2021 WBB Season

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Ilikecats
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2021 WBB Season

Post by Ilikecats » Fri Oct 16, 2020 3:51 pm

Looks like there’s going to be a season. How are we looking? Replacing 4 starters can’t be easy. Schedule looks very favorable with our toughest games hopefully being played in the Brick. Any chance fans will be allowed? :shock:



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thefrank1
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Re: 2021 WBB Season

Post by thefrank1 » Fri Oct 16, 2020 4:46 pm

yes but most likely limited to 1000 or fewer per game.


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BobcatDel
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Re: 2021 WBB Season

Post by BobcatDel » Sun Oct 18, 2020 7:10 pm

Ilikecats wrote:
Fri Oct 16, 2020 3:51 pm
Looks like there’s going to be a season. How are we looking? Replacing 4 starters can’t be easy. Schedule looks very favorable with our toughest games hopefully being played in the Brick. Any chance fans will be allowed? :shock:
Well no one else has chimed in so I will give an opinion. Just an opinion since we haven't been able to visit practices to see how they are looking. And sorry...too long again.

I just don't think we can win it again this year. Not due to talent… but due to "youth"....we will be a young squad this year compared to last and there are some teams that I think will be up this year. I just think it will be a rebuilding year and it is an outstanding group to build around. We certainly will be competitive, say in the upper 3rd of the conference and will win some good games. A young squad gets tougher as the season progresses.

My prediction for the conference champion is Northern Arizona. I'm sticking with what I said last spring going into the tourney that this is the team I was most worried about and they are an up and coming team. Loree Payne, from Havre, has this program going the right direction. They finished tied for 4th last year at 12-8 and started no seniors. All four of their junior starters were recognized in the conference awards...Rasheed 1st team, Bailey 2nd team, Marval Honorable Mention, Radford Newcomer of the Year. Plus they had a couple great kids come off the bench that return this year. They lose no key contributors from last year. Another year older, stronger, and wiser. On our home court and in the tourney we had to come from behind in the 2nd half to pull out a win both times…usually late in the 4th quarter. This is a team to be reckoned with this season with 4 solid senior starters and a good bench. They were missing senior leadership on the floor…do they have it this year?

Idaho lost one of the Klinker sisters and lost their big lady but return Marxen, 1st team Big Sky, Beyonce Bea Honorable Mention. Bea was a true freshman last year and was the person most responsible for handing the Bobcats their only conference loss. They also return the “tougher” Klinker girl that can be a beast working the inside. And I never discount a Newell coached team.

Idaho State returns two second team All-Conference players and always seems to be tough. Other teams I am less up on.

Looking at the Bobcats.

We have a solid returning nucleus but boy are they young and boy are there a lot of unanswered questions. We only have one certain senior starter in Tori Martell, Big Sky Reserve of the Year. We had an outstanding class of freshman in Darian White, Big Sky Freshman of the Year, who will continue to grow into a leadership role and then Madison Jackson and Kola Bad Bear who had a lot of playing time. Great great group to see grow in Bobcat uniforms. I am really looking forward to watching these ladies next year and beyond.

My team questions are things like Ashley VanSickle, can she finally overcome her nagging injuries and contribute and lead as a senior with all the missed time. Gabbi Mochi was hurting with an arm injury nearly all of her sophomore season so how has the off-season gone and as a junior will she be able to step up to contribute more…she always has a smile on her face and is so positive. Skye Lindsay (I believe she will be a RS-Junior) at 6’2” and strong, has played D1 ball, so how has she progressed through her sitting out for the transfer last year and is she ready to be a force on the inside to replace Blair, Madeline or Fallyn? Stumne is coming off her RS-Freshman year and I have not seen her set a foot on the court so how will she contribute? It was an outstanding class of new freshmen recruits that Tricia brought in, will any of those folks be immediate contributors and are they tough and ready to compete at the D-1 level or will another year be needed? Are any of the new recruits potential “Darian Whites” that will have immediate impact as true freshmen? And finally, it was clear last year that there was always a senior leader on the court, often Fallyn, who was coaching up and down the court or Blair who just took over inside….. but who is that person this year…does Tori rise to that level…..is Darian at the maturity level and does she have the respect of the team enough to be that influence? Every team develops a chemistry and a floor leader…too early to tell on this team but I am confident I will have a lot of enjoyable basketball viewing. And hoping they surprise me this year!!



