Oregon State University Game 3 Review

Final Score: UW-84 OSU-86

Free throws. Free. Throws. Free throws. If Mel Gibson was here, he would shout FREEEEE THROWS!!!! The Huskies went a combined 12 of 26 from the line and not one player outside of Tony Wroten made more than 1. Unfortunately, Wroten will be remembered not for the 6 straight shots he made to help extend a hard fought Huskies lead, nor will he be remembered for his 29 points, rather he will be remembered for missing 4 straight free throws with the Dawgs down 1 with less than 20 seconds on the clock following 3 straight misses by Jared Cunningham.

All of this drama could have been avoided had the Dawgs played two full halves of basketball. As has happened all too often this year, the Dawgs started the night with a slow and sloppy performance. 10 first half turnovers led to a 13 point deficit at halftime. With 10 minutes to go in the second half, the Dawgs still had only 10 turnovers and a +19 scoring differential. Amazing how that works...Not too long after that stat flashed on the screen and the Dawgs up 4, Abdul Gaddy slipped on the center court logo and turned the ball over to Ahmad Starks who took it home for the easy 2. More turnovers followed, more free throws were missed and suddenly the Dawgs were back in the red.

The Husky defense in the first half was atrocious, allowing the Beavers to shoot 49% from the field and Starks to hit 3 of 6 from deep. The second half was much better and Starks didn't make a shot the rest of the game, until a late 3-pointer put the Beavers within 1. Cunningham was hot in the first half and picked it up again when the Huskies started to commit the silly turnovers that inevitably cost them the game.

Foul trouble kept Aziz N'Diaye from having any type of production in the post. He finished a perfect 2 of 2 from the field with 7 rebounds, but fouled out with 4 minutes on the clock. This absence allowed OSU to penetrate the lanes with much greater ease. N'Diaye was sorely missed during those waning minutes.

Darnell Gant played an effective offensive game garnering 10 rebounds, 6 points on 3 of 4 shooting, 4 assists, a steal, and a block. He also picked up four fouls, limiting his aggression on the offensive end and forcing timid play defensively. With both big men in foul trouble, the Dawgs were forced into a zone defense to compensate lost size. This unfortunately led to way too many open 3 pointers.

Wroten was put in the worst situation a freshman could be in. Late game, tight scenario, and free throws (not his specialty). He made 6 straight and fell apart. MIssing the first two shut down his confidence. The third crushed it. The fourth stood no chance. That kid worked so hard getting inside for shots. He tried so hard, yet his efforts fell short. This game does not fall on him. It is a team game and our team lost. I counted at least 4 possessions where the Beavers missed a shot and proceeded to get at least 2 offensive boards before scoring on a put back. The Huskies failed to box out their opponents all too often and it hurt.

I don't have much else to say about the game. I am too disappointed with the team effort and too nervous for this coming Sunday. The ball is no longer in our hands. We gave up that opportunity two games in a row. We now have to hope all the remaining top seeds in all conferences win their respective tournaments. Any upset will burst our bubble. We may have the distinction of being the first Power 6 Conference regular season title winner to be left out of the NCAA since the field expanded to 64 teams. What an honor.

Go Dawgs

Oregon State University Game 3 Preview

OSU won its play in game against WSU earlier today with a final score of 69-64. OSU held a huge lead early, hitting several big 3-pointers before Ken Bone coached his team back into a competitive game. Late game free throws sealed the deal for the Beavers, sending the Cougars back to cold and snowy Pullman with their tails between their legs. The biggest surprise of the night? Not that OSU won, but that they won despite Jared Cunningham, the league leading scorer, only managed 4 points on the night with a dismal 1 of 8 shooting performance in 38 minutes.

Devon Collier and Ahmad Starks got the game going early for the Beavers and Joe Burton came off the bench to contribute in a big way. Burton scored 5 of his 15 in the final minutes, 3 coming off of free throws. The Beavers attempted 13 more foul shots and made 8 more than the Cougs. Neither team shot better than 62% from the charity strip, but both did manage 44% field goal shooting.

In the two games against the Beavers this season, the Dawgs have played two very different games. In the first match-up at Hec-Ed, the Huskies dominated from the start and cruised to a 15 point lead. Down in Corvallis the Huskies had to fight and scrap their way to a 3 (would have been 5 if not for a last second, non-consequential shot by Cunningham) point win.

