Huskies

Video credit: BYU

Scouting report: No. 3 seed BYU
Game info: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Marriott Center (20,900 capacity).

TV: ESPN (Roxy Bernstein and Sean Farnham).
Radio: KJR 950 AM and 102.9 FM (Bob Rondeau and Jason Hamilton).

Record: 21-11, 10-6 West Coast Conference (third).
Stats/schedule: Click here.
Game notes: BYU and Washington.

Coach: Dave Rose took over on April 11, 2005 and had a 206-65 (.760) in eight years at BYU. He had been a Cougars assistant since 1997.

Prediction: Picked to finish second in the nine-team WCC in preseason poll of the conference coaches.

Series: Washington leads 10-8 in a series that began in the 1951 NCAA Regional third-place game. The Huskies are 4-4 in Provo, UT. Rose has never faced UW. Coach Lorenzo Romar is 0-1 against BYU after a loss with Pepperdine.

Last meeting: On Dec. 9, 1997, the Huskies overcame a 31-point barrage from Wesley Mekeli and dominated BYU in an 83-68 victory at the Marriott Center. The Huskies trailed 9-7 before Deon Luton hit back-to-back 3-pointers to start a 14-2 run that put UW ahead for good at 21-11 with 9:16 left in the first half. Luton finished with 19 points, Patrick Femerling had 11 of his 13 points in the 2nd half and Thalo Green added 10.

Previous game: BYU lost 72-69 to San Diego in the WCC quarterfinals.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

— Belgium-born Tyler Haws (far right) is a household name in Utah where he won the state’s player of the year award as a prep senior in 2009. He had a nice freshman season in 2009-10 at BYU before leaving for a two-year LDS mission in the Philippines. He returned this season and is quickly becoming a star.

Soon the rest of the country will know all about the 6-5 sophomore shooting guard who averaged 20.9 points this season. Many liken him to former BYU star Jimmer Fredette, but he’s not as proficient on three-pointers as the second-year Sacramento Kings player. Haws shoots 38.6 percent behind the arc. However, he’s deadly everywhere else on the court. He shoots 47.3 percent from the floor and 86.8 percent at the free throw line.

Haws has scored 20-plus points in 21 games. He’s led BYU in scoring 18 times.
He scored a career-high 42 points against Virgina Tech. He converted 14 of 25 shots, including 6 of 8 three-pointers. He was also 8 of 9 on FTs. It was the most points by a BYU player not named Fredette since 1961.

Haws earned all-WCC honors and was named to the all-District team. His father Marty starred at BYU.

— Brandon Davies became a national story two years ago when BYU suspended the 6-9 forward for violation a school policy and engaging in premarital sex. At the time the Cougars were 27-2 and ranked No. 3 in the country. Rumors swirled Davies would transfer, but he returned to BYU last season and averaged 15.2 points and 7.7 rebounds.

This season, he’s become even more of a stat stuffer while averaging at least one of everything (points, rebounds, assists, blocks, steals). Here’s his number: 17.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 blocks and 1.4 steals in 32 games. He’s had nine double-doubles this season. Davies earned all-WCC and all-District honors.

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Scouting report: No. 23 Oregon
Game info: 8:30 p.m. Thursday at MGM Grand Garden Arena (13,151 capacity).

TV: ESPNU (Ted Robinson and Bill Walton).
Radio: KJR 950 AM and 102.9 FM (Bob Rondeau and Jason Hamilton).

Record: 23-8, 12-6 Pac-12.
Stats/schedule: Click here.
Game notes: Oregon and Washington.

Coach: Dana Altman is 64-33 in his third season with the Ducks, 474-276 (.632) as a Division I head coach and 597-300 overall. Prior to joining Oregon on April 26, 2010, he spent 16 seasons at Creighton where he became the school’s all-time winningest coach with a record
of 327-176 (.650). He led the Blue Jays to 13 consecutive postseason appearances and 11 straight seasons with 20-plus wins. In four seasons (1990-94) at Kansas State, Altman amassed a 68-54 (.557) record. He also had a 15-13 (.536) record in one season (1989-90) at Marshall.
Prediction: Picked to finish seventh in a preseason poll in the Pac-12 by media who cover the conference.

