Oregon State game thread

[Patriotfan49]

This is my thinking with AO....2 games. It was 2 games, and thats fine if you want to ride with the hot hand for this mini tournament that we probably had no business even boarding the plane for.

But we just havent seen over the course of a season that AO should be getting minutes, and especially crunch time minutes. AO used in spurts throughout the game, sure knock yourself out. I just dont see him really doing anything that he should be on the floor during key situations of the game when we need all scoring options on the floor.

 

[Dawgs99]

I just don't think Okoloji is that productive. I appreciate the fact that he tries hard and hustles. But, it's frustrating when he fouls constantly, gets knocked to the ground, clanks jumpers, runs people over.

AO's biggest problem is that he needs to learn to play within himself and do what he can and not what he can't. I would hope the staff is telling him that his only job is to defend and rebound. AO should really never shoot unless its right under the basket. Also i regards to the fouling, AO really can't guard the small forwards hes being asked to guard, this leads to a lot of cheap fouls. This falls more on the coaching staff .

 

[EXpatriot13]

Also i regards to the fouling, AO really can't guard the small forwards hes being asked to guard, this leads to a lot of cheap fouls. This falls more on the coaching staff .

And he can't guard bigs because he's too frail.

 

[Dawgs99]

This is my thinking with AO....2 games. It was 2 games, and thats fine if you want to ride with the hot hand for this mini tournament that we probably had no business even boarding the plane for.

But we just havent seen over the course of a season that AO should be getting minutes, and especially crunch time minutes. AO used in spurts throughout the game, sure knock yourself out. I just dont see him really doing anything that he should be on the floor during key situations of the game when we need all scoring options on the floor.

Again, don't see where anyone on the boards is advocating that AO play during crunch time but I agree with this for the most part. I thought some of Hewitt's subs were strange. Several times down the stretch we had 3 bigs in the game who really don't score, putting a ton of pressure on the 2 guards.

 

[azgmu]

Literally any of us on this board could go out there and do what Sherrod has been doing....shooting air balls, turning the ball over, dribbling off of his feet, not playing defense, etc...

He's still the team's leading scorer, right? If you don't have any room to make mistakes, you're always going to suck. But I haven't been able to watch the past couple of games, so you could be spot-on, and I could be way underestimating how bad he's been playing.

 

[azgmu]

Gotta disagree here, Holloway and Jenkins have played very well. I really think Jenkins is going to be special. Playing time is earned, if you watched the post game video from last nights game Hewitt basically said Sherrod was terrible so he didn't play. Nobody is above being benched for poor play. Sherrod was a detriment to the team the last 2 games.

I agree that nobody is above being benched, but I'm not sure that the best time to make that point is when the team is in the dumps. It's good that those guys you mentioned are stepping up now, but Sherrod and Marko basically carried the team through some of the earlier games this season, so it could just be that they look worse for the expectations.

 

[Cool Disco Dan]

We might be better on defense next season, but if we can't score consistently, especially when we need to score, it will be a longggg year next year. If this team can't score I just don't see how next years team scores either, unless something unexpected happens.

I generally agree, but in 40-50 games, with an offseason sandwiched in between, I don't think it's unthinkable that Marquise can develop into a solid PG that can score 8-10 PPG and dish out 4-5 APG. With PH at the 2 and some combo of Jenkins/Royal/Marko logging the majority of the mins at the forwards, I could see this team being decent offensively, or at least equal to this group. Defensively, that group doesn't look too good, though.

I think Hewitt's job will almost certainly ride on MM developing into a very good PG and some other player (Mayimba, Lockett, Royal) being an absolute stud (1st/2nd team all-conf) from the minute they step on the court.

 

[Patriotfan49]

Again, don't see where anyone on the boards is advocating that AO play during crunch time but I agree with this for the most part. I thought some of Hewitt's subs were strange. Several times down the stretch we had 3 bigs in the game who really don't score, putting a ton of pressure on the 2 guards.

Im not saying anybody is advocating it, but its what we have seen in these couple games.

 

[gmutom]

...if you want to ride with the hot hand..

P49, this is my mindset the rest of the way with the entire roster. I love that Sherrod didn't start today, and I loved even more that Holloway and Moore did. I also love that Marko — one of my favorite players — got yanked after two traveling calls. Most of all, I loved watching Patrick earn more playing time with great defense the last two days, because he is without question the best offensive weapon we have and we need him on the court as much as possible.

Okoloji is not the answer to us being a great team, but he is one of the few players who leaves it all on the court when he's out there (which admittedly can lead to some dumb fouls and shots). Whether he plays 1 minute or 14, though, I hope the other players see how hard he plays and hustles. Who knows, maybe it will rub off on them.

 

[EXpatriot13]

EXpatriot what's your beef w/ Holloway?

What? I don't have one. I was making a joke regarding the 45+ per game. I'm saying we need someone else who can consistently score on this team because Holloway can't score ALL of the points. Settle, young grasshopper.

