Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
Saturday, November 13, 2010
NDSU vs. UCSB Gaucho Hoops preview
The NDSU Bison are a tough team, tougher than Denver, in my opinion. Their best player Tveidt (#23) turned an ankle, got taped up, and toughed it out, even though he was having difficulty running. He ended up leading them in scoring with 27 points. If the Gauchos win, one of the biggest reasons may be because his ankle swelled up overnight. His shot was flat after the injury, based on first half of action. Braun (#24) and Carlson (#25) are also good players, VERY clever, and long. Felt (#3) is a gunner with unlimited range, and both point guards can shoot, but the Gauchos can pick their pockets, as Oregon's defenders were doing. NDSU's coach was positive on his players, unlike Denver's coach who kept yelling at this players, demanding perfection even when they were nowhere near the ball (I agree with his coaching concepts, but totally disagree with his Bobby Knight-like undressing of his players). Every time he would yell at them for doing something wrong, they would hang their heads. Thankfully, by the time the Gauchos were pulling away, he laid off of them, remaining on the bench.
Back to NDSU, Tveidt's ankle may blow up after a long, overtime night game, and they don't have the level of depth the Gauchos do, so I expect a Gaucho win. But the gap in talent between the two teams is marginal. Prediction: we win by 7, 69 - 62, in a close game until the end where we wear them out defensively. Their point guards are vulnerable to turnovers, even if they are good shooters.
Regarding the high-scoring affair with the Oregon Ducks, realize that Dana Altman's teams apply a full court press 40 minutes a game. They challenge the inbounds pass after a made bucket. He is liberal with his substitutions, because he prefers a faster tempo, even when his Creighton teams weren't the most athletic (see Kyle Korver). Oregon lacks depth this year, but Altman will deploy full line substitutions much like an ice hockey coach would--he's not afraid to use many different rotations. His teams force an uptempo game, so the scores are generally higher. I don't think NDSU is necessarily a fast-breaking team--they were just forced to play at a quicker pace, as the Gauchos will, when they play the Ducks on Sunday.
Back to NDSU, Tveidt's ankle may blow up after a long, overtime night game, and they don't have the level of depth the Gauchos do, so I expect a Gaucho win. But the gap in talent between the two teams is marginal. Prediction: we win by 7, 69 - 62, in a close game until the end where we wear them out defensively. Their point guards are vulnerable to turnovers, even if they are good shooters.
Regarding the high-scoring affair with the Oregon Ducks, realize that Dana Altman's teams apply a full court press 40 minutes a game. They challenge the inbounds pass after a made bucket. He is liberal with his substitutions, because he prefers a faster tempo, even when his Creighton teams weren't the most athletic (see Kyle Korver). Oregon lacks depth this year, but Altman will deploy full line substitutions much like an ice hockey coach would--he's not afraid to use many different rotations. His teams force an uptempo game, so the scores are generally higher. I don't think NDSU is necessarily a fast-breaking team--they were just forced to play at a quicker pace, as the Gauchos will, when they play the Ducks on Sunday.
Denver vs. UCSB game summary
This is an exclusive Gaucho Hoops game summary From the Sidelines:
Major props are in order for Chris Geraghty, University of Oregon Asst. Director of Media Services for running an organized event, but the ushers take their jobs a bit too seriously. I'm here to take care of business and have no desire to get in anybody else's business--especially when the gym is almost entirely empty. They should take a chapter out of Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People." Perhaps my UCSB sweatshirt had something to do with it. Or their #1 ranking in the BCS Football poll. But alas, this is a Gaucho Hoops report, so enough of Duck hospitality...Before I delve into the Denver / UCSB game report, I feel compelled to make one more comment: U of O cheerleaders live up to their reputation: stunningly beautiful and spirited.
The University of Denver Pioneers are were well-coached, and passed the ball well against our strange, malleable matchup zone, making the Gauchos work hard on defense, shifting from side to side on ball swings. The Denver offensive scheme worked in the first half, and some of our players were noticeably fatigued on offense. I was thinking let's just man up and out-athletic this Denver team of heady, patient shooters, instead of having to cover so much ground in the zone D, because they were hitting their 3 point shots in the first half and the start of the second half. Of course, eventually, the shots predictably stopped falling, and the Gauchos pulled away. BUT THAT WAS DUE TO THE GENIUS OF COACH WILLIAMS.
