Loss to ASU

[Glad Cougar]

Mildly surprised to see there was no thread or mention of last night's 6-point loss at ASU. I guess I could've started one had I thought of it. Anyway, sounds like they made a good run near the end to close it to a 3-point deficit and then several chances to get even closer but couldn't break through. Big games for Rodman and Mullins but need more consistency out of Bamba and Gueye. As mentioned so many times, Dishon Jackson would have helped so much & would have taken a lot of pressure off Gueye. I see even Jack Wilson got some action last night. That's how thin things are up front. Arizona nearly lost to UW and I don't expect them to have a let down after a close game. Wins and losses are not the thing to worry about this year for WSU....just looking for continued improvement from such a young team.

Glad Cougar

 

[SaveFerris]

Rodman with another really good game. Mullins helped shoot us back into the game. We went on an 8-0 run to cut it to 3 before Rodman was fouled. DJ misses the front-end but we kept procession. Mullins ended up missing a good look from 3. We had our chances down the stretch but couldn’t get shots to go.

We had a lot of trouble containing ASU inside the arc. They shot something like 66% on 2s and many looked like tough looks.

 

[mikalalas]

Rodman with another really good game. Mullins helped shoot us back into the game. We went on an 8-0 run to cut it to 3 before Rodman was fouled. DJ misses the front-end but we kept procession. Mullins ended up missing a good look from 3. We had our chances down the stretch but couldn’t get shots to go.

We had a lot of trouble containing ASU inside the arc. They shot something like 66% on 2s and many looked like tough looks.

You nailed it.

There was a lot of times that WSU played awesome defense, had the shot clock get down to 2,3,4 seconds, and then ASU would throw up a extremely tough, contested shot, that would go in.

Also ASU's Big Warren Washington, who almost ALL the time, is only a rebounder, who only gets about 6 points per game, an who only has a high make percentage on garbage inside clean up shots, dish dunks, etc, who has a BAD make percentage everywhere else, went 9-9, did not miss first 9 shots, and some of those were post up shots, he shot over Gueye contesting it, were shots he threw up, hooks, runners, tear droppers, etc.

And ASU hit some 3 point shots from players that usually only make about 17% of their 3 point shots.

You take away Warren Washington doing that and those 3 point makes by terribly bad 3 point shooters, and WSU wins by 8 to 15.

Yes turnovers played a factor, as did ASU's extremely small lineup OUT REBOUNDING WSU.

But other then that WSU actually played tough, hard, well, moved, passed the ball around on offense, and had decent scoring, assist on offense.

So while WSU could have still won if less turnovers, and if done a better job rebounding, etc, it was still a tough road game vs a tough 12-3 ASU team that was extremely lucky in their shooting.

If WSU were to play ASU 10 times the way WSU played ASU, WSU would win 9 out of the 10 games, and only lose 1 out of the 10 games, due to ASU getting lucky in their shooting.

 

[jourdand]

We played a pretty decent game and had a nice run to basically wipe out their lead but had nothing left in the tank to finish. ASU just out played us for all but about six minutes of the second half. It was close and you can definitely see improvement. A key thing in this game was both Bamba and Gueye didn’t produce at their regular level. And what’s with Dion? 4 star 56th best incoming player in the country? I know bigs take longer to come around but we aren’t getting much from him at all. I’m beginning to think they just throw stars out like candy.

 

[Observer11]

Somewhat unrelated - but was down on Tempe last month and attended an event in their arena.

What an f’ing dump. Way way way worse than Beasley.

 

[How_did_this_happen?]

Mildly surprised to see there was no thread or mention of last night's 6-point loss at ASU. I guess I could've started one had I thought of it. Anyway, sounds like they made a good run near the end to close it to a 3-point deficit and then several chances to get even closer but couldn't break through. Big games for Rodman and Mullins but need more consistency out of Bamba and Gueye. As mentioned so many times, Dishon Jackson would have helped so much & would have taken a lot of pressure off Gueye. I see even Jack Wilson got some action last night. That's how thin things are up front. Arizona nearly lost to UW and I don't expect them to have a let down after a close game. Wins and losses are not the thing to worry about this year for WSU....just looking for continued improvement from such a young team.

Glad Cougar

I was excited about DJ Rodman since he signed with us. He was only a 2 star guy, but with his pedigree I was expecting him to overachieve. He hasn't disappointed me. He's the most valuable player for us and I always want him on the floor, especially late in a game. He's a smart player who makes good decisions and had a great nose for getting the ball.

