Rule Of Tree - All PostsA Stanford Cardinal Fan Communityhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52622/rot_fav.png2021-06-23T16:37:24-07:00http://www.ruleoftree.com/rss/current/2021-06-23T16:37:24-07:002021-06-23T16:37:24-07:003 Stanford products named to U.S. women’s Olympic soccer team
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<p>Cardinal alums aim to bring gold medal back home.</p> <p id="UbT4MO">U.S. Soccer unveiled the Tokyo Olympics squad for women’s soccer on Wednesday, and there were three <a href="https://www.ruleoftree.com">Stanford Cardinal</a> products among the selections.</p>
<p id="B6PLkN">Defender Kelley O’Hara, forward Christen Press and defender Tierna Davidson are all on the 18-player squad selected by head coach Vlatko Andonovski and unveiled on morning television on Wednesday.</p>
<p id="HGGSav">O’Hara is the most veteran of the trio, with this selection to the Olympics being her third in her career. She played every minute in the 2012 Olympics in London, where the <a href="https://www.starsandstripesfc.com">USWNT</a> won the gold medal.</p>
<p id="nUPhMk">Press is going into her second Olympics, the striker having to battle through considerable depth at the attacking positions but pushing her way into the reckoning. After a 2019 World Cup in which she was deadly off the bench, she’s arguably played her best soccer of her career in the interim, although she’ll still face stiff competition to get in the XI for matches.</p>
<p id="VkwxjH">Davidson is the baby of the group and the youngest on the full roster, at 22 years old. With a tiny roster and a compressed schedule, expect the defender and set piece specialist to get some run during the tournament.</p>
<p id="cXzLsQ">The U.S. will face a tough opening opponent in group play in Sweden on July 21, followed by New Zealand on July 24 and Australia on July 27.</p>
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https://www.ruleoftree.com/2021/6/23/22547964/3-stanford-products-christen-press-kelley-ohara-tierna-davidson-us-womens-olympic-soccer-teamAlicia Rodriguez2021-05-28T07:46:00-07:002021-05-28T07:46:00-07:00Stanford product Alanna Smith named to Australia’s Olympic roster
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<p>Women’s basketball star in line for Olympic debut.</p> <p id="6CJUSe">The Australian women’s basketball program announced the national team roster for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics this week, and a <a href="https://www.ruleoftree.com">Stanford Cardinal</a> product was among the players who made the cut.</p>
<p id="HlpWY9">Forward Alanna Smith, who played for the Cardinal from 2015-19, is one of 12 players selected for the squad, one of four who will be making her Olympic debut this year if everything goes according to plan.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Two more for Tokyo‼️<a href="https://twitter.com/StanfordWBB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StanfordWBB</a>'s <a href="https://twitter.com/AlannaSmith96?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AlannaSmith96</a> will be making her Olympic debut and <a href="https://twitter.com/UTAHWBB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UTAHWBB</a>'s Leilani Mitchell will return for her second Games with <a href="https://twitter.com/BasketballAus?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BasketballAus</a>.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OlympiansMadeHere?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OlympiansMadeHere</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoStanford?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoStanford</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoUtes?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoUtes</a></p>— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) <a href="https://twitter.com/pac12/status/1398002854883774465?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2021</a>
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<p id="lok45S">After Stanford, Smith was drafted by the Phoenix Mercury, and has seen playing time in the <a href="https://www.swishappeal.com">WNBA</a> season that just started a couple weeks back.</p>
<p id="Gqyt02">Australia are joined in Group C play by Puerto Rico, China and Belgium, with two and possibly three teams from that group moving on to the quarterfinals. The Opals last medaled at the Olympics in 2012, after they were stunned in the quarterfinal round in 2016 by Serbia.</p>
<p id="QbBHa2">Smith is far from the only Cardinal to be headed to the Olympics, even in women’s basketball. We’ll keep you posted on other Stanford athletes, past and present, who head to Tokyo to compete this summer.</p>
https://www.ruleoftree.com/2021/5/28/22457837/stanford-product-alanna-smith-named-australia-olympic-rosterAlicia Rodriguez2021-05-14T12:32:00-07:002021-05-14T12:32:00-07:00NIL on the horizon, David Shaw explains how Stanford will be ‘ready’
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<p>David Shaw spoke on how his student-athletes will be prepared for success when the NIL laws go into affect</p> <p id="uHHJLY">The <a href="https://www.ruleoftree.com">Stanford Cardinal</a> student-athletes are better off than most when they leave the university because simply put: they have a Stanford education. It wouldn’t be a surprise, however, to hear that the Cardinal are actively preparing for the changes that are to come within collegiate athletics when the name, image and likeness bills are expected to pass.</p>
<p id="XjPx35">There’s a lot to unpack in the NIL proposals themselves, but essentially, student-athletes will be permitted to brand themselves and essentially profit off such branding. It’s imperative they receive assistance in their endeavors from outside help (athlete advocates) or more importantly, from their universities. </p>
<p id="NLTyWW">It’s another important wrinkle that (mainly) football coaches are going to have to actively recruit with as well: Just how they are handling the NIL to better their student-athletes off the field.</p>
