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 Review 2

Final Score: UW-56 OSU-68

I don't even know what to say right now. The Huskies came out with zero heart, zero effort, and zero drive to win this game. The only player worthy of positive feedback is Scott Suggs. Suggs wanted to win tonight, Suggs wanted to score, Suggs didn't want to lose to one of the bottom feeders. MBA played with zero intensity. He didn't enforce his will like last month. He didn't back his man down. He didn't rebound. Isaiah Thomas played terrible once more. He would drive and turn the ball over. He couldn't score, he couldn't pass, he just kept giving up the ball. Justin Holiday played flat. He was just as average and nonchalant about the game as just about everyone else.

Just like the WSU game, UW forced the outside shot all too often and couldn't hit anything. The inside lacked any post presence. I don't remember seeing Aziz in the second half for more than 4 or 5 minutes. MBA was a non-factor. Gant didn't do much.

OSU had too easy of a time passing inside and scoring. UW played terrible on the help defense.

UW couldn't rebound either. MBA somehow managed 10, but I counted all too many times that he was boxed out with ease by his man. 44-31. You will not win a game having a -13 rebound margin.

UW attempted half the free throws OSU did (38 to 19) and only converted 9. You cannot miss 10 free throws on the road. Just pathetic. Aziz went 0-4, MBA went 2-6. That is unacceptable. I said it in the pregame, free throws win ball games and on the road you have to hit what little you are given.

Isaiah absolutely killed us today. If I had to put this loss on one persons play, not something I normally like to do, it would be Isaiah. 6 assist is normally nice, but he had 7 turnovers. 7. He only had 9 points on the night and 4 of those game from the line. He wasn't getting the foul call and he refused to adjust his game. He wasn't making his shots either. He finished 2-11 from the field, 1-6 from range. In the last two games Isaiah has resorted back to the selfish play he was known for in his first year and a half, except this time he isn't getting the foul calls that bailed him out.

I really am at a loss for words with how to describe this loss. We really didn't play to win today. We seemed to play because we had to. I never once saw the bench get excited, the plays throw up any salutes or high fives. Nothing. Give OSU credit for making us stay outside. They did a great job getting position on the glass and keeping the ball out of MBA's hands. MBA went 5-12 from the field, by the way.

With Arizona's win today, they take a 1 game lead for first place and we enter a tie with UCLA for second in the league. Oregon crushed WSU as well by 26 points and looks to be dangerous this weekend.

32% shooting from the field and 24% from range. 47% from the free throw line. -13 on the rebounding. That is the kind of slump and play that will haunt you for many games. I wouldn't be at all surprised if we get whooped Saturday at Oregon. The Huskies are playing with zero heart right now.

What was Good

Scott Sugg's First Half

4-5 from range in the first half and a game high 14 points going into the break. He couldn't miss, yet we didn't feed him as much as we should have. He went 1-6 in the second half from range and fell apart like the rest of the Husky offense.

What was Decent

MBA's and Holiday's Rebounding

By some miracle MBA finished with 10 boards and Holiday had 7. I really don't know how that happened. MBA looked just plain overwhelmed in the post and was kept out of position more times than he got it. Aziz might as well have sat the entire game. He missed all 4 free throws, picked up 2 rebounds, and had 2 turnovers in 12 minutes. Terrence Ross managed 4 rebounds in 16 minutes, but didn't contribute anything else.

What was Bad

Ball Handling

Sure we only has 13 turnovers this time, but OSU also had 6 steals and UW only managed 12 assists. I.T. had over half of our turnovers. That is ugly. He needs to go back to playing smart basketball. As with WSU, this loss showed why we miss Gaddy. Gaddy may not score 20 points a game. He may not put on a flashy show and have double digit assists, but he does run a team very well and can dish out better than anyone.

Offensive Execution

We forced shots all night again. We could not hit our shots and we could not get any presence inside going. I don't know how MBA managed 12 points. He air balled another short jump hook today. What happened to our mid range game? How about our dribble drive or the pick and roll. Sure the pick and roll is harder to execute against a zone, but there is no reason not to try it when it has been so effective thus far.

