The postseason resume-building opportunities for the Oregon State men?s basketball team continue today when the Beavers play at second-ranked Arizona.
Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. in the McKale Center.
A win against the Wildcats would be the second in a week versus teams in the top 20 of the NCAA?s official RPI rankings.
OSU beat UCLA, currently at No. 19, last Sunday. The Beavers are No. 88.
According to OSU records, the Beavers haven?t played a team ranked as high as No. 2 in The Associated Press poll since they hosted No. 1 UCLA on Jan. 4, 2007. The Bruins won that game 71-56.
Thursday night?s overtime Pac-12 loss at Arizona State was a step back for Oregon State (13-9, 5-5), which had won four of its last five games. But a win today would be an even bigger step forward.
OSU coach Craig Robinson talked earlier in the week about the next game on the schedule being the next ?biggest game of the season.?
A recent string of success has made that a selling point for Robinson and his staff, with the understanding that goals are within reach.
?My guys understand that. I think early on they didn?t,? the coach said. ?They didn?t realize each game you won, it made the next game more important.?
Robinson has spent the last few seasons talking about his team learning how to win.
After all, the program he took over in 2008 was coming off an 0-18 conference record and had won just eight combined Pac-10 games the previous three seasons.
It?s been a process that?s showing results.
?We?re probably as far along as we?ve been because we?ve never been this relevant at the end of the season,? Robinson said. ?I think you?re looking at a team that really believes it can win any game that they play. Not just because I tell them that.?
The next step, Robinson says, is winning those games.
The Beavers have turned a corner this season on winning the close games that frequently got away from them in past years.
But Thursday?s game didn?t end well for them after Roberto Nelson tied it at 69-all with 3:04 left in overtime.
From there, OSU had two turnovers and missed two free throws, eventually losing 86-82 after closing within two in the final seconds.
?I?m glad that we can play hard as a team and when things aren?t going our way and turn the ball over, we still play hard until the very end,? senior center Angus Brandt said after the game. ?That?s something we can take away from this game. The lesson to be learned is that every single player can make one less mistake. It?s that important when it comes down the stretch.?
--Corvallis Gazette Times.
Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. in the McKale Center.
A win against the Wildcats would be the second in a week versus teams in the top 20 of the NCAA?s official RPI rankings.
OSU beat UCLA, currently at No. 19, last Sunday. The Beavers are No. 88.
According to OSU records, the Beavers haven?t played a team ranked as high as No. 2 in The Associated Press poll since they hosted No. 1 UCLA on Jan. 4, 2007. The Bruins won that game 71-56.
Thursday night?s overtime Pac-12 loss at Arizona State was a step back for Oregon State (13-9, 5-5), which had won four of its last five games. But a win today would be an even bigger step forward.
OSU coach Craig Robinson talked earlier in the week about the next game on the schedule being the next ?biggest game of the season.?
A recent string of success has made that a selling point for Robinson and his staff, with the understanding that goals are within reach.
?My guys understand that. I think early on they didn?t,? the coach said. ?They didn?t realize each game you won, it made the next game more important.?
Robinson has spent the last few seasons talking about his team learning how to win.
After all, the program he took over in 2008 was coming off an 0-18 conference record and had won just eight combined Pac-10 games the previous three seasons.
It?s been a process that?s showing results.
?We?re probably as far along as we?ve been because we?ve never been this relevant at the end of the season,? Robinson said. ?I think you?re looking at a team that really believes it can win any game that they play. Not just because I tell them that.?
The next step, Robinson says, is winning those games.
The Beavers have turned a corner this season on winning the close games that frequently got away from them in past years.
But Thursday?s game didn?t end well for them after Roberto Nelson tied it at 69-all with 3:04 left in overtime.
From there, OSU had two turnovers and missed two free throws, eventually losing 86-82 after closing within two in the final seconds.
?I?m glad that we can play hard as a team and when things aren?t going our way and turn the ball over, we still play hard until the very end,? senior center Angus Brandt said after the game. ?That?s something we can take away from this game. The lesson to be learned is that every single player can make one less mistake. It?s that important when it comes down the stretch.?
--Corvallis Gazette Times.