Series: Washington leads 187-107 in a series that began in 1904. Tonight’s game will be the 294th meeting between the teams, the second longest rivalry in the Pac-12. The Huskies have won 13 of the last 20 games. UW coach Lorenzo Romar is 15-9 against Oregon, including 10-1 at Edmundson Pavilion. Altman is 3-4 against the Huskies.
Last meeting: Both teams met 19 days ago and Oregon won 81-76 on Jan. 29 at Matthew Knight Arena. The game was close until midway in the second half when the Ducks capitalized on Washington turnovers to spark a 7-0 run that gave them a 50-40 lead with less than 15 minutes left. The Huskies made a run at the end and closed to within four points thanks to 23 Oregon turnovers. UW had 21 TOs, which ruined an otherwise brilliant offensive display. The Huskies shot 51.9 percent from the field and made 8 of 12 (.667) three-pointers. Backup point guard Andrew Andrews scored a team-high 15 points to lead five Huskies in double-digit scoring.
Previous game: Snapped a three-game losing streak with a 73-64 comeback win over Utah at Matthew Knight Arena.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Photo credit: Nate Barrett/Emerald

— Senior forward Arslan Kazemi (far right), a 23-year-old from Iran who played three years at Rice, has been a  problem for Washington in the past two games. He’s tough, smart and nasty.

Kazemi is a get-it-done type of a player. There’s not a lot of flash to his game. The 6-7, 226-pound forward is a tough inside and leads Oregon with a 9.6 rebounding average. He’s not dynamic or overly athletic. But he’s crafty on the defensive end where he averages 2.1 steals and savvy on the offensive side where he averages 9.3 points and 1.3 assists. And he’s gritty while often providing the hustle plays that don’t show up in the statistics.

In their last meeting, Kazami finished with 11 points and seven rebounds. He made 3 of 4 field goals and was 5 of 8 on free throws. In the first game, Kazemi had 11 points on 4-for-4 shooting. He was 3 of 4 at the free throw line. He had 11 rebounds – two on the offensive glass – an assist and a steal in 36 minutes.

Kazemi has extensive playing international basketball. He’s been a captain for several Iran national teams since he was 17.

Romar on Kazemi: “Wow. What a welcomed addition he is. He is an unsung hero on that team I guarantee you. He just rebounds. Plays within his role. He makes big plays. Smart. You can watch him play and be really impressed with what he does out there.”

— Senior E.J. Singler leads Oregon with an 11.5 point scoring average. He exploded for 18 points in the first game against Washington, but had nine points, five rebounds and three assists in the most recent meeting.

The 6-6 senior forward was a first-team all-Pac-12 pick.

He scored 21 points in the regular season finale against Utah. Singler has 1,471 career points and is within 17 points of moving into 12th place on Oregon’s all-time scoring list.

Singler is the Ducks all-time leader with 82 victories. He’s played in every game since his freshman season. His brother Kyle starred at Duke and plays for the Detroit Pistons.

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Video credit: Pac-12 Networks

Scouting report: Washington State
Game info: 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at MGM Grand Arena (13,151 capacity).

TV: Pac-12 Networks (Ted Robinson and Bill Walton).
Radio: KJR 950 AM and 102.9 FM (Bob Rondeau and Jason Hamilton).

Record: 13-18, 4-14 Pac-12.
Stats/schedule: Click here.
Game notes: Washington State and Washington.

Coach: Ken Bone is 70-64 (.519) in his fourth season with the Cougars. The former UW assistant has a 147-113 record at Division I schools, including a 77-49 (.611) mark at Portland State (2005-09). He also coached at Seattle Pacific where he was 253-97 (.723) from 1990-2002. Bone began his coaching career at Cal State Stanislaus where he was 5-21 (.192) in 1984-85. The next season he moved to Olympic where he was 4-23 (.148) in 1985-86. The SPU graduated returned to his alma mater in 1986 as an assistant before taking over in 1990. He was an assistant at Washington from 2002-05.
Prediction: Picked to finish 10th in a preseason poll in the Pac-12 by media who cover the conference.

Series: This is the 277th meeting between the schools. Washington leads 175-100 in a series that began Feb. 16, 1910. UW is 9-2 in the past 11 games, including a sweep the regular-season series. Bone is 2-7 against UW as WSU coach. Romar is 15-10 versus the Cougars.

Last meeting: In a 72-68 Washington win, Scott Suggs drained a three-pointer with 4:05 left to unlock a 57-57 tie. He finished with 23 points. Suggs and C.J. Wilcox, who also had 23 points, scored 15 of the final 16 points for the Huskies.

Previous game: Beat USC 76-51 on Saturday in the regular-season finale.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

— Royce Wooldridge (near right), the transfer from Kansas, had a relatively slow start, but lately he’s been on a tear.

He scored scored 18 on 6-for-14 shooting in the last meeting against Washington. In the past two games, he had 19 and 25 points.

Wooldridge had a career-high 36 points on Oregon on Feb. 16.

The 6-3 sophomore guard has scored in double figures in seven of the past 10 of the past 11 games. eight games and is averaging 13.8 points against Pac-12 opponents.

— Senior forward Brock Motum is second in the Pac-12 with an 18.4 scoring average. He pumped in 31 points in his last outing.

Stopping Motum is priority No. 1.

He scored 18 and 15 points this season against Washington and Huskies lauded Desmond Simmons for his tremendous defensive performance against the 6-10 senior lanky forward.