Inside Defense

OSU had their way in the paint due to UW not rotating well on defense and ignoring the weak side players that were open for backdoor cuts and the like.

Free Throws

I.T. was 4-5, Scott Suggs was 3-4. They were the only players with respectable numbers. When on the road, free throws are life and death. You take those 10 misses and convert them to points and suddenly its a new ball game. It was the same way at WSU and its the same way tonight. Make your shots, pretty simple.

Three Point Shooting

29 three pointers out of 62 shots taken. Only made 7. Scott Suggs had 5 of those. Talk about going from a multi-optioned outside team to one dimensional. Not sure what happened between November and now, but it is nothing good. We need to find our shot again.

Player by Player Review

Justin Holiday

4 points on 2-8 shooting, 0-3 from outside, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 turnover in 33 minutes. I was expecting a bigger offensive night as I imagined OSU focusing their efforts on MBA and I.T., effectively opening the court for Holiday to have a field day. He looked uninspired today and besides his rebounds, Holiday really didn't contribute much to the game. Holiday missed a wide open lay-in, got the rebound and missed again...Pathetic. You are 6-6 and wide open. DUNK IT IN!
Grade: C+

Matthew Bryan-Amaning

MBA should have been able to power his way to a much stronger double double tonight, but missed his shots and didn't create enough opportunities for himself. The air ball nonsense from 10 feet out needs to stop. MBA needs to make a move to the post and go up strong. I counted at least 3 plays where he went up to get the rebound, brought it down, and went for a lay in that would miss instead of going up strong for a dunk. When you have the size, strength, and position to jam the ball in the hole, DO IT! 12 points, 10 rebounds, 1 block, 1 turnover.
Grade: B-

Venoy Overton

Overton was much more successful on the drive than Isaiah. He had the quickness and agility to execute the play, but really only went for it late in the second half. He had a very limited impact on the game as well. 4 points, 1 steal, 1 assist, 1 rebound, 1 turnover. Bleh.
Grade: C

Brendan Sherrer

Did not play.
Grade: N/A

Darnell Gant

After a strong showing the past few games, Gant did not show up to play big today. 23 minutes, only 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 4 points. 2-6 shooting. We needed him to produce on the glass and possibly on the scoreboard, but we had neither from him tonight.
Grade: C-

Isaiah Thomas

Worst game of the year by far for Isaiah. This is the second straight game where Isaiah has done more harm than good. The difference between today's game and Sunday's outing was the 10 points more he had against WSU. 7 turnovers = a lot of opportunities missed for us and a lot more points for OSU. He is not getting the foul calls he used to and is seemingly refusing to adjust his game play to the way the fouls are (not) going. 2-11 shooting. We needed him as a point guard and play maker, not a scorer tonight, but it is hard to break a player of his ingrained habits this late in a season and career. While he has had tremendous success from the point the past few weeks, he is regressing back to playing with a 2 spot mentality.
Grade: D

Aziz N'Diaye

He might as well have stayed on the bench. Zone defenses render him useless and Romar hardly played him. For only having 1 foul I am really not sure why Romar didn't give him some more opportunities to make a difference inside when we had had so little success from the players underneath as it was. He needs to make his free throws and catch the ball with a little more power and confidence.
Grade: D

Antoine Hosley

Did not play
Grade: N/A

C.J. Wilcox

Hit 1 of 3 shots from outside and played a team low 8 minutes. 2 rebounds and 1 assist. He didn't have enough time to make an impact and didn't do anything exceptional with what time he had on the court.
Grade: C

Terrence Ross

4 rebounds and 2 points in 16 minutes. 1-4 shooting and 0-3 from outside. Like C.J. he really didn't have an effect on the game. He hustled decently enough, but had 0 steals and forced 0 turnovers.
Grade: C-