The Huskies will need to keep their eye on Starks tomorrow afternoon as Starks started an amazing 4 of 6 from deep in the first half, but did not score another field goal the rest of the game. UW held Starks to a combined 4 of 12 from behind the arc in the two match-ups, but will need to slightly improve this number to avoid a potential upset or high scoring night from the diminutive guard.

The Huskies were able to hold Cunningham to 7 of 20 shooting in the first meeting of the season, but allowed Cunningham to get to the line for 8 shots, of which he made 7. The second time around, Cunningham was a much better 6 of 9 from the field. The moral of the story is that Cunningham will get his points, especially after the poor performance he had this evening. The Huskies need to aim to control his scoring, rather than try to shut him down completely.

The big men inside have done the most damage to the Huskies. Devon Collier continued to have success against the Dawgs no matter the location and Angus Brandt found himself with a respectable amount of points and boards on both occasions. Joe Burton propped up a huge 18 at home in Oregon, but was held scoreless in Seattle. Expect all three to be working hard inside to get their dues. Aziz N'Diaye and the Husky bigs will be hard pressed to contain all three throughout the game. If Starks is out, don't be too surprised to see the Dawgs drop into a zone to limit the touches inside.

The most comforting part of this match-up is that the Dawgs won both games while their two best shooters, Terrence Ross and C.J. Wilcox, had fairly cold nights. Ross went a combined 11 of 32 from the field (1 of 8 outside), while Wilcox was 8 of 24 (3 of 12 from range). If Wilcox and Ross can get their shots back on track and find the type of success they have had in recent games, the Huskies have a much better shot of getting an early lead and keeping it.

Predicted Starting Line-Ups:


Oregon State:


Ahmad Starks 5-9 165lb
Jared Cunningham 6-4 194lb
Devon Collier 6-7 206lb
Erik Moreland 6-10 201lb
Angus Brandt 6-10 237lb

Washington:


Abdul Gaddy 6-3 185lb
Tony Wroten 6-5 205lb
Terrence Ross 6-6 195lb
Darnell Gant 6-8 230lb
Aziz N'Diaye 7-0 260lb

Keys to the Game:


Get Hot Early:


Too many games this season have been slow starts followed by stellar performances. The Dawgs need to get down and dirty on defense, while also finding success with their shots. The Beavers are a high scoring team that can keep pace with the Huskies run-and-gun tempo. If the Dawgs want to get a shot at the NCAA tournament, they will need to start by proving they are a high octane offense tomorrow afternoon.

Rebounding:


The Beaver bigs are good at throwing their weight around in the post, which results in a fair amount of rebounds. The Dawgs tend to be better than anyone in the league and if poor outside shooting persists, rebounds will be a must. Things have been improving outside for the Huskies as the health of Wilcox improves. That could be huge as the Beavers are known for their 1-3-1 defense, a defense that is prone to 3-pointers near the top of the perimeter.

Free Throws:


The Dawgs need to hit the freebies, plain and simple. OSU can be a solid team at the line and foul shots have won a few games for the Dawgs this season. The Husky guards often get hacked up inside without any fouls headed their way so the team needs to capitalize on the limited attempts they are given. No need to throw away a big lead because we can't hit the easy ones.

Final Thoughts:


It's a good thing the OSU-WSU game stayed tight. This meant more minutes for Cunningham and Starks, two dangerous players, and hopefully more tired legs in the quick turnaround the Beavers face. The Beavers have a mere 24 hours between games whereas the Huskies have been afforded the all important bye that allows more rest and preparation. I fully expect a bounce back from Cunningham regardless of minutes played, but the Dawgs can learn from what the Cougars did well to hopefully limit Cunningham's impact on the game. After losing in somewhat embarrassing fashion to the Bruins, the Dawgs should be looking for blood. The Huskies will likely need to win 1, if not 2, games in this tournament to secure an at-large bid. A slip up here could place the Huskies in the play-in game, if they are in the tournament at all. I think this team is focused and ready for anything. Let's hope they play like it.

