No. 6 Arizona Basketball faces Oregon in Pac-12 Semifinals

LAS VEGAS, NV – After getting its revenge against USC, No. 6 Arizona Basketball (25-7, 15-5) takes on Oregon (21-11, 12-8) in the Pac-12 Conference Semifinals.

Win and advance! That is the mantra come March, and for No. 6 Arizona Basketball, that is certainly the case as the Wildcats quickly disbanded the Trojans in a rematch game on Thursday afternoon to advance in the last-ever Pac-12 Conference Tournament.

Returning to action inside the Arizona-friendly T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the Wildcats return to action for the Semifinal round of the Pac-12 Conference Tournament.

Coming in, they will face a talented Oregon team once again, and while the Wildcats had seemingly no problems in running the Ducks out of the gym a couple of weeks ago, this is a bit of a must-win game against Arizona if they hope to make the NCAA Tournament. It is also a great opportunity for Oregon to improve its postseason resume.

The Ducks have the talent and coaching to win, and if Arizona is to get a win here and advance, it is going to take another focused and concerted effort. Hopefully, we will see our Wildcats come out ready to go in this one!

Getting to know the details about Arizona Basketball’s opponent, the Oregon Ducks.

Team: Oregon Ducks

Conference: Pac-12 Conference

Current Record: 21–11 (12–8)

Head Coach: Dana Altman. Now in his 35th season as a head coach (14th with Oregon), Coach Altman has put together a fantastic career and is currently 342–151 (167–91) with the Ducks with seven NCAA Tournament appearances, three Sweet 16 Finishes, two Elite Eight appearances, and a Final Four run in 2016-17. 

Before arriving in Eugene, Dana was head coach at Marshall (1989-90), Kansas State (1990-94), and Creighton (1994-2010). Overall, he is 752–394 as a head coach with several postseason tournament bids. 

2022-23 Record: Finishing the 2022-23 season with a 21–15 (12–8) record, the Ducks ended their year finishing in 4th in the Pac-12 and just narrowly missed the NCAA Tournament. Oregon would go to the NIT where they were eliminated by Wisconsin in the quarterfinals. 

So, as Arizona Basketball takes on Oregon, here is how you can watch and follow our Wildcats!

Arizona Basketball vs Oregon Information and Details:

Date: Friday, March 15, 2024

Time: 5:00 P.M.

Television: Pac-12 Network

Location: T-Mobile Arena – Las Vegas, NV (18,000)

Spread: -11.0 Arizona. (Don’t forget to sign up with Caesars Sportsbook or DraftKings to enhance your overall betting experience)

Overall Series Record: 55-36 Arizona. Overall, this is a series that the Wildcats lead in; however, Oregon has done well as of late as the Ducks have won 11 of the last 17 matchups. 

Last Meeting: Meeting in Tucson just a couple of weeks ago, then No. 6 Arizona came away with the dominant win, beating the visiting Ducks by a 103-83 final on Senior Day!

Arizona Basketball Game Preview:

Arizona looked sharp on Thursday afternoon, and despite a bit of a sluggish start in the first half, the Wildcats used a stifling defensive effort en route to the 21-point win over the Trojans!

However, that is all in the past and the focus is now on Oregon and the Semifinal round of the NCAA Tournament!

Coming in, the Wildcats will need another sharp defensive effort as the Ducks are a talented offensive group, averaging 75.8 points per game and shooting a respectable 45.9 percent from the field, including 34.7 percent from three. 

Largely led by senior guard Jermaine Couisnard, the Indiana native is averaging 15.5 points per game, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. Couisnard scored a season-high 39 points against the Wildcats the last time these two teams met.

Additionally, Oregon big man N'Faly Dante has posed to be quite a problem for the Cats this year, averaging 15.4 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. 

Beyond them, highly-touted freshman Jackson Shelstad has been impressive, averaging 12.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game, meanwhile, Nathan Bittle and former Arizona recruiting target, Kwame Evans Jr. have been solid, complimentary pieces as well.

Overall, this team has a lot of talent and athleticism, and defensively Arizona will need another strong defensive showing if they hope to slow this Oregon offense down.

Hopefully, the Wildcats will be ready to go in this one, as we should be in store for a competitive game! Tip-off for Friday's game against the Ducks is set for 5:00 P.M. Tucson time, and the game will be broadcast on Pac-12 Network.

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