Week 8 - Dec 25 to 31

[newfrontier]

As part of the final installment of the Civil War series as conference rivals, the Oregon State Beavers ran away from the Oregon Ducks in the 2nd half. OSU shot 22% in the first half and trailed 23-15 at the break, and then outscored UO 47-18 in the second half.

What a frighteningly dysfunctional team Oregon has been this year. All I can think is that Mark Campbell must have been a very important piece of their success.

Oregon is now 9-5 overall and will be quite hard-pressed just to finish .500 on the year. The Oregon schools play 10 of their 18 conference regular season games against Stanford-UCLA-USC-Utah-Colorado.

Oregon State Beavers shot horribly in the first half, missing many open shots. At the halftime break, Coach Rueck chalked up the poor performance, at least in part, to Oregon's length disrupting the Beavers game (just like it did to Portland and Santa Clara...oh wait, a much smaller Portland team beat the Ducks by 31 points, outscoring them 91-60, and a shorter Santa Clara team beat the Ducks by 39 points..where was Oregon's disruptive length in those games?).

Rueck needs to find a better excuse. Other options (what is your choice?) -

1. Ducks really really stink this year, so the Beavers were looking past them, what with USC and UCLA up next.
2. Beavers were jacked up so high for the game, they couldn't concentrate, nor shoot straight, nor think straight in the first half.
3, Ducks have won 3 of the last 5 games at Gill, so they were overconfident.
4. Rueck's game plan and coaching approach to the game were all wrong, requiring substantial halftime adjustments.
5. Beavers were very nervous, given it was their conference opener. (FAN FAVORITE ANSWER)
6. Beavers were just unlucky in the first hALF as the law of averages and "odds" caught up with them. They were simply due for their poorest shooting half at home in nearly a decade.
7. Rueck is aging and is just not as sharp as he once was.
8. Beavers are still a young team and still learning.

Let's face it. Oregon is the worst team in the Pac-12 this year, even below ASU. The Beavers should have won by 50 points, not just 21.
.

 

[bennyskid]

8. The refs found their whistles at halftime.

Neither team was awarded a single free throw taken in the first half. Not.One. I sit courtside, and I assure that there was plenty of contact - Beers and Rees are no shrinking violets, and Kyei is hardly a ballerina. Both teams shot poorly. Some of those misses should have been called as fouls, and some was due to shots being altered to get away from the hands.

The refs started calling fouls right away in the second half, and I would say that it was a well-reffed game from there. It helped OSU much more than UO, though. OSU went with their best perimeter defenders (Hunter, Hansford) for almost the entire half, and UO responded by telling Gray to dribble to random spots and throw junk up. They also decided to take Kyei out for most of the 4th and let Beers roam around the key unopposed.

This is a long-standing weakness of Rueck's teams. Physical teams in general have always given us trouble, and when the refs swallow their whistles it compounds the grief.

 

[CompSci87]

For anyone wondering why this game was scheduled, it looks like four of Morgan State's players are from California, including one from San Francisco and one from Oakland. Morgan State was probably looking for Bay Area opponents (and Stanford was probably looking for opponents willing to come to California in December).

There's been an arrangement for various HBCUs to play Pac-12 teams. I believe this game came from that.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Well, when it happens to one of the teams you follow, please let me know how you feel about it. I wasn't happy. It was stupid...the officials insinuating themselves into the game.

Well, players screaming "and 1" is insinuating themselves into the officiating. They should be playing the game, not trying to make calls on the floor. I've always disliked it. If I was a ref I'd be handing out T's like candy to players doing it.

 

[GamecockFam]

Well, players screaming "and 1" is insinuating themselves into the officiating. They should be playing the game, not trying to make calls on the floor. I've always disliked it. If I was a ref I'd be handing out T's like candy to players doing it.

Lol that one annoys me too. I also dislike players that give the ref a stare down after every layup, both misses and makes, insinuating a missed foul call.