Final Score Prediction: UW-84 OSU-79

Oregon State University Game 2 Review

Final Score: UW-75 OSU-72

The Huskies struggled through another poor shooting night both from the field and at the line, but the Dawgs got it done down the stretch making shots, converting free throws, and playing tough defense. Foul calls put both teams at the line a lot and, thankfully, OSU was just as terrible at the line as the Huskies were. The Huskies did miss 11 free throws, which really would have allowed them to separate themselves from the Beavers,, the big difference from past games was how often C.J. Wilcox and Terrence Ross got to the line. Ross went 6 for 7 and Wilcox was 7 of 9. Desmond Simmons stepped back up and converted all 4 of his shots, including a clutch pair with a minute on the clock. The majority of the misses came from the usual suspects, Tony Wroten and Aziz N'Diaye who were a combined 6 of 13 at the stripe.

Abdul Gaddy made his presence felt down the stretch with a pair of 3-pointers. Outside of those shots, Gaddy was unable to really score as seen by his 3 of 10 field goal stat. Gaddy had 4 assists tonight and only 1 turnover, a performance much more characteristic of him. Gaddy also picked up a pair of steals, which helped the Dawgs pick up their 9 fast break points. I think Gaddy played with a much better attitude tonight and it showed.

Aziz N'Diaye found himself in an interesting position tonight. After picking up his 4th foul (CBS Sports says 3, which is what I had thought) with 13 minutes remaining, Romar left him in the game for several more minutes and remained in even when Darnell Gant picked up his 4th and immediately came out. Not sure Romar's reasoning behind it as Shawn Kemp had been playing pretty good basketball tonight. N'Diaye was doing a pretty good job closing down the middle, but had a few lapses throughout the night. N'Diaye had a decent night in terms of production with 6 points, but his 3 rebounds were far below his 8 per game average. Thankfully the team was able to find rebounds elsewhere. N'Diaye had a monstrous dunk that nearly pull the whole hoop down. That type of throw down is what he needs to do all the time. Lay-ins are nice, but huge dunks send a message.

Desmond Simmons returned to his early season form. Simmons was 0 of 1 from the field, but made all of his foul shots and raked in an impressive 9 rebounds, second only to Ross. Simmons had a rough night in terms of ball control, committing 4 turnovers with only 1 assist. Not sure how they all racked up, I didn't recall him throwing the ball away that many times.

Darnell Gant played a very quiet, but foul filled 10 minutes. Gant fouled out with only 2 points on 1 of 4 shooting. He pulled in 3 rebounds and committed one very ugly and silly turnover. Gant was stuck in the corner and rather than calling a timeout or throwing the ball off the defenders, he opted to throw a wild pass across the court to a teammate, which then sailed high and out of bounds. Not a smart play, made worse when one remembers he is a fifth year senior who should know better.

C.J. Wilcox had another poor shooting night with a 4-11 finish, but picked up 17 on the night by being aggressive and attacking the hoop. He finally started getting foul calls and hitting the freebies. I liked his attitude and game play despite his outside shot not falling (2 of 7). Wilcox grabbed one rebound and one steal. His work at the stripe helped the Dawgs secure a much needed win tonight.

Tony Wroten was a solid contributor in all aspects of the game tonight. He made only 12 points on 4 of 12 shooting. His 4 of 7 free throw shooting was more of the early season, but I firmly belief he has made huge strides in his foul shooting and will continue to improve his percentage. Wroten was big under the basket with 5 of his 7 rebounds coming on the offensive end. As a team, the Dawgs picked up 16 offensive boards leading to 14 second chance points. Wroten had 3 assists and turnovers on top of 2 steals.

Shawn Kemp played a semi efficient 9 minutes, going 2 for 2 from the court with his own big jam after an OSU turnover. He also split a pair of free throws. Austin Sefarian-Jenkins played 6 scoreless minutes, but had some nice looks and also nabbed 2 boards.

Terrence Ross was pretty good tonight. His 7 of 21 shooting left much to be desired, but his work at the line is what I really liked. Ross also pulled in a game high 13 rebounds, 5 offensive, which did more for the Dawgs than his scoring, in my opinion. Ross filled the stat line with an assist, 2 turnovers, a steal, and 2 authoritative blocks. Finally, Ross played a game where he contributed in both halves and it paid off in a big way.

What Needed Improvement:

Free Throws:

Wroten needs to get back to shooting 75% and N'Diaye needs to salvage this season and pick up his miserable 35% average at the line.