Motum’s career high is 34 points. Until last week, he had been held in check by Pac-12 opponents. In the past two games, he’s averaging 25.5 points.

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Scouting report: No. 23 UCLA
Game info: 11 a.m. Saturday at Alaska Airlines Arena (10, 000 capacity).

TV: CBA (Brian Anderson and Doug Gotlieb).
Radio: KJR 950 AM and 102.9 FM (Bob Rondeau and Jason Hamilton).

Record: 22-8, 12-5 Pac-12.
Stats/schedule: Click here.
Game notes: UCLA and Washington.

Coach: Ben Howland is 230-105 (.685) in his 10th season with the Bruins and 398-204 (.660) in 18 years a Division I head coach. He’s guided UCLA to six NCAA tournament appearances and three Final Fours. Prior to joining the Bruins in 2003, he spent four seasons (1999-2003) at Pittsburgh where he had an 89-40 (.690) record. He also made two trips to the NCAA tourney and a pair of Sweet 16 appearances with the Panthers. Howland coached five seasons (1994-99) at Northern Arizona where he was 79-59 (.572) and made one NCAA tourney appearance.

Prediction: Picked to finish second in a preseason poll in the Pac-12 by media who cover the conference.

Series: UCLA leads 90-42 in a series that began Dec. 30, 1936. The Huskies are 7-60 in Pauley Pavilion. UW coach Lorenzo Romar, a former Bruins assistant from 1993-96, is 2-8 against UCLA in Los Angeles and 11-10 all-time. Howland is 7-12 against the Huskies.

Last meeting: UCLA won 59-57 on a buzzer-beating, mid-range jumper from Larry Drew II (video above) on Feb. 7 at new Pauley Pavilion. Before Drew’s game-winning shot, C.J. Wilcox (15 points) tied the score with a nifty drive and short jumper. However, he left 10 seconds on the clock. It was enough time for Drew. He used a screen to get free from Abdul Gaddy (13 points and eight assists), darted away from Aziz N’Diaye (11 points and 18 rebounds) and found enough space to launch a shot over forward Shawn Kemp Jr. (10 points).

Previous game: UCLA lost 73-61 at Washington State on Wednesday.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Photo credit: Getty Images – Stephen Dunn

— In their first meeting, Washington played tight defense against Shabazz Muhammad (near right) thanks to senior guard Scott Suggs (far right).

However, the UCLA freshman scored a game-high 22 points on 8-for-23 shooting. He was 1 of 2 on three-pointers and 5 of 6 at the free throw line. He was the only UCLA player who scored more than 10 points. Muhammad also collected eight rebounds and two steals in 34 minutes.

The 6-6, 225-pound guard is considered a top three NBA draft prospect according to Draft Express while NBAdraft.net while believes he’ll be taken fifth overall. He’s a versatile lefty scorer who compares favorably to NBA All-Star James Harden.

Given the hype and fanfare surrounding the UCLA star, it’s no wonder Howland prematurely said Muhammad will declare for the draft after the season. Muhammad said he hasn’t made a decision on whether he’ll turn pro or return to school. Howland later apologized and backpedaled from his comments.

Still by all accounts, Muhammad is bound for the NBA next season.

He leads the Bruins with 18.1 points per game, which is the second-highest scoring average among
all Pac-12 players. There’s a chance he could overtake California’s Allen Crabbe (18.6 points per game) for the regular-season scoring title. If Muhammad scores 33 points today, he would finish the regular season with an 18.7 scoring average.

Muhammad is a dynamic scorer and UCLA is 11-1 when he scores at least 20 points. However, he’s a marginal defensive player, adequate rebounder, who averages 5.0 boards, and not much of a playmaker. He’s failed to register an assists in 11 games and averages 0.9.

Muahammad has thrived despite constant scrutiny and setbacks. He missed the first three games while the NCAA conducted a months long investigation to review possible recruiting violations. Once cleared and eligible to play, he admitted he was out of shape and over weight, which contributed to UCLA’s 2-3 record in the first games with their star player.

UCLA won the next 10 games thanks in large part to Muhammad who averaged 19.6 points during the span. He back-to-back 27-point outings and tallied at least 20 points six times.

Then came Gucci-gate and a nasty bout with the flu, injuries to his ankle, shoulder and groin and finally pink eye.

“This kid has had just about everything happen to you  happen,” Howland said. “He keeps on ticking.”

— Jordan Adams was the least heralded of the touted Fab Four class, but he made the biggest impact early on. With Muhammad out, he scored 21, 26 and 25 points. During Muhammad’s debut, Adams nearly stole the show while scoring 22 points in a loss to Georgetown. He’s the first UCLA player to begin his college career with four consecutive 20-point outings. He also scored at least 20 points in three straight games in February. Adams averages 15.1 points, which is eighth in the Pac-12.

