Beavers get another chance to win in Pac-10 tourney

There are second acts in Pacific-10 Conference basketball.

Third acts, even, as Oregon State and Arizona prove tonight when they meet for the third time this season in the 7-10 game at the Pac-10 men’s basketball tournament at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Acts 1 and 2 were definite bombs for the Beavers (6-24), who can set a modern Pac-10 record tonight with their 21st consecutive loss. OSU fell 76-63 to the Wildcats (18-13) in Tucson on Jan. 3 in their league opener, and then were crushed 81-45 at Gill Coliseum this past Thursday.

With a rash of conference tournament upsets raising the bar for at-large NCAA qualifiers, there’s absolutely no chance the Wildcats will be sleepwalking tonight, as they were for the first 10 minutes or so of last week’s mismatch. With its high RPI (31), Arizona’s probably on the favorable side of the bubble but a loss to the dreadful Beavers would be a major millstone come Selection Sunday.

“I don’t know how much they’ll overlook us, because they’re on the brink of the (NCAA) tournament and they’re trying to solidify that,” said Marcel Jones, OSU’s lone departing senior. “But it’s the Pac-10 tournament, a different season, we all start from scratch.”

Unfortunately for OSU, however, interim coach Kevin Mouton couldn’t scour a waiver wire stocked with players whose teams have already been eliminated from their conference tournaments. You dance — or, in OSU’s case this year, stumble — with the same guys who lost 16 of 18 conference games by 10 or more points.

“Oh-and-18 doesn’t go out the window,” Jones said. “But it’s a whole different season, attitude and atmosphere. It’s a neutral site, so it’s definitely going to be one to watch.”

The Beavers have no chance if they are as careless with the basketball as they were this past Thursday (20 turnovers), or if their inside defense remains Stay Puffed soft.

“We have to have a post presence,” Jones said. “Our posts have to come to play, it’s going to take a group effort. I don’t think just one person is going to get it done.

“We have to play like there’s no tomorrow, and you know, there is no tomorrow. We have to come out very aggressive and play hard regardless of the situation.”

OSU’s inside game should be bolstered by the possible return of sophomore post Calvin Hampton, who played a combined seven minutes against the Arizonas last week while resting a stress fracture. And Mouton said freshmen forwards Sean Carter and Omari Johnson must be more forceful.

“From Sean, we need blocked shots, we need big-time rebounding, we need him sprinting down the floor, beating the big guy. catching and dunking it or laying it in,” Mouton said. “If the ball comes into the post, make a quick move but if you don’t have anything solid kick it out and let’s move the ball.

“Omari wants to shoot the three now. We’ll let him shoot a couple, but don’t rely on that. Give us that bouncy body. Guys need to figure out how they can help us.

“We’ve played with everybody in the league, except UCLA and USC. We’ve put together some good ball. Now we just have to put it together for 40 minutes, and see what happens.

“If we can, we can, and if we can’t ... guys are going to play hard, or they’ll sit next to me. Guys don’t like to sit next to coaches when games are going on.”

Mouton said junior walkon Joey McConnell, buried at the end of the bench for much of the winter, may start for the fourth game in a row.

“He can shoot. He has the ability, if people don’t pay attention to him, to rattle off three or four jumpers in a row,” Mouton said. “There are other things he brings to the table: anticipating passing lanes, get a key steal, he hustles, he works and he makes the ball move on offense.”

The Beavers should be loose, if nothing else, and Mouton said he’ll tell them to savor their chance to play in the big-time, NBA-style atmosphere of Staples Center.

“Some of you will never play in this environment, but guess what, you’re here now, so go play,” he said, when asked what he’d tell those who might be star-struck. “I don’t want them to be uptight or nervous.

“What the heck to we have to be nervous about, honestly?”