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Beavers Relevant in March

103

For the first time in…forever.

The main reason I doubted them in today's game is that I thought they'd be fatigued. Also thought their confidence would be shot, but I was wrong on that. They did look wiped in the second half, played almost no defense, but somehow gutted it out with clutch shots down the stretch. Very weird game. Washington probably doesn't know what hit them. Great win for the program. Should be on the NIT bubble (at worst) after that.

Something else to note: for those who watched the game, you probably noticed the bounces, calls, and missed free throws all went the Beavs way today. Never happens. Is Cinderella warming her slippers?

103 COMMENTS

  1. Also, Beavs’ bigs are all peaking right now. Burton, Moreland, and Collier have never played this well as a group.
    If I’m CR I give them a 8pm curfew tonight.

  2. Any word on Roberto’s injury and availability tomorrow? That missing depth could hurt. I saw him get put in for that last inbound play, probably for his free throw shooting, so maybe they’re not too worried about his hand?

    Great day to be a Beaver!

  3. This is mostly an irrelevant question, but do you think the Beavers have a distinct advantage with either Arizona or UCLA depending on who advances next?

    • Advantage against Arizona. BIG advantage in the frontcourt. The Beavers are a bigger team upfront and with the way Collier, Moreland and Burton are playing, they would dominate the paint against the Wildcats.

  4. All went thier way??? We missed quite a few free throws as well, but made more than they did. Calls, what happened on that Wroten shot where he airballed and grabbed his own rebound then was phantomed fouled and got two shots. Luckily he choked them

      • But all the “bounces” did NOT go their way. Like was just pointed out. And… Wroton shoots 56% free throws and hits 6 in a row? That sure as hell is not a bounce going your way.

        Seemed to me there were bounces going both ways.

      • judging by the size of the crowd, you can probably find some pretty cheap tickets on craigslist or from a scalper at the venue, although the next game is on a friday evening and could feature a home team. It’s a joke this tournament is played at Staples every freaking year. Too much of a home court advantage. They should rotate it by region every year with a year in Phoenix, Seattle, Portland, Oakland and either Salt Lake or Denver so each region gets a chance to host.

        • It’s in LA because FOX gets to call some shots and they are located very close to Staples. So you would rather even the homecourt issue by just moving it around every year? LA is a destination site for the tourney. No other west coast place is.

          At least LV would be a neutral location, but there are already 3 other conferences w/ tourneys there.

          • By rotating the tournament site, it would at least spread the home-court advantage around evenly. Would give the league exposure to new and different fans and would avoid the current set up which benefits the same 2 teams every single year. I’d be up for a Las Vegas site as well, but the temptations for players to go out at night could have a major impact on the quality of play.

          • You’re factually incorrect. The tourney is currently at Staples every year because at the time, the league needed 8 out of 10 votes to start it up, and both USC and UCLA were against it. The Staples Center was a way of getting them on board. I am in favor of a rotation as well, or at least, let the regular season winner host the tournament. Granted, it would have affected today’s game, but then the regular season actually means something. Why not? There are sufficient arenas in Seattle, Spokane, Portland, Oakland, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City and Denver.

      • Angry, you ARE going! You never get to see the Beavs (except Baseball awhile back) and now’s your chance to see them in a major way.
        We’ll take up a collection for ya!!
        How far of a drive is the Stapler for you?

  5. I thought the questionable calls went both ways (no particular bias in either direction). So did the missed free throws — Cunninghan and Wroten both looked tight, and missed a bunch of free throws in the last few minutes.

    There was more pressure on the Huskies at the end (because the Huskies were the #1 seed) and that may have been the difference — the Huskies made more mistakes down the stretch, allowing OSU to win.

    If Craig had just told OSU’s defenders to make Wroten go to his right, it wouldn’t have been that close….

    • I agree.

      Starks three was huge! They were down 6 with about 2 minutes and they were flirting with a knockdown, but that bucket was a difference maker.

      • Down four when Starks hit his trey. That doesn’t make it any less important. But the sequence leading up to it was the magical part.

        Down 6 – Coach Rob calls a 30sec and sets up a play for Jared that gets him a wide open look from the elbow… and he Death Stars the sucker. Jared hitting mid-range jumpers is a beautiful thing.

        Down 4 – Starks steals the ball in the backcourt, puts it on the rim, and Moreland is there for the follow.

        Down 4 – Joe hits a great lay-up. Who here would have thought this team could make one lay-up (let alone one in crunch time) after the last several years?

        Down 4 – Starks hits a back-breaking trey. He’s been clutch in crunch time more often than not.

        And after…

        Down 1 – Moreland takes a charge where Ross was sideways and out of control. I’m not sure what Ross was thinking, but I was also shocked that Moreland got the call.

        Down 1 – Jared goes clutch.

    • I doubt Craig didn’t tell them, coaches tell guys all the time to force a guy a certain direction but Wroten is pretty damn good and guys don’t always execute. Also, guys weren’t rotating to stop him well.

  6. that game was… odd, still can’t quite believe they won. the more i watch this ucla arizona game the better feeling i get about our game tomorrow too.

