No. 9 Arizona Basketball travels to Corvallis to take on OSU

CORVALLIS, OR – Looking to continue its winning ways, No. 9 Arizona Basketball (14-4, 5-2) returns to action to take on Oregon State (9-9, 1-6).

After earning a hard-fought sweep of the LA Schools this past week, No. 9 Arizona Basketball is back on the rise as they travel to the Pacific Northwest for another Pac-12 showdown.

Returning to the hardwood on Thursday evening, the Wildcats resume Pac-12 play against the Oregon State Beavers, and despite the Beavers' record, this should be a battle.

Coming in, the Beavers have not been a consistent team; however, they do have some talent, and as we have learned already a few times this year, winning on the road in the Pac-12 isn't easy, and we know Oregon State is going to give the Cats its best shot!

Despite the late tip, hopefully, we will see our Wildcats bring the focus and intensity in this one. If Arizona plays to the best of its abilities, it should be able to beat the Beavers!

Getting to know the details about Arizona Basketball’s opponent, the Oregon State Beavers.

Team: Oregon State Beavers

Conference: Pac-12 Conference

Current Record: 9–9 (1–6)

Head Coach: Wayne Tinkle. Now in his 18th season as a head coach (10th with Oregon State), Coach Tinkle is currently 136–167 (59–116) with the Beavers with two NCAA Tournament appearances and an Elite Eight appearance in 2020-21.

Before arriving in Corvallis, Wayne was head coach at Montana from 2006-14 where he compiled a 158–91 (97–39) record with three NCAA Tournament appearances.

2022-23 Record: Finishing the 2022-23 season with an 11–21 (5–15) record, the Beavers ended their year finishing in 11th in the Pac-12 before losing to Arizona State in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament.

So, as Arizona Basketball takes on Oregon State, here is how you can watch and follow our Wildcats!

Arizona Basketball vs Oregon State Information and Details:

Date: Thursday, January 25, 2024

Time: 9:00 P.M. MST / 8:00 P.M. PST

Television: Pac-12 Network

Location: Gill Coliseum – Corvallis, OR (9,604)

Spread: -18.0 Arizona. (Don’t forget to sign up with Caesars Sportsbook or DraftKings to enhance your overall betting experience)

Overall Series Record: 71-22 Arizona. This is a rivalry that dates back as early as 1975 when Arizona beat Oregon State 96-67. Since then, it has been pretty one-sided with the Wildcats winning 14 of the last 15, including the last seven straight.

Last Meeting: Meeting twice last season, Arizona swept the Beavers, beating Oregon State 84-52 in Tucson the last time they met in February 2023.

Arizona Basketball Game Preview:

Arizona got back on track with a big win over USC, followed by an improbable comeback win over UCLA on Saturday. And after a wild week of basketball action, Arizona returns to the hardwood to take on Oregon State in Corvallis.  

Coming in, Arizona should have the advantage in this one; however, as we've learned this year, the Wildcats aren't perfect (especially on the road), and you know the Beavers are going to give the Cats a fight.

Largely led by sophomore guard Jordan Pope, Jordan is quite the scoring threat for the Beavers, averaging 17.0 points per game.

Next to Jordan are Tyler Bilodeau and Dexter Akanno who have proven to be solid offensive contributors for Oregon State. Together, the trio are the Beavers' biggest scoring threats for an offense that isn't exactly prolific.

Playing at a slower tempo, the Beavers are averaging 69.6 points per game, and they also are not a great shooting team, shooting just 43.2 percent from the field, including 32.1 percent from three. 

While Arizona should have the advantage overall, we expect the Beavers will try to slow this game down and play to its strengths. Arizona will have to push tempo, take care of the basketball, and for the love of god, close out on three-point shooters!

Hopefully, the Wildcats will be ready to go in this one and brew some coffee, it is going to be a late one! Tip-off for Thursday's game against Oregon State is at 9:00 P.M. Tucson time, and the game will be broadcast on Pac-12 Network.

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