Game Preview: UW vs. Oregon (Game #13)
Here’s a smaller-than-usual game preview for Saturday afternoon’s game. I’ll be back in full force on January 10th, and you won’t get another skimpy preview for the rest of the year!
The Washington Huskies (1-0, 10-2 overall) meet the Oregon Ducks (1-0, 9-4 overall) on Saturday at 2:00 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 opened up their Pac-10 season on Thursday night with a 76-70 victory over Oregon State.
The Huskies were most recently ranked 17th in the AP poll and 16th in the Coaches’ Poll.
The Huskies have a 182-102 lifetime record against the Ducks, and won both meetings last season.
Projected lineup: G – Quincy Pondexter, G – Isaiah Thomas, G – Abdul Gaddy, F – Darnell Gant, F – Matthew Bryan-Amaning
What you need to know about the Ducks:
Oregon is coming off a 91-89 double-overtime win over Washington State on Thursday.
Oregon finished last in the Pac-10 last season, with a 2-16 record in conference play (8-23 overall). The Ducks were picked by the media to finish sixth in the conference this season.
Coach Ernie Kent will continue to ride the hotseat for the entire season unless the team excels with its play. Many expect Kent to be relieved of his duties after the season if Oregon doesn’t reach the NCAA Tournament.
Oregon is led by senior guard Tajuan Porter and senior forward Joevan Catron. While both have missed significant time due to injury this season, Porter played 42 min against WSU, and Catron sat out. Kent has also had to bench two of his other starters, guards LeKendric Longmire and Teondre Williams, for several games this season due to academic issues. Williams played on Thursday.
Sophomore enter Mike Dunigan was expected to be a major factor for the Ducks this season, but has failed to improve upon his promising year last season, and is averaging 11.6 points and 5.1 rebounds in only 19.8 minutes per game.
Projected lineup: G – Tajuan Porter, G -Malcolm Armstead, F- Jamil Wilson, F – E.J. Singler, C – Mike Dunigan
Keys to the game/What to Expect:
Oregon may be the only team in the Pac-10, other than the Huskies, that goes 12-13 players deep with quality guys. Try as he might, though, Kent seems unable to avoid a circus atmosphere around the team this season. Whether due to injury, suspension, or surprisingly poor play from his most promising players, the Ducks haven’t played many games at full strength so far. If Oregon can get the most from its talented roster, they can hang with anyone in the country, including the Huskies.
Key matchup: Huskies’ guards vs. Ducks’ Guards. When they’re at full strength, the Ducks may run deeper at the guard position than the Huskies. While Isaiah Thomas is the best player from either team’s backcourt, the Huskies will get different looks all night from a group that includes Porter, Longmire, Williams, Garrett Sim, and Malcolm Armstead.
What I expect: Putting any Huskies’ hiccups aside, Oregon went through quite a roller-coaster ride on their way to Pac-10 play. If each team were to come out with its best game possible at full strength, I think this would be a pick ’em contest — Oregon has that much potential. But, I haven’t seen enough from the Ducks to say Oregon can put together a signature game, particularly on the road. I’m picking the Huskies, 93-76.
Here’s a smaller-than-usual game preview for Saturday afternoon’s game. I’ll be back in full force on January 9th, and you won’t get another skimpy preview for the rest of the year!
The Washington Huskies (6-1) meet the Oregon Ducks (7-0) on Saturday at 2:00 PM at Hec Edmundson Pavilion.
GO HERE FOR BOTH TEAM’S RECORDS: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/conferences/standings?confId=21
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 opened up their Pac-10 season on Thursday night with a XX-XX defeat of Oregon State.
GO HERE: http://www.gohuskies.com/sports/m-baskbl/sched/wash-m-baskbl-sched.html
The Huskies are ranked 17th in the AP poll and 16th in the Coaches’ Poll. (If not in the top 25, just say “The Huskies are unranked in both the AP and Coaches’ Polls.”)
GO HERE (ESPN/USA TODAY is the “coaches’ poll): http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/rankings
The Huskies have a 182-102 lifetime record against the Ducks, and won both meetings last season.
Projected lineup: G – Venoy Overton, G – Isaiah Thomas, G – Elston Turner, F – Quincy Pondexter, F – Matthew Bryan-Amaning (THIS SHOULD JUST MATCH WHATEVER THE LINEUP WAS FOR THE LAST GAME)
GO HERE (click on the the last game, then click on BOX SCORE. The first five guys listed will be the starters): http://www.gohuskies.com/sports/m-baskbl/sched/wash-m-baskbl-sched.html
What you need to know about the Beavers:
Oregon comes into the game at XX-XX, having last defeated/lost to Washington State on Thursday.
http://www.goducks.com/SportSchedule.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=500&SPID=235
Oregon finished last in the Pac-10 last season, with a 2-16 record in conference play (8-23 overall). The Ducks were picked by the media to finish sixth in the conference this season.
Coach Ernie Kent will continue to ride the hotseat for the entire season unless the team excels with its play. Many expect Kent to be relieved of his duties after the season if Oregon doesn’t reach the NCAA Tournament.
Oregon is led by senior guard Tajuan Porter and senior forward Joevan Catron. Both have missed significant time due to injury this season, but are expected to play against the Huskies (please do a google news search and see if these two are still injured. If so, please change the previous sentence to say “and neither are expected to play against the Huskies). Kent has also had to bench two of his other starters, guards LeKendric Longmire and Teondre Williams, for several games this season due to academic issues.
Sophomore enter Mike Dunigan was expected to be a major factor for the Ducks this season, but has failed to improve upon his promising year last season, and is averaging XX points and XX rebounds in only XX minutes per game.
Go here: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/player/profile?playerId=40999
Projected lineup: G – Tajuan Porter, G – Teondre Williams, G – LeKendric Longmire, F – Joevan Catron, C – Mike Dunigan (THIS SHOULD JUST MATCH WHATEVER THE LINEUP WAS FOR THE LAST GAME)
GO HERE: http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&SPID=235&SPSID=4294 (click on the the last game, then click on BOX SCORE or STATS. The first five guys listed will be the starters):
Keys to the game/What to Expect:
Oregon may be the only team in the Pac-10, other than the Huskies, that goes 12-13 players deep with quality guys. Try as he might, though, Kent seems unable to avoid a circus atmosphere around the team this season. Whether due to injury, suspension, or surprisingly poor play from his most promising players, the Ducks haven’t played many games at full strength so far. If Oregon can get the most from its talented roster, they can hang with anyone in the country, including the Huskies.
Key matchup: Huskies’ guards vs. Ducks’ Guards. When they’re at full strength, the Ducks may run deeper at the guard position than the Huskies. While Isaiah Thomas is the best player from either team’s backcourt, the Huskies will get different looks all night from a group that includes Porter (please remove if he is injured), Longmire, Williams, Garrett Sim, and Malcolm Armstead.
What I expect: Putting any Huskies’ hiccups aside, Oregon went through quite a roller-coaster ride on their way to Pac-10 play. If each team were to come out with its best game possible at full strength, I think this would be a pick ’em contest — Oregon has that much potential. But, I haven’t seen enough from the Ducks to say Oregon can put together a signature game, particularly on the road. I’m picking the Huskies, 93-76.