Opening night: Colorado State

[ORUTerry]

Here are the stats from last year's Colorado State basketball team. As you can see, David Roddy (6'5") fills up the stat sheet. He averaged 15.9 ppg, 9.4 rebs and 2.6 assist - playing 31.5 minutes per game. Isaiah Stevens (6'0") was just behind him - averaging 15.3 ppg, 4.3 rebs and 5.4 assists - playing 35.2 minutes per game. The Rams are a talented team, but clearly these two guys are the drivers and ORU will have to find a way to contain them. It will be interesting to see who guards them. Do we put Jurgens on Roddy - or will Thompson get that assignment? The Rams have two post players (Moors at 6'10"; 5.9 ppg and 3.5 rebs; 19.2 minutes per game) and (Thomas at 6'9"; 5.2 ppg, 3.2 rebs and 12.9 minutes per game). Their probable starters are:

Roddy (6'5")

Stevens (6'0")

Moore (5'10")

Thistlewood (6'6")

Moors (6'10")

 

Link:    https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/colorado-state/2021.html

[ORUTerry]

Colorado State shot 46.5% from the field last year (55.2% from 2pt and 35.3% from 3pt) while going 79.2% from the charity stripe. They are a good, efficient team on offense - averaging 14.6 assists per game. I imagine that they are similar to South Dakota (not as good at three point shooting) and North Dakota State. They outrebounded their opponents even with a relatively small lineup.

They were 20-8 last year and went 14-4 in the MWC. Conference games were held similar to the Summit League where teams played both games against each other a day apart. The Rams were 10-1 at home. Their only loss was to Boise State. Their last seven games they were 3 and 4:

Loss to Nevada, 82 to 85

Beat Fresno St, 72 to 62  (MWC Tournament)

Loss to Utah St., 50  to 62  (MWC Tournament)

Beat Buffalo, 75 to 73  (NIT)

Beat North Carolina St, 65 to 61  (NIT)

Loss to Memphis, 67 to 90

Loss to LA Tech, 74 to 76

 

[Keenan Henderson]

ORU game notes are on the website for tomorrow's game.  They have the five returners listed as starters (nailed it OT), meaning no one over 6'7 in the lineup.  Talk about small ball. 

Who on the Eagles can guard Roddy at 6'5 255 pounds?  He is built like a linebacker but is quick like a wide receiver and can score inside or out.  Guessing mabye Lacis will try his best. But then again not many guys on any team can guard that guy.

[Old Titan]

Just got off the phone with ORU Athletic Communications, the game IS being professionally-streamed via Stadium.com, with multiple cameras and a broadcast crew of Ari Wolfe and Doug Gottlieb. 

There is some confusion with ORU and CSU alike about why the game is not listed on the Stadium.com website schedule; the prevailing theory is that it's currently piggy-backed along with the CSU Lady Rams prelim game on the Stadium schedule.  The broadcast is also supposed to be available through Facebook and Roku, both for free.

Let's all share successes/failures in picking it up at game time Tuesday.

[TrueBlue82]

24 minutes ago, Old Titan said:

Let's all share successes/failures in picking it up at game time Tuesday.

I've given up on the Stadium option, and have decided to travel to Fort Collins for the game.  This will be the farthest west (albeit still 750 miles away from me) that ORU will play, and the chance to see a very compelling season opener was just too tempting.  Having traveled to the Sweet Sixteen game in Indy, this will be the first time in 35+ years that I will have attended two consecutive ORU basketball games.

Really looking forward to it - and I'll provide my comments after the game.  Keenan - I'll see you there! 

[TrueBlue82]

31 minutes ago, Old Titan said:

Just got off the phone with ORU Athletic Communications, the game IS being professionally-streamed via Stadium.com, with multiple cameras and a broadcast crew of Ari Wolfe and Doug Gottlieb. 

Hopefully, time will have healed the wounds that Doug Gottlieb endured with ORU's firing of Scott Sutton, and he can provide an unbiased analysis of the game and ORU's team. 

