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Post by 411500 on Jan 22, 2024 10:06:31 GMT -8
The number of new observations that I can make are limited if we take into account how much most of us already know about this year's team. Not too many surprises jumped out this past weekend, but some are worth noting.
General observations:
This team is mentally tough and physically tenacious. They play very good defense. They pass the ball well, and they are instilled with a team-first mentality. They are offensively challenged, but not totally. It is now pretty clear that they have real problems manufacturing points. Each player has demonstrated moments of offensive productivity, but no one except Beers has proved it game after game after game. The simple math of basketball dictates this is not a winning formula at the offensive end of the floor.
Specific observations:
The perimeter players on this team are weak perimeter shooters - average at best. Schuler and Hunter are weak-to-average and the hope is that time, experience and coaching will rescue them. In the meantime the Beavs face a coaches nightmare of having a state of the art low-post player who must deal with 5 o'clock traffic congestion on every touch because her shooters cannot stretch the defense.
I'm confused about Talia's mixed performance this year. Based on her body of work at OSU I thought this would be a killer year for her. Especially with Beers as a magnet drawing in help. She has Talia flashes, to be sure, but she often seems heavy-footed and mentally foggy. I have no explanation for why she is playing below her abilities.
Ballpark summary:
Sometimes analogies help. This team reminds me of a baseball team with great glove men but few stick men. A football team with a qb who can throw NFL passes when given time, but mis-fires when pressured.
This past weekend may have been the series in which Dom Paurava (sp) emerged as an OSU player. She has a skill set the Beavs truly need and if it continues to improve so will the Beavs. Again the math becomes a problem because when she gets floor time it will come at the expense of Donovan or AJ - both of whom must play bigger if the Beavs are gonna get better.
In a nutshell: defense excellent, offence average. Team shooting average at best. Players who have a chance to make the All-Conference team: one. All-Conference players needed to be a good team: two. Over and out.
GO BEAVS!!
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Post by grayman on Jan 22, 2024 12:45:04 GMT -8
Rueck coming to terms with the need to find more minutes for Adlee Blacklock would, IMO, boost the offense and the perimeter shooting. She is also capable of a midrange game and taking the ball to the hoop.
Aside from getting Adlee more playing time to pick up the offense, Rueck has done a great job in switching players in and out to find the best combinations and it has worked in the majority of the games so far this season. But this is a young team and therefore it probably shouldn't be a big surprise that there's been inconsistency.
Lily's offense is limited to being a 3-point specialist. Marotte just can't get shots to fall and it's becoming a regular issue.
Shuler is not confident in her perimeter shooting. Hunter can make 3s but is up and down.
IMO, the poster in the Stanford game thread that said that TVO was essentially a surprise to opposing defenses during her early entry season is on the right track about TVO. I would add that because she had such an immediate impact as an offensive player many OSU fans annointed her as the next elite superstar for OSU and she just isn't quite at that level. Don't get me wrong, she is a very good player and she was slowed by the injury last season. But as high as her "basketball IQ" is and her ability to rebound as a guard and pass at a pretty high level, IMO she has physical limitations that prevent her from reaching the expectations that some OSU fans put on her. Again, I'm saying she's a very good player, just not an elite player.
I think Paurova has been the wild card. If she can find a consistent offensive game, she should be able to be the No. 2 offensive threat
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Post by lotrader on Jan 22, 2024 13:09:20 GMT -8
The candidates I see best suited to be our #2 scoring threat (with at least 15 minutes of PT) are Timea, Dom, Adlee. TvO should also be in this list, but TvO is actually best utilized as our player who can distribute to these 3 players, and to Raegan. TvO is also skilled at getting a shot at the rim, in the key, or deep.
I really think Adlee needs to be on the floor. Let's hope Adlee sees the floor this weekend in Gill. Adlee is also a "spark" like no other on the team.
Looking forward to seeing this team grow each game. GO BEAVS!
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Post by rmancarl on Jan 22, 2024 14:43:43 GMT -8
I'd like to disagree with your assessment, but there's not a lot to disagree with. Defense is mostly excellent, and offense is average. There are some moments when the offense looks like it's coming to life, but there just isn't consistency. It's nice having a lot of players that can come off the bench and give you points, but there isn't anyone who has stepped up enough to consistently bring offense each game. A few weeks ago, right after non-conference play ended, I wrote about how three Beavs were consistent just about every game, Beers, Hunter, and Rees. Rees was getting about 10 points and 6 rebounds every game. She hasn't been anywhere near that since then. Here's some of our players and their points over the 7 conference games:
Marotte: 11,8,0,2,6,0,7
Hunter: 2,13,7,3,2,0,0
Gardiner: 12,2,7,6,9,18,8
Hansford: 6,3,0,0,5,10,7
Shuler: 0,-,0,9,0,2,2
Blacklock: 0,-,3,9,5,0,-
Paurova: 0,0,6,2,6,16,6
The - references games they did not appear in. Yes, minutes per game does play into some of the scoring per game above. Hunter's 5 points the last four games is concerning as in Marotte's 15 points over the last 5 games. It's ok to have one starter not scoring, but two really hurts. Paurova has averaged 7.5 points per game in 24+ minutes her last 4 games.
