Washington State travels to Oregon in search of next win

January 14, 1:13 PMWashington State Cougars ExaminerLew Wright

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Senior Taylor Rochestie (AP Dean Hare)

The Washington State Cougars (9-6, 1-2 conf.) continue their Pac-10 schedule with a couple of road games, their first of the season, in the Willamette Valley.  First up, the Oregon State Beavers in Corvallis, OR.

Coach Tony Bennett and his Cougs will ride onto the campus of OSU on the heels of an exciting come-from-behind win against Stanford last Saturday.  In sports, momentum can be as important as any other factor in a game.  Coach Bennett's team has "Ol' Mo" on his side.

Oregon State (6-8, 1-3 conf.) has improved over last year's team, one that failed to earn a conference win. The Beavers are led by first year Coach Craig Robinson.  In case you don't follow Pac-10 basketball closely, Coach Robinson is the brother-in-law of President-elect Obama.  That's a fun fact.

Under Coach Robinson, the Beavers are starting to have fun on the court once again. The hard work Coach Robinson demands in practice and during games has actually made the game more enjoyable for his players.  They'll be the first to tell you that.

Make no mistake, Oregon State is no longer a guaranteed "W" for any Pac-10 team.

OSU has tightened up their defense this year, allowing opponents just 62.3 points a game.  That stat jumps out at you when getting a feel for what's going on in Corvallis.  

When these two teams meet on Thursday evening at 6pm PST, both have struggled on offense much of the season.  The Beavers are scoring just under 60 points a game, an average that makes it tough to win in the Pac-10. Washington State is averaging over 66 points, but that is well below the conference average.

Oregon State is led by sophomore guard Calvin Haynes who is averaging just under 15 points and 2 assists per game. Haynes played in every game for OSU last year as a freshman, getting 7 starts along the way.  He's powerfully explosive, making his jump shot almost unstoppable.  Haynes was academically ineligible at the beginning of this basketball season, but is making up for lost time by playing like a man possessed.

The only other Beaver averaging double-digits in scoring is sophomore forward Omari Johnson at just over 10 points a game. Johnson is a strong rebounder with a nose for the ball who averages 5.6 boards a game.  He started 16 games as a freshman last year for Oregon State.

How do the Cougs go about earning a victory tomorrow night?

Simple answer to winning on the road.  Defense.

Coach Bennett's team will play to their strength, and that is defense.  WSU will pressure the ball once over the half court line. They are likely to play a lot of zone schemes because OSU hasn't shown much success shooting from outside.  They are just 34% from behind the arc.

After getting off to a slow start, Taylor Rochestie is returning to the form Cougar Nation remembers from the past two seasons. He has been shutting down the opponents best guard and scoring when the Cougs really need a bucket.

The timing of Rochestie's improvement isn't a matter of luck.  It's a matter of the maturation process for the young guns of Washington State.  As the freshman gain confidence and play more instinctively, Rochestie becomes a dangerous player for the opposition.  He becomes less of a coach on the floor and more of a leader.

On paper, this game might offer viewers excitement on par with watching grass grow.  Neither team is an offensive juggernaut. Both teams play great defense, rarely giving up transition baskets and forcing a boatload of missed shots.

Warning!  If you think the Washington State/Oregon State game won't be a good game to watch, you'd be wrong.

Coach Robinson is a passionate coach who is getting the most out of his players.  With a little over two minutes to play in the Arizona game and the Beavers in striking range of the 'Cats 55-47, Robinson became fed up with the officials taking the game away from his players.  He went off on the refs and then went out after being ejected from the game.  First year coach or not, Robinson expects a lot, even from the fellows dressed in Foot Locker uniforms.

Coach Bennett is just as passionate, but less demonstrative.  His intensity is reflected by the play of his team.

Should be another great Pac-10 match up in Corvallis Thursday evening.  To watch the game on FSN Northwest, you need to tune in earlier than usual at 6pm.  It will be worth the effort.

Seriously.

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