#11 WSU vs. #10 Cincinnati Official Game Thread

[Walker]

The silver lining in all of this:

- We will most likely get the 3 high rpi teams if we can take care of business
- We'll still most likely end up with a higher seed in the dance than if we would have gone undefeated in the Valley, winning each game by 100 points
- This conference has really given us the battles we needed to prepare us for postseason play

It sucks to come in second, but all in all, this was a great inaugural regular season. We've definitely found the right home.

[wusphlash]

The effort by all the Shocker, including those in the stands,was excellant. It was a hard fought game between the two top teams in the league on national TV. Well done.

To me it comes down to two factors that have plagued us in our losses and some of our close wins, turnovers and the failure to make open shots late in games. Yes we only had 9 turnovers but an unforced backcourt violation, Shaq's travel and Landry's pass to a sprinting Darral in traffic were untimely.

I still think this team can go a long way. Now it comes down to match ups and a few good breaks. I'm proud of this team.

[Dan]

Landry and Shaq both missed FTs in crunch time. So many things that could have helped us win

[jdshock]

In the alternate universe where CF hits that three pointer to win the game..... talk about a storybook ending to his whole career and his decision to come to WSU. I can't imagine how loud it would've gotten if the hometown hero had gotten that one to rattle in.

I'm not particularly unhappy that we lost yesterday. It was a good game and Cincinnati is a great team, but I will certainly spend some time thinking "what if" about that shot.

[Shocktoberfest]

I've already replayed that shot over and over in my mind. From our seats it looked like it was going in. Dang! Just like Fred's shot against Kentucky..."what if." Thanks Matt Braeuer! I'll always have that one to chew on.

[asiseeit]

Season not over. Could still have a great ending for CF / team. Not likely
both he and AR ever go that cold together again. Want them both to keep
shooting when open but AR needs to be a couple feet closer than yesterday.

[shocksrbest]

One of these games we WILL make the game-winning shot. Too many that have not fallen--Kentucky twice and Temple in regulation and OT, and now Cincy. It will come--maybe in a late tourney game.

[Singeril]

From our seats, I thought it was going in as well. I watched the replay on tv and you can see it was wide to the left. Good rebound by Willis..he was a bumped a bit to end up behind the board...did what he could. Just needed ONE of those threes to fall....alas....

[BAShocker]

After giving it much thought, I still believe we should have given the ball to Jimmy Chitwood and ran the picket fence.

[jdshock]

Also, I admittedly haven't watched the replay, but it sure looked like Willis hits the back of the backboard before time expires. That should be an out of bounds ball, right? In a week where Virginia won a game being down by four with 0.9 seconds on the clock, I'm a little surprised and frustrated the officials just let the game end. 99.99% chance you end up with the same result, but you never know.

[DJShocker10]

Also, I admittedly haven't watched the replay, but it sure looked like Willis hits the back of the backboard before time expires. That should be an out of bounds ball, right? In a week where Virginia won a game being down by four with 0.9 seconds on the clock, I'm a little surprised and frustrated the officials just let the game end. 99.99% chance you end up with the same result, but you never know.

He did. I was in 122 and had a clear view. It was definitely a moment that the right hand would’ve been more suitable.

[SHOCKvalue]

Is there a replay anywhere online? Forgot to set the DVR, and CBS is pretty awful at the online game.

[shocks02]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNvjr02xxk4

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

I thought our defense was pretty good for the most part. Eventually teams will stop hitting insanely difficult shots against us.

If you could replicate the exact same shots Cincy took yesterday 100 times, I bet they shoot a higher percentage 60-70 times. WSU played good defense, but Cincy also missed quite a few 3s with decent looks.

I don’t think the story of the game was Cincy hitting tough shots, but rather, WSU missing shots you would expect them to hit. 1-2 of those Austin Reeves 3s in the second half and WSU opens up a 2-3 possession lead rather than constantly needing a score just to tie it up.

Cincy was 6/21 from 3. That's below their season average.
WSU was 6/23 from 3. That's way below average, and no, it isn't all due to Cincy's defense. Some open shots were just missed.

[Cdizzle]

I agree with the sentiment that both teams are likely to have made a couple more if the same game played out again several times. Reaves and Frankamp both not hitting just doesn't happen. Neither do the 3 straight wide open misses for Evans early-ish in the 2nd half. I think these 2 teams have demonstrated that they are both really good, and both very evenly matched.

