Beavers vs. Iowa State Thread

Hi all, just checking in quick to thank you for the hospitality and a good game. TT can certainly shoot the rock, those last 2 daggers were tough. Good luck the rest of the way, hope we end up in the tourney to help your resume but expectations aren't super high for the season. Good early season test for both teams though I think, and will help in the conference for sure.

Good win today. Seemed like everyone who got in did at least one positive thing. Hats off to Reichle who again played well.

Watched Oklahoma against Minnesota this evening. Not s big team and were getting outplayed by Minny but just kept hanging around hit some threes in second half and next thing you know they’re in the lead. Also noticed that their two leading scorers in first game (23 points apiece) only had a combined 19 points in this game, so have some flexibility. Should be another good test.

Still amazed at how Tres and Ethan cannot seem to play basic defense. Their dads certainly emphasize it enough. I'm coming to the conclusion it must require a type of coordination or physical ability they just don't posses. Tres is pretty awkward whenever he tries to drive the lane or manage his way through traffic.  Maybe that awkwardness limits his ability to play shutdown defense. Nevertheless he will produce great offensive statistics this year with his set shots and his tenacity in getting put backs. Ethan seems to lack the lateral quickness to cover nearly any guard.

I'm afraid the physical limitations of Tres and Ethan on defense will limit the potential of this team unless someone can step up and cover for them. We will need that to happen if we are to get to the NCAAs. And Tres needs that if he is going to be the Conference POY. 

I had to record this one and watch it later...  here are my thoughts:

Great game.  Iowa state is clearly a good, athletic team, and we won that game.  They didn't play terribly, or have multiple players out due to injury or academics, we just went out ther, looked like the better team and played like the better team.  No fluke in that win.

• We held the lead for most of the game, with stood multiple runs by a good Big 12 team, and then on the final game winning run of our own we used four beautifully executed offensive plays.  Say what you want about how our offenses have run in the past, but that was some well coached offense at the end of the game.  The players had to execute, and boy howdy did they!  But the coaches put them in the right plays / drilled them on it enough so they couble be in position to do it.  We have bemoaned play calling and coaching in the past, so when it works out we should prbably at least give it a tip of the cap   To recap:
• Zach with a very nice FT line screen to free KK for a dunk, Ethan recognised the action and threw the precise pass so KK could catch gather and throw down all in one motion.
• Partially a play, partially Iowa state being so concerned with Tres and Zach (can't believe I just typed that), but after a couple screens Zach found himself semi open for a top of the key three, instead of taking it, which would have been an OK shot, he saw KK all alone under the basket.  Threw a nice wrap around bounce pass, Slam dunk!
• Both of Tres's dagger threes were off of designed sets with screens to open him up and were assisted.  It's isn't always the case, but assists, especially on set shots and dunks are an indication of a well run, well designed offense.
• In Fact the beavers five final buckets were all assisted jump shots or dunks

[li]Well, I have my crow on the boil as we speak....  Alfred Hollins was pretty invisible in the second half, but had a nice spurt to open the game.  And Zach, once the target of all my ire, is quickly becoming teh most improved player in the Pac-12.  Another stat stuffing game for him: 11 points, 7 rebounds and two very importnat assists.  He was taking shots in rythm and with confidence and making them, he was aggresively going after offensive rebounds liek a mini Tres, and best of all he was asserting himself in crunch time instead of shirinking from the pressure.  [/li][li]How often have we (and ALL sports fans in general) read or heard about a player working on X Y or Z all off season, just to see they are the same as they ever were when games actually start?  What a breath of fresh air to actually see it!  All of the preason material stated that Tres was working on his three point stroke and Zach was "getting into the best shape of his life" so he could be the aggresor on rebounds and defense, etc.  Well, proof is in the putting, and at least for 2 games those guys have put paid to that bill!  Way to go![/li][li]Ethan had a pretty good second half, but the first half was concerning.  However!  For the first time in the Wayne Tinkle era I can confidently say that tehre are some young guys that look like given a sliver of a chance they are going to take under performers jobs!  Gianni hunt is a ball of energy and was the quickest guy on the court, Halliburton included.  He needs to learn how to channel that energy a bit, but it woudl not suprise me if he won the starting PG job at some point.  Which would allow Ethan to go to his more comfortable SG spot.  Lucas clearly has a smooth shot and we just need to get him incorporated more on offense, but he acquited himself well even on defense in the minutes he got.  SMM looks like a fine player, but there just aren't enough minutes to go around if everyone is playing well.[/li][li]Speaking of Ethan as the SG....  I thought the whole plan was with Stevie gone he wasn't going to have to be the main PG  anymore?  Vernon and Hunt are avalible, but ET still getting most of the PG duties, does WT just not trust the young guys yet?[/li][li]Silva continues to impress.  He had a couple buckets including an offensive move that only a handful of back up bigs in the last 2 decades could have pulled off.  Heck even a guy like Eubanks either fumbles the catch or misses the running layup his first year or two as a Beav.  My first impression of Silva when he signed was a Liam Hughes style "project" whos only apprciable basketball skill was a height starting with the number 7, but Silva has proven that wrong.  He should be (and is) first big off the bench, and get 10 minutes a game at least.  With a little more summer conditioning he could be the starter next year.[/li][li]I enjoyed Casey Jacobson as an announcer, he pointed out multiple basketball nuances (and the TV crew actually replayed that plays so he could point them out) that I would have missed other wise, and he gave a nice shout out to Lucas who broke his all time scoring record [/li][li]Finally.. whew, what more can be said about Tres!  He is ascending to Pac-12 player of the year, in my opinion he is the front runner.  If he can consistently stroke threes in the 40% range he will get a lot more hype in teh NBA draft.   27 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, obnly 16 shots taken, and not FT driven.   It was all in the flow of the offense, one of his best games in a Beaver uniform.  I hope he can keep it up all year.[/li][/ul]