Oregon Clashes With Oregon State to Open Pac-12 Tournament

Oregon looks to get revenge on a free-falling Oregon State after losing 75-64 in last year’s Pac-12 semifinals.

The No. 5 seed Oregon Ducks (18-13, 11-9 Pac-12) will play the No. 12 seed Oregon St. Beavers (3-27, 1-19 Pac-12) on Wednesday in the First Round of the Pac-12 Tournament at 2:30 on Pac-12 Networks. The winner will face No. 4 seed Colorado on Thursday.

Regular Season Review | Oregon State

This time last year, the Oregon State Beavers shocked everyone by winning the Pac-12 tournament. This was just the start as their Cinderella run during March Madness that ended in the Elite Eight.

This season looks like it won’t have a happy ending. Their season has been nothing but abysmal. They are currently on a 17-game losing streak and haven’t won a game since Dec. 30.

Hopefully, the Ducks will not be the victims of an upset and be the Beavers’ second Pac-12 win of the season.

Pre-Game Note | Oregon

Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest

Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest

It was announced that Oregon will be without senior guard Will Richardson for the entire Pac-12 Tournament with a non-Covid related illness.

There's no news on his status if the Ducks were to make the NCAA Tournament. Hopefully, Richardson has a speedy recovery and can play out his senior season.

Player Matchup | Dashawn Davis vs. De’Vion Harmon

Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest

Dashawn Davis is the Beavers’ second-leading scorer (11 PPG) and the team leader in assists (5.5 APG) and steals (1.4 SPG). The slashing guard can make hustle plays and defend the perimeter well. He will be someone to watch in transition as he plays bigger than his 185-pound frame.

However, the junior is an atrocious shooter as he shot 9-46 (19.6%) from three and 38-58 (65.5%) from the free-throw line for the season. As long as the Ducks employ the Russell Westbrook-strategy and dare him to shoot, they should neutralize him in half-court sets.

De’Vion Harmon is Oregon’s third-leading scorer (10.9 PPG) and tied for being the leader in steals (1.3 SPG). He is a fun perimeter player to watch, as he drives hard to the rim and knocks down outside shots.

Oregon will need Harmon to step up in the playmaking department against Oregon State with Richardson out. Harmon averages the third-most assists (2.1 APG) and will need to look to swing the ball around to keep the offense from getting stagnant.

If Harmon can help generate offense both on and off the ball for Oregon, they should avoid an embarrassing upset to their rivals.

Storyline to Watch | Defense

Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest

The Ducks have been inconsistent on the defensive end all season. When watching the team, they don’t communicate much compared to past teams. They allow the fourth-most points in the conference at 69.1 per contest.

Oregon will also need to close out defensive possessions by cleaning the glass to prevent Beavers center Roman Silva from getting second chance points. Silva is tied for fifth in the conference in offensive rebounds (2.3 ORPG).

The Beavers are the worst team in the Pac-12 on defense, allowing the most points per game (77.8). They also allow the highest field goal (47.6%) and three-point (35.8%). Oregon could very well run a shooting clinic on Wednesday with that type of defense.

It's the postseason, so the Beavers can play with more intensity on both ends. In order to pull off the upset, the Beavers will need to find a way to deal with Oregon’s N’Faly Dante with him averaging the highest field goal percentage (66.7%) in the conference. If the Beavs can fortify the paint and hope the Ducks go frigid from deep…an upset is possible.

Conclusion

I don't think the Ducks have anything to worry about. However, crazy things have happened and it's a rivalry game. Anytime these in-state rivals meet, it's must-watch TV.

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