— Nicknamed “Slo-Mo,” freshman Kyle Anderson plays at a deliberate pace that’s deceptive and difficult to defend. He’s not overly athletic or quick, but he’s long and crafty. At 6-9, he’s an extremely polished playmaker and passer who averages 3.6 assists. On most teams he would be the primary ball handler, but UCLA needs him to play in the post and he’s responded by leading the team with a 9.0 rebounding average. He also averages 10.1 points. Anderson has 53 steals, which ranks fifth in the Pac-12 and he’s logged eight double-doubles. He’s also considered a NBA prospect who could bolt after one season with the Bruins.

— UCLA’s trio of freshmen starters get the publicity, but Drew just might be the most important player on the team. He’s received recognition as a Pac-12 MVP candidate from analysts Bill Walton and Jay Bilas. Drew leads the conference and is tied for third nationally with a 7.8 assists average. It’s an astonishing feat. He’s logged at least eight assists in 18 of 30 games and has committed two or fewer turnovers in 19 contests. Although recently, he’s began to get reckless with his ball handling. Since the UW meeting, he’s averaging 4.4 in the past seven games. Drew is the only Bruin to start every game this season. He played his first three seasons at North Carolina before transferring and sitting out last season.

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Scouting report: USC
Game info: 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at Alaska Airlines Arena (10, 000 capacity).

TV: Pac-12 Networks (Kevin Calabro and Lamar Hurd).
Radio: KJR 950 AM and 102.9 FM (Bob Rondeau and Jason Hamilton).

Record: 14-15, 9-7 Pac-12.
Stats/schedule: Click here.
Game notes: USC and Washington.

Coach: Bob Cantu is 7-5 since taking over on an interim basis after USC fired Kevin O’Neill. Cantu has spent 12 years at USC. He was promoted to associated head coach by O’Neill in 2010. Cantu had been the longest tenured assistant in the Pac-12.

Prediction: Picked to finish ninth in a preseason poll in the Pac-12 by media who cover the conference.

Series: USC leads 69-68 in a series that began Feb. 26, 1925. The Huskies are 38-30 against the Trojans in Seattle. UW coach Lorenzo Romar is 13-8 versus USC and 5-5 all-time at Edmundson Pavilion.

Last meeting: USC led by as much as 19 points in the first half of its 71-60 win on Feb. 20 at Galen Center. The Trojans were up 40-29 at halftime and the Huskies never got closer than five points in the second half. Scott Suggs scored a team-high 16 points, Abdul Gaddy had 12 and Aziz N’Diaye 10. C.J. Wilcox never got going offensively and was limited to eight points on 3-for-7 shooting. However, he had seven rebounds, six steals and three assists.

Previous game: USC beat Arizona State 57-56 last Saturday.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

— J.T. Terrell (near right) scored a game-high 18 points on 6-for-12 shooting in the first meeting. He converted 4 of 7 three-pointers while also finishing with two rebounds and two assists in 34 minutes.

The 6-3 junior guard starred at Peninsula JC last season and averaged 24.4 points. He began his college career at Wake Forest and averaged 11.1 points as a freshman. He played in 32 games and made 18 starts.

Many expected him to make an immediate big impact with USC, but he said he had a rocky relationship with O’Neill that hindered his production. Under Cantu, Terrell has been more consistent scoring.

He notched a career high 22 points in Cantu’s debut and has scored in double figures in 13 of the past 14 Terrell is second on USC averaging 11.2 points. In the seven games prior to that, he averaged 3.3 points and scored in double figures in just six of USC’s first 15 games.

Terrell leads all Pac-12 players in conference games with an average of 2.5 three-pointers per game. His conference scoring average is 12.9. He’s not playmaker (0.9 assists per game). He’s been a reluctant rebounder (1.9 average) and horrific shot blocker (three total for the season), which speaks to his defensive prowess. However, Terrell does have 23 steals.

— Eric Wise wasn’t the most heralded of USC’s six newcomers. He transferred from UC Irvine last year and sat out the 2011-12 season. In his only season with the Trojans, the 6-6 senior wing has emerged as the team’s most consistent player.

Wise leads USC in scoring (12.3 points per game) and field goals (138). He’s second in rebounding average (5.8) and steals (28). He’s third in blocks (nine), assists (53) and free throws made (60). He’s scored in double figures in 22 of 29 games, including a season high of 22 points.

— Sophomore guard Byron Wesley is capable of big scoring performances, especially against Washington. He tallied a personal best 23 points last year during an 80-58 UW win. Wesley made 10 of 18 shots and had five rebounds in 36 minutes in the game. Rarely has he been that good. He’s topped 20 points just three times in career, including a season-high 20 point outing during a Feb. 7 win over Washington State. In the last UW-USC game, Wesley had seven points and four assists.

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Scouting report: Washington State
Game info: 12:30 p.m. Sunday at Alaska Airlines Arena (10,000 capacity).

