By Zach Carver
After splitting two games in LA, the Oregon men’s basketball team (15-7, 7-4 Pac-12) returns to action in Matthew Knight Arena this Thursday at 7:00 p.m. against the Washington Huskies (12-10, 4-7 Pac-12). Sitting third in the conference, Oregon needs to pick up a win versus Washington as they look to a more crucial match on Saturday against Washington State. Thursday’s game could provide the momentum and confidence needed to pull off a win versus WSU.
The last time the Huskies and Ducks collided was a thriller. The game came down to the final seconds when guard Jermaine Cousinard hit a contested layup, claiming a 76-74 victory for Oregon. Cousinard was one of three Ducks to score at least 15 points with freshmen Kwame Evans Jr. and Jackson Shelstad being the others. Oregon’s offense was barely able to snag the game from a Washington team that shot a very efficient 50% from the field and 42% from three.
Oregon: Defense and rebounding will be the deciding factor for the Ducks on Thursday. Oregon and Washington rank fourth and fifth, respectively, in offensive rating in the Pac-12. Thursday’s game will likely be another high-scoring affair. Luckily for Oregon, center N’faly Dante will provide interior defense and rebounding this time around after being unavailable in their previous matchup in Seattle. Dante has provided consistency in the five-spot in the eight games he has played in this season. Center Nate Bittle is also expected to be available after missing both LA games due to illness. Bittle is still returning to form after a broken wrist earlier in the season. Both centers for the Ducks should intimidate the Huskies in the paint while providing much-needed rebounding for the 10th-ranked rebounding team in the Pac-12. Guards Cousinard and Shelstad look to provide the offense for the Ducks. Shelstad is hitting nearly 40% of his three-pointers this year. He led Oregon with 17 points in the previous matchup in Seattle and has reached double digits in his last two games. Cousinard always has the potential to take over a game with his offensive talent. He has scored at least 15 points in 7 of his last 10 games, including 16 on 6-11 shooting against Washington. The path for a Ducks win at home on Thursday night is certainly paved with the return of Oregon’s big men combined with the potential offensive firepower of their guards.
UW: Washington will have trouble slowing down an Oregon offense, as they allow the most points per game of any team in the conference with 77.4. They counter this with an explosive offense that scores the second most points per game in the conference at 81.4. The Huskies offense is led by senior Keion Brooks Jr., who leads the Pac-12 in scoring with over 21 points a game. He comes into Eugene on fire, coming off a 35-point game against WSU. It is nearly impossible to slow Brooks Jr. down, leaving a huge task for the Oregon defense in controlling the damage he will surely create. Washington guard Sahvir Wheeler leads the conference in assists per game with 6. Ranking second in pace in the Pac-12, the Husky offense can quickly put games out of reach for their opponents. As if their two conference leaders weren’t enough, the Huskies have a lethal shooter in forward Moses Wood. He has scored at least 10 points in his last seven games while shooting 47% from distance in that span. If Oregon allows Washington to control the game on offense, this game could easily end in a Washington victory.
Prediction: I think the Ducks leave MKA Thursday night with a win over a Huskies team that has struggled with in conference play this season. I expect a big game on both ends of the floor from N’Faly Dante and a clutch performance from Jermaine Cousinard.