 

[Figurehead]

I think Graves days are numbered. They may give him one more year then pull the trigger next year if there isn't drastic improvement. I believe his contract runs through 25-26. Good recruiter but has been unable to maintain any type of success at Oregon since Sabrina left. Constant attrition of high end talent (who have all had success at their current schools)

He is done after this year. Those that follow the program close know that he was not the primary recruiter. That was done by a couple of savy assistants.

 

[Figurehead]

Oregon State Beavers shot horribly in the first half, missing many open shots. At the halftime break, Coach Rueck chalked up the poor performance, at least in part, to Oregon's length disrupting the Beavers game (just like it did to Portland and Santa Clara...oh wait, a much smaller Portland team beat the Ducks by 31 points, outscoring them 91-60, and a shorter Santa Clara team beat the Ducks by 39 points..where was Oregon's disruptive length in those games?).

Rueck needs to find a better excuse. Other options (what is your choice?) -

1. Ducks really really stink this year, so the Beavers were looking past them, what with USC and UCLA up next.
2. Beavers were jacked up so high for the game, they couldn't concentrate, nor shoot straight, nor think straight in the first half.
3, Ducks have won 3 of the last 5 games at Gill, so they were overconfident.
4. Rueck's game plan and coaching approach to the game were all wrong, requiring substantial halftime adjustments.
5. Beavers were very nervous, given it was their conference opener. (FAN FAVORITE ANSWER)
6. Beavers were just unlucky in the first hALF as the law of averages and "odds" caught up with them. They were simply due for their poorest shooting half at home in nearly a decade.
7. Rueck is aging and is just not as sharp as he once was.
8. Beavers are still a young team and still learning.

Let's face it. Oregon is the worst team in the Pac-12 this year, even below ASU. The Beavers should have won by 50 points, not just 21.
.

Graves is toast at some point and Rueck has not been the same for awhile either but he will be okay for a few more years.

 

[BRS24]

Closing out week 8, five undefeated teams left in top 25 - SC, UCLA, NCSU, Baylor, and WV.

Top 25 team losses - Texas, USC, Utah, ND, OSU, and Marquette.

Bring on the week 9 rankings and games!

 

[Figurehead]

Oh damn thats even worse...

prayers to the Oregon faithful... Well Graves better reorganize his staff this offseason and make drastic changes

He won't make those type of changes. He is 60 and too set in his ways. During the last travel trip the team made he mentioned afterwards that he was so up tight during the trip he did not sleep much at all. He did not give a direct reason for his angst but I imagine the job stress and the walls closing around him. He said he had to step away from social media this year. I can see why because he was very active with fans and players. Maybe he will resign at some point? I don't see him making it until 2030. Stress is not a good thing as we all know especially if it affects your sleep.

 

[Figurehead]

8. The refs found their whistles at halftime.

Neither team was awarded a single free throw taken in the first half. Not.One. I sit courtside, and I assure that there was plenty of contact - Beers and Rees are no shrinking violets, and Kyei is hardly a ballerina. Both teams shot poorly. Some of those misses should have been called as fouls, and some was due to shots being altered to get away from the hands.

The refs started calling fouls right away in the second half, and I would say that it was a well-reffed game from there. It helped OSU much more than UO, though. OSU went with their best perimeter defenders (Hunter, Hansford) for almost the entire half, and UO responded by telling Gray to dribble to random spots and throw junk up. They also decided to take Kyei out for most of the 4th and let Beers roam around the key unopposed.

This is a long-standing weakness of Rueck's teams. Physical teams in general have always given us trouble, and when the refs swallow their whistles it compounds the grief.

Crazy how Graves makes those decisions. Game time adjustments is not his strength. I guess he use to take time out and ask Sabrina for input like he had another coach on the floor.

 

[maple]

He is done after this year. Those that follow the program close know that he was not the primary recruiter. That was done by a couple of savy assistants.

Are there any murmurings as to who might take over for him?

 

[Floridaduck]

Oregon is failing at one basic key to playing basketball... they can't put the ball in the basket very well. After scrolling through several pages of NCAA stats I finally found Oregon sitting at #152 in FG % and #175 in 3 pt %. That's a big ouch. This is despite playing against only two P5 teams so far (@ Baylor, @ Oregon State) and a largely in the paint offense against smaller front lines.