TV: ROOT/FSN (Justin Kutcher and Marques Johnson).
Radio: KJR 950 AM and 102.9 FM (Bob Rondeau and Jason Hamilton).

Record: 11-17, 2-13 Pac-12.
Stats/schedule: Click here.
Game notes: Washington State and Washington.

Coach: Ken Bone is 68-63 (.519) in his fourth season with the Cougars. The former UW assistant has a 145-112 record at Division I schools, including a 77-49 (.611) mark at Portland State (2005-09). He also coached at Seattle Pacific where he was 253-97 (.723) from 1990-2002. Bone began his coaching career at Cal State Stanislaus where he was 5-21 (.192) in 1984-85. The next season he moved to Olympic where he was 4-23 (.148) in 1985-86. The SPU graduated returned to his alma mater in 1986 as an assistant before taking over in 1990. He was an assistant at Washington from 2002-05.
Prediction: Picked to finish 10th in a preseason poll in the Pac-12 by media who cover the conference.

Series: This is the 276th meeting between the schools. Washington leads 175-100 in a series that began Feb. 16, 1910. UW is 8-2 in the past 10games, including a sweep in last season’s two-game series. Bone is 2-6 against UW as WSU coach. He’s 2-9 against the Huskies overall, including an 0-3 mark at Portland State. Coach Lorenzo Romar is 14-10 versus the Cougars, including a 6-4 mark in Seattle.

Last meeting: In a 68-63 Washington win, the Huskies led by as many as 17 points in the first half and trailed by four with 5:44 left before rallying for victory in the Pac-12 opener on Jan. 5. C.J. Wilcox scored 13 of his game-high 18 points in the first half, Aziz N’Diaye finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds and Scott Suggs (11 points) scored the last three field goals for UW. The Huskies closed on a 16-7 run while the Cougars failed to score a field goal in the final four minutes.

Previous game: Lost 73-56 at Arizona on Feb. 23.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Photo credit: Spokesman Review – Tyler Tjomsland

— Senior forward Brock Motum (near right) led the Pac-12 in scoring last season averaging 18.0 points. This season, he’s third at 17.9. His statistics are similar to the previous season, but he has to work a whole lot harder this time because he doesn’t have the help that he once did. Stopping Motum is priority No. 1 of every team that faces Washington State.

He scored 15 points in the last meeting against Washington and Huskies lauded Desmond Simmons for his tremendous defensive performance against the lanky forward.

Motum’s career high is 34 points, but for the most part he’s been held in check by Pac-12 opponents. He tallied a season-high 29 points against Stanford on Jan. 29, but hasn’t topped 20 in any other game.

He’s been a bit of a gunner this season. He leads the conference with 405 field-goal attempts, which is almost twice as many shots as the next highest player on the team. But Motum has to shoot because WSU has very few viable offensive threats.

The Brisbane, Australian native is somewhat unorthodox because he’s 6-10, 245 pounds and he’s a lefty. In seven games against UW, he’s averaging 9.7 points.

— Sophomore guard DaVonte Lacy, a Tacoma native, struggled in last year’s game at Washington when he had five points and six rebounds in 26 minutes. Still, the Curtis High standout is capable of a big game. He scored a career-high 27 points on Feb. 13 against Oregon State. In the game, he converted 7 of 9 three-pointers. Lacy, a 6-3 guard, has scored in double figures in six of the last seven games.

— Royce Wooldridge, the transfer from Kansas, had a relatively slow start, but lately he’s been on a tear. He dropped a career-high 36 points on Oregon on Feb. 16. The 6-3 sophomore guard scored in double figures in seven of the past eight games and is averaging 12.4 points against Pac-12 opponents.

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Video credit: Pac-12 Networks

Scouting report: Arizona State
Game info: 8 p.m. Saturday at Wells Fargo Arena (10,734 capacity).

TV: ESPNU (Dave Fleming and Sean Farnham).
Radio: KJR 950 AM and 102.9 FM (Bob Rondeau and Jason Hamilton).

Record: 20-7, 9-5 Pac-12.
Stats/schedule: Click here.
Game notes: Arizona State and Washington.

Coach: Herb Sendek is 118-103 (.532) in his seventh season with the Sun Devils and 372-261 (.588) in 20 years a Division I head coach. Prior to joining Arizona on April 6, 2006, he spent 10 seasons (1996-06) at North Carolina State where he had a 191-132 (.591) record and made five straight NCAA tournament appearances. Sendek was 63-26 (.708) three years (1993-96) at Miami (OH).

Prediction: Picked to finish 11th in a preseason poll in the Pac-12 by media who cover the conference.

Series: Washington leads 38-37 in a series that began Nov. 28, 1977. The Huskies have won five of the past six games and they’14-21 all-time in Tempe, Ariz. UW coach Lorenzo Romar is 18-6 against the Sun Devils. Sendek is 4-9 against UW.

