WCC Game 15: @ Portland

Game Preview/Recap
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Tip-off: Thursday, 6pm, at the Chiles Center
TV: ESPN+
Line: Torvik- Broncos -7, 74% win probability; ESPN: 86% win prob, no line yet.
Rankings: Broncos ( 106 - NET / 123 - Torvik); Portland (315 / 300)

Portland:
The Pilots are 9-20, 3-11 overall and are on a 5 game losing streak and lost to GU last Thursday by 21.
Starting 5:
6-6 wing Tyler Robertson (16.1pts , 4.1rebs , 3.5assists, 36% from 3)
6-8 wing Tyler Harris (12.1pts, 7.3rebs, 0.9 blocks, 36% from 3)
6-5 guard Vukasin Masic (12.7pts, 3.8rebs, 3.0assists, 39% from 3)
6-11 forward Bol Dengdit (5.7pts, 4.0rebs, 29% from 3)
6-0 guard Juan Sebastian Gorosito (7.7pts, 35% from 3)

Portland isn’t great but they are capable of going off from 3…their entire starting lineup is capable of making 3’s. So the Broncos need to extend their D, run guys off the 3pt line and force them to score in other ways.

Last time we played the Pilots, Robertson went off for 34pts and 4 assists. Hopefully we have a better approach to defending him this time. Regardless, I can’t imagine him putting up 34pts again.

Tyler Harris missed the last game against us and has been in and out of the lineup over the past month. He is a talented freshman with a lot of upside. He’s a bit like USD’s Patton, erratic and unpolished on offense leading to a low shooting efficiency but he’s athletic and does a lot of things well.

Much like the LMU game last week, this is a potential trap game. The Broncos need to focus and take care of business and not look ahead to the rematch with USF. The Pilots are terrible on defense (368th on Torvik); would be good to get the ball inside to Tilly, Tongue, maybe even Caffaro or O’Neil as the Pilots don’t have anyone who defends the post well; Dengdit is long at 6-11 but skinny and easy to push him around. The Broncos have a significant size advantage in the frontcourt and need to dominate the glass.

Prediction: Broncos sail to a 86-71 win.

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Just take care of business tonight.

We slipped up against usd the game before we played usf last time.

For the record I’d rather have 3rd place - both for bragging rights and I feel usf has a decent chance of knocking off smc (a better chance than of them beating Gonzaga) in the

I’d rather have to go through Gonzaga and possibly usf, than smc and the winner of gonz/usf - if that makes sense?

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I agree. Get past Portland, and be ready to claim the 3 seed on Saturday.

The Pilots are playing their worst basketball right now and limping to the finish. It’s a good time to just dominate a lesser team and put them away early. It will be their Senior Night, so there will probably be a handful more in attendance that usual, but I doubt there will be a raucous crowd at Chiles.

Give me 86-62 in a blowout win for SCU. Bal gets hot at the right time and gets 23. Tongue, Ensminger, and Caffaro combine for 14 offensive boards.

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I have not been impressed with our defense. Should be a blowout if our Dr. Jekyll (good) offense shows up; but if Mr. Hyde (bad) offense shows up, I think the final score will be closer to the betting line spread of a 7-pt victory.

Oftentimes we look like we have 5 individual pickup game players on the floor rather than a cohesive, well-practiced team executing a solid game plan. In addition, I continue to be concerned about our lack of a true floor general (normally a point guard, however I’d argue that Niesen filled that role well as a frontcourt guy). Someone (other than a coach) who holds his fellow teammates, as well as himself, accountable.

I’ll go SCU 83 - 74 Portland

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It’s notable that Herb Sendek had the reputation of being a defensive minded coach as his NC State teams were known for low scoring affairs and locking down opponents, and to some degree at ASU.

At SCU, his teams have been far more offensive minded and the defense during his time at Santa Clara has been subpar if not atrocious at times, plus he’s never had a team that created alot of turnovers defensively. In fairness and IMO, this is the best rebounding team that Herb has had.

Side note…I get heartburn every time this team has to inbound the ball after a whistle. You have to hope that this is an emphasis in practice. I expect the Broncos to get it done tonight and need to use our size to get easy buckets inside and dominate the glass. Defensively, we know they love the three so extend and give Robertson some different looks.

Go Broncos!

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Another ugly start. Portland showing the zone D early and our guys look like they’ve never seen a zone defense in their lives. :man_facepalming:t2:

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This might be the worst display of ball screen defense in the history of basketball.
What the heck are we doing???

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Another slow start. We should know we cant take any team for granted but it looks like we were looking ahead to USF. Hopefully some guys get hot and we can get rolling before it is too late. Still early but the defense isn’t looking good norm is the offense. A loss here and it’s all over. Go BRONCOS!!

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Zone D looks amazing when you can’t hit open shots.

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Stunning how we are getting severely outrebounded

Stu Jackson needs to fire that ref. CMJ just demonstrated perfect position to take a charge, yet got called for a foul. That was a textbook charge.

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Bryan has been a spark tonight off the bench.

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Bal was inside the circle…how was that an offensive foul on him?!?

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Bad bad bad bad bad

But I do think Portland is cooling off, and the Broncos can’t continue to be this cold (we pray). That should be enough to overcome in the 2nd half, but man is this brutal so far.

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The risk of being down late to a team like Portland is that they can and will jack up threes as needed (and can make them at a decent clip) or have Robertson draw fouls in a pinch like Vrankic used to do for us. So it’s hard to fully neutralize them because they have options that can keep them in it when you’re ice cold.

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Two threes for the Pilots out of the half. SCU immediately calls time out. I’m losing hope.

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Hot seat: Herb :upside_down_face::upside_down_face::upside_down_face::upside_down_face::upside_down_face::upside_down_face::upside_down_face::upside_down_face:

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Another turnover on a basic inbounds play :man_facepalming:t2:

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oh dear this is bad, thank the heavens I’m at the women’s game, they are getting win 23 and the 2 seed in Vegas right now

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What is it with this team and inbounding the ball? They really struggle with this aspect of the game when it shouldn’t be a major issue.

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Inbound issues remind me of the KK era