No. 6 Arizona Basketball welcomes Oregon to town for Senior Day

TUCSON, AZ – After sweeping rival Arizona State on Wednesday, No. 6 Arizona Basketball (22-6, 13-4) welcomes Oregon (19-9, 11-6) for Senior Day.

Well, we have sadly reached the end of the 2023-24 season, as Arizona Basketball prepares for its final home game of the year.

And returning to the friendly confines of McKale Center after earning the regular season sweep against the Sun Devils just days prior, the Wildcats should be in store for a good one.

Coming in, Oregon is a good team, but unfortunately, doesn't seemingly have that signature win this season as the team sits squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble. For them, this is a bit of a must-win game against Arizona, and it is a great opportunity for them to improve its tournament resume, and spoil the Wildcats' chances at an outright Conference Championship.

Beyond that the Ducks have the talent and coaching to win, and if Arizona is to get the regular season sweep of Oregon, it is going to take a focused and concerted effort. Hopefully, we will see our Wildcats come out ready to go in this one! It is Senior Day, and the Wildcats got to protect their home court!

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

Team: Oregon Ducks

Conference: Pac-12 Conference

Current Record: 19–9 (11–6)

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 340–149 (166–89) with the Ducks with seven NCAA Tournament appearances, three Sweet 16 Finishes, two Elite Eight appearances, and a Final Four 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 750–392 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: Saturday, March 2, 2024

Time: 12:00 P.M. MST / 11:00 A.M. PST

Television: ESPN

Location: McKale Center – Tucson, AZ (14,545)

Spread: -14.0 Arizona. (Don’t forget to sign up with Caesars Sportsbook or DraftKings to enhance your overall betting experience)

Overall Series Record: 54-36 Arizona. Overall, this is a series that the Wildcats lead in; however, it has been dominated by Oregon as of late as the Ducks have won 11 of the last 16 matchups.

Last Meeting: Meeting in Eugene back in late January, Arizona got the rare win at Oregon, snapping their six-game losing streak to the Ducks at Matthew Knight Arena, earning the hard-fought, 87-78 win!

Arizona Basketball Game Preview:

Arizona looked good on Wednesday night, and despite a few spurts where they allowed ASU to come back into the game, Arizona's depth and talent were ultimately too much for the Devils as they paced themselves to the 18-point win to earn the regular season sweep!

However, that is all in the past and the focus is now on Oregon!

Coming in, the Wildcats will need to be sharp defensively, as we are well aware of the Ducks' offensive prowess. As a group, the Ducks are averaging 76.0 points per game by shooting a respectable 45.5 percent from the field, including 35.5 percent from three.

Largely led by senior guard Jermaine Couisnard, the Indiana native is averaging 14.7 points per game, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. Additionally, senior big man N'Faly Dante is having quite the year as he is averaging 14.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.

Dante had a big game against the Wildcats the last time these two teams met, finishing 19 points and grabbing five rebounds.

Beyond them, highly-touted freshman Jackson Shelstad has been impressive, averaging 12.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.9 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 is going to have another challenge in containing this Oregon roster. 

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

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