8. Oregon Ducks (13-9, 4-5 Pac-12) LW: 8
Much like the state’s layout, peaks and valleys have been the norm for Oregon’s basketball season. And after its latest setback – a 73-51 loss at Colorado – it will be hard for the Ducks to reascend into NCAA Tournament conversations.
In that contest, Oregon shot 18-of-58 (31 percent) from the floor, its second-lowest total in coach Dana Altman’s tenure. The Ducks also failed to limit the Buffaloes’ Tyler Bey, who finished with a career high of 27 points and 10 rebounds on 9-of-9 shooting.
The defeat dropped Oregon from No. 57 to No. 66 in the NCAA NET Rankings. While a neutral-site win over Syracuse (No. 42) and a victory at Arizona (No. 65) are resume boosters, Saturday’s Quadrant 2 loss forces Altman’s squad to finish nearly perfect in remaining contests against Washington (No. 27), Arizona State (No. 60) and Arizona in Eugene.
Trumped by the loss was one of Oregon’s most resilient performances, a 78-72 win at Utah. Led by 19 points from Will Richardson, four Ducks scored in double figures, finishing 47.5 percent from the field as a team. Oregon also converted 17 of its 21 free throw attempts, including four from Payton Pritchard to ice the contest in the closing seconds.
If the Ducks had beaten Colorado, it would have been their first road sweep since the 2016-17 season, when the team reached the Final Four. Instead, Oregon remains in the bottom half of the Pac-12 standings with a 4-5 league record.
This week, the Ducks hope to rebound in contests they cannot lose – tonight’s matchup with Cal and Sunday’s clash with Stanford.