Slocum mention

Those 3 pt % you cite are based on having a highly effective and respected inside presence. "Sticking" Teams don't abandon man-to-man when threes fall, zones are much easier to "solve" to create open threes. OSU is talented, but we are not so superior to good/elite teams they can't stick to us in a Man D. Several teams in the Pac12 have as quick/quicker outside players

DS isn't the solution for the lack of an inside game. If OSU is going to live by the three they will be going no where near Tampa. As much as the colored goggles want to believe it, OSU is not the most talented team. Not even in our own conference. Heck, what should give some 2nd thoughts about wearing said goggles is that Slocum is the ONLY player getting much national attention.

OSU/SR's program has been successful based on two major factors... GREAT team D, and BALANCE on offense. Equally talented or more talented teams will simply run OSU off the 3pt line and force them into their current weakness... a mid-range/inside game. Katie has been the only player to show extreme confidence and capability in her mid-range shot. TC, MW, JT, KT, AG rarely even look from there or are extremely hesitant. In some cases extremely ineffective. Pivec will benefit the most from DS as she will not get caught in the drives with no where to go. Although even she has not shown a great mid-range game as she hasn't to with great post play.

JT, MW, TC are not "bigs" that can consistently take the pressure off with a good inside game. None are big enough, strong enough, experienced enough with any kind of inside presence. Morris, like our Frosh bigs, before has shown physically she is not ready to pound and battle average D1 bigs, let alone elite level players. And, that is just talking the offensive side. None can provide sufficient D vs good to great offensive bigs... it is not who they are. JT and MW are sturdy/strong just not great size. JG can't move and is still nonathletic. TC is not a inside player... or at least for now has shown a penchant for a back to the basket, driving, or defensive game.

So far, this team resembles a typical run and gun team... if the jumper falls you look great. If they don't at a high clip teams with an overall game/inside presence will slowly beat you up. As I've stated, first season in about 4 that there should be some guarded optimism. This team has a LOT of development to go though before it is going anywhere.

In my view of things, baseba1111 is pretty much right on in his assessment of the Beavs...
Especially if one thinks of them as they are right now. Mid-November.

As I mentioned in a previous post - most of the questions about how we are going to survive with a weak post game will be more obvious to us one week from tonight.
By then we will have battled 3 tough teams, hopefully 2 of them being South Carolina and Notre Dame.

Baseba1111 is austere in his analysis of our team limitations. But, it's hard, at least for me, to argue against his basic points.
We simply don't have an impressive post presence. Period. It certainly is nothing at all like we had last year - the last 4 years for that matter...

The question is can 5 VERY good perimeter player offset this deficit? Or, as baseba1111 seems to suggest: Is it even possible to have a nationally ranked Top Ten team without a power post?

Take a look at the current Top 10. None is as weak as the Beavs in their post game.

On the other hand, I don't think many of the other great teams in the country have 5 players who can match the 5 Coach Rueck can bring to the table...We have a lot of skilled players, all play defense and all shoot. Coach really likes them. They're tough, they're competitive and they're smart. I like 'em.

It's getting close to the fun time of the year.....
GO BEAVS !!

I think it is way too early to brand this team just yet, and 411500 is probably correct that we may know a lot more after Vancouver, but I'm still thinking it will be Pac12 season before we have a great idea of what this team will be. What were your thoughts of the team last year after the dominating loss at UCLA, or being swept in LA?

I've already gone on record saying I don't think this team will win as many games as last year, but my hope is that I am wrong. I believe it is fair to say that "DS isn't the solution to the lack of an inside game", but I also believe that better point guard play (Destiny) is PART of the solution, along with improved driving ability of MP, and improved bench help (MW and JT), along with what I would expect to be improved play from KT, TC, KM, and yes, Jo as well. Marie was a very good player as a junior, but even as her stats would suggest, she was not the star she was as a senior, and yet the Beavs won the Pac12.

I don't know where this team will end up. I do know they will be a lot better when the chemistry starts to jell with Destiny. In recent days I've watched reruns of the Baylor game and the UCLA game from last year. There was real chemistry on the team that I'm not seeing yet with this team, but we know it is there as there isn't a ton of change in those receiving playing time. Everybody is getting their shot right now and everyone has the chance to prove that they are, or are not, ready to help.

I believe in these coaches and players, so I'm expecting a very good season. How good remains to be seen, and I think some of that does hinge on how good the post position can be, or how much the other four positions can make up for a weaker post position. I applaud MP for what we've seen from her in the first two games both in driving to the hoop, but more importantly in her rebounding. We need a couple more players to set up and play tough around the basket and grap rebounds.

I also agree with the lack of mid-range shooting, although Katie Mac is pretty decent and Kat has shown a nice touch too. It's so early, I do think we will see more players step up and hit those shots as well.

Just to be clear... "bigs", "interior presence" doesn't equate to "power post". In most situations good, great, elite teams have "options" inside.

UConn... well, correct, they've been doing it for years... tons of talented bigs who are also athletic and versatile.

Right now this Oregon State team is very one dimensional. No power post, no versatile bigs that can out athletic or power people.

As far as SR "loving" this team, he's loved each team from day 1 on campus. What I've noticed this preseason is that he's been more vocal about mentioning it. To me it could be a sign he's trying to help build confidence with his public statements. An aspect teams previous haven't needed.

No real opinion on what you said. But, it came across that you did not realize that all thickhead did was quote the first 2 paragraphs of the article. Those are not thickhead's words.