Know thine enemy: Oregon State

Beavers Back On The Road To Face Streaking UCLA Bruins

from The Official Oregon State Men's Basketball webpage (link)

Jan 15, 2013

Ahmad Starks is averaging a team-best 16.7 points per game in Pac-12 play

THE GAME: Oregon State (10-6, 0-3 Pac-12) hits the road for the first time in 2013 when it travels to Los Angeles to face No. 24 UCLA (14-3, 4-0), winners of nine straight games, at renovated Pauley Pavilion at 6 p.m. on Thursday.

TELEVISION: The game will be televised nationally on ESPNU with Dave Pasch and Bill Walton calling the action.

RADIO: The game will air live on Beaver Sports Radio Network with Mike Parker calling the action. It can also be heard online at this link for a fee or on satellite radio on SiriusXM Channel 91.

ONLINE: Live updates are available by visiting osubeavers.com and clicking on Gametracker.

SOCIAL MEDIA: Live updates will be available on Twitter and Facebook.

QUICKLY: Oregon State is one of two teams in the Pac-12 with five players averaging double figures in scoring ... Ahmad Starks moved into fourth all-time at Oregon State in three-point field goals with 163 ... Joe Burtonmoved into eighth all-time at Oregon State in rebounds with 622 ... Devon Collier has scored in double figures in 11 consecutive games, just one game shy of the longest streak of his career ... Collier posted his second double-double of the season and fifth in his career with 13 points and a career-high 15 rebounds against Arizona ... Roberto Nelson is seventh in the Pac-12 in scoring (15.4) and third in three-point percentage (.443) ... Starks and Nelson have combined to make 75 percent of the Beavers' three-pointers (69 of 93) ... Starks has led the team in scoring in three of the past four games ... Jarmal Reid had career highs in rebounds (11) and assists (5) against Arizona State ... Eric Moreland and Victor Robbins are suspended for the UCLA game for a violation of team rules but will be available to play against USC on Saturday.

THE LAST MEETING

UCLA	84
Oregon State	87

January 19, 2012
Corvallis, Ore.

Cunningham, Collier Lead Oregon State Past UCLA, 87-84 Jared Cunningham scored a game-high 21 points and Devon Collier added 20 as Oregon State (12-7, 2-5) snapped a 13-game losing streak to UCLA (10-8, 3-3) and a three-game overall skid with an 87-84 victory in front of 6,019 fans at Gill Coliseum Thursday night.

Recap | Box Score | Notes | Quotes | Photo Gallery

vs. UCLA: Oregon State and UCLA meet for the 124th time with the Bruins holding an 88-35 advantage, including a 49-7 mark in games played in Los Angeles. The Beavers won the only meeting last season, 87-84, on Jan. 19 at Gill Coliseum to snap a 13-game losing streak in the series. The win was the first for Craig Robinsonagainst UCLA to give him victories against every team in the Pac-12.

The last time Oregon State won at Pauley Pavilion was Feb. 1, 2003 when Philip Ricci posted a double-double with 26 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Beavers to an 83-79 win. It's been tough sledding for Oregon State in Los Angeles as the Bruins have won 22 of the last 23 games on their home court.

This will be the second straight game the Beavers are playing a Top 25 team as they lost to No. 4 Arizona, 80-70, last Saturday at Gill Coliseum. The last time Oregon State played Top 25 teams in back-to-back games was 2009 when the Beavers lost to No. 23 Arizona State, 49-38, on Feb. 7 at Gill Coliseum and No. 24 Washington, 79-60, on Feb. 12 in Seattle.

THE OFFENSE KEEPS ON TICKING: Oregon State's offense hasn't missed a beat despite losing last year's leading scorer Jared Cunningham (17.9 ppg) to the NBA and Angus Brandt to a season-ending injury. The Beavers are averaging 75.7 points per game this season, which is fourth in the Pac-12 and just 3.2 less than last year when Oregon State led the conference in scoring for the first-time ever with a school-record 78.9 points per game (conference scoring records began in 1959-60).

SPREADING THE SCORING AROUND: Oregon State has gone to more of a team concept with five different players leading the team in scoring in games this season: Ahmad Starks 5, Devon Collier 4, Roberto Nelson 3,Joe Burton 1, Eric Moreland 1 (Nelson and Moreland shared scoring honors in two games). Jared Cunningham led the Beavers in scoring in 18 of the 36 games last season. Those five players have all scored 20-plus points in a game this season with Starks, Collier and Nelson each doing it four times.

OWNING THE ARC: Oregon State has used the three-point line as a major weapon this season, offensively and defensively, as the Beavers are second in the Pac-12 in three-point percentage at 37.7 percent (93-of-247) and first in three-point percentage defense at 31.1 percent (90-of-289). Oregon State has NEVER led the conference in three-point percentage since the statistic began in 1986-87. The 37.7 percentage would be the fourth highest in school history if the season ended today. The school record is 40.6 percent (97-of-239) in 1987-88, which is the only time the Beavers shot better than 40 percent from the three-point line in a season.

