Oregon Basketball: Ducks Can Make A Dent In Pac-12 Standings vs USC, UCLA
The Oregon Ducks find themselves in a good position and could make a case for a key top four finish with road wins this weekend.
Head Coach Dana Altman has been a second half of the Pac-12 season coach, getting the most out of his guys and finding chemistry at the right time. He will have to find a way to do it again this season if Oregon has NCAA Tournament hopes. While they may be thin right now, wins this weekend could change that -at least a little bit.
The Pac-12 Conference is not the strongest this season and with Washington State winning on Wednesday night, two Oregon road wins puts the Ducks in the driver’s seat.
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The USC Trojans are 7-6 in Pac-12 play and Senior Benny Boatwright knows how to play well against Oregon. Boatwright set USC Three-point record last week against California and will be the focal point for an Oregon Ducks team struggling to find their way.
Inconsistency has plagued the team most of the season. Freshman Louis King has played well, putting up double-digit points in almost every Pac-12 game. King is nursing a hand injury and he will likely be a game-time decision Thursday night. Paul White is working his way back from an ankle injury he suffered last month. Payton Pritchard started the season injured, but has worked his way back, however, he has been inconsistent on Offense over the last few weeks.
The Trojans are shooting close to 40 percent from three-point range this season, good for 20th in the country. Over the last three games, Oregon has gone in the opposite direction from distance.
The Oregon Ducks and USC Trojans meet Thursday night at the Galen Center. Tipoff is set for 6 pm on ESPN.