Big 12 looks to be in good shape to get six tournament bids. Oklahoma State's losing streak finally showed up in the RPI, so the Cowgirls know they're done. I'll be honest, I didn't have much motivation to do the rest of the update this week, but I'll finish out the season. I won't clutter the board with this kind of thread again - hardly any of you read it, and forcing myself to pay attention to things after my team's season was shattered has only made me angry.
Please don't quit!! I appreciate your updates very much! I'm not a big 12 fan (Duke is my team) but I like to read about other conferences, and your updates are very well detailed and informative. Keep up the good work. There are those of us out there that read your posts religiously.
WEEK TWELVE - POSTSEASON Scores Nov. 2 – Big 12 Tournament Semifinals (1) Baylor 2, (5) Texas Tech 1 (OT) (2) West Virginia 1, (3) Texas 0 Nov. 4 – Big 12 Tournament Final (2) West Virginia 3, (1) Baylor 0 Records Baylor 17-5 Texas 13-4-3 Texas Tech 13-5-2 West Virginia 14-4-3 TCU 12-4-3 Kansas 11-5-3 Oklahoma State 10-7-1 Oklahoma 7-10-2 Kansas State 4-12-2 Iowa State 4-14-2 National Honors (Nov. 5) TopDrawerSoccer National Team of the Week Easther Mayi Kith, West Virginia RPI (via NCAA.com) – through Nov. 4 5. Baylor 6. West Virginia 13. Texas 19. TCU 23. Kansas 34. Texas Tech 54. Oklahoma State 91. Oklahoma 145. Iowa State 158. Kansas State Rankings United Soccer Coaches (Nov. 6) 8. West Virginia 11. Baylor 17. Texas Top Drawer Soccer (Nov. 5) 13. Texas 15. West Virginia 20. Baylor Soccer America (Nov. 6) 8. West Virginia 12. Baylor 20. Texas Tech 21. Texas United Soccer Coaches Midwest Region (Nov. 6) 1. West Virginia 2. Baylor 3. Texas 4. Texas Tech 5. TCU 6. Kansas 10. Oklahoma State NCAA Tournament Draw Nov. 9 Princeton at Texas Tech (Georgetown Region) Saint Louis at Kansas (North Carolina Region) BYU at TCU (Stanford Region) Virginia Tech at (4) Texas (North Carolina Region) Nov. 10 Radford at (2) West Virginia (Florida State Region) Abilene Christian at (2) Baylor (Georgetown Region)
Had a lot of other stuff keeping me away last week, so that's the update that should have been posted. Looks like I need to reconsider my stance of stopping the thread next year. __________________________ I'll do a full update later since it looks like at least one ranking is continuing into this week. Suffice to say, I'm stunned at the Texas upset.
NCAA TOURNAMENT ROUND ONE Scores Nov. 9 Texas Tech 3, Princeton 0 Kansas 2, Saint Louis 1 TCU 2, BYU 1 Virginia Tech 1, (4) Texas 0 Nov. 10 (2) West Virginia 6, Radford 0 (2) Baylor 2, Abilene Christian 0 Records Baylor 18-5 West Virginia 15-4-3 TCU 13-4-3 Texas Tech 14-5-2 Texas 13-5-3 Kansas 12-5-3 Oklahoma State 10-7-1 Oklahoma 7-10-2 Kansas State 4-12-2 Iowa State 4-14-2 National Honors (Nov. 12) TopDrawerSoccer National Team of the Week Kirsten Davis, Texas Tech Honorable Mention: Katie McClure, Kansas Rankings Top Drawer Soccer (Nov. 12) 12. West Virginia 16. Baylor NCAA Tournament Round Two Draw Nov. 16 Texas Tech vs. (3) Virginia (at Baylor) (Georgetown Region) Kansas vs. (1) North Carolina (at Cary, NC) (North Carolina Region) TCU vs. (3) Texas A&M (at Tennessee) (Stanford Region) Wake Forest at (2) West Virginia (Florida State Region) Vanderbilt at (2) Baylor (Georgetown Region)
A late posting again. The next one is ready to go once TDS posts their team for this week; why they're still doing all this through the tournament, I have no idea. ***************************** I thought the Big 12 teams got decent enough draws. Most of the teams weren't good enough to make deep runs, but were good enough to get past the first round at least, and I thought the draw set up well for that. Texas going out to Virginia Tech was a surprise, but not as much after learning Cyera Hintzen didn't play much. In the second round, I thought "Bad West Virginia" from the start of the season was long gone; it came back at the worst possible time. WVU is the only 1 or 2 seed that didn't make the Elite Eight. So of the three that had a chance to go deep in the tournament, Baylor is the only team left for the conference, matching their run of a year ago. They again have the chance to be the first Big 12 team to reach the College Cup, but I can't imagine too many folks outside of Waco are hoping it happens.
