Game Preview: UW vs. Oregon State (Game #12)

The Washington Huskies (9-2) will open up the Pac-10 portion of their schedule against the Oregon State Beavers (6-5) on Thursday at 7:00 PM at Hec Edmundson Pavilion.

The game will be broadcast on FSN NW and KJR-950 in Seattle, or your local Husky radio affiliate elsewhere (click here to find yours).

What you need to know about the Huskies:

The Huskies last played on Sunday afternoon at home, when they defeated San Francisco, 86-71.

The Huskies are ranked 17th in the AP poll and 16th in the Coaches’ Poll.

The Huskies have a 149-136 lifetime record against the Beavers, and won both meetings last season.

Projected lineup: G – Darnell Gant, G – Isaiah Thomas, G – Abdul Gaddy, F – Quincy Pondexter, F – Matthew Bryan-Amaning 

What you need to know about the Beavers:

Oregon State comes into the game at 6-5, having last defeated to Fresno State last Wednesday night, 73-65.

Oregon State finished 8th in the Pac-10 last season, with a 7-11 record in conference play (13-17 overall). The Beavers were picked by the media to finish fifth in the conference this season.

Coach Craig Robinson entered the season hoping to bring the Beavers to their first NCAA Tournament since 1990, however a few early losses tempered the national discussion about a resurgent Beavers’ squad.

Oregon State’s best player thus far has been senior wing, Seth Tarver, who averages 13.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists per game.

Projected lineup: G – Josh Tarver, G – Calvin Haynes, F – Seth Tarver, F – Daniel Deane, C – Roeland Schaftenaar

Keys to the game/What to Expect:

I expect Oregon State to try to force a deliberate pace on the Huskies, and exploit Washington’s propensity for impatience with the ball, and vulnerability to backcuts. Oregon State hasn’t scored more than 76 points in a game this season, and only scored more than 80 twice last year with similar personnel.

Key matchup: Husky point guards vs. Josh Tarver. While he isn’t getting as much attention (or respect) as his brother Seth, senior point guard Josh Tarver is savvy and can play with anyone. Tarver’s solid defense will give Venoy Overton a taste of his own medicine, and the ability of Overton and Abdul Gaddy to run the offense around Tarver will be key for the Dawgs.

What I expect: The Oregon State games never look easy, even when we win by a bunch. I’m picking a close and scary first half for UW, before the Huskies pull away in the second. I’m picking the Huskies here, 75-62.