OPEN GAME THREAD: Washington State vs. Nicholls State
by Grady Clapp on Nov 27, 2009 5:20 PM PST
in WSU Cougar Basketball
269 comments
WSU
Moore
Capers
Thompson
Lodwick
Casto
NSU
Bose
Carter
Iles
Hunter
Ward
Nicholls State is from Thibadoux, Louisiana. They are the Colonels, but unlike Sanders do not fry up delicious, crispy fried chicken. They are 0-6, having just lost to Alaska-Anchorage, and having played poorly throughout most of their other games. Yet Vegas only has the Cougs on the board as 14 point favorites, so hold your horses if you're expecting total domination.
Player to watch out for: Anatoly Bose. The 6'6", 200 lb. guard/forward out of Australia is a matchup problem for the Cougars and Nicholls State's leader in points and minutes. If the Cougars are upset tonight, expect him to play a big role.
X-Factor: DeAngelo Casto. Can the Cougar big man shake off a couple bad rebounding games and secure the defensive boards? Can he score enough to take the pressure off Klay Thompson and Reggie Moore? We'll find out.
The Cougars win if... They dominate FT rate against a less athletic squad, and keep the rebounding battle at least even. If they can't do that, they'll need another hot shooting night by Klay to advance to the finals.
0 recs |
269 comments
|
Email
Print
Comments
Just FYI
When you’re looking up the odds on covers.com, or Yahoo, or wherever, technically you’re not looking at lines from casinos. I’m sure the point spreads that online bookmakers use are for the most part similar to what you’d see at the Bellagio or Caesars or wherever, but going to bodog.com and looking at their lines is not Vegas.
Also, I'm sure everyone knows this, but
Point spreads don’t reflect what the oddsmakers truly believe will be the outcome of the game, only what they think will get an equal amount of money on each side. People underrate WSU for whatever reason, so even against the hapless Colonels the line might be a little low based on the “true” odds for the game.
To be fair, only 2 casinos set a spread
Harrahs/rio/caesar’s book and LVSC Open. Both have it sitting around 14.
Another fun fact is Houston is favored by 3 over USD
Only the great alaskan shootout would get an ad for Wickers
Long underwear for an weather…wow.
Counting players and coaches I'd take the over.
But paying attendence…not so much.
no wonder they cannot get teams to this tournament anymore
by spokanecougar on Nov 27, 2009 6:06 PM PST up reply actions
Was this tournament big in years past?
I feel like I used to watch it every year as a kid and great teams were in it, but I don’t know if I’m making that up or not.
It use to be pretty big with good teams
Also use to also have 8 teams but they could only get 6 this year
by spokanecougar on Nov 27, 2009 6:09 PM PST up reply actions
The announcer thinks it's important Nichols State gets off to a good start
Great insight about a team that hasn’t won yet. They may not play well from behind.
The hell was that buzzer?
I think I heard that in the Bennett era. Does that mean the shot clock expired? That we defended for 35 seconds?
I feel like I am watching an 8-bit video game
I can’t even tell which players are which. Casto is the one with the headband, right?
Capers is all over the place.
Granted the block was a result of him turning it over, but still.
The graphics
Reminds me of Prime Sports Northwest, like watching the old Apple Cups that they are replaying. Holy cow.
Casto is looking good!
Color guy is getting Casto's name right
The play by play guy can’t catch on though.
Not surprising
If everything from this tournament is from 1992 technology.
Its embarrassing
…..not quite as embarrassing as our football team though
by spokanecougar on Nov 27, 2009 6:31 PM PST up reply actions
Casto needs to step up
2nd game in a row he is just putting up weak stuff and not trying very hard on the boards. He should be dominating inside in these two games. Maybe he is just mad that they can’t get his name right.
http://wsufoundation.wsu.edu/giving/enteramount.asp?Fund=Martin%20Stadium%20Project
As the great Bill Schonely would say
“You’ve got to make your free throws”
I think the pack defense
was better at guarding the 3 than this. I thought that was Bone’s whole reason for changing up the D? I think they give up more threes than anyone I have seen.
Porter is going to light us up.
http://wsufoundation.wsu.edu/giving/enteramount.asp?Fund=Martin%20Stadium%20Project
ARE YOI KIDDING ME!!!!!!!!!
We are down 7 to a team thats 0-6 and losing by an average of almost 25 points a game!!!!!
