MBK Game Story: Cougs Beat UTEP, 84-68

[ScottHood]

Hawkinson with 17 pts, 14 reb. Clifford 15 points (5-5 FG, 5-5 FT in 16 min.), King 10 pts off bench with 3 triples.

Story: https://washingtonstate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1836571

Stat Box: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/statmonitr/?id=104244&a=1

 

[ElComanche]

A nice solid victory over a team you guys said they would lose to. The team is and will be better than you guys thought. I called for the victory and they delivered. Quit trying to marginalize the coach and his new players. get behind the team and quit trying to tear down what Kent is building

 

[jourdand]

It was a good win over a team with a similar record to WSU. UTEP has beaten the cupcakes on their schedule and lost against the tougher teams much like WSU. The win showed we are in that tougher catagory but I still want to take the next step in the next 2 years. It is a one step at a time process but we are getting there. King took advantage of his time tonight and shot the ball well. Conor is a offensive force and Hawk is Hawk. I also thought Callison played good on defense. The PAC 12 will be tough on this team imo, but like I said its a process and we are heading in the right direction.

 

[SaveFerris]

Que and Suggs had some good stretches followed up by some not so good moments. Most impressed by Clifford's offense tonight.

 

[ElComanche]

King had a very good game and rebounded and shot the ball well. If Que does not want to rebound and play defense,he will start losing more minutes.

 

[bogusto]

This is potentially the most complete team we've had since the Bennetts. The big man depth is better than at any time since Baynes, Cowgill, Clark et.al. The guards are not Lowesque or Rochestie good, but they are decent, especially if Callison continues to evolve at the point. Having said that, Clifford is ponderously slow-unquick, and as such is not a good rebounder or defender. I would rather see Izundu get more minutes just to shore up those aspects. The possible emergence of King is exciting.

 

[SaveFerris]

Having said that, Clifford is ponderously slow-unquick, and as such is not a good rebounder or defender. I would rather see Izundu get more minutes just to shore up those aspects. The possible emergence of King is exciting.

Izundu doesn't provide much offense beyond dunks and becomes a little bit of a liability. After the air ball free throw they started to foul him with 7 minutes to go. The blocks are great but when he doesn't get to them he often ends up out of position for rebounds giving the other team easy put backs. Clifford is slow and needs to get into better shape. They both do some good things but it's a bit of pick your poison with each player at the moment.

 

[jourdand]

I would like to see Izundu learn to keep some of those blocked shots out of the stands ala Bill Russell. We are getting more than I expected from him so far this year and it wouldn't surprise me to see more progress as the year goes on and a big jump next year.

 

[StormyCOUG42]

A nice solid victory over a team you guys said they would lose to. The team is and will be better than you guys thought. I called for the victory and they delivered. Quit trying to marginalize the coach and his new players. get behind the team and quit trying to tear down what Kent is building

Simmer down there buddy. Its was UTEP... at home. I said we are lacking in PAC 12 talent... which beating UTEP does little to disprove. The talent on this roster is good enough to win 2-5 conference games. Kent's coaching is probably good for another 2 wins. So I think this team wins somewhere between 4-7 conference games. Which is not really all that great. If I'm wrong then you can rub it in my face come March.

BTW, I'm not trying to "tear down" anything. I want Kent to succeed and I think he is a very good coach. But I'm not buying into this idea that we can be successful recruiting everyone else's scraps. A lot of folks preached the same nonsense under Wulff. I never bought in... and I'm not going to now. You need high level talent to compete. Not a bunch of JC guys and "under the radar" HS prospects with offers from Big Sky schools. Kent's first two classes were as good as can be expected given the mess we were in after Bone. But for long term success, Kent needs to land a couple well regarded recruits.

 

[SaveFerris]

Simmer down there buddy. Its was UTEP... at home. I said we are lacking in PAC 12 talent... which beating UTEP does little to disprove. The talent on this roster is good enough to win 2-5 conference games. Kent's coaching is probably good for another 2 wins. So I think this team wins somewhere between 4-7 conference games. Which is not really all that great. If I'm wrong then you can rub it in my face come March.