Final Thoughts

I.T. said it was important to not let one loss turn into two, but it did and now they have to keep from sliding even further down with a loss a Oregon who is riding high and mighty after smashing WSU. UW will drop out of the polls regardless of Saturday's performance and will likely drop to a 6 or 7 seed in the NCAA bracket. They have also put themselves in a big hole they will have to dig out of if they want a shot at the title. With Arizona getting to face us on their court this half of conference they are looking like the new strong favorites to win the title. Sure they have the tough California road trips to finish up, but UW just laid an egg at OSU and could easily drop the game at UO as well. Days like today I find it hard to write without a lot of emotion and wish I wasn't so invested in this team. It is what it is. I'm trying to stay optimistic, but this is just screaming to be let down season. We have so much potential, yet we struggle to unleash it on the road. Sure you don't have the home crowd cheering you on, but the nice part is the court is still 94 feet long, the free throw line is 15 feet from the basket, the hoops is 18 inches across, and the arc is still 20.75 feet from the basket. If UW wants to get this title they really can't afford to lose any more games this season. If they want good seeding in March, or even get to the NCAA for that matter, they need to dominate the opposition and stop playing to their level and tempo. We need our post to go strong and we need our offense to get the ball to them. We need Isaiah to play the point and not the shooting guard position. We need consistent play and tough defense. We need to execute on offense and not miss the easy shots. Free throws need to be hit and games need to be won. I started this season thinking 18-0 and was a very real and achievable goal, but now I am hoping for 14-4 and second place in the league with hopefully a 7 seed in the tournament. This was a must win for UW and they dropped the ball big time. A loss to Oregon on Sunday would put us in a world of hurt and begin to put our post season play in question. The UA and WSU game will be tough battles that really could go either way.

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.

Oregon State University Review

Final Score: UW-103 OSU-72

If you had told me we would win by 31 at half time, I probably wouldn't have believed you. The Huskies played solid enough the first half, but Oregon State couldn't miss from range, going 6-9 in the first half. They even managed to bank in 2 shots from deep. UW did manage to take the lead right before half off a crazy circus shot from about 8 feet out at the buzzer, 40-39 at half. UW went on to outscore the Beavers by 30 in the second half, led by Matthew Bryan-Amaning (24) and Isaiah Thomas (19). Ross also picked up some late game points, ending with 14.

MBA was a BEAST tonight, you might not have seen it happening so obviously, but he had arguably his best game as a Husky. 24 points, 15 rebound (10 defensive), 2 blocks, 1 assist, and 0 turnovers. He shot 11-14 from the field, but a sad 2-5 from the FT line. More on him later.

The Huskies struggled early to solve the defense OSU threw at them. OSU changed things up from their usual 1-3-1 and used some 2-3 zone and, what at times, looked like a 2-1-2 zone with a 3 man collapse that the top of the arc. The Huskies were down 9 at one point and eventually took the lead with a 3 point shot by Scott Suggs. They came out of the half on fire and rolling. The Huskies were able to find MBA inside and got him going. Aziz ended with 7 points and 5 boards in 19 minutes. Isaiah led the team with 8 assists followed by Venoy Overton with 7. The duo combined for only 3 turnovers.

Isaiah hit some early 3 pointers and ended 4-9 from range. Scott Suggs was 4-6 from range and Terrence Ross was 2-3. Justin Holiday ended 0-4 from range, but added 7 points, 4 boards, 3 blocks, 1 steal, 1 assists, and 3 turnovers.

Gant was a perfect 6-6 from the FT line today and I.T. was close behind at 5-6. Aziz had an off day, going 1-5 and Holiday split his at 1-2.

After half time, it was all UW. They defended extremely well, they shot well, and played very tough. UW had another great sequence of plays in a row. It all started with some fast, crisp passes from the corner to the wing to I.T. at the top of the arc and then inside to MBA for a nice lay-in. MBA then comes down and swats Joe Burton as he goes up for a fast break dunk. Darnell Gant recovers the ball as MBA falls into the crowd. He passes to I.T. who drives and dishes back to Gant for the lay-in finish. Overton signals to the fans to get up. Jared Cunningham drives and has the ball smashed away by none other than Gant. Just brilliant. Two assists by I.T., a lay-in and block for our most senior bigs. Hec-Ed was roaring, the players were smiling, and good times were had.

At the end of the game, Terrence Ross sunk a pair of back to back threes to bump up his scoring. Along side Scott Suggs, who had 12 points, the bench added 38 points.

