SU vs UC Davis Preview

Seattle U (12-13) vs UC Davis (10-14, 6-6 Big West)

Key Arena (Seattle, WA)

Tuesday February 16, 2010 7:10 pm

RADIO: 710 ESPN Seattle

Series- Tied- 1-1

Last Meeting- December 5, 2009- Seattle 88-78

Charles Garcia notched a double-double (22 points and 12 rebounds) and Chris Gweth chipped in 22 as Seattle claimed their second road victory of the season. SU dominated the glass 46-26 including 19 offensive rebounds.

Scouting UC Davis:

The Aggies have struggled mightily with injuries this season which has led to uneven play. They have yet to suit up their full complement of players for a single game on the campaign. They continue to struggle to gain traction alternating wins and losses in their last 8 contests. They are big- (most common starting lineup- 6’4, 6’8, 6’8, 6’9 and 6’10), but not very athletic. They love to play zone and will surely unleash it on SU. UC Davis will look to slow the pace as they only average 69 points a game. Davis has also struggled on the road 2-9. They have talent, but have struggled putting it all together under the strain of injuries.

The Ones to Watch:

Mark Payne- 6’8 205 JR G- 16.5 ppg 4 rbd 4.5 assts

Payne has missed the last two games with illness and will likely miss the rematch against Seattle. Payne does it all for Davis. He is in the Top 3 in 7 different Big West statistical categories. He is 20th in the nation in steals and just finished out of the top-25 in assist to turnover ratio last season. The rare Big West NBA prospect was both pre-season Big West player of the year and Mid Major All-American.

Dominic Calegari- 6’10 240 SR F- 16 ppg 5.5 rbds

He is not very athletic, but he can stroke a jump hook in the paint and he will step out and knock down the triple. The lone UC Davis SR is scoring at a 16 ppg clip while hitting 42% of his threes. He is the only Davis player to start every game this season. He hurt Seattle in the last meeting- 22 pts and 6 rebounds.

Keys to the Game:

1- Push the Pace- Davis is more comfortable in a half-court trot and Seattle is at their best on the run.

2- Rebounding- SU has not won a game this year when they have not out-rebounded their opponents. They dominated Davis on the glass in the last meeting.

3- Cause pain without Payne- If Mark Payne misses the game Seattle should be able to take advantage of the Davis backcourt with pressure.

Seattle is looking for their second 4 game winning streak of the season. Tune in 15 minutes before tip on 710 ESPN Seattle and the live blog will be cooking at seattleufan.com.