Last meeting: Washington scored more points than any game this season and won 96-92 on Feb. 2 at Alaska Airlines Arena. Led by Andrew Andrews’ career high 20 points, six Huskies scored in double figures including Shawn Kemp Jr. (18), who notched a personal best.

Previous game: Arizona State defeated Washington State 69-57 Thursday at Wells Fargo Arena. (Highlights above.)

AP Photo – Ted S. Warren

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

— Senior Carrick Felix (far right) is being touted as a candidate for the Pac-12 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year award. He’s the only one to receive the conference’s player of the week honors three times.

Felix tallied 23 points – one shy of his career best – and 11 rebounds on Thursday. It was the 10th time he’s scored at least 20 points and the 11th time he’s registered a double double.

The 6-6 wing had a minimal impact in the first meeting against Washington scoring 10 points in 29 minutes due to foul trouble. Still, Felix helped limit C.J. Wilcox to just 10 points on 2-for-11 shooting.

Felix was the third-leading scorer for ASU last year and often he got lost in the melodrama that was the Sun Devils season. His emergence this season has been symbolic of the changes in Tempe. He’s always had the talent – he initially signed with Duke as a junior college transfer – but the new offense has given him a platform to display his athleticism.

He’s averaging 14.5 points and 8.1 rebounds. Felix will play his last game at Wells Fargo Arena tonight.

— Jahii Carson put on a show the last time he played Washington. He scored a game-high 32 points on 13-for-19 shooting. He also had five assists and two steals.

Carson is averaging 17.8 points, which is tied for third in the Pac-12. He’s scored at least 20 points 12 times, which tied with Wilcox for the second most by a Pac-12 player. Carson is also averaging 4.9 assists.

Carson is also a candidate for several post-season awards including the Freshman of the Year award and the Player of the Year award.

The dynamic point guard was forced to redshirt last season after being ruled academically ineligible by the NCAA. As a recruit, the 5-10 star at Mesa High in Phoenix originally committed to Oregon State. He had scholarship offers to Arizona, Memphis, Marquette, UCLA and Washington, but chose to stay close to home and resuscitate a struggling program.

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Video credit: Pac-12 Networks

Scouting report: No. 12 Arizona
Game info: 8 p.m. Wednesday at McKale Center (14, 538 capacity).

TV: ESPN2 (Dave Pasch and Bill Walton).
Radio: KJR 950 AM and 102.9 FM (Bob Rondeau and Jason Hamilton).

Record: 21-4, 9-4 Pac-12.
Stats/schedule: Click here.
Game notes: Arizona and Washington.

Coach: Sean Miller is 90-39 (.698) in his fourth season with the Wildcats and 210-86 (.709) in nine years a Division I head coach. Prior to joining Arizona on April 6, 2009, he spent five seasons at Xavier where he had four 20-win seasons and made four NCAA tournament appearances. Miller was 120-47 (.719) with the Muskateers.

Prediction: Picked to finish first in a preseason poll in the Pac-12 by media who cover the conference.

Series: Arizona leads 45-28 in a series that began Dec. 29, 1964. Washington is 7-27 in Tucson, Ariz.  UW coach Lorenzo Romar is 13-11 against the Wildcats. Miller is 3-5 against the Huskies.

Last meeting: Bizarre finish for Washington. The Huskies did a great job defensively holding Arizona to 35.1 percent shooting. Washington led by a point in the final three minutes, but faded in the final minutes of a 57-53 defeat. Ahead 51-50 with 2:31 left, Washington was outscored 7-2 the rest of the way. C.J. Wilcox missed his first six shots and sat out for long stretches due to foul trouble. He finished with 11 points. Washington shot 36.8 percent from the field and committed 17 turnovers. The offensive problems were highlighted in the final minute when Abdul Gaddy threw a poor pass that sailed above Wilcox, who got behind the defense for what would have been an uncontested alley-oop finish. The game ended with center Aziz N’Diaye missing badly on his first three-point attempt.

Previous game: Won 68-64 at Utah on Sunday.

AP Photo – Ted S. Warren

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

— Nick Johnson (near right) did the best job of anyone shutting down Wilcox, the Pac-12′s fifth-leading scorer. Arizona’s sophomore guard hounded the UW sharp shooter and forced him to miss his first six shots. Wilcox finished 4 of 16 and 1 for 5 on three-pointers.

Johnson finished with 15 points, six rebounds, four steals, three blocks and three assists to offset three turnovers.

At 6-3, he’s exceptionally quick and explosive. He reportedly has a 45-inch vertical leap. [By comparison NBA slam dunk champion Terrence Ross has a 37.5 inch vertical leap.] No surprise Johnson won the Red and Blue dunk contest as a freshman.

