Proud of our Guys

I thought the effort was excellent even if the execution was lacking. says a lot that they played that hard with very little to play for and Drew out for most of second half. Big G might be a player someday.

Well, that is over--

We have a lot of weaknesses to overcome--It can be done, but it will take work. I don't know if it is because this team is young or what but they are out there playing instead of working. They can't resist showing off with terrible passes, difficult "runner" shots, shooting for the hoop instead of laying it off the glass--in summary, they are good athletes, but they have no clue what the real game is. It is the equivalent of a guy with some golf clubs who goes to the driving range every day and blasts 300 yard drives into the stratosphere and thinks he is playing golf. That is not golf, golf is adding up the score at the end of the round to see where you stand. Same thing for BB--point differential at the final whistle is what counts, not style points.

I want to list deficiencies that I see that need to be fixed and then I will shut up for this season.

Another thread had stats on free throws. We are not good--I think the team was about .666--With our apparent instructions to get to the hoop, draw fouls and get free throws, we better be able to make more.

Shooting in general is not so much not good as it is not smart--Wrong handed layins, passed shots at the foul line--Is Dahlen the only guy on the team that knows how to reverse a layup?

We need some guys who can make threes. One or two are not enough. Our big guys are next to worthless if we have no three threat. The opponents can jam the inside with impunity

Our passing is not good. Sloppy one-handed half assed passes will get you beat time and again.

We just don't seem to have any real basketball IQ. We don't know what the backboard is for--we see a loose ball and stoop over to pick it up and get outhustled when a good clean dive would secure the ball and the possession and who knows, might have an effect on the opponent who is stooping over. We rebound and don't secure the ball by pivoting and sending a message to the other guy about the error of getting in the way of your elbows--maybe he will remember next time to stay the hell out of there.

And, let me finish with my old observation that none of these guys know how to run a fast break-neither the wings not the dribbler. Or, maybe it is that if you get the ball it is your turn to take it to the hoop regardless of what might be best for the team.


GZR 

It only hurts when I watch. Otherwise, no problem.

Actually, I thought they played pretty well, but as usual, the little things made a difference. What is so frustrating is that some of the little things should have been learned long ago. The players now seem to spend so much time on showmanship, which is easy for them when they are head and shoulders above their competition, that they never learn what it really takes to win at a higher level. In every sport, there is a fine, but noticeable line between the players that make it on the next level and those who don't. And the difference is not always physical if you get my drift.

As I said before, I didn't post at all this year but at the end of the year I just couldn't help myself. I don't plan to post again.

Frankly, I am looking forward to next year. It has to be better than this year.

The pressers after the games included many quotes by coaches and players indicating 1) players did not listen to the coaches, 2) players did not talk with each other, 3) players did not call plays on the floor, and 4) players did not stick to defensive assignment. 

With two sons of coaches and seven players on the all-academic team it seems to me that basketball IQ is not the problem. Something is demotivating the players and messing with team chemistry. That falls on the coaches. Hoping for the defections and injuries to stop and for a freshman to salvage the program seems ludicrous to me. We know what we have. Our trajectory is set for the next few seasons unless the team chemistry changes. Getting to 10-12 wins is about all we can aspire to on the men's side. 

No doubt about it, it was a tough year. But enough with the sky is falling stuff. One had to know that this was going to be a tough year when heading into the new season you've lost 7 players from the previous year who accounted for something like 55% of your points, 50% of your rebounds, 80% of your assists and 60% of your steals. Then you lose your best remaining player plus two others that everyone thought would contribute at least somewhat. Outside of maybe 20-30 teams in the country, any other team would have had a bad year. All that led to two players starting a good portion of the year who should not be starting in the Pac 12 (3 if you want to include Jaquori), which decimated a short bench even further. No, the team didn't always play their hearts out each and every game for every minute, but the team I saw yesterday did not quit.

If Tres can stay healthy (though after 2 years the size of that if is growing), then I expect next year to be a fairly strong one. Are they going to win the conference title, NO. But they will be competitive and will have a chance at making the tourney. All the experience that Jaquori, Rad, Manuel and Kone gained will make them better next year. Ethan will be a big plus, and I think Reichle will contribute some off the bench. But obviously Tres is the key. It's not just his ability to score and rebound, but the offense often runs through him, which covers up not having a true playmaker at point.

I'm proud of how the team didn't give up yesterday, and bullish on Tink and the team for next year. And as to Gzrbzr's list of deficiencies, they're all true and they're true for just about every team in the country. It's not the game that I grew up watching. Fundamentals are weak throughout basketball at all levels. Looking for the WOW play/pass instead of just making sure you're successful with each possession is an epidemic. I was first introduced to Oregon St. when I went on exchange there in 1980, watched the 1980-81 team up close, and have been a fan ever since. You'll never see a team like that again at Oregon St. or anywhere else (nor a coach like Ralph Miller). The times have changed.

Breaking my promise to shut up, but I like Drew a lot- don't get me wrong. My opinion is that he gets jammed down low because of the lack of threat up top. I like his energy, his physicality. Last year, I got down on a few attempted slams that went sprong off the back rim instead of down the drain, but as someone said up above, the old days are gone--shine is more important than substance now so let it roll.

I'm looking forward to next year--Seriously. New season, new goals, some new players. Let's see what happens. Been watching since Red Rocha/Cliff Crandall days--Lot's of good BB, mostly good. The recent past has been a real disappointment, but I think it is getting better overall.

GZR