In what looks to be the biggest matchup of
the season, Oregon comes south from Eugene looking to effectively
eliminate Stanford from a regular season title. Oregon comes in
with a 2 ½ game lead in the conference, and with the way they
play at home, it looks like they could take the conference. They
are up to number 13 in the country and look like a team that
could make a run deep into March. This is a huge matchup for
Stanford as they are trying to fill out a resume for the
selection committee, hoping for higher than a six or seven seed.
Last weekend's game (ASU) seemed like a big step in the right
direction and then they were stunned by the Cats. We’ll see
how the team responds to the heartbreaking loss Thursday when
these players take the court:
PG - Tony Giovacchini 6-2 180 lbs
3.4 PPG vs. Luke Ridnour 6-2 165 lbs 14.7 PPG
This is looking to be a very weak position
for the Cardinal. Tony has had major struggles so say the least,
as he starts but never really plays meaningful minutes in the 2nd
half. Barnes has been sliding over to the point often now but his
play has been very hot and cold. He sometimes looks like he is a
pro point but often times gets lost and can’t find his
teammates. He seems to be an upgrade over Tony even when he is
colder, but he isn’t a steady point guard by any stretch.
His niche seems to be the two and a point guard search should
continue. Chris Hernandez has been playing some but didn’t
get off the bench for a minute in an overtime game against
Arizona. Was he hurt? I didn’t hear anything, but it was odd
not to see him get five to ten minutes. Ridnour has had a great
sophomore season. He was a McDonald’s All-American and is
starting to show why with his great ballhandling and his ability
to shoot the three. He is very similar to Brett Nelson of Florida
in his style of play but isn’t quite there yet. He is often
too flashy at times but has been very good this season and keeps
improving. Advantage: Luke Ridnour
SG - Julius Barnes 6-1 180 lbs 9.6
PPG vs. Frederick Jones 6-4 210 lbs 16.7 PPG
This is sure to be a very exciting and
athletic matchup. Everyone here knows of Barnes’ athleticism
but if there is anyone in the conference who can match it, it is
Freddy Jones. Jones flies up the court and often puts in a
jaw-dropping dunk or two per game. Didn’t have a great jump
shot until this season ,as it has really come around. Jones
always seems to turn it up a little more when he plays Stanford,
including a great game against the Card last year. Barnes has
been much better at home but is still trying to show some
consistency. Jones lit up Barnes pretty good in Eugene ,so he
will probably have some extra motivation. Look for this matchup
to be very even and very exciting. Advantage: Push
SF - Casey Jacobsen 6-6 210 lbs 21.5
PPG vs. Luke Jackson 6-7 215 lbs 15.2 PPG
Is there anything more to say about Casey?
He is finally looking like a first team All-American and is
showing he can do it all. He scored 73 points last weekend in
every possible way. He drove to the hoop, he hit the mid-range
jumper and of course he hit the three’s. He looks almost
unguardable at times now and will be very difficult for Jackson
to stop by himself. The same can be said for Jackson, though, as
he was the MVP in the teams' previous meeting, by tearing up the
Cardinal defense. Jackson has to be contained because with all
the weapons on this Oregon team, it is a killer when he goes for
a big game. Jacobsen is in a zone now and it looks like he can’t
be stopped. Should go off for a big game, as he scored 32 points
in the teams first meeting. Advantage: Casey Jacobsen
PF - Teyo Johnson 6-7 240 4.4 PPG
lbs vs. Robert Johnson 6-8 235 lbs 8.2 PPG
This was a move that looks like it has
really helped. Davis hasn’t done much of anything for awhile
and has hurt the team at the line. Johnson has provided a little
bit of a scoring punch and a lot of energy. With the energy,
though, comes fouls, and Johnson has had trouble staying on the
floor. He also is very strong but often lacks the height and
reach to play with a lot of the conference’s power forwards.
Johnson has been a solid freshman for Oregon and is a Bay Area
native. Look for this matchup to not play much of a factor and be
a draw. Advantage: Push
C - Curtis Borchardt 7-1 240 lbs
16.1 10.7 RPG vs. Chris Christoffersen 7-2 300 lbs
This is probably the only player in the
conference that Borchardt can’t just shoot over. Chris is a
massive human being and often just takes up space in the lane. He
has greatly improved but he is no match for Borchardt. Curtis
went off for 29 in the first meeting and should do more of the
same against Oregon the second time. Borchardt against Arizona
had trouble finishing close to the hoop at times but a 25-point
21-rebound performance is tough to argue with. Advantage:
Curtis Borchardt
Overall, this is a huge matchup that people
should get excited about. Stanford absolutely needs this game or
they could be looking at a potential second round game against
Duke or Kansas. Not a good idea for a team that wants to make it
deep into March. Oregon has struggled on the road this season
with some really ugly losses. No one doubts their dominance at
home but I think they could have a tough time in this Bay Area
roadtrip. Advantage: Stanford 85 Oregon 80