Luke Severn here. It's a little more than 30 minutes till tip-off, so I just wanted to make a few pre-game remarks about the matchup.
In their last matchup, UW defeated OSU in Corvallis 75-72. Terrence Ross had 21 points and 13 rebounds, while OSU's Jared Cunningham scored 23 points to go along with seven rebounds. It was a close game throughout, and the Huskies squeezed out a win. It was a game that could have slipped through their fingers, but they dug deep and pulled out a solid win away from home.
Oregon State comes into this game following a win yesterday over Washington State 69-64. This may go ignored, but look for the Huskies to come out with more energy than the Beavers. Playing back-to-back games is never easy, and while OSU may come out with a lot of energy, they simply aren't as rested as the Huskies. The Dawgs haven't played a game since last Saturday, so they should look much fresher.
Regardless of rest, this matchup should prove to be an interesting one. OSU and UW both have good offenses, so expect this game to be in the upper 70's or low 80's. I believe OSU is slightly better than their No. 9 tournament seed reflects, so don't expect the Huskies to blow them out by any means. OSU could very well upset the Dawgs. OSU plays a quirky 1-3-1 zone defense, so play close attention to how the Dawgs counteract that zone. Look for guys like Terrence Ross, Darnell Gant, and C.J. Wilcox to shoot three's. The team might have to live and die by the three today.
This post was edited on 3/8 11:46 AM by lukese7
This post was edited on 3/8 12:14 PM by lukese7