Monday games: ND @ NC State, Oregon @ OSU

[RockyMTblue2]

You’ve never been to a UConn game, I guess. It’s not busloads of students, it’s 10,000 60-somethings (and up) in assorted colored clothing sitting on their hands after UConn takes a lead. They’ll leave with 5 minutes left in the game to avoid traffic. They’ll clap politely for the other team and cheer for the other teams pep band if they’re good.

I remember in the Hartford Regional years ago, UConn fans cheered for Tennessee transfer April McDivitt who left to go to UCSB. UCSB was playing UConn and April was making crazy threes from all over the court. The crowd in Hartford gave her thunderous applause.

There is a solution, if only UConn could swing it $ wise, which it can't. Hockey has to get respect too. Forget the XL Center. Build a bigger Gampel or just play at Gampel and listen to the noise etc. Earlier this year Lou said it seemed forever since they played in Gampel and that's a home the team loves.

 

[Orangutan]

 

[kenja]

This might be nit picking but does anyone else notice how unenthusiastic ND players seem to be on the court when someone else on their team makes a great play? Mabrey makes a great pass to Young who barely beats the buzzer and Marina just runs back to the bench. Doesn’t congratulate her teammate. There might be bigger problems going on this year for ND that no one knows about.

I'm not sure that happened as you described but ND has struck me as a team that's been bored at times. Waiting for March and the season is a grind. It happens to professional teams. Are they the 1984 Philadelphia 76'ers or the 2018 Golden State Warriors? The NCAA tournament will tell.

 

[DefenseBB]

No offense to LetterL.... but hopefully they will go back to being the #2 team in the Triangle... again.... no offense to LetterL

While I admire your fandom, the reality is “probably not anytime soon”. I have tried to support JPM but this year is a train wreck. I have to rethink my view of her actual coaching acumen...maybe I should lay off the Bailey’s in the coffee first thing in the morning or maybe the Jameson’s in the afternoon coffee because it can’t be the Sambuca after dinner...

 

[DefenseBB]

"Best offense is UConn" Debbie Antonelli, for all of you who think she's anti-UConn

It’s not that we think she’s Anti-UConn per se’ just overly Pro-ACC and incessantly annoying on some of her views about the game and state of WCBB. Also, I am tired of her constant shoutouts to her kids...

 

[UConnCat]

NaN, I am sure if there is an important competitive game the Albany crowd will be just as enthusiastic as the OSU crowd was last night. I have not attended any basketball game for a long time but I remember when I was much younger attending MSST men’s basketball games was an event. Although MSST basketball was not really good we went to the game to raise h**l and it was loud. I do remember one game where LSU and Pistol Pete came to that old gym and we were all over Pistol during the first half, during the second half Pete got hot and started making impossible shots, he won us over and everyone was cheering for Pete to do his magic!

Comparing an Albany crowd to the crowd at Gill last night is silly. Gampel would be a good comparison to Gill but not the Albany crowd.

MSST will not be affected at all.

 

[DaBball]

Both teams played most of the game without their third-leading scorer. Obviously Hebard went out with the injury, and Kat Tudor was Oregon State's third-leading scorer before tearing her ACL.

 

[LoTrader]

Both teams played most of the game without their third-leading scorer. Obviously Hebard went out with the injury, and Kat Tudor was Oregon State's third-leading scorer before tearing her ACL.

In the OSU vs Oregon game last year at Gill, Kat Tudor hit 7 x 3-pointers, and scored 34 points. Kat was the leading scorer last year for OSU in the Civil War at Gill.

 

[wbball novice]

Minority opinion. Preferred the Ducks-Beavers game the previous week, when skilled offense was balanced by great defense. The first quarter of last night was like the Super Bowl. Please somebody make a basket. For me, it can't be a great game if a key player gets injured early and is out for the rest of the game and the team with the injured player loses, as might be expected.

Also, if Bent had Goodman's skills she would be UConn's 6th player from day one. Very skewed evaluation of UConn coaching to suggest otherwise.

 

[LoTrader]

Minority opinion. Preferred the Ducks-Beavers game the previous week, when skilled offense was balanced by great defense. The first quarter of last night was like the Super Bowl. Please somebody make a basket. For me, it can't be a great game if a key player gets injured early and is out for the rest of the game and the team with the injured player loses, as might be expected.

