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Post by bballnut90 on Jan 29, 2019 0:02:33 GMT -5
Stanford returns everyone from their 34-1 title team except for their stellar middle Tami Alade. If there are 6 players on the court and 6 rotations, Stanford returns 33/36 players on the court. On top of that, Stanford brings in by far the best recruiting class in the country, adding in the #2 and #3 overall recruits to provide depth at the pins and a top 20 middle who may fill in nicely to replace Alade. Otherwise, they can also move 6-6 Fitzmorris over to make way for the incoming pin hitters. Bevy of options for Hambly.
If you look at other programs who finished in the Elite 8 or were a top seed (Minnesota), you have:
Nebraska-their toughest competition in 2018 loses the best player in program history (Foecke) and one of the nation's top liberos. They have a strong recruiting class back and a young roster, but I don't think anyone expects them to hang with Stanford like they did last month.
BYU-they lose a 1st Team AA OH and a 1st Team AA setter. Good talent returning, and a lot depends on how McKenna Miller recovers from her ACL. This squad was slaughtered by Stanford on a neutral court...I don't see them improving from their fantastic season in 2018.
Illinois-they lose Jordyn Poulter and Bastianelli. They'll still be good, but not as good as they were this year.
Minnesota-they lose SSS, a 4x All American. On paper they'll be very good but if they were going to win a title, it was happening in 2018, not 2019 IMO. At full strength this year Stanford beat Minnesota in 4.
Texas-on paper they should be better than they were this year adding in Fields and O'Neal, but they still have questionable coaching and question marks about the setting position. Stanford handily beat Texas twice this year.
Oregon-had a huge upset of Minnesota, lost 2x this year to Stanford and lose multiple AAs.
Wisconsin-lots of returning talent for the Badgers, everyone is back besides Tionna Williams. That said, they were a pretty big step below Stanford this year.
Penn State-lost in 4 to Stanford in the regionals, and they lose 2 outsides and their setter. Penn State could very well be a better team in 2019, but they were a big step below Stanford this year too.
i think the teams that are best suited to compete with Stanford will be Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska and Texas, but realistically I think Stanford is head and shoulders better than anyone on paper going into this year. They have the best returning libero, setter, and OH. They also have a monster class back, along with a 6 rotation OH, an AA RS, their DS and a freshman middle who was a breakout star in the tournament this year. All signs say Stanford could have their best team ever. So, with that being said, does Stanford run the table for the first time in program history?
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Post by TuesdayGone on Jan 29, 2019 0:44:12 GMT -5
Stanford returns everyone from their 34-1 title team except for their stellar middle Tami Alade. If there are 6 players on the court and 6 rotations, Stanford returns 33/36 players on the court. On top of that, Stanford brings in by far the best recruiting class in the country, adding in the #2 and #3 overall recruits to provide depth at the pins and a top 20 middle who may fill in nicely to replace Alade. Otherwise, they can also move 6-6 Fitzmorris over to make way for the incoming pin hitters. Bevy of options for Hambly. If you look at other programs who finished in the Elite 8 or were a top seed (Minnesota), you have: Nebraska-their toughest competition in 2018 loses the best player in program history (Foecke) and one of the nation's top liberos. They have a strong recruiting class back and a young roster, but I don't think anyone expects them to hang with Stanford like they did last month. BYU-they lose a 1st Team AA OH and a 1st Team AA setter. Good talent returning, and a lot depends on how McKenna Miller recovers from her ACL. This squad was slaughtered by Stanford on a neutral court...I don't see them improving from their fantastic season in 2018. Illinois-they lose Jordyn Poulter and Bastianelli. They'll still be good, but not as good as they were this year. At full strength Stanford swept Illinois this year. Minnesota-they lose SSS, a 4x All American. On paper they'll be very good but if they were going to win a title, it was happening in 2018, not 2019 IMO. At full strength this year Stanford beat Minnesota in 4. Texas-on paper they should be better than they were this year adding in Fields and O'Neal, but they still have questionable coaching and question marks about the setting position. Stanford handily beat Texas twice this year. Oregon-had a huge upset of Minnesota, lost 2x this year to Stanford and lose multiple AAs. Wisconsin-lots of returning talent for the Badgers, everyone is back besides Tionna Williams. That said, they were a pretty big step below Stanford this year. Penn State-lost in 4 to Stanford in the regionals, and they lose 2 outsides and their setter. Penn State could very well be a better team in 2019, but they were a big step below Stanford this year too. i think the teams that are best suited to compete with Stanford will be Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska and Texas, but realistically I think Stanford is head and shoulders better than anyone on paper going into this year. They have the best returning libero, setter, and OH. They also have a monster class back, along with a 6 rotation OH, an AA RS, their DS and a freshman middle who was a breakout star in the tournament this year. All signs say Stanford could have their best team ever. So, with that being said, does Stanford run the table for the first time in program history? 2018 Wisconsin: Wisconsin vs Nebraska = 1-0 Wisconsin vs Penn St = 1-0 Wisconsin vs Illinois = 287 points Wisconsin/ 287 points Illinois Wisconsin vs Texas = 1-0 Return everyone except Middle Hitter That said if Stanford loses 2 sets to a team all year, Hambley should be fired immediately.
