MBK Final: Cougs 78, Cal 53 (Story + Stats + Highlights + Postgame Presser)

[ScottHood]

Robert Franks hits a school record 10 3-ptrs. 1st Pac-12 win for WSU.

Story (w/ Twitter Video): https://washingtonstate.rivals.com/news/hoops--16711

Stats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/statmonitr/?id=190153

Highlights (Pac-12 Network):

Postgame Presser (Players):

 

[ElComanche]

The cougs had 22 assists today and 15 TO's They need to bring the TO s down to about 10. They played much better defense. A lot of that is making sure you have your better defensive players on the court at crucial times.

 

[SaveFerris]

Watching a bit of UW/Stanford. We really let those 2 teams off the hook on our home court. Hopkins has done a good job and will probably turn the UW into a tough team in a couple years but they really aren't that good and Stanford isn't much better.

Tough not getting both those 2.

 

[ElComanche]

Frustrating because the cougs were the better team in both of those contests. In this game they finally stepped on someone s neck when they had them down.If the cougs had played 40 minutes of basketball all season, they would probably be sitting on a 13-4 record and 2-2 in PAC play.

 

[SaveFerris]

The cougs had 22 assists today and 15 TO's They need to bring the TO s down to about 10. They played much better defense. A lot of that is making sure you have your better defensive players on the court at crucial times.

The kind of turnovers we give up are brutal. Being sloppy and giving up a breakaway type turnovers. We were much better in the 2nd half.

Giving up 19 offensive boards is a problem. They aren't as bad as the turnovers against Stanford/UW but the offensive boards kept Cal in the game.

 

[FnuLnu]

The kind of turnovers we give up are brutal. Being sloppy and giving up a breakaway type turnovers. We were much better in the 2nd half.

Giving up 19 offensive boards is a problem. They aren't as bad as the turnovers against Stanford/UW but the offensive boards kept Cal in the game.

Cal's offensive boards were a result of their poor 3 pt shooting.
Just like WSU's offensive boards vs Stanford on Thursday.
Get crazy ass carom, throw it up for another miss.
Cal mailed it with about 7 minutes left, did not score in the final 3:56.

 

[SaveFerris]

Cal's offensive boards were a result of their poor 3 pt shooting.
Just like WSU's offensive boards vs Stanford on Thursday.
Get crazy ass carom, throw it up for another miss.
Cal mailed it with about 7 minutes left, did not score in the final 3:56.

Some of it was poor shooting but 19 offensive boards?

 

[ElComanche]

In this game the cougs were focused and aggressive.They also shared the ball and they looked like the team which started the season. It is about confidence in your teammates and not looking for one particular player to provide the offense.The guards need to penetrate and kick the ball out to either Flynn and Franks or other players.They lose when Flynn comes down and launches one or they look for Skaggs. The players need to move and share the ball. One one sequence ,i believe that several players passed the ball until an open shot was made. That was great team play and players thinking out there

 

[Coug95man2]

The kind of turnovers we give up are brutal. Being sloppy and giving up a breakaway type turnovers. We were much better in the 2nd half.

Giving up 19 offensive boards is a problem. They aren't as bad as the turnovers against Stanford/UW but the offensive boards kept Cal in the game.

I was there for this game and as great as it was to see the excitement and the win, it was one of the sloppiest games. I've been to 3 other games in Pullman and they've all been the same... sloppy. Ball security is at an all-time low. Stupid passes in an attempt to be slick and really it just looked sad. It was an ugly game.

They have a very similar issue as the football program had, and still might have a tinge of IMHO. A winners attitude. You think you're going to lose, you're going to be a loser. If you think you're going to win, well you have a pretty damm good chance. And if you DO lose a game, when you think you're a winner, it'll just piss you off, charge you up and get you ready to trample the next opponent. When we lose, I see a lot of hanging heads. Sadness instead of anger. We've got talent, we can be winning, as you have outlined Ferris. But without a winning attitude... well, we'll just keep losing.

The "sharing" thing that Elc outlined... I get the passing but there were times we were passing the ball, I don't know, 10-15 times in ONE possession. No one would pull the trigger!!! I like the passing. But someone on that team also needs to be "the man". Franks certainly stepped up but in those instances of passing galore, we missed the shot and allowed Cal to feel like they had the defense, gave them a breathe. Gotta pull the trigger.

This team is soooo close. It's all in their head, tho. Someone just needs to get pissed. And get pissed at themselves, at the team and do so IN FRONT OF EVERYONE. Let all of us know they care. I'd assume and hope they care but man... wouldn't know it sometimes.

 

[SaveFerris]

I was there for this game and as great as it was to see the excitement and the win, it was one of the sloppiest games. I've been to 3 other games in Pullman and they've all been the same... sloppy. Ball security is at an all-time low. Stupid passes in an attempt to be slick and really it just looked sad. It was an ugly game.

They have a very similar issue as the football program had, and still might have a tinge of IMHO. A winners attitude. You think you're going to lose, you're going to be a loser. If you think you're going to win, well you have a pretty damm good chance. And if you DO lose a game, when you think you're a winner, it'll just piss you off, charge you up and get you ready to trample the next opponent. When we lose, I see a lot of hanging heads. Sadness instead of anger. We've got talent, we can be winning, as you have outlined Ferris. But without a winning attitude... well, we'll just keep losing.

The "sharing" thing that Elc outlined... I get the passing but there were times we were passing the ball, I don't know, 10-15 times in ONE possession. No one would pull the trigger!!! I like the passing. But someone on that team also needs to be "the man". Franks certainly stepped up but in those instances of passing galore, we missed the shot and allowed Cal to feel like they had the defense, gave them a breathe. Gotta pull the trigger.

This team is soooo close. It's all in their head, tho. Someone just needs to get pissed. And get pissed at themselves, at the team and do so IN FRONT OF EVERYONE. Let all of us know they care. I'd assume and hope they care but man... wouldn't know it sometimes.

Couldn't believe the over passing at times. Agree it's not always just a case of "make the extra pass" mentality. I think even the color guy mentioned someone needed to pull the trigger. Franks was capable of shooting this well the last 2 years but hasn't had the confidence. You could see him hesitate last year and even this year at times on shots he can make. Against Stanford I believe he only got up 7 shots. I am not saying he or anyone else should launch shots 15 feet behind the arc like Flynn did but they need to take and make shots more consistently. We have really been streaky.

On football I remember listening to player interviews after the Cal game in 2015 where they lost down the stretch. It was obvious they were collectively angry and sick of losing games they believed they should win. To me that was a sign they were ready to get over that hump of belonging. I thought early in this season we were starting to see that toughness mentality but there have been too many puppy dog endings, lack of focus, and sloppiness.

We should be 3-2 at this point but we lacked the mentality to put Stanford and the UW away. It's really a shame.