Game Day Essentials: Game #9 at Oregon - 12/15/2012

Oregon Info

Mascot: Ducks

Conference: Pac-12

School Location: Eugene, Oregon

Shirt not to wear: Green, Daffy Duck

Last game out: Beat Idaho St. (badly)

Corporation owned by: Nike

Probable Starters:

Nebraska Cornhuskers (6-2)

3-Benny Parker -5-9-Fr.- G

15-Ray Gallegos -6-2-Jr.- G

24-Dylan Talley -6-5-Sr.- G

13-Brandon Ubel -6-10-Sr.- F

32-Andre Almeida-6-11-Sr.- C

Oregon Ducks (8-1)

F - E.J. Singler - 6-6 - Sr

F - Arsalan Kazemi - 6-7 - Sr

C - Tony Woods - 6-11 - Sr

G - Dominic Artis - 6-1 - Fr

G - Damyean Dotson - 6-5 - Fr

Opposing player to watch: Arsalan Kazemi

With all apologies to highly regarded freshman PG Dominic Artis, big man Tony Woods, and the perpetually annoying 10th year senior E.J. Singler, it's Kazemi, the Iranian transfer from Rice that the Huskers need to track at all times. He not only is a double-double waiting to happen but also leads the team in steals in addition to rebounds.

Final big tune-up before the B1G

The rest of the non-conference schedule contains teams that the Huskers should be favored to beat. Oregon isn't the most talented team in the Pac-12 but they will exploit your ball handling weakness all day long into easy buckets if you can't handle their pressure. And pressure they will as the Ducks can run all game long as they regularly go 10 players deep.

Nebraska has a sneaky chance at winning this game if they can slow it down and hit some shots. The Huskers have shown so far they'll give up offensive rebound chances to prevent the fast break and they face an Oregon team that doesn't exactly light it up from downtown. If Nebraska can get back on defense, pack the paint, keep the turnovers to a minimum, and hit some open looks they have a chance.

The above scenario is a lot of IFs and if there ever was a team to overlook the Huskers, it sure isn't going to be one coached by former Bluejay and Nebraska resident Dana Altman. While he's probably on the opposite spectrum of Tim Miles personality-wise, he's a good coach who loves to beat the Huskers. Don't be surprised if he's trying to run up the score at the end while eating one of those Runzas that Miles brought to soften him up.

Prediction: Oregon 67 - Huskers 52