| 24 February 2011
The Oregon State Beavers, suffering through a hugely disappointing season, play their final home games this weekend when they tip off against Stanford on Thursday and against California on Saturday at Gill Coliseum.
The Beavers' effort and energy have been high all season, but coming off an 82-63 loss against the Ducks in Eugene last weekend, the Beavers need to get up early and produce points at a consistent pace against the Cardinal and Golden Bears. At 4-10 in the Pac-10, and having won only 2 games in their last 12, the Beavers simply cannot afford to drop these final games in Corvallis.
Notes
Seeking Redemption: The Beavers have plenty of motivation this weekend. Cal and Stanford made the Beavers look bad in late January, when Cal dropped OSU 85-57 and Stanford followed up with a 70-56 victory of its own. Both games looked winnable for a Beavers team that returned home to defeat Washington the following weekend, but after OSU's defense broke down against Cal, leading scorer Jared Cunningham struggled to score against Stanford, going 0-4 for 1 point in his worst game of the year. Cunningham is undoubtedly aching for a big game Thursday night.
Starts Inside: Looking for productivity in the paint, OSU coach Craig Robinson benched starting post players Angus Brandt and Joe Burton against Stanford in California on Jan. 29. They didn't respond well, going a combined 2-13 for 5 points. For Cunningham and the OSU guards, it's important that at least one of the pivotmen contributes to the offense to help open opportunities and take pressure off the perimeter.
Deane Reappears: Senior forward Daniel Deane, who started a number of games for the Beavers last year and played significant minutes, is apparently back into Robinson's rotation. Deane played only a handful of minutes prior to the loss last weekend in Eugene, when the bruising 6-foot-8 Utah native chipped in 5 points, 5 rebounds, and a block in 8 minutes of playing time late in the game.
The Oregonian's Paul Buker recently speculated that Deane's diminished role was possibly due to academic issues, but Robinson would only say that "there's a reason why he hasn't been playing, and I think he's taken care of that." Around campus and with the team, Deane's disappointment has been visible this season.
"It was just nice to get a chance to play," Deane told The Oregonian. Given the poor play of Brandt and Burton, it might serve everyone well if Deane were to get more playing time in his final games with the Beavers. The former Mr. Basketball in Utah and No. 56 national recruit is an excellent rebounder, a solid defender, and he has a decent touch around the rim. He's certainly well rested, too.
Scouting Cal: Forward Harper Kamp went 7-9 for 18 points and center Markuri Sanders-Frison went 5-9 for 15 points for the Cal Bears against OSU on Jan. 27. Repeat performances on Saturday in Corvallis will likely lead to another Cal victory. Kamp (15 points per game) and Sanders-Frison (11 points per game) challenge most any defenders in the Pac-10, but if Brandt and Burton can't slow them down in the first half on Saturday, we may see Deane and freshman center Chris Brown play more minutes in the second half. The OSU defense is doing its job if the Beavers can slow these two in the paint and prevent point guard Jorge Gutierrez from slicing up the 2-3 and 1-3-1 defenses.
photo: ethan erickson
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