OPEN GAME THREAD: WSU at Cal
by Jeff Nusser on Feb 13, 2010 12:45 PM PST
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PrintWashington St. Cougars at California Golden Bears, Feb 13, 2010 1:00 PM PST
The Time: 1 p.m. PST
The Place: Haas Pavilion (is everything a pavilion in California?) in Berkeley, Calif.
The Coverage: FSN. Find your local radio station here. Audio also available for a fee at wsucougars.com.
KenPom says: No. 17 Cal 88, No. 98 WSU 71 (71 possessions, 92% confidence 
Keys to a Cougar Victory
Well, we'll just keep it simple: Defense will tell the tale. Cal is playing very well right now, and the way they ran out so quick on the Cougs last time has to give them confidence. However, the Bears have been known to have letdowns on Saturdays, especially following emotional victories (of which they just happened to have one on Thursday over UW).
The Cougs have been slowing games down a bit lately, but I honestly think a faster pace is more beneficial in this one. The Bears play a short rotation, so running them around might just be beneficial -- if Ken Bone is willing to dig into his bench today as he did against Arizona.
I'm not even going to try and predict an outcome. I could see it going either direction.
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I have a feeling our resiliant team is going to show up and squezze out a win today
We haven’t lost 2 games in a week in pac 10 play yet.
Klay Thompson is my man crush
by crimson and gray on Feb 13, 2010 12:49 PM PST reply actions
can't believe the game is on tv
it’s a miracle
www.nwfan.com
Yeah its a miracle.
On the website that i get my TV listings from it has it listed as Womens College Basketball. Needless to say I was pretty pissed. Im glad they were wrong!
-Brett Gleason
-Daily Evergreen Sports Writer
by Brett the 49er on Feb 13, 2010 1:03 PM PST up reply actions
Thanks, Nuss, you're a champ.
Game would actually be on TV here if it wasn’t for the stupid Olympics dominating my television.
by Coug Friendly Canuck on Feb 13, 2010 1:14 PM PST up reply actions
My TV's guide has this listed as "Women's College Basketball"
Which I guess is probably fitting for all Pac-10 games this year.
That Oregon ASU women's game that was 119-112 earlier this year
Probably better ball than any men’s team games.
So does mine...
But you make a very good point. Haha.
-Brett Gleason
-Daily Evergreen Sports Writer
by Brett the 49er on Feb 13, 2010 1:04 PM PST up reply actions
ok
well i think he’s good anyway. no rule that says we all have to agree on everything
www.nwfan.com
So I am wrong on one thing
It is in HD at least, but I still hate FSN
by spokanecougar on Feb 13, 2010 1:06 PM PST up reply actions
I have HD
But I agree, Thompkins and Maclean are annoying, the sad part is, they are the second best pair FSN has to offer, behind whoever Marques Johnson is paired with
MJ could hold up a broadcast on his own
He is the man. I remember meeting him in Pullman and he came in with giant MJ cufflinks. It was badass
Yes
Cal can shoot over the zone very easy
by spokanecougar on Feb 13, 2010 1:12 PM PST up reply actions
I'm a little worried about what we do when Capers is on the bench
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by Grady Clapp on Feb 13, 2010 1:13 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Gutierrez back is a big plus for Cal
Didn’t have him in Pullman
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by Grady Clapp on Feb 13, 2010 1:14 PM PST via mobile reply actions
Thompson is feeling it
I would guess his dad is there
Klay now has as many threes as Harmeling
Let that sink in…. (h/t Bud Nameck)
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by Grady Clapp on Feb 13, 2010 1:18 PM PST via mobile reply actions
Thompson again
This has been a while since we saw that
Yep, there's Mychal
He is playing well for his dad
That's the key
LOVE THE MAN TO MAN. I know we’ll see that zone at some point, but the man to man is really setting the tone.
I actually meant DeAngelo.
But they’ve done a good job getting guarding all Cal’s screening so far, too.
by Coug Friendly Canuck on Feb 13, 2010 1:23 PM PST up reply actions
Absolutely, its irritating.
-Brett Gleason
-Daily Evergreen Sports Writer
by Brett the 49er on Feb 13, 2010 1:26 PM PST up reply actions
I was hoping Reggie would go to the bench after that one
He’s really not bringing anything to the table right now.
Randle is tough.
If he keeps hitting those, then…yikes.
by westsidecougar1 on Feb 13, 2010 1:27 PM PST reply actions
At what point do you just crowd Randle and force him to go into the lane?
