Scouting report: No. 5 Arizona Wildcats vs. Oregon State Beavers
- Updated
Prepare for Arizona's game against Oregon State on Thursday with Bruce Pascoe's in-depth scouting report.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Matchup: No. 5 Arizona (20-2, 9-0 Pac-12) at Oregon State (4-18, 0-9)
Location: Gill Coliseum, Corvallis, Oregon
Time: 7 p.m.
TV: ESPN2
Radio: 1290-AM, 107.5-FM
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Oregon State’s two leading scorers, Stephen Thompson Jr. and Tres Tinkle, have played only one game together all season. That tells you a lot of what’s wrong with the Beavers’ offense, along with the loss of all-around boxscore stuffer Gary Payton II. The Beavers score the fewest points in conference games of any Pac-12 team (61.3) and shoot just 42.5 percent from the field. They do have a legitimate inside-outside scoring combo in Thompson and power forward Drew Eubanks, while Kendal Manuel is another outside shooting threat and onetime UA recruiting target JaQuori McLaughlin is a solid scoring-minded point guard.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
"Eubanks and Thompson are as good as anyone in the league, and McLaughlin is as good as any freshman in the Pac-12. They have four guys capable of having a 20-point game, those three and (Kendal) Manuel. Thompson has deep, deep range on his 3s. McLaughlin is very confident. Eubanks is very strong, very skilled around the basket. Has a gifted jump hook with either hand. … They were blindsided with injuries and suspensions but they’re slowly recovering and getting into a better rhythm." — UA assistant coach Mark Phelps, who scouted the Beavers.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Three-point shooting by 7-footers isn’t exactly an official NCAA record, but if it was, Arizona’s Lauri Markkanen would be in position to shatter it this weekend.
According to research posted on Twitter by Draft Express president Jonathan Givony, Markkanen is just four 3-pointers shy of the most ever shot in a season by a 7-footer.
James Smith had 58 3s over 34 games for Marist in 2006-07, while Markkanen already has 54 over 22 games this season.
“Is Lauri Markkanen the best shooting 7-footer in NCAA history?” Givony tweeted. “He’s definitely making that case. Will crack #1 in 3-pointers soon.”
If Markkanen shoots at his normal pace of 2.7 3s made per game, he’ll break Smith’s record on Saturday at Oregon.
Other 7-footers on Givony’s list: Dawid Przybyszewski had 51 for Vanderbilt in 2003-04 and 48 in 2004-05, while Vanderbilt also had Luke Kornet hit 50 in 2014-15.
Standing at seventh place on the list is a familiar name to UA fans: Wisconsin’s Frank Kaminsky had 42 in 2014-15.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
When Oregon State’s Tres Tinkle broke his non-shooting wrist while trying to defend a dunk by Fresno State’s Paul Watson on Nov. 25, he was initially estimated to be out for four to six weeks. Then it was six to eight weeks.
Ten weeks later, he’s still waiting.
“Still no updates,” OSU coach Wayne Tinkle said of his standout son to the Oregonian this week. “He’s not going to play this weekend. That’s where it is.”
The injury has taken so long to heal that the Beavers may be considering trying to appeal for a medical redshirt season. Tres played in only six games, all before December, so he easily meets medical redshirt requirements of playing in no more than 30 percent of a team’s games and none after the halfway point of he season.
But the injury also has to be proven to be “season ending”in order for it to be automatically granted, so if Tres is somehow cleared before the end of the Beavers’ headed-nowhere season, he will have to return or risk trying to appeal for a hardship waiver.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Oregon’s 74-65 upset loss at Colorado last Saturday bumped the Ducks down to second place at 8-1 and snapped a school-record 17-game winning streak.
But junior center Jordan Bell says it might be just as well in the long run. A long run that includes a Saturday date with Arizona and, maybe, a lengthy NCAA Tournament appearance.
“Honestly, I think we needed to lose a game,” Bell said, according to the Oregonian. “I think we’ve been kind of sloppy and getting away with it. In Utah, we started sloppy and got away with it.”
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
UA’s 9-0 start in Pac-12 play ties its third-best (in 1987-88) and is the fifth-best overall in conference history.
While nobody has gone undefeated since the then-Pac-10 went to 18 games in 1978-79, both Stanford (2003-04) and Oregon State (1980-81) have gone 17-0 while Arizona’s defending national champions went 16-0 before losing at USC in 1997-98. UA’s 1992-93 team went 14-0.
Because of the Pac-12’s now-unbalanced schedule, however, UA’s perfect mark this season comes with a substantial asterisk: The Wildcats didn’t play Oregon in the first half of league play.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Arizona has not only taken more free throws than any other team in Pac-12 games, but the Wildcats are also converting them at a league-leading 78.6 percent pace.
In conference games, Markkanen leads the league at 86.2 percent while Kadeem Allen is 11th at 79.2 percent and Rawle Alkins is 13th at 77.8 percent.
- Bruce Pascoe Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
UA coach Sean Miller might be trimming minutes up and down his roster to find time for Allonzo Trier, but he’s barely touched Chance Comanche.
Comanche’s efficiency won’t let him. The sophomore center has made 16 of 19 field goals over five games during the past three weekends, while averaging 7.4 points and 2.0 rebounds.
“Chance is giving us quality minutes every game. His shooting percentage is off the charts,” Miller said. “He’s become a dependable low post scorer and he did a very good job helping on the ball screens. A lot of times with (Washington’s Markelle) Fultz it’s never one player (guarding him). Chance was a big part of our success when we played really good defense.”
