How To Watch Oregon Ducks vs. Gonzaga: Preview, TV Channel, Injuries

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This is the final non-conference test that matters for coach Dana Altman and the Oregon Ducks (6-5, 0-2 Big Ten) to right the wrongs of the previous five-game losing streak that hurt their at-large NCAA Tournament chances drastically. A victory over the No. 7 Gonzaga Bulldogs (11-1 overall, 0-0 West Coast Conference) at the Pacific Northwest Showdown would turn that perspective right around.
The Ducks are looking for their third straight victory now, having beaten the UC Davis Aggies, 104-62, and the Portland Pilots, 94-69, at home inside the Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Oregon. That was the first time the program had hit 90+ points in consecutive games since 2018.

How to Watch Portland at Oregon
When: Sunday, Dec. 21, at 3:00 p.m. PT.
Where: Moda Center in Portland, Oregon
TV Broadcast: Peacock
Radio Call: Oregon Sports Network
Injuries
Oregon junior wing Devon Pryor has not played since Dec. 6 with an undisclosed injury. He averages 4.3 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. Pryor will be a game-time decision against Gonzaga.

Oregon's Dana Altman vs. Gonzaga's Mark Few
Gonzaga coach Mark Few (ranked No. 21 with 753 career wins) and Altman (ranked tied for No. 15 with 786 career wins) are two of the winningest active coaches in college basketball.
Altman spoke on the upcoming matchup against the future Hall of Fame coach and his deep roster of Zags after the victory over the Pilots on Dec. 17. Few is an Oregon alum, class of 1987.
"We're gonna have to play our A-plus game," Altman said. "Gonzaga is a lot further along than us... they're well-coached, they're really talented, they're really deep."
Nine Zags average 17.0+ minutes per game while helping carry the team in several national categories:
No. 8 in rebounds per game - 44.0
No. 8 in field goal percentage - 52.5
Tied for No. 9 in assists per game - 20.0
No. 13 in points per game - 92.4
No. 16 in field goal percentage defense - 38.2
Tied for No. 35 in points allowed per game - 66.2
Few touched on Altman's team after taking care of the Campbell Fighting Camels on Dec. 17, 98-70.
"They're always really athletic," Few stated. "They get some really talented players; Jackson Shelstad, their point guard, he's a big shotmaker, and can really, really shoot it, and he's quick as heck. I think he'll play at the next level."
The all-time series between the two programs is led by the Ducks, 10-1. The last matchup between the two schools was won by Gonzaga at the 2019 Battle 4 Atlantis semifinals in Nassau, Bahamas, 73-72.

Gonzaga Player to Watch For
Redshirt junior forward Braden Huff - team-leading 19.0 points, 5.3 rebounds per game
The leftie has been one of the most efficient post scorers in the country this season. At 6-10, he's been on a tear down low as of late. Huff has scored 20+ points in six of the last eight outings.
Alongside graduate forward Graham Ike (17.0 points on a shooting split of 51.1 field goal percentage/36.8 three-point percentage/79.3 free-throw percentage, team-leading 8.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists per game), the pair make up one of the toughest frontcourt duos in the nation. Ike is being mentioned in the National Player of the Year conversation across various media outlets.
Senior center Nate Bittle (13.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.9 blocks per game), who was recruited by Gonzaga out of high school, hasn't competed against someone like Huff or Ike this season. At 7-0, his ability to stretch out the floor at a 32.3 three-point percentage will come in handy when being defended by the likes of the Zags' bigs.
Can't forget about the third member of Oregon's key returnees with junior forward Kwame Evans Jr., who leads the Ducks in rebounding at 7/7 per game. He'll make his own impact when trying to defend Ike and Huff on the other end.

Oregon’s Key to Victory
Win the battle at the lead guard spot
The matchup at the point between junior Jackson Shelstad (team-leading 16.2 points on 39.7 percent shooting, 5.1 assists, 1.9 steals per game) and freshman Mario Saint-Supery (8.8 points, team-leading 4.7 assists, 3.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals per game) is the most intriguing to pay attention to due to their passion for directing an offense and facilitating each other's teammates into clean-looking scoring positions.
Both are going to be future NBA draft picks sometime down the road. Whoever is more productive at the position on Dec. 21 will have a better likelihood of coming out victorious at the Moda Center, the home of the Portland Trail Blazers. Many scouts from across the league will be in attendance to watch the two go at it.
Oregon's NET, KenPom Update
In the NET rankings, Oregon is No. 113 with a 0-2 record in Quad 1 opportunities and a 0-3 record in Quad 2 opportunities. As for KenPom, the Ducks are No. 79 with the 80th-ranked offense and 81st-ranked defense. The Pacific Northwest Showdown is a Quad 2 opportunity in a neutral environment for the Zags as of today.

Arden Cravalho is a reporter for Oregon Ducks on SI. He has been writing extensively about college athletics beginning in 2018, specifically as the lead writer and editor for SB Nation's 'The Slipper Still Fits.' Arden is a graduate of Gonzaga University and brings a deep understanding of college sports to his writing. Residing in San Francisco, California, Arden is also a part of the California Golden Bears' athletic department as a Ticket Sales and Service Account Executive. His overall experience and dedication to college athletics are evident in his insightfulness and analysis throughout all of his work.