Is Oregon going to make March Madness? Plotting the Ducks' path to NCAA Tournament

The Ducks are sitting just within reach of a ticket to the NCAA Tournament this season. Currently at 17-8 overall, Oregon will need to reach at least 22 wins to punch that ticket and go dancing.

With six games remaining in the regular season and the Pac-12 tournament rapidly approaching, here’s how the Ducks can reach the ultimate postseason goal: March Madness.

Remaining regular season games

Oregon can nearly count its remaining regular season games on just one hand. As the conference tournament and hopeful national postseason tournament approach, the Ducks need to lock down the rest of their season.

• At Stanford – Feb. 22
• At Cal – Feb. 24
• Vs. Oregon State – Feb. 28
• At Arizona – March 2
• Vs. Colorado – March 7
• Vs. Utah – March 9

I would wager that the Ducks can easily knock off Stanford, Cal, and Oregon State. I think the bigger woes will come against Arizona, Colorado, and Utah to cap off the regular season.

Arizona has bounced in and out of the top 25 this season. The Wildcats are a tough opponent for Oregon, especially on the road.

At home, Oregon has a leg up over Colorado and Utah but the Ducks lost to the mountain schools earlier this season. Luckily, Oregon has an 84.6 winning percentage in Eugene.

The Pac-12 Tournament

If Oregon can win at least five of its remaining games in the regular season, it will take a lot of pressure off the team in the conference tournament. The team actively sits near the top of the Pac-12 standings, behind just Arizona and Washington State.

With a first-round bye in the tournament currently, the Ducks would first see game action in the quarterfinal round. If they can win that first game and at least make it to the semifinals, I believe Oregon would have a sure ticket to the NCAA Tournament.

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