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WSU shows its inexperience

Posted by Vince

Jan. 10, 2010 3:23 p.m. • 16 comments

COUGARS

For once this season, the Washington State Cougars played their age. And an experienced Arizona State team did as well. It all added up to a 71-46 beating for the Cougars, snapping a six-game winning streak against the Devils. You can read the unedited game story on the link, which explains the starting lineup changes.

••••••••••

• Here’s the gamer …

TEMPE, Ariz. – Sometimes a box score can tell the entire story of a college basketball game. Sometimes it only scratches the surface.

The latter was the case Sunday afternoon before 6,433 at the Wells Fargo Arena, where the Washington State University Cougars suffered their worst defeat in nearly four years, 71-46, to Arizona State.

The Cougars had no one in double figures.

They shot 29.8 percent for the game, had just six assists on their 17 baskets, allowed ASU to shoot 50.8 percent, 56.3 in the second half, and were outscored 38-21 after halftime. It all added up to their biggest beat down since Feb. 18, 2006, a 67-37 loss at Oregon.

But the most telling aspect of the box is the listed starters. Sophomore post Charlie Enquist made his first career start, freshman Xavier Thames his second.

They were on the court for the opening tip because Marcus Capers and James Watson were late for the morning walk-through at 8:30 on Sunday morning and DeAngelo Casto was late for the bus to the arena, according to coach Ken Bone.

It was the second time this season a disciplinary change had to be made to the lineup. The last time, however, in Alaska, WSU was able to overcome the disruption. Not this time.

“I think it’s usually detrimental to what you are trying to accomplish,” Bone said of having to throw a different lineup on the court, “and I believe it was (today).

“Nothing against the guys who started in place of the other kids, but it just kind of messes up your rotations. Then it was capitalized on Klay (Thompson) getting his second foul.”

The Sun Devils, who lost their first two Pacific 10 Conference games on the road but are now 2-2, took advantage of both to snap a six-game losing streak against the Cougars.

Though WSU (12-4, 2-2) jumped to a 7-1 lead – it could have been even more but the Cougars missed six early open shots – before ASU coach Herb Sendek could get a time out.

Whatever he said worked, as the Sun Devils (12-5 overall) put together a 16-0 run helped by nine consecutive empty WSU possessions – five quick misses and four turnovers.

When Reggie Moore, who was 2 of 10 from the floor and finished with eight points and three assist, converted one of two free throws 9 minutes, 18 seconds in to snap the streak, the Devils still led by nine.

“We came out flat and with no energy,” said senior Nik Koprivica. “When you mess up the routine we’re used to, it kind of shows that – I’m not pointing at any guys – but it’s just like (we’re) a little relaxed and we’ll come to the game late, late for this, late for that, at the game everything will be alright.”

It wasn’t.

Yet despite the slow start, despite Thompson sitting for 7 minutes with the foul trouble, and despite allowing ASU to get free for three 3-pointers in a less than 3-minute stretch, the Cougars still pulled within six, 31-25, on Moore’s drive with 1:34 left.

Then they got a stop.

And Thompson tried to take advantage, taking the ball to the hole. Guard Ty Abbott, who led everyone with 17 points and 11 rebounds despite being 6-foot-3, came over and blocked the shot, leading to Bone exhorting the officials for a goal-tend call. It didn’t come.

“Apparently it wasn’t,” Bone said. “It would have been a sweet basket to get.”

Instead ASU’s 6-10 Eric Boateng, who powered inside for 11 points and nine rebounds, followed his own miss on the other end and the Devils took a 33-25 lead into the locker room.

They came out, went on a 8-2 run, built a cushion, and expanded the lead throughout the second half as WSU, despite a multitude of different lineups – all 13 Cougars played – couldn’t find a combination that worked.

“ASU played well and we didn’t,” Bone said when asked what happened after halftime.

Thompson thought the offensive problems were just as simple, personally and as a team.

“I just didn’t hit shots,” said the sophomore, who came in averaging 23.9, best in the Pac-10, but scored just nine. “We didn’t finish around the rim or hit outside jumpers.”

“He missed some,” Sendek said of Thompson, who finished 3 of 11 from the floor, 1 of 5 from beyond the arc, but led WSU with eight rebounds. “He missed a few tonight on another night he’ll make. That old adage is true: Things are rarely as good or bad as they seem.”

They were to Koprivica, WSU’s lone upperclassman. But he hopes the young Cougars learned a lesson.

“I don’t think the score shows they are that much better than we are,” he said. “But it shows if we don’t come out 100 percent and we don’t do the things we are supposed to do, anybody can beat us by a lot.

“We’re just not a good enough team to just go through the motions.”

