30Duck Moderator No. 1 Share Posted January 30 Oregon vs. UCLA prediction, pick, college basketball odds CLUTCHPOINTS.COM The Ducks visit the Bruins as we continue our college basketball odds series with an Oregon-UCLA prediction and pick. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartan2785 No. 2 Share Posted January 31 (edited) Never mind, I'm getting ahead of myself, can't be automatically negative. Edited January 31 by spartan2785 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartan2785 No. 3 Share Posted January 31 (edited) Regressed sooooooo hard, terrible half again, sleepwalking again, can't shoot for anything, meanwhile another team having their best night shooting of the year, seems to be a theme during conference play. .....I guess I just couldn't help myself, most frustrating basketball team in a long time. Edited January 31 by spartan2785 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeotechDuck No. 4 Share Posted January 31 (edited) This team is in shambles right now. They went from looking like they could make a Final Four run in December to looking like a bad version of the 1992 team in January. Edited January 31 by GeotechDuck 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chas Man No. 5 Share Posted January 31 3 for 16 from beyond the arc in the first half. Dana, are you coaching these guys? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
30Duck Author Moderator No. 6 Share Posted January 31 Oregon 3-16 on 3's, Shelstad, 0-2 on 3's, his only shots, 0 points. Oregon 34% shooting overall, 12 rebounds 7 assists. UCLA 39% on 3's, 55% overall, 21 rebounds, 9 assists. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
30Duck Author Moderator No. 7 Share Posted January 31 Had the lead down to 10, then the Ducks go 5:52 with no points, Shelstad still 0 points. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartan2785 No. 8 Share Posted January 31 It's inconceivable that Shelstad has two shots, he has to take control more often, he can't just step up when he feels like, Altman has done a horrible job this year with this team, they look unprepared, the team has no spark, the shooting is just disgusting. Need to get a shooting coach it seems like because we haven't shot well from deep as a team in a loooonnggggg time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
30Duck Author Moderator No. 9 Share Posted January 31 From down 50-40 to down, 71-44. 21-4 in about 5 minutes. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDuck No. 10 Share Posted January 31 Margin of defeat to UCLA goes into the records of the last 50 years: 2024 - 52-78 = 26 - worst defeat vs UCLA for Oregon with Altman 2009 - 68-94 = 26 1987 - 71-102 = 31 1975 - 66-95 = 29 Ducks vs Bruins Instant Reactions: UCLA dominates Oregon DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM Ducks vs Bruins Instant Reactions: UCLA dominates Oregon men's basketball Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeotechDuck No. 11 Share Posted January 31 (edited) When is Altman going to do something about the perimeter defense, offense and the lineup? Bamba is a decent defender and he is strong, but other teams are doubling the post every time on the entry pass and leaving Bamba wide open. You can’t play 4 on 5 all night on offense against a good defensive team or you are going to lose by 26. Plus, now Bittle is having a much more difficult time scoring in the post. Teams have figured out that you can just leave him ever since the Purdue game. He is unguarded on the perimeter and can’t make shots. Teams don’t have to switch on the perimeter anymore on screens and both defenders can just run after Shelstad. It’s not just that he can’t shoot, it is impacting everyone else on the floor when they get doubled all night. 4-11 (36%) and 0-4 from three is not going to cut it from your starting shooting guard. The worst part of this was that this one of his better games in the past two months. He HAS to start making some shots or you need to make a change. It doesn’t even matter who you put there, as long as they are at least a threat to score the ball from the perimeter. Edited January 31 by GeotechDuck 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chas Man No. 12 Share Posted January 31 Meh. Lost me for a while. Time to hit "Pause" on Dana ball. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartan2785 No. 13 Share Posted January 31 It doesn't help that Tracey and Moss aren't any better. When we put Key and Shelstad together on the perimeter we are just too small out there since we don't really have great help side rim protectors, Evans just isn't a 5 star talent it seems (our 5 stars never perform like 5 stars). It's beginning to become a disaster of a season that started out looking like a top 3 Altman season. We are soooooooo easy to play against. Our defense is blah, our shooting is atrocious. Just sag on everyone other than Shelstad and you're good, on defense just set a ton of screens and our guards aren't good enough to fight through, or you get a guy like Angel or Bittle on a guard and he just blows by because they aren't athletic enough. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Moderator No. 14 Share Posted January 31 Perhaps Dana should throw the team under the bus? Worked for Cronin. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
