NCAA Tournament: Oregon Ducks Look To Set Pace vs Iona

The Oregon Ducks and Head Coach Dana Altman are in the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight year and the Ducks will look to set the pace early vs Iona.

Dillon Brooks has been the key to the Oregon Offense all season and I expect he will take charge early on Friday against the Iona Gaels. Jordan Washington paces Iona with over 17 points per game. The team is averaging 80 points per contest. The Ducks are at a slight disadvantage Defensively without Chris Boucher, which means Kavell Bigby-Williams will be growing up over the coming weeks.

Bigby-Williams has done well down the stretch, but he is by no means a Chris Boucher. As the Ducks look to get deeper into March, we’ll know just how much he is missed. For Friday, Oregon needs to stay out of early foul trouble and grab momentum early.

FiveThirtyEight gives the Oregon Ducks a 92 percent chance of winning the First Round game against Iona. The Gaels have won four of their last five games, but Oregon has a 17-game winning streak that sustained a good part of the regular season, not to mention an undefeated home schedule. Of course, this is March and the latter can be thrown out the window, but experience should carry Oregon.

Next: Oregon Football Recruiting: 2019 QB Michael Johnson Transferring To Eugene High School

The Oregon Ducks and Iona Gaels tipoff at 11am Pacific Time Friday on TBS.