Is that a Motum sighting?
http://wsufoundation.wsu.edu/giving/enteramount.asp?Fund=Martin%20Stadium%20Project
Why not
nobody else seems to want to play
by spokanecougar on Nov 27, 2009 6:42 PM PST up reply actions
Right you are
I am glad to see him finally get in there.
http://wsufoundation.wsu.edu/giving/enteramount.asp?Fund=Martin%20Stadium%20Project
Get ready for a long season
We are terrible
by Grady Clapp on Nov 27, 2009 6:43 PM PST via mobile reply actions
I really think this is the result of starting the season against bad teams.
We look bad on paper and we get sloppy against sloppy teams
Motum on the board
http://wsufoundation.wsu.edu/giving/enteramount.asp?Fund=Martin%20Stadium%20Project
Wow.
No ball security anymore.
http://wsufoundation.wsu.edu/giving/enteramount.asp?Fund=Martin%20Stadium%20Project
I hope Bone rips these guys a new one at halftime
and lets Ben Johnson bring back the D.
http://wsufoundation.wsu.edu/giving/enteramount.asp?Fund=Martin%20Stadium%20Project
Wasn't that why he kept Johnson
To make sure we kept the some of the same principles on D. So far this year Bone’s defense kind of sucks. What happens when we play better teams?
by spokanecougar on Nov 27, 2009 6:53 PM PST up reply actions
He's screwing with his rotation n the first half
What did he find out? That everything outside of his starting five is useless right now
Is Capers the leading scroing right now?
http://wsufoundation.wsu.edu/giving/enteramount.asp?Fund=Martin%20Stadium%20Project
Nicholls State
They almost shot more 3-pointers then we did FGs…only three shy
The negacoug in me is going nuts
But it’s only one half. There better be some improvement. Now.
by Grady Clapp on Nov 27, 2009 6:57 PM PST via mobile reply actions
Its understandable why
That was about the worse half of basketball I have seen from this team since the early years of Dick Bennett
by spokanecougar on Nov 27, 2009 6:59 PM PST up reply actions
The only reason we're losing is because of the turnovers
But even if we were taking care of the ball the way we normally do, the only reason it would even be close is because our defense is terrible. It’s not a scheme thing. It’s an effort thing. They’re not fighting hard through screens, they’re not moving their feet when man-to-man, and they’re not ready to get out on shooters.
Until Bone starts demanding more effort from his defenders, this is what we’re going to get.
The halftime don't turn the ball over speech worked wonders
COME ON YOU IDIOTS TAKE CARE OF THE DAMN BALL. YOU’RE NOT THE FOOTBALL TEAM
I'm afraid this team is going to be much like the football team.
Young and undersized trying to learn a new system.
Klay looks like he's getting fired up
He mightt need to wake us up himself.
I almost bought tickets to go up there
I probably would be on the court screaming at the team for their play right now
Nik...way play big guy
That’s the kind of senior leadership we need. Come in and make some good passes.
So it's easier for him to tranfer?
by Coug Friendly Canuck on Nov 27, 2009 7:22 PM PST up reply actions
I'm guessing that Brown will not be here next year
so they are saving his redshirt for then. Of course that is pure speculation, but they are bringing in another shooting guard and need a scholie.
I was never really worried
I was just joking earlier. Joking, yeah, that’s it.
by Grady Clapp on Nov 27, 2009 7:24 PM PST via mobile reply actions
The replay the refs had to watch was an old game of pong
So really, I think they just had to make something up
Yeah, according to these announcers
Of course, in all fairness this broadcast is from 1994. And in 94 Nicholls state might have been picked to win.
This team plays lazy D
Try to reach from behind for the steal and block after the guy blows by them. Someone needs to re-instill the work ethic. I say return to the hill and run till you puke so you aren’t too tired to play some real D.
Somewhat agree
Our defense has been atrocious this year and this game really I think highlighted how poorly this team plays defense. Bone needs to tighten somethings up and fast or this is going to be a very very very long season.
by spokanecougar on Nov 27, 2009 7:59 PM PST up reply actions
Well
The good: We won and are playing for the championship
The bad: Everything else
The ugly: The venue and announcers
"We're waiting on Ken Bone"
You guys are last in line. Kermit the frog gets to interview him before you
that was a weird commerical
was that an Alaska ad? Never seen anything like that here
by spokanecougar on Nov 27, 2009 8:07 PM PST up reply actions
Nice to see 4 players in double fig's
Name FGM-A PF Pts
K. Thompson 7-14, 21pts
D. Casto 8-10, 18pts
R. Moore 3-4, 14pts
M. Capers 2-3, 10pts
N. Koprivica 3-4, 9pts
I’m surprised Nik is hitting 9pts worth of baskets?! I used to cringe when he was (1) was in the game, or (2) had the ball…
He looks damn good so far
He was making good cuts, passes, and getting to the rim. He also hit one from outside
Is the offense even up tempo??