30Duck Author Moderator No. 15 Share Posted January 31 On 1/31/2025 at 8:31 AM, spartan2785 said: It's beginning to become a disaster of a season that started out looking like a top 3 Altman season. We are soooooooo easy to play against. Our defense is blah, our shooting is atrocious. This is what is so frustrating, exasperating. 16-5 is a good record, 8 Quad1 wins is top level. But this team is so flawed, It could be 19-3, or 11-10, so 16-5 is just about right. The early come from behind wins were fun, it built up a confidence for the players, but that was a mistake. I wouldn't bet on Oregon +20 against Alabama now. The defense can't stop points in the paint or 3's. There's no movement on offense, it's one of them shoots a 3, or it's a shot clock violation, occasionally, Bamba will take it to the basket, which is good because our shooting guard's range is 5 feet and in. Bittle was MIA against Minnesota, Shelstad was MIA against the Bruins last night. Rebounding is effort, blocking out. The Ducks are awful at rebounding. The offense is stagnant. If somehow the shots drop, Oregon will stay in the game, if they aren't, we've seen what happens. Is this team going to do what Altman's teams have done in the past? Their next game is Nebraska, at MKA, who is 1-6 in their last games, The 1 win was over Illinois last night, how about that MKA homecourt advantage? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeotechDuck No. 16 Share Posted January 31 (edited) On 1/31/2025 at 8:31 AM, spartan2785 said: It doesn't help that Tracey and Moss aren't any better. When we put Key and Shelstad together on the perimeter we are just too small out there since we don't really have great help side rim protectors, Evans just isn't a 5 star talent it seems (our 5 stars never perform like 5 stars). It's beginning to become a disaster of a season that started out looking like a top 3 Altman season. We are soooooooo easy to play against. Our defense is blah, our shooting is atrocious. Just sag on everyone other than Shelstad and you're good, on defense just set a ton of screens and our guards aren't good enough to fight through, or you get a guy like Angel or Bittle on a guard and he just blows by because they aren't athletic enough. I think Tracey and Moss are at least a threat to actually hit a jumper or a 3. That would at least keep the defense honest maybe?? But you are exactly right. Just sag and double. No need to pick up Bamba until he gets in the paint. Edited January 31 by GeotechDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
anyotherduck No. 17 Share Posted January 31 Last night around 6pm I was considering watching, then I thought about the last game, immediately stopped thinking about Duck Bball and went on about my evening. Do these guys even deserve to be watched? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fischer Administrator No. 18 Share Posted January 31 On 1/31/2025 at 11:36 AM, anyotherduck said: Last night around 6pm I was considering watching, then I thought about the last game, immediately stopped thinking about Duck Bball and went on about my evening. Do these guys even deserve to be watched? Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartan2785 No. 19 Share Posted January 31 (edited) I'll say it as well, Shelstad has to start realizing he needs to be involved in the scoring early and throughout the game, he can't just decide to be aggressive on some nights, this team needs him to take over when the offense is struggling. I would rather see him jack up 15 shots a game since he's the one that seems like he has the best chance to get hot. The worst thing he can do is go the Richardson route and only occasionally try to play aggressive. I get that he gets the opposing teams' best defender, I get that sometimes he gets a lot of attention from other defenders, but the team needs to lean on him right now! I also feel like our screens are super weak, I don't know if that's a strategy in order to roll more quickly or it has to do with movement, but when our guards go around screens they don't hug the hip of the screener, they just lazily go around. I'm obviously not a basketball savant, but my casual observation seems like we just don't go hard enough. We play too casual. Edited January 31 by spartan2785 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
30Duck Author Moderator No. 20 Share Posted January 31 On 1/31/2025 at 11:53 AM, spartan2785 said: I'm obviously not a basketball savant, but my casual observation seems like we just don't go hard enough. We play too casual. I'm with you here, and I think "SOFT" is the word we're looking for. I think they were just as soft early in the season, the shots just went in, the comebacks came because shots went in. Rebounding requires effort, blocking out, jumping. Taking 3's is the easiest thing to do. This team is soft and doesn't have the chemistry that the other Altman teams had that enabled them to turn it around at the end of the season. Bittle, Shelstad, Bamba, none of them have shown the desire, let alone the ability, to take this team on their backs, Bittle and Shelstad have disappeared completely the last two games. Bamba is a shooting guard that can't shoot. His offense is barreling into the basket occasionally, while the other players watch. Defense too is about communication, this team isn't good in defending 3's and just as bad in the paint, time after time not communicating, making switches and allowing lay-up after lay-up. The Bracketology I just saw has Oregon as a 4. A 4 is a really good team, there's still a chance, but it's going to be HARD for this team to end up a 4. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
