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Blue collar scrappers

Grinders. Beautiful team to watch.
I kind of like their hair. These guys have a lot of Fros. It does make it kind of hard to figure out who is who though in the flow of the game.

I'm trying to find the Dick Bennett quote about Kyle Weavers hair. Kyle usually did the corn rows, but came out with the Fro one or more games. Bennett said something - "Hey hair boy, worry about the game not your hair", or something like that.
 
That’s what Smith has assembled.

Scrappers that work like blue collar workers, YES.

JONES, WELLS, RICE, ARE NOT BLUE COLLAR. THEY ARE WHITE COLLAR, that scrap, work like blue collar, scrappers

Saying that they are blue collar makes them sound like they are, were 1,2 star recruits, players, instead of the 3,4, 4.5 star recruits, players that they are.

They are 3 star, 3.5 star(Jones, Wells, Rice, Cluff), 4 star(Jakimovski), 4.5 star(Chinyelu) recruits, players, white collar, blue chip, semi blue chip recruits, players, that fight, scrap, work like blue collar scrappers.

They are not the typical under talented, talent deficited blue collar workers that are a product of a Tony Bennet like SYSTEM.

They are semi white collar, semi blue chip players, recruits, that Smith recruited, developed, that fight, scrap, work like blue collar, etc.
 
Grinders. Beautiful team to watch.
The poise they continue to show down the stretch, especially in last night's hostile environment, is remarkable. While I wish they had beaten Cal in Berkeley (the last time they've lost during this current 8 game winning streak), that game seems to have taught them a lesson about being smart, working hard until the very end, and maintaining composure. And the way everyone contributes or steps up in key moments is especially gratifying. Myles Rice has arguably his worst game of the year (AZ has something to do with that) but others step up. If Rice has his normal solid game, maybe WSU wins last night more convincingly. Anyway, a terrific win that rivals the 1983 UCLA game. I'm soaking it in but realize there's a job to finish: 4 more regular season games. Go Cougs!

Glad Cougar
 
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The poise they continue to show down the stretch, especially in last night's hostile environment, is remarkable. While I wish they had beaten Cal in Berkeley (the last time they've lost during this current 8 game winning streak), that game seems to have taught them a lesson about being smart, working hard until the very end, and maintaining composure. And the way everyone contributes or steps up in key moments is especially gratifying. Myles Rice has arguably his worst game of the year (AZ has something to do with that) but others step up. If Rice has his normal solid game, maybe WSU wins last night more convincingly. Anyway, a terrific win that rivals the 1983 UCLA game. I'm soaking it in but realize there's a job to finish: 4 more regular season games. Go Cougs!

Glad Cougar
I mean Smith puts rice on the bench because he’s not matching up well with Zona, and we have the players to do that. Pretty wild. As much flak as smith deserved for the way the end of the cal game was handled, that was a master class in coaching last night, understanding your roster and limitations of players in certain situations.
 
The poise they continue to show down the stretch, especially in last night's hostile environment, is remarkable. While I wish they had beaten Cal in Berkeley (the last time they've lost during this current 8 game winning streak), that game seems to have taught them a lesson about being smart, working hard until the very end, and maintaining composure. And the way everyone contributes or steps up in key moments is especially gratifying. Myles Rice has arguably his worst game of the year (AZ has something to do with that) but others step up. If Rice has his normal solid game, maybe WSU wins last night more convincingly. Anyway, a terrific win that rivals the 1983 UCLA game. I'm soaking it in but realize there's a job to finish: 4 more regular season games. Go Cougs!

Glad Cougar
The only thing missing now compared to that memorable 1983 UCLA game is a packed Beasly with rabid supporting fans.

Only three more chances to support this amazing team at home!

Hope to see you there!
 
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Oh, let me add one more thing about last night's game. In the first half, I lamented (along with everyone else) the missed free throws and thought they would come back to bite us. I had a few naughty words for Isaac Jones for going 2-5 in that first half at the line, including a miss on the front end of a 1 and 1. I now have nice words for Isaac, He made his last 6 free throws and finished 8-11 from the line. The Cougs as a team shot nearly 80% from the line with most of them made as the game was up for grabs. It was Arizona who struggled, at 63%. Just another example of maintaining poise and knowing how to win.