Look at the shot attempts, they are very comparable last years non conference games. And just from watching the game, I don’t see much of a tempo being established, which is why teams hang around on us. I hope we look better tomorrow.
I dont wanna run the numbers right now
But yes, it is faster. NSU tried to control tempo and we still put up almost 80, too
Alright well based on shot attempts here we go
2008
1-MVS 47
2-FDU 53
3-SSU 59
4-CAN 59
5-MSU 58
55.2
2009
1-MVS 64
2-EWU 50
3-IPFW 59
4-UAA 53
5- NSU -44
Avg. 54
Not a big difference to me…
Shot attempts doesn't equal tempo, though
We had much more possessions today but had turnovers , etc. Need to look at number of possessions instead of number of shot attempts.
From Kenpom
Well
I guess I’m crazy then because TO+Shot Attempts come out near equal as well. I know Kenpom is god to a lot of people, but I don’t have his equation to how he calculates tempo, so those numbers don’t mean a lot to me.
Forgetting FT's, too. Here:
Tempo: We can estimate possessions very well from box score stats by using this formula: FGA-OR+TO+0.475xFTA.
For each team, possessions are counted for the team and their opponents, and then averaged. A team’s average tempo is total possessions divided by minutes. This value is then adjusted for schedule, considering the preferred pace of each opponent and when each game was played.
Thanks
For providing that. Offensively I don’t see a whole lot of issues other than we are screwed if Casto and Klay don’t come to play everynight.
Defensively we are horrendous and I would not be surprised if we get rocked tomorrow. Lets hope we step our game up, otherwise it’s gonna get ugly.
The biggest lesson tonight
Was a team that controls pace can keep it close or win against us. NSU came to control pace and did it admirably. What does USD do? Control pace and play defense, just like we used to. We’re gonna get tested and better come out more fired up.
The plus? Bone spent the game tinkering and trying new players in an effort to find a rotation. This wasn’t our regular season rotation and he was using the game to learn I think
by Brian Floyd on Nov 28, 2009 12:32 AM PST up reply actions
I think of shot attempts as being more indicative of pace, not points
We are shooting about the same amount of attempts and points are fairly similar as non-conference games last year. I’m sure things will change, but as for now it kinda seems like a SLIGHTLY faster offense in exchange for very lazy defense. Guess we should have expected a drop in D though.
I'm sorry to say that this is going to be...
a long season. Eighth place is the base case scenario for us.
At least I’ll really enjoy watching Klay.
If we’d only play a semblance of team D. Yikes.
by westsidecougar1 on Nov 27, 2009 9:02 PM PST reply actions
Look at the rest of the Pac-10
They are losing to teams like we are at least beating.
by spokanecougar on Nov 27, 2009 9:31 PM PST up reply actions
Cougs will NOT be 10th, 9th, 8th, or 7th...
Worst case is 6th, the best, maybe 2nd; & if Jesus is involved, maybe 1st. The Pac-10 is open this year. Look at UCLA’s loss to CSU-Fullerton AT Pauley Pavilion, look how terrible USC is this year? Oregon State??? They need presidential stimulus about 2 weeks ago.
Arguably, the teams we have to worry about are Cal & UW, since they bring the most returning talent.
Thoughts???
agree
but we have to come to play tomorrow. we have looked awful suspect the last 4 games and now is the time to come out and make plays for 40 minutes on both ends of the floors.
by donkeyjon12 on Nov 27, 2009 10:35 PM PST up reply actions
Agreed, Agreed
Tomorrow will be the first real test. If we win, it shows we can elevate our game against better opponents. If we lose, I hope we can build off it and improve. But I wouldn’t give up on the Cougs quite yet. I could sense in these past two games that Bone and the team were not satisfied with their play, and I would like to think that Bone will motivate this team get to the middle of the Pac-10 this year.
disagree
that 6th is our worst case scenario.
just because ucla has struggled doesn’t mean we’re going down to pauley and beating them. i think we have more talent than stanford, osu and usc.
klay’s not going to drop 40/night once we get into conference play. i think we’re in trouble.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Community Guidelines
Related FanPosts on CougCenter
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2010 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