Things only get worse with two games in LA next week. Revamping the offense and/or lineup not likely until after those two but I wouldn't be surprised to see some major changes for the home stand against the Arizonas.

The current outlook is bleak. I expect the Portal will be calling many names and attendance is drifting away. A shame really.

 

[LETTERL]

Oregon is failing at one basic key to playing basketball... they can't put the ball in the basket very well. After scrolling through several pages of NCAA stats I finally found Oregon sitting at #152 in FG % and #175 in 3 pt %. That's a big ouch. This is despite playing against only two P5 teams so far (@ Baylor, @ Oregon State) and a largely in the paint offense against smaller front lines.

Things only get worse with two games in LA next week. Revamping the offense and/or lineup not likely until after those two but I wouldn't be surprised to see some major changes for the home stand against the Arizonas.

The current outlook is bleak. I expect the Portal will be calling many names and attendance is drifting away. A shame really.

You might want to bookmark this page; it will show how Oregon ranks nationally among all teams for a plethora of categories.

NCAA Statistics

 

[LoTrader]

Oregon State Beavers shot horribly in the first half, missing many open shots. At the halftime break, Coach Rueck chalked up the poor performance, at least in part, to Oregon's length disrupting the Beavers game (just like it did to Portland and Santa Clara...oh wait, a much smaller Portland team beat the Ducks by 31 points, outscoring them 91-60, and a shorter Santa Clara team beat the Ducks by 39 points..where was Oregon's disruptive length in those games?).

Rueck needs to find a better excuse. Other options (what is your choice?) -

1. Ducks really really stink this year, so the Beavers were looking past them, what with USC and UCLA up next.
2. Beavers were jacked up so high for the game, they couldn't concentrate, nor shoot straight, nor think straight in the first half.
3, Ducks have won 3 of the last 5 games at Gill, so they were overconfident.
4. Rueck's game plan and coaching approach to the game were all wrong, requiring substantial halftime adjustments.
5. Beavers were very nervous, given it was their conference opener. (FAN FAVORITE ANSWER)
6. Beavers were just unlucky in the first hALF as the law of averages and "odds" caught up with them. They were simply due for their poorest shooting half at home in nearly a decade.
7. Rueck is aging and is just not as sharp as he once was.
8. Beavers are still a young team and still learning.

Let's face it. Oregon is the worst team in the Pac-12 this year, even below ASU. The Beavers should have won by 50 points, not just 21.
.

Not sure the point of this post, but Oregon State is still a young team, and new team, and still learning how to play together. Make no mistake, Oregon State has talent, and a deeper bench than the last 4 years. Learning lessons will continue for this team, especially since they haven't played an "away" game on another team's home court. That all changes next week in Los Angeles. As an avid Beaver Believer, this team has no seniors and is getting better every game. I see good things for this team. And #7 is a joke. Rueck is as sharp as ever and has this team playing incredible defense, and has recruited well the last 2 years. Oh, and that includes bringing back Aleah Goodman to the coaching staff which has already made a huge difference in OSU's guard play.

 

[Plebe]

Oregon is failing at one basic key to playing basketball... they can't put the ball in the basket very well. After scrolling through several pages of NCAA stats I finally found Oregon sitting at #152 in FG % and #175 in 3 pt %. That's a big ouch. This is despite playing against only two P5 teams so far (@ Baylor, @ Oregon State) and a largely in the paint offense against smaller front lines.

They also played Oklahoma State, which is Oregon's best win so far.

 

[FanFromMaine]

My friend in Baton Rouge texted me that the Jacksonville coach got a double technical and was ejected.

YouTube shows Angel whacking a Jacksonville player in the face while shooting. No foul was called and that led to the coach’s ejection.

The coach is shown talking to Joe Vassili, the ref who loves calling offensive fouls regardless of the facts.

 

[CalWBBfan]

Graves is toast at some point and Rueck has not been the same for awhile either but he will be okay for a few more years.