Team Play:

The Dawgs only managed 9 assists on 23 shots. Last season we were averaging an assist every other shot and I'd like to see this team get closer to that type of production. Our team excels when the ball is moving and players aren't having to create their own shots. Give OSU credit for throwing a variety of defenses at the Dawgs, which included a 2-3 and 1-3-1 zone as well as man-to-man on occasion.

What Was Good:

Rebounding:

The Dawgs won the battle on the glass 47-41 while grabbing 16 offensive boards to OSU's 10. The second chance points were just as important as our bench points (24). The Huskies used their guards well to clean house. Ross and Simmons were all over the place getting the loose balls and their efforts payed off.

Finishing Power:

The Dawgs went on a few runs down the stretch and held off a resilient Beaver team. They made big shots in the final minutes and made the majority of their free throws. The score should have been 75-70, but Cunningham hit a last second shot to make the game look closer than it actually was. The Dawgs showed their guts and didn't let the crowd or the Beaver's own runs get to their heads. They didn't panic when Ahmad Starks got hot from deep and tried to shoot his team back in the game. Credit this to Romar who was finally coaching the team throughout the game and not just in timeouts.

Final Thoughts:

UW did what they needed to and got the win. They remain in a tie for first with California, though 3 other teams are close behind, only 1 game back. The Dawgs come home for their last two home games of the season taking on the Arizona schools, while Cal has their last home stand against the Oregon schools. Oregon looks prime to upset the Bears and OSU has the potential to pull off a win with their prolific offense. The Dawgs cannot overlook ASU on Thursday with a huge, exciting game coming on Saturday against rival Arizona.

Go Dawgs!

Oregon State University Game 2 Preview

Well Thursday was ugly. That's all I have to say about that. I'm doing my best to forget that game and hope the team is doing the same.

Up next is Oregon State who is coming off a 10 point defeat to WSU. That is rather impressive when one considers the Beavers are ranked in the top 10 in scoring with 81 points per game, a feat they accomplish this by dishing out almost 17 assists per game (12th in the nation). Its hard to imagine the Beavers will shoot as lights out as the Ducks managed on Thursday, but anything can happen as we recently saw.

The team needs to regroup and find that energy and chemistry that won them the past 5 games. Whatever they had during that stretch, they left it on the bus when they arrived late and in a hurry. Everything needs to improve, especially the defensive efforts and the free throws. Its easy to get blown out when you leave 10 to 15 points a night off the board from missed foul shots.

The Beavers possess a ton of scoring potential, but like the Ducks their strength comes mostly from their guards and not their post players. The Beavers are not lacking size, they have 4 players that stand 6-10 to 6-11, but their big men are simply not skilled enough to really do the type of damage they will be capable of in another year or two when they have improved their game.

Jared Cunningham is a very dangerous player who is leading the conference in scoring with over 18 points a night. Cunningham does more than score. Cunningham averages almost 3 assists per game, second only to Joe Burton, grabs 4 rebounds, and averages almost 3 steals a game. Cunningham is making a strong case for Player of the Year, but OSU's poor conference record may hold him back from earning that title. Cunningham is also, in my mind, a defensive player of the year candidate. Cunningham is an explosive player who has scored 27 points or more four times this season, including a 37 point effort in a 100-95 win over Texas.

Ahmad Starks is tiny, but efficient player with a deadly 3-point shot. Starks has been known to drill 25 and 30 footers with as much ease as a 20 footer. He leads the team in 3-point makes with 55 on the year and is shooting around 35% outside the arc. Inside the paint, Starks struggled to score due to his size and is often pushed around by bigger guards. Starks managed 14 points last time against the Dawgs, but shot only 5 of 15 from the field.

Angus Brandy and Joe Burton are key inside where they combine for nearly 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. Burton can be a load to handle at 280lbs, but is fairly nimble and leads the team in assists. They are dangerous players who can score in bunches and the Huskies will need to get good positioning to keep them off the block. Aziz N'Diaye will have his hands full and both Desmond Simmons and Darnell Gant will have to bring their defensive A-games.

Predicted Starting Line-Ups:

Oregon State:

Ahmad Starks 5-9 165lb
Jared Cunningham 6-4 194lb
Devon Collier 6-7 206lb
Joe Burton 6-7 280lb
Angus Brandt 6-10 237lb

Washington

Abdul Gaddy 6-3 185lb
Tony Wroten 6-5 205lb
Terrence Ross 6-6 195lb
Desmond Simmons 6-7 225lb
Aziz N'Diaye 7-0 260lb

Keys to the Game:

Free Throws:

UW left 15 points off the board against the Ducks with missed free throws. Enough said. It has to change and it has to change now.

