Now that football season is over and we're into basketball season, you guys will see more content about the basketball teams. Sadly, there isn't too much to be excited about with the men's team in non-conference play.
Stevie is back
If the Beavs didn't have Stevie Thompson Jr. on Thursday night, then this game would've been a lot worse than a 17 point loss. Thompson started slow with just 7 points on 3-of-9 shooting, but he heated up as he hit 6 of his 7 final shots. He finished with 20 points on 9-of-16 shooting and played 30 minutes in his return. Overall, I thought Stevie played a nice game and his numbers speak to that, but he is a pure scorer - not a guy that the offense should be run through, in my early opinion. OSU doesn't have its best option with Tres Tinkle out for a few weeks.
OSU is missing Tinkle's playmaking ability
This is obvious. There is very little rhythm offensively. Oregon State committed 21 turnovers and a lot of those came on very simple passes on the perimeter that Mississippi State picked off. At his small forward spot, the offense runs through Tres, and he's a great scorer as well. Having Thompson Jr back in the lineup helps this offense, but OSU really misses Tinkle all over the court - his rebounding presence was missed as well.
I'm a big Jaquori McLaughlin fan
McLaughlin has been called upon to play a big role for Oregon State very early in his career. He has not been phased and has stepped up. He knocked down 4 of his 6 three point attempts on his way to 12 total points. He played a team high 33 minutes (tied with Drew Eubanks). McLaughlin is going to get better and better as the season goes along.
What happened to Drew Eubanks?
Eubanks had a huge game against Southern Oregon in the Beavs' last outing. Sure, it was an NAIA opponent, but Eubanks was big in that game. Against Mississippi State, Eubanks was 0-of-4 from the floor and finished with just 5 points. It was a struggle for Eubanks against the Bulldogs. He'll need to bounce back Saturday against Charlotte.
Final Thoughts
- I think that redshirt freshman guard Kendal Manuel is a pretty good player for the Beavers coming off of the bench. I think he deserves more minutes. He's a decent shooter and brings good energy to the floor.
- I'm trying to figure out Ronnie Stacy's game. He's not a three point shooter and turns the ball over a good bit. He is a feisty defender, but he needs to provide more offensively to be a starter for this team.
- Mississippi State was shooting the three ball really well early in the game - just about everything went through the hoop. Oregon State switched between man and zone defenses but nothing really worked.
- To end this post on a good note, Oregon State outscored Mississippi State 38-29 in the second half. Oregon State shot 62% from the floor in the second half and was 9-of-11 from the free throw line after not getting to the foul line once in the first half.
Stevie is back
If the Beavs didn't have Stevie Thompson Jr. on Thursday night, then this game would've been a lot worse than a 17 point loss. Thompson started slow with just 7 points on 3-of-9 shooting, but he heated up as he hit 6 of his 7 final shots. He finished with 20 points on 9-of-16 shooting and played 30 minutes in his return. Overall, I thought Stevie played a nice game and his numbers speak to that, but he is a pure scorer - not a guy that the offense should be run through, in my early opinion. OSU doesn't have its best option with Tres Tinkle out for a few weeks.
OSU is missing Tinkle's playmaking ability
This is obvious. There is very little rhythm offensively. Oregon State committed 21 turnovers and a lot of those came on very simple passes on the perimeter that Mississippi State picked off. At his small forward spot, the offense runs through Tres, and he's a great scorer as well. Having Thompson Jr back in the lineup helps this offense, but OSU really misses Tinkle all over the court - his rebounding presence was missed as well.
I'm a big Jaquori McLaughlin fan
McLaughlin has been called upon to play a big role for Oregon State very early in his career. He has not been phased and has stepped up. He knocked down 4 of his 6 three point attempts on his way to 12 total points. He played a team high 33 minutes (tied with Drew Eubanks). McLaughlin is going to get better and better as the season goes along.
What happened to Drew Eubanks?
Eubanks had a huge game against Southern Oregon in the Beavs' last outing. Sure, it was an NAIA opponent, but Eubanks was big in that game. Against Mississippi State, Eubanks was 0-of-4 from the floor and finished with just 5 points. It was a struggle for Eubanks against the Bulldogs. He'll need to bounce back Saturday against Charlotte.
Final Thoughts
- I think that redshirt freshman guard Kendal Manuel is a pretty good player for the Beavers coming off of the bench. I think he deserves more minutes. He's a decent shooter and brings good energy to the floor.
- I'm trying to figure out Ronnie Stacy's game. He's not a three point shooter and turns the ball over a good bit. He is a feisty defender, but he needs to provide more offensively to be a starter for this team.
- Mississippi State was shooting the three ball really well early in the game - just about everything went through the hoop. Oregon State switched between man and zone defenses but nothing really worked.
- To end this post on a good note, Oregon State outscored Mississippi State 38-29 in the second half. Oregon State shot 62% from the floor in the second half and was 9-of-11 from the free throw line after not getting to the foul line once in the first half.