BOMBS AWAY FROM THE BACKCOURT: The starting backcourt of Roberto Nelson and Ahmad Starks have combined to make 75 percent of Oregon State's three-pointers (69 of 93) and have attempted 64 percent of the team's shots from beyond the arc (159 of 247). Nelson is third in the Pac-12 in three point percentage at 44.3 percent (27-for-61), while Starks is tied for fourth in the conference at 42.9 percent (42-for-98). The only Oregon State player to lead the conference in three-point percentage was Sasa Cuic, who finished at 49.3 percent (36-of-73) in 2005-06. The single-season school record is 50 percent (34-of-68) by Nick DeWitz in 2004-05.

IMPROVING ON THE DEFENSIVE END: Oregon State has held eight of its 16 opponents below 40 percent shooting and is 7-1 in those games (Towson shot 38.5 percent in the loss). The Beavers held only seven of their 36 opponents below that clip last season and were 6-1 in those games. On the season, Oregon State's opponents are shooting 41.9 percent from the field and 31.1 percent from the three-point line. Last season teams shot 45.5 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from deep.

BLOCK PARTY: Oregon State is averaging 5.0 blocked shots per game this season, which is second in the Pac-12 and would be a school record if the season ended today. The Beavers averaged 4.61 blocks per game last season to finish second in the Pac-12 and trail only UCLA by 0.03 (4.64). The Oregon State school record for blocked shots in a season is 4.7 in 2005-06.

CRASHING THE BOARDS: A major emphasis during the offseason was rebounding, and Oregon State has seen the results by averaging nearly five rebounds more per game this season (39.4) than it did last season (34.8) despite losing Angus Brandt who was averaging 8.5 boards before his injury. The Beavers are fourth in the Pac-12 in rebounding and third in offensive rebounding (12.9).

THE FIVE-MINUTE MARK: Having the lead at the five-minute mark has been very important during the Craig Robinson era as the Beavers are 62-6 when leading with five minutes to play, including a 10-1 mark this season. On the flip side, Oregon State is 8-71 when trailing with five minutes to play in the same timeframe, with an 0-5 record this season.

STARKS CLIMBING THE CHARTS: When all is said and done, Ahmad Starks will be the most prolific three-point shooter in Oregon State history. He knocked down five from beyond the arc against the Arizona schools to move into fourth on Oregon State's career three-point list with 163. At his current pace of 2.6 per game, he will become the school's all-time leader in early February to pass Chris Stephens who made 180 in four years. Starks is also fourth all-time in school history in three-pointers attempted with 441.

Career 3-Pointers Made List
1. Chris Stephens (2003-06) -- 180
2. Deaundra Tanner (1998-01) -- 179
3. Gary Payton (1987-90) -- 178
4. Ahmad Starks (2011-present) -- 163
t5. Josh Steinthal (1999-01) -- 160
t5. Charles McKinney (1990-93) -- 160

Career 3-Pointers Attempted List
1. Deaundra Tanner (1998-01) -- 503
2. Chris Stephens (2003-06) -- 489
3. Gary Payton (1987-90) -- 482
4. Ahmad Starks (2011-present) -- 441
5. Josh Steinthal (1999-01) -- 436

A CHANCE TO MAKE IT 3-FOR-3 FROM THREE: Ahmad Starks has 42 triples this season and has a chance to lead the team in three-pointers for the third consecutive year (Roberto Nelson is second with 27). Other Oregon State players to lead the team in three-pointers in three consecutive years are Gary Payton (1988-90), Charles McKinney (1991-93) and Chris Stephens (2004-06). Starks made 79 last season, which was the second most in Oregon State history, and is on pace for 83 this season in a guaranteed 32 games, which would break the school record.

Single-Season 3-FG Made List
1. Gary Payton (1988-89) -- 82
2. Ahmad Starks (2011-12) -- 79
3. Chris Stephens (2003-04) -- 76
4. Deaundra Tanner (1999-00) -- 60
5. Charles McKinney (1991-92) -- 59
-- Ahmad Starks (2012-13) -- 42

Junior 3-FG Made List
1. Gary Payton (1988-89) -- 82
2. Deaundra Tanner (1999-00) -- 60
3. Charles McKinney (1991-92) -- 59
4. Josh Steinthal (1999-00) -- 57
5. Jared Cunningham (2011-12) -- 50
-- Ahmad Starks (2012-13) -- 42

MAKE IT 11 IN A ROW FOR DEVON: Devon Collier has scored in double figures in 11 consecutive games, which is just one shy of the longest streak of his career. He reeled off 12 double-digit scoring games last season from Jan. 7 to Feb. 18, 2012. Collier also leads the team in double-figure scoring games (14) and 20-point games (4, tied with Roberto Nelson and Ahmad Starks). The four 20-point games is one more than he had in his first two seasons combined.

