SU vs UC Davis

Seattle U (9-15) vs UC Davis (8-16, 3-9 Big West)

Key Arena (Seattle, WA)

Tuesday February 15, 2011 7:10 pm

RADIO: 710 ESPN Seattle INTERNET AUDIO: seattleufan.com

Series- 2-2

Last Meeting- November 27. 2010- The Aggies dominated in an 80-58 win.

Scouting UC Davis:

The Aggies are winless in February having dropped 4 in a row and 9 of their last 11. A season that started with promise now finds UC Davis starring up from dead last in the Big West with a 3-9 record. Injury and inconsistent play has torpedoed a team that was thought to compete for a finish towards the top of the conference. It was a tumultuous offseason for Davis as they saw several defections and the departures have left them short-handed. They still feature some very talented players and Seattle U got a taste of that in late November.

The Ones to Watch:

Mark Payne- 6’8 SR G- 14.7 ppg 4.8 rbs 3.5 assts

Payne has been one of the best players in the history of UC Davis basketball. He finds himself #10 all-time in scoring, #4 in assists and #2 in assists on the UC Davis basketball charts. He provides a brutal matchup as a 6’8 point guard who has very good vision and can finish at the cup. He loves to drive and looks to draw fouls. He is a very good free-throw shooter which compliments his goals. He shot has not developed consistently over the years and teams benefit when they can get physical with him. At one point he was considered an NBA prospect becaue of his unique skill-set, but those whispers have mostly died away.

Joe Harden- 6’8 210 SR G- 14.6 ppg 5.8 rbds

The transfer from Notre Dame went over 1,000 points for his career against SU in November. He roughed up Seattle U for 16 points including a perfect 10 for 10 from the free-throw line. His scoring has taken a hit as of late thanks to a broken nose. He has been fitted with a mask which did not affect him at all in their last game against Pacific on Saturday. He hit for 17 points on 7 of 16 shooting. He does not shoot many threes, but he will also look to drive and get to the rim. He is an excellent free-throw shooter as well.

Keys to the Game:

1- Good Start- Always a big key for SU.

2- Rebound- Davis is -5.7 on the season and have been outrebounded by double-figures the last two games which has helped lead to losses.

3- Keep Davis off the line- They were 23-29 last time these teams met.

Numbers to Know:

– 3- The most games SeattleU has played in a row at home this year.

We shall see if SU can claim the revenge win. Tune in 15 minutes before tip on 710 ESPN Seattle and the live blog will be cooking at seattleufan.com.