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Win over PSU, the day after

Posted by Vince Grippi

Dec. 20, 2009 7:42 a.m. • 22 comments

COUGARS

It is interesting to look at the Pac-10 basketball standings and see Washington State leading the way as the nonconference schedule winds down. Sure, WSU’s 9-2 mark has been built, in part, by the strength of the opponents. But that’s only a part. And, after the way the Cougars played Saturday, it seems to be even a smaller part. Read on for more thoughts on that and the win over Portland State in the Tri-Cities.

••••••••••

• Washington State: Before this season’s games began, there was a consensus about the Cougars. They had some talent, but as a real young team playing for a new coaching staff, this could be a tough season. It still may be, but the showing in the nonconference thus far – LSU in Seattle on Tuesday night is the final non-Pac-10 game – and the relative weakness of the conference makes that less of a possibility than what seemed to be the case two months ago. The Cougars have two losses, both on the road against top 25 schools (though GU might exit the standings after this weekend). The wins have come against middle range teams, though USD, Nicholls State, Portland State and Idaho may be better than their current rankings indicate. Heck, even IUPFW just put up a battle at Michigan State, finally losing by 22, which compares favorably to the 19-point defeat WSU hung on the Mastodons. OK, I know comparative scores are barnyard refuse, but I’m using it to illustrate the nonconference schedule may not have been as weak as we all thought. Of course, LSU, which just edged Nicholls State by three at home I might add, may come into the Key Arena and hand the Cougars a loss, sending everyone into a pre-Christmas funk, but I doubt it. When WSU plays like it did Saturday, shooting well, hustling for loose balls, defending with a focus and resolve, the Cougars can compete with just about anyone. And certainly anyone left on their schedule. … Now back to last night’s game. The Cougar defensive game plan, a result of assistant coach Curtis Allen’s meticulous scout – Allen had a big advantage, having been coach Ken Bone’s assistant the past couple years at PSU – worked to near perfection. As Bone said, the idea was to stop the 3-point attack. “They are such a prolific shooting team,” he said. “They have so many great shooters on that team that, if you don’t switch the screens, it’s that much more difficult, we felt, to get on them, get a hand up.” It also doesn’t hurt that big guys like DeAngelo Casto and Abe Lodwick got down into a defensive stance and stayed with the PSU guards as they came off the screen, making it nearly impossible for them to get a step to the hoop. And when they did, the Cougar defense was in position to help. … Speaking of Casto, there was a play late in the first half I asked Bone about. The ball was knocked loose on the WSU end. Casto and PSU’s Julius Thomas, both big, strong post players, dove for the ball. Casto wrestled it free and found Reggie Moore on the left wing. Moore skipped a pass to Klay Thompson on the opposite wing and Thompson knocked down the 3. “It was exactly the way it should be,” Bone said, obviously pleased about the play. “Just two workhorses, strong, aggressive, tenacious players and here they are, both diving for a loose ball and we were fortunate to come up with it. Those two guys, that’s just how they play. And when you make plays like that, those are plays winning teams make.” … On offense, the Cougars got more than a dozen open looks just by setting a ball screen and the screener relocating to the arc. “It’s a very similar system,” Bone said. “They do the same thing. Phil Nelson, that’s how he gets a lot of his 3s, picking and popping. It’s no different than what they do or what they’ve done the past few years. It just happened tonight that we made shots.” And WSU defending it by switching screens instead of trying to fight through, as Portland State did. One WSU player described PSU’s defense of the ball screen as “terrible.” Seems like an apt description.

• Here are some more comments from Bone and a few players …

• Bone on Nik Koprivica’s game: “Nik has worked really hard at Washington State and it’s not always been appreciated. He’s trying to have the best senior year he can without being selfish, I mean here’s a guy who doesn’t start, comes in, puts in 12, 13 minutes a game and yet continues to do a good job. I was really pleased to see him get rewarded by getting some great looks and then putting them down.”