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Post by bballnut90 on Jan 29, 2019 1:12:22 GMT -5
Stanford returns everyone from their 34-1 title team except for their stellar middle Tami Alade. If there are 6 players on the court and 6 rotations, Stanford returns 33/36 players on the court. On top of that, Stanford brings in by far the best recruiting class in the country, adding in the #2 and #3 overall recruits to provide depth at the pins and a top 20 middle who may fill in nicely to replace Alade. Otherwise, they can also move 6-6 Fitzmorris over to make way for the incoming pin hitters. Bevy of options for Hambly. If you look at other programs who finished in the Elite 8 or were a top seed (Minnesota), you have: Nebraska-their toughest competition in 2018 loses the best player in program history (Foecke) and one of the nation's top liberos. They have a strong recruiting class back and a young roster, but I don't think anyone expects them to hang with Stanford like they did last month. BYU-they lose a 1st Team AA OH and a 1st Team AA setter. Good talent returning, and a lot depends on how McKenna Miller recovers from her ACL. This squad was slaughtered by Stanford on a neutral court...I don't see them improving from their fantastic season in 2018. Illinois-they lose Jordyn Poulter and Bastianelli. They'll still be good, but not as good as they were this year. At full strength Stanford swept Illinois this year. Minnesota-they lose SSS, a 4x All American. On paper they'll be very good but if they were going to win a title, it was happening in 2018, not 2019 IMO. At full strength this year Stanford beat Minnesota in 4. Texas-on paper they should be better than they were this year adding in Fields and O'Neal, but they still have questionable coaching and question marks about the setting position. Stanford handily beat Texas twice this year. Oregon-had a huge upset of Minnesota, lost 2x this year to Stanford and lose multiple AAs. Wisconsin-lots of returning talent for the Badgers, everyone is back besides Tionna Williams. That said, they were a pretty big step below Stanford this year. Penn State-lost in 4 to Stanford in the regionals, and they lose 2 outsides and their setter. Penn State could very well be a better team in 2019, but they were a big step below Stanford this year too. i think the teams that are best suited to compete with Stanford will be Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska and Texas, but realistically I think Stanford is head and shoulders better than anyone on paper going into this year. They have the best returning libero, setter, and OH. They also have a monster class back, along with a 6 rotation OH, an AA RS, their DS and a freshman middle who was a breakout star in the tournament this year. All signs say Stanford could have their best team ever. So, with that being said, does Stanford run the table for the first time in program history? 2018 Wisconsin: Wisconsin vs Nebraska = 1-0 Wisconsin vs Penn St = 1-0 Wisconsin vs Illinois = 287 points Wisconsin/ 287 points Illinois Wisconsin vs Texas = 1-0 Return everyone except Middle Hitter That said if Stanford loses 2 sets to a team all year, Hambley should be fired immediately. Do you think Wisconsin has a chance to beat Stanford next year? They definitely had some great moments in 2018 but they also had moments where they really struggled. Lots of inconsistency at every position besides Rettke and Hilley. On paper I think they're a solid contender next year if everything clicks, especially if Haggerty and Loberg are healthy and consistent producers. I don't think they're playing in the regular season...so if they meet, it's likely in the semifinals or championship.