Kind of like when you’re at the Y and it’s two points to win, you know?
I don't know if they can do that without fouling.
by Coug Friendly Canuck on Feb 13, 2010 1:28 PM PST up reply actions
You can get close enough to him to keep him from shooting a 3
And just let him waltz to the bucket. Might be what you have to do.
Motumboard!
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by Grady Clapp on Feb 13, 2010 1:28 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
That Klay guy is atrocious
16
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by Grady Clapp on Feb 13, 2010 1:28 PM PST via mobile reply actions
Good lord.
Today’s version of Klay Thompson is the greatest basketball player in the history of the world.
by Coug Friendly Canuck on Feb 13, 2010 1:30 PM PST up reply actions
I think that Tony went hard after Gutierrez...
I really like his game.
by westsidecougar1 on Feb 13, 2010 1:29 PM PST reply actions
Yeah, that dude's awesome.
He plays really, really hard.
by Coug Friendly Canuck on Feb 13, 2010 1:30 PM PST up reply actions
Scout.com
In the kid’s defense, though, it’s hard to get a rhythm when you’re only ever playing a few minutes at a time. Then again, he’s never really showed a reason he deserves to play more. Bit of a Catch-22.
by Coug Friendly Canuck on Feb 13, 2010 1:34 PM PST up reply actions
He's not bad
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by Grady Clapp on Feb 13, 2010 1:36 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Bag the zone.
Do one thing and do it with excellence.
by westsidecougar1 on Feb 13, 2010 1:35 PM PST reply actions
Well, they're letting a ton of contact go all over the floor
As long as they stay consistent, I’m OK with it.
So do Randle/Christopher miss against other teams?
CougCenter - Cougar athletics fanaticism deepened by occasional outbursts of real analysis.
by Grady Clapp on Feb 13, 2010 1:35 PM PST via mobile reply actions
What is the alltime record for 3's made
combined for 2 teams? Good god…
He's playing a very determined game...
You can see the fire and focus.
Hope he can keep it up.
by westsidecougar1 on Feb 13, 2010 1:41 PM PST up reply actions
Wow this team is playing D!!
still first half though…I’ll wait for the 2nd half to get excited because I think we’ve been here before.
wow. mobile works well for me.
Hopefully they start missing 3s first
by bucherbp on Feb 13, 2010 1:44 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Thompson is playing selfish and Bone doesn't know how to coach
I am disappointed in this game. Thompson should be benched. Bone is not getting his message across. Etc., Etc., Etc.
Looks like he's not spending all his time yelling at the refs...
That’s a good sign.
by westsidecougar1 on Feb 13, 2010 1:43 PM PST up reply actions
Meh, I'm still less than convinced by Bone.
Klay’s been sucking in conference, but he’s got a lot of weight on his shoulders.
by Coug Friendly Canuck on Feb 13, 2010 1:44 PM PST up reply actions
It's just too soon to make any judgments
I think he’s done a good job so far. And I think that’s about all that’s fair to say.
Bone is doing for our offense
What Dick Bennett did for our defense.
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by Grady Clapp on Feb 13, 2010 1:50 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
By the way
I’d also like to welcome Marcus Capers back to this season. He seems to have lost his way a little bit with all that zone we’ve been playing. Good to have him.
I'd like to see him and Gutierrez play 1-on-1
First basket wins. Might take a while.
by Coug Friendly Canuck on Feb 13, 2010 1:48 PM PST up reply actions
OK...they said 8th block (I think) prior to the last one which...
was confusing.
by westsidecougar1 on Feb 13, 2010 1:50 PM PST up reply actions
We have completely changed how we're defending Randle
It’s good for now. Expect Cal to make an adjustment at half, though — they’re going to start making us pay for that weakside help.
It's a waste when you're not going for a win.
Run your normal offense and get to the rim.
Our offense can't sustain this level of shooting
So key to the 2nd half is free throw rate, and defense of course.
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by Grady Clapp on Feb 13, 2010 1:55 PM PST via mobile reply actions
10 of the last 100 minutes
We’ve played like the worst team in the nation
Klay Thompson is my man crush
by crimson and gray on Feb 13, 2010 1:58 PM PST up reply actions
+1
Read the stats from Nuss’ post. May have been the worst half ever.
