[0] ASU ready to challenge streaking Ducks.

Byline: JOHN CONRAD Register-Guard Sports Editor 

TEMPE, Ariz. - Wouldn't you expect Oregon coach Ernie Kent to be harping about how much bigger Oregon's win at Arizona will be if the Ducks tend to business against Arizona State tonight?

Well, maybe you were among those who weren't sure Oregon could dominate the Wildcats at the McKale Center.

"I don't need to tell this team a lot about that," Kent said. "They know that. What we're doing is working on our plan and getting ready to take care of business."

Oregon (10-3, 3-0) can get off to its its best start ever in Pac-10 Conference play with a win over Arizona State (8-4, 1-2) at 5:35 p.m. PST at Wells Fargo Arena. The Ducks should present a formidable challenge given the way they played at Arizona and their matter-of-fact reaction to Oregon's first win at Arizona since 1985.

"How could I not be pleased?" Kent asked. "But it was everyone else who talked about what a struggle it would be for us at Arizona. We felt we were the better basketball team, we went in to get the job done knowing what we needed to do.

"I think this team has proved to itself that if it plays to its capability, it will beat people."

Arizona State will present some challenges.

The Sun Devils' big men are tough to handle. Six-foot-9 center Chad Prewitt and 6-10 forward Tommy Smith play effectively inside and out, and both can put the ball on the floor.

Prewitt averages 15.8 points and Smith 12.1, and they combined for 30 points against Oregon despite a 103-90 loss in Eugene.

"There won't be 14,000 fans at this game," Kent said. "But otherwise this is a tougher matchup for us than Arizona. Arizona State likes to get in transition, can put the ball on the floor and has a lot of guys who can shoot well outside.

"This will be a tough matchup for our big guys. We pulled away the first time when we went small, put Robert Johnson on Prewitt and went with four guards who could score."

The matchups that made the difference were those involving Oregon's Frederick Jones and Luke Jackson, who had 28 and 27 points, respectively.

"All our guards will play in this game," Kent said. "We have to keep the right matchups on Smith, and we'll force them to do some things if we have more scorers on the floor."

Kent believes Oregon's depth will be a factor in this game. The Sun Devils have no one to bring off the bench who is as athletic as Prewitt and Smith since Awvee Storey got himself in the doghouse following an intentional foul against Oregon's Ben Lindquist in Eugene.

Storey has always played Oregon tough, but he hasn't seen many minutes of late.

"We've got three guys we can throw out there at every position," Kent said. "We've never had that before. We can play big or small and hopefully wear their guys down."

Arizona State has to be worried about how well Oregon is shooting the ball and getting into transition. The Sun Devils love transition, too, but that's a dangerous way to play a UO team that has scored over 90 points eight times this year, including in all three Pac-10 wins.

Luke Ridnour, James Davis and Anthony Lever are shooting 50 percent from beyond the three-point arc collectively, while Jackson and Jones continue to lead the team in scoring with 15.5-point averages.

The Ducks shot 58.8 percent from beyond the arc against Arizona after hitting. 59.1 percent against the Wildcats at home. It was amazing that Oregon's percentage didn't drop on the road playing in an extremely tough environment at Arizona.

"I don't know why that amazes people," Kent said. "We are a very good shooting team when we take good shots. We led the league in shooting last year in the preseason, but then we stopped taking good shots. This team is taking good shots, and when we do that we will wind up with a high percentage."

Arizona State, meanwhile, has struggled to shoot well consistently.

The Sun Devils shot only 38.9 percent in beating Oregon State on Friday and that won't be good enough against a team as hot as Oregon, unless the Ducks get lazy on the boards.

"They rebound the ball very well," Kent said.

Oregon has allowed too many offensive rebounds at times this year, but the Ducks have still been outrebounded in only one game all season.

In short, there's nothing the Ducks aren't doing pretty well. They know it and Kent believes that's a good thing because he sees it breeding confidence not contentment.

UO Outlook

Men's basketball

OREGON AT ARIZONA ST.

OREGON (10-3, 3-0) STARTERS

Luke Ridnour, 6-2 Fr. (14.5 ppg, 5.2 apg)

Frederick Jones, 6-4 Sr. (15.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg)

Luke Jackson, 6-7 So. (15.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg)

Robert Johnson, 6-8 Jr. (8.5 ppg, 7.6 rpg)

C. Christoffersen, 7-3 Sr. (9.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg)

ARIZONA ST. (8-4, 1-2) STARTERS

Jason Braxton, 6-2 Fr. (3.8 ppg, 1.9 rpg)

Curtis Millage, 6-2 Jr. (12.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg)

Kenny Crandall, 6-3 So. (7.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg)

Tommy Smith, 6-10 Jr. (12.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg)

Chad Prewitt, 6-9 Sr. (15.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg)

TIME

5:35 p.m., PST.

RADIO/TV

KUGN-AM (590). Live TV on the Oregon Sports Network.

WATCH: Frederick Jones has scored 36 and 28 points in last two meetings with ASU. If he's on his game, the way Luke Ridnour and Luke Jackson are playing, Ducks will be hard to contain.

THE DUCKS: Have a chance to start conference play 4-0 for the first time since 1974. ... Luke Jackson is averaging 25.0 points, Frederick Jones 20.3, Luke Ridnour 17.7 and James Davis 12.0 in league ... Have been over 90 points eight times, team record is 10 in 1994-95 ... Ridnour 13-of-19 on treys last three games, 52.4 percent on the year.

THE SUN DEVILS: Are 6-1 at home and have held last four foes to 58.5 points per game after giving up 103 in loss at Oregon ... Chad Prewitt suffered injured hip against OSU but is expected to play. He's averaging 20.3 points last four games ... After Oregon's 103 points, only other opponent over 80 was BYU with 82.