The Time: 8:10 PST

The Place: The Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA

The Coverage: FSN National. I even have it in HD! Sadly, I will have to stay up to midnight to watch it in full, and east coasters until 1 am.

KenPom says: No. 116 WSU 70 No. 125 Oregon 69 (52% confidence, 67 possessions)

Key to the Game

The most important thing the Cougs must do tonight is score more points than the Ducks. They failed to do this on Saturday.

Yay for playing teams twice in a row!

The Time: 7 p.m. PST

The Place: Gill Coliseum in Corvallis, Ore.

The Coverage:  No TV.  OSUBeavers.com is webcasting the game for a fee. Local radio stations here.  Audio streamed online for a fee here.

KenPom says: No. 125 OSU 63, No 111 WSU 60 (62 possessions, 62% confidence)

via wsucougars.com

Keys to a Cougar Victory

The Beavs are a good defensive team (47th nationally if defensive efficiency).  However, they are at their best when they are playing the trapping 1-3-1 and forcing turnovers.  Last time out, Reggie Moore was too quick to be trapped and he forced the Oregon State back into a standard 2-3 zone.  The Beavers are not nearly as good in their 2-3. Let's hope Reggie, Xavier Thames, and Marcus Capers can push OSU out of the 1-3-1 again.  Sorry Klay, we really don't want you handling the ball in this one.

As good as Oregon State is on defense, they are equally bad on offense (220th nationally in offensive efficiency). They have exactly one above average offensive player (in terms of ORtg), Seth Tarver. The Beavs will give the ball away, a lot.  They are 321st in turnover percentage. The Cougs need to take advantage of the turnovers to create transition opportunities.

This is a great opportunity for WSU to pick up a road win and beat one of the other teams trying to avoid that 8-9 game at the Pac-10 tourney. Let's hope the Cougs get it done tonight!

The Time: 7pm PST (9pm Craig Standard Time)

The Place: THTSP in Pullman, WA

The Coverage: TV on FSN.  Radio stations here.  Go to wsucougars.com for streamed audio (it ain't free).

KenPom says: No. 39 Washington 81, No. 112 WSU 76 (74 possessions, 68% confidence)

via wsucougars.com

Keys to a Cougar Victory

As Nuss pointed it out in the podcast this team was able to limit turnovers and get to the free throw line against the Huskies in Seattle.  That of course could do little to prevent an abysmal offensive performance.  My keys to the game tonight?

1) Shoot well

2) Shoot well

3) Shoot well

(That's quality analysis you can only find  here)

The Cougs couldn't buy a bucket last time out and that led to a lot of transition opportunities for the Huskies. Also, let's play some more man-to-man please!  Boo zone.  We have to some good on-ball defenders, let's see what they can do.

This game is billed as a sellout.  It's Nik night.  Oregon just swept the LA schools. 

Let's get a freaking win.

The Place: THTSP in Pullman, WA

The Coverage: No TV today. Apparently the official athletic site will be webcasting this game (for a fee of course!).  Radio stations here.  Go to wsucougars.com if you want to pay for audio.

KenPom says:  No. 58 USC 62, No. 116 WSU 59 (63 possessions, 60% confidence)

via wsucougars.com

Keys to a Cougar Victory

Reggie Moore was key in the second half comeback for the Cougs down in Los Angeles.  He abused Mike Gerrity for easy layins and dumpoffs to his teammates. 

Kevin O'Neill knows this and you can bet you he will be doing everything he can to prevent that from happening again.  I suspect Reggie will be seeing some extra attention this afternoon.  Someone else  has to step up and have a big game.  As Nuss pointed out over and over and over again last times these two met, USC's offense will disappear for long stretches (especially since they turn the ball over a lot).  Those stretches will give opposing teams an opportunity, and the Cougs took advantage in their previous meeting. 

Don't expect them to have an elite offensive game, as USC is the best defensive team in the country, but if the Cougs can just be average they can win.

Jae C. Hong - AP

Do not stare at the forehead.