He inserted the all-defense team, short on height, but tons of hustle. Joyner, Brew, Weiner, Peterson, and Serna. With the exception of Serna, these players are not necessarily known for their offensive firepower among them, but they got many steals, even though they would turn the ball back over a couple times. It didn't matter, the hustle was rewarded, the damage was done, and Denver was clearly frazzled. It went from a tie of 37-all to a lead of 10 points in a few minutes midway through the 2nd half. Based on point differential, THIS WAS THE BEST LINEUP WE HAD ALL NIGHT. This scrambling defense team will be fun to watch. It will probably only work in 2nd halves of games, because players are juiced up with adrenaline in the 1st half. But as opponents tire, they will get careless with passes. The steals came more from intercepted passes than outright pick pockets.
When Coach Williams put in this lineup, I was thinking to myself, "What the hell is he doing? We won't be able to score." But I immediately I turned to a UCSB player's parent and I yelled out, "He's putting in this lineup to wear down the other team!" I was unsure if it would work at the time, but I'll be damned if that's EXACTLY what happened. We had the depth and the quickness--we used them to our advantage. The Denver coach was up to his usual antics, but even he succumbed to it, and eventually just sat listless on the bench, unable to turn around the assault. He must have felt like Napoleon at Waterloo.
Here are my observations on the Gauchos: to a man, we are definitely quicker than we were last year. OJ, Nunn, Somogyi, JJ (he was struggling with his ankle last year), Weiner, Brew, Pastorek, Serna, Devenny--all of them. They did something in the offseason to get quicker. Somogyi had a couple nifty post moves, but then committed an intentional foul out of frustration, and was rewarded with a visit on the bench.
Nunn and OJ didn't have their best shooting night, but we still got a decent win. Serna showed no ill effects from his injury, and Christian Peterson probably closes out on a shooter better than any defender we have, even if he is not the quickest player we have. He takes the short, choppy steps coaches preach when closing in on a shooter, as it reduces his chances on being head-faked out of position and leaving driving lanes open.
We also mixed up the defenses, going to a 1-3-1 zone occasionally, without too much trapping up top. Having Pastorek at the point was intimidating, all 6'10" and arms. Nunn also did a good job at the point in that defense. But the key to the success of the zone is to know when to cover the ball, or whether to back off and play the passing lanes. Gaucho defenders have to be somewhat smart to know who, when, and where to guard the ball. Basketball requires instincts and quick reaction. However, there's a cerebral aspect to the way the Gauchos defend, and I still can't figure out the rotations. Sometimes the wing covers the wing, but on the swing of the ball to the weak side, the defender under the basket may cover the potential shooter. Sometimes a wing defender ends up on the other side of the court. It looks haphazard, but it surely isn't. But it definitely takes communication and sharing of responsibilities--I'm sure it takes a lot of reps to make it 2nd nature for them. And I'm sure opponents will scout it during film sessions, but Denver's players appeared confused by it, despite preparations.
All in all, it was a good win, as the Gauchos didn't require our two stars to have outrageously outstanding shooting games to win decisively. It took hustle, grit, and execution. There's still gas in the Gaucho tank when they'll need to step on the accelerator.
Major props are in order for Chris Geraghty, University of Oregon Asst. Director of Media Services for running an organized event, but the ushers take their jobs a bit too seriously. I'm here to take care of business and have no desire to get in anybody else's business--especially when the gym is almost entirely empty. They should take a chapter out of Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People." Perhaps my UCSB sweatshirt had something to do with it. Or their #1 ranking in the BCS Football poll. But alas, this is a Gaucho Hoops report, so enough of Duck hospitality...Before I delve into the Denver / UCSB game report, I feel compelled to make one more comment: U of O cheerleaders live up to their reputation: stunningly beautiful and spirited.
The University of Denver Pioneers are were well-coached, and passed the ball well against our strange, malleable matchup zone, making the Gauchos work hard on defense, shifting from side to side on ball swings. The Denver offensive scheme worked in the first half, and some of our players were noticeably fatigued on offense. I was thinking let's just man up and out-athletic this Denver team of heady, patient shooters, instead of having to cover so much ground in the zone D, because they were hitting their 3 point shots in the first half and the start of the second half. Of course, eventually, the shots predictably stopped falling, and the Gauchos pulled away. BUT THAT WAS DUE TO THE GENIUS OF COACH WILLIAMS.
He inserted the all-defense team, short on height, but tons of hustle. Joyner, Brew, Weiner, Peterson, and Serna. With the exception of Serna, these players are not necessarily known for their offensive firepower among them, but they got many steals, even though they would turn the ball back over a couple times. It didn't matter, the hustle was rewarded, the damage was done, and Denver was clearly frazzled. It went from a tie of 37-all to a lead of 10 points in a few minutes midway through the 2nd half. Based on point differential, THIS WAS THE BEST LINEUP WE HAD ALL NIGHT. This scrambling defense team will be fun to watch. It will probably only work in 2nd halves of games, because players are juiced up with adrenaline in the 1st half. But as opponents tire, they will get careless with passes. The steals came more from intercepted passes than outright pick pockets.
