What are the thoughts about Strafford this year, expectations. They return a couple who played heavy minutes but several will be new to the varsity floor and new coach.....
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Strafford
- Thread starter roundballfan235
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I’m sure that is true but the streak isn’t really what I was talking about.....thoughts on their season overall?
They are still good. Top 10 in class 3. Different style on Defense but have enough to get back to a final 4 if the road is right.
From what i have seen they still shoot it pretty well. They also have some quick guards that play tough defense. I am sure the streak will end this season at some point but like others have said they will still be really good and probably a ranked 3a team all year.
They are a top 10 team without a doubt. They don't have a starting lineup of 5 college basketball players...like the last few years...but they are still one of the best small schools in the state.
I think the streak will end early. I noticed they are in the Ash Grove tournament this year. For a small school tournament it seems pretty loaded. Walnut Grove(best chance at ending it)Ash Grove(who will be good this year) Crane, Marshfield, PC, Stockton and Miller.
The streak will most likely last until the Pink and White. As far as the AG tournament, WG is without a starter and AG will NOT be good. Miller would be the “ next best team”. Strafford will be solid. Possible final four appearance.
I saw Ash Grove this summer and thought they looked pretty good. Had a move in from Republic I think. Everyone back from last year. When I say they will be good I mean at the 2a level. I think they will win 20 games this year. I didn’t realize WG had someone out. Thats really who I thought had a chance to beat them. Miller probably gonna be without one of their good Sophomores for the year as well.
I saw that Miller sophomore class play when they were in 6th grade. They were really good.
Strafford opens with Blue Eye. BE can beat them. They return all but one and have Patton to go with a plethora of athletes that can all guard and shoot the 3.
Miller plays Blue Eye as well. Miller will be really young again this year. They have 1 Senior 4 Sophomores and 6 Freshman. As I said earlier though 1 of the Sophomores will probably miss the entire year with an injury.
Strafford will be very good again but when you lose arguably the best Missouri high school girls player ever along with her sister and two other starters (one is very replaceable but still...) then you simply won't be near as good again. But they were so much better than anyone else (including any 4a or 5a school IMO) that a big drop down merely means they are still very good and can very well go to the FF again. But other area 3a teams like Mount Vernon, Clever, etc have a chance to beat them come districts and sectionals.
The one thing that Strafford will lack, at least initially, is a go to scorer.
The one thing that Strafford will lack, at least initially, is a go to scorer.
That's why I said "arguably". But I'm not going to argue lol... Frank was definitely one of the best ever to come out of this state and without her, they don't go undefeated the last 4 years and win most of their games by 30-50 points, or more.
First of all, all 5 of those starters as well as the first 3 off the bench would have started for any other school. The “replaceable” player you refer to made a lot more possible for the other players than you know. The “other four” starters damn sure didnt handle the ball or the pressure that came in many of those games as well as she did. Without her, they lose some games. I guess thats why shes playing colloege ball too...... multiple strengths , not predictable at all. As far as Mt Vernon, they lost everything but the junior. Clever lost everything but their senior. Strafford will now run a different system and play MUCH more aggressive defense. Its a role they now enjoy- underdog. But only an underdog to the ignorant masses. Those that know what they have will be smiling.
Pretty sure know one thinks they are an underdog. We just think they will get beat a few times this year. I watched Strafford play several times last year and if you don’t think there was a big drop off after the starting five your delusional.
No dillusions here. The drop off is obvious. My point is they have a lot that wasnt shown last year because of obvious agendas. Every class 3 team in the area lost as much or more. What Strafford has left is better.
I agree with that. 3A in the area has been loaded the last several years but all the good teams like Mt.Vernon,Clever, and FG lost most everyone. I know the last few years Strafford has had a very good Jr high as well. I think they will only be challenged by Skyline in their conference. A final four run is very possible but looking at their schedule I could see them losing 4-5 games this year.
I'm pretty sure I said above that they can go to the final four again, which is exactly what you said earlier in this thread, so no one here and certainly no team that they play will be looking at them as an "underdog". They will not be overlooked. I'm aware that they still have the girl who transferred in from Nebraska (I think) a couple of years ago and another athletic big girl, among others. And by "replaceable", I meant that she will be replaced by someone who IMO will be even better - her younger sister. But the other three graduated starters will be replaced with girls who collectively won't be as good - but still very good players mind you.
And don't overlook the disruption of continuity... The girls who graduated have played varsity together for the better part of 3-4 years and now it's a group of girls who have never played varsity basketball together before, so they won't have the same familiarity on the court. And they have a new coach.... And again, just to make sure, that's not to say that they can't make the FF again, it's just saying they won't be dominant like they were previously and they will lose sometime this year.
Clever returns the only player who made first team all conference last year that didn't graduate and who is one of the best shooters in the state. They also have a 6'1 athletic senior who should step up and some younger players who can shoot and handle.