[shocker43]

Just to clarify, I agree that it wasn't their shooting that kept us from winning the game. But, there were a lot of tough shots that they did make, and that has been the story all season.

[Stickboy46]

One critical tough shot that stuck out to me was the little one handed fade away flip shot that Washington made from about the foul line with Shaq draped all over him (5:44 to go in the game). I feel like he misses that shot 9 out of 10 times.

[Triticum aestivum L.]

Not one, but two bad passes resulting in Over and Back violations and/or a breakaway dunk is what bugs me. We may go a whole season without one, but have two in a crucial game . . . Ugh!

Still a great atmosphere and nationally recognized as a great game - way to bring it Shocker Nation!

[Windiwu]

One thing the CBS guy said caught my attention and made sense on Reaves... The defense was bothering him even when it wasn't near. He was *expecting* it to be near and I think that got in his mind and made him rushed. I would think experience would help if that is the case

[Dan]

an offseason without surgeries will do wonders for Reaves. Work out, gain weight/strength, work on ball handling and shooting. These are all normal things he hasn't been able to do the past 2 off seasons. I'm expecting a big year for him next year.

[proshox]

I thought the effort was there all night with one exception on the first play of the game.

There were a number of plays that could have turned the game our way. AR's threes in the second half, the first half shot clock "violation that wasn't" because it fell into Shaq's hands while he was on the ground (plus two points for Cincinnati), the RK over and back that Landry didn't run down until it turned into a baseline inbounds play for Cincinnati (they ran a play to Clark for 2).

I imagine the team will look at the first four minutes of the second half as a lost opportunity. Cincinnati couldn't buy a bucket and for some reason we never went to the post... Shaq was hanging around the three point line for most of possessions... Shaq was 4 of 5 in the first half... to me you go straight to him to start the second half.

At the end of the day, it was a great game and it was a toss-up. I hope to see more meaningful season finales in the future because these are the golden ages of shocker basketball...

Final note: my son had a complete meltdown at home... tears and all... he really HATES Cincinnati now.

[Stickboy46]

I'll throw one more out there. Towards the beginning of the game. Conner airballs a 3 with about 6-8 seconds left on the shot clock. The ball quickly ends up in Landry's hands for a wide open three, but they blow the play dead due to the shot clock getting reset by accident. The shot Landry would have taken would have been WELL within the original shot clock, but instead Cincy got to reset up and i think we got zero points that possession. Just a bad break there.

[pinstripers]

1. Where was Brown's sister?

2. Shaq was wearing 3 guys every time he got the ball. No whistle.

3. Crowd was really good. Wished we had been better.

4. Lutz said he likes it when they "let em play." He means, "when they don't call fouls."

5. I didn't think the Cincy players were bad post-game.

6. Need Reaves out of his funk by Friday.

7. Yeah, I know we are still in the dance, that was still a huge opportunity we let slip away.

8. Duff had a bad couple minutes in the first half. Gave up 7 points in about 4 posessions.

9. We had 3 or 4 awful turnovers, just awful.

10. Maybe the biggest game I ever attended?

[Stickboy46]

I read Brown's sister was trying out for something (National team maybe?) ... I don't know if that's why she wasn't there.

EDIT: http://www.kwch.com/content/sports/T...475689993.html

It was March 2-4 ... so that's probably why.

[ShockerPhi]

I was lucky enough to score tickets in the 2nd row of Section 106 for the game of the year. And it did not disappoint, even with the way it ended.

I sat with my wife and my brother and Demetric Williams sat right next to us. When he took the seat right next to my brother, I shook his hand and welcomed him back to Koch Arena. At half time, a lot of people around us took the opportunity to say hi to him and shake his hand as well. You could tell how much it meant to him. He was smiling from ear to ear and was a bit misty-eyed. Even during moments throughout the game, I'd look over at him and he'd look a bit misty-eyed. Just soaking in the moment like we were all trying to do.

As for Rashard Kelly. That man came to play and to win. I will never forget that dunk of his, just like I'll never forget witnessing Cle's dunk from the student section in the Final Four. Atmosphere was insane. My ears aren't ringing, but they are aching this morning. That was one to remember. The loss didn't sting nearly as bad simply because it doesn't end our season. That game was a rock fight between two heavy weights. Hoping for round 3.

[shocker43]

**** Cincinnati

https://twitter.com/callmekbox/status/970682542696300544