Washington State

[bushwacked]

So, as an admitted fair weather college basketball fan (i.e...jump on the best WA state college basketball team bandwagon at any given time), I wondered how in the heck the Cougars became the 10th ranked team in the nation. They have a bunch of kids dedicated to playing hard nosed floor burn defense.

 

I watched the Husky/Cougar game tonight and it was a good BB game. Don't get me wrong, the Huskies were extremely overated early in the year, but this was the first time I watched the Cougars play this year and I came away impressed. The Cougars don't have a ton of athleticism but the all out energy on defense was fun to watch.

 

WA state shouldn't have much of a chance to battle with the big dogs in the tourney (I doubt they win 2 games), but bring the hard hat and lunch pail and see what happens

[godtomsatan]

Cougars benefit from having a mature group of players that take advantage of the dimwit freshman and sophomore point guards of the Pac-10, especially the ones that play for Washington.

 

I disagree about the 2 win thing. Give them a #2 or #3 seed and I see them winning 2 games easy.

[wildcat2334]

Yeah - the way they play the are a tough team to beat. They can make a decent run in the tourney- Bennett always has em ready to go, and they play hardnosed D.

 

Bennett is doing one of the best coaching jobs in the Pac 10 in a long long time. Easy pick for coach of the year.

 

WSU better lock him up now so he isn't looking for a better job. Offer the dude a whatever he wants.

[bushwacked]

I disagree about the 2 win thing. Give them a #2 or #3 seed and I see them winning 2 games easy.

 

 

 

It seems as if they might struggle in the tourney when they need to get a clutch shot with a game on the line.

 

I heard WSU just gave a scholarship to a high school sophomore from Ephrata!

[Chavez]

So, as an admitted fair weather college basketball fan (i.e...jump on the best WA state college basketball team bandwagon at any given time), I wondered how in the heck the Cougars became the 10th ranked team in the nation. They have a bunch of kids dedicated to playing hard nosed floor burn defense.

 

WA state shouldn't have much of a chance to battle with the big dogs in the tourney (I doubt they win 2 games), but bring the hard hat and lunch pail and see what happens

 

Sounds like a typical Dick Bennett team - even though his son Tony is coaching the program right now, which isn't a bad thing.

 

Bottom line is that college basketball is a coach's game - and if Tony Bennett is anywhere near the coach that his father is, the Cougs are in VERY good hands.

[GWPFFL BrianW]

proverbial team that no one wants to face. Sounds a lot like Wisconsin, particularly during their final four run in 2000. hmmmmmmm.

[wildcat2334]

Yeah - I love em - Tony can flat out coach, similar to his old man, and he was an assistant to Ryan for a few years as well.

 

They play the right way, unselfish, tough D.

 

The unfortunate thing is I htink he will be gone- nature of the beast in college hoops, onward and up the coacing ranks. I just don't see WAZZU being able to keep him around- he will be getting attention from some big time hoops schools. WAZZU is just not a good basektball school/program, and I doubt it ever will be.

 

Supposedly Bennett has a very cheap buyout, which sucks even more. As much as I want to believe he could be at WSU long term- I just don't see it, which is too bad.

[Seahawks21]

Yeah - I love em - Tony can flat out coach, similar to his old man, and he was an assistant to Ryan for a few years as well.

 

They play the right way, unselfish, tough D.

 

The unfortunate thing is I htink he will be gone- nature of the beast in college hoops, onward and up the coacing ranks. I just don't see WAZZU being able to keep him around- he will be getting attention from some big time hoops schools. WAZZU is just not a good basektball school/program, and I doubt it ever will be.

 

Supposedly Bennett has a very cheap buyout, which sucks even more. As much as I want to believe he could be at WSU long term- I just don't see it, which is too bad.

 

The Bennett's have long-time Big-10 roots. As soon as one of the major programs in the Big-10 open up, he's gone. He may give them an extra year because of the handshake deal they did to bring his father in, promising Tony will get a shot when Dick retired, but he won't stay longer than 07-08. Thank god!! Go Dawgs!! WOOF!!!

[Big John]

The Bennett's have long-time Big-10 roots. As soon as one of the major programs in the Big-10 open up, he's gone. He may give them an extra year because of the handshake deal they did to bring his father in, promising Tony will get a shot when Dick retired, but he won't stay longer than 07-08. Thank god!! Go Dawgs!! WOOF!!!

 

Actually in the University of Wisconsin system. Dick coached for 3 schools in the system (d3 UW-Stevens Point, D1 UW-Green Bay and UW-Madison), with UW-Madison being the last and was the only Big Ten school he coached.