When Coach Williams put in this lineup, I was thinking to myself, "What the hell is he doing? We won't be able to score." But I immediately I turned to a UCSB player's parent and I yelled out, "He's putting in this lineup to wear down the other team!" I was unsure if it would work at the time, but I'll be damned if that's EXACTLY what happened. We had the depth and the quickness--we used them to our advantage. The Denver coach was up to his usual antics, but even he succumbed to it, and eventually just sat listless on the bench, unable to turn around the assault. He must have felt like Napoleon at Waterloo.
Here are my observations on the Gauchos: to a man, we are definitely quicker than we were last year. OJ, Nunn, Somogyi, JJ (he was struggling with his ankle last year), Weiner, Brew, Pastorek, Serna, Devenny--all of them. They did something in the offseason to get quicker. Somogyi had a couple nifty post moves, but then committed an intentional foul out of frustration, and was rewarded with a visit on the bench.
Nunn and OJ didn't have their best shooting night, but we still got a decent win. Serna showed no ill effects from his injury, and Christian Peterson probably closes out on a shooter better than any defender we have, even if he is not the quickest player we have. He takes the short, choppy steps coaches preach when closing in on a shooter, as it reduces his chances on being head-faked out of position and leaving driving lanes open.
We also mixed up the defenses, going to a 1-3-1 zone occasionally, without too much trapping up top. Having Pastorek at the point was intimidating, all 6'10" and arms. Nunn also did a good job at the point in that defense. But the key to the success of the zone is to know when to cover the ball, or whether to back off and play the passing lanes. Gaucho defenders have to be somewhat smart to know who, when, and where to guard the ball. Basketball requires instincts and quick reaction. However, there's a cerebral aspect to the way the Gauchos defend, and I still can't figure out the rotations. Sometimes the wing covers the wing, but on the swing of the ball to the weak side, the defender under the basket may cover the potential shooter. Sometimes a wing defender ends up on the other side of the court. It looks haphazard, but it surely isn't. But it definitely takes communication and sharing of responsibilities--I'm sure it takes a lot of reps to make it 2nd nature for them. And I'm sure opponents will scout it during film sessions, but Denver's players appeared confused by it, despite preparations.
All in all, it was a good win, as the Gauchos didn't require our two stars to have outrageously outstanding shooting games to win decisively. It took hustle, grit, and execution. There's still gas in the Gaucho tank when they'll need to step on the accelerator.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Taran Brown signs LOI to play for UCSB
http://www.gillettenewsrecord.com/articles/2010/11/11/sports2/front/sports01.txt
Brown will make a switch to small forward after playing mainly center for the Camels. He believes he can easily make the switch while learning the position as a redshirt freshman with UCSB.
The question is, can he learn to play the three? He’s a lot better than he was last year. He’s going to have to learn to take people off the bounce.”
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Jim Rome's take on the Gauchos and Bracket Guy
Skip to the 3:15 minute mark to get Romey's take on the Gauchos vs. Ohio State in last season's March Madness matchup.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2fsX6QvfZE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2fsX6QvfZE
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
A new season begins for Gaucholocos
Here is a reminder of what happened last season for Gaucho hoops:
Football trick play
This video has nothing to do with Gaucho hoops, but occasionally, I'll post an amazing sports-related video. This one qualifies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UIdI8khMkw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UIdI8khMkw
Monday, November 8, 2010
ESPN Live Chat with Oregon Head Coach Dana Altman
I got this off the NDSU message board. University of Oregon will be the Gauchos' opponent this Sunday at 6 pm on the Ducks' McArthur Court in Eugene, OR as part of the BTI Invitational.
This is ESPN LIVE CHAT about Oregon.
Next up is Oregon's Dana Altman!
Buzzmaster (11:55 AM)
Coach is here!
Dallas (Eugene, OR)
What can we expect from Joevan Catron after coming off a season ending injury?
Dana Altman (11:57 AM)
Joevan has been battling some injuries again this year. His back has been giving him some problems and he's been having some issues with his hamstring. He's going to have to battle and get himself in shape. He's spent a lot of time in the training room. With that said, he's working really hard and I hope by Dec. 1 that he's back to normal and healthy and ready to go.
James (Cleveland, OH)
Hey coach, this season looks to be a transition year for Oregon. What can we expect from the team in a tough Pac-10 conference?