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by Grady Clapp on Feb 13, 2010 2:04 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Cougs killing Cal in the paint right now
That makes me happy
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by Grady Clapp on Feb 13, 2010 1:56 PM PST via mobile reply actions
At halftime
Bone should not say anything, sit them down and watch the last 10 minutes of the Stanford game.
WSU playing spectacular defense on Randle. If he wasn’t hot on the deep, nearly indefensible three Cal would be totally screwed. Hats off to Bone’s gameplan and the Coug’s execution.
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
its a chess game
Monty will counter. Were leaving guys on the weak side to help
by Brian Floyd on Feb 13, 2010 2:02 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
So, I just calculated possessions
And I came up with 29 for us and 34 for Cal. Can someone explain to me how this is? (Other than the ESPN box score being wrong?)
But, if that's correct ...
Our offensive efficiency was 156.0 in the first half.
FIRST HALF Poss: 31
OFF DEF
Efficiency 156.0 117.9
EFG% 76.9% 54.8%
OR% 55.6% 35.7%
TO% 17.3% 24.3%
FTRoff 19.2% 6.5%
OK, that didn't work
FIRST HALF Poss: 31
OFF DEF
Efficiency 156.0 117.9
EFG% 76.9% 54.8%
OR% 55.6% 35.7%
TO% 17.3% 24.3%
FTRoff 19.2% 6.5%
It's only ever an estimate, though.
1. Intentional foul shows as an extra possession
2. Cougs had last shot, that might be an extra possession
3. the # of possessions represented by the FT’s is just a guess
by Coug Friendly Canuck on Feb 13, 2010 2:06 PM PST up reply actions
This is all true
But we had fewer possessions. You would think that would add up to more possessions.
Halftime advice
Capers plays entire second half on Randle and no zone
by ptowncoug3012 on Feb 13, 2010 2:07 PM PST via mobile reply actions
this is where the refs start calling it tight
And I get pissed
by Brian Floyd on Feb 13, 2010 2:07 PM PST via mobile reply actions
Actually, I like when they do that. I want everyone to know the Pac 10 screwed WSU
There was a recent article in a SF newspaper saying WSU was robbed.
cause it's in the bag, man
We’ve never blown a lead before. Ever.
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by Grady Clapp on Feb 13, 2010 2:13 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
FT time, fellas
Less jumpers please
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by Grady Clapp on Feb 13, 2010 2:14 PM PST via mobile reply actions
At least we're blowing the lead early this time
So we have time to recover.
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by Grady Clapp on Feb 13, 2010 2:16 PM PST via mobile reply actions
Great players develop by learning from their teammates.
It’s up to him to figure it out and develop.
Klay got the offensive rebound and finished tough with a jump hook.
Watch and learn Klay.
by Coug Friendly Canuck on Feb 13, 2010 2:19 PM PST up reply actions
The thing is that he has been the leading scorer and second leading rebounder the entire season
You write like he is crap. He has been inconsistent, but he has been a good player for most of the year.
Apparently Motum's coming off a good game against Stanford.
by Coug Friendly Canuck on Feb 13, 2010 2:18 PM PST reply actions
We stopped moving
on offense. Seemed to have lost a bit of “our” edge.
Zone by Bone
Yikes!!!
Does he think too much?
by westsidecougar1 on Feb 13, 2010 2:23 PM PST reply actions
I saw that.
Still…do one thing and do it with excellence.
by westsidecougar1 on Feb 13, 2010 2:25 PM PST up reply actions
we just cant match up with them
Without marcus
by Brian Floyd on Feb 13, 2010 2:26 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Those are the kind of possession you yank the guy...
to keep some accountability.
by westsidecougar1 on Feb 13, 2010 2:29 PM PST up reply actions
Reggie is the key to this ball game
He plays well, we win
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by Grady Clapp on Feb 13, 2010 2:30 PM PST via mobile reply actions
FYI, Thompkins
Interdisciplinary Studies is basically getting a generic, non-major area. It’s for people who have no idea what they want to major in.
Attacking the basket...
sounds like a good idea to me.
by westsidecougar1 on Feb 13, 2010 2:31 PM PST reply actions
How?
How do you want them to do it? Reggie has tried multiple times, and Cal is cutting him off. IT’S NOT AS SIMPLE AS YOU WANT TO MAKE IT SOUND. Learn that, please.
Nuss, you are the expert.
I don’t know anything about basketball. Screens? Bone is the offensive genius.
You are having the same type of responses that you had two months ago when I stated here that our team D was terrible. Basically…“you have no clue”.
