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. 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.

Edited 13 hours ago by Green Lantern

[greenminer]

14 hours ago, 3_n_out said:

We’re never gonna blow out teams. That’s just not our game. However, we’re gonna be tough and gritty for 40mins and will scratch and claw to win no matter how ugly it looks. 

Absolutely.  Feeling comfortable in this case would mean, knowing a bit more about what we're trying to do offensively.  I don't think I learned anything from last night's game.

[NT80]

Beavers Drop Road Contest at North Texas

November 25, 2024 | Men's Basketball

https://osubeavers.com/news/2024/11/25/mens-basketball-beavers-drop-road-contest-at-north-texas

 

[greenminer]

 

[greenminer]

16 hours ago, Andrew said:

It’s the transfer portal. I feel like we won’t see guys playing the our team for more than 2 years before leaving or graduating. Makes chemistry difficult as well as it being difficult to feel connected as a fan. 

I don't know, Grant's teams seemed like they chemistry exploding through the roof, they'd run through brick walls for each other, yet I don't remember much continuity beyond 2 seasons at a time.  - except for a small handful of players.

[Andrew]

2 hours ago, greenminer said:

I don't know, Grant's teams seemed like they chemistry exploding through the roof, they'd run through brick walls for each other, yet I don't remember much continuity beyond 2 seasons at a time.  - except for a small handful of players.

I felt like they were built on Scott and Jones who stayed with us through thick and thin. Yes Perry came and had quick success before running away, but he did have more consistency than I felt we have had the last two season. Stone and Sissoko are the only guys who have stuck it out and honestly neither are top caliber. We are full of juniors and seniors who will be one and done it seems. 

[BleedingGreen]

Regarding scoring and end of game offense, I do like that we haxe options on clutch times versus the whole arena and defense knowing it was Edwards shooting. 

[3_n_out]

3 hours ago, greenminer said:

Absolutely.  Feeling comfortable in this case would mean, knowing a bit more about what we're trying to do offensively.  I don't think I learned anything from last night's game.

This is my only complaint…our offense. I don’t mind being a slow tempo team, but the offensive sets are tough to watch. Seeing Sissoko backing his man down with a minimum of 15 dribbles is tough to watch. Seeing B-Lo at the high post trying to read and pass makes me cringe. But, I think once we’ve developed our primary scorer that hits their shots consistently, things by a may go smoother. 

[BigWillie]

27 minutes ago, 3_n_out said:

This is my only complaint…our offense. I don’t mind being a slow tempo team, but the offensive sets are tough to watch. Seeing Sissoko backing his man down with a minimum of 15 dribbles is tough to watch. Seeing B-Lo at the high post trying to read and pass makes me cringe. But, I think once we’ve developed our primary scorer that hits their shots consistently, things by a may go smoother. 

Honestly, looking at our games and stats, we have offense from multiple sources now. That was not the case when we had teams with Jason Edwards and TP. 

I feel like on the offensive end, this is really a team effort. The scoring droughts come due to the defensive intensity the team brings. As I mentioned in another post, it is very exhausting to play hard on defense. This is why in the NBA and other types of teams you see so many runs. Not sure if people notice, there aren't many big runs in our games.

[UNTLifer]

2 hours ago, Andrew said:

I felt like they were built on Scott and Jones who stayed with us through thick and thin. Yes Perry came and had quick success before running away, but he did have more consistency than I felt we have had the last two season. Stone and Sissoko are the only guys who have stuck it out and honestly neither are top caliber. We are full of juniors and seniors who will be one and done it seems. 

Might I introduce you to Rondel Walker. I watched him clear a couple rows of fans and land on the railing. 
Newell and Lorient are listed as juniors. Do any of the seniors, Wright, Floyd or Jossell, have an extra year availabl?

Edited 8 hours ago by UNTLifer

[3_n_out]

2 hours ago, BigWillie said:

Honestly, looking at our games and stats, we have offense from multiple sources now. That was not the case when we had teams with Jason Edwards and TP. 

I feel like on the offensive end, this is really a team effort. The scoring droughts come due to the defensive intensity the team brings. As I mentioned in another post, it is very exhausting to play hard on defense. This is why in the NBA and other types of teams you see so many runs. Not sure if people notice, there aren't many big runs in our games.

I agree with you. We have better depth scoring compared to last year. Would be nice if we had a TP type player who can consistently knock down a shot when we need it. 

[BigWillie]

45 minutes ago, 3_n_out said:

I agree with you. We have better depth scoring compared to last year. Would be nice if we had a TP type player who can consistently knock down a shot when we need it. 

I am hoping this is gunna be Atin. Last night was a good step towards that.

[NT80]

6 hours ago, greenminer said:

Absolutely.  Feeling comfortable in this case would mean, knowing a bit more about what we're trying to do offensively.  I don't think I learned anything from last night's game.

The offense is definitely still a work in progress.  Our guards get stuck passing it around the 3-point arc to themselves and then launch a desperation 3.    We set picks only to end up 5 feet away with the same guard dribbling covered by the same defender.  What's the point? 

We drive the paint but become out of control and throw it up hoping to draw a foul.  Sissoko backs down his guy in the paint several times and then misses a 3-foot shot.  It gets old.  Points off breakaways were our only offense last night.  Better opponents won't allow that to happen.

I get trying to drive the paint to draw fouls to go to the free throw line.  McNeese did it to us and won the game on free throws because we are too handsy on defense sometimes.  We built a 10-4 foul advantage on Oregon State in the 2nd half...then gave up 5 fouls in under 2 minutes as they drove the paint on us too.

[NT80]

54 minutes ago, 3_n_out said:

I agree with you. We have better depth scoring compared to last year. Would be nice if we had a TP type player who can consistently knock down a shot when we need it. 

That was the key to each of the past 6 years, a clutch go-to player.  We don't have that yet defined on this team. 

Players are starting to show their true abilities, and I hope Ross doles out minutes proportional to that.  Lorient, Walker, and Massie are studs and should get max minutes.  Others have been hot and cold.

[Matt from A700]

4 hours ago, BleedingGreen said:

Regarding scoring and end of game offense, I do like that we haxe options on clutch times versus the whole arena and defense knowing it was Edwards shooting. 

And Atin Wright already has more clutch buckets than Edwards.

[3_n_out]

1 hour ago, BigWillie said:

I am hoping this is gunna be Atin. Last night was a good step towards that.

I hope for better than last night as he was 1-10 I believe. Huge lone bucket tho. 

[Censored by Laurie]

2 hours ago, Matt from A700 said:

And Atin Wright already has more clutch buckets than Edwards.

I am not one Hoo would disagree

[UNTLifer]

We created steals and fast breaks and then acted like we didn’t know what to do. Have to clean up the transition offense. 
Wright has difficulty creating his own shot off the dribble. Jossell saves the day. Great catch and shoot player, but again has trouble creating off the dribble. All fixable. I trust we will continue to gel as we get games under our belts.