Dana Altman (11:58 AM)
It will be a little bit of a transition year, for the guys and the coaching staff. Our numbers are not what we'd want them to be. We do have some obstacles to overcome. I like how the guys have worked. We have some injuries to overcome, but I hope by Dec. 1 that we'll be ready to go. It will be a matter of working through the early part of the season and then getting into the Pac-10 part of our schedule in January.
Kevin (Seattle)
how great is the new arena?
Dana Altman (12:00 PM)
Well, it's a wonderful facility. The fans will notice how fan friendly it is. They really worked hard at making it a college arena, with no suites to take the fans away from the action. All 12,000-plus seats are right on the court and they're very close. And it's very athlete friendly. The lockerrooms are really nice. The training facility is great. We have two practice facilities, which is great for the student-athletes. I think it's going to be a wonderful facility, not just for the university but for the state, with all kinds of activities.
Kev (FL)
You come into a conference with a rich basketball history. How are you going to go about making a niche for yourself?
Dana Altman (12:01 PM)
I think Oregon has had some success. I look at the success of those teams and I think we really have to recruit our area well. We have to get on the West Coast and get some players. If we're going to find our niche, we need to carve out a spot for us, recruiting. With the new facility and our new football team and other sports teams are doing very well, we have a number of athletic programs that have done well. We hope that strength will help us as a basketball program. We have a lot of things to sell at Oregon.
Tina (WSU)
IS Klay Thompson the best player in the league?
Dana Altman (12:02 PM)
I don't know. You're asking the wrong guy. This is my first year in the league. Without being able to go through and see all the players, it's hard to make that decision. He's a great player, but as a first year guy, it's hard for me to make a determination.
Abby (NE)
Coach - after being the veteran in a league for the last 16 years, what's it like to be the new guy on the block?
Dana Altman (12:04 PM)
Well, first of all, the coaches in the league are very professional and easy to work with. I've known most of them for a while. I've spent the majority of my career in the Midwest, so the location is different. The transition isn't as tough as it might of been because of the national attention we received at Creighton.
Randy (Orlando, FL)
Are you nervous about your first season as Oregon's head coach?
Dana Altman (12:05 PM)
Oh, I don't know if nervous is the right word. I'm excited. This is a different conference for myself and our assistants. We're excited about the challenges that lie ahead. It will be different for us in the arenas. The guys have been working awfully hard and gives us reason for hope. It will be exciting and a new challenge. We're going to go out and play as hard as we can and make some things happen.
Jeff (LA)
how much of a homecourt advantage do you think the new arena will give you?
Dana Altman (12:06 PM)
Well, if we can get it anywhere close to Mac Court, it would be great. Watching some film of some old games, the film starts to shake because the building was so loud. The building is set up really well. We'll have the students courtside on one side and in the endzone on another side. We'll be able to build that advantage. Will it be Mac Court? That's tough, because that building was old and noisy by nature. But I think this new building, if we produce the types of teams we're used to, we'll have a homecourt advantage also.
Brian (Dayton)
Coach, have you had to adjust your system at all as you have taken over a new program?
Dana Altman (12:08 PM)
We want to give our teams an opportunity to be successful. We're going to try and do some things that we've done over the course of our career. We're going to play a spread offense and drive to the basket. We'll press like we've always done. We're going to run a system that I'm most comfortable with, which is a lot of pressing and changing defenses. We don't have the numbers we've had in the past, but I think we'll be OK.
Peter (Los Angeles)
You lost 10 of 12 games down the stretch last season. What has to happen this year so that won't happen again?
Dana Altman (12:09 PM)
Well, first of all, we've got a lot of new players and a lot of players from the previous years are not with us. I think it will be important for our team to establish itself. Put our culture in. Win games down the stretch. But first of all we have to put ourselves in that situation. We have to play as a team. We have a lot of learning to do. It will be a growing process for our team and our coaching staff.
Matt (IN)
Coach, what kind of a transition is it for you to come to the Pac 10 after being in the MVC?
Dana Altman (12:11 PM)
The MVC has had some pretty good years here. Supposedly the Pac-10 was down last year. We have a lot of young players in our system and in those systems. The playing schedule will be a little different. We had more time to prepare for some games. But I think conference basketball is conference basketball. When you get into the league, everyone knows everyone a little bit better. The second time you play a team, you really get familiar with them. No matter what league you're in, there are adjustments made between the first and second games. All of those details become important.
Dana Altman (12:12 PM)
I appreciate the support we've received so far. Hopefully our recruiting efforts will continue to go well and we'll have success in the future.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
The Pit: University of Oregon's old McArthur Court
This is what the Gauchos have to look forward to against the University of Oregon Ducks next Sunday at 6 pm on their home court.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqITclF25zQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqITclF25zQ
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