This team is young, and coming together, and they should improve down the stretch, but will that improvement be enough to get them in the top 4-5 in conference with the tough remaining schedule they have? They are a fun group of players to watch and I'm hoping for the best.
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Post by 411500 on Jan 22, 2024 15:52:12 GMT -8
rmancarl: Thanks for compiling this info on point production over the 7 conference games. It is very interesting, but also disconcerting.
Hunter's numbers the past 4 games are important because, except for scoring, she has a highly developed game for a Frosh. If I had to bet on a player who will up her offensive production in the next 7 games (compared to the past 7) it would be Hunter and Paurova.
AJ is a starter - and getting shutout twice in the first 7 conference games is a real head scratcher. And for many starters it would get the hook.
But "AJ," in my view, is a coaches kind of player. She does everything within the system, she plays very good defense, she loves her teammates, and she has offensive potential on paper that doesn't much express itself on the court. I think Rueck wants to stay with her because of her "potential" (he's as much as said this) - but it had better start showing itself this weekend...
If she gets blanked at Gill, or nearly so, I think she will lose her starting job to Paurova.
Anyway, Rueck has a great bunch of players who are technically sound, dedicated, hard-working, and intense but, at this stage of the season, they remain offensively challenged in a pretty serious way.
GO BEAVS!!
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Marotte: 11,8,0,2,6,0,7
Hunter: 2,13,7,3,2,0,0
Gardiner: 12,2,7,6,9,18,8
Hansford: 6,3,0,0,5,10,7
Shuler: 0,-,0,9,0,2,2
Blacklock: 0,-,3,9,5,0,-
Paurova: 0,0,6,2,6,16,6
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Post by grayman on Jan 22, 2024 16:10:33 GMT -8
I'd like to disagree with your assessment, but there's not a lot to disagree with. Defense is mostly excellent, and offense is average. There are some moments when the offense looks like it's coming to life, but there just isn't consistency. It's nice having a lot of players that can come off the bench and give you points, but there isn't anyone who has stepped up enough to consistently bring offense each game. A few weeks ago, right after non-conference play ended, I wrote about how three Beavs were consistent just about every game, Beers, Hunter, and Rees. Rees was getting about 10 points and 6 rebounds every game. She hasn't been anywhere near that since then. Here's some of our players and their points over the 7 conference games: Marotte: 11,8,0,2,6,0,7 Hunter: 2,13,7,3,2,0,0 Gardiner: 12,2,7,6,9,18,8 Hansford: 6,3,0,0,5,10,7 Shuler: 0,-,0,9,0,2,2 Blacklock: 0,-,3,9,5,0,- Paurova: 0,0,6,2,6,16,6 The - references games they did not appear in. Yes, minutes per game does play into some of the scoring per game above. Hunter's 5 points the last four games is concerning as in Marotte's 15 points over the last 5 games. It's ok to have one starter not scoring, but two really hurts. Paurova has averaged 7.5 points per game in 24+ minutes her last 4 games. This team is young, and coming together, and they should improve down the stretch, but will that improvement be enough to get them in the top 4-5 in conference with the tough remaining schedule they have? They are a fun group of players to watch and I'm hoping for the best. To me, Hunter gets somewhat of a pass. The Beavers absolutely need her point guard skills for most of every game. Right now I see Shuler as more of a sparkplug type who can take over the point at times. Production as it relates to minutes played is huge for a player. So looking at point production on offense during Pac-12 games, we have Marotte averaging 4.9 points in 23 minutes a game. Compare that to Paurova (5.1 ppg in 17.7 minutes), Hansford (4.4 points in 12.4 minutes) or even Blacklock (3.4 ppg in 9.4 minutes). TVO is averaging 10.7 points a game in 26.7 minutes a game. TVO also averages 5 rebounds and 5 assists a game but leads the team with 18 turnovers. For non-guards, Timea is averaging 8.9 points and 24.7 minutes a game, along with 5.3 rebounds. Rees averages 1.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in 21 minutes a game. |
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Post by jones on Jan 22, 2024 16:38:30 GMT -8
Rueck coming to terms with the need to find more minutes for Adlee Blacklock would, IMO, boost the offense and the perimeter shooting. She is also capable of a midrange game and taking the ball to the hoop. Aside from getting Adlee more playing time to pick up the offense, Rueck has done a great job in switching players in and out to find the best combinations and it has worked in the majority of the games so far this season. But this is a young team and therefore it probably shouldn't be a big surprise that there's been inconsistency. Lily's offense is limited to being a 3-point specialist. Marotte just can't get shots to fall and it's becoming a regular issue. Shuler is not confident in her perimeter shooting. Hunter can make 3s but is up and down. IMO, the poster in the Stanford game thread that said that TVO was essentially a surprise to opposing defenses during her early entry season is on the right track about TVO. I would add that because she had such an immediate impact as an offensive player many OSU fans annointed her as the next elite superstar for OSU and she just isn't quite at that level. Don't get me wrong, she is a very good player and she was slowed by the injury last season. But as high as her "basketball IQ" is and her ability to rebound as a guard and pass at a pretty high level, IMO she has physical limitations that prevent her from reaching the expectations that some OSU fans put on her. Again, I'm saying she's a very good player, just not an elite player. I think Paurova has been the wild card. If she can find a consistent offensive game, she should be able to be the No. 2 offensive threat Unfortunately, TVO was placed on a pedestal when she first arrived. The expectations laid on her were unrealistic. It became evident that she was simply too slow to play the point. She has quick hands (on defense), but the guard position also requires quick feet (she often stumbles and falls in the paint). The pedestal people (expecting "elite" consistency) have a longer wait. Remember as a freshman, Aleah ran the point in the NCAA tournament while Mikayla was in foul trouble -- that is "elite". |
