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Post by beaverstever on Apr 18, 2020 11:45:56 GMT -8
5 players taken total from the mighty Pac-12 ... really tough to make the cut, even tougher to stick there. Minyon Moore didn't benefit from making the move. Players like Melgoza that were really good also not even getting a sniff. To even have players that have stayed in the league is really an accomplishment for most programs.
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Post by nwhoopfan on Apr 18, 2020 11:49:48 GMT -8
5 players taken total from the mighty Pac-12 ... really tough to make the cut, even tougher to stick there. Minyon Moore didn't benefit from making the move. Players like Melgoza that were really good also not even getting a sniff. To even have players that have stayed in the league is really an accomplishment for most programs. I was thinking about undrafted players last night. Moore and Melgoza came to mind. Hristova and Molina from WSU. Maybe Tapley from ASU? Some talent for sure. 3rd round kinda looked like they were picking names out of a hat, pretty random, not much chance of those players making a roster anyway. |
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Post by beavershoopsfan on Apr 18, 2020 12:16:04 GMT -8
If OSU had finished 27-5 or better (instead of 23-9) and Pivec had produced similar averages (14.8/9.3/4.5 with 50% shooting from the field), the Beavs would likely have finished in the Top 8 in the polls and Pivec probably would have been selected earlier in the draft. Team success, even if achieved with lesser stats, can go a long ways towards convincing WBNA execs that a player is elite. South Carolina's two Top 10 draftees, Harris and Hebert Harrigan, this year are examples of that. They were able to elevate their team to an elite level despite lesser stats and were drafted early for their talent and ability to elevate their team. Pivec was projected as recently as January in several mock drafts to go #6-#10, but dropped during the past three months as her performance couldn't elevate her team to a record better than 8-9 down the stretch. A stat shown on ESPN tonight stated that she was the only D1 woman in the country to average at least 14/9/4 this season. Those numbers would have been more special and noteworthy if they had helped produce wins over Oregon, UCLA, and Stanford. There will always be players from lesser programs taken above star players from higher-ranked programs due to their individual talent. However, leading your team to an elite level while recording productive numbers will often move a player up in the draft. The issue isn’t OSU’s record. The issue is projecting players to the next level. Mik’s best pro position at her current skill level is the 3. Unfortunately she’s at least 2 inches shorter than the average WNBA 3, doesn’t have particularly long arms to counter the lack of height, and will most likely no longer have the strength advantage she has on most NCAA players. When teams had a player to match up with Mik size and strength wise, she struggled. That’s what WNBA scouts and GM’s look at, not OSU’s record. I think that Mik was forced to play out of position most of her OSU career due to her team's needs. I believe that her best pro position has always been at the 2, rather than the 3. Her rebounding and strength allowed OSU to play two shorter players on the court at the same time as her, forcing her to play the 3 or 4 on defense. Her mid-range jumper is as good as there is within the players drafted in 2020. She needed to prove that the 42% three-point shooting that she produced during her junior year was sustainable over a higher volume of shots in order to answer questions about her ability to play a 2 in the WNBA. Her rebounding and passing are very strong for a 2 and may prove to be what helps her earn a roster spot in the WNBA. I wouldn't bet against her despite the significant odds that third round picks have in making that league. Pivec was routinely guarded by the opposing team's best defensive athlete. She still shot over 50% from the field for a second consecutive season. She struggled against Stanford's defense, but most players not named Ionescu often do. She played very well (19/9) against UCLA's Onyenwere on the road, against Oregon's Sabally and Ionescu at Gill, and against Arizona's Sam Thomas in both games against the Wildcats. Oregon couldn't guard her effectively with Ionescu and Sabally at Gill, so the Ducks went zone in the second half and changed the complexion of that game. Pivec only struggled with her shot in about five of the team's 32 games this past season. She was very consistent and efficient offensively. At her 5'10" height, Pivec's best pro position will be the 2. If she had demonstrated that she could make 40%+ of her threes on a higher volume of three or more threes a game, I do believe that she would have been picked significantly higher. She took less than two threes a game in '19-'20, so the jury is still out as to whether she can be a consistent three-point threat at the next level. I will continue to believe that if she had helped close signature wins over Oregon, UCLA, and Stanford in those three very winnable games, she would have heard her name called much earlier than the #25 selection she heard last night. |
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Post by beavershoopsfan on Apr 18, 2020 14:02:58 GMT -8
Who were the 2s that Mik had difficulty defending over the past two seasons? She often had to guard the opposing team's top offensive threat between 5'10" and 6'2". Mik was named by the conference's coaches to the First Team All-Defensive Team and usually made life more difficult for who she defended, regardless of that player's length. The basketball statistical app Synergy validates her effectiveness on the defensive end.
Mik played the point as a soph because the team didn't have a better option. She rarely played the 2 due to OSU putting other players on the floor who had to play the 2 on offense and did not drive effectively. She does need to work on releasing her three-point shot more quickly and can always work on developing her handle more extensively.
Hope that she proves her doubters to be wrong at the next level. Her stats actually show that she should have shot more frequently. One of her faults may have been that she passed up shots that she should have taken herself. Would have liked to see her take a few more shots per game when her team needed it the most during the second half of this past season.
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