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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Cougars take on Beavers

PULLMAN – Talk about change.

Craig Robinson has brought it to Oregon State, maybe even more than his brother-in-law, Barack Obama, has brought to the Washington that’s not in the Northwest.

“Coach Robinson and his staff, they’re doing a very fine job,” WSU coach Tony Bennett said. “They also have some maturity and some talent. Good strength, good athleticism, guys who have played a lot of games in the Pac-10.”

Robinson, in his first year replacing Jay John, has the Beavers competing, something OSU didn’t do often in last season’s 0-18 Pac-10 season, the first winless year in conference history. He’s doing it with almost the same cast, as OSU only has one freshman in its top eight.

The Beavers are doing it by running Robinson’s Princeton offense and using a variety of zone defenses, all of which has shortened games – and led to 10-13 overall and 4-8 Pac-10 records.

The Princeton strategy, as developed by coach Pete Carril, is a spread-court passing game that emphasizes back cuts, opening the lane by stepping the bigs away from the basket.

“It stretches us out,” said WSU post Caleb Forrest, “so it gets us away from the basket and opens it up for the guards to drive in there, because they’re not in danger of getting blocked. It also makes us guard bigger guys who can shoot it.”

The biggest threat for the Beavers is 6-foot-11, 240-pound Roeland Schaftenaar.

The junior from the Netherlands is not only second on the team in scoring (9.3 points per game, 10.0 in Pac-10 play), but he also has hit 37 percent of his 3-point attempts.

In Washington State’s 61-57 overtime win in Corvallis, the Cougars harassed Schaftenaar into a 2-of-10 shooting night, holding him to five points.

“(Aron) Baynes did a really good job at times on him,” said Forrest, who also drew Schaftenaar. “We know he can shoot, so it’s just a matter of getting out to him.

“He’s tall enough he can shoot over you, but most of the time he doesn’t look to shoot if he’s not open.”

That is the Beavers’ biggest strength.

“They do a really good job of being patient, and, when they get good shots, they take them,” Forrest said.

If that sounds familiar, Robinson would be happy. He said after the first WSU game how much he wants his team to play at the same speed as the Cougars. One way the Beavers do that is through their 1-3-1 trap and 2-3 matchup zones.

“It slows down the game, but that’s not too bad because that’s what we want anyway,” Forrest said.

But not as much as a win, no matter how it comes. After Thursday’s dominating 67-38 win over Oregon, the Cougars are 13-11 overall, 5-7 in Pac-10 play in their pursuit of a postseason berth.

“None of us seniors want this season to end,” Forrest said. “For half of us, at least, Daven (Harmeling) and I, this will be the end of our structured basketball. So we want to keep it going.”