My top 7 after 2 Dec games

[nwhoopfan]

Maybe I am drinking my own kool aid but I really believe MSST wins bigger than we did against Texas,

I don't see that happening at all. Texas scored what, 49? I can't see UO struggling that badly to score points. MSU might win, but I think the Ducks are SIGNIFICANTLY better than Texas.

 

[willtalk]

Teams in WCBB don't really play enough games or each other to get a realistic evaluation where the stand in respect to their ranking. To many variables have a larger impact via each game. Teams/key players, can just have bad shooting games. Basketball is a game of timing and match ups. You can match up better with one team than another so there is some luck involved with just the bracketing for a start. Then there is timing- Comparitive scores often do not reflect that aspect. You can catch a team when they are shooting lights out or conversely are not hitting anything. An inferior team having a good day catching a better team on one of their lessor days will often win. Bad shooting can not always be attributed to good defense. All you have to do is watch good free throw shooters miss a couple in a row to recognize that fact.

When you have a single elimination tournament the " any given day factor" is big. With more paridy, this should begin to play a greater role in the final NCAA outcome. Sometimes it' better to be lucky than good.

 

[Jmsdawg]

I don't see that happening at all. Texas scored what, 49? I can't see UO struggling that badly to score points. MSU might win, but I think the Ducks are SIGNIFICANTLY better than Texas.

NWHOOP, Texas matched with MSST better than I believe Oregon will and MSST did not have a great shooting game. We beat Texas with tough hard play. I think State’s game will score a LOT against Oregon, that is why I said bigger win is likely. But I thought UCONN would not match well against ND, actually thought ND would win double digits and you know what happened in that game.

 

[nwhoopfan]

NWHOOP, Texas matched with MSST better than I believe Oregon will and MSST did not have a great shooting game. We beat Texas with tough hard play. I think State’s game will score a LOT against Oregon, that is why I said bigger win is likely. But I thought UCONN would not match well against ND, actually thought ND would win double digits and you know what happened in that game.

We'll see. UO has nobody that can contend w/ McCowan's size, but I think their guards are better than Texas. Also I think they are more disciplined and efficient on offense than Texas.

 

[shizam]

If beating a ranked team by 15 on their home court is your definition of "stinking," you're a tough crowd.

I watched the game. Two teams playing awful basketball. Both stunk. One stunk more. Poorly played.

 

[LoTrader]

We're going find out a lot about where Oregon and MSU stand soon enough. I expect a battle with McCowan hopefully being the difference maker.

Interested to see SI against State's quick and athletic guards.

State also has a challenging home game against Marquette coming up. Should be a win, but definitely one that can't be overlooked.

Sabrina has played in many games where her defenders are quicker and more athletic. Sabrina is much more skilled, and, has much higher basketball IQ than most every defender she faces. She is unique. Sabrina's contributions to UO are many, not just her scoring. She is a do everything well player. There are only a few of those in the country. Having said that, MSU is a solid program, and a solid defensive team. I am really looking forward to seeing how this plays out. Just so we're clear, I'm an OSU Beaver Believer, not a Duck supporter.

 

[Plebe]

I watched the game. Two teams playing awful basketball. Both stunk. One stunk more. Poorly played.

A&M is known for mucking up the game and forcing the opponent to "win ugly." I doubt Louisville would've done much better. Did you also watch Mississippi State's two wins over Texas A&M, which were by virtually identical margins?

 

[shizam]

A&M is known for mucking up the game and forcing the opponent to "win ugly." I doubt Louisville would've done much better. Did you also watch Mississippi State's two wins over Texas A&M, which were by virtually identical margins?

No I didn’t . My head is now spinning. Youre right L’ville is also good at mucking up. No disagreement. They normally have chemistry issues. Last year an exception. L’ville mucked up Oregon pretty good. Not an overly exciting game either. Oregon plays exciting PAC 12 ball. I watch it all the time. Plus their tourney run in 2017 was great.

 

[IWearShoes]

Sabrina has played in many games where her defenders are quicker and more athletic. Sabrina is much more skilled, and, has much higher basketball IQ than most every defender she faces. She is unique. Sabrina's contributions to UO are many, not just her scoring. She is a do everything well player. There are only a few of those in the country. Having said that, MSU is a solid program, and a solid defensive team. I am really looking forward to seeing how this plays out. Just so we're clear, I'm an OSU Beaver Believer, not a Duck supporter.

Yes, she's a stud. MSU has played Oregon twice the last two years so I've seen what she can do. Hebard was awesome in Starkville last year 11-12 or something like that.

As you indicated, they had no answer for McCowan last year. 35 and 19 I think. Both teams played lights out on offense. It was an entertaining game.