Thanks.
by westsidecougar1 on Feb 13, 2010 2:34 PM PST up reply actions
Look, it's just not as simple as saying "attack the basket"
If you don’t know that, then I can’t tell you. There’s got to be an opportunity. Believe me, there were a lot of teams that played the Cougs the last six years where their fans said, “Why don’t we just drive on WSU? Why do we settle for so many jumpers?” And the answer is because their entire defense is designed to stop penetration.
So, you can say “attack the basket” all you want, but it can be counterproductive if the defense isn’t allowing it.
Spacing on the floor? I'd say that Reggie is proving my point...
Anyway, it can be done…Reggie is good at it…and Thompson and Nik can do it as well.
I don’t agree with you that we don’t have opportunities.
I guess we could settle for jumpers from 20 feet…but we saw how that worked against Furd.
Again, we can disagree, but no need to be disrespectful…of course, if you want to drive people away from this site then that’s another thing. :-)
by westsidecougar1 on Feb 13, 2010 2:41 PM PST up reply actions
Of course not
But some recognition from you that it’s not that simple would make you appear more thoughtful.
OK..IT"S NOT THAT SIMPLE (I already said that)...
But it also is not brain surgery.
NIk, Thomspon, Moore can do this. They can attack off the dribble.
by westsidecougar1 on Feb 13, 2010 2:43 PM PST up reply actions
That one was
As was the one after it. If those seams are there, then yeah — attack. I just haven’t seen those seams a whole lot.
They're being absolutely mindless on O.
Dribbling around trying to go 1 to 5, then throwing it to Cast at a spot where he has no chance to score.
by Coug Friendly Canuck on Feb 13, 2010 2:35 PM PST up reply actions
Now everybody is hatin on reggie
I understand guys have bad games and stuff, but you guys just hammer these players for the slightest stuff. Take a breather.
I agree but people are getting way to worked up
lets the kids play, they are freshman and sophomores, stuffs gonna happen.
where you at, Nuss?
Kidding. :)
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by Grady Clapp on Feb 13, 2010 2:39 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
YES D!
He’s having a ridiculous game.
by Coug Friendly Canuck on Feb 13, 2010 2:36 PM PST reply actions
He's the most complete player on the entire Team.
Everyone knows if you get DeAngelo in foul trouble the team folds.
This is wildly entertaining
Even on radio
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by Grady Clapp on Feb 13, 2010 2:38 PM PST via mobile reply actions
best game i've seen this year
www.nwfan.com
Randle
Randle Cannot handle Reggie on the Defensive end…He should be able to penetrate and kick the rest of the game unless they switch up.
THE Ike Fontaine??!
If so…one of my favorite Cougs of all time.
by westsidecougar1 on Feb 13, 2010 2:42 PM PST up reply actions
Klay is having a monster game
but he needs to not be so lazy passing the ball sometimes. He is way to good to turn it over as much as he does sometimes.
If we were going to fold, we would have done so by now
This game will be close to the end. We’ve got a shot.
he had Thompson as well
I’m not sure why he went 1-on-Cal there
Win or lose, we aren't leaving anything on the floor.
I’m proud of that.
by westsidecougar1 on Feb 13, 2010 2:45 PM PST reply actions
uh oh.
Here comes X, hope he blankets Randle.
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by Grady Clapp on Feb 13, 2010 2:46 PM PST via mobile reply actions
Man, Gutierrez has some post moves for a guard.
by Coug Friendly Canuck on Feb 13, 2010 2:46 PM PST reply actions
I thought so
He’s taking your advice to heart, and it’s working. He’s just got to stay under control.
no question about it
hope they let that go on the other end
Good help by Nik there.
Come back with Capers out of this TO?
by Coug Friendly Canuck on Feb 13, 2010 2:51 PM PST reply actions
He gets overlooked way too much.
Seems like whenever people talk about next year they assume he’ll have a lesser role. I don’t see that at all.
by Coug Friendly Canuck on Feb 13, 2010 2:52 PM PST up reply actions
He has erased his abysmal prior season with this year. Casto has more than doubled last season's scoring average.
Both the most improved players on the team.
Other than a 2 or 3 minute run right at the start there it's been fine.
Need to screen for Klay, though.
by Coug Friendly Canuck on Feb 13, 2010 2:53 PM PST up reply actions
Crunch time...which teams will make the better decisions?
Who’ll play better team D?
