End of the Road?

[PBP]

Just a difficult way to potentially end a tremendous season for the ISU WBB team.

No. Colorado just is better than them but to lose your starting point guard with five seconds...FIVE SECONDS left in what could be the final game of the year is the basketball gods sticking it to the program yet again.

Five years in a row now.

I honestly thought for the first time in a long time they were going to go through a season without any "catastrophic" injuries. I used that word in quotes because that is the term doctors and trainers use to describe that type of serious injury. Nope...not to be.

This club was going to be loaded next year but with Dora's status unknown the coaches may have to try to bring in an experienced point guard from somewhere. I don't think they'd be comfortable seeing if a freshman could run it or by moving someone who isn't used to that position into it.

This program which actually wins has to overcome so much every single year. They can't get home games, they have to play money games and a tough non-conference schedule, the travel is about as bad as you can get in the Big Sky with bus trip after bus trip to SLC or Boise before they can fly anywhere...you'd think they'd get SOME kind of relief.

Nope.

This just sucks. Period.

PBP

 

[isusuperfan]

Absolutely terrible that this happened, and I think you're right--we really do get the worst luck at times with injuries. It's why I can sympathize with Montana's recent struggles so much, because we've gotten absolutely pounded with the catastrophic injuries year in and out. We've rebounded almost every time, so there's always hope.

The fact that we've been able to consistently win in this sport with the injuries issue, and the fact we've been able to make the rest of the conference quietly nervous every year when they play us, is a testament to the constant skill and pride the coaches and players have. I'll always maintain they don't get enough credit for the seasons they've been able to pull over the years.

 

[mvem]

That really sucks. I've seen that same thing happen to UM players in games 5 times since 2013, and that doesn't even include the Kayleigh Valley ones since they happened in practice. ACLs are a unique problem WBB players have to deal with that MBB players usually don't have to deal with, and most WBB programs are unfortunately going to have to deal with waves of this kind of thing at some point. Hopefully nothing like this happens in today's title game.

 

[spudbowl]

I really thought that the Bengals were going to come back and win this when they had the ball, down 5 with 2 minutes left. They played hard to the end. Of course, the injury to Goles meant a dark ending to another great season. I hope that everything works out with Dora.

As for non-conference home games. ISU had some good games (home and away series) against Seattle and Denver University in recent years at home. I hope that these types of competitive teams will be willing to come to Pocatello in the future. Utah Valley and Utah State regularly come to Pocatello and ISU goes there. Do we need to mention that there is a DI school 3+ hours across state who seems like they don't want to come to Pocatello anymore?

 

[Skippy]

I really thought that the Bengals were going to come back and win this when they had the ball, down 5 with 2 minutes left. They played hard to the end. Of course, the injury to Goles meant a dark ending to another great season. I hope that everything works out with Dora.

As for non-conference home games. ISU had some good games (home and away series) against Seattle and Denver University in recent years at home. I hope that these types of competitive teams will be willing to come to Pocatello in the future. Utah Valley and Utah State regularly come to Pocatello and ISU goes there. Do we need to mention that there is a DI school 3+ hours across state who seems like they don't want to come to Pocatello anymore?

It’s pretty sad that Boise State generally refuses to travel to Moscow or Pocatello in any sport, but that’s reality. I guess the Broncos see it like OHio State traveling to play at Toledo or Ohio U.

Speaking of scheduling, the men got a big break this year with a five-game non-conference homestand. I think that really contributed to their ability to put together a competitive season and grow as a team. It will be interesting to see if they can put together a comparable schedule next year. It really sucks the life out of a program to spend most of the non-conference season on the road, and it kills any chance of early fan interest.

 

[PBP]

It’s pretty sad that Boise State generally refuses to travel to Moscow or Pocatello in any sport, but that’s reality. I guess the Broncos see it like OHio State traveling to play at Toledo or Ohio U.

This and that:

1. Have been told BSU said they won't play ISU anymore because they "need" home games. ISU feels (correctly in my opinion) that they need them as well and fair is fair. So one of the longest running rivalries in the West (they had played at least once every season since 1977) is no more. And I'm sure the fact that ISU won three of the last five meetings (including two at Boise) had a "little" something to do with it.

2. Had Jeff on the air live at halftime Friday and as we talked about the remarkable success the program has had he again mentioned especially so given they "can't pay for home games" and "that coaches don't want to deal with flying in to SLC or Boise" and then coming to Pocatello.

3. To the best of my knowledge here are the major knee injuries suffered by ISU and their players in the last five years. This is just knee injuries and I can't say for sure what Dora's injury may be because at this point nobody knows:

2013-2014: Jaz Lemon missed about half the season with a knee injury (she also had a severe shoulder injury but I don't remember the time line on them. I just know one of them was a knee injury when she collided on a pick at home against Eastern Washington.)

Grace Kenyon missed the season recovering from an ACL suffered in high school playing lacrosse.

Lindsay Brown missed the season recovering from an ACL suffered in high school.

