Stanford @ Oregon St. preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 30, 2020 ) Oregon St. 68, Stanford 63

Stanford is trending in the right direction but remains squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble heading into Thursday’s road game against Oregon State. The Cardinal carry a four-game winning streak into the contest after posting an impressive 72-64 win over then-No. 20 Colorado last Sunday.

Sophomore guard Bryce Wills scored 19 points on 9-of-13 shooting in 31 minutes against the Buffaloes and has played a key role in the team’s recent surge. “With him at so many times, it comes back to the idea of the word warrior, and he really is,” Stanford coach Jerod Haase told reporters. “He’s done it on the defensive end consistently. On the offensive end he’s taking it to the rim. He’s playing to his strengths, and the guys are certainly relying on him. I’m really proud of what he’s doing as a complete basketball player.” Junior forward Oscar da Silva is averaging 16.1 points and 6.5 rebounds to lead the Cardinal, who can finish as high as a second-place tie in the Pac-12 standings. Stanford is looking to avenge the 68-63 loss on Jan. 30 to Oregon State, which has dropped four straight games and needs a victory to keep its NIT hopes alive.

TV: 9 p.m. ET. TV: Pac-12 Network

ABOUT STANFORD (20-9, 9-7 Pac-12): Point guard Tyrell Terry was named Pac-12 freshman of the week for the second time this season after averaging 19.5 points while shooting 50 percent from the field and 53.3 percent from 3-point range in wins over Utah and Colorado. Haase continues to be pleased by the play of sophomore forward Jaiden Delaire, who recorded seven points and four rebounds in 14 minutes off the bench against Colorado. Junior guard Daejon Davis had 17 points at Washington State on Feb. 23 for the Cardinal, who opened conference play with a 4-0 record before losing seven of their next eight contests.

ABOUT OREGON STATE (15-13, 5-11): Junior guard Ethan Thompson recorded 15 points, five rebounds and six assists in last Thursday’s 69-54 loss to Oregon while star forward Tres Tinkle finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Tinkle is averaging 18.1 points and 7.1 rebounds for the Beavers, who have posted wins over Oregon, Colorado and Arizona but rank 10th in scoring during conference play at 65.8 points per game. Freshman guard Jarod Lucas scored a career-high 21 points in last month’s win over Stanford but has been held to a total of three points in his last two games.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Oregon State owns a 74-72 lead in the all-time series, but Stanford has won the last three meetings in Corvallis, Oreg.

2. Stanford leads the Pac-12 in scoring defense at 61.7 points per game.

3. Tinkle needs six points to pass Gary Payton and become the all-time leading scorer in Oregon State history.

PREDICTION: Stanford 73, Oregon State 68