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Pac-10 Basketball Notebook
By Randy Rosetta
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer
Arizona is one of the hottest teams in the country after stumbling in the season opener, but now the Wildcats get two tougher tests against Conference USA opposition.
UA has reeled off seven straight victories in impressive fashion (averaging 17.1 winning margin) since falling at Virginia on Nov. 12. During their streak, the veteran ’Cats have dismantled several teams expected to vie for NCAA Tournament berths: New Mexico State, UNLV, Illinois, Louisville and most recently San Diego State.
The next two games should present a new challenge, though. Houston visits the McKale Center tonight, while No. 19-ranked Memphis visits Tucson on Wednesday.
The Cougars stunned Arizona last season after the Wildcats missed 16 of their first 17 field goals and tumbled into an 18-point deficit in the first half. That win snapped UA’s two-game winning streak against Houston.
Arizona has been impressive offensively, producing 86.6 points a game with all five starters averaging in double digits. Freshman Chase Budinger and senior Ivan Radenovic lead the way with 17.6 points a game. But it’s been sophomore Marcus Williams who has led the charge lately, with 20 points or more in three of the last four games – anchored by a 21-point, 16-rebound effort against SDSU.
Houston is a 16-point underdog on WagerWeb.com, but the Cougars have enough firepower to test the Wildcats. The Cougars come in averaging 91.7 points a game and are hitting 12.1 3-point field goals a contest.
OREGON STATE: The Beavers are playing better than expected through 10 games, but now face their toughest opponent of the season when 12th-ranked LSU ventures into Gill Coliseum on Sundayy. OSU has played the Tigers only four times, just once since 1969 when Pete Maravich was setting every NCAA scoring record imaginable. LSU doesn’t possess that kind of weapon, but it does have a formidable front line, led by All-American Glen Davis, who averages 19.9 points and 9.9 rebounds a game. The Beavers counter with their own battle-tested front line, buoyed by juniors Marcel Jones and Sasa Cuic. Jones is the Pac-10’s second-leading scorer at 16.8 points per game, while Cuic is coming off a season-high 17 points vs. Western Oregon. OSU is a 12-point underdog on WagerWeb.com, but don’t be surprised if LSU has all it can handle.
OREGON: At 9-0, the Ducks are off to their best start since 1996-97 after routing Eastern Washington 100-74 on Saturday. Oregon got 24 points from Bryce Taylor and 20 from Malik Hairston, both season-highs. Aaron Brooks added 16 points and became the 25th player in OU history to score 1,000 career points. Freshman dynamo Tajuan Porter – all 5-foot-6 of him – continues to lead the Ducks in scoring with 18.2 points a game, anchored by 49.3 percent shooting from 3-point range (36 of 73).
CALIFORNIA: The Bears are the Pac-10’s most enigmatic team so far, with seven impressive victories punctuated by three losses in winnable games to San Diego State, Nevada and San Diego. In the seven wins, Cal has limited foes to 36.6 percent shooting from the field and 55.7 points a game. The Bears have gotten solid play from sophomore guard Theo Robertson, who has recorded double-digit scoring totals in three consecutive games. Cal ranks third in the Pac-10 in field-goal defense (41 percent) and 3-point field-goal defense (28.3 percent).
WASHINGTON STATE: The Cougars are red-hot with a 9-1 start, with a 77-67 triumph against Gonzaga last week as the centerpiece. WSU is off to its best start since 1993-94, with the league’s best scoring defense (58.8 points a game), along with the most 3-point success (64 of 152, 42.1 percent). The Cougars have also blocked more shots (47) than any team in the Pac-10. Sophomore forward Davin Harmeling had a season-high 20 points against Gonzaga and has produced double-figure scoring in five of the last six games. Junior guard Derrick Low has scored in double digits nine times this season and ranks 10th in the league with 16 points a contest. Strangely enough, junior Kyle Weaver, a 6-5 guard, is the leader in both assists (38) and blocked shots (14).
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