[theprofessor]

The Bennett's have long-time Big-10 roots. As soon as one of the major programs in the Big-10 open up, he's gone. He may give them an extra year because of the handshake deal they did to bring his father in, promising Tony will get a shot when Dick retired, but he won't stay longer than 07-08. Thank god!! Go Dawgs!! WOOF!!!

 

 

Yeah, we'll give the Cougs their 1 year of glory. They are a well disciplined, well coached team and their defense will keep them in games but I question whether they can counter offensively when a tourney team puts a run on them. The huskies will be back. I predicted at the start of the year that they would have a difficult time winning on the road because of their youth. Bring on Isiah!!

[Chavez]

Actually in the University of Wisconsin system. Dick coached for 3 schools in the system (d3 UW-Stevens Point, D1 UW-Green Bay and UW-Madison), with UW-Madison being the last and was the only Big Ten school he coached.

 

Dick Bennett's brother (Jack?) has been doing well in D-III at Stevens Point as well. Tony Bennett played for his dad at GB and was probably that program's best player ever.

[Seahawks21]

Actually in the University of Wisconsin system. Dick coached for 3 schools in the system (d3 UW-Stevens Point, D1 UW-Green Bay and UW-Madison), with UW-Madison being the last and was the only Big Ten school he coached.

 

I stand corrected. I suppose I meant to say he has long-time ties to the area. For some reason I see the Michigan job in Bennett's future. Heck, who knows what I am talking about, although I like college hoops I think the game has gotten so bad that I really can't stomach it. I have turned almost exclusively to the NBA.

[wildcat2334]

I stand corrected. I suppose I meant to say he has long-time ties to the area. For some reason I see the Michigan job in Bennett's future. Heck, who knows what I am talking about, although I like college hoops I think the game has gotten so bad that I really can't stomach it. I have turned almost exclusively to the NBA.

 

 

 

Pure Comedy here. I don't even know where to start with this.. and I am a diehard basketball and NBA fan. But Let's be honest, the NBA game is only good in the playoffs- these guys coast and play half speed most of the regular season. I would rather watch Winthrop play Davidson than have to sit thu another Lakers/Spurs matchup. Only Phoenix, Dallas, and a handful of teams are even worth watching in the regular season.

 

College basetball is awesome on every level- the tradition, the kids play hard and are hungry. There is a wealth of talent in NCAA hoops, the game has never been better IMO- good, quality teams across the country all the way from the small schools to the big boys.

 

That is what makes it special- so many talented ballers out there, you can have the George Mason type teams actually have a legit shot at making a Final Four- absolutely incredible. That is what makes it beter than college football IMO-

 

For my money there is no better event in sports than the NCAA Tournament.

[Seahawks21]

Pure Comedy here. I don't even know where to start with this.. and I am a diehard basketball and NBA fan. But Let's be honest, the NBA game is only good in the playoffs- these guys coast and play half speed most of the regular season. I would rather watch Winthrop play Davidson than have to sit thu another Lakers/Spurs matchup. Only Phoenix, Dallas, and a handful of teams are even worth watching in the regular season.

 

College basetball is awesome on every level- the tradition, the kids play hard and are hungry. There is a wealth of talent in NCAA hoops, the game has never been better IMO- good, quality teams across the country all the way from the small schools to the big boys.

 

That is what makes it special- so many talented ballers out there, you can have the George Mason type teams actually have a legit shot at making a Final Four- absolutely incredible. That is what makes it beter than college football IMO-

 

For my money there is no better event in sports than the NCAA Tournament.

 

The tourney is fun to watch, and I agree the kids play very hard, but just the level of basketball and the talent of the kids is so terrible right now it is painful to watch!! The big guys can't score in the post anymore, nobody can shoot, and the amount of patient teams that work for open shots is dwindling rapidly. Just a terrible product right now.

 

I think you're watching the wrong NBA. These guys come with it. Team basketball is making a huge comeback..

[godtomsatan]

The tourney is fun to watch, and I agree the kids play very hard, but just the level of basketball and the talent of the kids is so terrible right now it is painful to watch!! The big guys can't score in the post anymore, nobody can shoot, and the amount of patient teams that work for open shots is dwindling rapidly. Just a terrible product right now.

 

 

I don't disagree that the quality of college ball has diminished in the last decade, but if you want to discuss a terrible product, the NBA is the absolute worst among all organized sports.

