Pregame: Washington is in town tonight, and so far, there have been no pre-game altercations like there was a season ago. You may remember, you may not, but that's all I'm saying about that. From looking at the numbers, it seems like Oregon State will need to play a near-perfect game in order to win. The Huskies play the fastest basketball in the Pac-10, averaging 73 possession per 40 minutes. They get to the line more than any team in the conference, and they score more points per game (78.2) than any other team in the conference. The Beavers on the other hand, like to slow the game down, and defensively try to suffocate their opponents with zones. However, take all the aforementioned stats out of the picture and look at pure field goal percentage, and Oregon State has the advantage. I'll say that again: Oregon State is a better shooting team than the Huskies. The Huskies shoot 46.0 percent from the field, the Beavers 4.7.
As you can see, the key to this game will be creating as many opportunities for ourselves as possible, while limiting Washington's. We can't afford to give up a lot of turnovers that lead to points-- that's exactly how Washington will win.
I'll be unable to watch this one live, so I'll be absent from the during-game thread. Feel free to chat it up in there-- I'll catch up with you guys on my DVR as soon as I can.
Final: Washington 85, Oregon State 59.
GO BEAVERS!
--Jake (jake.buildingthedam@gmail.com)