The Oregon Ducks entered Pac-10 play on a sour note, losing to Idaho in difficult fashion, 69-65. Still, they ended their non-conference schedule with a 7-5 record, succeeding in large part because of the performance of center Joevan Catron and forward E.J. Singler, their leading scorers.

Built around perimeter scoring, however, the Ducks failed to mount any sort of consistency.

Their lack of size came back to bite them routinely, as their perimeter shots failed to fall at a regular rate. Living and dying off jump-shots, especially with such an inexperienced and undeveloped core, slimmed the chances of exceeding expectations within the Pac 10. And, as their play on the road against Arizona and Arizona State illustrate, these Ducks aren’t equipped to compete over the long-haul.

It is no secret Craig Robinson wants to return Oregon State back to the days of Ralph Miller and the "Orange Express", but that's going to take time.

It's also going to take some space.

"I'm trying to raise money to build a practice facility," Robinson said. "Ten years ago they wouldn't have been able to raise a dime for this program."

A lot has changed in Corvallis since then. Heck, a lot has changed since the start of this season for Robinson and the Beavers. Now 2-0 in the Pac-10 with wins over Arizona State and Arizona, this team is only weeks removed from some suspect play in non-conference games. And it was just last month that some in the media began questioning how long Robinson really would be at Oregon State.

"I think people see what I've done and think I'll go on to something else. If you turn a big program around it would be hard to leave. In this business you can't think to far long term," Robinson admitted, when recently asked how long he sees himself in Corvallis.

"But I will tell you something about Oregon State fans and the culture here.... it's been so bad for so long that they forced me to think about it. Because what they say is, 'don't go. Don't leave.' People didn't get me for leaving investment banking, but it's about the opportunity and the experience."

Update: The Portland State Vikings announced today they have added Renado Parker to the team for winter term. Parker - a 6-5 forward who has two years of eligibility remaining - transferred to PSU from the University of Idaho, will be eligible for competition at the end of fall term 2011.  "Renado brings an inside presence as a back-to-the-basket player," said Viking Coach Tyler Geving. "He can score in the paint, has a strong body and is a good rebounder.


There is a lot of basketball left to be played for the Portland State Vikings, but it hasn't been an easy start to the season by any means.

On Saturday, Portland State takes on the Eastern Washington Eagles (4-9, 1-1 conference ) in another Dam Cup conference match-up sure to be a tough contest. With the Vikings having considerable success at home, and with the Eagles winning no games on the road thus far this season, this seems to be the perfect game for the Vikings.

The Eagles are scoring on average, 73 points per game, while they allow about 76 points per game. They struggle against teams that get out in transition , a weakness the Vikings should be able to exploit. The Vikings defense, which has been dismal, should be able to keep the Eagles away from the basket, in doing this, forcing outside shots, where the Eagles have struggled this season (35.9% from the three point line).

Will this be the chance for Portland State to turn around what has been a mediocre start to their year?

Interesting how two or three wins can reset expectations.  With wins over Arizona State on Dec. 30, 80-58, and Arizona on Sunday, 76-75, the OSU Beavers are 2-0 in Pac-10 play and the team's shaky non-conference play is mostly forgotten -- certainly forgiven.  Conference opponents no doubt understand that the Beavers can win games in many ways -- some nights defense, or three-point shooting, or getting to the foul line -- and the Beavers can expect to win on any given night.  Arizona was expected to challenge Washington for top team in the Pac-10.  Right now, it's the Beavers sharing the top spot with the Huskies.

The Notes

Defense Evolving: Credit OSU Coach Craig Robinson for not being over-committed to his trademark 1-3-1 defense.  The trapping zone was largely the reason for several non-conference losses, so the Beavers are only applying the defense situationally now.  Against Arizona State, OSU sat back in a 2-3 zone and used the 1-3-1 sparingly, stealing the ball only 6 times in the game.  OSU is averaging roughly 11 steals per game on the season; against Arizona on Sunday, that's exactly the number of steals the Beavers tallied, 11.  OSU used the 1-3-1 more frequently against the Wildcats, and Jared Cunningham, the Pac-10's leader in steals, finished Sunday's game with 5 steals.  

The Beavers completed their non-conference play with a much-needed 74-54 win over Illinois-Chicago on Wednesday night, and coach Craig Robinson and his guys now look to build on that victory as they approach a Pac-10 schedule that begins with a visit from Arizona State Dec. 30.  OSU enters conference play with a somewhat disappointing 5-6 record that includes losses to Texas Southern, Utah Valley, and Montana -- games the Beavers might, on a good night, win by double digits.

As the Beavers begin focusing exclusively on Pac-10 opponents, it feels like the right time to take a player-by-player look at the OSU roster.  Who's peaking?  What seniors might be losing minutes?  Which of the highly-regarded underclassmen are likely to influence Pac-10 play early in their careers?

Seniors

• Omari Johnson: Is there such a thing as a senior wall?  If so, Johnson may have hit it three games ago.  After looking like a player who found his niche in the first 8 games, averaging 13.5 points per game, Johnson has put up three consecutive 2-point efforts, and OSU coach Craig Robinson has expressed concern that Johnson was being stretched thin by defensive duties at the top of the 1-3-1. He'll need to find his outside shot again and continue to contribute on the boards for the Beavers to compete in the Pac-10 this year.