View full size photo »

And now, a CougCenter public service announcement from Nuss.

So, in the wake of our little refocusing of community standards at the beginning of the week, there were a number of questions about what is and is not acceptable on a game thread. Let's bring some clarity to that before the game breakdown.

First off, we recognize game threads are a different animal. Emotions play a large role in the watching of games, as they should -- it's why we watch in the first place, obviously. So to expect those emotions to not come out as the game unfolds in the game thread isn't reasonable. People get excited, people get pissed, and it's all good ... if done correctly.

Contrary to what some people seem to believe, it is possible, in fact, to vent and move the conversation forward at that same time. And that's our expectation.

Encouraged

• "DANGIT (insert guy's name)! That was a really stupid shot with that much time on the shot clock!"
• "Why is Bone bringing (insert guy's name) off the bench now? I don't like him in this personnel grouping."

Unacceptable

• "DANGIT (insert guy's name)! You always shoot the most horrible shots. Why do you suck?"
• "Why is Bone bringing (insert guy's name) off the bench now? He's terrible. Always has been."

Got it?

I guess the best way I can put it is like this: Participating in the CougCenter game thread should be like sitting in a big living room with the smartest fans you've ever met and watching the game with them. While it's OK to have emotional outbursts from time to time, nobody wants to hang out with the guy who constantly talks trash about the players, coaches, refs and repeats his criticisms ad nauseam. First of all, it's obnoxious, and nobody likes obnoxious people. Second of all, a smart fan doesn't do that.

So, don't be that obnoxious guy on the game thread, OK? If you came to my house and acted that way, you wouldn't be invited back. If you do it on our game thread, a similar penalty awaits.

Now, back to Craig's regularly scheduled game preview.

The Time: 5:30 p.m. PST

The Place:  Friel Court at Beasley Coliseum, which shall henceforth be known as "The House That Sterk Painted"

The Coverage: FSN, FCS Pacific.  Find your local radio station here.  Audio for a fee at wsucougars.com.  Post stream links in the comments.

KenPom says:  No. 99 WSU 73, No. 118 UCLA 68 (66 possessions, 72% confidence)

via wsucougars.com

Keys to a Cougar Victory

UCLA's biggest defensive weakness is opponent three point percentage.  The Cougs need Klay to duplicate his performance from the Cal game from the outside.  UCLA is not great at forcing turnovers, so the opportunities should be there if the Cougs avoid careless passes and dribbling into crowds.

On the defensive end, the intensity has to improve over the last effort against UCLA, especially on switches.  Reeves Nelson had his own personal dunk contest last time out, largely because the Cougs were rotating very poorly.  They need to put forth a better effort tonight.

Also, I wouldn't mind if Nikola Dragovic sat out for some reason.  He's having a bad season, but we know that doesn't matter when he's playing the Cougs.

Ben Margot - AP

Barring a meeting in the Pac-10 tournament, THANK GOODNESS THIS IS THE LAST TIME WE'LL EVER SEE THIS GUY.

View full size photo »

The Time: 1 p.m. PST

The Place: Haas Pavilion (is everything a pavilion in California?) in Berkeley, Calif.

The Coverage: FSN. Find your local radio station here.  Audio also available for a fee at wsucougars.com.

KenPom says:  No. 17 Cal 88, No. 98 WSU 71 (71 possessions, 92% confidence

Keys to a Cougar Victory

Well, we'll just keep it simple: Defense will tell the tale. Cal is playing very well right now, and the way they ran out so quick on the Cougs last time has to give them confidence. However, the Bears have been known to have letdowns on Saturdays, especially following emotional victories (of which they just happened to have one on Thursday over UW).

The Cougs have been slowing games down a bit lately, but I honestly think a faster pace is more beneficial in this one. The Bears play a short rotation, so running them around might just be beneficial -- if Ken Bone is willing to dig into his bench today as he did against Arizona.

I'm not even going to try and predict an outcome. I could see it going either direction.