•••

• That’s it for now. As I said, I have to catch a flight so we’ll do the big post tomorrow. Until then …

16 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

Ridgetop on January 10 at 4:21 p.m.
Wow good summation, they showed their youth today and ASU played well. Coach Bone needs to get Klay more involved in the total offense. I didn’t see him set a single pick. It does no good to have him patroling the 3 point line with an opposing player in his face. He also needs to drive, pull up and shoot a floater instead of always trying to drive all the way to the basket. I’m not criticizing Klay he just needs some guidance and open up his possibilities.
fitz on January 10 at 6:10 p.m.
Guys on tv said it was obviously goal tending. Glad it wasn’t a 2 point game, we would spend another week in therapy over bad officiating. I posted after the UA game that this group seemed to be tough minded. Hopefully this game was a reality check for them, and it’s better to be early. I have to remind myself sometimes that they are 19 year old kids.
TommyCoug on January 10 at 6:23 p.m.
Sorry, Vince and others…I don’t buy any of the “youth and inexperience” baloney! This was the 16th game of the season and we went in 12-3 with loses to Gonzaga, Kansas State and the league thing with Oregon. Not sure about Oregon, but ASU is no where near equal to Gonzaga and Kansas State. Yes, we play(ed) 1 senior and then freshman and sophomores. ASU had seniors and juniors…however, they are not that good!

I was pleased, happy and impressed with how we have played and have been coached the first 15 games. We could and probably should have been 14-1 going into ASU.

There were more problems and more was going on at ASU than an “excuse for youth and inexperience.” As for the starting lineup…they played well and “did” get the ball inside and we lead early.

Frankly, as impressed as I have been…this game was the worst I have witnessed in years (Vince confirmed it from a margin of defeat standpoint). But, I would put the “effort” several years beyond that. I mean from a lack of physical and emotional effort, defense, shooting, free throw shooting, rebounding, Moore (and others) driving the lane and turning the ball over or trying “jam” shots, Klay T., getting frustrated and then he starts shooting “the flat shot” and that starts his downfall for the game (plus as the teams defense him more, bother him more, challenge him more in all aspects of his game…he reverts to his freshman tactics)…and doesn’t step up and perform like he has so many other times this year. His hasn’t played a very good game the last 3 or so. I could go on.

Yes, ASU played some good defense and shoot very well especially early…but, they are not a Top 25 team and I doubt a Top 5 Pac-10 team. Today, WSU didn’t look like a Top 8 Pac-10 team!

It looked to me like we wanted to play a “gym rat game”…and we did…and a VERY poor one at that!

This wasn’t a Wazzu “downer”…this was a TOTAL COLLAPSE!!

Koprivika was “closest” to being right on….

Vince, you were searching to be too “politically correct!”

If Capers and Casto (and Watson) are going to continue to disrupt the routine, the preparation and the playing of the game with their antics and attitude…then that is “disrepect” for the coaching, the other players and all too forgiving WSU fans!

California and Stanford, even at home, will be a step up in Pac-10 competiton. And this Cougar team had better be ready or else today’s point spread will be routine throughout the rest of Pac-10 play for them and us. And that would truly be a shame!

GO COUGS!!
spokanecougar on January 10 at 6:24 p.m.
Would like to get Bone’s explanation on his player rotations. I understand he was punishing some players which I get, but why not start Nik instead, hasn’t he earned that much this season? Why put in Casto, then take him out one minute later and have him sit again for 5+ minutes, was that part of his punishment? Why give so much playing time to Enquist, Bjornstad and Harthun, but none to Anthony Brown who has played one game only this year?

For all the weird rotations he used in the first half, the second half with our regular starters and seemingly close to regular rotation we really sucked it up pretty badly. No passion and no emotion and no will to come back, just a poor all around effort.
Beiron on January 10 at 6:37 p.m.
Who was singing the espn theme song after this game?

Young team with big highs and big lows.
OlyCoug on January 10 at 7:11 p.m.
I think Bone, knowing he had the split, took this as an opportunity to give his guys a hard lesson. Nobody’s going to be late to a meeting again this year, you can bet.

ASU was clearly superior in all facets of the game. The officiating was perplexing, as usual (especially the non-calls on the goaltending and the mugging of Capers), but it made little difference. I don’t see how anyone can argue that ASU is not a contender for the league title. The Cougs just got their butts handed to them today. They lost their composure and were disjointed the whole game, thanks to ASU’s pressure and finishing after turnovers.

Moore needs to penetrate and make things happen. I don’t know why it took him so long to start driving the lane.

I thought ASU might overlook the Cougs after their UW win, but it turns out the Cougs were the ones who were unfocused.