On most teams, Johnson would be the top star. At Arizona, he’s the third offensive option who averages 11.8 points on 45.2 percent shooting from the floor and 35.0 percent on three-pointers. His forte is slashing to the basket. It’s noteworthy that he’s taken more free attempts (93) than three-point tries (80).

Johnson is also a defensive menace who is second in the Pac-12 with 54 steals.

—Forward Solomon Hill has had big games against Washington. In last year’s game at McKale Center, he finished with 28 points on 9-for-10 shooting. He made 8 of 9 free throws and collected 11 rebounds in 37 minutes. However, Washington won 69-67.

Hill, a 6-7 senior, began the season as a Pac-12 MVP candidate and was named to the John R. Wooden Award preseason top 50. It hasn’t been a big statistical year for him. He’s averaging 13.7 points. It’s a slight increase from last season when he averaged 13.0 and his rebounding average is down 5.5 from 7.7. However, Hill has had to adjust to changing roles, a new position and new teammates. Last season, he played power forward, but this season he’s moved to the wing position.

In his last meeting against the Huskies, he finished with 10 points on 5-for-12 shooting and three rebounds.

— Mark Lyons, the Xavier transfer, has made immediate dividends during his first (and only) year with Arizona. The senior point guard has made big plays in crucial moments for the Wildcats. Perhaps none was bigger than a go-ahead layup with seven seconds left in a 65-64 win over Florida. Lyons, 6-1 and 200 pounds, isn’t a prototypical point guard. He’s first and foremost a scorer, who averages 15.3 points and leads Arizona with 286 field goal attempts. Secondly, he’s a mediocre playmaker who has 79 assists and 72 turnovers.

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Video credit: Pac-12 Networks

Scouting report: Oregon State
Game info: 8 p.m. Saturday at Alaska Airlines Arena (10,000 capacity).

TV: FSN/ROOT (Justin Kutcher and Marques Johnson).
Radio: KJR 950 AM and 102.9 FM (Bob Rondeau and Jason Hamilton).

Record: 13-12, 3-9 Pac-12.
Stats/schedule: Click here.
Game notes: Oregon State and Washington.

Coach: Craig Robinson is 77-83 in his fifth season with the Beavers and 107-111 in seven years as a head coach. Prior to joining OSU in 2008, he spent two years at Brown where he amassed a 30-28 record.
Prediction: Picked to finish eighth in a preseason poll in the Pac-12 by media who cover the conference.

Series: Oregon State has won the past two games, including a victory last year in the Pac-12 Tournament. The Beavers are attempting to get their first regular-season sweep of Washington in 10 years. The Huskies lead 154-138 in a series that began in 1904. Saturday’s game is the 293rd contest between the teams, which is the third longest rivalry in the Pac-12. UW coach Lorenzo Romar is 16-7 against OSU, including a 9-1 record in Seattle. Robinson is 3-8 against the Huskies.
Last meeting: Oregon State dominated the first half, raced ahead to a 10-point half-time lead and held on for a 74-66 win on Jan. 23 at Gill Coliseum. C.J. Wilcox scored a game-high 23 points on 9-for-21 shooting. Abdul Gaddy added 14, Scott Suggs 11 and Aziz N’Diaye finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Five Beavers scored in double figures.
Previous game: Won 67-66 at Washington State on Thursday (video highlights above).

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

— Not exactly sure why Devin Collier (far right) doesn’t start. You’d think a team hovering around .500 and tied for 10th place in the Pac-12 could find a spot in the lineup for an active 6-8 junior forward who is second on the team with a 13.2 scoring average and tied for second with 6.4 rebounds per game. It’s somewhat mind-boggling because Collier would start for more than half of the teams in the conference.

He could certainly find a spot with the Huskies, who he has dominated in their past few meetings.

Despite Wilcox’s big scoring outing in the Jan. 23 game, Collier was the best player on the court that night. He played 30 minutes and finished with 16 points on 4-for-5 shooting from the field and an 8-for-11 performance at the free throw line. He also had seven rebounds – three on the offense end – a game-high five assists and a block.

In OSU’s Pac-12 tourney win against Washington last year, Collier had 19 points and seven rebounds.

He lives inside the painted area where he shoots .506 percent from the field. He’s never taken a three-pointer and ranks amgon the Pac-12 leaders with 23 blocks.

He scored a career-best 27 points against Purdue this season. He also ranks among the Pac-12 leaders with 19 blocked shots.

— Junior guard Roberto Nelson should be a candidate for the Pac-12 Most Improved Player award. Last season he averaged 9.3 points and 20.8 minutes in a reserve role. This season, he’s started every game and leads Oregon State in scoring with 17.1 points per game.

Nelson had big shoes to fill while replacing Jared Cunningham, a first-round NBA pick last summer. The 6-3 junior does his best work at the free throw line where he’s second in the Pac-12 in attempts (146). He’s shooting 77.4 percent at the charity strip.

