Oregon State (11/25/24)

[NT80]

1 hour ago, TIgreen01 said:

Back and forth game between two good teams.  OSU really protects the rim and plays tough defense.  When they got set we struggled mightily, but we adjusted by turning up the pressure, got steals and turnovers and pushed the pace in transition.  The mark of experience is finding different ways to win and we seem to have it.

We have a very college-basketball-experienced team.  I think the announcer said we were something like Top 10 in D1 in total player's college years?

[Matt from A700]

1 hour ago, Green Lantern said:

Good crowd for a Monday night with students mostly gone for Thanksgiving break. Crowd intensity picked up in the Pit with about 7 minutes to go in the 2nd half and the fans stayed with it till the end and were rewarded with a thrilling win. Fun night at the Pit!

It's because the old guys filled in for the student section tonight!

[Greendylan]

2 hours ago, Censored by Laurie said:

because he's the best shooter on the team. you trust your best players. hopefully that confidence carries forward and he starts to become the consistent scorer we anticipated

Yeah, it reminded me of UConn earlier in the day letting Solo Ball sink the game-tying 3 with 1 second left in regulation--when he was 1-4 on 3s and had a grand total of 4 points.  They had hotter hands they could have gone with but still trusted him.

[UNTLifer]

3 hours ago, rojomojo said:

That did not look pretty... Why would you set up a play to have him shoot if he's been playing like ass all night? Incredible that it went in though

Go plant a tree or dig up some asphalt or whatever it is you do. 

[MeanGreenZen]

Interesting difference between Ross and Eric Morris: Ross’ best player struggles all game, Ross designs a play for him to redeem himself at the buzzer, we win. 
Morris’ best player, DT Sheffield, struggles all game vs. East Carolina, Morris sits him first three plays of final drive (what?!) then puts him in on 4th down and he is no factor: we lose. 

[Censored by Laurie]

8 hours ago, NT80 said:

I heard him say in the preseason something to the effect that "starting" the game to him doesn't mean those players will play the most minutes or are necessarily always the best players.   It's more about effective playing, and as the game goes on the roles increase or decrease by what the game entails who is in or out.

Oh I agree with the philosophy in general, just not how it's being executed currently. baring quick foul trouble or a dumb mistake, I'd prefer to not make any changes until at least the first 4 min timeout. let your starters find some kind of rhythm in the game. I've noted numerous times already this season of a player knocking down a shot or two and/or making a few key plays and then getting sat...Jossell in the McNeese loss leaps to mind, I know its happened to Dello a few times as well.

I'm gonna assume Hodge's rationale is that at least the first few subs are scripted and he's asking so much of his team on the defensive end that he wants to keep a sharper rotation, but it feels a little extreme to me right now and not always in tune with the flow of the game/a player's night

we're not quite approach Benford-esque line-changes (though maybe only b/c Hodge doesn't have ten players he trusts), but it's bugging me just as much

[Green Lantern]

One other thing I want to mention, and Ross addressed this on the post game - Props to Oregon State for actually scheduling this game to begin with. So many of their peers are too scared to nut up and play a game like this to begin with. It was a really competitive, fun game, with a great atmosphere. Any casuals in the building last night are sure to come back for more.
 

I’m sure the date/time of the game came into play strategically for them accepting it to minimize our potential home-court advantage, but thankfully our fanbase showed pretty well and the HC advantage was in full force. 
 

Hope I have the opportunity to go out for the return game next season.