No. 15 Oregon at No.10 Arizona
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Oregon has two Lilliputians whom Arizona may have trouble with: Earl Boykins-like Tajuan Porter, who stands 5-foot-6-inches on his tip-toes, and Aaron Brooks, who weighs 165 pounds dripping wet but knocked down a dagger to kill then-No. 1 UCLA. The Ducks, like most other teams, can’t run with the Wildcats, but let’s face it, Oregon head coach Ernie Kent will probably still try.
Arizona 85, Oregon 70
Roman Veytsman, sports editor
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Oregon will come in having met ASU, the worst team in the Pac-10, and the Ducks could come into town feeling overconfident. But my spider-sense (four months until “”Spider-Man 3,”” so I have to start honing it) tells me they’ll be ready to go.
Oregon 95, Arizona 90
Tom Knauer, senior writer
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Oregon’s off to its best start in 69 years getting Wildcat-killer Malik Hairston back in time for the weekend. Expect another track meet, with both squads averaging over 81 points a game and shooters overflowing on both benches. Still, as the Wildcats showed in their win at Washington Thursday, it’s not wise to get in a shootout with the ‘Cats. First one to 100 wins.
Arizona 101, Oregon 95
Michael Schwartz, assistant sports editor
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The Trojans have a new arena, but until O.J. Mayo steps on the floor and becomes basketball’s version of Reggie Bush, USC won’t have a real home-court advantage. Sure, the Trojans have improved over years past, but they’re not on the level of UCLA. The Bruins upset USC in football in December but lost the last time these teams met on the hardcourt, so they have to be at least a little pissed.
UCLA 76, USC 65
Roman Veytsman, sports editor
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The Bruins are still the class of the conference as long as the Wildcats refuse to diversify their lineup, but UCLA’s going to struggle in this game without Josh Shipp, who’s sidelined with a hamstring tear. When healthy, Shipp runs with perhaps the best backcourt in the Pac-10. This matchup’s still pretty boring without Mayo around, but it might be worth watching to see if USC avenges its football loss.
USC 80, UCLA 78
Tom Knauer, senior writer
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How do you spell “”overrated?”” U-C-L-A. If the Bruins still had point guard Jordan Farmar, I could understand all the hype. But besides a quality win over No. 8 Texas A&M, the Bruins haven’t beaten anybody currently in the national top 25. That’s where the Trojans will be after turning the tables on UCLA for knocking them out of the BCS Championship Game in football.
USC 81, UCLA 79
Michael Schwartz, assistant sports editor
No. 16 Tennessee at
No. 5 Ohio State
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Greg Oden is…gasp…human. Or at least Florida and Wisconsin made the man who looks like Wise LeBron look slightly less than the most dominating big man in college basketball history, as some basketball experts have proclaimed him. I’m guessing Thad Matta will give his guards a tongue-lashing if they continue to refuse to get the ball to Oden on every possession.
Ohio State 72, Tennessee 55
Roman Veytsman, sports editor
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Greg Oden will have a field day pounding fellow freshmen Duke Crews and Wayne Chism down low. Going by my other, somewhat inane picks, and Buckeyes football’s recent, putrid performance in the national title game, it would figure if I took the Vols to pull off a one- to six-point victory. Maybe if they hadn’t just lost to Vanderbilt.
Ohio State 90, Tennessee 74
Tom Knauer, senior writer
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I might regret writing this one day, but speaking of “”overrated,”” I don’t get the ridiculous amount of hype for Oden. No question, he’ll be a solid NBA center, but he’s been overhyped. As for Ohio State, who I have to mention got absolutely slaughtered in said championship game, they’ve laid eggs in all their big games. I like Lofton, a sharpshooter, and the Vols in another SEC upset of the Bucks’.
Tennessee 41, Ohio State 14
Michael Schwartz, assistant sports editor
