After losses to Arizona and UCLA, the Oregon Ducks window to qualify for the NCAA tournament narrowed considerably. Now, every game ahead of Oregon on the schedule is a must-win game. The Ducks’ only other route to March Madness is winning the Pac-12 championship.
On Thursday night, the Ducks did their job and beat Washington at home. It was Oregon’s only game between the Tuesday and Friday updates of Joe Lunardi’s ESPN Bracketology, and although the Ducks won, they fell out of the “next four out” category of Lunardi’s rankings.
Washington is 4-8 in conference play this season and they sit near the bottom of the Pac-12, so it makes sense that beating them doesn’t do much for Oregon’s resume. Still, it was an important win, because a loss would’ve meant curtains for the Ducks’ hope for an at-large bid.
On Saturday afternoon, Oregon will host Washington State for the second game of their homestand, which will be a more impactful game for the Ducks resume if they can win. The Cougars are tied with Oregon for second place in the conference, and they are one of three Pac-12 teams in the 68-team field in Lunardi’s current rankings. The Cougars score at a high rate, and the Ducks defense has been struggling recently, so Saturday’s game will certainly be a challenge, but if the Ducks can win, they should be back on the bubble.
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