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Post by grayman on Jan 22, 2024 16:47:12 GMT -8
Rueck coming to terms with the need to find more minutes for Adlee Blacklock would, IMO, boost the offense and the perimeter shooting. She is also capable of a midrange game and taking the ball to the hoop. Aside from getting Adlee more playing time to pick up the offense, Rueck has done a great job in switching players in and out to find the best combinations and it has worked in the majority of the games so far this season. But this is a young team and therefore it probably shouldn't be a big surprise that there's been inconsistency. Lily's offense is limited to being a 3-point specialist. Marotte just can't get shots to fall and it's becoming a regular issue. Shuler is not confident in her perimeter shooting. Hunter can make 3s but is up and down. IMO, the poster in the Stanford game thread that said that TVO was essentially a surprise to opposing defenses during her early entry season is on the right track about TVO. I would add that because she had such an immediate impact as an offensive player many OSU fans annointed her as the next elite superstar for OSU and she just isn't quite at that level. Don't get me wrong, she is a very good player and she was slowed by the injury last season. But as high as her "basketball IQ" is and her ability to rebound as a guard and pass at a pretty high level, IMO she has physical limitations that prevent her from reaching the expectations that some OSU fans put on her. Again, I'm saying she's a very good player, just not an elite player. I think Paurova has been the wild card. If she can find a consistent offensive game, she should be able to be the No. 2 offensive threat Unfortunately, TVO was placed on a pedestal when she first arrived. The expectations laid on her were unrealistic. It became evident that she was simply too slow to play the point. She has quick hands (on defense), but the guard position also requires quick feet (she often stumbles and falls in the paint). The pedestal people (expecting "elite" consistency) have a longer wait. Remember as a freshman, Aleah ran the point in the NCAA tournament while Mikayla was in foul trouble -- that is "elite". I've thought for some time now that TVO is really a tweener. She doesn't have high end speed or quickess and her ballhandling was borderline for a point guard (although I believe she has improved her ballhandling skills and might be a tad quicker now). She is a little on the short side as a 2 guard. But she does so many things really well and can play the point guard role in OSU's halfcourt offense at a pretty high level. |
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Post by lotrader on Jan 22, 2024 18:50:47 GMT -8
TvO is a gamer. She makes great assists, and then at times she makes silly turnovers. TvO is very valuable to the team as her stat sheet is often very impressive. We need her to play at a high level if OSU is going to stay in the top 25.
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Post by grayman on Jan 23, 2024 11:41:24 GMT -8
TvO is a gamer. She makes great assists, and then at times she makes silly turnovers. TvO is very valuable to the team as her stat sheet is often very impressive. We need her to play at a high level if OSU is going to stay in the top 25. The great thing about TVO is she can fill the stat sheet even without scoring much. But the Beavers really need her to score as much as possible this season. |
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Post by hoopheritic on Jan 26, 2024 11:20:41 GMT -8
The candidates I see best suited to be our #2 scoring threat (with at least 15 minutes of PT) are Timea, Dom, Adlee. TvO should also be in this list, but TvO is actually best utilized as our player who can distribute to these 3 players, and to Raegan. TvO is also skilled at getting a shot at the rim, in the key, or deep. I really think Adlee needs to be on the floor. Let's hope Adlee sees the floor this weekend in Gill. Adlee is also a "spark" like no other on the team. Looking forward to seeing this team grow each game. GO BEAVS! Here's the thing about Adlee. Defense keeps you on the floor more than anything. Scoring is fine but it simply does not matter if you can't defend. Adlee has definitely improved through the season so far. I give her huge credit for that. But then you have to compare her to the other players that can fill the role(s) that she can 2/3: AJ, Lily, Dom, Timea, Talia. Even if Adlee is just as good in every way as these players, 4 of them are longer players. Any coach, all other things being equal, is going to put the longer player on the floor. So for Adlee to get more minutes she will have to be a better perimeter defender than AJ, Dom, and Lily. This team got better in every way especially defense on the perimeter. |
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