    • Yep.. There is no team in the Pac that can for sure beat us.

      But I expect fatigue will start to be a real factor. Less so for the teams playing their first game today. Still, even for them, tomorrow will be a back-to-back.

      Get em to bed early, coach!!

    • Doesn’t matter really but i they had to choose one, I think UA would be it cause of OSU’s advantage in the frontcourt. Collier and Burton would dominate the paint.

  7. OT – Very positive report on FB getting ready for spring, seems like more than just hype by Cliff. Includes video of Dylan Wynn saying all the right things.

    cliffkirkpatrick.mvourtown.com/2012/03/08/getting-ready-for-spring-ball/

  8. Josiah Turner, Zona’s PG that got suspended, wasn’t a stat monster by any means, but his replacement Jordin Mayes is doing even less. And when he gets tired, they don’t have much for options behind him. I’ve got a good feeling about tomorrow if Zona wins this one.

  9. I assumed it was just general admission but I’m looking at the tickets for tomorrow night’s game and it looks like it’s $38 for the upper levels and $100+ for the lower levels. Most of the sections aren’t even open to sit in.

  10. Barring a miracle, its looking like Arizona will be out opponent tomorrow. Wonder if they lift the indefinite suspension after having their PG sit out game 1. I like how we matchup with them and the fact that they’re a young team could be helpful when the intensity tightens up in these tournament games.

  11. Great win! DVR’d the game. Three minutes left and get a text from a friend “how about OSU today!”
    Thanks buddy!
    Gophs pull the upset so this was all good. What happened to Nelson?
    Go Beavs!

    • Nelson injured his non shooting hand, gonna need him the next 2 games to give Starks and Cunningham a breather. He’ll be relatively fresh.

  12. Colorado is playing the ducks pretty tough. They’re a fun team to watch. Oregon rebounds really well but Colorado has more offensive versatility and they’re so fast up and down the floor. I’m more impressed with the Beavs recent win vs them at Reser after watching this game. Also, is there a less likable team than Oregon in the NCAA’s.

  13. Great game, even better ending. Joseph misses potential game winning buzer beater. Colorado moves on and Ducks are out. Do they still go to the NIT?

  14. Keys for tomorrow’s game.

    Fatigue – Got to get more meaningful minutes from the bench, Barton, Nelson, and even McShane. Hopefully Roberto can play. Got to give Jared a few minutes rest each half. He’s played 38 and 40 min the last two games.

    Bigs inside – The beavs will have a size advantage tomorrow and need to make the most of it. Moreland needs to just get nasty on the boards. How Collier does down low will be huge.

    Defense – The beavs will have tired legs so they need to rotate on D as best they can. Close down and contest every shot. Do not let UA get open 3’s.

    • Having Roberto Nelson tomorrow and Saturday is big. Hopefully his thumb doesn’t bother his shot too much. Fortunately it wasn’t his shooting hand. He’s fresh, didn’t play a whole lot against the Cougars, he’s definitely a guy who can get hot and give rest to Cunningham and Starks. I hope he plays well. Angus also hasn’t played a ton. Beavers need him to play a little tougher and finish at the rim. He’s been playing a little soft, he needs to step it up and I think he will.

      If Nelson and Brandt have great games, the Beavers’ main guys will not be so drained and will have enough in the tank to finish the job on Saturday.

  15. It might be win the P-12 championship or bust (as in CBI) for the Beavs. This dude doesn’t even have them on the NIT bubble. It kind of looks like the P-12 tourney all over again with all of the teams he is projecting in the NIT.

    http://nitology.com/

      • Sorry, I didn’t see the date on that guys projection. This analysis is much better, but still kind of sounds like it could be the CBI unless the Beavs make it to the championship game. Would the NIT take OSU over UCLA, they have very similiar resumes, but the Beavs beat them.

        Beavs lost twice to Stanford. 20 wins is always a nice eye-catcher to be on a resume, so maybe that sways the NIT, but they could easily fall back on conference records for all the other P-12 teams and exclude the Beavs. Let’s hope it doesn’t matter!

        • Funny thing…

          If we make it to the championship game and lose, the only Pac teams with wins over RPI top 50 teams would be us and Stanford. If you count league wins over Cal (the only RPI top 60 team in the Pac), then you get to add +1 to UA, Wazzu, CU and one more each for us and tree.

          Other than our poor league play, our only losses are to #’s 146 and 28. And to get to Saturday would mean a five game win streak.

          It’s tough to predict anything selection committees will do. Cal winning the tourney would be the best scenario for UW. Still, how do you ignore a 68 RPI and give UW a ticket to the dance? You could have made an argument at <55 for a major conference regular season champ. But 68?

          I'm thinking the only way the Pac gets two in the dance is by us, UA or CU winning this tourney.

          Okay… that's not too funny. It's kinda sad.

          • It’s tough to predict anything selection committees will do. Cal winning the tourney would be the best scenario for UW. Still, how do you ignore a 68 RPI and give UW a ticket to the dance? You could have made an argument at <55 for a major conference regular season champ. But 68?

