my opinion SBC officiating has not been kind to MU in tournament play ( 2 bad MBB calls vs. TX ST last year and throw in ball/strike calls in softball ). Maybe not apropos, but I thought I would throw that out there.
In conclusion, I wanted to opine that the path for MU WBB in the post-season should not have us overly confident.