SU at San Jose State

Seattle U (13-14) @ San Jose State (13-12, 5-7 WAC)

Key Arena (Seattle, WA)

Tuesday January 19, 2010 7:10 pm

RADIO: 710 ESPN Seattle Series- San Jose State- 3-1

Scouting San Jose State:

The expectations were not terribly high coming into the season for the team picked to finish 8th in the 9 team WAC by the coaches. The Spartans opened eyes early in conference play by jumping out to a 5-3 start. However, the hot start gave way to a four game losing streak which was finally halted thanks to a non-conference bracket buster victory over Montana State on Saturday. The Spartans are hovering around the .500 mark which is an impressive step for a program that has not finished with an above even record since the 1993-94 campaign. Their next win will mark their most victories since picking-up 15 during the 1999-00 season. The guard-oriented Spartans are loaded with offensive talent. San Jose State is shooting a lofty 40% from 3 while averaging nearly 74 points a game. They shoot 45% from the field and still manage to outrebound their opponents by 1.6 despite their size. The starting lineup consists of four guards and one center and goes- 6’3, 6’3, 6’4, 6’4 and 6’10. They have been outstanding at home 9-2 with the only losses coming to Saint Mary’s and Utah State. In their last 7 home games the Spartans are shooting 51% from the field and 49% from 3.

The Ones to Watch:

Adrian Oliver- 6’4 210 JR G- 22.3 ppg 5.6 rbd 2.8 assts

The Washington transfer is having an outstanding season for the Spartans. He is currently 6th in the nation in scoring and is averaging 25.6 points per game in his last 10. He belted La Tech for 39 points earlier this year. He hits 43% from the field and a nearly identical 42% from 3. He can stroke the 3 and he is lightening quick on penetration. He is the total offensive package.

Chris Oakes- 6’10 235 SR C- 11 ppg 9.5 rbds

Oakes is the only player taller than 6’4 in the starting lineup. He is coming off an impressive 16 point 12 rebound effort against Montana State on Saturday which was his 9th double-double of the season. He is 37th in the country in rebounding and he is 2nd all-time in San Jose history in blocked shots. The Pepperdine transfer does not spend much time outside the key, but is hitting at a 60% clip.

Keys to the Game:

1- Rebounding- Seattle only wins when they are plus on rebounds. San Jose State is usually good on the boards, but they lack size.

2- Fast Start- Good starts were key in the 4 game winning streak for Seattle and they were sluggish out of the gates in the loss to Idaho.

3- Stop the 3- San Jose State can light it up from downtown- 40%. They must be stopped.

Seattle looks to get back to .500 tonight Tune in 15 minutes before tip on 710 ESPN Seattle and the live blog will be cooking at seattleufan.com.