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Post by newduke2 on Dec 31, 2023 17:10:36 GMT -8
OK, I agree we need a separate thread to discuss these 2 upcoming weekend games. THEY ARE HUGE! I had a lot of back and forth debating the importance of the win over Oregon in the game thread. Looking ahead, it probably has been a very long time since OSU wbb has played 2 more potentiallly impactful games in the same weekend. Now they get No. 6 USC and No. 2 UCLA on the road. Even a split would be shocking, but hey if they keep 1 game close...they are top 25, if they keep 2 of the games close, they are top 20, if they win 1 of 2 they are top 10, and if they win both?...!!!!!!!!!!! . In the most extreme and however unlikely scenerio, the Beavers could jump from unranked to top 5 (or even higher) in course of just 2 games!!
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Post by sewingbeaver on Dec 31, 2023 18:25:24 GMT -8
Love the optimism.  I think any team is beatable and every team has an opportunity to create a win for themselves. Clearly the opposite is also true. These upcoming games will be fun to watch. Just hopeful they don't repeat a first half like vs. uo.
GO BEAVS!
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Post by beaverwbb fan on Jan 1, 2024 16:28:40 GMT -8
Both teams are in the top-10 for a reason and it’s both schools best team in years. UCLA is extremely well balanced while USC is a little more dependent on freshman phenom Juju Watkins. USC has a lot of veterans while UCLA has a sophomore core + Osborne. Beers will be going up against really good defenders in Betts and Marshall.
It’s going to take shot making and tough defense to hang with these two.
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Post by markarmour04 on Jan 1, 2024 16:40:44 GMT -8
It will be fun. The Beavers will be heavy underdogs twice, and should be, but they CAN win either game. They’d have to play their best game of the year, and catch a few breaks.
We watch sports because we don’t know what is going to happen, and it is the surprises that we most remember.
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Post by rgeorge on Jan 1, 2024 16:47:45 GMT -8
Both teams are in the top-10 for a reason and it’s both schools best team in years. UCLA is extremely well balanced while USC is a little more dependent on freshman phenom Juju Watkins. USC has a lot of veterans while UCLA has a sophomore core + Osborne. Beers will be going up against really good defenders in Betts and Marshall. It’s going to take shot making and tough defense to hang with these two. JuJu left the UCLA game, right before half I believe?? Did she return? Was it cramping? Ankle? Or? |
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Post by ricke71 on Jan 1, 2024 17:08:56 GMT -8
Both teams are in the top-10 for a reason and it’s both schools best team in years. UCLA is extremely well balanced while USC is a little more dependent on freshman phenom Juju Watkins. USC has a lot of veterans while UCLA has a sophomore core + Osborne. Beers will be going up against really good defenders in Betts and Marshall. It’s going to take shot making and tough defense to hang with these two. JuJu left the UCLA game, right before half I believe?? Did she return? Was it cramping? Ankle? Or? Looking at the play by play, available on ESPN, Watkins played throughout the entire 2nd half. |
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bmoc
Freshman
Posts: 588
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Post by bmoc on Jan 1, 2024 17:35:42 GMT -8
She tried to return, but LG did not put her back in game. She mouthed the words "I'm fine" and did lots of eye-rolling. It looked like a cramp. She was grabbing her toe and stretching.
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Post by rmancarl on Jan 1, 2024 20:21:21 GMT -8
JuJu left the UCLA game, right before half I believe?? Did she return? Was it cramping? Ankle? Or? Looking at the play by play, available on ESPN, Watkins played throughout the entire 2nd half. Read your post, so I read the play by play, and yes Watkins played in the second half. I kept reading missed shot by Watkins, so I had to look up her shooting for the game. She shot 7-24. Horrible shooting night as she is shooting a respectable .469 on the year. She still had a solid night though with boards, blocks, steals, etc. |
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beav74
Freshman
Posts: 738
Grad Year: OSU 1974
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Post by beav74 on Jan 1, 2024 21:03:29 GMT -8
Fridays game is Pac-12 LA
Sundays game is Pac-12 Network
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Post by newduke2 on Jan 2, 2024 10:39:50 GMT -8
Which Beaver will be assigned to guard the USC 6'2" freshman phenom guard Juju Watkins? Juju is the second leading scorer in the Nation, averaging 26.8 points per game, behind only Caitlin Clark of Iowa who is averaging 30.9 points per game. Other stats for Juju: 7.3 rebounds per game. 46.9% shooting, 45.5% 3-point shooting, 1.6 blocks, 4.0 turnovers, 77.6% free throw shooting, 3.7 assists, 2.5 steals, in 31.7 minutes per game. I would guess TVO will be assigned to guard Watkins, at least start, even though Watkins has 3 more inches in height.
