Oregon Ducks Look to Give Arizona Wildcats First Home Loss of the Season Saturday
The Oregon Ducks (17-9, 10-5 PAC-12) are facing the No. 3 Arizona Wildcats (23-2,13-1 Pac-12) on their home floor at 7 p.m. PT on ESPN.
The Ducks are in a difficult position as they are facing off against the best team in the Pac-12 after they dropped what should have been an easy win against Arizona State on Thursday.
With their spot in the NCAA Tournament hanging by a thread, Oregon will have to play their best games over the next couple of weeks to gain more attention or they'll be forced to win the Pac-12 Tournament to get a bid.
Here's what to watch out for as the Ducks hope to get a road win against a team that is undefeated at home and riding a seven-game win streak.
Comparing Teams
Both of these teams have similar three-point shooting numbers as the Ducks shoot 34% from beyond the arc and the Wildcats are at 33.7%. Even more interesting is that they've both held opponents to 31.4% for the season on three-point shots.
That will be the stat to watch especially if one of these teams get out to a hot shooting start. Look to see Oregon’s Will Richardson try to get cooking early by creating his own threes. The Ducks will have to run the Wildcat’s Kerr Kriisa off the three-point line, as he's tied for first in the conference in three-point attempts (7.2 per game).
Matchup to Watch: Will Richardson Vs. Benedict Mathurin
Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest
If you haven’t noticed recently, Richardson has been in a slump, struggling to shoot the rock in the past couple of games.
Read more: With March Looming, Oregon needs Will Richardson to return to form
The senior will have to find his stroke if he hopes to keep their postseason hopes alive. Richardson is their best offensive player and has not shown consistent enough aggressiveness to help the Ducks beat the mediocre teams in the conference. He will have to look to score against the stingy Wildcat defense as well as keep up with the NBA prospect Benedict Mathurin.
The Arizona sophomore is a first-round pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. Mathurin is averaging 17.2 points and 5.8 rebounds a game. The 6-foot-6 guard is a high-flyer and physical, showing a knack for getting to the rim for highlight dunks. Mathurin averages 4.36 free-throw attempts per game, so he could force the Ducks to look down the bench if he gets them in foul trouble. With him rising up the draft boards, the Ducks will have their hands full protecting the paint against this potential lottery pick.
Storyline to Watch: Rookie Head Coach Tommy Lloyd vs. Dana Altman
On April 7, 2021, Arizona fired 12 year-head coach Sean Miller after a controversial tenure. A week later, Arizona introduced Tommy Lloyd as their new head coach. Lloyd worked under Gonzaga’s Mark Few for 22 seasons, further a winning tradition and developing NBA players along the way.
In his first year, Lloyd has transformed the Wildcats as they lead the Pac-12 in points scored (84.4) and hold teams to the third-fewest point total (65.2).
The 46 year-old will be in a chess match with Oregon’s longtime head coach Dana Altman. Oregon has not been the best defensive team this year, but Altman can get his team to come out with fire in their eyes with postseason hopes are on the line. Don't be surprised to see the Ducks throw different presses and zones to try and pressure the first-year head coach into bad personnel moves.
Final Thoughts
The Ducks need this win after losing five games to mediocre teams this season. The Ducks will need to play their best game of their very inconsistent season or else fans will have to start thinking about next year’s team a little earlier than usual.
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