Also, if Bent had Goodman's skills she would be UConn's 6th player from day one. Very skewed evaluation of UConn coaching to suggest otherwise.

It was a great game period. Both games were great. Let's not forget, OSU was playing without Kat Tudor. And before anyone responds with "losing Ruthy Hebard for 1/2 game is not the same as losing Kat Tudor", I'll remind everyone that Kat Tudor made 7 x 3-pointers in this game last year, and scored 34 points. Kat Tudor is also one of the best OSU defenders and defensive rebounders. OSU misses Kat Tudor. So OSU's win last night was well deserved....period.

 

[DaBball]

Kat led OSU in both games last season. A Hebard-less Oregon is still good, but nowhere near the same.

 

[newfrontier]

Kat led OSU in both games last season. A Hebard-less Oregon is still good, but nowhere near the same.

A big player MIA for both teams. I'd call it a wash.

 

[wallman]

IMO it doesn't matter who was missing you still have to play the game and a players tendencies still affect how they play in a tight game. OR St were well prepared, Rueck is the best coach in the PAC right now IMO. Or St played team ball and team defense. However, please tell Grymek to move out from under the basket to be more of a threat on defense she tended to fade under there and was responsible for a couple of lay ups that she did not attempt to harass. Just a little nitpick.

 

[Plebe]

A big player MIA for both teams. I'd call it a wash.

This is ridiculous. It is not a wash. Hebard is 2nd in the nation in FG% and Oregon's leading rebounder. No one else on the Oregon roster can even come close to what she provides.

Tudor was an important piece, but she wasn't even a starter for OSU. She was one of 5 guards who saw significant playing time.

To even suggest for one moment that losing Hebard is no more difficult for Oregon than losing Tudor is for Oregon State is to stretch the limits of absurdity.

 

[mbr33ct]

I have a feeling ND is going to pull away in the second half.

That's "they only show up about half the time." @Plebe is talking about two posts up.

 

[cabbie191]

One of the more start-to-finish competitive and enjoyable WBB games this season, though not always pretty. Congrats to the Beavs for finishing when it mattered in those last (long) seconds. I came away super impressed by Goodman - so clutch for a sophomore bench guard. I'm still not totally sold on Slocum because she can be pretty sloppy with the ball (and had 6 TOs!), but she does know how to find shots in a pinch.

And yes - Rueck practically turns water into wine in Corvallis - he does more with less than just about anyone in the country. Can you imagine him with the Tennessee or Texas players?

Finally, as a native Oregonian, I have to say, it was awesome to see two WBB games both have such intense, sell-out crowds. The state of PAC-12 play on the men's side is beyond moribund, but the women are in the midst of an inspiring renaissance.

And fingers crossed Hebard just tweaked something - she's been one of my favorites from day one at Oregon. Such a poised competitor.

I remember UConn fans singing Rueck's praises after the Huskies beat OSU in the 2016 semi's. One wonders whether such accolades are really warranted or whether it was a flash in the pan. Time seems to indicate the former.

I really didn't care who won this game. I just appreciated the sell out crowd and the clutch free throw shooting by both teams at the end.

 

[mbr33ct]

Really a bad foul call on Hebard IMO when she had already tipped the ball. She and Ionescu are the two players that absolutely must stay in the court for Oregon. They don't have depth.

Great, another team that does not have depth.

 

[JordyG]

As many have said, Rueck's done an outstanding job at OSU - this rematch and victory is just another example of his coaching prowess. Additionally, a win like this is simply another example of the greater parity in WCBB. Not only does he know his Xs & Os, but, as mnetioned previously on the Boneyard, with their height, they'll be in the conversation of who the top team is, for the next 3-4 years. Believe it or not, having that sort of the length up front, helps.

Yep. Check and double check on everything you've said. But this guy consistently has his teams in the conversation without top flight talent, then taking that mid level talent and making them the best they can be. That is coaching. Better, the man Scott Rueck is a model of hard working humility. He, Vic, Doug, Courtney, Cori, Dawn, these are the kind of coaches that motivate my enthusiasm for the sport of WCBB.