SHOOTING IT WELL ONCE AGAIN: Devon Collier is eighth in the Pac-12 in field goal percentage at 53.5 percent (83-for-155). He led the Pac-12 in field goal percentage last season at 61.5 percent to become the first Oregon State player to lead the conference in that category since Scott Haskin in 1991-92.

BURTON MOVING UP CAREER LISTS: Joe Burton had eight rebounds against Arizona to move into eighth on Oregon State's career rebounding list with 622 and pass NBA lottery pick Scott Haskin who had 620. Burton has only missed one game in his Oregon State career and has a chance to play in more games than any player in school history. With the Beavers guaranteed 32 games this season, Burton would tie Josh Tarver (2006-10) for the all-time record with 130 career games and could pass him depending on postseason play.

Career Rebounds List
1. Mel Counts (1962-64) -- 1,375
2. A.C. Green (1982-85) -- 880
3. Dave Gambee (1956-58) -- 828
4. Steve Johnson (1977-80) -- 785
5. Jay Carty (1960-62) -- 691
6. Sam Whitehead (1971-73) -- 669
7. Karl Anderson (1959-61) -- 633
8. Joe Burton (2010-present) -- 622
9. Scott Haskin (1989-93) -- 620
10. Swede Halbrook (1954-55) -- 612

Career Games Played List
1. Josh Tarver (2006-10) -- 130
2. Seth Tarver (2007-10) -- 128
3. Roeland Schaftenaar (2007-10) -- 127
4. Cliff Crandall (1946-49) -- 126
5. Earl Martin (1986-90) -- 125
6. Calvin Haynes (2008-11) -- 122
7. Eric Knox (1985-89) -- 121
t8. Omari Johnson (2008-11) -- 120
t8. Lathen Wallace (2008-11) -- 120
t8. Kyle Jeffers (2008-11) -- 120
t8. Gary Payton (1987-90) -- 120
-- Joe Burton (2010-present) -- 114

BURTON LOOKING TO MAKE IT THREE IN A ROW: Joe Burton leads the team in assists with 50 and has a chance to lead the team in that category for the third straight year. Other Oregon State players to lead the team in assists three years include George Tucker (1975-77), Dwayne Allen (1978-80), Gary Payton (1987-90), Charles McKinney (1991-93) and Deaundra Tanner (1999-01). Payton is the only player to lead the team four times.

ROBERTO FINDING HIS NICHE: Roberto Nelson moved into the starting lineup this season after coming off the bench in all 36 games last season and it apparently took him time to get used to starting. In the first five games of the season, he averaged 11.8 points and shot 36.2 percent (21-of-58) from the field and 31.8 percent (7-of-22) from the three-point line. Since then he is averaging 17.6 points and shooting 47.7 percent (53-of-111) from the field and 51.3 percent (20-of-39) from beyond the arc.

ROBERTO'S SCORING SPREE: Roberto Nelson has used his current scoring spree to lead the team at 15.4 points per game, which is seventh in the Pac-12. He has four 20-plus point games this season, which is already one more than what he had in his first two seasons combined. His 34-point game against Chicago State equaled a career high, which he set at Arizona State on March 5, 2011 when he broke the Oregon State freshman record.

ROBERTO SCORING AND DISHING: Roberto Nelson is leading the team in scoring (15.4) and is second in assists (2.9) and has a chance to become the first Oregon State player to lead the team in both categories in a season since Deaundra Tanner in 1999-00. Other Beavers to lead the team in scoring and assists in a season are Freddie Boyd, Lester Conner, Gary Payton, Brent Barry and Carson Cunningham.

CAREER NIGHT FOR JARMAL: Freshman Jarmal Reid was thrust into the starting lineup way ahead of schedule when Angus Brandt was lost for the season with a torn ACL. Reid has gotten more comfortable in the starting role and exploded in a big way against Arizona State with six points, a career-high 11 rebounds and a career-high tying five assists. What people don't see on the box score is that he has the responsibility of guarding the opponent's best player, whether it's a 6-foot-1 point guard or a 6-foot-10 center.

CHALLE DOING THE LITTLE THINGS: Sophomore Challe Barton might not fill up a box score with stats, but he does the little things on the floor to help the team as the backup point guard. He had his best game of the season against Arizona State with six assists and career highs with three field goals and 28 minutes played. He also had no turnovers and two assists. Barton has played in all 16 games and is shooting an efficient 51.9 percent (14-for-27) from the field with 28 assists and 12 steals in 15.1 minutes per game.