 

[Patriotfan49]

Is it sad our "hot" hand is AO? lol

Im all for that mentality, but at the same time its a double edge sword. Just dont be too coy with sitting and yanking guys like Sherrod because while they make plenty of bonehead moves on the court, he is also likely our best player...and we do need him on the court. Because you never know when Sherrod will wake up and realize that this is indeed real life and not a anesthesia induced ride in the back seat of his dads car coming home from the dentist. .

 

[GMUgemini]

Not surprised we lost given how cold we were in the second half. We just don't have enough consistent shooters with Sherrod completely disappearing. And Let's dispense with Allen at the point. I know he's our senior but he pretty much single handedly gave OSU the game.

If Jenkins can learn to finish his chances and improve his FT shooing he's going to be a stud.

Ultimately our lack of interior defense killed is this game. Hard to defend a 7 footer when they can just lob it over everyone's head though.

 

[GMUgemini]

Other than who he left on the floor at the end you can really fault Hewitt for this loss. He had the right defense. Our shooters were getting good looks. They just didn't execute when it really mattered.

 

[gmutom]

Is it sad our "hot" hand is AO? lol

Haha, point taken. Regarding Sherrod, I don't know if his benching was as much of a punishment as it was just an opportunity to come off the bench to break out of his slump. He still played 27 minutes today, which is only four less than his season average.

This slump is only three games, but it reminds me a little of the one Lamar Butler went through near the end of his senior year. He was throwing up airballs like Sherrod was the last two days. Like you said, the tough line to toe as a coach is doing what's best for the team while not damaging a player's psyche more than it already is.

Hopefully, he snaps out of it soon, because we don't have the offensive firepower to overcome him only scoring 15 combined points in the last three games.

 

[MasonFanatic]

I miss Jon Arledge We need a big man that can score from more than 2 inches away, and who also plays above the rim on defense. Someone who has an offensive game and a defensive game, and is taller than 6'8". A couple of mid-range jumpers from one of our bigs could have really taken some of the defensive pressure off our guards.

Okoloji is the guy you put in when you absolutely have to have a rebound, because he and Jenkins are our best rebounders. I thought it was very telling that Copes ceded the low block position on FTs when Okoloji entered the game late to join Jenkins in the game. But he should only be a defense/offense sub, we can't have all our non-scorers out there at once.

We absolutely have to get to the line more than we have been. Allen was a little too passive in the second half, until it was too late. If he was going to force the ball into the paint, he should have done it sooner, and tried to break up the OSU defense or pick up some fouls. And why didn't we challenge Gomis after he picked up his 4th foul? Just go right at him and shoot in his face. Force him to do something.

They made 11 more free throws than us. That can't keep happening.

 

[PoorManProfit]

Don't understand all the pining for VG, what has he done over the last season and a half that makes you think he's earned more time. He plays behind a sophomore now. Also AO doesn't play the same position so its hard to argue who should be getting the minutes. To clarify, I'm not an AO guy and I'm not advocating that he plays more, but he has def played better the last 2 games.

All the pining for Vaughn Gray by some on here is because, simply, he never plays and those people haven't been able to see how bad he actually is. It's easier for them to sleep by thinking that he is some stud that could light it up if they just gave him a chance. He's like a back-up QB. Everybody wants to see him. However, you find out he's a back-up for good reason. In the case of Gray, he's a back-up to a back-up. Closer to a walk-on than anything else.

 

[EXpatriot13]

I tend to defend Gray more than most on this board. I'll admit and I recognize that he isn't a great player, but I don't think he's necessarily been allowed to get into the rhythm of the games that he's played in. He comes in for two minutes and then hits the bench for 25. He's not the same player as Okoloji who can come in every 10 minutes for 3 minutes at a time and run around the court and grab rebounds and do whatever else he does.

Gray is in there to contribute offensively so I question if he's really been given the opportunity to get into the flow of a game. I know he stands around sometimes and doesn't play great defense, but not many guys on our team do either of those things well.

 

[Walter]

All the pining for Vaughn Gray by some on here is because, simply, he never plays and those people haven't been able to see how bad he actually is. It's easier for them to sleep by thinking that he is some stud that could light it up if they just gave him a chance. He's like a back-up QB. Everybody wants to see him. However, you find out he's a back-up for good reason. In the case of Gray, he's a back-up to a back-up. Closer to a walk-on than anything else.

That is probably very close to the truth.

 

[Pablo]

All the pining for Vaughn Gray by some on here is because, simply, he never plays and those people haven't been able to see how bad he actually is.

Actually, he played in the first 10 games, averaging 14.9 mpg. So, why has he played just 4 minutes so far in Hawaii?

 

[PoorManProfit]

Actually, he played in the first 10 games, averaging 14.9 mpg. So, why has he played just 4 minutes so far in Hawaii?

Oh, I don't know, maybe because HE IS NOT GOOD? lol