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Re: 2021 WBB Season

Post by Catlady » Mon Oct 19, 2020 5:27 am

Glad to finally see that the season is scheduled to start. I’m still trying to process the abrupt end to last season, but it would be crazy to expect a lot from this team. Yes they’re young, but I think they’re also missing that leader. I hope Tori can step into that role, but I don’t know if that’s her strength. Interesting choice by Binford to have Blaire on the bench as a coach.

I look to Northern Colorado and NAU as being the team to beat. They both have most of their starters back and had strong recruiting years. I like that we play both teams at home. I see us middle of the road in the conference, but we’ll be very strong next season if this Freshmen class stays intact. Binford has built a program that’s going to be competitive year after year, but the rest of the conference is improving. I hope this team doesn’t have to suffer some payback due to last years success, I think some teams have our game circled on their calendars.



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Re: 2021 WBB Season

Post by mslacat » Mon Oct 19, 2020 10:49 am

Just a few opinions and comments from What was said above

Skye Lindsey will be a sophomore this year which will give her 3 years in the Blue and Gold. She is going to be a key player for us. She was playing major minutes for Pepperdine by the end ofher freshman year. Despite that,I had someone in the know that told me last year that she will be a solid player for the Bobcats, but "not a star" and that some of the incoming freshman could end up ahead of her on the depth chart. On the other hand I was told by someone else that Skye was really playing some outstanding ball over the summer and will be a factor. WE are going to be loaded at guard this year with White, Martell, and Jackson all seeing major time last year. I really hope Van Sickle has gotten over the injury bug because she could add something to the point guard spot. I also believe at least 2 of our incoming Freshman guard will be playing significant minutes. It will though take time to develop our front court. Bad Bear was a key reserve last year and could fill the 4 spot with Lindsey at the 5. From there we have Mocchi and 3 talented freshman to fill out our reserves. I keep hearing about how skilled Mocchi is and I think she could make some waves, if she is healthy and plays with confidence. How well this team goes depends on who among our 4's & 5's develops and step up between Skye and the 3 freshman. Bad bear is the only known commodity, and she needs to become more of an offensive threat to open up things for our back court.

I agree, I see MSU picked 3rd or 4th this year, but we will be the team nobody wants to play, because when you have somebody the caliber of White, on any given night we will be able to take down anyone in our league. Consistency will be key.

The wild card(s) are these freshman. Top to bottom the best class Binford has ever signed. Do we have another Darian White in the bunch? They are going to have to prove it to me, before I say anything like that, but 3 other them are close and two other are oozing with talent and potential and could make themselves part of the regular rotation.



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Re: 2021 WBB Season

Post by arvcat2 » Mon Oct 19, 2020 3:31 pm

Outside of White, I see Madison Jackson as the one with the most potential impact. Last season, she gradually took minutes away from Kuderer at the small forward slot and got some PT at the off guard too. Like White, she is so quick and if she could only learn to use the glass more along with improving upon her horrible team last FT% of .500, she's a 14 points a game player.



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Re: 2021 WBB Season

Post by Ilikecats » Mon Oct 19, 2020 4:38 pm

I’m thinking Koala Bad Bear is going to have a break out year! She had a decent Freshman year recovering from her ACL, but I think this season she’s going to be a dominant player. I’m looking forward to seeing how we replace our bigs, but I think Bad Bear and Lindsey are going to bring pain to the Big Sky. It’s a huge question mark what the Freshman are going to do when the lights in the Brick get turned on, but Rebounds win championships and rebounding needs to be a focus area. I think Bad Bear and Lindsey are more talented than Smith and Braxton, but can they bring the same intensity inside both offensively and defensively?

