Oregon Basketball: Will Richardson wins Pac-12 Player of the Week again

Oregon basketball is back on track after two massive road wins over top-five opponents and a big reason for this hot streak has been Will Richardson.

For the second time in three weeks, Oregon basketball is home to the Pac-12 Player of the Week.

Will Richardson had one of his best weeks as a Duck, helping lead Oregon past two top-five opponents on the road in No. 3 UCLA and No. 5 USC. It could be the turning point in the season and it already looks like he’s turned the corner.

Richardson began the year hot in his first two games but struggled over the four that followed as the Ducks went 1-3 in that stretch.

Something seemed to click, though, when Oregon took on No. 1 Baylor and he went 5-for-12 from the floor and the Ducks put up quite the fight. Although they lost, it was a confidence boost for them because they felt like they matched up favorably with the nation’s top team at the time.

Since that loss, Oregon has won five straight games, including two top-five wins.

Oregon has gone from 6-6 overall to 11-6 and 4-2 in Pac-12 play and a major reason for this turnaround has been the lightbulb clicking with Richardson.

Richardson, Oregon basketball have turned a corner

Since losing to Baylor, Richardson is averaging 19.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.4 steals while shooting 55 percent from the floor and 52 percent from deep. He won a Pac-12 Player of the Week award (the first of his career) to start January and on Monday, he earned his second such honor in three weeks.

https://twitter.com/pac12/status/1483167285426667520?s=20

In the two wins over USC and UCLA, Richardson averaged 22 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while shooting 56 percent from the floor and 6-for-12 from deep. This second Pac-12 Player of the Week honor in three weeks seemed inevitable.

If this type of play continues, Oregon will be on its way to an NCAA Tournament berth and Richardson could be in the running for Pac-12 Player of the Year.