The Time: 7pm PST

The Place: Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto, CA.

The Coverage:  No TV.  Find your local radio station here.  Audio also available for a fee at wsucougars.com.

KenPom says:  No. 103 Stanford 77, No. 99 WSU 73 (69 possessions, 64% confidence)

via wsucougars.com

Four Factors

Shooting: WSU.  While both teams rank very low in defensive eFg%, the Cougs are much better in the offensive eFG% category.  Look for them to have a nice day from the floor.

Rebounding: WSU.  Stanford ranks 227th in offensive rebounding percentage, while WSU ranks 61st.  The Cardinal are a decent defensive rebounding team, but their lack of effective size down low means lots of second chance opportunities for Wazzu.

Free Throws: WSU.  This isn't even close.  WSU is 11th in the country in free throw rate.  Stanford is 200th and to make things worse, is 214th in FTR allowed.  With the advantages the Cougs have in the first three factors, I fully expect this to be a nice offensive night.  How does Stanford keep up?

Turnovers: Stanford.  This is how.  They do not give the ball up, 39th in the country in turnover percentage.  WSU has been unable to turn teams over (243 in defensive TO%) and we all know how they can be prone to giving the ball away.

Keys to a Cougar Victory

Take care of the basketball!  The Cougs have the clear advantage in all the other factors, but they Stanford could easily come away with the win is WSU shoots themselves in the foot.  If WSU hold on to the ball, they will have easy scoring opportunities.  On defense, get a hand in Jeremy Green's face, he has killed teams all season long from the outside.

Individually, Klay Thompson needs to continue to be more selective and look to find the open guy when the defense collapses on him.  DeAngelo Casto and Brock Motum may have nice days again, as Stanford is very thin inside.  Reggie Moore needs to attack the rim and get Stanford's guards in foul trouble.

This is a game WSU should win, but they need to come out and play for more than one half.

The Time: 7pm PST

The Place:  FRIEL THE HEAT!

The Coverage:  Since all the Pac 10 games start at 7:00 or 7:30, someone has to be left out of the TV fun.  Guess who? Find your local radio station here.  Audio is available for a fee at wsucougars.com.

KenPom says: No. 30 ASU 70, No. 108 WSU 65 (64 possessions, 28% confidence)

KenPom also says: You smell, go take a shower (KenPom tells it like it is).

via wsucougars.com

Well, the first half of the Pac 10 season is over and you know that that means.  I'm not going to do the "Players to Watch" and "X-Factors" segments of the game thread.  You folks know who the important guys are for the Cougs, and I'm sure I would end up using the same players again for the opponents.  Instead I will provide you with my estimation on who has the advantage in each of the four factors and the keys for a Cougar victory.

Four Factors

Shooting: Arizona State.  The Sun Devils are 20th in the country in eFG% and 39th in opponents eFG%. They have a huge advantage here.

Rebounding: Washington State.  The Cougs are an excellent offensive rebounding team (66th in the country in OR%) and the ASU zone should provide ample opportunity.

Free Throws: Washington State.  WSU is clearly the better team in this category.  They are 15th in the country in free throw rate and are better than ASU at limited opponent's free throw chances.  The big question is, can they do it against a zone?

Turnovers: Arizona State.  ASU is 63rd nationally in TO% and 51st in opponents TO%.  The Cougs? They give the ball away quite a bit and struggle to force turnovers.

Keys to a Cougar Victory

WSU must play to its strengths, free throws and offensive rebounding.  They will absolutely have chances at offensive rebounds and they need to capitalize.  One of ASU's few weaknesses is free throw rate.  If the Cougs can get to the line, they can make up for their huge deficit in shooting.  On the flip side, turnovers can absolutely kill them tonight.  You can bet the Sun Devils will take care of the ball, so the Cougs need to do the same of they want to have a chance.

We've seen time and time again this season that Wazzu has no clue what to do when faced with a zone defense.  That has to change tonight, or they may find themselves on the losing end of a blowout once again.