            I went and check kenpom.com to see the first Pac-10 team out and last Pac-10 team in for the last 10 years or so. Here's what I found.

            Lowest RPI of a team to make the tourney was 68 – Stanford in 2005. They went 18-13 and made it. Here are the RPIs of the last Pac-10 team to get into the big dance since 2002.

            54, 30, 41, 41, 53, 37, 68, 59, 52

            and the first Pac-10 teams out were…

            62, 47, 35, 48, 57, 36, 69, 70, 70

            Looking at those numbers, I doubt UW gets in. but it gives hope for Arizona and Stanford (50 and 51 in RPI right now).

            I still have a feeling the Pac-12 gets three in.

          • I think you’re looking at his parameters. His rankings are not the RPI. Although, I believe his numbers have gained more weight than naught in the last couple years. They’re a better tool for coaches looking to scout teams by the numbers.

            Still, UW ends up in almost the same spot on his rankings and the RPI. That’s not good for the Pac.

            Cal gets in on their RPI. UW might get in for winning the regular season, but a lot of prognosticators say no. Even Cal is being propped up by their SOS. If RPI took the value of the losses into account, then getting blown out (big time) against two of the top 50 teams they faced (and losing by one to the other) would have them in the same boat.

            Who would be the third team if Cal wins the tourney and UW somehow gets in?

          • Yeah, sorry…you’re right it’s not RPI but his rankings I’m looking at. A similar metric, but not RPI.

            That said, I think if Arizona wins tonight, they get in. 23 wins should get you in from a power conference, even in a down year. Even if we beat them tonight, I still think they have a shot. Oregon and Stanford also have a chance, in my opinion.

            Looking at ESPN’s last 4 in, (and some numbers from Sagarin) we have:
            Washington: 21-10 0-3 vs top 25, 2-4 vs top 50, #61 ranking
            Mississippi State: 21-10 0-3 vs top 25, 4-4 vs top 50, #58 ranking
            Drexel: 27-6, 0-1 vs top 25, 1-2 vs top 50, #56 ranking
            Seton Hall: 20-12, 1-4 vs top 25, 4-7 vs top 50.#47 ranking

            Now look at what the Pac-10 ‘others’ have going for them.
            Arizona: 22-10, 0-1 vs top 25, 1-3 vs top 50, #48 ranking
            Stanford: 21-11, 0-1 vs top 25, 2-4 vs top 50, #53 ranking
            Oregon: 22-9, 0-1 vs top 25, 1-8 vs top 50, #66 ranking

            I think you can make an argument that Drexel and Washington have no business being in the tournament over Arizona and Stanford and that Oregon has a case nearly as strong as Washington’s.

            Ultimately though, I think Cal, Washington and Arizona get in with Oregon and Stanford barely missing the cut.

            But I think we win the tourney and bump Arizona.

          • Nikegon’s only quality win is UTEP. They had to buy three non-con wins at home to end non-con play. That’s how bad their schedule was. And their three losses to good teams were not competitive.

            Zona might have a case if they win tonight. I think 23 wins is a fair enough metric. But the selection committee doesn’t like double-digit losses as much as it does like that 23-24 mark. And the cats didn’t exactly play hot to end the season.

            Stanford needed the same.

            That might be the one metric that gets UW in. They won 10 of 12 to win the league. The committee really likes that metric. They’re also recognizable to those fans who only tune in to see the dance. But they don’t have a history of doing much once they get there despite the talent they always have.

            Since VCU had to upset Drexel to take the CAA auto bid… and made their run last year… I think the committee will take Drexel out of a sense of competition from that league… especially if it’s at the expense of conferences like the Pac.

            I don’t know where Sagarin gets UW beating anyone in the top 50. RPI says they didn’t win any over top 100 teams (out of league… top 60 in-league).

        • I don’t think anyone knows. I could see them being one of the last teams in or first teams out. A win tonight would lock up an NIT, I think. (And give us the most relevant hoops game in like 20 years)…

  16. I’ll post this again in the game thread but AZ was a 3.5 favorite, has moved to 2.5…ESPN projects the Cats to win 71.7 to 71.4

    You think a programmer would…ah never mind.

  17. There’s not a lot to say about tonight’s game. It’s still win or go home.

    But it could be our first 20 win season in forever (1990).

    I’m not counting the CBI here, but I said at the time that it portends good things for a coach that he can win in the postseason. But… the last time we won two post-season games was in 1988 (over Wazzu and UW). The last time we won three post-season games?

    1963

    Ugh!

    • LOL … that 63 bit had to be the final four appearance, and that is the equivalent of winning four post season games now. The tournament is much bigger now.

      Everything we do in the post season now is huge. I dont think our guys can keep up the effort, though, three games in a row. Fatigue, both mental and physical, will take its toll, and I think we lose now.

  18. OSU has what it takes to beat Arizona and advance to the Pac-12 Final. It will take guts and execution down the stretch. Physically we match up well with these guys. Need a great all around team effort and simply to find the will to win!

    OSU vs. Arizona (Pac-12 Semifinal):
    http://beaverbyte.com

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