With Corey Williams calling Thursdayβs game along with Dave Pasch on ESPN2, the Wildcats had 1990s-era players on both sides of the court: Williamsβ former teammate during the heart of the Lute Olson era, Reggie Geary, was providing color commentary for the Wildcatsβ radio broadcast next to the UA team bench.
Geary also made an extended appearance earlier Thursday on Pac-12 Radio, while Williams said he was excited to work what was probably his third or fourth game with Pasch, the veteran multisports play-by-play voice.
βESPN2 with Dave Pasch?β Williams said, smiling. βI must be moving up.β
Jet setter
While Pasch was making his career debut in Corvallis, he didnβt plan on staying long.
Even though he is scheduled to work Arizonaβs game at Oregon on Saturday with yin-yang partner Bill Walton, Pasch is making what is normally a 45-minute commute to Eugene through Los Angeles, of all places.
Pasch said he is scheduled to work the Nuggets-Clippers game in Los Angeles on Friday, then zip back up to Portland on Saturday morning, where he is scheduled to be driven to Eugene in time for the 3 p.m. Pacific time tipoff.
Of course, if the FAA melts down Saturday like it did Wednesday, Pasch might not make that Saturday game in time. But he said he hasnβt missed a game yet for any sort of delay.
βHavenβt had to worry about that yet,β Pasch said. βWhether itβs college football for 20 years or NBA or college basketball, Iβve never had that before.β
βGameDayβ credentials?
With Pasch and Walton also scheduled to work Arizonaβs Jan. 21 showdown with UCLA at McKale Center on ABC, McKale is likely to at least get consideration for hosting ESPNβs βCollege GameDayβ earlier that day.
Arizona is scheduled to face UCLA at noon, making it a little tight on the schedule. But βGameDayβ is done by 10 a.m., and Arizona segments could always be prerecorded if needed.
ESPN broadcaster Dave Pasch is calling both Arizona games in Oregon this weekend β with a trip to L.A. for an NBA game in between.
Stormy intro
Oregon State isnβt known for great winter weather or a modern basketball arena, but the Beavers tried turning both of them into a positive.
On their pregame video introduction at Gill, Oregon State showed players walking through idyllic fall scenes on campus, with Journeyβs βSeparate Waysβ playing in the background. Then it went to a shot overlooking Gill Coliseum just as snow fell, presumably before a game.
The Beavers are then last seen together celebrating on an outdoor court as the video closed out and players were introduced on the floor.
No posse for Lloyd
The Oregon State and Washington campuses are both just about two hours away from Kelso, Washington, the hometown of UA coach Tommy Lloyd.
But while Lloydβs parents and a small group of relatives and friends showed up to watch the Wildcats beat the Beavers at Gill Coliseum early last season, there was no such gang Thursday.
βNo. Not at all this time,β Lloyd said Wednesday. βMy parents are in Hawaii on vacation.β
Lloyd said he didnβt expect any friends or other family members, either.
βNobody,β he said.
There were about 30 fans with UA gear sitting in a corner of Gill Coliseum behind the end of the Wildcatsβ bench, however.
Oregon State forward Rodrigue Andela, right, blocks a shot by Houston forward Justin Gorham during the first half of an Elite Eight game in the 2021 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Good memories
Rodrigue Andela is the only remaining Oregon State player from its 2020-21 Elite Eight run, and maybe thatβs fitting.
He has personified the Beaversβ ups and downs throughout his career.
As a junior-college transfer that year, Andela helped lead the Beavers to the Pac-12 Tournament title, averaging 10.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in wins over UCLA and Oregon. Last season, when the Beavers won just three games, he broke his foot after playing just seven games and sat out.
This season, with the Beavers showing more signs of life, so is Andela. While improving from knee tendinitis, Andela logged 42 total minutes in games at Utah and Colorado last weekend, shooting a combined 8 for 12 from the field.
βI won the league before. I went to the Elite Eight,β Andela told the Corvallis Gazette-Times. βIβm trying to get the energy and give it to everybody so we can go back again.β
Andela said his goal was to βget healthy and get my confidence back and play well so I donβt have to have any regrets at all.β
The University of Arizona once had a live "Wildcat" mascot; however, the current mascot β with a few changes that include wife, Wilma, along the way β Wilbur the Wildcat has been a favorite around Tucson for more than 60 years.
