Great article John. I totally agree. Just when women’s basketball has gotten to the peak of the mountain in the Pac12 and looks for greatness, the mountain crumbles under them due to the ineptness of two commissioners and total lack of oversight/greed for the almighty $ by the conference presidents!!!
These young, so very talented, women and amazing coaches deserved a hellva lot more than this!!
Is this as good as it gets? In a word, Yes. Will it ever be this good again? In a word, No. (And yet another reason why the unprecedented incompetence of the aggregate of the conference presidents should carry personal civil liability.)
I agree completely. Collegiate WBB has everything I love ( d ) about the game: passing, cutting, pick and roll, blocking out for rebounds, accuracy from the foul line, and team defense. All of which reflect on the great coaching going on at most schools. The Ducks should look into that!
Well, if you heard his post-game comments this season, especially last night, you know he is pulling his hair out over the lapses on defense. He looked like he wanted to cut his own throat discussing the defensive lapse on that key last inbounds play. The old saying, "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink." He has won 750 games, second most in Pac history, and has a team this year that has had injuries affecting playing time that far surpasses the NCAA team in second place.
He hasn’t had a viable tournament ready team in years. It’s called coaching for a reason. He hasn’t Recruited well either. A poor workman blames his tools too
It’s why I got out of refereeing three man ball. It became all about them and not the game itself. Most of em tried but basic violations are where you start.
The Big 10 has excellent women's teams that will be tough outs for any of the four new members. But that said, I have a hard time warming to the idea. Playing on the familiar West Coast campuses in Eugene, Corvallis, Palo Alto and L.A., we knew how the arenas looked, sounded, smelled. You could drive to any from the other (well, maybe with an overnight in Redding). The Big 10 arenas are likely wonderful. But this 70-year-old has little interest in getting to know them. The Pac 12 is dead. I say, long live the Pac 12.
With you 100 percent on the Pac 12 network. I love their programming and on-air talent. Again--very familiar. Now we will have newbies in Big 10.
John...just wanted to chime in that I agree with AndyPandy (also a great handle!). It will never be this good again and I am sad to say I was at OSU when this all slipped away. I will miss it dearly because in the Pac12 Conference it was family. Not always loved....but always protected. The Big Ten and Big 12 will never give those schools that jumped that kind of love/hate. Something that was greatly overlooked in the greed negotiations.
Both of the semifinal games tonight will be classics. USC and UCLA battle hard and physical (just ask Raegan). And Stanford is awesome in every position. I’m hoping OSU brings its best shooting game in addition to their great defense. They’re gonna need it all. They can do it. Enjoy the games, John!
Beavs almost beat Stanford last time without Beers... Now she's back and the Beavs now know how to play without her as well... If they win, it shouldn't be an upset
Right on John-Henry and Ed. I hope this game is as good as it appears to be. Scott Rueck has his team ready and no doubt Stanford is focused as well.
Brink didn’t sit because she couldn’t play. I think she sat because they wanted to rest her for the most important game of their (and the Beavs’) season.
Of course , after this game, every oncoming game’s significance increases like the speed of an onrushing freight train.
“But maybe not that much”? (regarding UO coach Kelly Graves) Sounds like a teaser for another Ducks basketball column. I never thought I’d be a women’s BBall fan (I’m that old), but the the Lady Ducks won me over with Sabrina, Ruthie, Satou, Maite and more — mostly 4 year, unselfish, non-transfer, loyal team players. I was at the March 1st, 2020 last home regular season game — with 12,000+ (unmasked) fans in the stands to watch an immensely talented team play together for the last time in Eugene—a real treat to witness their jubilant dancing and camaraderie when “Shout” played.
Would love to know what the heck happened over the next few years as their most highly ranked recruiting class and more vamoosed to other schools resulting in where the Lady Ducks are today (79-30?) Just saw the Beavs take on Cal last week with the return of Raegan Beers — a talented and well-coached team. Got a kick of seeing the players towering over ever-composed Coach Rueck.
If you have a decent Internet connection sign up for a trial subscription to Sling TV and watch the games. You can always cancel after. I have been watching the Pac-12 Network via Sling TV for years.
Thx for the great attention to WBB Today's games will be two wars. I hope OSU proves they can win over Stanford with Beers and gets their trip to Portland. PAC12 is by far the best with the #1 conference NET rankings and an 85% non-con WP%. . The two conferences taking Stanford and the two LA schools are ACC (#4 NET, 73% non-con) and Big10 (#5 NET, 73% non-con). In fact the PAC12 is destined for two #1 seeds and tOSU, the undeserving 1 seed had 2 of their 5 losses to PAC12 teams including their only loss in Columbus. They would havev lost 10 games if they were in the PAC12.
I do hope we can get this conference back together some day for the olympic sports. That is why the Beavs and Cougs need to keep the PAC12 alive next year.
tOSU...a probable No. 1 seed...got rolled by unranked Maryland today 82-61. Assuming they win, Iowa probably will now join S. Carolina, Stanford, UCLA on the 1 line.