Hope it’s the good guys.
by westsidecougar1 on Feb 13, 2010 2:52 PM PST reply actions
he just doesn't have the hops
to get up over the rim. Nice move, bad finish
3 mins to go
Time to get Capers back in to shut down Randle…
So many of those are just strength.
Those Cal guys are all just so much stronger.
by Coug Friendly Canuck on Feb 13, 2010 2:56 PM PST up reply actions
bad T by Kenneth
Game is too close to pull that
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by Grady Clapp on Feb 13, 2010 2:56 PM PST via mobile reply actions
No excuse for that.
If Bone can’t be disciplined…then why should his players?
by westsidecougar1 on Feb 13, 2010 2:56 PM PST up reply actions
If he was going to take one bitching about Cal's guys reaching
He should have done it a long ass time ago.
by Coug Friendly Canuck on Feb 13, 2010 2:57 PM PST up reply actions
ref's have stopped calling fouls on Cal
Moore earlier, Thompson there. Too many to’s but c’mon. Some of these calls are of the automatic variety.
Do something other than running Klay off a pindown.
Get him the ball where he has an advantage.
by Coug Friendly Canuck on Feb 13, 2010 2:58 PM PST reply actions
Just my opinion
But DO NOT compare this to Stanford. That was a historic meltdown, this is getting beat by a better team.
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by Grady Clapp on Feb 13, 2010 2:58 PM PST via mobile reply actions
Hear, hear
But Bone simply cannot do that. Critical moment in the game, and he lost his cool. That’s just completely unacceptable.
Agreed.
That Stanford team only has 2 Pac-10 players.
This looked like a class road loss by a talented young team to me.
by Coug Friendly Canuck on Feb 13, 2010 2:59 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Agree.
I’ve seen some things I’ve liked.
However, I hate to see the meltdown at he end.
Cal is, as pointed out by the announcers, more experienced and mature.
by westsidecougar1 on Feb 13, 2010 3:00 PM PST up reply actions
Yeah, but we're bringing back a lot more than most next year.
I’m sceptical about Bone, though.
by Coug Friendly Canuck on Feb 13, 2010 3:01 PM PST up reply actions
FWIW...
I’m still skeptical about Bone as well.
He needs to be disciplined himself if he expects his players to be disciplined.
It starts at Bone.
by westsidecougar1 on Feb 13, 2010 3:03 PM PST up reply actions
Dont buy that Cal is necessarily better than us
If we have wins vs Oregon, GU and Stanford we are sitting at 18-6 coming into this one. All 3 of those should have been automatic wins for various reasons.
I've got them as my #1 first round upset pick.
If they run into anybody with decent size, they’re doomed.
by Coug Friendly Canuck on Feb 13, 2010 3:02 PM PST up reply actions
25 point lead for Cal in the second half.
We keep blowing leads. It’s our new Mantra.
We can easily win 3 straight in the Pac-10 tourney...
uw is the only team that we have not shown we have the ability to outplay.
point was
That we showed we can dominate Cal on their home court for a half
by Ike Fontaine on Feb 13, 2010 3:05 PM PST up reply actions
Call the handcheck now.
That’s so annoying.
by Coug Friendly Canuck on Feb 13, 2010 3:04 PM PST reply actions
C'mon, Cal played a good game
Even in the first half when WSU was playing so well Cal was pretty good.
Ha. Yeah I should know better.
But I have to say this takes the cake.
I just have to keep reminding myself
how ridiculously young this team is. And talented.
We didn't score the last 4:05 of the game
Big part of the blame goes to Bone for the T at the worst possible time
Did you see Thompson get fouled?
I can understand him blowing up. Why no call there?
looked like they could have called 2 fouls there
but still can’t get T’d up there
www.nwfan.com
Because they hadn't been calling it for 36 minutes.
Losing your shit and taking a T with 4 minutes left = pointless + not doing your job.
Taking a T in the 1st half making your point about the hand-checking = possibly doing your job.
by Coug Friendly Canuck on Feb 13, 2010 3:12 PM PST up reply actions
I like Chris Del Conte
although he just became the TCU AD last year I guess.
Not the best year for the crimson soldiers.
I wonder if the contract
allows for the payout to come over those 7 years or if it is a lump.
That’s a Qwest Apple Cup payout. I don’t think we can afford that but what do I know.
I'll be really bummed out
if they hire the guy from Eastern
www.nwfan.com
13 second half turnovers
Good way to lose a ball game
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by Grady Clapp on Feb 13, 2010 3:10 PM PST via mobile reply actions
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