Sunday was a good reflection of the Pac-12 season thus far. Oregon lost its third game in a row after starting the season 13-0, Washington upset #15 Colorado to try and fight into the rankings, and Washington State won an ugly contest against Utah. With half the season gone by, where the northwest teams stand and what they need to do is clear. All that is left is execution.
Oregon (13-3, 1-3 in conference)
What has happened thus far: Coach Dana Altman's absurdly talented club has most of its roster intact, and is third in the nation in scoring at 88.9 points per game. Joseph Young leads the team with 19.7 points per game, joining four players averaging double figures. Mike Moser has been strong putting the ball in the hoop as well as in rebounding, and the return of Dominic Artis and Ben Carter has greatly benefited the Ducks depth. That said, the Ducks have lost three straight, including very winnable games at home against Stanford and California. Part of that comes from the defense, as Colorado scored 100 (they average 77.6) and Cal scored 96 (they average 76).
What needs to happen: The defense needs to clamp down and force turnovers. The Ducks are 149th in the nation in rebounding, so bigs like Waverly Austin and Carter need to help Moser clean the glass. The Ducks cannot afford to keep giving teams second chance scoring opportunities.
Washington (11-6, 3-1 in conference)
What has happened thus far: The Huskies have had one of the most daunting schedules in the nation, and have come through the worst parts mostly unscathed, a puzzling loss to UC-Irvine notwithstanding. C.J. Wilcox has been playing out of his mind, averaging 19.8 points per game and racking up 31 against Colorado on Sunday and 30 earlier in the year versus Boston College. He has yet to score less than 14 points in any game this year. Perris Blackwell has given the team a good interior presence, and the depth is solid. The Huskies weaknesses have been rebounding (181st in the nation) and .9 assist-to-turnover ratio as a team.
What needs to happen: First of all, Nigel Williams-Goss needs to stop turning the ball over. He is averaging almost three turnovers per game, unacceptable numbers for the starting point guard, even if he is just a true freshman. The team as a whole needs to stop second chance opportunities and take better care of the ball.
Oregon State (9-7, 1-3 in conference)
What has happened thus far: While the talent has been there for the Beavers, the execution has not. Oregon State has lost several games to less talented squads such as DePaul, Hawaii and Akron, and the consistency outside of Roberto Nelson has not been there. Nelson, for his part, has played spectacularly, averaging 21.4 points per game and shooting 39% from three-point range.
What needs to happen: While the return of Eric Moreland can only help, the Beavers are the worst rebounding team in the Pac-12, a recurring theme with the northwest four. Oregon State averages 34.1 rebounds per game, 248th in the nation. With Moreland assisting Devon Collier in the rotation, expect those numbers to climb, and expect the Beavers to play much better basketball the rest of the way. That said, Angus Brandt needs to rebound better. For a 7'0 Center, 4.4 rebounds per game is terrible.
Washington State (8-8, 1-3 in conference)
What has happened thus far: DaVonte Lacy … and that is about it. Lacy leads the team at 17.7 points per game, and is the only player averaging double figures. The team is 305th in the nation in scoring, 241st in rebounding, 269th in assists. It has been a rough season thus far for the Cougars.
What needs to happen: The young talent needs to mature… fast. Que Johnson needs to get up to speed and play to his potential, which is far more than 9.1 points per game. Same for Ike Iroebgu. Overall, the team simply needs to perform better, and prepare the young players for next season.
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