 

[newfrontier]

This is ridiculous. It is not a wash. Hebard is 2nd in the nation in FG% and Oregon's leading rebounder. No one else on the Oregon roster can even come close to what she provides.

Tudor was an important piece, but she wasn't even a starter for OSU. She was one of 5 guards who saw significant playing time.

To even suggest for one moment that losing Hebard is no more difficult for Oregon than losing Tudor is for Oregon State is to stretch the limits of absurdity.

Hardly absurd. Tudor was by far Oregon State's best scorer in the same two games last season, with 51 points and 9 rebounds, and that was with Gulich at the post. Without Gulich and without a serious scoring threat down low for OSU for this year's 2 games with Oregon, it makes Tudor's scoring from the perimeter even more important (and thus a big loss). Plus, while I did not state it, I was weighing Tudor's absence for an entire game against Hebard still playing for 1 and 1/2 quarters last night. Also, even Rueck in the post game press conference said the absence of Hebert caused new problems for OSU too, in terms of being unprepared for Oregon's adjusted lineup. In the bigger picture of things outside this specific series, obviously losing Hebert is a significantly bigger blow.

 

[HuskyNan]

[CHAT=][/CHAT]

NaN, I am sure if there is an important competitive game the Albany crowd will be just as enthusiastic as the OSU crowd was last night. I have not attended any basketball game for a long time but I remember when I was much younger attending MSST men’s basketball games was an event. Although MSST basketball was not really good we went to the game to raise h**l and it was loud. I do remember one game where LSU and Pistol Pete came to that old gym and we were all over Pistol during the first half, during the second half Pete got hot and started making impossible shots, he won us over and everyone was cheering for Pete to do his magic!

ive been going to Regionals for decades. If UConn is behind or it’s a close game or if the Huskies are playing, say, ND, yeah the crowd can be loud. But otherwise not so much

I was at the UConn-UCF game in Orlando this weekend. We outnumbered the UCF fans 10-1 but we were cheering for the mascot and band (both were excellent) and we clapped for the hardworking cheerleaders. For Northerners, we’re a pretty polite bunch for the most part

 

[BigBird]

...
Finally, as a native Oregonian, I have to say, it was awesome to see two WBB games both have such intense, sell-out crowds. The state of PAC-12 play on the men's side is beyond moribund, but the women are in the midst of an inspiring renaissance. And fingers crossed Hebard just tweaked something - she's been one of my favorites from day one at Oregon. Such a poised competitor.

Preach it, my friend. I saw the same things. And of course I’d wish the best for Hebard.

 

[Plebe]

Also, even Rueck in the post game press conference said the absence of Hebert caused new problems for OSU too, in terms of being unprepared for Oregon's adjusted lineup.

Oh wow, what a burden for OSU to have to adjust to an Oregon team with no Hebard on the floor.

Oregon should have had Ionescu go down with an injury. Rueck would've never been prepared for that!

 

[BigBird]

... However, please tell Grymek to move out from under the basket to be more of a threat on defense she tended to fade under there and was responsible for a couple of lay ups that she did not attempt to harass....

What I saw in this one game sample was that Grymek was slow, played flat footed, had bad hands, and was usually unable to contribute because of poor positioning or lack of movement. I’m sure she’s still evolving as a player, and will further grow her game. She certainly has potential.

 

[SimpleDawg]

What I saw in this one game sample was that Grymek was slow, played flat footed, had bad hands, and was usually unable to contribute because of poor positioning or lack of movement. I’m sure she’s still evolving as a player, and will further grow her game. She certainly has potential.

She needs to ball to be too cleanly passed to her. Many times it looked like she was gonna get the rebound, but she doesn't have any quickness to chase the ball down unless it's right to her. Sabally took a lot of balls away from her.

However, I saw in the first Oregon/Oregon State game where she just caught the ball and laid it in. She seems to also be good at the high/low provided they put the ball where she can get it. She can be effective to swing the game slightly in favor of Oregon State, but I also think Oregon State can afford their big girls collect some fouls, because they have a solid backup Morris who leaped in the air to grab hard rebounds for her team.


..

 

[MSUFan2003]

IMO it doesn't matter who was missing you still have to play the game and a players tendencies still affect how they play in a tight game.

I agree with this. Players getting injured or into foul trouble is all part of the game. You win and loose as a team, which includes the bench.