Back court
Last week UA point guard Nic Wise averaged 17.5 points and that wasn’t his best accomplishment. Wise distributed 12 assists compared to just 5 turnovers in two victories over the Washington schools. OSU guard Calvin Haynes is the only Beaver to average double digits (16.1 ppg) – comparable to numbers UA guard Kyle Fogg posted last week (15.5 ppg).
Advantage: Arizona
Front court
Oregon State’s Princeton offense may run through its big man post player, what they call a “”point-center”” but UA forward Jordan Hill continues to impress and improve as the competition rises. The game earlier this season in Tucson was better remembered as the weekend Chase Budinger broke out of his shooting slump, but Hill also posted a solid 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Advantage: Arizona
Bench
There’s no doubt the Beavers as a whole are less talented on paper than half of the conference – but when was the last basketball game to be played on paper? It’s not a matter of skill for OSU, it’s the clichéd “”believe in each other”” motto that the Beavers have taken. Top to bottom, they’re buying into Craig Robinson’s plan, and it’s working for the time being.
Advantage: Oregon State
Intangibles
Until the Wildcats can pick up a victory against an opposing crowd, it’s difficult not to give an advantage to the home team. Oregon State may be one of the hottest teams in the conference alongside Arizona, but the Wildcats are a glaring 0-6 record in true road games.
Advantage: Oregon State
Final score: Arizona 64-60