I'm not nearly as confident as the other Bulldogs on here seem to be. State led the whole way last year, but never put Oregon away, winning by 11.

Oregon is not great on D, but they can really score it. MSU will have to put up a lot of points. Need Anriel to find her stroke.

 

[SimpleDawg]

I'm not nearly as confident as the other Bulldogs on here seem to be. State led the whole way last year, but never put Oregon away, winning by 11.
.

Didn't put them away? The score was 64-44 with 3 minutes left in the 3rd quarter after Vivians heated up and went to virtual God mode.

We won't hold Oregon to 49 points, but we should score more than 67 on them. Vic plays different teams differently, and I'm pretty sure he's thinking he wants the score to be way higher than 67 which he was satisfied with against Texas. I don't think their defense is good enough, but we'll see if they've improved.


...

 

[IWearShoes]

Didn't put them away? The score was 64-44 with 3 minutes left in the 3rd quarter after Vivians heated up and went to virtual God mode.

We won't hold Oregon to 49 points, but we should score more than 67 on them. Vic plays different teams differently, and I'm pretty sure he's thinking he wants the score to be way higher than 67 which he was satisfied with against Texas. I don't think their defense is good enough, but we'll see if they've improved.


...

It was a comfortable win, but one of our closer games last year. This year we play at their place and we won't get 30 from VV again. I think we are the better team, but it will be a major challenge.

 

[jonson]

Yes, she's a stud. MSU has played Oregon twice the last two years so I've seen what she can do. Hebard was awesome in Starkville last year 11-12 or something like that.

As you indicated, they had no answer for McCowan last year. 35 and 19 I think. Both teams played lights out on offense. It was an entertaining game.

I'm not nearly as confident as the other Bulldogs on here seem to be. State led the whole way last year, but never put Oregon away, winning by 11.

Oregon is not great on D, but they can really score it. MSU will have to put up a lot of points. Need Anriel to find her stroke.

Last year Oregon was led by two sophomores,. It was also after (and as a result of) this game that Satou Sabally replaced Mallory McGwire in the starting lineup (a freshman for a sophomore), a change that was a key element of Oregon's success over the remainder of the season.

On the other hand, Mississippi State's core last year included three seniors, one of whom just had a stellar first year in the WNBA--and, if memory serves, it was Vivians who, along with McCowan, killed the Ducks last year, scoring about 30 points and making something like two-thirds of her shots, including 5 threes.

One core remains and is a year older and maybe even plays a bit better on defense. The other is mostly gone, but not, of course, McCowan. So, things, as Geno just said, change. Will that make a difference? We should have an answer of sorts in a couple of weeks. But, as an Oregon homer who would rank Mississippi State slightly ahead of Oregon at this point, I don't think the matchup is as problematic for the Ducks as some seem to believe. And I also believe that Oregon is a far better team than Texas, which--to my eyes--sometimes seems hardly like a team at all despite the talent and recruiting rankings.

 

[SimpleDawg]

Last year Oregon was led by two sophomores,. It was also after (and as a result of) this game that Satou Sabally replaced Mallory McGwire in the starting lineup (a freshman for a sophomore), a change that was a key element of Oregon's success over the remainder of the season.

But, as an Oregon homer who would rank Mississippi State slightly ahead of Oregon at this point, I don't think the matchup is as problematic for the Ducks as some seem to believe. And I also believe that Oregon is a far better team than Texas, which--to my eyes--sometimes seems hardly like a team at all despite the talent and recruiting rankings.

Sabally is an essential piece for you guys for sure and definitely a great addition to your lineup. I also like your freshman Taylor Chavez a lot, she moves smooth down the court. Ruthy Hebard shoots a high percentage, and has always been that reliable for Oregon, but McCowan and Danberry are #1 and #4 in the SEC in scoring percentage, both over 60%. Chloe Bibby has a 3-point percentage of 57.9%, impressive like Ionescu's, though I do think at this point Ionescu is a more proven 3-point threat because she's taken a lot more shots than Bibby.

I also think that Jordan Danberry, who barely played last time, is a far better player now, and will be on Ionescu like a flyfish. Probably an even tougher defense on Ionescu this time. Also, I think Mississippi State has the advantage in depth. We have a good sub for every starter that we have. And will look to keep McCowan's legs fresh by allowing Howard and Carter to take some pressure off - Howard can rebound in McCowan's absence, and Carter can block shots. I do think that an aspect Oregon is better at is free-throw shooting which could matter.

I do agree that Oregon is better than Texas, but we'll probably play differently against them. I think the Texas game was mostly won on gameplan rather than them simply being a far inferior opponent; and Danberry and Holmes being way better against main competition than some expected.

I wish Oregon the best of luck in this game, and I'm aware of their talent. But, Bulldogs all the way.



...