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QuackAttack

Why Oregon Lost: Free Throws?

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I believe the word free throw means nobody guarding you when you shoot. Oregon shot 33% from the line. If they shoot a poor 66% they win the game! It just sickened me to watch a game given away because of poor free throw shooting. Wisconsin shot 92% from the line, 8 point swing in free throws!

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I remember basketball coaches who would insist on members of their teams practice free throws at the beginning and end of every practice... a few of them required 100 shots with a minimum accuracy rate, or you had to start over...

Apparently,  that level of discipline is not required in today's world.

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 Pretty obvious to me that shooting the ball accurately from anywhere on the floor was this teams weakness. One observation is the three point line seems to be a magnet for the offense most of the time. The art of the mid range jumper has lost its luster with players and coaches alike. Get rid of the 3 point line and we might see actual offensive plays once again. To me driving towards the hoop and tossing the ball out for a low percentage 3 point shot is not offense. The art of the back door play is disappearing. 

 

 As far as Dana being upset with the crowd then win the games you are supposed to win, make the show, and you won’t have to worry about having low attendance to an nit home game.

 

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The point of bad offense and even worse shooting should not be overlooked.  Did we really expect anything different this year, considering the last two recruiting cycles? Oregon has consistently brought in below average shooters at the guard and small forward position.

 

Here is what our guard / small forward three point shooting percentages were before they joined Oregon: Guerrier was 26% at Syracuse, Soares was 34% at a junior college, Couisnard was 30% at South Carolina (and an even more tragic 37% from the floor), Barthelemy was 33% at Colorado, and Rigsby was 37% at a junior college. 

 

Williams was actually decent at 43%, but somehow he couldn't get on the floor all year.  I have no idea how he hit that percentage, considering his shot has no arch and no rotation.

 

Bottom line - We have a bunch of below average college shooters and need some significant turnover at the guard and small forward position if Oregon wants to try and make a run at the tournament next year.  Tracey is a good start, shooting 43% from three.        

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On 3/22/2023 at 7:51 AM, GeotechDuck said:

The point of bad offense and even worse shooting should not be overlooked.  Did we really expect anything different this year, considering the last two recruiting cycles? Oregon has consistently brought in below average shooters at the guard and small forward position.

 

Here is what our guard / small forward three point shooting percentages were before they joined Oregon: Guerrier was 26% at Syracuse, Soares was 34% at a junior college, Couisnard was 30% at South Carolina (and an even more tragic 37% from the floor), Barthelemy was 33% at Colorado, and Rigsby was 37% at a junior college. 

 

Williams was actually decent at 43%, but somehow he couldn't get on the floor all year.  I have no idea how he hit that percentage, considering his shot has no arch and no rotation.

 

Bottom line - We have a bunch of below average college shooters and need some significant turnover at the guard and small forward position if Oregon wants to try and make a run at the tournament next year.  Tracey is a good start, shooting 43% from three.        

This is exactly what I've been saying this year, Altman seems like he has gone away from the recruiting profiles that he used to have, we have never had a team with so few true shooters as this team, you can be long and athletic, have guys who can get to the hole, but without even one sniper it's hard to be successful since all the opposing team has to do is play a zone or crash in on drives to the hoop.  

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On 3/21/2023 at 11:08 PM, QuackAttack said:

I believe the word free throw means nobody guarding you when you shoot. Oregon shot 33% from the line. If they shoot a poor 66% they win the game! It just sickened me to watch a game given away because of poor free throw shooting. Wisconsin shot 92% from the line, 8 point swing in free throws!

Are there any on-the-floor leaders on this team? Based on Altman's interview he at least implied there are not enough 'gym rats' on the roster—Guys who on their own get in the gym and work on free throws. 

 

Official practice time is limited to the number of hours a week you are allowed to practice in front of coaches. It does not limit the time that an individual can work on his game.

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I love Coach Altman and will support him for as long as he is at Oregon, but he is the guy that recruited all these players that are limited on the offensive side of the ball.    

 

You can't be surprised when support is down if you have a team that struggles to score 60 points a game, has the worst 3-point shooting percentage since 1999, and leads the Pac-12 in roster turnover each year.  Especially when you have had the kind of success that Altman has had with this program over the past 10+ years.  He can be upset all he wants, but he set the bar and is now failing to meet it. 

 

For the record, I am 100% on board with Altman staying for as long as he wants.  He has earned it and I think he has the ability to fix this.     