Rebounding:

I can't imagine the Huskies shooting that poorly again, but should we continue to miss in droves we need to rebound in droves as well and score on the put back.

Play Team Basketball:

The one similarity in every single loss has been an inability and unwillingness to play as a team, instead opting for one-on-one basketball. It is easy to defend a guy one-on-one with the rest of your team at your back. It's easy to score when you move the ball, set screens, and execute some semblance of an offense.

Final Thoughts:

This game, like every game, is critical in securing an NCAA bid. Honestly, at this point, our best and likely only chance of getting a bid is by winning the conference tournament for the third straight year. If we continue to rack up blow out losses, it won't matter if we win the conference title. Mid-majors win their conference all the time and don't make it in. This year, the Pac-12 is ranked as the 8th or 9th best conference in the nation. That is mid major status. The Dawgs cannot afford to drop any more games and certainly can't afford anymore egg-on-face type games. A 14-4 record should get us a bid, but if there are 2 or 3 teams in the Pac-12 at 14-4, I guarantee only one will get a bid and right now that bid would go to California who has a game on us and played pretty consistently throughout the year. I think the Huskies can pull this win out if they find a hot hand. WSU showed Oregon State is beatable at home and even Cunningham racking up 33 points wasn't enough to bring home the win. One player cannot win a game, but they can be the game changer. Same principle applies to the Huskies. Someone has to get hot and someone has to take charge.

Final Score Prediction: UW-74 OSU-70

Oregon State University Game Preview

Sorry for the lack of coverage lately. Winter break is in full force meaning a lot of family time and going out with friends I don't see most of the year. Unfortunately, I really won't have a post game review for this game. Somehow the UW athletic department allowed themselves to schedule this game at the EXACT same time as the Alamo Bowl. My priority normally goes to basketball, but in this case I gotta watch the Bowl game. Hopefully I can link a few game reviews and get reader feedback from anyone who watches the game.

The Beavers are looking pretty solid this season after several disappointing finishes the past few seasons.  OSU comes into the conference opener with a 10-2 record and a streak of 4 straight wins, their latest coming against the Chicago State Cougars. The Beavers played a tight one against then #22 Vanderbilt, losing 64-62. Their other loss came against Idaho with a 74-60 score.

OSU is led by Jared Cunningham, without a doubt. Cunningham is a leading Pac-12 POY candidate and has had some monstrous games this season. In one week he had a 35 and 37 point game. He has been held to single digit scoring only twice this season, both games were OSU losses. The key to beating Oregon State? Shutting down Cunningham. He leads the team in scoring with 16.8 per game. Cunningham also snatches up around 4 rebounds per game, dishing out 3 assist and 2.4 turnovers per game. He also is one of the top defenders in the conference averaging a staggering 3 steals per game. The trick to shutting down Cunningham is forcing him to play outside the key. Cunningham is 11-46 on year outside the arc, while his inside presence can be absolutely vicious. He is a moderate free throw shooter, hitting a bit over 75% on the season.

OSU is a very balanced and seemingly talented team. Their youth last year has been turning into experience this season and is paying off in dividends. The Beavers receive significant contributions from 6 players outside of Cunningham, with each of those 6 scoring at least 5 points per game.

Cunningham is supported in the backcourt by "5-9" Ahmad Starks (I put it in quotations because he makes I.T. look tall and I.T. was measured by the NBA at 5-9) and 6-3 Roberto Nelson. Starks is third in scoring with 12.5 points per game and is shooting an impressive 39% from deep (18-28). Starks is also a perfect 18-18 from the charity stripe. Maybe he can give our guys a few pointers during the pregame warmups. Starks is ineffective inside, but give him room on the outside and his high arcing shot can do some serious damage. Starks has had three games with at least four 3-point makes.

Nelson comes in with a bit over 11 points per outing on top of 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2.5 turnovers a night. Nelson is another dangerous 3-point shooter who thrives on receiving the outlet pass after a drive by Cunningham. Nelson is shooting 44% behind the arc and has made 20 of his 46 attempts. Nelson is a scrappy guard who started the season slow with five straight games of 5 points or less. Since then, Nelson has scored at least 11 in every game and has two 20+ point games thus far. Nelson's higher scoring games follow solid outside shooting nights. Nelson tends to be the first man off the bench and receivers starter minutes.

