You're wrong about both. First off, Baker had no choice but to play the 4
in Duffy's first year because there wasn't another one on the roster. Period, end of story. It doesn't matter what she said in interviews. That was just coach/player speak.
Secondly, your assumption about Wells vs Daley also isn't right. Name one PG that Mackie guarded after the midway point of the season. She was left to guard the opponent's weakest guard over and over again. Duffy tried to get her to guard GT's Moon (who isn't even that great) but that lasted all of 4 mins as GT built a 9 point lead. She never tried to guard Nivar for UNC, never tried to guard Fiso from Oregon. Johnson from uva, heck no! On and on. You can go look it up if you didn't notice. But I did. It is very rare for a PG to not guard the other team's PG and it put a lot of stress on the lineups that Duffy was forced to play.
Everyone who has been around basketball, and especially those who coached it -- that includes you, knows that the 2 guard has traditionally been an offense-first player who could be weaker on defense. So much so that folks used to call that position "Scoring Guard." Still that spot on the floor is used by almost every coach as a scoring-first player and they are willing to trade off defense for offense in that spot. Duffy wasn't afforded that luxury because our starting PG couldn't defend her own position.
So, sorry, both of your claims don't stand up to the facts at hand.
Thread Replies (53)
For me, I'm curious about the overall pattern -- across the athletic dept.
-- Long-Lost Hokie
Apr 15, 2026 at 12:10 PM ET
Long-Lost Hokie
•
04/15/26 12:10 PM ET
Well this is going to be CMD's players this year...
-- `lag
Apr 15, 2026 at 09:03 AM ET
`lag
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04/15/26 09:03 AM ET
That’s not just VT that’s every school now. Very few players stay anywhere
-- uber hokie
Apr 17, 2026 at 03:59 AM ET
uber hokie
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04/17/26 03:59 AM ET
We talk so much about “tall”. Tall isn’t the factor. How many talks have we
-- DGHOKIE
Apr 16, 2026 at 06:08 AM ET
DGHOKIE
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04/16/26 06:08 AM ET
If you’re talking about Wes Unseld, that was more like 60 years ago…..
-- vtbball80
Apr 17, 2026 at 12:23 AM ET
vtbball80
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04/17/26 12:23 AM ET
In my opinion, Baker is a bigger loss than you imply.
-- HokieHouse
Apr 15, 2026 at 09:44 PM ET
HokieHouse
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04/15/26 09:44 PM ET
Carys struggled late. Improved in late game situations.
-- TomTurkey
Apr 16, 2026 at 10:51 AM ET
TomTurkey
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04/16/26 10:51 AM ET
Believe we have two more from the portal to go
-- 1977hokie
Apr 15, 2026 at 09:56 AM ET
1977hokie
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04/15/26 09:56 AM ET
yeah, I like it so far and there's still plenty of portal room...
-- `lag
Apr 15, 2026 at 10:22 AM ET
`lag
•
04/15/26 10:22 AM ET
I worry that losing those two players is a sign of something else.**
-- Stork
Apr 15, 2026 at 09:39 AM ET
Stork
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04/15/26 09:39 AM ET
they left cause CMD or the way WBB is run**
-- VermontDDS
Apr 15, 2026 at 12:22 PM ET
VermontDDS
•
04/15/26 12:22 PM ET
If you see their interaction, it is not because of CMD, **
-- VAHokie89
Apr 15, 2026 at 08:25 PM ET
VAHokie89
•
04/15/26 08:25 PM ET
S/he doesn't know squat. Just stirring the pot.**
-- j9hokie
Apr 15, 2026 at 09:11 PM ET
j9hokie
•
04/15/26 09:11 PM ET
Everybody including me don't have a clue why they portaled out**
-- mrknowitall
Apr 15, 2026 at 09:45 PM ET
mrknowitall
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04/15/26 09:45 PM ET
Well, if YOU don't know...**
-- TomTurkey
Apr 16, 2026 at 12:22 PM ET