The Time: 12:30 pm PST

The Place:  Hec Ed/Bank of America Arena in lovely Seattle, WA (How I miss it so...)

The Coverage:  FSN National (supposedly in HD!).  Find your local radio station here.  Audio available online for a fee at wsucougars.com.  Post any streams you find in the comments.

KenPom says: No. 65 UW 86, No. 98 WSU 76 (75 possessions, 79% confidence)

via wsucougars.com

Players to Watch:

Quincy Pondexter, UW: "Q-Pon" is having a monster senior season for the Huskies.  His ORtg is a ridiculous 122.3 while using 26.2% of the possessions.  He also has been pretty solid on the boards, posting an 11.3 OR and a 16.7 DR%.  He has played as well as anyone in the conference this year and he will be important on both ends of the floor.

Klay Thompson, WSU: Nuss wrote a nice piece (MUST READ!) earlier this week detailing how important Klay's offensive performance is to the Cougs' overall offensive efficiency.  Go ahead and read that and you'll know why he is our "player to watch" this afternoon.

X-Factors:

Isaiah Thomas, UW: He's always a threat to get in the lane and a very streaky shooter from the outside (Not afraid to jack up a three either, as 42% of his field goal attempts are behind the line).  WSU will likely give UW a healthy dose of the zone and his penetration can disrupt that.

Reggie Moore, WSU:  WSU and UW are pretty similar in that they have a slashing guard and a wing who do most of the heavy lifting on offense.  Reggie is returning home for this one.  Will he press?  I'm guessing he won't. His ability to get into the lane and draw fouls in this one will once again be huge for Wazzu.  UW's biggest weakness on defense is free throw rate allowed.

The Keys:

The Cougars win if...Klay is "selective" and efficient, the Cougs get to the line early and often, and the defense forces a lot  of outside shots.

The Huskies win if...they bother Klay the same way most Pac 10 teams have been able to, force turnovers, and dominate the offensive glass.

GO COUGS! BEAT THE HUSKIES!

The Time: 1pm PST

The Place: Pauley Pavilion, where the Cougs have won twice. Ever.

The Coverage:  FSN "National" (Not on my local FSN channel, it is on FCS Pacific.).  Find your local radion station here.  Audio for a fee at wsucougars.com.  If you have any streams, share the wealth and put a link in the comments.

Kenpom says: No. 93 WSU 72, No. 134 UCLA 71 (67 possessions, 52% confidence)

via wsucougars.com

Players to Watch:

Michael Roll, UCLA:  He is the most efficient offensive player for the Bruins while taking about 23.3% of the shots.  Excellent three point shooter who could kill the Cougs if they get lazy on the perimeter.  He can be taken out of the game if he is shut down outside, as he rarely gets to the free throw line.  Guard him tight fellas!

Klay Thompson, WSU: UCLA gives up a very high opponent three point percentage.  Who is going to guard Klay?  It seems he will have the size advantage.  Here's to him having a nice day in front of a "national" audience.

X-Factors:

Reggie Moore, WSU:  So what if Klay does not have that nice day?  Well let's just have Reggie get to the hole at will, again and again and again.  At some point, teams are going to have to focus their defensive efforts more on this guy to stop penetration.  Klay will surely benefit.

Reeves Nelson, UCLA:  Nelson is a talented freshman big who has gotten the ball a little more thanks to the departure of Drew Gordon.  He is a solid rebounder and draws a lot of fouls.  He could make a huge impact by getting Casto into early foul trouble.

The Keys:

The Cougars win if...They shoot well and and crash the offensive glass. 

The Bruins win if...One of their shooters has a ridiculous game (Roll or Dragovic) and their quick guards are able to keep Reggie out of the lane, forcing the Cougs to score out of offensive sets (I forget what that even looks like anymore.)

The Cougs didn't win at Pauley for half a century.  They have a chance to make it 3 out of 7 if they can pull through today, Not to mention clinch a winning first half conference record heading into their rivalry matchup with UW.