Oregon Looks to Regain Momentum Before Pac-12 Tournament, Kicks off Washington Road Trip

The Ducks have just two regular season games left before heading off to Las Vegas.

The month of March is upon us. While the Pac-12 Tournament and the Big Dance are still weeks away, the Oregon Ducks have urgent business as they travel north to take on the Washington Huskies.

Thursday night in Seattle will be the second meeting between the Ducks and the Huskies. Oregon dominated the first matchup, an 84-56 drubbing back in January at Matthew Knight Arena.

After taking home some big wins in January to get back in the national conversation, the Ducks went crashing back down to earth in February, going just 5-4 on the month. With two games remaining in the regular season, the Ducks are barely hanging onto the four seed in the Pac-12 tournament – the last seed that gets a first round bye.

It certainly wasn’t all bad for Oregon last month though. If anything, February showed that Oregon has the talent to go on a fairy tale run in March. The Ducks faced three straight top-25 opponents, taking out No. 17 UCLA at home in between heartbreaking close losses to No. 3 Arizona and No. 16 USC.

Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest

Oregon Ducks forward Eric Williams skies for a dunk against the USC Trojans.

Talent has never been the question. It’s inconsistency that haunted the Ducks in February, and it could very well be what derails their dreams in March.

The Ducks dropped games to Cal and Arizona State last month, teams ranked 10th and ninth in the Pac-12 respectively, losing their opportunity to lock down a first-round bye in Las Vegas next week. Now the Ducks must bring the intensity as they close out the regular season against both of the Washington schools.

Washington went just 3-6 in February, but sits just two games behind Oregon in the conference standings. With a win against Oregon and some help from cross-state rivals Washington State a game later, Washington could make a late push for better seeding in the tournament.

In the month since Oregon clobbered Washington, the Huskies have greatly improved their defense. They now rank third in the Pac in defensive efficiency. One thing that hasn’t changed in the past month is the performance of guard Terrell Brown Jr., who still holds the title of the conference's top scorer, averaging 21.5 points per game.

While Washington’s defense has been trending up, Oregon’s offense has been trending down. One big example of this is evident in point guard Will Richardson’s play. After a strong start to the new year averaging 19 points per game in January, Richardson’s numbers hit a decline and he averaged just 14 points per game in February.

Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest

Oregon Ducks guard Will Richardson drives inside for a layup against the USC Trojans.

Richardson scored in single digits twice last month, especially struggling in the last game against USC. The senior put up just two points, didn’t hit a single field goal, and missed the game-winning shot on a rough Senior Night.

If the Ducks want to re-ignite their March dreams, Richardson must be playing his best basketball. When he’s on, Richardson is one of the most dangerous players the Pac-12 has to offer. But when he’s off, the rest of the Ducks usually follow suit.

Oregon needs a win and a Colorado loss in order to secure fourth place in the Pac-12 and a first-round bye, while Washington looks to improve their seeding. 

Anything goes when these two rivals meet.

Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest

Oregon Ducks players stand together during a senior night ceremony at Matthew Knight Arena.

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