UW also had 20 assists on 39 makes and continues to have an assist rate above 50%. They also picked up 9 steals and 10 blocks, holding OSU to 9 assists.

UW won the battle of the boards once more, despite going into half down 20 to 18. UW finished with 45 while OSU had 32. What do you know? The Huskies out rebounded OSU by 15 in the second half and went on to outscore OSU by 30. UW had, I believe, 2 second chance points in the first half and 23 in the second half. More rebounds equals more opportunities, simple as that.

What Was Good

Rebounding

For starting so slow, The Huskies sure finished strong. MBA had 5 boards going into half, but powered it out in the second to finished with a team high 15. Ross added 7 and Aziz and Gant grabbed 5 a piece. It was great to get such production off the bench from Ross and great to see Gant getting a little more physical on the boards and pick up 5.

Passing

UW did a wonderful job working the ball around the zone, especially in the second half. I.T. and Overton did an exceptional job at the point, finding the open man and driving the ball inside to dish. Overton had a great pass to Aziz who turned and jammed it home over a pair of OSU defenders.

Second Half Shooting

In the first half the Huskies struggled to find rhythm from range, but Scott Suggs jump started the shooting at the end of the first and the momentum continued into and through the second half, making 25 of 39. Suggs and Ross highlighted the range game in the second half.

Toughness

After getting down 9 early, the Huskies showed a lot of resolve and kept their first half lead perfect for the season. They started to figure out the OSU defense and adjusted, allowing them to battle back and take the lead. They came out the second half with intensity and put the Beavers down quickly and efficiently.

What Was OK

Perimeter Defense

Sure OSU was hitting improbable shots and shooting much better than usual, but the Huskies gave the Beavers a few more open shots then I would have liked. In the first half the Huskies had trouble rotating around and getting a hand the their opponents face. They started in a 2-3 zone, but quickly moved to a man defense once OSU started to hit shots.


Free Throws


Darnell Gant and Isaiah Thomas were great. Justin Holiday was OK, and MBA and Aziz were bad. The two bigs combined for 3-10. Not good at all. I don't expect them to hit 80 or 90 percent, but 70 percent is more than reasonable. In a close game those 4 points could be the difference between a win and a loss.


Things to Note

This is the 11th straight win against Pac-10 opponents. The longest streak since the '53 and '54 seasons, 23 straight conference wins.


This is the fifth 100+ point game, tying a record set by the '04-05' team.

This is also ties the best start by a team since '84 when the team opened 6-0.

This is the Dawgs 10th straight home win.

6th straight win, including 2 non-conference wins.

The Dawgs have won 8 straight against OSU.

Scott Suggs played point guard the final 4 minutes of the game, something Romar indicated could happen periodically throughout the year when both I.T. and Overton are out. Suggs plays some PG in practice and has experience with it in high school.

Player by Player Reviews

Justin Holiday

He had a quieter day than most. He finished with 7 points and 3 turnovers, but his defense was stellar. He picked up 3 blocks and a steal. Holiday also picked up 1 assist. He only played 21 minutes tonight. Holiday's limited minutes were likely due to a combination of his poor outside shooting, 0-4, and Scott Suggs hot hand, 4-6 from range. He didn't rebound quite at his normal level, only getting 4, but none the less his efforts on the boards help the team a lot.
Grade: B

Venoy Overton

Nice, efficient job tonight by the senior guard. 8 points, 7 assists, and only 2 turnovers. Overton also had 2 steals and 1 very important block in the first half. He had a beautiful alley oop to a soaring Justin Holiday and another great assist to Aziz who is really starting to learn how to assert himself in the post. Overton had a great shot at the end of the first half to put the Dawgs up 40-39, which whipped the place into a fury. Great job tonight, Overton.
Grade: A

Matthew Bryan-Amaning

MVP of the game. He went into half with 10 points and 5 boards and finished with a game high 24 points and a career high 15 boards. He played with an intensity and resolve the likes of which fans have been clamoring for since the season opener. He finished shots, 11-14, picked up and1's, blocked, defended, and did everything short of shooting his free throws well. Fantastic job over 30 minutes of play. Personally, I thought it was his best game of the year if not career. He was a force to be reckoned with.
Grade: A+