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Post by vbkahuna on Jan 29, 2019 1:34:48 GMT -5
Just to set the record straight:
1) Stanford didn't play Illinois in 2018 2) Wisconsin vs Illinois in 2018 = 1-2
As for Stanford running the table, no.
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Post by bballnut90 on Jan 29, 2019 1:44:01 GMT -5
Just to set the record straight: 1) Stanford didn't play Illinois in 2018 2) Wisconsin vs Illinois in 2018 = 1-2 As for Stanford running the table, no. Thanks...I xixed up Illinois and Penn State regarding Stanford's 3-0 sweep from early in the season. Made the edit.
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Post by Reach on Jan 29, 2019 2:22:35 GMT -5
Stanford will likely be even better than last year against a weaker field. It’s way early but it looks, on paper, like it’s theirs to lose.
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Post by SakiBomb25 on Jan 29, 2019 2:29:21 GMT -5
I don't think Stanford will run the table. I think losing Alade is going to be a much bigger deal than people think. Not only was she a fantastic blocker and a dependable hitter when set, she was also the heart and soul of the Stanford team. Always leading the cheers and oozing with positivity. That type of leadership is hard to replace and I don't really see anyone pumping up the team like Alade did the past two years. The senior class is more the lead by example type of players than the vocal ones. Should be interesting to see who steps into that leadership role. I could see Gray do it (and should as the setter), but we'll see.
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Post by Reach on Jan 29, 2019 2:37:00 GMT -5
I don't think Stanford will run the table. I think losing Alade is going to be a much bigger deal than people think. Not only was she a fantastic blocker and a dependable hitter when set, she was also the heart and soul of the Stanford team. Always leading the cheers and oozing with positivity. That type of leadership is hard to replace and I don't really see anyone pumping up the team like Alade did the past two years. The senior class is more the lead by example type of players than the vocal ones. Should be interesting to see who steps into that leadership role. I could see Gray do it (and should as the setter), but we'll see. I think the opposite: this team is steady eddy. Everyone has been playing since day one on the farm and knows what it takes. Gray is a gamer and will lead this team to success. It’s just happens to be a bonus that she has the best defensive and offensive player in the country on her side. There are so many options with Kipp and Fitz that we could see them both playing a combination of positions. Kipp is a beast. We got lucky, yet again.
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Post by vbnerd on Jan 29, 2019 7:41:58 GMT -5
In 1996-97, Arizona won the mens basketball championship, and with only one minor contributor graduating, they returned 5 future NBA players and were a preseason #1.
They were a Number 1 seed in the west but lost by 15 to Utah and Andre Miller in Anaheim and missed the final four.
Stanford can and should have a great year. But if Plummer gets hurt, if they can't balance the Chemistry with the new additions, if Glass doesn't settle into the role... and undefeated is a lot to ask.
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Post by midnightblue on Jan 29, 2019 8:34:06 GMT -5
From what I've heard it's looking like Stanford will have a really tough preseason schedule.
Replacing Tami, the best blocker in the country, is no easy task.
And going undefeated is really, really difficult to do.
Thus, I'm inclined to say no, but it wouldn't be all that shocking if they do.
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Post by bballnut90 on Jan 29, 2019 9:28:07 GMT -5
In 1996-97, Arizona won the mens basketball championship, and with only one minor contributor graduating, they returned 5 future NBA players and were a preseason #1. They were a Number 1 seed in the west but lost by 15 to Utah and Andre Miller in Anaheim and missed the final four. Stanford can and should have a great year. But if Plummer gets hurt, if they can't balance the Chemistry with the new additions, if Glass doesn't settle into the role... and undefeated is a lot to ask. To counter that, Arizona was a 4 seed and a 9 loss champion in 1997. Stanford lost 1 match all year opposed to 34 wins and was the title frontrunner all season. Men's basketball is full of parity, women's volleyball is dominated by 3 heavy weights. Apples and oranges. Undefeated is a lot to ask, but I think there's a good shot it happens this year. I can't recall a team as talented and experienced as this team since Penn State in 2009.