• Bone on playing in the Tri-Cities: “The reality of it is we would not be able to get a great crowd in Pullman with the students gone. So to be able to come to somewhere like Kennewick and the place is packed and the people really, really appreciate us being here, I thought it was exciting.” As an aside, you can expect the game in Kennewick to be repeated in the future.

• Bone on what looked to be some comments Dominic Waters had toward him midway through the first half: “If he did (say something), I didn’t hear it. You know, Dom’s a real competitor and he might have said something I don’t know. I think if he said something, it was probably like ‘I miss you coach.’ But I didn’t quite hear, so I’m not sure.”

• Thompson on the defense: “We tried to make them put it on the floor and finish at the rim rather than just get open 3-point looks.”

• Thompson on the late first-half run: “It was really important. It gave us a pretty good lead, but we weren’t content with that.”

• Koprivica on his open looks: “We tried to set as many ball screens as we can because they are not going to defend it really well. Those guys were finding (me), I was just wide open. I had to knock them down.”

• Moore on setting career highs in assists two consecutive games: “I’m starting to realize where guys are on the court as we play together. Certain guys like to go to certain spots and certain guys like to catch the ball certain ways.”

• Now on to the links. You can read my game story here and the version we posted last night here. … How about USC’s rout of No. 9 Tennessee? Where did that come from? … More on the game from freelancer Howie Stalwick in this story from the Tacoma News Tribune and this piece from the Oregonian’s Jim Beseda. … My women’s game story is also available in a little longer version here. … There have been some questions about Anthony Brown. The Shadle Park High graduate wasn’t part of the 13-person travel squad to Spokane or Tri-Cities (if you’re wondering, because there were more than 13 players on the bench, some guys made their own way to the venue). The number is university mandated (the NCAA allows 15) to save money. Brown’s not redshirting and has been a participant in every practice I’ve seen this year.

•••

• Around the Pac-10: It was a much better day for the conference, topped by USC’s victory. … But Washington’s win over a Portland team that is expected to challenge Gonzaga in the WCC was also impressive. … Oregon finally earned a victory over Oakland. … The Beavers got past Mississippi Valley State at home, but it wasn’t impressive. … Either is UCLA’s 3-7 record, the worst since before John Wooden. The Bruins lost to Notre Dame. … ASU continued to play well, holding off a solid San Diego State team. … Former WSU athletic director Jim Livengood looks back at his tenure in Arizona.

•••

• That’s all for this morning. We’ll be back when events warrant. Until then …

22 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

Ridgetop on December 20 at 8:50 a.m.
Moore has turned out to be a real gem, a real smart player with plenty of talent. I have to admit to not appreciating NIk but kudos to him for playing his best and doing a great job.
Go Cougs!
CarolC on December 20 at 2:50 p.m.
A quick note about former Coug, Jerome Harrison. He had a career day today against the Chiefs, running for nearly 300 yards.

