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Oregon Basketball: Ducks Head To Michigan For Top Ten Matchup

By Justin Phillips

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - MARCH 28: Payton Pritchard #3 of the Oregon Ducks drives to the basket against the Virginia Cavaliers during the first half of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament South Regional at the KFC YUM! Center on March 28, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - MARCH 28: Payton Pritchard #3 of the Oregon Ducks drives to the basket against the Virginia Cavaliers during the first half of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament South Regional at the KFC YUM! Center on March 28, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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Oregon will again be in the national spotlight on Saturday morning as they head to Crisler Center in Ann Arbor to meet up with the Michigan Wolverines.

The Wolverines are at a disadvantage somewhat having lost on the road to an Illinois team that was not going to let a win slip away. The Illini held Michigan to just 9 points from three-point range as the Wolverines went cold fro beyond the arc. It was the second straight road loss for a team that won the Battle 4 Atlantis just a few weekends ago in the Bahamas. Oregon and Michigan could very well have met at Atlantis.

The Ducks will again travel across the country. Oregon showed they can play well enough to win in the Battle 4 Atlantis, but were unable to come up with victories over Gonzaga or North Carolina. Payton Pritchard has picked up where he left off last season, helping Oregon to the NCAA Tournament and 10 game win streak.

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While Oregon has Pritchard, the player to watch for Michigan is Zavier Simpson who is second in the country in assists entering the game. The Ducks are the fourth top-ten opponent in the last six games. Oregon will be facing Michigan without Shakur Juiston.

Juiston was injured in the loss to North Carolina a few weeks ago when he went out with a knee injury. Earlier this week Head Coach Dana Altman said that his Senior Transfer would not be ready against the Wolverines on Saturday. Oregon will start Freshman CJ Walker in his place. Waker showed in the Bahamas that he can handle the big moments, but we will see if he can handle the road pressure and a game played in the Big Ten.

It will be an early start for Oregon. The Ducks and Michigan Wolverines meet on the national stage on CBS Saturday morning at 9 am.

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