The OSU frontcourt is decent in its own right. Devon Collier stands at 6-7 and is second in scoring for the Beavers. Collier brings in 14 points and 5 rebounds a game. He is a very solid shooter from short to mid-range, but struggles at the line. Collier is averaging around 7 FT attempts per game and knows how to draw a foul. This is not necessarily a bad thing due to the fact he has made only 58% of his attempts. In crunch time this could prove to be a huge factor.

Angus Brandt is a 6-10 237lb F-C who likes to play quite mobile, taking shots inside the paint and outside the arc. Brandt is a very respectable 9-18 from deep and is a definite threat when given space and time. The key to preventing Brandt from taking deep shots is tight, pressure defense. Brandt tends to be more comfortable from longer distances as shown by his sub-par rebounding stats that do not make sense give his size. Brandt is only averaging 2.8 rebounds per game. The majority of the Beaver rebounding comes from 6-7 280lb Joe Burton and  6-10 201lb Eric Moreland.

Joe Burton is a big, big body that uses size rather than speed to make his move. Burton averages about 6.4 rebounds per game and has only attempted 6 outside shots, making 3. He is a better player in the paint, making around 50% of his shots and hitting 70% at the line. As much as I like the 4 guard line-up, Burton's size combined with Brandt's height demand Aziz N'Diaye to reenter the starting 5. Expect Darnell Gant to cover Brandt, while N'Diaye bodies up against Burton.

Predicted Starting Line-Ups:

Oregon State:

Ahmad Starks 5-9 165lb
Jared Cunningham 6-4 194lb
Devon Collier 6-7 206lb
Joe Burton 6-8 280lb
Angus Brandt 6-10 237lb

Washington:

Abdul Gaddy 6-3 185lb (Don't be surprised if Tony Wroten replaces Gaddy in the starting 5)
C.J. Wilcox 6-5 190lb
Terrence Ross 6-6 195lb
Darnell Gant 6-8 230lb
Aziz N'Diaye 7-0 260lb

Keys to the Game:

Rebounding:

OSU averages around 36 boards per game, while UW has been picking up around 41. With several strong 3-point shooters, OSU presents a challenge to the Husky team to collect every board they can. If the Dawgs allow OSU to gather up 10 or more offensive boards, the Huskies could very well find themselves looking at a big deficit due to outside shots raining in.

Defense:

This may seem broad and pretty obvious, but it is something the Huskies have struggled with, especially against teams with tough backcourts. OSU is in the top 10 for both points per game with 84 and assists with nearly 19 per night. The Beavers thrive on play making through passing rather than creating opportunities for themselves. If the Huskies can press early and hard, while preventing easy passes and wide open looks, their athleticism should help them prevail.

Ball Control:

This is another category that the Huskies have been on a roller coaster with, either dishing out a bunch of assists or turning it over every other possession. OSU averages 10 steals per game and force 20 turnovers per game. That is an extreme amount and is a testament to the brutal defense the Beavers put out on the court. Wroten will need to be very mindful of this and keep his risky passes to a minimum. To avoid turnovers the Huskies will need to run a fast offense with a lot of screens to lose their defender.

Final Thought:

This is a dangerous match-up for the Huskies. Hec-Ed has been kind to the Dawgs, but with a large majority of Husky fans opting to watch the Alamo Bowl, the home game feel likely won't be there. The Dawgs cannot let this get to them and need to bring the type of game that nearly beat Marquette and stayed half competitive with Duke. If the Dawgs can execute and run an efficient offense I see no reason why they cannot win this game. That being said, this will likely be a close and stressful game.

Final Score Prediction:

UW-84 OSU-80

Oregon State University Preview: 2011-2012

Oregon State had a rough season last year, finishing 5-13 in conference and 11-20 overall. It doesn't look to be getting any easier for the Beavers either after graduating four seniors, including two redshirt seniors. This season the Beaver roster only sports one senior in Kevin McShane, who only averaged 9 minutes and .9 points per game. The Beavers had a smaller recruiting class with two incoming freshman, including a point guard from Sweden who is relatively unknown. This team will rely heavily on Jared Cunningham, Joe Burton, and Roberto Nelson. While the Beavers team is somewhat tall (the average height is 6-7) they lack overall depth.