<p id="tvkt9M">We’ve seen UCF tease out some of their plans that include assisting in marketing their players and other programs have essentially teased out a marketing team to assist their players as well.</p>
<p id="Clq8xM">David Shaw spoke to this on SiriusXM radio this week. And apparently is ready to take a different stance.</p>
<p id="Kv6FIM">“The name, image and likeness has a lot to do with the individual and not a lot to do with the universities,” Shaw said. “We can give our young people education, we can help them make the decisions on who their agents are going to be, on how they’re going to present themselves, but for the most part this is something that the young person, to a certain degree, on their own.”</p>
<p id="nYwNfh">Color me less than impressed.</p>
<p id="hMtsn4">Maybe I don’t speak for everyone here, so here’s the full clip that was shared:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">With name, image and likeness laws on the horizon, <a href="https://twitter.com/CoachDavidShaw?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachDavidShaw</a> explained how his student-athletes will be prepared for success. <a href="https://twitter.com/StanfordFball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StanfordFball</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkPacker?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarkPacker</a> <a href="https://t.co/LTUIQ5mD9S">pic.twitter.com/LTUIQ5mD9S</a></p>— College Sports on SiriusXM (@SXMCollege) <a href="https://twitter.com/SXMCollege/status/1392875449005613063?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2021</a>
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https://www.ruleoftree.com/2021/5/14/22436295/stanford-football-david-shaw-name-image-likeness-lawsCam Mellor2021-05-12T10:31:00-07:002021-05-12T10:31:00-07:00Paulson Adebo seen as high-upside ‘project’
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<figcaption>Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Adebo landed with the New Orleans Saints in the third-round of the 2021 NFL Draft</p> <p id="xLHlU4">The <a href="https://www.ruleoftree.com">Stanford Cardinal</a> were represented very well in the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft">2021 NFL Draft</a> with Walker Little hearing his name first. Former QB Davis Mills happened to go second after just one shortened year as the starter while 2018’s “lock for first-round pick” Paulson Adebo landed in the third round to the <a href="https://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/">New Orleans Saints</a>.</p>
<p id="cUgrbE">Adebo is absolutely as talented as the entire crop of cornerbacks drafted from the 2021 Draft. And now our friends over at <a href="http://canalstreetchronicles.com">Canal Street Chronicles</a> are dubbing him as a high-upside project.</p>
<p id="twpKjg">They did a great job of outlining some of Adebo’s strengths and weaknesses over his career with the Cardinal.</p>
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<p id="7H7TRa"><strong>The Good</strong></p>
<p id="5ZMtAL">When Stanford played man coverage, Adebo’s smarts really come into play. He’s good at staying on a receiver’s back hip, and his timing to make plays is impeccable. Indeed, just look at his numbers. Adebo had eight interceptions and 27 passes broken up in just two seasons at Stanford. He’s confident following receivers out of their breaks, and he’s willing to play physical.</p>
<p id="Jjm0fC">Adebo’s build also makes him very trainable. This isn’t the 220-pound Stanley Jean-Baptiste. Adebo has good relative size and speed, and with Marcus Williams helping over the top, Adebo will be able to take the risks in coverage that allowed him to make a name for himself at Stanford.</p>
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<p id="XXfLdJ">Especially with how well he’ll fit into the Saints scheme on defense.</p>
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<p id="QWgFHU"><strong>The Bad</strong></p>
<p id="4yxMS1">Because of Stanford’s scheme, it’s difficult to tell how effective will be in Dennis Allen’s variants of zone coverage. The Saints have thrived off of multiple looks the past few seasons, which can be complicated for incoming players to learn. Stanford often had Adebo playing off of receivers when he’s looked better locking them up at the line.</p>
<p id="htK6l5">When Adebo gave up completions, they were often curls or switches. If that continues, it could be exploitable in the Saints’ zone variants. No one wants to see the Saints go back to soft zones that got them picked apart in the mid-2010s. Adebo will need a bit of time to fit in on this Saints defense, so the reality is the CB No. 2 spot is wide open.</p>
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<p id="hGyKqi">And in total, there’s reason to believe that we’ll see him on the field quite a bit this fall.</p>
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<p id="NiG2Jx">All things told, Adebo is a good, physical corner with great hands and good ability in man coverage. While we won’t know what the Saints have in him until at least the preseason, there are a lot of reasons to be enthusiastic about the pick.</p>
<p id="G0ZOir">With that being said, look for the Saints to shore up the cornerback position in free agency. Adebo doesn’t really have the makings of a Day 1 starter, but he certainly has the potential to become a strong piece for a Saints defense that desperately needs to figure out its situation opposite Lattimore for the foreseeable future.</p>
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<p id="vVLaB3">We all know the kind of player he is, so this shouldn’t surprise us in the slightest.</p>
<p id="2QaaMq">Good luck, Paulson!</p>
https://www.ruleoftree.com/2021/5/12/22432498/stanford-football-paulson-adebo-high-upside-project-new-orleans-saintsCam Mellor2021-05-10T12:01:00-07:002021-05-10T12:01:00-07:00Currently Cardinal, 5/10: What’s been going on?
