No. 24 Arizona Basketball has marquee showdown with No. 14 Oregon
TUCSON, AZ – Following their win over Oregon State, the No. 24 Arizona Basketball team (19-7, 9-4) will take on No. 14 Oregon (20-7, 9-5).
Marquee showdowns and Arizona Basketball, it’s what we’ve grown accustomed to over the years as basketball fans, and once again, the Wildcats will be one of the biggest stages when they take on No. 14 Oregon on Saturday inside McKale!
Luckily for us, the Wildcats are rolling! Winners of three straight, perhaps no game will be bigger at this point of the season than this one!
Arizona Wildcats
Arizona comes in sitting currently in second place in the conference, and at 9-4 in the Pac-12, the Cats have just five games to play, and will have a real chance to still win the regular season title.
The challenge will not be easy however, as the Wildcats will first need to beat the Ducks! But nonetheless, the opportunity may be coming at the right time.
Arizona did lose to Oregon earlier in the season, but in heartbreaking fashion, as they fell to the Ducks by a 74-73 final in overtime in Eugene, OR.
The Ducks will enter this one fresh off a loss to ASU on Thursday night, and will face a Wildcat team seemingly in a better position than when they were just a few short weeks ago.
With that said, here is our preview to the game against Oregon!
Keys to the Game:
Bench Scoring- It’s real simple, when Arizona gets good bench contributions, they are mighty difficult to beat, and against a team like Oregon it’s going to be needed. The Ducks are a talented team, and if Arizona is to win, it’s going to be a full team effort.
Also, as we learned, when Max Hazzard scores eight or more points, the Wildcats are 7-1! Should the bench get going early and often, you got to like Arizona’s chances to win this one!
Turnovers– Generally speaking, the Wildcats take pretty good care of the basketball surrendering just 11.8 turnovers per game, which ranks them No. 28 in the country.
The last time they played the Ducks, Arizona turned the ball over 12 times. Which really doesn’t sound like a lot, but three came in the last 2:26 of the game, as the Wildcats blew their late, six-point lead that ultimately led to their overtime loss.
Take care of the basketball, and Arizona greatly improves their chances of winning!
Limit Payton Pritchard- Easier said than done, but he in my opinion is the best point guard in the Pac-12. He will undoubtedly have a big game for the Ducks, seemingly as he always does, but if Arizona is going to win, they’re going to have to find a way to limit him.
He can impact the game in numerous ways and if Arizona can contain him even just a little bit, you got to think the Wildcats’ chances of winning improve significantly!
Game Information:
Time: 7:00 pm MST/ 6:00 pm PST
Location: Tucson, AZ- McKale Center (14,545)
Line: -5.0 Arizona
Television: ESPN
Radio: Arizona IMG Sports Network Arizona Wildcats (Try TuneIn Radio) or 107.5 KHYT (Tucson)
Team Records:
Arizona Wildcats (19-7, 9-4): The Wildcats are finding a rhythm again, and these freshmen have been playing much better of late too. However, it still seems this team lacks that “marquee win”, beating Oregon in my opinion is a must as it would do wonders for our confidence!
Oregon Ducks (20-7, 9-5): Oregon hasn’t quite lived up to their expectations, but this is still very much a dangerous team. They have quite a few talented players, and with a loss to ASU on Thursday, we should expect them to come out focused and strong.
All-Time Record: Since 1949-50, Arizona leads the overall series 51-33. This is quickly become a solid rivalry in the Pac-12, and with the surge of Oregon these past few years, we will most likely be sure to see another solid game from these two squads.
Arizona still seems to hold a comfortable lead in the head-to-head match-up, and hopefully come Saturday, Arizona can extend their lead over the Ducks!
Watch head coach Sean Miller speak with the media following their loss to Baylor.
light. More. On Arizona Basketball
At Zona Zealots, we’re hopeful the Wildcats can come out strong and beat Oregon! As always, Bear Down, Arizona!