Just a quick post tonight before I head out to the Valley. I was expecting to link you to a Pac-10 release in which Taylor Rochestie, WSU’s nominee, would be named the conference’s player of the week. In the two Cougar road wins, Rochestie had 44 points – a career-high 30 against Oregon – 14 assists and two turnovers. But, alas, I’m not able to do that. Stanford’s Lawrence Hill, a good guy who had a career-high 25 points in a home upset of Cal, was named the conference’s player of the week. I guess Hill’s three rebounds and three assists made the difference. After all, he is 6-foot-8 and he’s supposed to rebound. The 6-1 Rochestie, a point guard, mind you, only had six rebounds in the two games. Nice choice. Oh, I forgot. Stanford is located in California.
RobE on January 19 at 5:59 p.m.
Wow Vince, you’re showing the signs of “fan-like” sarcasm. I love it. Welcome to the dark side.
RobH on January 19 at 6:23 p.m.
I couldn’t care less about player of the week. I would have liked to see Rochestie score 25 against Cal though.
I think determining factor was not rebounds….it was the level of teams played against, OSU-Oregon vs. Cal.
Of all the things we have to bitch about the Pac Ten offices, POW is not high on my list.
vinceg on January 19 at 9:01 p.m.
RobE and RobH:
It’s not fan-like. It’s just stating the obvious. It’s amazing to me, on a weekly basis, the choices made in this conference about a lot of things. The POW is just another small manifestation of bigger problems that you, RobH, have harped about before. And, because it happened today, I wanted to bring it to everyone’s attention today.
coug79 on January 20 at 7:19 a.m.
As usual, right on the money, Vince.
JugHead on January 20 at 7:56 a.m.
Taylor is my player of the week because he kept WSU basketball relevant for at least another week. We needed two road wins to keep any hope of making the tournament alive and he stepped up and got it done. We are looking at the prospect of being swept by the top three teams in the league, or perhaps four if ASU is indeed as good as their ranking. So to stay at .500 or better we need to sweep the bottom three or four teams and split with everyone else. Yes, I realize that we could improve our play and end up winning in Seattle, upsetting UCLA, etc…but I am just trying to look at our situation realistically. Next up, we need to win our home game against USC this week.
rufus on January 20 at 8:03 a.m.
taylor is the glue that will hold the cougs together this year !
one of the best guards in the paco-10.
mbb on January 20 at 8:48 a.m.
The lack of respect keeps the Cougs motivated. A little more fuel to that fire might be a good thing………That being said, Taylor was rock solid last week. He scored, took care of the ball, and provide great leadership for a lineup that is getting younger by the week.
Grady on January 20 at 10:40 a.m.
I love it, Vince!
The only thing you forgot was that Baynes had a more impressive weekend than Hill as well, going for 36 and 23. Two double-doubles at the pace the Cougs play is nothing less than phenomenal.
Again, Lawrence Hill is a great player and I wish him the best. But he is not Pac-10 player of the week.
Fight the power.
TommyCoug on January 20 at 11:02 a.m.
I would have preferred TR to LH of Stanford for the POW…but, like Vince says…it justs continues at and from the Pac-10 office…So, let’s all focus on UCLA this Thursday and USC on Saturday. Do our best and try to win both. Remember, there ain’t no “I” in TEAM! The individual accomplishments and accolades will follow appropriately!
GO COUGS!!…GO TEAM!!…LET’S TAKE TWO!!
dickkenn on January 20 at 11:08 a.m.
Good job reporting Vince, I also thought that TR should have received POW. It’s good to see more playing time for the freshmen, and how much they have progressed so far. The faster the freshmen progress the more games we win this year. Not only this year , but for next year as well. there is a lot of excitement for this weeks games. Home cooking means alot,as it revs up our team and also helps rattle the visitors. A sweep is’nt out of the question. GO COUGS
RobbH on January 20 at 12:42 p.m.
I guess I am not as put off about this as the rest of you.
Cal was 14-2 (4-0). Hill played one game, not two, so his stats would be less than TR. On the other hand OSU-OU is 1-9 in the Pac Ten.
It was a close call, but nothing to get all worried about “we get no respect” . For the record, Stanford and Cal for the most part don’t get a lot of respect from the Pac Ten office either in hoops. It is all about UCLA, Arizona, and even over-rated SC. So not really a Cal vs. Washington thing.
This is kind of like blaming the refs when we lose.
Grady on January 20 at 1:09 p.m.
I see your point RobbH, but it is a little strange that the last four Pac-10 players of the week either play for Stanford or Cal or were playing either Stanford and Cal. In Lawrence Hill’s case, both apply.
Lawrence Hill
Patrick Christopher
Patrick Christopher
Jamelle Horne (Ariz., but won it in two games against Stanford and Cal)
No player from outside of Arizona or California have won Pac-10 player of the week this season.
CrimsonFetish on January 20 at 1:50 p.m.
Great reporting as always Vince.
Hey, can we talk Taylor’s dad & brother to continue to show-up to away games? That didn’t seem to hurt TR on the last trip.
Marcus Capers seems to be finding his confidence, handling the ball much better.
RobbH on January 20 at 1:58 p.m.
I agree on Capers, he really has stepped up, and allows for free movement of the ball on the perimeter. We still need Harms to make two or three, threes per game.
elvis on January 20 at 8:06 p.m.
As our Cougs look to host the LA schools, perhaps on this special day, these words will inspire …
“Our challenges may be new, the instruments with which we meet them may be new, but those values upon which our success depends, honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old.”
I couldn’t help but think of the Bennett’s five guiding principles: humility, passion, unity, servanthood and thankfulness.
I think what President Obama is trying to tell the Cougs here is that the competition may be tough this week and we have a lot of freshman, but work hard and rely on who you are; a scrappy young defensive-minded team that plays in a proven system and that is not afraid to give all for their beloved school.
At least that’s how I see it!
TommyCoug on January 21 at 3:35 p.m.
Elvis…I am just pleased as punch, thrilled and so, so happy…that…”that’s how you see it!”
I will leave my Coug basketball team in the capable, coaching and psycological, hands of Tony Bennett and his assistants…and that’s how I see it!
GO COUGS!!