Well, I’m going to drive the six hours to watch the Stanford/Cal games so I’m expecting a different team to be out there, Wazzu! This next weekend might be a real season-maker (or -breaker). They need to beat Stanford, at least, to stay with the pack.
EllensburgCoug on January 10 at 10:06 p.m.
I give up on the PAC-10. Did anyone see the U of O vs OSU game tonight? I did.
After what happened with OSU against Seattle U the other night, does a win or loss in the PAC-10 mean anything?
The conference is hopeless.
Go Cougs
Coug4Ever on January 11 at 1:40 a.m.
Geez Tommy, give ‘em a break! You are so quick to give up on these guys! This was a game where they shot cold as ice, and were frustrated by a difficult defense. The Cougs looked their age, they let their frustration turn into panic. Look what ASU did to the Dawgs (though the Huskies were obviously overrated). This is a tough defense. If you can’t make the outside jumper, you can’t win against this matchup zone. The last six games (that we won) we had better outside shooters than we do on this team.

This Cougar team does not have a Rochestie or Low to sink that long jumper. We only have one legit three point shooter and ASU had Clay’s number all game. The Cougs got frustrated, and their youth showed, because they started to force things. Also, ASU showed their maturity. They didn’t panic when they were down, and they didn’t take their foot off the pedal when they were up. Yes it was a horrendous game. I quit watching with about ten minutes left. But it was clearly a case of youth being frustrated by something they had not seen (this was Reggie’s first look a this defense). It was the difference between a true freshman point guard and a senior point guard. Reggie will learn. He will get better. I think when ASU comes to our house, things will be a lot different!

We got a split in Arizona, which is better than the Dawgs can say! With UO losing to OSU, this is a wide open Pac 10. If we can sweet this weekend (which is a good possibility) we will be in great shape in league standings.
rufus on January 11 at 7:33 a.m.
I… for one… was not expecting the cougs to be as good as they are now– so a split in az.– a split in any season– is good. a bid to either the nit or the ncaa is within reach. this would make ken bone’s 1st season a great success– espeiclly given the fact he has only 1 senior playing.
bplucker on January 11 at 9:45 a.m.
Headlines should have read ” WSU Shows it’s immaturity!”

This team has a fine line between being talented and complacent. This is coach Bones greatest challenge. To keep these guys engaged, motivated and team oriented. Also, how to handle success. Great road win at AZ, but you can’t just be happy with that win and come out and lay an egg the next.

I am sure we will see more examples of this as the season progresses. Watch the body language when times are tough or mistakes are made. This team needs to be tougher than they have shown and more consistantly focoused!
LOW, WEAVER, COWGILL, HARMELING, BAYNES would not have put up with that effort. Sometimes it’s not the coach or the talent but the leadership and quality of character from the players. I am sure all young teams struggle with this. The success of this group will be determined by that development.
bplucker on January 11 at 9:53 a.m.
and respose to some other comments.
1. No coach would ever take a game off to make a point. Discipline or not Bone new how important it was to win this game. this is the Pac 10 not middle school.
2. We do have a good outside game. Thompson is not alone as a perimeter player. Thames, More, Harthun, Can all excell from the perimeter. Lodwick may also excell there. Korivica sometimes. Motrum will be good inside and out. Cupboards not bare from the outside.
ThaiCoug on January 11 at 12:06 p.m.
Bottomline, the young (overused now) Cougs were embarrassed. Do they learn or do the regress. They have the ability to be top 3 in the league this year, but will they do it?

Time for practice to be about work, work and more work.
TommyCoug on January 11 at 2:01 p.m.
Coug4Ever, my comments were more than about that ASU is a good defensive team…as evidence by what they are holding their opponents scoring average/game. Plus, they shot a lot better in this game than normal (how much did we help that?). Earning a split on the road is OK…frankly I believe that Arizona is far more athletic and will be a better team at the end of the season than ASU. As for the Huskies…they either have their own “problem(s)”…I don’t care about them!

This was about “how and why” we played, or didn’t play and got beat. Remember Casto and Thompson played a lot last year and Capers did also….

Plus, there are a number of freshman and sophomores on almost every Pac-10 team that are either going to contribute to success or be the reason for their teams ability to win…NOT JUST our Cougars! That’s the Pac-10 Conference this year.

Now for Coach Bone…I do wish that when teams start a run against us that he wouldn’t wait until that is close to 15 points before he calls a time out and trys to slow the pace or cool them off. The players do seem to respond when he does…but, most of the time, from this observer he waits too long.

This will be a tough week…Stanford is playing far better than anyone expected and Cal is definitely looking like a very strong contender for the league title…especially with the demise of Washignton…SOOOOOOO…

GO COUGS!!
KingDog on January 11 at 2:18 p.m.
Are these guys drinking and partying the night before games? What a waste. Go Cougs.
TommyCoug on January 11 at 5:14 p.m.
My Goodness…a new voice in print…the KingDog…what hole did you crawl out of?…never mind, please don’t answer that…and he “must” be taken’ about his big time U Huskies!

It’s…GO COUGS!!…IN ALL CAPS…buddy boy!!