I think this article really sums up Oregon basketball right now.
There is no urgency. They are a very good team when they want to be, and very average otherwise. When the offense is clicking, when people are moving, and the ball is getting passed around, the offense is great. On those possessions when they were doing this, it was fun to watch.
But, in the end, they didn't have the urgency. After they lost, it wasn't a big deal to them.
And I'll be honest, as a fan, it's not really that big of a deal to me. Unlike football, I do not live or die by every game. If we go 10-8 in the Pac-10, we'll make the tourney. And that seems to be what we're shooting for. The team obviously does not play like the Pac-10 (regular season) championship is their goal. Both years we made the Elite 8, we had something to prove. This year, not so much.
With little to prove, and lack of urgency, it should not be a surprise that we lost to WSU. WSU is a darn good team, very disciplined, that won't shoot themselves in the foot.
But as the season continues, from game to game, we really don't know what Oregon team will show up.
And you know what...oh well...the season is long. Will they buckle down every game? Nope. And for some reason, this doesn't bother me. Maybe I'm losing my interest in basketball in general, but for some reason, I just can't get real worked up about the basketball regular season. I think part of this may be that I've followed the Detroit Pistons very closely for the past few years, and there are many comparisons between the teams. Detroit has always taken a lackluster view of the regular season, so I'm used to it. But what matters is the playoffs/tournament. Regular season games are a means to an end.
I think we're talented, and when we play hard could be a top-15 team. But right now, we're not. We'll see where we end up in a couple months, but for now, I'm about as worked up as the players are.