With the Pac-12 dissolving it will be (sadly) interesting to see how OSU and WSU do both in terms of schedule and results. They should be very competitive in WCC play at the very least but of course the converse is that players could transfer. Sigh. I'm just sad that's this is the last time I'll be watching the Pac-12....it took so long for the conference to be taken seriously, then it became one of the best in women's basketball and now.....buh-bye. I am trying to get excited about the ACC.

 

[Plebe]

With the Pac-12 dissolving it will be (sadly) interesting to see how OSU and WSU do both in terms of schedule and results. They should be very competitive in WCC play at the very least but of course the converse is that players could transfer. Sigh. I'm just sad that's this is the last time I'll be watching the Pac-12....it took so long for the conference to be taken seriously, then it became one of the best in women's basketball and now.....buh-bye. I am trying to get excited about the ACC.

Let me know if you find the secret to getting excited about traveling thousands of miles to play Pitt, Clemson, Boston College, Wake Forest, and oh joy now SMU as well.

The whole state of affairs is such an indictment on the venality and inanity of the cartels that traffic in college athletics.

 

[Vowelguy]

Are there any murmurings as to who might take over for him?

With Ore in the BiG, I would think they will soon have the $$ to hire away their former AC who’s the HC at TCU, assuming he works out there.

 

[CalWBBfan]

Let me know if you find the secret to getting excited about traveling thousands of miles to play Pitt, Clemson, Boston College, Wake Forest, and oh joy now SMU as well.

The whole state of affairs is such an indictment on the venality and inanity of the cartels that traffic in college athletics.

Yeah, it's ridiculous....sigh. D1 Football (save for the Ivy League) has essentially become nothing more than a semi-pro enterprise offering lucrative licensing deals for colleges/universities to sell their colors/mascots to the highest bidder leaving detritus of other sports in its wake. I know this may be slightly OT, and I apologize if so--but this article from NY Times yesterday made my blood boil and also made me so very sad for what's transpired. Here's a gift link for all to read: The Best Teams that Money Could Buy

 

[LETTERL]

Let me know if you find the secret to getting excited about traveling thousands of miles to play Pitt, Clemson, Boston College, Wake Forest, and oh joy now SMU as well.

Us southerners still have yet to find the secret to getting excited about traveling just hundreds of miles to play Pitt and BC and that pitiful funeral parlor called the Conte Forum. Good luck to all the Stanford and Cal fans as they maneuver a new terrain...although I am salivating over a potential Stanford/NC State rivalry in WCBB.

 

[baggerbob]

Well, when it happens to one of the teams you follow, please let me know how you feel about it. I wasn't happy. It was stupid...the officials insinuating themselves into the game.

A well officiated game, you don't realize the officials are there. They should never come up in talk after the game is over.

 

[Vowelguy]

A well officiated game, you don't realize the officials are there.

Unless play dictates it.

 

[Figurehead]

Oregon is failing at one basic key to playing basketball... they can't put the ball in the basket very well. After scrolling through several pages of NCAA stats I finally found Oregon sitting at #152 in FG % and #175 in 3 pt %. That's a big ouch. This is despite playing against only two P5 teams so far (@ Baylor, @ Oregon State) and a largely in the paint offense against smaller front lines.

Things only get worse with two games in LA next week. Revamping the offense and/or lineup not likely until after those two but I wouldn't be surprised to see some major changes for the home stand against the Arizonas.

The current outlook is bleak. I expect the Portal will be calling many names and attendance is drifting away. A shame really.

Maybe the AD needs to go? They are already facing a huge volleyball title 9 lawsuit for neglecting the sand volleyball program.

 

[Figurehead]

Are there any murmurings as to who might take over for him?

No idea but the rumblings are growing by the week against Graves. He is getting combative towards the medias questions. We have all seen similar situations like this, Not a good situation to feel isolated. No way anyone can withstand that sort of rejection through a season. Someone saw the AD Mullens watching the last home game and they said he did not look happy with Graves passive atitude. It is more than just rejecting a coach. I hear the backlash on Graves is getting ugly. The heat is on him from many different sources.