Just shy of three weeks ago, I posted that the Cougs just completed roadtrip would be a major roadmap to the remainder of the season. I was looking fairly prophetic after the Cougs improved the 3-0 to start the trip, but what I didn’t realize at the time is the Cougs would not return to Pullman before the opening games in Pac 10 play in Los Angeles.
Now I am not here to make excuses for our final three outings of the roadtrip, but even in professional sports, you will never see a team on the road for as many days as the Cougs were. Considering they probably left Pullman the morning of December 18th and didn’t get back to campus until a few hours into 2011, two weeks on the road is unheard of.
Needless to say, I hope our men are at home, getting rested, and then getting ready for the most important weekend of the season! “Read More” to catch the rest of my thoughts.
After completing our non-conference slate 10-2, the boys headed east to LA to open conference play. After cruising out to a double digit lead roughly halfway through the first half at Pauley Pavilion, our guys started the second half the same way they did against Butler. It was their death sentence against the Bruins.
On Friday afternoon they headed to the Galen Center and were playing from behind the entire game. Prior to tip-off, I elected not to wear my Klay Thompson jersey, because the only time I had worn it and the Cougs won was in November at Key Arena. I needed to shake things up. Finding themselves down by a dozen or so with only five minutes remaining, I went in the kitchen to prepare some food for New Year’s Day. Suddenly the Cougs began surging and they cut the Trojans lead to 2 with less than a minute to play. Coach Bone called a time out, and drew up a beautiful play where Klay got the ball, drove the lane, and when the D collapsed, he floated a beauty of a pass to Abe in the corner for three.
Only Abe looked up to shoot before catching the pass, and it sailed out of bounds. From there, the Trojans sank a pair of free throws to make it a four point game, and that’s where it ended.
Prior to this three game losing streak, the Cougs had the quality wins necessary in my eyes to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tourney, if they could win 10-12 conference games. Well, only 16 of those conference games remain, so this weekend with the Oregon schools coming to town is make or break for this squad. Last season we went 1-4 against the Sucks (not a typo) and Beavs, so we have to come out and play some of our best basketball yet if we want to have a shot at the whole enchilada.
One reason for optimism?
Did you see the game DeAngelo Casto had on Friday?
18-8-1-1 are the kinds of games we have been envisioning from D since the day he set foot on campus. He was extremely physical offensively and finished a lot of shots around the rim, shots he hasn’t been finishing for most of the season. He went 8-11 from the floor!
If this team wants to contend for the conference championship, it would be great to get regular contributions like this from Casto. It all begins on Thursday night with Oregon State.
Beat the Beavs!!
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