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Even with the bad free throw shooting--we could have won it at the end, but made bonehead choices on shot selection in the final two minutes.  That, and with such a young/inexperienced line-up we did not have a clutch player to turn to at the crucial time.  

 

I was surprised that Dana did not call a time-out and set more plays up and tell the players to think.  But this group went farther than I figured they would and I enjoyed the last three games.  The experienced/smart squad won the end of that last game--where was the coaching?

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Mr. FishDuck

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A Pritchard/Ridnour type guard had always seemed to be critical to the performance of the Ducks in tight situations like last night.

Hopefully the Ducks have the incoming floor general gym rat (or at least, a tough nut drill sergeant) riding to the rescue in the new class.

Edited by woundedknees
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On 3/22/2023 at 9:02 AM, Charles Fischer said:

I was surprised that Dana did not call a time-out and set more plays up and tell the players to think

     Dana did appear to try that at the end on defense, only to have his strategy to guard Chuck Hepburn ignored. Disciplined thinking has been a problem with this team all year.  Teams that are on for one game, and then off the next as this team has so often been is just a sign of mental laziness.

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On 3/21/2023 at 8:08 PM, QuackAttack said:

I believe the word free throw means nobody guarding you when you shoot. Oregon shot 33% from the line. If they shoot a poor 66% they win the game! It just sickened me to watch a game given away because of poor free throw shooting. Wisconsin shot 92% from the line, 8 point swing in free throws!

33% is flat out unacceptable.

 

Free throws are all about muscle memory. Obviously, these players simply do not put in enough time at the gym. Dana needs to find a way to recruit players that are leaders.

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Hey Dana, if you want more fans in the stands, then hold a fan free throw contest, anyone who makes 50%, gets 1) season tickets, and 2) preferred walk-on status!

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Proud of the overall NIT effort!  Our downfall last night were year long issues mentioned in this thread.  Ducks were playing vanilla man-to-man defense through NIT for the most part due to lack of experience, leadership, and communication.  Anytime Altman tried to switch it up, the wheels came off the buggy.

 

We have a lot of players who aren't true position players other than center.  We typically don't have true centers.  Last couple of years we've had no true PG.  Shooting guards who don't create their own shots consistently playing point.  Our small and power forward wings have been problematic, lengthy, athletes for years and they've played with an edge.  No one knew what to expect from anyone on the roster this year outside of perhaps Dante.

 

Always look forward to next year and hoping the team gels on defense in December rather than March.

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On 3/22/2023 at 12:19 PM, Steven A said:

Hey Dana, if you want more fans in the stands, then hold a fan free throw contest, anyone who makes 50%, gets 1) season tickets, and 2) preferred walk-on status!

The "KING" of the one-liners strikes again!  Love it.

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Mr. FishDuck

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I remember this free throw discussion before, and it hasn't changed. To me free throw shooting is a direct indicator of both a players ability, discipline and willingness to struggle. This team lacks discipline and doesn't seem to understand how ability develops.

 

If I was coach, go less than 70% from the charity line then you shoot underhanded. You don't average more than 33% from the 3 point line you don't shoot the 3. You also better have an extremely good rebound per minute stat if you weak in an area, or you will never see the court. Maybe I am too harsh, but there needs to be certain metrics you have to meet.

 

Seems like basketball players are all about the moments where they slam the ball, or break somebodies ankles with one move. That now means they are the best players on the team. No longer is passing, moving, defending, rebounding, free throw shooting, and effort valued. I think Dana needs to bring back value to those statistics, attributes. I think Dana has lost his way, these kids are out there, but he has chased the wrong student athletes lately. Those attributes are what Duck basketball was and should be all about.

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Shaq’s career free throw percentage was nearly 2x better than Oregon’s against Wisconsin (52.7% vs 33%).
 

Let that sink in!

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Heisen: Oregon has a brand; this men's basketball season taught me it lacks a culture

 

Simply put, Oregon lacks the culture of a basketball school. It’s a university once built on the prowess of its track and field team, one whose football team survives because of its entertaining traditions. 

 

The seats weren’t empty just four years ago when Sabrina Ionescu and Payton Pritchard ran the campus. Therein lies the everlasting predicament. A true culture would transcend players like Ionescu and Pritchard. It would lead to loyal basketball fans rather than the current fairweather ones. 

 

Can Altman control the strength of the team’s following? Who knows? He said he’s not a promoter. What exactly does it take to create a culture that transcends players; that puts butts in seats; that means more than wins and losses?

 

It’s a lot to unpack.

 

This is a good article with thoughts for pondering...

 

Click here to access the article in the Daily Emerald

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