[Dr. Cornelius]

20 minutes ago, TrueBlue82 said:

Hopefully, time will have healed the wounds that Doug Gottlieb endured with ORU's firing of Scott Sutton, and he can provide an unbiased analysis of the game and ORU's team. 

Gottlieb had a good interview with Coach Mills on his podcast during the tournament run.

[Old Titan]

19 minutes ago, TrueBlue82 said:

Hopefully, time will have healed the wounds that Doug Gottlieb endured with ORU's firing of Scott Sutton, and he can provide an unbiased analysis of the game and ORU's team. 

I would not count on it:  he was far from complimentary last year during the Sweet Sixteen run, basically lambasting Ohio State and Florida for losing to "the likes of Oral Roberts".

 

[Keenan Henderson]

24 minutes ago, TrueBlue82 said:

I've given up on the Stadium option, and have decided to travel to Fort Collins for the game.  This will be the farthest west (albeit still 750 miles away from me) that ORU will play, and the chance to see a very compelling season opener was just too tempting.  Having traveled to the Sweet Sixteen game in Indy, this will be the first time in 35+ years that I will have attended two consecutive ORU basketball games.

Really looking forward to it - and I'll provide my comments after the game.  Keenan - I'll see you there! 

Ok looking forward to it!  Are you close to the ORU bench?  I hope to get there early around 7 or 7:10 pm if you want to talk some before the game. 

[Old Titan]

55 minutes ago, TrueBlue82 said:

I've given up on the Stadium option, and have decided to travel to Fort Collins for the game.  This will be the farthest west (albeit still 750 miles away from me) that ORU will play, and the chance to see a very compelling season opener was just too tempting.  Having traveled to the Sweet Sixteen game in Indy, this will be the first time in 35+ years that I will have attended two consecutive ORU basketball games.

Really looking forward to it - and I'll provide my comments after the game.  Keenan - I'll see you there! 

WOW - that's a hike!

For those who are unfamiliar with just far apart so many things are in the West:  Tulsa is the same distance from Fort Collins, CO as TrueBlue82's 750-mile drive from Idaho.  All those big states take a LONG TIME to drive across!

Looking forward to updates, photos, etc. from all ORU fans in attendance - be sure to post them here!

[Old Titan]

32 minutes ago, Dr. Cornelius said:

Gottlieb had a good interview with Coach Mills on his podcast during the tournament run.

Thanks for reminding me of that, Doc - I forgot all about it, and it WAS a great, in-depth interview!

I guess that positive interview AND his criticisms of Ohio State & Florida are not mutually exclusive:  while being impressed with what ORU did, he still could be disgusted with those two programs underachieving in his view.

[ORUTerry]

Arkansas came 3 inches from ‘underachieving’….

[TrueBlue82]

22 minutes ago, ORUTerry said:

Arkansas came 3 inches from ‘underachieving’….

Maybe even an inch and a half...

[Dr. Cornelius]

On 11/6/2021 at 9:42 AM, EagleManiac said:

I would be in attendance if that happened!

 

 

[ttowncount]

Perhaps this is the good news we’ve been waiting to hear!!

[Old Titan]

And, courtesy of the CSU Athletic Communications staff, here’s the direct link to the game on Stadium (for those who can’t attend the ladies game vs UNLV and the watch party, of course!)

https://watchstadium.com/live/oral-roberts-at-colorado-state-2/

[titansforever]

You might have seen this article, but just in case...

https://tulsaworld.com/sports/college/oru/thats-last-season-putting-sweet-sixteen-run-in-the-past-oru-embarks-on-a-new/article_ca581c16-40db-11ec-b864-37afa2bccc47.html 

[TrueBlue82]

In the Tulsa World article, it states The Golden Eagles led the nation with 11.1 3-pointers per game last season and hit 17 in a recent scrimmage.  I assume that this was the second scrimmage (against UALR)?  Has anyone heard any other feedback from that scrimmage?