Game of the Week- Thursday

Following their upset win over nationally ranked Washington, the Washington State Cougars earn a spot in our Thursday “Game of the Week” segment in their matchup against the University of Oregon.

The game features the fourth and eighth place teams in the conference, but do not let those rankings shape your perception of the game. Both teams have undergone a bit of a resurgence after a sluggish start to league play. The Ducks have won three of their past five games, while the Cougars have won five of their past seven.

The Thursday matchup also marks WSU’s first trip into the brand new Matthew Knight Arena. The world-class facility with a funky, forest-like painted court marks the latest obstacle for a Cougar team that seemed to face its fair share of them last year against the Ducks. An almost unheard of technical foul call helped Oregon slip past Washington State in Pullman and a deep tip-in by E.J. Singler sent WSU home from the Pac-10 Tournament in sole possession of last place in the conference.

However, the Cougars were able to exorcise those demons last month in Beasley Coliseum in Pullman. A fast start helped Oregon jump out to an early lead, but WSU quickly closed the gap and fairly easily handled the injury-depleted underdog.

Oregon hopes its recent health will lead to a better outcome this time around. Leading scorer Joevan Catron (15.7 points per game), who left the game after only 12 minutes in the first game, returns to bolster the Oregon frontcourt. In the backcourt, junior Malcolm Armstead, who missed the entire first game against WSU, gives the Ducks an experienced and calming presence handling the ball.

For its part, Washington State counters with arguably the conference’s top backcourt. Junior wing Klay Thompson, coming off a 25-point performance against rival Washington, is the Pac-10’s leading scorer, but he also contributes 5.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. Thompson has plenty of help from his backcourt brethren though. Junior Faisal Aden seemed to rediscover his shooting stroke against UW (15 points), while sophomore point guard Reggie Moore at times dominated the game en route to 18 points and five assists.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

If this game is to end with a different outcome than the first matchup between these two teams this season it will likely be due to Oregon’s increased focus on trapping. Taking a page out of rival Oregon State’s book, the Ducks now trap much, if not most of the game, forcing turnovers that lead to transition baskets. However, with the experience and talent in Washington State’s backcourt, a slow or sloppy press will likely turn into easy points in transition for the Cougars. But, if Oregon comes out with an inspired defensive effort and frustrates Washington State into turnovers, the Cougars may leave Matt Court wondering what went wrong.

KEY PLAYERS

Joevan Catron- The 6-foot-6, 245 pound senior forward presents a difficult challenge for an undersized Cougar frontcourt. While Catron is likely to get his points, his ability to get offensive boards and give the Ducks second chance opportunities could demoralize WSU.

DeAngelo Casto- Casto faces a tough defensive challenge in trying to slow down Catron. However, Catron does not have an easy task, either. Since the beginning of conference play, Casto has become more of a focal point in Washington State’s offense, with a right-handed hook shot being the main source of his success.

Faisal Aden- After experiencing a multi-game shooting slump, Aden finally broke out in a big way against Washington. Although he shot just 6-17 from the field, he was 3-6 from three-point range and gave the Cougars a boost with Thompson on the bench in foul trouble.