After a roller coaster PAC-12 season, #25 Oregon (26-8) will finally have a chance to prove itself on a national stage when they face #19 Oklahoma State (24-8) in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
When the Ducks tip off at 1:40 p.m. PST at the HP Pavilion in San Jose on Thursday, they will have a healthy roster and momentum from a PAC-12 tournament victory in their favor. Therefore, the contest will serve as a showcase of how they measure up against one of the best teams in the country.
Many pundits and “bracketologists” were shocked that the Ducks only earned a 12th seed in the tournament. Despite finishing the season in the AP top 25 and winning the PAC-12 tournament, the consensus from players was that they were happy just to be in the tournament and were not focused on seeding.
Head Coach Dana Altman stressed multiple times that he wanted his team to be aggressive and not worry about where they should be seeded.
“Where our fans are disappointed, I don’t want our players or coaches to be because we have to go play,” said Altman.
In order to top the fifth-seeded Cowboys, however, the Ducks will need to contain freshman sensation Marcus Smart. The guard won Big-12 player of the year and was unanimously selected to the All Big-12 rookie and defensive teams. As the only national star on either team, Smart could be the difference in the game.
The two squads are characteristically similar. They are solid defensively and on the boards, while both score in the low-70s per game.
A key to the matchup could be in the turnover category. Oregon’s 8.5 steals per game ranks 27th in the country, while Smart’s 2.9 steals per game is the second-highest average in the NCAA.
When freshman point guard Dominic Artis, who will match up with Smart, missed nine games with a foot injury, the Ducks’ turnover ratio sky-rocketed. Artis must control the tempo of the game and limit the number of turnovers.
The fact the game will be played on the West Coast plays to the Ducks’ advantage. Oregon has a large fan base in the Bay Area and will not have to worry about travelling to another time zone.
“We’re really lucky to stay on the West Coast,” said center Tony Woods. “That’s really big for us.”
Oregon will also look to translate the momentum from a PAC-12 Tournament victory to into success in the big dance.
Photo: GoDucks.com
Woods said that the team had a chip on its shoulder in the second game in the tournament versus Utah. Oregon certainly played some of its best basketball of the season in the Utah game, as well as the championship game against UCLA.
“There was a momentum swing [from the game versus Utah],” said Woods.
With a healthy roster and surge of momentum, Oregon seems extremely confident. “We feel like we can beat anyone in the country,” said senior guard E.J. Singler.
Although Oregon is slated as the clear underdog and despite facing arguably the toughest competition thus far, the Ducks expect to walk out of HP Pavilion with a win.
“I don’t think it will be an upset if we win,” said Altman.