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<p>It’s been awhile folks, glad to be back</p> <p id="eErq0b">In case you forgot, the <a href="https://www.ruleoftree.com">Stanford Cardinal</a> are National Champions. I didn’t forget. I didn’t miss a minute of the action as Coach Tara led her group to a dominant tournament appearance and a fabulous National Championship Game victory.</p>
<p id="hhPlew">Yes, I actually follow Stanford Athletics when I’m not on duty, when I’m off the clock, so to speak. I know it’s been a while since you’ve seen my name in the byline above but I am back after a long 88 business days away and just over four months away from the computer. </p>
<p id="AhLcD8">Our second-born is doing great, our first-born is adjusting nicely and my wife is an absolute rockstar in the process. We also decided to buy and move into a new house during all of this child-rearing business, in a tumultuous ‘crazy-busy real estate season’ according to our realtor. </p>
<p id="weyFfc">So with all that said, and as I get back into the groove, I figured the best way to go about returning to the site was to go ahead and round up some daily links as I read through what I may have missed when I was watching a fan. Today’s daily links are below, and I’m back to be with you all. </p>
<p id="arPlcW">Stanford golfers take place in <a href="https://bit.ly/3hcRrky">Regionals</a></p>
<p id="kXOXEM">No. 2 seed Stanford faces Denver on Friday in <a href="https://twitter.com/StanfordWLax/status/1391568370114306048?s=20">women’s lacrosse</a></p>
<p id="IipDkN">Hull sisters, Kiana Williams named <a href="https://academicallamerica.com/documents/2021/5/6//Acad_BasketW_2020_21.pdf?id=3169">Academic All-District</a></p>
<p id="sj0b7m">Stanford baseball <a href="https://gostanford.com/index.aspx">takes series over Arizona</a></p>
<p id="q2ZXLS">Women’s lacrosse <a href="https://gostanford.com/news/2021/5/8/womens-lacrosse-dominant-from-opening-draw.aspx">crowned Pac-12 Champs</a></p>
<p id="a1wUga">Remembering when Coach Tara called her mom with some fun news</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">A program built on family ❤️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoStanford?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoStanford</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HappyMothersDay?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HappyMothersDay</a> <a href="https://t.co/FxYCdBYZWm">pic.twitter.com/FxYCdBYZWm</a></p>— Stanford Women’s Basketball (@StanfordWBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/StanfordWBB/status/1391483709145055235?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2021</a>
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<p id="DeKmqO">I’ll be back at it all week!</p>
https://www.ruleoftree.com/2021/5/10/22429230/stanford-athletics-national-champion-cardinalCam Mellor2021-04-24T07:57:00-07:002021-04-24T07:57:00-07:00Stanford gearing up for NCAA men’s soccer tournament
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<p>Pac-12 champs hope they can find more national glory.</p> <p id="ZkG3ot">The <a href="https://www.ruleoftree.com">Stanford Cardinal</a> men’s soccer program is fresh off a <a href="https://www.pacifictakes.com">Pac-12</a> regular season title for the spring season, and now they’ll aim to write their names in school lore once more in the NCAA Tournament, scheduled to take place starting next month in North Carolina.</p>
<p id="e5KgUQ">The Cardinal are the No. 4 overall seed for the tournament, and will therefore get a first-round bye. They will take on the winner of the Omaha-UNC Greensboro match, which is scheduled for Thursday, and the winner playing Stanford on May 2.</p>
<p id="gq1uRY">Stanford edged Washington for the Pac-12 crown this season with an overtime win over the Huskies last week. It was their sixth conference title in the last seven years.</p>
<p id="GH6ZRe">The Cardinal have been among the elite programs in men’s soccer for the past several years, capped off with consecutive national titles in 2015, 2016, and 2017. Can they get back to the pinnacle again this season? With a smaller field this year, it’s only four games to win the title, can they make it happen? We’ll find out how the journey goes starting May 2.</p>
https://www.ruleoftree.com/2021/4/24/22400601/stanford-gearing-up-for-ncaa-mens-soccer-tournamentAlicia Rodriguez2021-04-15T17:37:14-07:002021-04-15T17:37:14-07:00Stanford’s Kiana Williams drafted by Seattle Storm in 2021 WNBA Draft
