10 Thoughts: Oregon

BOX SCORE

Oklahoma State got stroked by No. 8 seeded Oregon on Thursday in San Jose in a pretty pathetic performance by Travis Ford’s squad to end the season. The 13-point loss was actually its worst of the year.

I wasn’t totally surprised by what happened but I was a little disappointed in how it played out.

10 (plus) thoughts on the end of OSU’s season…

1. I refuse to invoke the No. 12 seed excuse for Oregon. OSU would have also lost to Davidson, Southern, and probably Bucknell today. Oregon was mis-seeded, yes, and is a pretty good team, but that’s not why OSU lost today.

2. It seemed like the longer the season dragged on the worse OSU’s offense became. There was just nothing there today, nobody moves, Forte can’t throw it in the ocean, Smart tried to dish but after the 18th time Murph fumbled it out of bounds he finally said “screw it” and went into hero ball mode.

The thing that kills me is that the press (whether half or full court) works and Ford just refuses to go to it. I’ll spend the entire offseason thinking about that.

3. I don’t see how you can let Arsalan Kazemi have 17 boards (17!) and expect to win the game. Oregon’s bigs did whatever they wanted whenever they wanted and ultimately (coupled with the stagnant offense) that was OSU’s downfall in big games this season.

Cobbins, though he tried, can’t do it all and OSU is screwed when he gets in foul trouble like he did today. Ford’s No. 1 priority in the offseason (other than doing whatever it takes, legally or illegally to bring Smart back) is to figure out how to fix the interior rebounding. Elite defense fades when you give a team two or three shots a possession.

4. Like it or not, this is all that matters.

In five seasons with OSU, Travis Ford has 1 NCAA tourney win; Eddie Sutton had 10 tourney wins his first 5 years at OSU

— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) March 21, 2013

5. Why was Markel not wearing Jordans?

6. Jewels from the announcing squad:

“Baylor and Kansas finished ahead of OSU in the Big 12.”
“Markel Smart”
“Oklahoma running its offensive set right here.”
Calling OSU “Oklahoma City.”

7. Oklahoma State fans and media: handing out free passes since 2013. He was terrible the second half of the season.

I feel like I haven’t seen Forte make a 3 since 2012.

— Robby Foland (@robbyfoland) March 21, 2013

8. It sure felt like Smart faded a little late in the season, didn’t it? I know his stat lines were still there (14-8-4-5 today) but man, something was just missing. I’m all for him going pro — I’m a “you should be getting paid for your skills” guy — but maybe the way the season ended brings him back?

Or maybe, as a lot of people tweeted at me, it sends him on his way that much quicker….

9. This absolutely killed me.

https://twitter.com/fake_tboone/status/314876357454745601

10. Oregon’s shorts were, I mean if you don’t want a pair of those, I don’t know what to tell you. You probably either work for Adidas or hate nice things. That duck down the side was gorgeous.

11. 8-15 from the line and how many of those were the front end of one-and-ones? Hit your free throws and you’re at least in it late.

12. I need to think about this for a while. Don’t want to be irrational about it.

Travis Ford better get it together. 1-and-done w/ the talent on this team would be hot seat material given his salary, 1 NCAA win in 5 years

— Jason McIntyre (@jasonrmcintyre) March 21, 2013

I do, however, know where OKC Dave stands.

https://twitter.com/okc_dave/status/314880806831144960

13. I’ll have more of a eulogy later on but my knee-jerk reaction is this: great season, so many great moments (punctuated by the back flips at KU) but this team should have done more at the Big 12 tournament and especially in the NCAA Tournament. It feels like the middle class man’s version of Durant’s frosh year when Barnes couldn’t get them out of the second round.

At home (probably against Langston) in October.