Oregon Looks to Send Seniors Off on High Note Against No. 16 USC
The Oregon Ducks (18-10, 11-6 Pac-12) are looking to beat the USC Trojans (24-4, 13-4 Pac-12) on Senior Night Saturday at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.
The Ducks will look to sweep the Trojans after taking the season series versus the UCLA Bruins on Thursday.
Senior Night
The Ducks fed off of the amazing energy that the Matthew Knight Arena crowd brought Thursday against the Bruins. The crowd will definitely be in a frenzy all night as they watch three players compete in their final game wearing Oregon jerseys.
Will Richardson vs. UCLA
Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest
Will Richardson - No. 0 has been with Oregon for all four years of his NCAA eligibility and should get a loud ovation from the home crowd. In the past couple of weeks, Coach Dana Altman and fans have wanted to see Richardson get more aggressive and show more heart.
In order for the Ducks to advance to the NCAA tournament, Richardson will have to find his stroke as he has been ice cold the last six games. In that stretch, he has shot a 20% from behind the arc (7-35). There isn’t a better time for him to rediscover his stroke than on Senior Night. Even with his past struggles, the senior has averaged 15.1 points per game and shot the three ball at a 40.1% clip for the season. Ducks fans should be hoping for an offensive explosion from Richardson against USC once again, as he dropped a career-high 28 points in Los Angeles on Jan. 15.
Jacob Young vs. UCLA
Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest
Jacob Young - The younger brother of former Oregon point guard Joe Young will play his final game in front of the Eugene faithful as well. The redshirt senior transferred over from Rutgers and has averaged 11.1 points and 2.8 assists per contest so far this season. On Thursday against UCLA, Young played fearlessly as he finished with 14 points and 6 assists in the important home win.
Eric Williams Jr. vs. UCLA
Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest
Eric Williams Jr. - After transferring over from Duquesne, the redshirt senior has been a valuable contributor both as a starter and a sixth man. Williams has been a consistent member as he is one of the most versatile players on the team. He is averaging 8.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game in his two seasons with the Ducks. Against UCLA, he contributed 11 points and shot an invaluable 3-3 from behind the arc.
Player Matchup: N’Faly Dante vs. Isaiah Mobley
Even though it is Senior Night, the attention will be down in the paint as Oregon center N’Faly Dante will be in a battle against USC forward Isaiah Mobley. The Oregon junior is the most reliable presence the team has to offer in the paint as the Ducks face a formidable rebounding team. Dante will have his hands full against Mobley, who leads the Trojans in points (14.5) and rebounds (8.4) per game.
Mobley, the older brother of NBA rookie Evan Mobley, is a fierce competitor on the glass as he rips down 2.2 offensive rebounds a game. Mobley is also a versatile defender as he will make the Ducks' ball handlers work hard on pick and rolls. The junior is also skilled at taking defenders off the dribble and is reliable in the post. Duck fans will have to hope that he doesn’t put Dante into foul trouble early.
Rebounding Battle
The Trojans have outrebounded their opponents this year by a margin of 6.5 per game. Dante contesting Mobley in the paint will only do so much to a margin like that as it will take the entire team to win the battle.
Against UCLA, Franck Kepnang brought much needed energy as he had 8 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks against the Bruins on Thursday. The sophomore will need to bring that type of energy off the bench like that again if they want a chance to win.
USC redshirt senior Chevez Goodwin will be a Trojan to watch as he averages 2.8 offensive rebounds in 28 games this season. However, Goodwin is a putrid 47.1% from the free throw line and is foul prone (2.5 fouls per game), so he may be his own worst enemy.
Oregon guards and wings will also have to box out from the perimeter, as USC senior Drew Peterson grabs 6.3 boards per game at 6-foot-9. Watch for Richardson and Williams to get the assignment at keeping the over-sized guard in check.
Conclusion
Oregon fans should be in for a memorable night as they say goodbye to three valuable players. However, the Ducks will need good nights from their seniors and must keep the Trojans off the boards in order for this to be memorable for the right reasons.
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