BTW, I'm not trying to "tear down" anything. I want Kent to succeed and I think he is a very good coach. But I'm not buying into this idea that we can be successful recruiting everyone else's scraps. A lot of folks preached the same nonsense under Wulff. I never bought in... and I'm not going to now. You need high level talent to compete. Not a bunch of JC guys and "under the radar" HS prospects with offers from Big Sky schools. Kent's first two classes were as good as can be expected given the mess we were in after Bone. But for long term success, Kent needs to land a couple well regarded recruits.

I think calling what we have right now 'Big Sky' talent or referencing Wulff isn't fair but I agree with your conclusion. Kent needs a couple 'game changer' type talents to find their way to Pullman and so far that hasn't happened yet. We haven't had many of those over the years.

The top of the Pac 12 might not be as good as usual this year but some of the mid-level teams are improved their talent. It's a tough league to get to .500.

 

[mikalalas]

The reason why I projected a coug loss, is that UTEP is USUALLY a high midmajor CBI, NIT, NCAA team. They beat WSU last year. And Artis, Mora are equal to maybe even better than our guards, and their big men are also almost as good or almost equal to Bigs.

Combine, add that to bad loss to Idaho, and that UTEP would beat Idaho easily, and that should have equalled a coug loss. But I am glad the cougs won.

The thing I didn't know at the time however, but know now, is that UTEP lost their ENTIRE starting 3 front court players to injury. That would be like taking away Hawk, Clifford, Izundu, all at once, all at same time, over multiple games, and then still expect WSU to win.

But despite that UTEP still has a decent ok record.

That probably means that if UTEP hadn't lost their front court, that they either probably just barely beat, or just barely lose to WSU.

That means that UTEP is a better team than given credit for, and that since didn't have starting frontcourt, because injured, that beating UTEP wasn't that big of an accomplishment, except that WSU really needed that bounce back win, after Idaho and would have been extremely bad if they had lost, after losing to Idaho.

While WSU'S talent, may, maybe, might, probably be not as good as almost most of the PAC 12, the talent is not big sky, FCS, low midmajor, like stormy is saying, but rather low to almost mid Power 5, PAC 12, D1 talent.

That should be good enough that when combined with Kents coaching, be good enough for only 2,3 non con losses, which only loss be against Oklahoma, and 5 to 8 conference wins, for about 14 to 18 wins, 1 PAC 12 tourney win, for about 16.5 wins

 

[ElComanche]

I rather say that the two will continue to improve as the season progresses.neither one of them has played at this level before. i am sure that both will look better as the season progrsees.

 

[ElComanche]

The reason i projected a coug win is because they have better talent period than UTEP.at all positions. Unless one has played the game of basketball competitively at a high level ,one does not understand the mental part of the game.If a team is not ready to play and dies not respect the opponent ,they may get their behinds handed to them. We saw that in the Idaho game. This is especially true of a young team,which the cougs are. It is hard for them to get back their edge during a game, which a veteran team can do.The cougs have enough talent to make a post season tournament if they play hard and get their share of the breaks.It should be an interesting season as the cougs also need to learn to play together.

 

[mikalalas]

I would take UTEP'S PG DOMINIC ARTIS over Callison, Ike, to be a PG for WSU.

Dominic Artis was a borderline high end 4 star, borderline between being a high end 4 star, and lowest end 5 star.

He was recruited by Oregon. He initially had a bad attitude at first, was on bench behind Oregon ' s better uppetclassmen.

When given a chance to start, get lots of minutes off bench, during non con whatchamacallit teams, he did ok, semi good not bad, not great.

Then he either broke the law, got arrested, or did weed, or broke a team rule, or his bad attitude worsened, but whatever it was, he got kicked off Oregon, and he transfered to UTEP.

Where he got a fresh start, 2nd chance, and is making the most of it.

His first year at UTEP was good, great, semi awesome.

He is now in his 2nd year, and is now a Junior, and is having a awesome year so far.

Right now he is better than Ike, Callison.