OLAF ISN'T SHY: Freshman Olaf Schaftenaar joined the team after the summer trip to Europe, so he didn't have the advantage of the extra 10 practices. But that hasn't stopped him from letting the shots fly when he enters the game. He has taken 59 shots, with 46 of those from beyond the arc, in 146 total minutes. He is third on the team with 13 three-pointers, and many of his teammates would say he's the team's best shooter based on the way he knocks down shots in practice.

MISSING MORELAND: With Eric Moreland out for a suspension, Oregon State is missing a player who is second in the Pac-12 in field goal percentage (.621), rebounding (11.1) and blocked shots (2.7). No other player in the conference is in the top-5 in all three categories. Moreland also leads the Pac-12 in double-doubles with seven despite missing the past two games.

MORELAND BOARDING: Eric Moreland is averaging 11.1 rebounds per game (155 total), the second-best total in the Pac-12. Only one Oregon State player has led the conference in rebounding since 1985, and that wasPhilip Ricci in 2002-03 (8.2 per game). A total of nine Oregon State players have averaged double-figure rebounds in a season, but the last time it happened was 1963-64 when Mel Counts had a double-double in all 29 games and averaged 16.9 boards. Moreland crushed the freshman rebounding record that was held for 38 years by Lonnie Shelton last season.

Players To Average Double-Figure Rebounding In A Season
1. Mel Counts (1963-64) -- 16.9
2. Mel Counts (1962-63) -- 15.6
3. Swede Halbrook (1954-55) -- 14.1
4. Mel Counts (1961-62) -- 13.8
5. Bob Payne (1950-51) -- 12.2
6. Dave Gambee (1957-58) -- 11.0
7. Dave Gambee (1956-57) -- 10.5
8. Jay Carty (1961-62) -- 10.5
9. Dave Gambee (1955-56) -- 10.4

Sophomore Rebounding List
1. Mel Counts (1961-62) -- 401
2. Swede Halbrook (1953-54) -- 344
3. Lonnie Shelton (1974-75) -- 292
4. Dave Gambee (1955-56) -- 270
5. Sam Whitehead (1970-71) -- 249
6. A.C. Green (1982-83) -- 235
7. Chad Scott (1990-91) -- 231
8. Gary Goble (1956-57) -- 221
9. Wayne Moss (1955-56) -- 219
10. Karl Anderson (1958-59) -- 216
-- Eric Moreland (2012-13) -- 155

Freshman Rebounding List
1. Eric Moreland (2011-12) -- 245
2. Lonnie Shelton (1973-74) -- 204
3. A.C. Green (1981-82) -- 158
4. Steve Johnson (1976-77) -- 156
5. Jerohn Brown (1993-94) -- 154

MORELAND'S OWN BLOCK PARTY: Eric Moreland has at least one blocked shot in 13 of his 14 games this season, including a block in 11 consecutive games, which equals the fifth-longest streak in Oregon State history with Scott Haskin and Jose Ortiz (Nick DeWitz holds the record with 20). Moreland already owns the school freshman mark when he had 69 last season and has moved into fourth on both the sophomore and career lists.

Career Blocked Shots List
1. Scott Haskin (1989-93) -- 172
2. Steve Johnson (1979-81) -- 114
3. Nick DeWitz (2005-06) -- 111
4. Eric Moreland (2011-present) -- 110
5. Kyle Jeffers (2004-07) -- 97

Sophomore Blocked Shots List
1. Devon Collier (2011-12) -- 46
t2. Scott Haskin (1989-90) -- 42
t2. Steve Johnson (1978-79) -- 42
4. Eric Moreland (2012-13) -- 38
5. Chad Scott (1990-91) -- 28

Freshman Blocked Shots List
1. Eric Moreland (2011-12) -- 69
2. Devon Collier (2010-11) -- 23
3. Gary Payton (1986-87) -- 20
t4. Kyle Jeffers (2003-04) -- 19
t4. Jerohn Brown (1993-94) -- 19

RECORDS UPDATE: Three Oregon State records have been equaled this season, including single-game team blocked shots (11 vs. Montana State), single-game individual blocked shots (6 by Eric Moreland vs. Towson) and single-game individual three-pointers made (7 by Ahmad Starks at Kansas).

MISSING ANGUS & GOMIS: Senior center Angus Brandt and sophomore forward Daniel Gomis both had surgery and will miss the remainder of the season. Brandt suffered an isolated tear of the ACL in his right knee against Purdue. He was averaging 11.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game before the injury. Brandt will have to apply for a medical hardship from the Pac-12 office, which should be approved since he played in nine games or less during the first half of the season. Gomis had surgery on the left leg he broke two summers ago in his native Senegal and will redshirt this season.