No. 3 Arizona Basketball resumes action against Oregon State

Entering Thursday’s action winners of six straight, No. 3 Arizona Basketball (22-2, 12-1) returns to McKale to take on Oregon State (3-20, 1-12). 

Arizona Basketball has been rolling as they have reeled off six-straight wins, which includes two big wins in the Pacific Northwest against Washington State and Washington.

Coming into this one, the Wildcats enter as the clear favorites over Oregon State and they should have the clear and definite advantage too. After a magical-like 2020-21 season, the Beavers have struggled mightily, compiling just a 3-20 (1-12), losing 10-straight games.

Arizona has the talent, skill, and size to overpower Oregon State, and despite being considered the clear favorite, Arizona needs to remain focused if they are going to come away with the win.

Either way, hopefully, we will see if head coach Tommy Lloyd and the Cats can continue their strong play as they look to go 23-2 and maintain a comfortable lead in the conference standings.

Getting to Know the details of Arizona Basketball’s opponent, the Oregon State Beavers.

Team: Oregon State Beavers

Conference: Pac-12 Conference

2020-21 Record: The Beavers ended last year with a 20-13 (10-10) record, finishing sixth in the conference behind Arizona before running the table in the Pac-12 Tournament to earn the automatic bid. OSU even continued some of their postseason magic, advancing to the Elite Eight before being knocked out by Houston.

Head Coach: Wayne Tinkle enters his 8th year with the Beavers, after previously serving as head coach of Montana from 2010-14, Tinkle has compiled a 274–218 overall record, including a 116–129 (53–88) record at Oregon State.

Keys to the Game:

Play Fast – An area where the Wildcats excel, Arizona needs to come out and play at the pace they are accustomed to and force Oregon State to keep up.

The Beavers play a bit slower, so they are going to want to control the tempo and slow this thing down. Arizona can’t let them get comfortable and keep it close.

Arizona needs to use its length and athleticism to create turnovers and get guys out in transition. If they do that, they will win this one easily.

Take Care of the Basketball – Problematic of playing in faster style offenses, there are going to be times where the Wildcats turn the ball over more. Against Oregon State, this is an area that the Wildcats need to put extra emphasis on.

Overall, the Beavers do a great job of forcing other teams to turn the ball over, forcing 12.5 turnovers and 6.3 steals per game. So, if the Wildcats are to win, they will need to take care of the basketball. No need to give the Beavers more opportunities to stay in this one.

Stay Focused – All eyes continue to be on the Wildcats as they are the clear No. 1 in the Pac-12 and the target on the Wildcats’ back is seemingly bigger now than it was two weeks ago.

And as Arizona returns home to take on an Oregon State team that has not lived up to the hype, the pressure will be on for the Wildcats to continue their strong play.

The Wildcats should have a clear advantage, so Arizona needs to stay focused and hungry if they are going to come away with the win against the Beavers and maintain a strong lead in Pac-12 Conference play.

Arizona Basketball versus Oregon State Beavers game information and details:

Date: Thursday, February 17, 2022

Time: 5:30 P.M. MST / 4:30 P.M. PST

Location: McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz. (14,655)

Spread: -24.0 Arizona (Also, don’t forget to use WynnBet to enhance your overall betting experience)

Television: Pac-12 Network

Radio: 107.5 FM (Tucson) / 1290AM (Tucson) | Arizona IMG Sports Network

Team Records:

Arizona Wildcats (22-2, 12-1): Still rolling, Arizona looks to remain perfect as they return to action against Oregon State to open Pac-12 play after their Thursday night’s game against Washington was postponed.

Oregon State Beavers (3-20, 1-12): After a nice run in 2020-21, Oregon State has come crashing back down to reality this season as the Beavers are just 3-20 on the year and have lost 10-straight games.

Head-to-Head Record (since 1949-50): Since 1949-50, Arizona has dominated this series winning 11 of the last 12 matchups. And in the last 60+ years, the Wildcats hold a 69-22 advantage over Oregon State.

Last Meeting vs. Arizona: Opening Pac-12 play with a dominant win, the Wildcats rolled over the Beavers back in Corvallis in early December, winning 90-65.

My Prediction: Arizona 88 Oregon State 63 – After dominating Washington in Seattle, Arizona will come out in this one hungry and ready to play. The Wildcats have tremendous length and athleticism that will challenge the Beavers, and with their skill and talent, they are going to overpower Oregon State, delivering a big win for the Cats on Thursday evening.