anyotherduck No. 21 Share Posted January 31 On 1/31/2025 at 11:40 AM, Charles Fischer said: If only these games were this entertaining. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chas Man No. 22 Share Posted January 31 (edited) Maybe Dana is keeping the bulk of the playbook under wraps. That would explain the appearance that this team doesn't appear to know how to run a play when the 3 ball isn't serving them well. When the Big Dance starts, Coach is going to hit our opponents with everything we have in our arsenal. 60 minutes of hell unleashed that catapults us back to the Final Four! Afternoon daydream is over. Time to wake up and get back to work! Edited January 31 by Chas Man 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fischer Administrator No. 23 Share Posted January 31 On 1/31/2025 at 2:31 PM, Chas Man said: Maybe Dana is keeping the bulk of the playbook under wraps. I've had that dream before... 2 Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Joseph Moderator No. 24 Share Posted February 1 'Tough Love' is the answer? After being called 'soft' by head coach, UCLA has responded WWW.YARDBARKER.COM UCLA has found itself, and its coach's words seem to have worked. After losing 4-straight, why not? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
30Duck Author Moderator No. 25 Share Posted February 1 On 2/1/2025 at 8:37 AM, Jon Joseph said: 'Tough Love' is the answer? It worked for Cronin and UCLA. Maybe they were "soft", but hard to say they were "softer" than Oregon, through the wins and losses. Altman isn't going to go public. So, what has he done? 16-5 still has Oregon on the 4 line, but Altman can't be thinking that's okay. None of us are basketball technicians, but the poor rebounding, lack of movement, bad shot selection, slow starts, the 2 most important players disappearing in consecutive games is hard to miss. The 16-5 is okay now, 5-5 in the remaining 10 games would set the record at 21-10 before the B1G tournament. probably wouldn't be enough for a top 4 double bye. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JabbaNoBargain No. 26 Share Posted February 1 (edited) I actually forgot we had this game, against UCLA, where my daughter is a senior no less. I wasn’t out and about either. I was at home, and had the time and access to watch. My brother lives in Eugene, has season tickets, and has to force himself to go. I live in PDX and have an open invite to any game that I have not yet taken him up on. We are lifelong fans and both have worked at the UO at various points in our careers. All that being said, IMO this is the most boring ranked Duck team I can remember. I’m guessing it’s what I see as a lack of fire or high flyers on the roster. Lack of personality IMO. Feels like a serviceable roster that makes the tourney but loses on opening weekend and shrugs. Edited February 1 by JabbaNoBargain 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeotechDuck No. 27 Share Posted February 1 This says everything from an article on Oregonlive. Translation: our guys are soft. When asked if there is a toughness issue for some players, Altman said he didn’t “want to go there.” 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JabbaNoBargain No. 28 Share Posted February 1 (edited) Need some of this: Edited February 1 by JabbaNoBargain 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
30Duck Author Moderator No. 29 Share Posted February 1 On 2/1/2025 at 11:52 AM, JabbaNoBargain said: Need some of this: No doubt. Even with the rest of the Softies, with Dante, they're Sweet 16 at least. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Washington Waddler Moderator No. 30 Share Posted February 1 Teaching involves both the emotions and the intellect of students. In a perfect world, behavioral issues dominate only during the early grades, slowly giving way to intellectual knowledge as students gain control of their emotions and mature. In a perfect world. These day, teachers know you’d best be ready for anything coming through the classroom door. At times, this seems most apparent in school sports, but only because our attention rests there more often than it does the classroom. In this day and age, on any given team, the wide range of mature behavior among athletes is positively mind boggling. That’s why coaches who can juggle both behavior and the play book in developing student athletes are so highly prized. John Calipari and Mick Cronin come to mind. Dana Altman does not. Like any coach, Altman is most successful when he has a high level of sustained mental focus among his players; ie, emotional maturity. But unlike Calipari or Cronin, when he doesn’t, he doesn’t want to go there. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
30Duck Author Moderator No. 31 Share Posted February 1 If this Oregon team played the Kamikaze Kids 10 times, the Kamikaze Kids would win 10 times. I'm not sure if this year's team would survive the pregame Stare Down. ESPN college basketball analyst Jeff Borzello unveiled his latest men's power rankings on Thursday, dropping Oregon from No. 15 to No. 21 while criticizing the Ducks' poor play in January. "They haven't looked the part in a few weeks," Borzello wrote. "Going 4-3 in January, including a 32-point home loss to Illinois and a road defeat at Minnesota." Oregon’s six-spot drop was the largest of any team in Borzello’s top 25, and he backed it up with some advanced statistics that highlight the Ducks' recent struggles. "According to BartTorvik.com, Oregon's adjusted efficiency margin this month is down at No. 72 nationally," Borzello wrote. "In Big Ten games, the Ducks rank 13th in offensive efficiency at KenPom and 11th in defensive efficiency." The ESPN analyst's rankings were released before the Ducks fell at UCLA 78-52 on Thursday, indicating that they'll likely drop further in his next edition. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fischer Administrator No. 32 Share Posted February 1 On 2/1/2025 at 1:28 PM, 30Duck said: I'm not sure if this year's team would survive the pregame Stare Down. Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
