The Oregon State Beavers look to snap an 11-game losing streak and earn their first Pac-12 win of the season against the USC Trojans on Thursday in Los Angeles.
Game information:
Oregon State at USC
Time: 8 p.m.
Where: Galen Center
On air: Pac-12 Network; Radio on Beaver Sports Radio Network (stream here)
TV coverage: JB Long (play-by-play), Steve Lavin (analyst)
Projected starters:
Oregon State (4-20, 0-11 Pac-12)
0 – JaQuori McLaughlin, 6-4, 185, Fr. | 11.1 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 3.1 apg
1 – Stephen Thompson Jr., 6-4, 175, So. | 16.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.4 apg
24 – Kendal Manuel, 6-4, 180, R-Fr. | 7.5 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 1.6 apg
12 – Drew Eubanks, 6-10, 250, So. | 15.1 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 2.2 bpg
23 – Gligorije Rakocevic, 6-11, 255, So. | 3.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 15.2 mpg
USC (20-4, 7-4)
11 – Jordan McLaughlin, 6-1, 180, Jr. | 13.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 5.2 apg
22 – De’Anthony Melton, 6-4, 190, Fr. | 9.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3.6 apg
30 – Elijah Stewart, 6-5, 190 Jr. | 13.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.3 bpg
25 – Bennie Boatwright, 6-10, 230, So. | 12.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.9 apg
4 – Chimezie Metu, 6-11, 225, So. | 14.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 1.6 bpg
Coaches: Oregon State: Wayne Tinkle, 40-47 at Oregon State (3rd season), 198-138 overall. USC: Andy Enfield, 64-58 at USC (4th season), 105-86 overall.
RPI: Oregon State: 302. USC: 26.
KenPom rating: Oregon State: 280. USC: 58.
Last 10: Oregon State: 0-10. USC: 6-4.
Line: USC by 17
Previous meetings: The Trojans beat Oregon State 70-63 on Dec. 28 in Gill Coliseum. They lead the all-time series 70-64 and are 37-23 when facing the Beavers in Los Angeles.
Injury report: Oregon State sophomore forward Tres Tinkle (20.2 ppg, 8.3 rpg) has missed the Beavers’ last 18 games with a broken wrist. Senior center Cheikh N’diaye (3.6 ppg) has been out for 15 games with a shoulder injury. Both will be out Thursday.
Preview: OSU is back on the road to start a seven-game stretch to end the regular season, trying earn its first Pac-12 win of the year.
The Beavers averted disaster early this week when sophomore guard Stephen Thompson Jr. – the third leading conference scorer in Pac-12 play – received good news on tests for a right foot injury that held him out of practice. Thompson missed six games early in the season with a left foot injury and has returned to lead the team in points and assists per game in league play.
The team still faces an uphill battle with Thompson in the lineup. When these opponents last met in December, USC was undefeated and held firm despite a late OSU comeback. Now, the Trojans have gotten back sophomore forward Bennie Boatwright, who last week returned after he missed 15 games with a knee injury. He averaged 18.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists against the Washington schools, replacing redshirt sophomore and Louisville transfer Shaqquan Aaron in the starting lineup.
“They’re similar guys that can shoot it, although he brings more size, more experience in the league,” Wayne Tinkle said. “It just adds to what’s already a really talented, dangerous offensive team.”
USC went 2-4 in the immediate aftermath of its win over Oregon State but has since won its last four. Beavers players discussed slowing the tempo to frustrate the athletic, explosive Trojans on Thursday night. They appeared to make defensive strides by holding then-No. 5 Arizona to 27 first half points last Thursday, but took a step back two days later when Arizona State drilled 10 first half three-pointers and won 81-68.
Thompson is from Los Angeles and sophomore center Gligorije Rakocevic is a Montenegro native who came to the city for high school. Rakocevic said he expects to have as many as 50 people watching him this week.
They said it: “You don’t ever want days like these but I know that and am confident that we’re going to be stronger for them down the road. We got to remember that these guys are always looking at us, so if we expect them to have their shoulders back and their chin up, that we walk around that way.” – Wayne Tinkle
Links:
— Danny Moran
dmoran@oregonian.com
@DannyJMoran
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