Key Losses:

Calvin Haynes 6-3 188lb

The Beavers had far from a high scoring offense, but Haynes was second on the team at 9.4 ppg. His scoring came mostly from inside and driving the lane as his 3 point shot struggled most of the season. Haynes did a little bit of everything for the Beavers adding 3 boards and 2 assists on average. His speed and experience will be missed by OSU.

Omari Johnson 6-9 220lb

Johnson led the Beavers in rebounds last season at 6.4 per game and was 5th in scoring at 7.2 ppg. A poor free throw shooter, but a solid man on the block, Johnson provided strength inside along with Joe Burton to prevent teams from cheating out on the perimeter. Burton and Angus Brandt will have to step their games up to fill in the rebounding hole.

Incoming Freshman:

Challe Barton 6-3 188lb

Barton played for the Swedish U16, U18, and U20 teams giving him some good experience coming into his freshman year. He will be a backup behind Ahmad Starks. He is a pass first guard, which is great for the Beavers who were led in assists by Joe Burton, the 6-7 280lb F. Both he and Starks will be important in generating more offense for OSU.

Daniel Gomis 6-9 220lb

Gomis will help fill in where Johnson left off. He is a workhorse on the glass and defensively, but his offense leaves a lot to be desired. ESPN says his best shot is his dunk and other than that he tends to struggle to maintain a consistent stroke. Like Joe Wolfinger, the former UW 7 footer, Gomis is known to take a few 3 pointers, but does not have the talent to be a threat with it. Gomis should become a much better and more impacting player for the Beavers after a year or two in the system, working on his shot.

Returning Players:

Ahmad Starks 5-9 165lb
Roberto Nelson 6-3 195lb
Jared Cunningham 6-4 194lb
Joe Burton 6-7 280lb
Rhys Murphy 6-7 195lb
Devon Collier 6-7 206lb
Kevin McShane 6-9 225lb
Angus Brandt 6-10 237lb
Eric Moreland 6-10 201lb
Chris Brown 6-11 262lb
Daniel Jones 6-11 208lb

During the summer, Nelson cut his hand up pretty good after breaking a glass backboard during a game abroad with the rest of the Beavers. Overall it is a minor injury in the grand scheme of things and is already back in action. Starks should continue to be a dangerous player with a deadly 3 pointer from extreme ranges as well as the speed necessary to make him a great defender. His size often leads to a mismatch, but Isaiah Thomas showed that if you are a good enough athlete it doesn't matter. The difference between I.T. and Starks is that I.T. is actually 5-9 and has 20lbs on the much smaller Starks. Cunningham is a fantastic athlete who had one of the better dunks in conference last season and should lead the team in scoring once more. If Barton and Starks can run the offense, Cunningham may find more opportunities on the perimeter to add to his lane driving ability. The biggest question for the Beavers is if their frontcourt can provide enough support to keep the Beavers in games. While Burton is a big body, he is fairly slow and out of shape, which leads to more fast breaks against speedier, transition teams like UW.

Predicted Starting Line-Up:

Ahmad Starks 5-9 165lb
Roberto Nelson 6-3 195lb
Jared Cunningham 6-4 194lb
Joe Burton 6-7 280lb
Angus Brandt 6-10 237lb

What to Expect:

Despite having a tall team, the Beavers lack real talent in the frontcourt and will likely struggle to compete with teams like UCLA and UW. Beyond the starting 5 the Beavers leave a lot to be desired, but on the plus side, the Beavers have a fairly easy non-conference schedule that will hopefully give the young players some opportunities to develop some confidence and skills. Their toughest test comes on the road against Texas and OSU will likely get blown out of the water despite Texas losing 8 players. Oregon State is in for another tough season, but their coach is aiming high at an NCAA tournament bid. OSU should be happy with a CBI or NIT invitation. Look for OSU to finish amongst the bottom of the Pac-12 once more. I don't see OSU doing any better than 7th in the conference and will likely finish no lower than 10th.


And as an added bonus, for those who haven't seen this video yet, some team "bonding" from the OSU Beavers: "Tickle Fight"

Oregon State University Preview 2

The article is up on Montlake Madness: http://www.montlakemadness.com/game-preview-oregon-state-2/

After the 103-72 beat down earlier this season, you can bet the Beavers are anxious for some revenge.