By Liam Baker
Eugene, Ore. — After a thrilling 69-67 victory over the Beavers in Corvallis on Saturday, the Ducks (16-13, 10-8) will look to stay in the win column against the struggling California Golden Bears (3-26, 2-16). The Ducks' NCAA Tournament hopes looked all but finished in the closing moments against Oregon State, before Rivaldo Soares rescued them with five points in the final minute. In their last matchup against Cal, the Ducks beat the Bears 87-58 and will look to find a similar result this Thursday in Eugene.
Oregon
This season has been one of extreme highs and extreme lows for the Ducks. Big wins over Arizona and USC have shown the potential of this team, but losses to Stanford, Utah Valley and Washington have exposed their inconsistencies. The Ducks are led by big man N'Faly Dante who recently posted a 16-point, 18-rebound stat line against the Beavers. He will look to post his fourth straight double-double against a leaky Bears defense. Dante and fellow big man Nate Bittle will have their hands full with a Bears lineup that has height across all positions. Around the perimeter, the offense is facilitated by senior Will Richardson, who averages 5.4 assists per game. He had 11 points and 10 assists against the Bears earlier this season. Scoring-wise, Jermaine Couisnard has been the most consistent guard this season, averaging 13.1 points per game on 41.7% shooting from the field.
Probable Starting Lineup - Oregon
#1 N'Faly Dante - C
#32 Nate Bittle - C
#0 Will Richardson - G
#5 Jermaine Couisnard - G
#11 Rivaldo Soares - G
California
The season for the Golden Bears has been a rough one, to say the least. They are coming off their 13th straight loss and haven't won a game since January 6. The Bears have a dominant big man of their own in senior Lars Thiemann. Thiemann, the team's second-leading scorer, averages 9.6 points per game and 5.6 rebounds per game. Cal has been without their top scorer, Devin Askew, for most conference play as he recovers from a hernia injury. As a result, Joel Brown has stepped into the role of primary ball handler for the team. He averages just over six points per game and has struggled with shooting at times, shooting just 22% from three. The team as a whole has been inefficient from the field, shooting just 39% from the field and 30% from behind the arc. This poor shooting has contributed to the Bears' 0-10 record on the road this season.
Probable Starting Lineup - California
#21 Lars Thiemann - C
#14 Grant Newell - F
#24 Sam Alajiki - F
#13 Kuany Kuany - F
#1 Joel Brown - G
Prediction
If the Ducks want any of making the NCAA tournament with an at-large bid, then they need to win this game, and do so handily — and they should have no problem doing so. The Bears are one of the worst teams in the country and the Ducks have been solid at home this season. Expect N'Faly Dante to continue to strong play in what should be a confidence-boosting win for Oregon.
Ducks 80, Bears 55