Brendan Sherrer

Logged just under 4 minutes of game play. Didn't shoot, didn't rebound. He was empty in the stat sheet this game.
Grade: A for effort


Darnell Gant

Gant was all over tonight and looked great. He gave us some great production off the bench, scoring 10 on the night as well as grabbing 5 rebounds. He was perfect from the FT line, he had 0 turnovers and only 1 foul. He defended well and shot well. One of his better games for sure. His block was very impressive as it went sailing across the court into the stands.
Grade: A

Scott Suggs

Suggs was a beast in the game. He had a great shooting night, sinking 4 of his 6 attempts and finishing with 12. His lone score in the first half came at the best possible time, a 3 pointer to give the Dawgs their first lead since the opening minute. He demolished the zone in the second half, knocking down 3 triples. Suggs also had 3 assists, 1 steal, and only 2 turnovers. He played some PG tonight and looked comfortable. It was only for 4 minutes, but that is probably the maximum amount of time he will see the PG role in any normal game.
Grade: A

Isaiah Thomas

Another fantastic outing for Thomas. This marks his third game with 17+ points,  8+ assists, and 3 or less turnovers. I believe he could win Pac-10 player of the week as he averaged 19.5 points and 8.5 assists this week. He had an assist to turnover ratio of 17/4 or 4.25, amazing. You can't ask for a better point guard. Both Thomas and Overton have done a fantastic job of picking up their games to make up for the loss of Gaddy. I.T. court vision has really improved and he is doing a fantastic job of finding open guys and dishing out on drives. He forces the defense to collapse or else he will drive and score with ease. This opens things up for our bigs and perimeter shooters. A close second in the MVP category for the game.
Grade: A


Aziz N'Diaye


One of his more solid performances. He went 3-4 from the field, but only 1-5 from the free throw line. He grabbed 5 boards and had 2 blocks. No turnovers, which is great to see as it means his handling is getting better. He usually struggles against the zone, but did a much better job tonight. I was hoping to see 7 boards from him, but I'll take 5 when MBA grabs 15. He is still improving and his senior season should be absolutely impressive.
Grade: B+

Antoine Hosley


Two minutes tonight. Like Sherrer, he had an empty stat line.
Grade: A for effort

C.J. Wilcox


 Still playing slowed and in a slump. He went 1-4 from the field and 0-2 from range. He did get 2 steals and a board. Hopefully he starts connecting again. Until then Suggs and Ross will see a majority of the minutes.
Grade: C

Terrence Ross

He didn't score much until garbage time, but what he did do is rebound and defend. He looked good out there and went 6-11 from the field, including 2-3 from range. Those 2 three pointers came in the last 5 or so minutes. He finished with 14.
Grade: B+

Final Thoughts

The Huskies took 15 minutes to figure out how to beat the OSU defense. Once they did that the Dawgs rolled and the Beavers could do nothing to stop us. Isaiah and MBA have really stepped up in conference play. Ross is looking great as well. Next up are the Bay area schools, Stanford and California. Both should be easy games for the Dawgs, but they cannot be overlooked. This is probably the easiest road trip for the Huskies outside the Oregon schools later in the season. If they play like they did in the second half, the Huskies should have no problem handling Stanford and Cal.

Oh, that was also some of the worst officiating I have ever seen. One ref in particular was completely terrible. He missed several blatantly obvious calls. I am fairly sure if we hadn't been winning, the ref may have been rushed at some point. From an out of bounds possession call to a missed hold that gave OSU the ball and everything in between, this guy was complete nonsense.

Dawg Pack is looking and sounding much better. The UO game was better than the OSU game, but both had full student sections and forced others to sit in overflow. Great to see.

 Links
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQL9r4p9Pjk&feature=player_embedded#! 
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/huskymensbasketballblog/2013885855_raise_the_roof.html 
http://www.montlakemadness.com/huskies-stuff-beavers-103-72/ 
http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=519&sid=410382 

Oregon State University Preview

Oregon State enters the game 2-1 in conference and 7-7 overall, sweeping the Arizona's at home and losing to the Cougars last night 84-70. The Huskies have won 8 straight against the Beavers, most recently the quarter final game in the Pac-10 tournament.