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Post by txvballer on Jan 29, 2019 10:11:50 GMT -5
Stanford returns everyone from their 34-1 title team except for their stellar middle Tami Alade. If there are 6 players on the court and 6 rotations, Stanford returns 33/36 players on the court. On top of that, Stanford brings in by far the best recruiting class in the country, adding in the #2 and #3 overall recruits to provide depth at the pins and a top 20 middle who may fill in nicely to replace Alade. Otherwise, they can also move 6-6 Fitzmorris over to make way for the incoming pin hitters. Bevy of options for Hambly. If you look at other programs who finished in the Elite 8 or were a top seed (Minnesota), you have: Nebraska-their toughest competition in 2018 loses the best player in program history (Foecke) and one of the nation's top liberos. They have a strong recruiting class back and a young roster, but I don't think anyone expects them to hang with Stanford like they did last month. BYU-they lose a 1st Team AA OH and a 1st Team AA setter. Good talent returning, and a lot depends on how McKenna Miller recovers from her ACL. This squad was slaughtered by Stanford on a neutral court...I don't see them improving from their fantastic season in 2018. Illinois-they lose Jordyn Poulter and Bastianelli. They'll still be good, but not as good as they were this year. Minnesota-they lose SSS, a 4x All American. On paper they'll be very good but if they were going to win a title, it was happening in 2018, not 2019 IMO. At full strength this year Stanford beat Minnesota in 4. Texas-on paper they should be better than they were this year adding in Fields and O'Neal, but they still have questionable coaching and question marks about the setting position. Stanford handily beat Texas twice this year. Oregon-had a huge upset of Minnesota, lost 2x this year to Stanford and lose multiple AAs. Wisconsin-lots of returning talent for the Badgers, everyone is back besides Tionna Williams. That said, they were a pretty big step below Stanford this year. Penn State-lost in 4 to Stanford in the regionals, and they lose 2 outsides and their setter. Penn State could very well be a better team in 2019, but they were a big step below Stanford this year too. i think the teams that are best suited to compete with Stanford will be Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska and Texas, but realistically I think Stanford is head and shoulders better than anyone on paper going into this year. They have the best returning libero, setter, and OH. They also have a monster class back, along with a 6 rotation OH, an AA RS, their DS and a freshman middle who was a breakout star in the tournament this year. All signs say Stanford could have their best team ever. So, with that being said, does Stanford run the table for the first time in program history? People should really let the "questionable coaching" thing go. Jerritt has produced time and time again. Even after winning a national championship in 2012, people still questioned his coaching. Just say that you dislike Texas and let that be that. I agree on the setting weakness though. Definitely an area of opportunity.
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Post by bbk on Jan 29, 2019 10:13:56 GMT -5
If people in the desert were to set odds I would think that Stanford would be a 4-1 favorite and probably 10-1 to go undefeated. #IfIWereABettingMan
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Post by TuesdayGone on Jan 29, 2019 10:34:56 GMT -5
The freshmen Stanford has coming in might be better than Plummer.
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Post by bluepenquin on Jan 29, 2019 10:46:35 GMT -5
Stanford clearly has less than a 50% chance of going undefeated. I don't know if they will be better than last year - but they look like the clear best team in the country and the added depth of their Freshman class makes the floor on this team extraordinarily high. I mean, they could probably lose Plummer for the season and still be the best team in the country. This notion that Stanford is going to miss Alade? Stanford is stacked - they are going to be great.
But that is different than going undefeated - especially in the PAC or B1G. I think people underestimate the improvement of teams. The natural tendency is to look at the players lost to graduation and making the assumption that their replacement cannot possibly be better therefore the team will be worse. If this was really the case - then every team would be worse the following season and all the teams of today are worse than teams of yesterday and teams of tomorrow will be worse than teams of today - and this is illogical. Minnesota loses SSS - but there is a chance they are a better team this year. Nebraska loses Foecke - and it is very possible that Nebraska ends up better this year. I am not betting on this - but it is possible - and there is enough of these that there will some of these really good teams from last year that will be better next year.
Statistically - I would guess that Stanford's odds of going undefeated are way south of 20%.
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