No. 3 Arizona Basketball awaits showdown with Oregon Ducks

College Gameday is in Tucson and No. 3 Arizona Basketball (23-2, 13-1) returns to McKale for a prime time showdown with the Oregon Ducks (17-9, 10-5). 

Arizona Basketball has been rolling lately, as they are winners of seven-straight games, including two big wins in the Pacific Northwest against Washington State and Washington last weekend, and a victory over Oregon State on Thursday evening.

Coming into this one, the Wildcats enter as the favorites over Oregon, despite having lost seven-straight games to the Ducks.

Oregon is very much a competitive team, scoring big wins over UCLA and USC. However, they also have been incredibly inconsistent, losing to ASU twice, and also losing to a bad Cal team.

Arizona has the talent, skill, and size to overpower Oregon, and despite being considered the clear favorite, Arizona needs to remain focused if they are going to come away with the win.

This is a game we anticipate being a bit of a battle as the Ducks have the talent and skill to stay close. Hopefully, despite all the distractions of College Gameday being in town and this being a marquee showdown, head coach Tommy Lloyd and the Cats can continue their strong play as they look to go 24-2 and maintain a comfortable lead in the conference standings.

Getting to Know the details of Arizona Basketball’s opponent, the Oregon Ducks.

Team: Oregon Ducks

Conference: Pac-12 Conference

2020-21 Record: The Ducks ended last year with a 21–7 (14-4) record, finishing first and winning the regular-season conference title. Oregon even continued some of their postseason magic, advancing to the Sweet 16 before being knocked out by USC.

Head Coach: Dana Altman enters his 12th year with the Ducks, after previously serving as head coach of Marshall, Kansas State, and Creighton. In his 30+ year coaching career, Altman is 707–362 overall with several NCAA Tournament appearances, including a 297–119 (142–69) record at Oregon.

Keys to the Game:

No Slow Starts – Arizona has been notorious this season for having slow starts. Against weaker opponents, that might be okay; however, against a talented team like Oregon, that cannot happen if they expect to win.

So in this marquee matchup, the Wildcats will need to be ready from the tip and avoid yet another slow start. Should the Wildcats take care of business from the tip, they are going to be tough to beat.

Take Care of the Basketball – Problematic of playing in faster style offenses, there have been times where the Wildcats turn the ball over quite a bit. Against Oregon, this is an area that the Wildcats need to put extra emphasis on.

Overall, Oregon does a great job of forcing other teams to turn the ball over, forcing 14.2 turnovers and 6.8 steals per game. So, if the Wildcats are to win, they will need to take care of the basketball. No need to give the Ducks more opportunities in this one.

Stay Focused – All eyes continue to be on the Wildcats as they are the clear No. 1 in the Pac-12 and the target on the Wildcats’ back is seemingly bigger now than it was two weeks ago.

And as Arizona takes on an Oregon team that has not quite lived up to the preseason hype, the pressure will be on for the Wildcats to continue their strong play.

The Wildcats should have the advantage here, so Arizona needs to stay focused and hungry if they are going to come away with the win against the Ducks and maintain a strong lead in Pac-12 Conference play.

Arizona Basketball versus Oregon Ducks game information and details:

Date: Saturday, February 19, 2022

Time: 8:00 P.M. MST / 7:00 P.M. PST

Location: McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz. (14,655)

Spread: -13.0 Arizona (Also, don’t forget to use WynnBet to enhance your overall betting experience)

Television: ESPN

Radio: 107.5 FM (Tucson) / 1290AM (Tucson) | Arizona IMG Sports Network

Team Records:

Arizona Wildcats (23-2, 13-1): Still rolling, Arizona looks to create more separation in the Pac-12 standings, and further cement themselves as a potential, worthy No. 1 seed. Despite losing to ASU by 20-plus points, Arizona will likely get a different team on Saturday evening.

Oregon Ducks (17-9, 10-5): After a nice run in 2020-21, Oregon has had a bit of an up and down season, scoring big wins over UCLA and USC, meanwhile, the Ducks were swept by Arizona State. Facing a tough challenge against No. 3 Arizona, the Ducks will look to rebound and build off their Tournament Resume.

Head-to-Head Record (since 1949-50): Since 1949-50, Arizona has had the upper hand in this matchup, holding a 51-36 lead. However, Oregon has made a nice run lately, winning seven straight against the Wildcats.

Last Meeting vs. Arizona: The last time these two teams met, was in Oregon where the Ducks came away with the 80-69 victory over the Wildcats.

My Prediction: Arizona 79 Oregon 70 – Despite being winners of seven straight games, I see this one being a fairly close matchup for Arizona as Oregon will come out ready to go after being blown out by ASU just a few days prior. However, Arizona’s talent and depth will prove too much in the end as the Wildcats will come away with the narrow win.