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<img alt="NCAA Womens Basketball: Final Four Championship-South Carolina vs Stanford" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9hSPatTZzmmWhBVoDN49nIgHdCk=/0x0:4000x2667/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69134348/usa_today_15857691.0.jpg" />
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<p>Guard could be a steal at No. 18.</p> <p id="VBnVa6"><a href="https://www.ruleoftree.com">Stanford Cardinal</a> guard Kiana Williams was selected at No. 18 overall by the Seattle Storm in the 2021 <a href="https://www.swishappeal.com">WNBA</a> Draft on Thursday.</p>
<p id="9AdQPs">Williams may have dropped to the 2nd round, but she may have found the right fit to embark on her professional career, with the Storm the defending WNBA champions and the point guard potentially backing up legendary guard Sue Bird in the upcoming season.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">With the 18th pick in the 2021 <a href="https://twitter.com/WNBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WNBA</a> Draft, the Seattle Storm selects <a href="https://twitter.com/Kiana__W?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Kiana__W</a>!<br><br>Welcome to Seattle, Kiana! ⛈<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TakeCover?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TakeCover</a> <a href="https://t.co/ao22edYQvk">pic.twitter.com/ao22edYQvk</a></p>— Seattle Storm (@seattlestorm) <a href="https://twitter.com/seattlestorm/status/1382853238534246403?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2021</a>
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<p id="glPPhP">Williams capped off her college career with an NCAA Tournament title, in her hometown of San Antonio, with the Cardinal just over a week ago, Stanford’s third national title in program history. A three-time All-<a href="https://www.pacifictakes.com">Pac-12</a> selection, she was a WCBA All-American this past season, averaging 14 points and 3.1 assists in her senior season. </p>
<p id="XtWjJG">For being an All-American, it may be a surprise that Williams had to wait so long to hear her name, but she’s a “glue” player, able to distribute, score and lead her team and you wouldn’t necessarily bet against her making her way in the WNBA. </p>
<p id="PndlKW">Congratulations to Kiana for her selection and best of luck to her as she embarks on her professional career.</p>
https://www.ruleoftree.com/2021/4/15/22386598/stanford-kiana-williams-drafted-seattle-storm-2021-wnba-draftAlicia Rodriguez2021-04-05T15:22:05-07:002021-04-05T15:22:05-07:00How to Watch Gonzaga vs. Baylor, NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament final
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<img alt="NCAA Basketball: Final Four-UCLA at Gonzaga" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2B7GmJN7mcuc_mqwHbZjhSeuo9g=/0x0:1994x1329/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69080390/usa_today_15844564.0.jpg" />
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<p>The other bball title game is here.</p> <p id="zneKxR">You’re probably still basking in the glow of the <a href="https://www.ruleoftree.com">Stanford Cardinal</a>’s first <a href="https://www.ruleoftree.com/2021/4/4/22367137/stanford-win-ncaa-national-championship-after-outlasting-arizona">women’s basketball national championship</a> in 29 years — why wouldn’t you be? — but if you can’t get enough college basketball, the men’s NCAA Tournament championship game is Monday evening in Indianapolis.</p>
<p id="e2Ikvz">It’s an intriguing matchup if you like upstarts, as perennial mid-major power Gonzaga have a chance to win their first national title and they go up against a Big 12 school in Baylor that has been a women’s basketball power, but previously hadn’t reached national title heights with the men’s team.</p>
<p id="FO2k59">Needless to say, the winner here will be a first-time national champion, and both teams are capable of really hitting some fireworks on the court. Given the freshness of the matchup, we’ll see what the boys have in store in this one.</p>
<p id="0BrWiU"><strong>How to Watch Gonzaga vs. Baylor:</strong></p>
<p id="oCEGKY"><strong>When:</strong> Monday, April 5, 6:20 p.m. PT</p>
<p id="b408wk"><strong>Where: </strong>Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana</p>
<p id="BRX7R2"><strong>How to watch: </strong>CBS</p>
https://www.ruleoftree.com/2021/4/5/22368876/how-to-watch-gonzaga-vs-baylor-ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament-finalAlicia Rodriguez