Game 4: San Jose State
by thecassino on Nov 20, 2009 6:05 PM PST
24 comments
Conference: Western Athletic
2009 Record: 13-17, 6-10 (T-6th)
2010 Record: 1-0
Coach: George Nessman, 38-87
Key Players:
Adrian Oliver: 6-3 Guard, Junior. 11 PPG, 11 RPG, 4 APG
Justin Graham: 6-4 Guard, Junior.18 PPG, 5 RPG, 6 APG
Chris Oakes: 6-9 Forward, Senior. 12 PPG, 15 RPG
Scouting San Jose State:
They're a middling team in a middling conference. Their offense is average, their defense is poor, and their pace is middle of the road. There's not much impressive about this team. They grab a good amount of offensive rebounds (36 percent last year), but don't shoot well enough to capitalize on them, and turn the ball over enough to negate them. On the defensive side they don't force turnovers and allow teams to shoot a high percentage. Adrian Oliver is the team's go to guy, and takes over 30% of the team's shots, which is unfortunate as he's not a very good shooter.
How to Beat Them:
The Huskies really can only beat themselves in this one. It's another tune up game in which the talent disparity is simply too large for the opposition to overcome barring a massive upset. Lorenzo Romar just needs to get his team to do the things they do best: hit the offensive glass and attack the basket. The defensive rotation should be tighter after a few games, a week of film study and a week of practice, and if it is the Dawgs will run away with this one.
Prediction:
The Isaiah Thomas/Quincy Pondexter show rolls on, and the Huskies dominate. With Cal dropping a couple, the Dawgs look like the team to beat in the Pac-10, but we won't know for sure until a quality opponent lines up against them. The interesting part of this game will be which Husky (Huskies?) step up behind Thomas and Pondexter. MBA? Overton? Will Elston Turner break out of his shooting slump, or will he continue to be outplayed by Scott Suggs and Justin Holiday? Is this the game Abdul Gaddy asserts himself onto the opponent? There are still a lot of questions this team has to answer, and in a game like this the "B-stories" are more interesting than the final score.
UW 97 - SJSU 69
Vegas: UW -21.5
Viewing: 8:00 FSN, Bank of America Arena
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So that's where Adrian Oliver went
He was a Husky who transferred, right? I’m not remembering that incorrectly?
Okay I decided not to be so lazy and looked it up myself
He is indeed a Husky transfer.
Pondexter, Oliver, and Nelson
That was suppose to be a great class. Nelson transferred to Portland State after his freshman season. Oliver departed sometime during or after his sophomore season.
I really thought that class was going to be special. But at least the best recruit of that class stayed put. Pondexter is the real deal.
All I saw was purple
Hawes
Spencer was a great catch, but did anybody really see him staying around? I didn’t. The reason was because he didn’t blend in well with Romar’s offensive system. Hawes had some gigantic games for Washington (LSU), yet at times the offense didn’t flow with him.
Romar wants big athletic low post players that can run the floor. Hawes was a gem of a recruit but not suited for Washington’s offense.
All I saw was purple
Martell Webster
was also in that class, but he never showed up at the door opting to go direct NBA
Does the game start at 7 or 8 pm?
I thought it was 8.
Gaddy finally looks comfortable as well...
dimes all over…it’s good to see him adjusted to the speed finally.
PAC 10 Officials STINK
AS usual PAC 10 Referee’s horrendous.
The Tunnel is Hallowed and Sacred Ground
by bigdawgdaddy999 on Nov 20, 2009 10:08 PM PST reply actions
It is coming
The schedule will be lightening up in the future.
by John Berkowitz on Nov 21, 2009 8:01 AM PST up reply actions
QPon on Adrian Oliver
“I didn’t talk to him nearly as much as I talked to Phil,” Pondexter said. “Adrian got what he wanted. He’s at a school where he can score as many points as he wants, but I’d rather be here where I’m at. We’re winning games. He got 32. I got the win. I’m happy.”
Not a whole lot of love there. QPon is on a mission.
Oliver
He plays a lot like Kobi Bryant. Can anybody say ball hog? Oliver has turned into a remarkable basketball player and has tremendous skills, but I don’t think any of that will help them win ballgames. Bryant had to learn how to incorporate his teammates (after Shaq diesel left LA), I see a lot of Byrant in Oliver’s game. Everybody else on the SJSU team seems to be standing around.
All I saw was purple
Interesting comments about Oliver
I think he projects himself as the leading scorer on an NBA team. His real reason for leaving the UW in mid-season was never really explained and they danced around it yesterday. A family problem that still can’t be explained 2 years later. I think he saw himself as a one and done guy, then a two and done as a soph star on a team that in reality he had to fight for minutes.
He’s now the undisputed star on his team; but QPon got the win.
Concerning Hawes, it would have taken another year or 2 for the Huskies to adjust to his game. That’s why I don’t feel too bad about losing Josh Smith. He would have forced a style change to the way the Huskies play, and then he would be gone the next year. But I still wish he had chosen the UW, those kind of problems are nice to have.
Matchup issue: Consistent perimeter threat?
At some point in this nonleague action we are going to face a good team that will pack the paint and cut off lanes. Are we good enough from outside to reopen those lanes? To stretch the opposing defense? That is what I am waiting to see.
So far we’ve had our way with these mid majors, that’s okay because they get you ready for league action. But I’d personally love to see how we react to a team that packs the paint and closes lanes. Basketball is all about matchups- both in personnel and scheming. And it’s how you successfully adjust to different schemes. Can we burry the trey consistently when the opposing team packs the paint and shuts down the penetration lanes? If we can do that, we’ve got a great team this season.
A team like that is coming and I hope we are ready for such a team. We need to continue shooting from the perimeter so we don’t find ourselves disjointed when someone zones up on us.
I’m not about to say this is a good team yet. Like I said, we’ve had our way with these mid majors, but eventually someone is going to come along and throw a wrench in the mix. That wrench is a packed zone. Need to be ready to see it.
All I saw was purple
Agreed
I’m not that confident in Holiday knocking down those corner threes. Isaiah will make them but at a very low percentage. Elston and Suggs can make them but don’t play enough.
This perimeter shooting is really going to hurt us if we get to the tournament. Scoring almost entirely two point shots and FTs allows the opposing team to stay close as long as they make threes.
by wobbly wobbly on Nov 21, 2009 11:47 AM PST up reply actions
One of Turner/Suggs will end up playing 20 or so minutes a game
It’s just a matter of sorting out which one that’s going to be.
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