Comanche is shooting 77.4 percent overall in Pac-12 games, though he hasn’t taken enough shots to qualify for the league lead, where Oregon’s Jordan Bell leads it at 70.1.
Oregon State’s two leading scorers, Stephen Thompson Jr. and Tres Tinkle, have played only one game together all season. That tells you a lot of what’s wrong with the Beavers’ offense, along with the loss of all-around boxscore stuffer Gary Payton II. The Beavers score the fewest points in conference games of any Pac-12 team (61.3) and shoot just 42.5 percent from the field. They do have a legitimate inside-outside scoring combo in Thompson and power forward Drew Eubanks, while Kendal Manuel is another outside shooting threat and onetime UA recruiting target JaQuori McLaughlin is a solid scoring-minded point guard.
"Eubanks and Thompson are as good as anyone in the league, and McLaughlin is as good as any freshman in the Pac-12. They have four guys capable of having a 20-point game, those three and (Kendal) Manuel. Thompson has deep, deep range on his 3s. McLaughlin is very confident. Eubanks is very strong, very skilled around the basket. Has a gifted jump hook with either hand. … They were blindsided with injuries and suspensions but they’re slowly recovering and getting into a better rhythm." — UA assistant coach Mark Phelps, who scouted the Beavers.
Three-point shooting by 7-footers isn’t exactly an official NCAA record, but if it was, Arizona’s Lauri Markkanen would be in position to shatter it this weekend.
According to research posted on Twitter by Draft Express president Jonathan Givony, Markkanen is just four 3-pointers shy of the most ever shot in a season by a 7-footer.
James Smith had 58 3s over 34 games for Marist in 2006-07, while Markkanen already has 54 over 22 games this season.
“Is Lauri Markkanen the best shooting 7-footer in NCAA history?” Givony tweeted. “He’s definitely making that case. Will crack #1 in 3-pointers soon.”
If Markkanen shoots at his normal pace of 2.7 3s made per game, he’ll break Smith’s record on Saturday at Oregon.
Other 7-footers on Givony’s list: Dawid Przybyszewski had 51 for Vanderbilt in 2003-04 and 48 in 2004-05, while Vanderbilt also had Luke Kornet hit 50 in 2014-15.
Standing at seventh place on the list is a familiar name to UA fans: Wisconsin’s Frank Kaminsky had 42 in 2014-15.
When Oregon State’s Tres Tinkle broke his non-shooting wrist while trying to defend a dunk by Fresno State’s Paul Watson on Nov. 25, he was initially estimated to be out for four to six weeks. Then it was six to eight weeks.
Ten weeks later, he’s still waiting.
“Still no updates,” OSU coach Wayne Tinkle said of his standout son to the Oregonian this week. “He’s not going to play this weekend. That’s where it is.”
The injury has taken so long to heal that the Beavers may be considering trying to appeal for a medical redshirt season. Tres played in only six games, all before December, so he easily meets medical redshirt requirements of playing in no more than 30 percent of a team’s games and none after the halfway point of he season.
But the injury also has to be proven to be “season ending”in order for it to be automatically granted, so if Tres is somehow cleared before the end of the Beavers’ headed-nowhere season, he will have to return or risk trying to appeal for a hardship waiver.
Oregon’s 74-65 upset loss at Colorado last Saturday bumped the Ducks down to second place at 8-1 and snapped a school-record 17-game winning streak.
But junior center Jordan Bell says it might be just as well in the long run. A long run that includes a Saturday date with Arizona and, maybe, a lengthy NCAA Tournament appearance.
“Honestly, I think we needed to lose a game,” Bell said, according to the Oregonian. “I think we’ve been kind of sloppy and getting away with it. In Utah, we started sloppy and got away with it.”
UA’s 9-0 start in Pac-12 play ties its third-best (in 1987-88) and is the fifth-best overall in conference history.
While nobody has gone undefeated since the then-Pac-10 went to 18 games in 1978-79, both Stanford (2003-04) and Oregon State (1980-81) have gone 17-0 while Arizona’s defending national champions went 16-0 before losing at USC in 1997-98. UA’s 1992-93 team went 14-0.
Because of the Pac-12’s now-unbalanced schedule, however, UA’s perfect mark this season comes with a substantial asterisk: The Wildcats didn’t play Oregon in the first half of league play.
Arizona has not only taken more free throws than any other team in Pac-12 games, but the Wildcats are also converting them at a league-leading 78.6 percent pace.
In conference games, Markkanen leads the league at 86.2 percent while Kadeem Allen is 11th at 79.2 percent and Rawle Alkins is 13th at 77.8 percent.
UA coach Sean Miller might be trimming minutes up and down his roster to find time for Allonzo Trier, but he’s barely touched Chance Comanche.
Comanche’s efficiency won’t let him. The sophomore center has made 16 of 19 field goals over five games during the past three weekends, while averaging 7.4 points and 2.0 rebounds.
“Chance is giving us quality minutes every game. His shooting percentage is off the charts,” Miller said. “He’s become a dependable low post scorer and he did a very good job helping on the ball screens. A lot of times with (Washington’s Markelle) Fultz it’s never one player (guarding him). Chance was a big part of our success when we played really good defense.”
Comanche is shooting 77.4 percent overall in Pac-12 games, though he hasn’t taken enough shots to qualify for the league lead, where Oregon’s Jordan Bell leads it at 70.1.
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