I like our team. Lots of growth, but wouldn’t be surprised if they made some noise in the conference.



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Re: 2021 WBB Season

Post by BobcatDel » Mon Oct 19, 2020 8:13 pm

Just a correction to my earlier note. I thought Ashley VanSickle had burned her Junior year before injury but I see the roster has her listed as a Junior. So last year must have been a redshirt year due to injury?? Thus if she could get healthy she would have two more years to contribute.



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Re: 2021 WBB Season

Post by BelgradeBobcat » Mon Oct 19, 2020 9:35 pm

I think y'all are over analyzing this way too much. We have Darian White on our team. Which means we have a massive advantage over everyone else! =D^



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Re: 2021 WBB Season

Post by Bobcat4Ever » Mon Oct 19, 2020 10:55 pm

Ava Ranson. Babe Ruth (maybe) called his home run. I’m calling this one. When she gets running beside Darian, watch out anybody. Two cold-blooded scorers who can move the rock. They are friends from high school, albeit on cross-town teams in Boise. I suspect we got Ava in no small part because of Darian. I’ll be disappointed to have to eat my words, but you read it here first. 😃 Diamond in the rough, hidden gem pick: Sydney Stensgard. 💎
Last edited by Bobcat4Ever on Wed Oct 21, 2020 3:25 am, edited 1 time in total.



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Re: 2021 WBB Season

Post by mslacat » Tue Oct 20, 2020 4:04 pm

Bobcat4Ever wrote:
Mon Oct 19, 2020 10:55 pm
Ava Ranson. Babe Ruth (maybe) called his home run. I’m calling this one. When she gets running beside Darien, watch out anybody. Two cold-blooded scorers who can move the rock. They are friends from high school, albeit on cross-town teams in Boise. I suspect we got Ava in no small part because of Darian. I’ll be disappointed to have to eat my words, but you read it here first. 😃 Diamond in the rough, hidden gem pick: Sydney Stensgard. 💎
I agree with you about Ranson, she is very talented and all three Idaho schools are going to be kicking themselves for not going after White, Jackson and Ranson! These young lady's are exceptionally talent for the Big Sky level, and are going to be making a lot of noise the next 4 years. That said do not over look freshman guard Leia Beattie she right there with Jackson and Ranson. Her upside potential is that of White. Beattie is a dynamic scorer, who can hit from anywhere on the court. You take something away from her and she beats you with something else. Ranson is also a scorer, but had played on deeper teams with better talent and is more well rounded. She will score, but she can also pass especially to the post and plays good defense. I read one newspaper article on Ranson where the reporters named her Player of the game despite only scoring 12 point (2 other players had 20+pts) They said she absolutely dominated the game despite scoring 8 points below her average. I think we ar in for a real treat the next 3-4 year. One or both of Beattie or Ranson will be All Big Sky players early. I can not tell you with 100% certainty which one but I can not wait to see them on the floor to and I get to watch them work it out on the floor.

Oh BTW Neither Ranson nor Beattie is consider to be Binford's best recruit, one paper by those women recruiting site, 6-3 G-F Katelynn Limardo is that person. That is all on paper, and rarly in sports, do you win anything on paper (unless you wrestle in the WWE). She is also sooo talented, but is so thin I am real curious to see her transition to D-1 ball. This a rare case where I think the Covid Shortened season may benefit her.

Stensgard is one of the least publicized player in this group, but has what every coach in 2020 covets deep 3 point range. She is also a coaches daughter, and understands how to play the game. I think she could be that designate three point shooter (ala Mirco-wave for the old folks out there) to crack open defensive.


Binford (and Sprinkle BTW) are going to have to make some tough decision about redshirting this year.



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Re: 2021 WBB Season

Post by Hawks86 » Tue Oct 20, 2020 5:09 pm

mslacat wrote:
Tue Oct 20, 2020 4:04 pm
Binford (and Sprinkle BTW) are going to have to make some tough decision about redshirting this year.

That is actually one thing they don't have to worry about.


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