by DSH contributing writer Eric Sloat
“Our aspirations have changed in the last two weeks” . No doubt about that, Coach Altman. Two weeks ago, the Ducks were 10th in the nation, 13-0, and a 3 seed. Now, they’ve lost 4 in a row, and not only are they losing games, they appear to be lost on the court.
Altman also touched on how now the players are feeling nervous, and pressing. Not in the good way, like UCLA did full court in their heyday. There are a lot of transfers, and melding has to take place. But if we go with that, shouldn’t the team have been struggling early, and coming together now? The cited concern after losing the two at home last week was on the defense, this was a team that was having no trouble getting points. Going in to the game against the Beavers they were 3rd in the country in scoring, in the top 5 in field goal percentage overall, and from behind the 3 point line. Against the Beavers, they shot, 25-66 37.8 from the field, 4-19, for 21.0 from beyond the arc. Dotson and Young both finished 2-9 from the field, and 1-4, 1-3 from 3, respectively.
Lost their mojo: the Ducks were a step slow in Corvallis and out of synch offensively, falling 80-72 to a Beaver squad that had lost to Coppin State (Jamie Valdez, USA Today Sports Images).
A big part of the problem for the Ducks is their lack of a big. On both offense and defense, a reliable player in the post makes a big difference. Tony Woods from last season would make a huge difference this season.
Altman is trying things. The starting line up was changed, substituting Elgin Cook for Waverly Austin. It didn’t help. The roster is 9 deep with interchangeable parts, many combinations suitable for starting. In theory, such depth is an advantage. But for the Ducks, it exacerbates the problem of communicating, playing together, becoming a productive unit. Every time Altman substitutes a couple of players, the 5 on the floor have to find the same page. They never get enough extended time on the floor to get familiar, develop a rhythm. The lack of height is a definite problem for this team. But, there are things that can be done to compensate for that.
The Ducks had only 6 assists on their 25 baskets. If they are going to make up for their lack of a post player, they have to be sharp. The ball has to be moving on the perimeter quickly, with purpose. Height is a plus, but boxing out effectively can compensate for that. On defense, they don’t have a shot blocker, so they must be more disruptive in the passing lanes. This is not the same thing as one player leaving his man, or area, to go for a steal.
There is no give up in this Ducks team and that of makes it even more frustrating. They could have very well been blown out of this game. But they stayed in it, and if they could have played sound, effective basketball, could have won in the end.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