2014-2015: Jenna Morch played two games before missing the rest of the season with an ACL injury suffered in practice.

Freya Newton missed the season recovering from an ACL suffered in junior college.

2015-2016: Grace Kenyon missed the season after tearing an ACL suffered in practice for a second time.

Sai Tapasa missed the season recovering from an ACL suffered in high school.

2016-2017: Brooke Blair played one game then missed the season after suffering an ACL in a game.

2017-2018: Dora Goles immediate future for next season is up in the air after suffering an apparent knee injury in the closing seconds of a game in the post season tournament.

I have no idea how this translates to other BSC schools in terms of numbers and medical studies have shown that women due to their anatomy, have a higher tendency to get these injuries but you wonder if there are other factors in play that need to be examined such as:

Do these players "bulk-up" to much? Try to get as strong as possible which puts more stress and weight on the knee?

Is the constant 12 month a year grind simply not allowing their bodies time to rest and heal? Do players really need to be in the gym / weight room all year long? Would ordering them to not do ANY basketball related activities say for a solid month help?

Do players who have a certain body-type / history; are they more susceptible to knee injuries and should those types be recruited in the first place (i.e. let the buyer beware?)

Regarding ISU , they've accomplished so much beating long odds with a number of things working against them.You wonder under better circumstances what they'd be able to pull off if they could actually get some benefits / lucky breaks for a change that other schools in the BSC seem to have.

PBP

 

[NewBengFan]

3. To the best of my knowledge here are the major knee injuries suffered by ISU and their players in the last five years. This is just knee injuries and I can't say for sure what Dora's injury may be because at this point nobody knows:

2013-2014: Jaz Lemon missed about half the season with a knee injury (she also had a severe shoulder injury but I don't remember the time line on them. I just know one of them was a knee injury when she collided on a pick at home against Eastern Washington.)

Grace Kenyon missed the season recovering from an ACL suffered in high school playing lacrosse.

Lindsay Brown missed the season recovering from an ACL suffered in high school.

2014-2015: Jenna Morch played two games before missing the rest of the season with an ACL injury suffered in practice.

Freya Newton missed the season recovering from an ACL suffered in junior college.

2015-2016: Grace Kenyon missed the season after tearing an ACL suffered in practice for a second time.

Sai Tapasa missed the season recovering from an ACL suffered in high school.

2016-2017: Brooke Blair played one game then missed the season after suffering an ACL in a game.

2017-2018: Dora Goles immediate future for next season is up in the air after suffering an apparent knee injury in the closing seconds of a game in the post season tournament.

I have no idea how this translates to other BSC schools in terms of numbers and medical studies have shown that women due to their anatomy, have a higher tendency to get these injuries but you wonder if there are other factors in play that need to be examined such as:

Do these players "bulk-up" to much? Try to get as strong as possible which puts more stress and weight on the knee?

Is the constant 12 month a year grind simply not allowing their bodies time to rest and heal? Do players really need to be in the gym / weight room all year long? Would ordering them to not do ANY basketball related activities say for a solid month help?

Do players who have a certain body-type / history; are they more susceptible to knee injuries and should those types be recruited in the first place (i.e. let the buyer beware?)

Regarding ISU , they've accomplished so much beating long odds with a number of things working against them.You wonder under better circumstances what they'd be able to pull off if they could actually get some benefits / lucky breaks for a change that other schools in the BSC seem to have.

PBP

Just to maybe shed a little bit of light based on my little experience. Women in general are more predisposed to knee injuries based on their bodies compared to men. Women typically have wider hips which changes the angle at their knees (more knock-kneed). This is what will increase likeliness of knee injuries if proper prevention programs do not take place. A little research can be done on the topic by googling. ISU may just have bad luck, but based on your examples of recent injuries a few of them occurred during HS so little can be done by ISU unless they decide not to sign a girl after an injury.

 

[PBP]

On the final coaches show this afternoon Seton said that ISU turned down the WBI tournament. He said he thought they were going to be matched up against another Big Sky team (Weber State maybe???) in the first round and that wasn't very appealing. ISU did receive a "stand-by" notice from the WNIT this afternoon though. That doesn't mean they are in but that it is possible and they are in the discussion.

He said they should know by around 7PM.

I asked him who possible opponents could be and he said Utah, UNLV or Wyoming.

Given those schools it means ISU wouldn't be hosting of course so that would push the home / road(neutral) talley to 12 home games, 21 road/neutral site games for this season.

Seems like the entire year has been one...long...road trip.

Seton also said Dora meets with the doctors today and that this was her second potential ACL injury. She suffered a torn ACL in her right leg, three years ago, to the day that she injured her left leg Friday.

PBP

 

[Skippy]

I'm assuming Idaho's women will get the conference's "auto bid" for the WNIT, since they finished second in the regular season.

 

[PBP]

I'm assuming Idaho's women will get the conference's "auto bid" for the WNIT, since they finished second in the regular season.

Yes.

PBP

 

[Spudhead]

I see on the men's side that both Weber State and Idaho turned down CBI and/or CIT bids.