There were some good looks at his day on NFL RedZone.
Ted on December 20 at 3:09 p.m.
It still amazes me that the Tri-Cities can get more fans out for a basketball game than they can in Spokane. There are probably more traveling from the Tri-Cities to Pullman for games than from Spokane yet there are more alums in the Spokane area.
kaddy on December 20 at 4:48 p.m.
I believe the game in Spokane sold just over 7,000 tickets, while this came in Kennewick sold 6,300. Spokane is 3 times the size, however. The Tri-Cities support the Cougs very well!
fitz on December 20 at 10:06 p.m.
The Spokane totals included season ticket holders. There were not 7,000 people at the Air Force game. Kudos to Tri-Cities people for coming out, but I saw several people Who I know drove from Pullman and LC valley.
fitz on December 20 at 10:08 p.m.
Glad I went to the game, I would have thrown stuff at my tv when I discovered Fox had blocked the game. What was that about?
Cougzz on December 21 at 8:12 a.m.
Fitz; I watched the game in HD on Fox via DISH, so it was not blocked in the Spokane DMA. The WSU/LSU game in Seattle Tues. is also on TV in HD, but Fox has the uw/Texas A&M game.
lbrush on December 21 at 10:15 a.m.
Cougzz, what channel in HD is the game on?
Cougzz on December 21 at 10:25 a.m.
The LSU game starts at 7 PM on Tuesday and will be on the CBS-College station (DISH @ ch. 152). We don’t have Comcast in the sticks so. of Spokane so I don’t know the cablecast availability or station(s).
MVTravis on December 21 at 10:34 a.m.
The game will be on Comcast, Channel 633 I believe (In King County anyway). I do know you need the Comcast sports package to receive it. It’s $5.99 per month, prorated depending on when you activate it during the month.
TommyCoug on December 21 at 10:46 a.m.
Ibrush and Cougzz, according to the Cougar website under the schedules the WSU/LSU game starts at 7:00 PM and is on CBS College Sports (I am sure this is an add on and not the normal CBS channel). The comments, on that site, say that “some people MAY be able to see it.” I don’t know what that means…that you either need a special package (via cable or DISH) to see the game or what? Nothing indicates that the game will be in HD. I am very, very suspect that many Cougar basketball fans will get to witness the game on TV.

I do know that DISH in Northern California indicated that the Portland State/WSU game was on both of their channels (regular and HD). Then at game time they said it was “blacked out and no other site available.”

A phone call to DISH resulted in the following reason being used as to why…, “that low attendance was the reason that it was not picked up or blacked out.” All of this seems to be BS!

It was disappointing for WSU and Vince on this blog and in the Spokesman-Review to indicate that FSN-NW was carrying the game when it turned out to not be the case. I know that KHQ (local to Spokane and would not be available down here) was carrying the women’s game and that their local SWX (or whatever it is called) apparently carried, or ended up carrying, the men’s game. That wasn’t DISH or FSN-NW.

I would appreciate that the WSU Athletic Department, Vince and the S-R be more accurate in their information from now on…it appears that many WSU fans (this one for sure) were put-out about the last game situation.
MVTravis on December 21 at 12:25 p.m.
Tommy,
Don’t know what you’re talking about, but I watched the entire game on FoxSports NW Saturday…
vinceg on December 21 at 1:20 p.m.
Tommy:

You are throwing stones in the wrong direction. You stated: “It was disappointing for … Vince on this blog and in the Spokesman-Review to indicate that FSN-NW was carrying the game when it turned out to not be the case.” I’m sorry, but it was the case. KHQ in Spokane produced and broadcast the game for FSN NW. That’s a fact. Heck, I sat next to broadcast folks Saturday. And I know people were able to see it, either on KHQ’s SWX channel (from which I DVRed it and watched later) or on FSN NW, so our information was accurate. Whether the entity you subscribe to aired the game is up to them and out of our control. Your beef is with them. My guess is your provider messed up in some way, possibly picking up a feed that was intended for FSN NW in the SWX viewing area. For the Spokane area, which is the intended audience of the S-R and this blog, the game was available on TV just as we said.
lbrush on December 21 at 1:50 p.m.
I too watched the game live on FSN NW in the Portland area. It’s replayed a few times since.

Thanks for the info on tomorrow night’s game, I’ll check the add on channels to see if it’s there.
Ted on December 21 at 2:19 p.m.
The game in Spokane included over 4000 season ticket holders from Pullman
Rambler on December 21 at 2:50 p.m.
It is obvious that the Air Force game in Spokane, was only there because WSU was picked to host the NCAA Tournament, as Vince has explained. Tickets were included for that game as part of our season ticket package - that never happens.

