And Brey's teams all this year, would have found more laughter from the men. Seriously, in terms of pure sport, ND women play better and more consistent basketball than the men. And they had double the injuries for virtually the whole year.
The imbalance you note is real. But even the national commentators suggested that women's basketball is where the men's sport was 20 years ago.
Agree completely. Muffett's teams play with intelligence and heart year after year. You can't ask for more than that.
Brey gets in the men's game and the reason is simple. No superstars are staying for four years in the men's game so that eliminates us from getting them. In the women's game the money in the WNBA stinks so no superstars are leaving early with the exception of Jewel Lloyd, the degrees they get from ND are meaningful even to the talented women players therefore it is so much easier for us to recruit a ton of the best women players.
I do love the way the women pass the ball and play the high low game but with the makeup of the men's team and the quickness and strength of mens' basketball the same things do not always work.
Women's basketball, like most other women's sports, follows the same pattern: you have a small number of female athletes who are genuinely athletic and the disparity between them and the rest is usually immense. I always think of Cheryl Miller dribbling around five girls on the court and scoring at will. Unsurprisingly in women's basketball, a few programs load up on the athletic girls and the rest of the schools are left picking from the less than athletic ones.
And I disagree that any aspect of women's basketball is pleasurable to watch. It's painful.
easily. The women's refs are pathetic too. Although the NIT ones today at our game were a joke. Their passing is good but because women do not have the physical strength with enough fast twitch muscle they just can't execute super athletic ball.