Tinkle thinks slower pace could aid Oregon State offensive, defensive issues
The lingering statistical problem to dominate the start of the Oregon State men's basketball season has been turnovers.
Featuring an inexperienced backcourt and thin frontcourt, the Beavers had more turnovers than assists in each of their first eight games against Division I opponents and produced the sixth-worst turnover rate in the country, per KenPom. Yet while they corrected that trend Sunday (22 assists to 12 turnovers) against a Savannah State defense that gave up 128 points to Oregon in its previous outing, OSU's own defensive challenges emerged.
"Our offense has been more efficient at times," head coach Wayne Tinkle said. "We're getting (the ball) inside, playing with more purpose. But the defensive intensity has been atrocious, to be honest."
In response, Tinkle again discussed playing at a more deliberate, slower pace similar to what the team did two years ago during his first season in Corvallis. While that team lacked experience, it quickly locked in on the new coaching staff's defensive concepts and became one of the most efficient defenses in the country while winning eight Pac-12 games.
OSU (3-7) has been similarly thin on bodies during a challenging start to this season. But unlike two years ago, the Beavers have been relying heavily on freshmen and sophomores. Although OSU lost almost 90 percent of its scoring heading into the 2014-15 season, its roster was stacked with juniors, including Gary Payton II.
"We had some mature kids who knew what our three-quarter-court zone needed to do to fall back into our half-court to control pace," Tinkle said. "That's something that we got to get these guys to understand before we see the real fruits of that on the court come game time."
With three of the team's top four scorers back, players talked about speeding up the tempo before the season. The NCAA shifted the 35-second shot clock to 30 seconds last season, one of a number of rule changes designed to increase offensive efficiency. But with an offense still looking to find its footing, especially without top scorer Tres Tinkle (broken wrist), the head coach said slowing the tempo could limit rushed possessions and benefit the other side of the floor.
Oregon State ranks 30th in the country in two-point field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to 42.1 percent shooting inside the arc. Its problem has generally been confined to the perimeter, where opposing offenses have connected on 36.8 percent of three-pointers. That mark ranks 247th out of 351 Division I teams.
But in the Savannah State loss, the Beavers struggled in both respects. SSU made 15 of 34 three-pointers and was able to get rim with greater ease in the second half and overtime, when Oregon State guards had trouble keeping ball handlers in front of them.
Freshmen guards Kendal Manuel and JaQuori McLaughlin, who played a combined 80 minutes Sunday, said the speed of the game and opposing players is perhaps the biggest challenges in adjusting from high school.
"Every guard, everybody is able to create and go to the rim," Manuel said.
"You can never relax," McLaughlin said.
Given the turnover issues on offense, the Beavers have also been seeing regular pressure past half-court. Tinkle said he saw a lack of focus at the other end in recent defensive breakdowns, potential indicators that extended minutes against an up-tempo team took its toll.
"Really it comes down to fundamental things: stance and footwork for all of our guys," he said. "... It's stopping the ball. It's matching up. A lot of times we'll have two guys run to one and that leaves somebody open. The other night our centers had to stop the point guard (with) the ball multiple times. That should never happen."
Whichever way the Beavers move forward with their plan of attack, they will have three more non-conference games to prepare before playing No. 24 USC, No. 2 UCLA and Washington in three of their first four Pac-12 games. According to KenPom, those teams average the quickest offensive possessions in the league.
The lingering statistical problem to dominate the start of the Oregon State men's basketball season has been turnovers.
Featuring an inexperienced backcourt and thin frontcourt, the Beavers had more turnovers than assists in each of their first eight games against Division I opponents and produced the sixth-worst turnover rate in the country, per KenPom. Yet while they corrected that trend Sunday (22 assists to 12 turnovers) against a Savannah State defense that gave up 128 points to Oregon in its previous outing, OSU's own defensive challenges emerged.
"Our offense has been more efficient at times," head coach Wayne Tinkle said. "We're getting (the ball) inside, playing with more purpose. But the defensive intensity has been atrocious, to be honest."
In response, Tinkle again discussed playing at a more deliberate, slower pace similar to what the team did two years ago during his first season in Corvallis. While that team lacked experience, it quickly locked in on the new coaching staff's defensive concepts and became one of the most efficient defenses in the country while winning eight Pac-12 games.
OSU (3-7) has been similarly thin on bodies during a challenging start to this season. But unlike two years ago, the Beavers have been relying heavily on freshmen and sophomores. Although OSU lost almost 90 percent of its scoring heading into the 2014-15 season, its roster was stacked with juniors, including Gary Payton II.
"We had some mature kids who knew what our three-quarter-court zone needed to do to fall back into our half-court to control pace," Tinkle said. "That's something that we got to get these guys to understand before we see the real fruits of that on the court come game time."
With three of the team's top four scorers back, players talked about speeding up the tempo before the season. The NCAA shifted the 35-second shot clock to 30 seconds last season, one of a number of rule changes designed to increase offensive efficiency. But with an offense still looking to find its footing, especially without top scorer Tres Tinkle (broken wrist), the head coach said slowing the tempo could limit rushed possessions and benefit the other side of the floor.
Oregon State ranks 30th in the country in two-point field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to 42.1 percent shooting inside the arc. Its problem has generally been confined to the perimeter, where opposing offenses have connected on 36.8 percent of three-pointers. That mark ranks 247th out of 351 Division I teams.
But in the Savannah State loss, the Beavers struggled in both respects. SSU made 15 of 34 three-pointers and was able to get rim with greater ease in the second half and overtime, when Oregon State guards had trouble keeping ball handlers in front of them.
Freshmen guards Kendal Manuel and JaQuori McLaughlin, who played a combined 80 minutes Sunday, said the speed of the game and opposing players is perhaps the biggest challenges in adjusting from high school.
"Every guard, everybody is able to create and go to the rim," Manuel said.
"You can never relax," McLaughlin said.
Given the turnover issues on offense, the Beavers have also been seeing regular pressure past half-court. Tinkle said he saw a lack of focus at the other end in recent defensive breakdowns, potential indicators that extended minutes against an up-tempo team took its toll.
"Really it comes down to fundamental things: stance and footwork for all of our guys," he said. "... It's stopping the ball. It's matching up. A lot of times we'll have two guys run to one and that leaves somebody open. The other night our centers had to stop the point guard (with) the ball multiple times. That should never happen."
Whichever way the Beavers move forward with their plan of attack, they will have three more non-conference games to prepare before playing No. 24 USC, No. 2 UCLA and Washington in three of their first four Pac-12 games. According to KenPom, those teams average the quickest offensive possessions in the league.