Glad Cougar
 
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The only thing missing now compared to that memorable 1983 UCLA game is a packed Beasly with rabid supporting fans.

Only three more chances to support this amazing team at home!

Hope to see you there!
I’ve caught one game this year, CU. Will be making the trip from Spokane for the last three. This team deserves everybody showing up.
 
The poise they continue to show down the stretch, especially in last night's hostile environment, is remarkable. While I wish they had beaten Cal in Berkeley (the last time they've lost during this current 8 game winning streak), that game seems to have taught them a lesson about being smart, working hard until the very end, and maintaining composure. And the way everyone contributes or steps up in key moments is especially gratifying. Myles Rice has arguably his worst game of the year (AZ has something to do with that) but others step up. If Rice has his normal solid game, maybe WSU wins last night more convincingly. Anyway, a terrific win that rivals the 1983 UCLA game. I'm soaking it in but realize there's a job to finish: 4 more regular season games. Go Cougs!

Glad Cougar

And as long as WSU doesn't go 0-4, 1-3 in their last 4 games, which they probably won't, WSU will goto NCAA tournament.

So since WSU probably won't go 0-4, 1-3, WSU is basically playing to improve their NCAA tourny SEEDING.
 
There couldn't have been a better example of a team believing their own hype than UA last night. Hell, they didn't even look past us, they simply thought they were better and just had to show up.
Really you think so? That’s not how I saw it. That game was hyped, like they were playing Duke or Kentucky. That was a battle for conference supremacy. They knew the Cougs were legit and they gave us their best shot. Love carried them like a star should. Just looked to me like we frustrated them by playing our tempo and not letting them run up and down the floor like they are used to. And as good as Love is, Wells was the best player on the floor. Chinyelu went blow for blow with their big man. Jones was a wrecking crew and they couldn’t stop him in the post.

Arizona had their second worse points per possession of the season. Worst? In Pullman.

We are a better team and we beat them. I don’t buy into any narrative otherwise.
 
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Of course we still have to see how it all plays out and the Cougars need to keep winning, but it's a bit interesting that WSU is being talked about as a #7 or #8 seed after beating top 5 Arizona twice, including in Tucson, and having the best record in the conference right now.....while Arizona is still being talked about as a #1 seed. Arizona profits from reputation although I think they are an excellent team this year. But again, the strength of schedule seems to have an outsized impact and WSU continues to pay dearly for not having played a bunch of highly ranked teams at the beginning of the season. To me, that's just plain wrong. But if they continue to win, I'm hoping they will be rewarded.

Glad Cougar
 
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Of course we still have to see how it all plays out and the Cougars need to keep winning, but it's a bit interesting that WSU is being talked about as a #7 or #8 seed after beating top 5 Arizona twice, including in Tucson, and having the best record in the conference right now.....while Arizona is still being talked about as a #1 seed. Arizona profits from reputation although I think they are an excellent team this year. But again, the strength of schedule seems to have an outsized impact and WSU continues to pay dearly for not having played a bunch of highly ranked teams at the beginning of the season. To me, that's just plain wrong. But if they continue to win, I'm hoping they will be rewarded.

Glad Cougar
There is still time to move up to the teams real level. But, if the team loses a game, they may be under valued. Which means a team may be thinking they are getting a team that is a seven seed, but are really playing a team that should be a 2 or 3.
 
Of course we still have to see how it all plays out and the Cougars need to keep winning, but it's a bit interesting that WSU is being talked about as a #7 or #8 seed after beating top 5 Arizona twice, including in Tucson, and having the best record in the conference right now.....while Arizona is still being talked about as a #1 seed. Arizona profits from reputation although I think they are an excellent team this year. But again, the strength of schedule seems to have an outsized impact and WSU continues to pay dearly for not having played a bunch of highly ranked teams at the beginning of the season. To me, that's just plain wrong. But if they continue to win, I'm hoping they will be rewarded.

Glad Cougar

2-2 last 4 games = #6 seed, #7 seed at worst.

3-1 = 3,4,5 seed

4-0 = 2,3,4 seed.

1-3,0-4 = NIT unless win PAC 12 conference tourny.
 
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