[wildcat2334]

The tourney is fun to watch, and I agree the kids play very hard, but just the level of basketball and the talent of the kids is so terrible right now it is painful to watch!! The big guys can't score in the post anymore, nobody can shoot, and the amount of patient teams that work for open shots is dwindling rapidly. Just a terrible product right now.

 

I think you're watching the wrong NBA. These guys come with it. Team basketball is making a huge comeback..

 

 

 

Yer nuts. Especially now with th NBA minimum rule- the quality of play in NCAA is sky high. The sheer number of teams that can compete nation-wide is awesome. I can name off the top of my head a few games I watched recently that were a very high level of basketball -

 

UT/Texas A&M - Gonzaga/Memphis , WSU- UCLA-

 

College is a more skilled, fundamental game overall, while the NBA is athletic freaks who mainly get by on raw talent, with exceptions of course.

 

Have you watched an NBA game? most of em are sick athletes that can't shoot 3's don't have a mid range jumper at all. There is a reason there is a huge influx of talented Euro's - bc those kids are skilled, can shoot and have solid fundamentals.

 

The NBA has extremely talented players playing half speed. The playoffs are the only time they turn it up full throttle.

Edited March 2, 2007 by wildcat2334

[Seahawks21]

Yer nuts. Especially now with th NBA minimum rule- the quality of play in NCAA is sky high. The sheer number of teams that can compete nation-wide is awesome. I can name off the top of my head a few games I watched recently that were a very high level of basketball -

 

UT/Texas A&M - Gonzaga/Memphis , WSU- UCLA-

 

College is a more skilled, fundamental game overall, while the NBA is athletic freaks who mainly get by on raw talent, with exceptions of course.

 

Have you watched an NBA game? most of em are sick athletes that can't shoot 3's don't have a mid range jumper at all. There is a reason there is a huge influx of talented Euro's - bc those kids are skilled, can shoot and have solid fundamentals.

 

The NBA has extremely talented players playing half speed. The playoffs are the only time they turn it up full throttle.

I believe you are mistaking close, competetive, hard-fought basketball with good basketball.

 

I'll tell you who wins in college nowadays---the team that misses less bad shots than the other. The college game is bad forced shot after bad forced shot. Every once in a while you will see a team become patient enough to work the ball and create a hole in the defense to make an easy lay-up. The teams that do this, however, are not the elite teams. The elite teams actually have guys that are capable of scoring on the break and hitting big shots with guys in their faces. I saw the Gonzaga game you were talking about. Great competition, HORRIBLE basketball. Dreadful. Next time you watch a college basketball game count how many bricks there are on shots that should be made easily.

 

Your NBA outlook is tired. Team basketball has been back for years now. Watch the Mavs, Pistons, Spurs, Cavs, Lakers, Bucks, 76ers, Bobcats, Hornets, Sonics, Blazers, Nets or Magic and tell me those guys aren't giving it all they got. Amazing athletes doing amazing things. Even the big guys have touch now.

 

Look at this last year's draft. TERRIBLE!!!!!!! There may be three future all-stars out of the whole draft. The college game is god-awful. If the guys were any good, they would be one and done.

[wildcat2334]

You have no idea what you are even talking about....... Team basketball? The NBA is still all abut ISO's, and post ups. First off all- I love the NBA, and the playoffs are a whole different thing. The game is still, let'ts clear on side of the floor- dump it down low, here comes the double team, kick it out- blah blah - boring game.

 

 

As for your weak draft comment? u serious? Oden/Durant a very strong 1-2, both have chance to be special players. The PG class is outstanding, Law, Collison, Crittenden, James, Singeltary. Throw in Julian Wright, and some others- plenty of talent.

[theprofessor]

You have no idea what you are even talking about....... Team basketball? The NBA is still all abut ISO's, and post ups. First off all- I love the NBA, and the playoffs are a whole different thing. The game is still, let'ts clear on side of the floor- dump it down low, here comes the double team, kick it out- blah blah - boring game.

As for your weak draft comment? u serious? Oden/Durant a very strong 1-2, both have chance to be special players. The PG class is outstanding, Law, Collison, Crittenden, James, Singeltary. Throw in Julian Wright, and some others- plenty of talent.

 

 

I have to agree with Wildcat on this one. The College game is much better to watch than the NBA game. I can remember being excited to watch NBA games during the Jordan, Magic, Bird era now I don't even watch. The NBA used to be the most popular of the 3 major sports now it's #3. For a reason.

 

I'll take College sports, in general, over Pro sports period. As big of a football fan that I am my favorite sporting event is March Madness. Doesn't get any better.

Edited March 12, 2007 by theprofessor