West Virginia mad it to the College Cup in 2016 so Baylor would not be the first Big 12 team in the College Cup
General thoughts on Big 12 tourney results ...decent round 1...carnage round 2. Texas Tech and WVU out in 2nd round PKs....tough losses. Kansas overmatched in 2nd round...UNC just in a different class. TCU looked evenly matched but was knocked out in 2nd round by A&M. They looked a bit defensive in their approach and were not quite strong enough in midfield to play effectively on the counter. A&M took the win, but their days of being the far and away best team in Texas are probably numbered (or already behind them). Texas losing to VT in round 1 wasn't a big surprise to me having seen their productivity decline towards the end of season once Hintzen was injured. UT also just never seemed to quite gel after their internationals returned....loaded with all kinds of redundant pace and athleticism wide, but lacking it in the back line and central midfield. Highly individualistic play in the attacking third meant without hintzen heroics UT wasn't as potent as you'd expect with their many weapons. Looking at the talent UT has coming though, hard to imagine how they aren't a bonafide top 10 program within the next 3 years. After watching them dominate (but ultimately lose to) Texas earlier this season, I said Baylor looked the most complete team in the Big 12. Taking out the SEC champion and a perennial ACC powerhouse to make another elite 8 bears that out (weak pun...I know). WVU was easily the most skilled, but they were missing the consistent defensive tenacity and finishing instincts of Baylor. Watching the Baylor Vs. Vandy game, I was almost embarrassed to have claimed they play through the midfield, as they abandoned the skillset of freshmen Moon and Cunningham and resorted to hoofing everything forward. Shocking really, given I'd seen them play much more impressively against opponents of the same quality as Vandy. Still - Baylor just competes. Yes, they are physical and tough, but from the games I've watched, they are not dirty. Virginia played beautiful, but largely ineffective possession soccer against them in the 3rd round, while the bears pulled off the keep compact then aggressively counter strategy to perfection. It will be interesting to watch how their style of play fares in the elite 8. I suspect they're going to be a tough out.
I think Baylor would/will struggle on larger surfaces on the road. They used home field advantage very well. The tactics they employ are not to my taste but yes effective. Aided by the way referees seem to call games.
Props to them for riding it to the elite 8 and I’m sure they nor their fans care but Baylor soccer is awful to watch. They didn’t complete more than 3 passes in a row the entire weekend. If they have to pass laterally it’s highly likely it’s to no one and going out of bounds. Their goal keeper bangs it forward and had an impressive streak vs UVA of hitting it to hoos 9 times in a row. Dirty. And direct. Just awful. And yet in the elite 8. So why not play that way I guess.
If completing more than 3 passes is the standard, you're going to indict a lot more teams in women's soccer. Once you get outside the top few ACC/PAC 12, Baylor doesn't play much differently than 90% of other college teams. Throw in USYNT at most age groups while you're at it. For the record...not a BU fan, and have no vested interest in their program, other than having watched several of their players from the Dallas area over the years.
No way. UVA type possession? Ok. But three passes in a row is a low bar and most teams at least try and have some build up and thoughtfulness. Hard to knock them cuz it clearly works. It’s jusr awful to watch and combined with their late consistent fouls I’m not a fan. Not sure anyone cares tho and I’m sure Baylor and their fans don’t care a whit.
NCAA TOURNAMENT ROUNDS TWO AND THREE Scores Nov. 16 (3) Virginia 0, Texas Tech 0 (2OT) – Virginia advances 4-2 on PKs (at Baylor) (Georgetown Region) (1) North Carolina 4, Kansas 1 (at Cary, NC) (North Carolina Region) (3) Texas A&M 2, TCU 0 (at Tennessee) (Stanford Region) Wake Forest 2, (2) West Virginia 2 – Wake Forest advances 6-5 on PKs (Florida State Region) (2) Baylor 3, Vanderbilt 1 (Georgetown Region) Nov. 18 (2) Baylor 2, (3) Virginia 1 (Georgetown Region) Records Baylor 20-5 West Virginia 15-4-4 Texas Tech 14-5-3 TCU 13-5-3 Texas 13-5-3 Kansas 12-6-3 Oklahoma State 10-7-1 Oklahoma 7-10-2 Kansas State 4-12-2 Iowa State 4-14-2 National Honors (Nov. 12) TopDrawerSoccer National Team of the Week Julie James, Baylor Honorable Mention: Raegan Padgett, Baylor Rankings Top Drawer Soccer (Nov. 19) 8. Baylor 15. West Virginia NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals Nov. 24 (2) Baylor at (1) Georgetown
This is one that the Committee may have set up intentionally, as there's a reasonable possibility Georgetown was the last team to get a #1 and Baylor the first to get a #2.
NCAA TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALS Scores Nov. 24 (1) Georgetown 3, (2) Baylor 0 Rankings Top Drawer Soccer (Nov. 26) 8. Baylor 15. West Virginia
SEASON WRAPUP Final Records Baylor 20-6 West Virginia 15-4-4 Texas Tech 14-5-3 TCU 13-5-3 Texas 13-5-3 Kansas 12-6-3 Oklahoma State 10-7-1 Oklahoma 7-10-2 Kansas State 4-12-2 Iowa State 4-14-2 Final Rankings United Soccer Coaches (Dec. 4) 9. Baylor 14. West Virginia 20. Texas 24. Texas Tech Top Drawer Soccer (Dec. 3) 8. Baylor 15. West Virginia National Honors Hermann Trophy Semifinalist Julie James, Baylor United Soccer Coaches All-America Team First Team MF – Julie James, Baylor Second Team D – Bianca St. Georges, West Virginia F – Cyera Hintzen, Texas Third Team GK – Rylee Foster, West Virginia United Soccer Coaches All-Midwest Region Team First Team GK – Rylee Foster, West Virginia D – Easther Mayi Kith, West Virginia D – Bianca St. Georges, West Virginia MF – Haley Berg, Texas MF – Julie James, Baylor MF – Yazmeen Ryan, TCU F – Sh’Nia Gordon, West Virginia F – Grace Hagan, Kansas F – Cyera Hintzen, Texas Second Team GK – Jennifer Wandt, Baylor D – Sarah King, Baylor MF – Kaylee Dao, Oklahoma MF – Julia Grosso, Texas F – Messiah Bright, TCU F – Kirstin Davis, Texas Tech Third Team D – Kim Rodriguez, Oklahoma State MF – Jordan Duke, Texas Tech MF – Karitas Tomasdottir, TCU F – Katie McClure, Kansas F – Camryn Wendlandt, Baylor F – Haley Woodard, Oklahoma State