OSU runs a 10 man rotation with some height. Their shortest starter is 6-3 and their tallest is 6-10.

Jared Cunningham leads the team in scoring with 14.1 per game and also grabs 3.3 steals per game. He does, however, average more turnovers (2.4) than assists (2.2).

Omari Johnson leads the Beavers in rebounding with 6.7 boards per game and is third in scoring with 9.6 points per game. He is also averaging more turnovers (1.6) than assists (1.1).

Overall the Beavers are committing 15 turnovers per game, while only managing 13 assists per game. 4 players are averaging 2 or more turnovers per game. Only 3 players are averaging 2 or more assists per game with the highest by Joe Burton at 2.7.

The Beavers rebound decently, averaging 34 or so per game. The do allow their opponents to grab 35 a game. UW is averaging nearly 41 per game and allows 34 per game.

Jared Cunningham is probably the most dangerous player on the Beaver team. He is a 6-4 guard who is athletic, strong, and quick. His ball handling skills are not the greatest, but he does a decent enough job.

This is the perfect game for Ross to get the start. With OSU being a taller team (6-3, 6-4, 6-7, 6-9, 6-10), Ross is a much better match up for Cunningham or Devon Collier than Venoy Overton. Putting Ross in the game allows Holiday to defend Cunningham. Not that Ross isn't talented enough defensively to shut down Cunningham, but Holiday is much more proven defender and is very experienced.

Predicted Line Ups

Oregon State

Calvin Haynes 6-3 188lb G
Jared Cunningham 6-4 182lb G
Devon Collier 6-7 206lb F
Omari Johnson 6-9 220lb F
Angus Brandt 6-10 237lb F/C

Washington

Isaiah Thomas 5-9 185lb G
Justin Holiday 6-6 185lb F
Terrence Ross 6-6 190lb F
Matthew Bryan-Amaning 6-9 240lb F
Aziz N'Diaye 7-0 260lb C

Keys to the Game

Rebounding

MBA has been fantastic since the start of conference play, averaging 8.3 boards per game. Aziz does better against taller teams where he can body up a bit more. He didn't see a lot of action last game and may have a somewhat tougher time tomorrow against OSU's zone. If the Huskies can continue to out rebound their opponents they will see a lot of success come their way. Hustle plays win ball games and that starts with hard work on the glass.

Outside Shooting

OSU runs a 1-3-1 zone that gives the Huskies some good opportunities at the long ball. The Huskies went 10-26 last game, far from their abilities. The Huskies have yet to find their range against Pac-10 teams, but with Ross heating up and Holiday always in excellent form the Dawgs may be  able to find themselves this next game.

Passing

The Huskies had another great passing night with 19 assists led by I.T. at 9 and Venoy with 5. With Gaddy out, it was nice to see the Huskies could cope and still dish the ball with ease. Moving the ball around is key to defeating and penetrating a zone defense.

Free Throws

The Huskies only attempted 10 shots from the line last game, 1 in the first half. They only made 5. With the Dawgs barely getting to the line, at home and the road, they need to capitalize on what limited shots they get. In close situations free throws will win and lose ball games. Look at the UA-Cal game yesterday. Derrick Williams scored 31 points, got to the line 22 times and made 16. UA won by 2. I.T. went 4-6, not bad, but 5-6 is much better.

Defensive Intensity

OSU is very turnover prone and this is great for the Huskies who live on the transition game. The Dawgs could easily force 20 turnovers if they play their cards right and really get after it. The Huskies do need to handle the ball well as the Beavers are one of the best teams in the nation with 11 steals per game.

Final Thoughts

UW should have a somewhat difficult game. In that I mean, OSU will be competitive for most of the game, but the doors should blow open in the second half when our talented bench really starts shining. As long as the Huskies take care of the ball their defensive and offensive skills will do their job and win the game without much trouble. They also need to avoid foul trouble, something they did a great job of yesterday.

Final Score Prediction

UW-90 OSU-70