TomTurkey
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04/16/26 12:22 PM ET
Oh, I have no idea. Just worrisome to me that two very strong starters
-- Stork
Apr 15, 2026 at 10:47 AM ET
Stork
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04/15/26 10:47 AM ET
I think calling Mackie, for one, a "very strong starter" is a
-- King of Hokies
Apr 15, 2026 at 12:03 PM ET
King of Hokies
•
04/15/26 12:03 PM ET
Nelson was a Soph and led or was 2nd in ACC in assists
-- hokiepro
Apr 16, 2026 at 11:48 PM ET
hokiepro
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04/16/26 11:48 PM ET
There's nothing lame about stating facts. Name the opposing PGs that
-- King of Hokies
Apr 17, 2026 at 02:37 AM ET
King of Hokies
•
04/17/26 02:37 AM ET
It’s not a “fact” it’s your opinion. She wasn’t some DPOY but she
-- hokiepro
Apr 17, 2026 at 07:54 AM ET
hokiepro
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04/17/26 07:54 AM ET
It's a fact that she couldn't guard her opponent. And it's a fact that
-- King of Hokies
Apr 17, 2026 at 11:23 AM ET
King of Hokies
•
04/17/26 11:23 AM ET
Duffy’s system didnt’ put baker at the 4
-- VAHokie89
Apr 15, 2026 at 08:28 PM ET
VAHokie89
•
04/15/26 08:28 PM ET
You're wrong about both. First off, Baker had no choice but to play the 4
◄
-- King of Hokies
Apr 16, 2026 at 04:00 PM ET
King of Hokies
•
04/16/26 04:00 PM ET
Teams crowded the paint because they knew Mackie couldn't or wouldn't shoot**
-- mrknowitall
Apr 15, 2026 at 02:40 PM ET
mrknowitall
•
04/15/26 02:40 PM ET
It wasn;t that systematic. It was not like the situation
-- VAHokie89
Apr 16, 2026 at 08:19 AM ET
VAHokie89
•
04/16/26 08:19 AM ET
Yes the teams had more people in paint because of her
-- texashokie1
Apr 16, 2026 at 08:36 PM ET
texashokie1
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04/16/26 08:36 PM ET
So Duffy “nudged” them to move on?**
-- Stork
Apr 15, 2026 at 12:27 PM ET
Stork
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04/15/26 12:27 PM ET
I have no idea. She probably told them what VT needs from them next year.
-- King of Hokies
Apr 15, 2026 at 01:48 PM ET
King of Hokies
•
04/15/26 01:48 PM ET
You shouldn’t nudge unless you have better replacements
-- 1977hokie
Apr 15, 2026 at 12:58 PM ET
1977hokie
•
04/15/26 12:58 PM ET
To be fair to your own players, you have to reveal your plans so they have
-- NMB Hokie
Apr 15, 2026 at 08:58 PM ET
NMB Hokie
•
04/15/26 08:58 PM ET
I always thought Baker is a tall wing. She would do better at Lou IMO.
-- RandomAsianGuy
Apr 15, 2026 at 12:24 PM ET
RandomAsianGuy
•
04/15/26 12:24 PM ET
Dawn Staley said one of the first things recruits asks is about finances**
-- mrknowitall
Apr 15, 2026 at 11:09 AM ET
mrknowitall
•
04/15/26 11:09 AM ET
i assumed they'd ask her what it's like working with the aflac duck.**
-- squarerootofone
Apr 15, 2026 at 02:53 PM ET
squarerootofone
•
04/15/26 02:53 PM ET
That was their second question**
-- mrknowitall
Apr 15, 2026 at 03:35 PM ET
mrknowitall
•
04/15/26 03:35 PM ET
Except I would have guessed those 2 would have been who Duffy would have
-- Stork
Apr 15, 2026 at 10:55 AM ET
Stork
•
04/15/26 10:55 AM ET
Okaaaaay... I mean, I'm clueless on their motives...
-- `lag
Apr 15, 2026 at 10:29 AM ET
`lag
•
04/15/26 10:29 AM ET
Doesnt need the money?
-- Nelsonia Hokie
Apr 15, 2026 at 10:48 AM ET
Nelsonia Hokie
•
04/15/26 10:48 AM ET
I feel like I'd seen they were somewhat estranged...b
-- stescham
Apr 15, 2026 at 06:42 PM ET
stescham
•
04/15/26 06:42 PM ET
mea culpa jumped tracks to Allen Iverson's blowing a lot of money...
-- `lag
Apr 15, 2026 at 08:01 PM ET
`lag
•
04/15/26 08:01 PM ET
Depending on remaining portal "gets", I think the overall new roster may
-- j9hokie
Apr 15, 2026 at 09:07 AM ET
j9hokie
•
04/15/26 09:07 AM ET
be fun watching them develop, and yes potentially a much better team**
-- `lag
Apr 15, 2026 at 09:22 AM ET
`lag
•
04/15/26 09:22 AM ET