Let’s hope that the women’s game doesn’t devolve into what the men’s game has become. There is something to be said for players that stay for more than one season and execution of good game fundamentals. Gives fans something to buy into and appreciate.
There’s a real risk of that happening, Keith. It’s still a much more pure form of classic basketball, but the physicality is increasing steadily. And the referees are letting it happen more and more each year.
I’ve never planned nor been interested in a WNBA game until recently.
We frequent Mandalay Bay and are often nearby when the Aces games are done. I’ve always noticed that the wildly diverse crowd has something very much in common, they all appear to have been quite entertained and all have smiles on their faces. Considering the entertainment options in Vegas, this has me quite WNBA curious.
I detest the current NBA, but might give the ladies a view this year. If they give the same level of effort as the college girls, then I should also leave with a smile on my face. I just hope they play defense as well!
Football season has come and gone. Basketball season is winding down. Maybe I've missed it, but where is the national media on writing detailed eulogies on the Pac-12? Where is the national outrage? They have reported on the facts, but is this the greatest example of East Coast bias that no national media outlet is pausing to contemplate the history and greatness of this phenomenal conference? Are we so SEC and Big-10 focused that the demise of this conference is met with a national shoulder shrug? John, are national media outlets able to run your stories, because if not, no one else except the readers of Jon Wilner will ever read anything meaningful about the death of this institution.
Great article John. I totally agree. Just when women’s basketball has gotten to the peak of the mountain in the Pac12 and looks for greatness, the mountain crumbles under them due to the ineptness of two commissioners and total lack of oversight/greed for the almighty $ by the conference presidents!!!
These young, so very talented, women and amazing coaches deserved a hellva lot more than this!!
So very sad!😪
Is this as good as it gets? In a word, Yes. Will it ever be this good again? In a word, No. (And yet another reason why the unprecedented incompetence of the aggregate of the conference presidents should carry personal civil liability.)
Women’s basketball is the closest thing left to what basketball is suppose to be.
It simply is fundamentally better basketball. Of course, the 2 1/2 step lay up, the constant palming of the ball and
Ignored fouling turns me off on mens basketball. Granted great athletes but let’s get back to enforcing basic rules
I never watched women's basketball until this year.... Sad I get hooked the same year it ends in the pac
Mr. Ronald,
I agree completely. Collegiate WBB has everything I love ( d ) about the game: passing, cutting, pick and roll, blocking out for rebounds, accuracy from the foul line, and team defense. All of which reflect on the great coaching going on at most schools. The Ducks should look into that!
You mean the one and done Dana Altman regime. Never block out never go for an offensive rebound. That sort of coaching? Yep
Michael,
Exactly, the amount of boneheaded play making and lack of defensive intensity by both Duck men’s and women’s teams has been breathtaking.
I’ve said it about Altmans teams since the get go. Graves really dropped the ball. Ionescu created some magic but all
Stars do that. Altmans time has come and gone. He’s basically the Rich Brooks of basketball now
Well, if you heard his post-game comments this season, especially last night, you know he is pulling his hair out over the lapses on defense. He looked like he wanted to cut his own throat discussing the defensive lapse on that key last inbounds play. The old saying, "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink." He has won 750 games, second most in Pac history, and has a team this year that has had injuries affecting playing time that far surpasses the NCAA team in second place.
He hasn’t had a viable tournament ready team in years. It’s called coaching for a reason. He hasn’t Recruited well either. A poor workman blames his tools too
One and done? How long has he coached at Oregon? Get a life.
I prefer to watch the women’s game of basketball
GO DAWGS
It’s why I got out of refereeing three man ball. It became all about them and not the game itself. Most of em tried but basic violations are where you start.
The Big 10 has excellent women's teams that will be tough outs for any of the four new members. But that said, I have a hard time warming to the idea. Playing on the familiar West Coast campuses in Eugene, Corvallis, Palo Alto and L.A., we knew how the arenas looked, sounded, smelled. You could drive to any from the other (well, maybe with an overnight in Redding). The Big 10 arenas are likely wonderful. But this 70-year-old has little interest in getting to know them. The Pac 12 is dead. I say, long live the Pac 12.
With you 100 percent on the Pac 12 network. I love their programming and on-air talent. Again--very familiar. Now we will have newbies in Big 10.
This 70-plus year old is with ya on this one, Drex.
John...just wanted to chime in that I agree with AndyPandy (also a great handle!). It will never be this good again and I am sad to say I was at OSU when this all slipped away. I will miss it dearly because in the Pac12 Conference it was family. Not always loved....but always protected. The Big Ten and Big 12 will never give those schools that jumped that kind of love/hate. Something that was greatly overlooked in the greed negotiations.
And Stanford & Cal to the ACC is even stupider.
Both of the semifinal games tonight will be classics. USC and UCLA battle hard and physical (just ask Raegan). And Stanford is awesome in every position. I’m hoping OSU brings its best shooting game in addition to their great defense. They’re gonna need it all. They can do it. Enjoy the games, John!
