Gameday guide: How to watch, what to know about Oregon State vs. Colorado basketball
Colorado men's basketball picked up its most important win of the season on Thursday night, knocking off Oregon 79-75 in Eugene to complete a season sweep of the Ducks.
It was the Buffs' fifth consecutive victory and a result they needed as they sit on the bubble of the NCAA Tournament. Senior forward Tristan da Silva, who's playing his best basketball of the season thanks to a recent lifestyle change, dropped a team-high 22 points while J'Vonne Hadley had a 20-point, 12-rebound double-double.
According to ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi, Colorado is just one more road win away from securing an at-large bid.
“If (Colorado) can win two games this weekend, they’re going to be in the field," Lunardi said on ESPN before the Buffs' win over Oregon.
Colorado, who clinched the No. 3 seed in the Pac-12 Tournament, closes the regular season on the road at Oregon State, a team the Buffs beat by 33 points (90-57) on Jan. 20. A win should punch Colorado's ticket to the NCAA Tournament. A loss would require a Pac-12 Tournament title in order to go dancing.
Here's a look at what to know about Saturday's game:
What time does Colorado basketball vs. Oregon State start?
Date: Saturday, March 9
Start time: 3 p.m. MT
What channel is the Colorado vs. Oregon State basketball game on?
The Colorado and Oregon State game will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Network.
What are the records, rankings?
Colorado enters Saturday's game at 21-9 (12-7 Pac-12) after beating Oregon on Thursday for its fifth consecutive win. Oregon State sits at 13-17 (5-14 Pac-12) after knocking off Utah late Thursday night.
Neither team is ranked in the latest AP poll.
Who are the coaches?
Wayne Tinkle is in his 10th season as Oregon State's head coach and is 140-175 (.444) in that span. Tad Boyle is in his 14th season as Colorado's head coach and is 293-181 (.618) since 2010-11.
Series history
Colorado leads the all-time series 22-11 (7-3 in the last 10 matchups) but is just 6-7 on the road at Oregon State all-time. The Buffs, however, have won three of the last four matchups in Corvallis.
Stadium information
The game will be at Gill Coliseum in Corvallis, Oregon. Gill Coliseum has a capacity of 9,301.
Who are the top players to watch?
Here are some players for each team who will be key to the game:
OREGON STATE
Jordan Pope: Pope is on a heater, dropping at least 22 points in four consecutive games, including 25 against Utah on Thursday night. The 6-foot-2 guard is averaging a team-high 17.9 points and 3.4 assists per game
Tyler Bilodeau: Bilodeau has scored at least 20 points in back-to-back games and is shooting 62% from the field (70% from 3-point range) during that span. The 6-foot-9 sophomore led the Beavers with 18 points in their loss to Colorado on Jan. 20.
Dexter Akanno: The 6-foot-5 senior was shut down in Oregon State's loss to the Buffs earlier this season (zero points on 0-for-6 shooting). Akanno, the Beavers' third-leading scorer (10.6 points per game) is still more than capable of a scoring explosion.
COLORADO
KJ Simpson: Simpson has impressively played all 40 minutes of action in three consecutive games. The All-American and Pac-12 Player of the Year candidate continued his special junior campaign on Thursday night, recording 17 points, six rebounds and six assists in the win over Oregon. Simpson leads the Buffs in points (19.8 per game), assists (4.8) and steals (1.8).
Tristan da Silva: da Silva scored 22-plus points on Thursday night for the third consecutive game and is averaging 23.6 points on 56% shooting from the field (43% from deep) during that span. The projected first-round NBA draft pick dropped a game-high 19 points on 6-for-10 shooting to go along with seven rebounds and six assists in a win over Oregon State earlier this season.
J'Vonne Hadley: Hadley went 4-for-4 from 3-point range and recorded his third career double-double on Thursday night. The 6-foot-6 senior is shooting 64.6% (31-48) from the field over the last five games and is up to 50% from deep on the season. Hadley missed the Oregon State win on Jan. 20 with a knee injury.
Follow Colorado Buffaloes sports reporter Scott Procter on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: What channel is Oregon State basketball vs. Colorado basketball on?