In the last meeting with Washington, he made 7 of 8 free throws and was 3 of 14 from the field for 15 points in 37 minutes. It was the first time he played well against the Huskies. Last season, he scored a total of 10 points in three games.

Nelson has scored at least 10 in the past 10 games. His career high is 34.

Nelson is also deadly behind the arc where he shoots 43.7 percent. He’s taken at least five three-pointers in the past three games.

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Video credit: Pac-12 Networks

Scouting report: No. 23 Oregon
Game info: 8 p.m. Wednesday at Alaska Airlines Arena (10,000 capacity).

TV: ESPN2 (Dave Pasch and Bill Walton).
Radio: KJR 950 AM and 102.9 FM (Bob Rondeau and Jason Hamilton).

Record: 19-5, 8-3 Pac-12.
Stats/schedule: Click here.
Game notes: Oregon and Washington.

Coach: Dana Altman is 64-33 in his third season with the Ducks, 474-276 (.632) as a Division I head coach and 597-300 overall. Prior to joining Oregon on April 26, 2010, he spent 16 seasons at Creighton where he became the school’s all-time winningest coach with a record
of 327-176 (.650). He led the Blue Jays to 13 consecutive postseason appearances and 11 straight seasons with 20-plus wins. In four seasons (1990-94) at Kansas State, Altman amassed a 68-54 (.557) record. He also had a 15-13 (.536) record in one season (1989-90) at Marshall.
Prediction: Picked to finish seventh in a preseason poll in the Pac-12 by media who cover the conference.

Series: Washington leads 187-106 in a series that began in 1904. Tonight’s game will be the 294th meeting between the teams, the second longest rivalry in the Pac-12. The Huskies have won 13 of the last 20 games. UW coach Lorenzo Romar is 15-9 against Oregon, including 10-1 at Edmundson Pavilion. Altman is 3-4 against the Huskies.
Last meeting: Both teams met 19 days ago and Oregon won 81-76 on Jan. 29 at Matthew Knight Arena. The game was close until midway in the second half when the Ducks capitalized on Washington turnovers to spark a 7-0 run that gave them a 50-40 lead with less than 15 minutes left. The Huskies made a run at the end and closed to within four points thanks to 23 Oregon turnovers. UW had 21 TOs, which ruined an otherwise brilliant offensive display. The Huskies shot 51.9 percent from the field and made 8 of 12 (.667) three-pointers. Backup point guard Andrew Andrews scored a team-high 15 points to lead five Huskies in double-digit scoring.
Previous game: Snapped a three-game losing streak with a 73-64 comeback win over Utah at Matthew Knight Arena.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

— Senior forward Arslan Kazemi (near right), a 23-year-old from Iran who played three years at Rice, is turning into the emotional leader for Oregon. He delivered an impassioned halftime speech last Saturday, which spurred the Ducks into overcoming a 30-22 halftime deficit and rallying for a nine-point win over Utah.

Kazemi is a get-it-done type of a player. There’s not a lot of flash to his game. The 6-7, 226-pound forward is a tough inside and leads Oregon with a 9.6 rebounding average. He’s not dynamic or overly athletic. But he’s crafty on the defensive end where he averages 2.1 steals and savvy on the offensive side where he averages 8.8 points and 1.3 assists. And he’s gritty while often providing the hustle plays that don’t show up in the statistics.

In their last meeting, Kazami finished with 11 points on 4-for-4 shooting. He was 3 of 4 at the free throw line. He had 11 rebounds – two on the offensive glass – an assist and a steal in 36 minutes.

Kazemi has extensive playing international basketball. He’s been a captain for several Iran national teams since he was 17.

Romar on Kazemi: “Wow. What a welcomed addition he is. He is an unsung hero on that team I guarantee you. He just rebounds. Plays within his role. He makes big plays. Smart. You can watch him play and be really impressed with what he does out there.”

— Senior E.J. Singler is coming off of a 21-point performance last Saturday. It was his second-highest scoring tally this season. He made 12 of 13 free throws, which was odd considering he hadn’t taken a foul shot in the previous three games.

The 6-6 senior forward has taken a larger role in the offense recently and as such his turnovers have skyrocketed. Against Washington, he had seven TOs. He’s averaging 4.2 in the past five games.

Still, Singler is a Pac-12 MVP candidate despite producing a season in which his statistics are down from last year. He’s averaging fewer points (10.7 from 13.6) and accuracy on field goals (.413 from .467), three-pointers (.356 from 368) and free throws (.842 from .909) has decreased.

His legacy is measured in wins. He needs one victory to tie Freddy Jones and Joevan Catron (81) for the most wins in school history.

Singler also has a 119-game streak of consecutive starts. He’s played in every game since his freshman season. His brother Kyle starred at Duke and plays for the Detroit Pistons.

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