Beavs almost beat Stanford last time without Beers... Now she's back and the Beavs now know how to play without her as well... If they win, it shouldn't be an upset
Right on John-Henry and Ed. I hope this game is as good as it appears to be. Scott Rueck has his team ready and no doubt Stanford is focused as well.
Brink didn’t sit because she couldn’t play. I think she sat because they wanted to rest her for the most important game of their (and the Beavs’) season.
Of course , after this game, every oncoming game’s significance increases like the speed of an onrushing freight train.
I agree, John-Henry—but always feels like it because it’s Stanford, you know?
“But maybe not that much”? (regarding UO coach Kelly Graves) Sounds like a teaser for another Ducks basketball column. I never thought I’d be a women’s BBall fan (I’m that old), but the the Lady Ducks won me over with Sabrina, Ruthie, Satou, Maite and more — mostly 4 year, unselfish, non-transfer, loyal team players. I was at the March 1st, 2020 last home regular season game — with 12,000+ (unmasked) fans in the stands to watch an immensely talented team play together for the last time in Eugene—a real treat to witness their jubilant dancing and camaraderie when “Shout” played.
Would love to know what the heck happened over the next few years as their most highly ranked recruiting class and more vamoosed to other schools resulting in where the Lady Ducks are today (79-30?) Just saw the Beavs take on Cal last week with the return of Raegan Beers — a talented and well-coached team. Got a kick of seeing the players towering over ever-composed Coach Rueck.
Same with me, I sadly was one of those that would poke fun at women's basketball... This year converted me, but by the Beavs team
Beav ladies converted me after Coach Rueck first came to town.
No Pac-12 Net at Harrah’s, either. Here to watch my alma mater; 4 games yesterday were a treat. Tonight should be great. Enjoy your stay, as I am!
Excellent article. I only wish it was possible to watch the women’s teams without paying for PAC 12 network.
Too bad it’s only on the Pac12 network 🤦♂️
I think the final will be shown on one of the ESPN networks on Sunday. Doesn’t help tonight, though-sorry.
If you have a decent Internet connection sign up for a trial subscription to Sling TV and watch the games. You can always cancel after. I have been watching the Pac-12 Network via Sling TV for years.
Thx for the great attention to WBB Today's games will be two wars. I hope OSU proves they can win over Stanford with Beers and gets their trip to Portland. PAC12 is by far the best with the #1 conference NET rankings and an 85% non-con WP%. . The two conferences taking Stanford and the two LA schools are ACC (#4 NET, 73% non-con) and Big10 (#5 NET, 73% non-con). In fact the PAC12 is destined for two #1 seeds and tOSU, the undeserving 1 seed had 2 of their 5 losses to PAC12 teams including their only loss in Columbus. They would havev lost 10 games if they were in the PAC12.
I do hope we can get this conference back together some day for the olympic sports. That is why the Beavs and Cougs need to keep the PAC12 alive next year.
tOSU...a probable No. 1 seed...got rolled by unranked Maryland today 82-61. Assuming they win, Iowa probably will now join S. Carolina, Stanford, UCLA on the 1 line.
Let’s hope that the women’s game doesn’t devolve into what the men’s game has become. There is something to be said for players that stay for more than one season and execution of good game fundamentals. Gives fans something to buy into and appreciate.
John Wooden was quoted as saying in his later years, he enjoyed the women's game more, better fundamentals, passing etc.
There’s a real risk of that happening, Keith. It’s still a much more pure form of classic basketball, but the physicality is increasing steadily. And the referees are letting it happen more and more each year.
I’ve never planned nor been interested in a WNBA game until recently.
We frequent Mandalay Bay and are often nearby when the Aces games are done. I’ve always noticed that the wildly diverse crowd has something very much in common, they all appear to have been quite entertained and all have smiles on their faces. Considering the entertainment options in Vegas, this has me quite WNBA curious.
I detest the current NBA, but might give the ladies a view this year. If they give the same level of effort as the college girls, then I should also leave with a smile on my face. I just hope they play defense as well!
Football season has come and gone. Basketball season is winding down. Maybe I've missed it, but where is the national media on writing detailed eulogies on the Pac-12? Where is the national outrage? They have reported on the facts, but is this the greatest example of East Coast bias that no national media outlet is pausing to contemplate the history and greatness of this phenomenal conference? Are we so SEC and Big-10 focused that the demise of this conference is met with a national shoulder shrug? John, are national media outlets able to run your stories, because if not, no one else except the readers of Jon Wilner will ever read anything meaningful about the death of this institution.
I suppose it could be, but I don’t think we’ll find a better era. There are only two thoughts from this peanut gallery:
My favorite team (OSU) is under-ranked by a lot. I wish Kelly Graves’s team was here. Next season, they’ll be tougher.
It's nice to see women's basketball starting to get its well-deserved attention.