It's good to see the girls back to the winning ways.  They rebounded nicely from a couple of losses.  Despite losing to Wilmington, I think the game was great for the girls.  That game prepares them for post-season play much better than an easy 25 point win.  I'd still like to see more of those games on the schedule.  The 12 point DePauw loss at DePauw was much better than last year, which tells me the girls have closed the gap.  I still stand by my prediction that the last game of the year will be for the #1 seed.  I don't see the girls even being challenged except in two games before then, and one of those doesn't count in the standings.  That last game should be fun.

"I think this is OU's year", "This year the kulavic,findley duo will take them to the top of the SCAC", "I think them being a year older, better, and more experienced is going to take them to the top this year", "That was a very good win and is what gives me hope that they are ready to take it to the next level", "I'm predicting the last game of the year in Dorough will be for the #1 seed, with OU coming out on top".

I think I am giving the girls plenty of credit, FOP.  I was just saying I think this team is able to rise to the challenge of a tougher schedule and would benefit from such a schedule.  You wrote something along the lines of them struggling late and if they want to be an elite team they needed to pick it up.  In my opinion, tougher non-conference games would help them in the post-season.  I still think they have only played one challenging game, and that was a conference game (Birm. South) and if I'm not mistaken the conference schedule is pre-arranged. 

If a team is 9-2 but hasn't beaten anyone, are they a quality team?  You have to look at not only opponents records, but who they have won and lost against.  The only game OU went into with the outcome in doubt was Birm. South.  As I stated, that was a very good win and beating a team of that caliber makes me think this is the year.  I think the girls are ready to take it to the next level, and I think challenging themselves in the non-conference schedule would help them do so.  DePauw has already played the #7, #9, and #11 teams in the country.  THAT is a schedule that challenges them and gets them ready for post-season.  OU hasn't played anyone in the top 25 or that is recieving votes. (Birm. South probably would be if they were eligible but again that's a conference game and doesn't count) Those type of teams are what I am talking about.  Not a 9-2 Piedmont team that went to the NCAA because they are in the GSAC.  OU is going to get a bid.  I have no doubt about that and never have.  I think the girls can go further than they ever have this year, but it's just my humble opinion that challenging oneself in the non-conference schedule is benefitial.  That is why I'm really looking forward to the Wilmington game.

VOZ, I like your posts, but one minor correction:  It's not lady petrels, it's petrels!
Go Petrels!

Less than a month untile baseball starts.  Any word on new recruits for OU?

I think vozdelospetrels has a more realistic view of that 04-05 team.  You have to remember that the Shaheed of 04-05 was not the Shaheed of 06-07 or 07-08.  I didn't remember him even playing on that team so I checked out his stats.  While he did play a few minutes, he was 10-44 (23%) for the year.  When a post shoots 23%, that's pretty awful.  He's obviously developed nicely since then, but he was a nonfactor that year.  Tulowitzky also was not the 1st team player he later became that year.  He was a young sophomore that averaged 7 pts and shot 43%.

The 04-05 team was probably the smallest college basketball team I've seen.  Four guys 6' or smaller with a natural SF forced to play center and no bench whatsoever.  Most all HS teams are bigger.  Four of the guys mentioned from Trinity were  I believe 6'6 or taller, including a 6'8 and 6'11.  Only Churchwell would have even started for Trinity that year.  Only Churchwell would have scored 1000 points had they each gone to Trinity.  The OU guys have benefited from playing in a fast break type offense as opposed to a half court style so although they are all quality players, there stats are a little skewed because of style of play and the fact that they didnt have to sit for a year or two before playing.

That OU team was undersized in every game they played that year, but they were scrappy, could shoot the three, and could score in bunches so had a punchers chance every night out.  But like vozdelospetrels said they lacked size and an inside presence.

That was my point about them not being ready for prime time last year.  Against elite teams, they struggled, while beating up on the rest.  Against teams that finished in the top 25 last year, they were 1-4 with a two point win, and losses of 42, 37, 23, and 13 points.  That's a scoring margin of -22.4.  Not the body of work of an elite team.  But there core was mostly sophomores.  I think them being a year older, better, and more experienced is going to take them to the top this year.  I would like to see them with a tougher schedule though to get them ready for the elite teams.  So far this year they have played one quality opponent (Bir-South) and that was at home.  That was a very good win though and is what gives me hope that they are ready to take it to the next level.  I wish they would test themselves on the road though.  DePauw has two losses against top 10 teams this year away from Greencastle.  Despite the losses, those games will prepare them for the postseason.  OU always plays a lot of home games and rarely plays anyone quality on the road.  Some more tough road games would get the girls prepared to win in the postseason.  We know they can win at home.

I still think this is the year though.  The home game vs. Wilmington and the game at DePauw in the next two weeks should tell us how good they can be.  I'm predicting the last game of the year in Dorough will be for the #1 seed, with OU coming out on top.

I think this is OU's year.  I don't think they were ready for prime time last year but I think being a year older will put them over the top and unseat DePauw.  Last year they were still young and lost several games by 20 and 30+ points while beating the teams they were supposed to.  This year the Kulavic,Findley duo will take them to the top of the SCAC.  DePauw lost to much.

To address frank and BFIB and FOP.  FOP, I would agree with you that OU has been pretty inconsistent.  I've seen them play really well and make think they might be pretty good, then the next game stink up the joint.  When they are playing well, I think they can play with the top teams in the SCAC but how often will they play that well?  I was worried with them losing all those seniors that they would be in for a tough year, but despite the inconsistencies I think they have a shot at a pretty good year so I'm more optimistic now than I was before the season.  They have some good new players especially #10.