BTD Mailbag: Our Dam Answers

Travis Johannes: Cause being bad is the only thing the leadership of the PAC 12 excels at.

John Severs: I think it’s a bit of a captive audience thing. Similar to how if Comcast is your only ISP in town you can bet they’re going to be terrible, the Pac-12 Network knows its the only option for this programming. Who else is going to carry these terrible football games?

TJ: I think it’s a sign that this team is no longer basement dwellars of the conference and are inching their way towards the lower middle of the PAC. I think better days are near

Hayden Tharp: Definitely don’t think it’s an anomaly. We’ve said it from the start, the Beavers are going to score points this season (which may lead to wins). It just took a terrible offense in the likes of Cal to win a game despite only putting up 21 points.

John Severs: Not an anomaly, the team is pretty clearly better than they were last year. The team is creating turnovers, the secondary is starting to improve, and Luton to Hodgins is just a beautiful thing to see.

John Severs: Banana bread, but I’m open to the possibility I’ve never had a great carrot cake.

Travis Johannes: To me this is Women’s basketball without a doubt. The baseball program is going through a lot of turnover both in roster and coaching staff. Canham is new to the college game so I expect some growing pains. I believe they’ll still be good and probably in the postseason, but I think title talk this year is a little prematur

Hayden Tharp: What Travis said^ But the women’s team is going to have to play a near perfect season if they can truly have a shot at the natty. This may be the most talented group of women’s college basketball teams we’ve ever seen — OSU being one of them.

Travis Johannes: I think if this team doesn’t make the postseason there will be a lot of concern. Tres returning really upped the expectations

Hayden Tharp: There are a lot of new faces on the team, but when you have a senior leader in the likes of Tres Tinkle, they should be able to mesh. I think they will be a solid defensive team, but I’m hesitant on the offense, especially after losing Stevie to graduation.

John Severs: I’m excited for this season. Despite the loss of Stevie, I wouldn’t say we’re rebuilding just yet. With Tres, Ethan and Kylor back we’ve got 3 excellent players in the starting five, and Payton Dastrup is close to making his Beaver debut. It’ll be a very different team, but there’s a good chance this is a better team than last season.

Travis Johannes: They could. I don’t think they will, but it’s not impossible to find 3 more wins in the schedule. If I had to pick the remaining schedule. Win against Arizona, close loses to WSU and ASU. UW wins easily. Civil War is one of those games that isn’t necessarily close, but close enough to keep you hoping.

Hayden: They could. They won’t. If Isaiah Hodgins returns next season I might be on the bowling bandwagon.

John Severs: Arizona, ASU and Wazzu are all winnable, but I don’t think we run the table.

Travis Johannes: I think it is extremely wise. The program is still in a rebuild and needs some positive news for the future. Also the timing was interesting given the very recent conversations about whether or not the University was financially committed to the football program.

Hayden Tharp: Wise is an interesting word here. The project is definitely long over due, but announcing right in the middle of the season is a strange tactic. I’m just glad they’re finally reducing the number of seats — I hate seeing Reser half-full.

John Severs: It’s probably a good idea to announce it midseason since odds are we end the year with a big loss to Oregon. I don’t think they planned to announce at a time when people are optimistic about the program but I’m sure they’re happy with the coincidence.

Hayden Tharp: We haven’t got any official word, but it was quite obvious that he tweaked his ankle/foot near the end of the first half of the Hawaii game. I think he’s probably been telling coaches and trainers that he was good to go and obviously wasn’t, hence why it’s taken him so long to get back to 100%. I think he’ll be good to go for the Arizona game in a week and a half.

Travis Johannes: Like Hayden said, it seems to be an ankle/foot deal. What I will say is that I have seen a bunch of people suggest redshirting him since he has only played four games. Generally I might agree, but I think there is a good chance he declares early any way soit would be a waste in my opinion

Hayden Tharp: Well, this season definitely has a major impact on Pivec’s legacy. If she can put together a dominant senior campaign in the likes of Jamie Weisner, Sydney Wiese, and Marie Gulich, then she should be right up there with them — but for right now, I think she’s in that second tier.

John Severs: I think Mikayla will end up on the Mount Rushmore of Beavers Basketball. With Destiny Slocum fully established as a floor general and a great pair of young forwards ready to join the team, I think she’s going to put up absolutely absurd numbers this season.

John Severs: I think we need at least a season to see how the team comes together, especially after losing a good chunk of our top batters. I’m optimistic about the future, but not necessarily the immediate future.

John Severs: I’ll say Flattail. Great beer selection, good burgers, and they’ve always got poutine on the menu so if you want to watch a hockey game you can get a full Canadian experience.

Hayden Tharp:

Hayden Tharp: I not 100% sold on that one. If the Beavs finish with 3 wins, it will be hard to justify giving them extensions, although I think Lindgren has been a very good OC in his time in Corvallis.

Hayden Tharp: My first hunch is no... I’m just not confident that the Beavers will be able to score the basketball consistently. There is a serious lack of outside shooting on this team and in college basketball, you better be able to shoot from deep (unless your Zion Williamson) — The loss of Stevie Thompson hurts pretty bad because he was the only one able to catch fire from outside (although he was pretty inconsistent). I’ll say they’ll at least make the NIT with confidence.

Travis Johannes: I would do neither. I would annoy the horse sized duck. I would constantly pull pranks on him. Like putting his duck phone in Jello. Maybe one day I myself would dress up as the horse sized duck and mimic it’s idiosyncrasies. The duck would try to get me fired for several years and I would continue to torment him. In the end though we would become friends and while still annoyed by each other we would look out for each other. Maybe I would be in his wedding, maybe he would fire me when I quit so I could get severance pay, I really don’t know, it all gets a little fuzzy in the last couple years. Maybe this story should have ended two years previous.

John Severs; I’m unemployed. I’d do anything at this point to stop sleeping in and watching The Office. Bring on the duck, release me from this torment.