After the last several showings by the Spokane faithful, I do not see Wazzu going back there anytime soon. I like the non-PAC-10 “home games” during break at the Tri-Cities & Seattle venues.
TommyCoug on December 21 at 3:56 p.m.
Vince and others…well, I guess it is over and not worth the hassle…”BUT”…the facts are…maybe, unfortunately for me here in Northern California…that FSN NW is “not” a standard on any cable system here. And that FSN either has a “load” of different affiliates…like FSN-Arizona, FSN-West (So. California) etc.

Locally, in the S. F., Oakland, San Jose area we get what is called CSNBA or California Sports Net Bay Area. They rarely carry anything from FSN and don’t even have most of Stanford or California events on the network.

So, when DISH has FSN-NW and FSN-NW HD and lists the game and then doesn’t carry it or “says it’s blacked out”…what you are really saying is that they “don’t have to carry it.” And that is the first time over the last few years that this has happened for either WSU basketball or football.

So, does KHQ always do the work for FSN-NW for WSU events or does FSN-NW send their own crews. Needless to say that neither KHQ and SWX are available down here. As I said a phone call was made to DISH as to why that happed. A computer blogger/and Cougar fan residing in Pullman, WA. , was also trying to get it on DISH…and couldn’t. I can only assume that he was fianlly able to go elsewhere and see the game.

I suspect that KHQ, WSU and FSN-NW only figured the game would get viewership in the Northwest. Therefore, can they also limit the exposure? Is there a cost to WSU or others to go on DISH? Can DISH ( Direct TV or other similar carriers) decide to pick and chose what they show? I thought that was why a person payed the extra to get those sports packages?

I should realize that YOU have no control over the telecast and for that I apologize. It was just a frustrating situation to travel to where I thought it was on…showed that it was on…and then was blacked out.

I suspect that the LSU game, on CBS College Sports, will be similar…because I believe the Washington/Texas A&M game in Seattle the same night (only an hour later) is on FSN-NW.

Anyway…GO COUGS!!
MikeSequim on December 21 at 6:07 p.m.
TommyCoug,

I don’t now how relevant this is but last week when GU layed Davidson at Key Arena (Dishnet) had it as being shown but blacked it out from 4-6PM. I got the last 7 minutes starting at 6 PM. We called Dish and they told us te didn’t buy the live showing? Anyway, it could be similar for you down there.
bradley010a on December 22 at 8:33 a.m.
TommyCoug—I live in the Bay Area too. Just pay the extra 5.99 a month on Dish Network for the Fox Sports package and you’re all set.
TommyCoug on December 22 at 11:01 a.m.
bradley010a, thanks for the reply. However, my daughter has the DISH NETWORK and that is where I went to watch the game. I know she pays extra for a “college sports package” and it includes (I beleive) all of the Fox Sports stations/broadcasts across the nation. Because we have viewed the FSN affiliates across the nation on different occasions. And, like I said, we made a phone call to DISH that evening when it was listed as on and upon clicking on the site at 7:00 PM it showed “blacked out” and specifically asked…”is there something we can purchase”…the answer from them was NO!!

So, maybe you are indicating that DISH has a specific Fox Sports package charge. Did you/are you saying you saw the game?
fitz on December 22 at 12:05 p.m.
In the Pomeroy area the game never did come on Dish, but those that have Direct could get the game. Somebody, either at fox or Dish, pushed the wrong button and blocked it out in certain areas. My sister called Dish and the guy she talked to had no explanation, but said made no sense and he would be sure his supervisor or somebody in the know would be aware of the situation. Hopefully it won’t happen again, but with Fox I am not confident.
TommyCoug on December 22 at 4:41 p.m.
fitz, thanks for the info…the game is now well over…however, I hope that someone near bye (maybe you Vince) will communicate that Fox Sports Net - North West (via DISH) didn’t carry the game to several parts of the nation and that maybe they can get an answer as to why…It appears that I am not the only frustrated fan about FSN-NW that didn’t get to view the game as advertised!

Enough…now on to a victory over LSU this evening.

GO COUGS!!