LAST MEETING: 71-59 OREGON (January 3rd at Matthew Knight Arena)
RECORD SINCE: 11-5
BIGGEST WIN: vs. #11 Utah (January 29th) 69-59
HOT HAND: JOSEPH YOUNG 6’2’’ SR. G 20.2 points 3.1 assists 90.4% FT 43 3FGs.
X-FACTOR: DWAYNE BENJAMIN 6’7’’ F 8.5 points 5.8 rebounds 30 3FGS 37.5% 3FG
WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Dana Altman’s Ducks have paired with Utah as the surprise teams in the PAC 12. The offensive-minded Ducks (76.4 points, #1 in PAC 12) have found a way to become opportunistic and at times, stifling on the defensive end.
Freshman shot-blocker Jordan Bell has blocked a staggering 81 shots. In addition, the trio of Joseph Young, Dwayne Benjamin, and Elgin Cook have combined for nearly 90 steals. The Ducks helped solidify an NCAA berth with an impressive Bay Area sweep over the weekend. The trip capped off a four game winning streak and eight wins in nine contests. With an outside shot at 2nd place, Oregon invades the unfriendly confines of Gill Coliseum on Wednesday night.
THE PROGNOSIS
Here we go again; Civil War, but this time it’s at Gill Coliseum. Oregon State welcomes the Ducks to town with plenty to play for.
An Oregon State win puts them in great position to edge out California and Arizona State for 6th place in the PAC 12 (and a date with UW). A loss (or even a win without help) and OSU falls to 7th or 8th and a less favorable match-up with WSU or Colorado.More important than the log-jam of comparable opening round opponents, is the more enticing quarterfinal route provided by finishing 6th.
Before OSU can worry about PAC 12 Tournament match-ups, they first must beat Oregon.
This has become a tall task for PAC 12 opponents as the Ducks have followed the lead of POY candidate Joseph Young. The 6’2’’ scoring machine has been stellar, but it has been the emergence of junior forwards Dwayne Benjamin and Elgin Cook that have pushed the Ducks over the top. The duo have provided an unexpected offensive punch to go along with already reliable defense and rebounding.
As good as Oregon is, they’re not a bad match-up for Oregon State. Oregon has been deceptively good from three point range the past five weeks. However, one has to wonder when players like Dwayne Benjamin and Casey Benson will return to the mean from long range.
Oregon State has a good chance to keep Oregon off the offensive glass and can turn them over on the defensive end. Look for Oregon State to keep the role players in check from deep, control the defensive glass, and create enough turnovers to disrupt Oregon. Beavers win this one 66-63 (predictions 13-4 for the season).
NEW BEAVER OF THE WEEK: A.J. HEDGECOCK, SO. GUARD
A.J. Hedgecock was able to return to his first love this fall when he was awarded a walk-on spot by Coach Wayne Tinkle. The former 3A State Champion basketball player from Dayton (Ore.) transitioned to the OSU basketball team after spending nearly two seasons as a walk-on for Mike Riley.
The hard-nosed guard (and former DB) excelled as a basketball, track, and football athlete at Dayton High School. Hedgecock teamed with one-time OSU signee Maika Ostling (6’10’’ Forward) at Dayton. The combo-guard has only appeared in three games, but brings toughness and heady play to the practice floor. Hedgecock’s impact isn’t easily noticed on Thursday or Saturday nights, but his team and coaches notice it each day.
My favorite place to eat/hang-out/spend time in Corvallis is … My favorite place to eat in Corvallis is Aomatsu sushi happy hour. My favorite place to spend time is with my girlfriend.
During the recruiting process, I chose OSU over … I decided to walk on because I liked what Coach Tinkle was about and it seemed like a great opportunity.
The part of my game that I've focused on the most this year is … Getting in shape, defense, ball handling.
My basketball career highlight to this point has been … Winning the State Championship in 2012 and leading all teams in scoring.
The key to OSU's success in PAC 12 play will be … Team defense and sharing the ball.Togetherness, teamwork, hard work, dedication and an all around will to want to win games!