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Post by beaverfever148 on Jan 2, 2024 11:29:51 GMT -8
Which Beaver will be assigned to guard the USC 6'2" freshman phenom guard Juju Watkins? Juju is the second leading scorer in the Nation, averaging 26.8 points per game, behind only Caitlin Clark of Iowa who is averaging 30.9 points per game. Other stats for Juju: 7.3 rebounds per game. 46.9% shooting, 45.5% 3-point shooting, 1.6 blocks, 4.0 turnovers, 77.6% free throw shooting, 3.7 assists, 2.5 steals, in 31.7 minutes per game. I would guess TVO will be assigned to guard Watkins, at least start, even though Watkins has 3 more inches in height. Although we'll probably try a mix of defenders to see what works, I wouldn't be surprised to see AJ guarding her initially. It would be nice to get her in foul trouble early. Anytime she's driving hard to the rim, we should be looking to take a charge. |
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Post by newduke2 on Jan 2, 2024 11:44:33 GMT -8
Besides Watkins, USC's other 4 starters are Davis (6'2" foward, graduate), Marshall (6'4" center, junior), Padilla (5'9" guard, graduate) and Forbes (6'0" guard-forward, graduate). The 6th player usually first off the bench is Bigby (6'1" guard, sophomore).
Marshall (27.3 minutes per game) averages 13.3 ppg and is USC's leading rebounder at 10.3 rebounds per game. She has not made a single 3 point basket this season, so there is no need to guard her on the perimeter. She averages 2.2 blocks per game.30.5 m She is the obvious choice to be guarded by Beers.
Forbes (30.1 minutes per game) is the third player on the team averaging double figures in scoring at 13.8 ppg with 3.3 assists per game and 37% shooting from the 3 point range. I would assign Marotte to guard her.
Padilla (30.5 minutes per game) averages 7.3 ppg and 3.2 assists. Like Forbes, she also shoots 37% from 3 point range. I would assign Hunter to guard her.
Davis (23.7 minutes per game) averages 6.5 ppg and 5.2 rebounds per game. Like Marshall, she has not made a single 3 point basket all season. I would use Rees to guard her.
Their 6th player off the bench is Bigby (23.1 minutes per game) who is a 3 point shooting specialist, shooting 43.9% from 3 point range. I would guard her with Hansford.
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Post by rmancarl on Jan 2, 2024 13:15:45 GMT -8
Which Beaver will be assigned to guard the USC 6'2" freshman phenom guard Juju Watkins? Juju is the second leading scorer in the Nation, averaging 26.8 points per game, behind only Caitlin Clark of Iowa who is averaging 30.9 points per game. Other stats for Juju: 7.3 rebounds per game. 46.9% shooting, 45.5% 3-point shooting, 1.6 blocks, 4.0 turnovers, 77.6% free throw shooting, 3.7 assists, 2.5 steals, in 31.7 minutes per game. I would guess TVO will be assigned to guard Watkins, at least start, even though Watkins has 3 more inches in height. You know what I like about this question? It is knowing there are coaches and fans across the Pac-12 asking who, and how, they are going to guard Raegan Beers. I remember watching the games at Arizona and Arizona State last year and seeing how frustrated their players were trying to guard/move Raegan. I really remember how UCLA had no answer for Raegan, and they kept throwing players at her. This year will be interesting as Betts and Beers played and challenged each other in their high school days, and Betts has a sizeable height advantage on Raegan. Guard play may likely be the tell-tale of the game, but the battle between Betts and Beers will get all the pre-game hype like the main event at a boxing match. |
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Post by rgeorge on Jan 2, 2024 13:17:32 GMT -8
Which Beaver will be assigned to guard the USC 6'2" freshman phenom guard Juju Watkins? Juju is the second leading scorer in the Nation, averaging 26.8 points per game, behind only Caitlin Clark of Iowa who is averaging 30.9 points per game. Other stats for Juju: 7.3 rebounds per game. 46.9% shooting, 45.5% 3-point shooting, 1.6 blocks, 4.0 turnovers, 77.6% free throw shooting, 3.7 assists, 2.5 steals, in 31.7 minutes per game. I would guess TVO will be assigned to guard Watkins, at least start, even though Watkins has 3 more inches in height. I am guessing the Beavs will be 90% zone. Try to eliminate penetration, focus on rebounding out of a zone to eliminate multiple shots and force SC and UCLA to consistently win from the outside. As well as OSU has played D, these two teams present vastly superior overall talent and depth. OSU may be able to switch up D in the 2nd half when fouls are less of an issue, but getting out of the first half close and with no one in foul trouble will be a huge first step. |
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Post by 411500 on Jan 2, 2024 13:40:13 GMT -8
Pretty much agree with rgeorge's assessment of how Rueck will try to defend USC & UCLA this weekend. I think USC is more physically athletic, and their scorers are more prone to create-your-own-shot than UCLA. But they are both a coaches nightmare when it comes to D preparation.
My guess (total guess) is that Rueck will start with Man D against USC to get them used to dribble penetration, then in 2nd quarter move to more compact zones to protect Beaver players who don't have the foot speed to handle man D.
Zone defenses are a special problem on the road, because home teams more consistently bust a zone from the perimeter than visiting teams...(Hence a zone at Gill is more likely to work better against USC than a zone in LA).
Athletically, I don't think the Beavs have anyone who can slow down Watkins - but when Rueck phones me about this, I'm gonna recommend AJ. !! 🏀
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I'm hoping against hope for the Beavs this weekend but, from a basketball point of view, I simply don't know how they can cope with the speed and the shooting skills they are gonna run into in LA.
I see one 20-point loss, maybe two......
GO BEAVS!!
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I think any team is beatable and every team has an opportunity to create a win for themselves. Clearly the opposite is also true.