Mount Vernon has one of the best returnees who has been somewhat under wraps but this yr will be her coming out party. I'll admit I don't know much about the others on that team.
And don't overlook Licking or El Dorado Springs in 3a.
I believe Miller and Blue Eye are 2a. Both of those teams have serious shots at making 2a FF. In fact, I think one of them will make it this yr, I believe they would meet in the quarterfinals so both cannot make it.
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I don’t think there’s any preconceived idea that this team would go another season undefeated. Quite honestly all the discussion being focused on them losing some games seems unfair to the girls who will take the court this season. What Strafford accomplished over the past three seasons (going undefeated) was absolutely amazing… To hold these girls to that same standard or even have discussions comparing that seems a little ridiculous. I just wanted some insight to what they bring to the court this year.
Nobody is holding them to that high standard as nobody expects them to go undefeated. Your obviously a Strafford fan and would have more insight than anybody else on here. Why don’t you tell us what your expectations are for them. I think they go about 22-5 and make it to the quarterfinals.
I’m a basketball fan and appreciate hard work and good programs. I have watched a lot of basketball and saw Strafford play over the past few years. I wanted some insight to what they have coming in this year and it turned into the “streak ending” which wasn’t the point of the discussion.
Well it's kind of hard to discuss this topic without mentioning the streak, you know?
They will have a very good group of 7-9 players. How they all come together remains to be seen, but on talent alone, they can make the FF again. Their coach, while new, has been successful and no doubt will make the best use of their personnel and have them playing hard, smart basketball. He will likely be there a while as he has a pair of daughters who are very good and he's looking to coach them, a la Frank. I think they are 3-4 yrs away from high school.
Not sure what else to add here.
I think its common sense Strafford won't be as good this year as the past 3-4 years. Having said that I think about everyone expects them to win 20+ and make a post season run.
Mt. Vernon is still going to be very good. The said junior mentioned above is arguably the best on ball defender in the area. I also expect Clever to be solid.
The class 3 team I think takes the biggest step back is Fair Grove. They lost a lot and although they might have a couple decent pieces back, i don't see them anywhere near what they were the last couple years.
Mt. Vernon is still going to be very good. The said junior mentioned above is arguably the best on ball defender in the area. I also expect Clever to be solid.
The class 3 team I think takes the biggest step back is Fair Grove. They lost a lot and although they might have a couple decent pieces back, i don't see them anywhere near what they were the last couple years.
Mt. Vernon will be ok but will have a hard time scoring. Stokes is great but unless she scores 40 a game I just don’t know where the offense will come from. I have watched them numerous times the last few years. 14-16 wins is realistic.
You mean the one who mentioned "obvious agendas"?I think a parent of a Strafford alum is posting above.
Were the "obvious agendas" to win state 4 years in a row or for a girl to score 3000 points? either way it was awesome to witness both of those feats.
Nice try, but I dont have a family interest. Just a familiar observer, but I do often have a better seat than others for the action. By agenda, I mean winning by 50 but padding stats. Im not high on holding some back who do the time. I support the success, but it was a group effort, a group of about 10 people, not 3.
3 seniors will most likely start. After that, there are a few juniors, a few soph and another senior looking for time. Roytics- sounds like you’re the hating kind. Must be rough.
That may be, but without the Frank sisters, or at least Haley Frank, there is no streak, or 4 straight championships. Not even sure there would have been even one championship... They still would have been good, but not any better than Fair Grove or Clever have been the last 3-4 years.
Thanks for stating the obvious! Im pretty sure pinks point was that there were several very good players who sacrificed stats and minutes to play a methodical offense so Frank could score 25, with 12 rebounds and win by 50 instead of 15 points and let younger players get some time. Not a good look,it was the only criticism I ever heard about that team and the criticism was widespread. Its one thing to beat someone bad but to leave the coaches kids in to (obviously) pad stats was just ugly. It resulted in a lack of respect for many of the players that passed the ball and defended and rebounded. You can say these players were replaceable and some may be, but without them- theres no streak and no 4 ships. Luckily, those kids didnt jump ship crying “politics” and change schools desperate for attention...... right razzy?
And I actually agree with that point, believe it or not. I didn't watch a lot of Strafford games but the ones I did see they would be up by 30 points and most of the starters were still in the game with 3 or so minutes left. Good thing none of them got hurt in garbage time. The younger players and the others should have gotten more playing time. I don't think anyone disagrees with that. There are a lot of players still on that Strafford team who deserve their chance to shine, and starting this year, we'll start seeing that.
There's a lot of reasons why families move and players change teams. Financial, school size and environment, job relocation, etc... At certain schools, politics certainly does play a role in who plays and who sits. That includes politics where some (or even just one or two) kids brown nose the coach because the coach does not have a healthy boundary between them and the players, and it affects the decision making on the part of that coach. This reduces their ability to get those players to play the roles that best benefit the team as opposed to trying to do it all, resulting in bad chemistry and poor team morale. I'm pretty familiar with that one...
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