That’s right, Coug fans. After an extended sabbatical from covering Wazzu on this here blog, Amieable and I have returned to torment and inform you once again! We apologize for being gone so long, and through so many important events on Planet Coug. All I can say in our defense is that, well… it was all Amieable’s fault!
OK, now that we got that cleared up, lets get down to business.
We’re not the only ones who have been away for too long. Our Cougar Men’s basketball team recently wrapped up a road trip that would make Marco Polo say “MAMA MIA”! After a three game skid, including an 0-2 start in Pac-10 play, we heard a lot about how road-weary our team was and some good ‘ol home cooking was all they needed to right the ship. Well, Amieable and I decided to see for ourselves so we braved the wintry conditions and the dark, deserted campus to see our Cougs take on the resurgent Oregon State Beavers. What we saw, plus other random musings after the jump…
Usually I come to you with my “View from the Cheap Seats”, but Thursday night, thanks to a good friend, we had better seats than some members of the coaching staff. Check it out…
We were so close that I practically had a lap-full of pom squad girls and Amieable was shamelessly flirting with Marcus Capers. Being that close to the action, hearing all the instructions from the bench, seeing the size, strength and athleticism of the players… its awesome. As the game tipped off our conversation went something like this…
Amieable (with tears in her eyes) : “OH MY GOD, this is the only way to watch basketball! How do we get these seats for all the games?”
Longball: “Well, first of all, some of these season ticket holders would have to die.”
Amieable: “…..On the way home, lets swing by the gun store.”
I got to sit in these same seats last year for the UCLA game when the Cougs laid a big egg. The only highlight that night was a Reeves Nelson face plant right in front of us that brought a geiser of blood from his head. It was like a really gory Gallagher show, but we forgot our panchos. Fortunately, last night the Cougs not only won the game, they put on a serious dunk show right in our faces. Brock Motum showed what a lot of us have known for a long time… the Aussie can get UP! He had a put back jam where he was so far above the basket I thought he might catch a funny bone on the shot clock. Brock has made a couple attempts to posterize some folks this year and usually just gets the crap fouled out of him and ends up in a heap on the floor. This time, it was clear sailing. In the second half the Cougars spent most of the time looking puzzled against the half court traps of the Beavers 1-3-1 zone, but when things opened up, Capers, Casto and Klay all took turns rattling the rim. The game took its final turn when Klay split a trap at mid court and drove through the lane, with everyone in the building saying to themselves, “Go strong! Don’t miss the layup! Make sure you draw the foul!”, so, of course, Klay simply rose up and threw down the Dr. J one hand slam.
I did one of these…
All in all, it was a great bounce back win for the Cougs against a very challenging scheme that we won’t see again until a trip to Corvallis later this year. So now that we are back on track, just a few thoughts on the guys I think have been key to our success so far this year:
First of all, Klay Thompson. This guy is doing it all this year. Next time you watch the Cougs, don’t focus just on whether Klay is hitting 100% of his 3-pointers; instead pay attention to all the other stuff he is doing out there. Watch how many rebounds he gets, or how many rebounds his teammates get because he kept the ball alive against bigger guys. Watch how much he gets other guys in our offense going, drawing all the attention from the opponenets defense on himself, then finding the open man. Watch his tenacity on defense and his quick hands, pestering ball handlers and shooters and causing turnovers. And finally, he is not just a jump shooter, but a great athlete. He is fast, can leap and is starting to make his athleticism as much a threat to defenses as his picture perfect jump-shot. Start praying for an NBA lockout now.
Marcus Capers. Capers has made a name for himself as a defender and a spectacular leaper. In fact, I have heard that we won’t get our center hung scoreboard until Marcus graduates, just for safety concerns. This year, Capers is actually hitting a mid-range jumper with some regularity. He shoots over 56% from the floor and they aren’t all 2 hand jams! He also takes care of the ball with just 9 turnovers on the season, fewest among Cougar starters. As a guard who is counted on to handle the ball and plays almost 30 minutes every night, that is pretty damn good. But most of all, round our house, Marcus is just our favorite personality on the Cougs. It is clear when you see him interact with his teammates, coaches and just about anyone else that he is really well liked. Last night as we drove home we listened to Marcus on the radio giving a post-game interview to Bud Nemick and I almost had to pull over from laughing. Not only was he funny, but he gave by far the most insightful interview, giving even coach Bone a run for his money on breaking down the X’s and O’s of the ballgame. As much as I love watching Marcus play and hope he has a long and successful career, I cannot wait to hear him in the broadcast booth.
Abe Lodwick. Abe takes a lot of criticism in fan circles, primarily because a lot of fans tend to only notice scoring. Its too bad, because no player deserves the admiration of fans more than Abe. Abe is the type of player that stars like Klay Thompson need to have around them to win championships. We will not face a player all year that will out-work Abe when he is on the floor and the hustle plays for loose balls, rebounds, denied entry passes, drawn charges and occasional 3 pointers Abe provides are the foundation that the sexier stats of more heralded players are built on. Plus Amieable had class with him and he’s just a helluva great guy.
Finally, Brock Motum. I love when Brock is on the floor. He is a crafty scorer and has worked really hard to become the kind of banger we need to compliment Casto inside. Sure, we are still light up front, but where would we be if Brock hadn’t packed on 30 lbs of muscles this off season and worked on his low post game?
That’s all about basketball for now, but before I let you go, I just wanted to say… HOW BOUT THEM EAGLES!
Eastern Washington came from behind to win an FCS National Championship last night! Leading the way was the pride of Pullman High, All American Linebacker JC Sherrit. On offense the most improbable hero of all, quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell. Just 2 years ago Mitchell gift wrapped the Cougars only win of the 2009 season by throwing about a million 2nd half interceptions as the starting signal caller for SMU. After Kyle Padron took over QB duties for the Ponies, Mitchell transferred to Eastern Washington and I am sure that the disaster on the Palouse 2 years ago is long forgotten after tonight. Amazing.
Congratulaions Eastern Washington Eagles… National Champions!
Thats all for now, as always… Go Cougs!
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