It's great to see him really develop into a solid Pac12 player, when many thought he wouldn't. El Comache was talking him down when he signed.

 

[SaveFerris]

We played a pretty decent game and had a nice run to basically wipe out their lead but had nothing left in the tank to finish. ASU just out played us for all but about six minutes of the second half. It was close and you can definitely see improvement. A key thing in this game was both Bamba and Gueye didn’t produce at their regular level. And what’s with Dion? 4 star 56th best incoming player in the country? I know bigs take longer to come around but we aren’t getting much from him at all. I’m beginning to think they just throw stars out like candy.

Diogue is raw and obviously slight. Could be true about throwing stars like candy. However, Diongue had good offers including TCU, MSU, Creighton, Tech, Kansas. Chinyelu looks raw to me as well but also had quality offers from Florida and Tennessee. That suggest the talent evaluation is there, but unfortunately not quite ready. I thought coming into the season Hamon-Crespin would get more minutes than Diongue, but that didn't work out.

Dishon Jackson is one of the few bigs that entered with pretty sound fundamentals to go along with some athleticism and good size. Our recruiting philosophy probably comes down a bit to picking your poison. Bigs with Pac 12 athleticism and developing skills or bigs with skills but lacking athleticism. I tend to agree with this approach, but at the same time I doubt we are passing on players like the Coeur d'Alene big Blake Buchanan that are more ready to play. They simply aren't coming our way.

 

[kougkurt]

I was excited about DJ Rodman since he signed with us. He was only a 2 star guy, but with his pedigree I was expecting him to overachieve. He hasn't disappointed me. He's the most valuable player for us and I always want him on the floor, especially late in a game. He's a smart player who makes good decisions and had a great nose for getting the ball.

It's great to see him really develop into a solid Pac12 player, when many thought he wouldn't. El Comache was talking him down when he signed.

A lunch pail guy and a top 20 all time Coug Yeah I mean it.

 

[jourdand]

DJ is quickly moving up my list of all time favorite Cougs!

 

[mikalalas]

I was excited about DJ Rodman since he signed with us. He was only a 2 star guy, but with his pedigree I was expecting him to overachieve. He hasn't disappointed me. He's the most valuable player for us and I always want him on the floor, especially late in a game. He's a smart player who makes good decisions and had a great nose for getting the ball.

It's great to see him really develop into a solid Pac12 player, when many thought he wouldn't. El Comache was talking him down when he signed.

Rodman was a HIGH END 2 Star, Low ended 3 star, that was ranked by some recruit rankers as a high end 2 star, and by a couple recruit rankers as a low end 3 star.

The only reason he wasn't ranked higher, and didn't have more offers was that altho he was known as having extreme athleticism, he was too thin, and a LATE BLOOMER.

Those that scouted him, both coaches, scouts, fans, etc, and that did not just only look at his ranking, lack of offers, knew not only about his pedigree, but about his work ethic, athleticism, upside, potential, etc.

 

[mikalalas]

A lunch pail guy and a top 20 all time Coug Yeah I mean it.

He is a lunch Pail guy work ethic wise.

But in a way he is not just only a lunch pail guy, because Lunch Pail is often used to describe a player who lacks the physical and talent skills to be a good, great player.

And Rodman is NOT lacking in athleticism, etc.

Rodman is a fantasticly awesome 3 point shooter, and can shoot, make midrange shots, and is good at driving, slashing, penetrating, attacking, finishing at basket with lay ups, dunks.

Now some might say that if he is good at that, then why hasn't he scored more in the past.

And the answer to that is Rodman was comfortable not asserting himself and not taking those shots, opportunities, and letting others do that, not because he isn't good at that, as he is good at that.

In fact at 1 point Smith got on him hard about not taking those shots, opportunities, because Smith knows how very good Rodman is at those shots, opportunities.

But now that Rodman is a senior, and has learned to assert, and has developed, etc, he is taking those shots, those opportunities, and making those shots, opportunities.

And it's not just his shooting, making, creating shots, driving, etc.

Rodman is also good at rebounding like his father, and has the extremely quick, fast, speedy, lateral athleticism to get in front of offensive drivers, setting himself, and taking charges.

And he Rodman has had some 14,16,18,20 point games this season, recently. And those points have not just only been from making 3 pointers, but a mix of 3 pointers, mid range shots, freethrow shots, points in paint, etc.

So altho Rodman has a lunch pail work ethic, he is more then a lunch pail player, and is a very good, athletic, skilled, scoring, etc, player.