Thursday night’s win over USC was a big step for the Oregon Ducks, but it didn’t move the needle for them much in the national rankings. As they were in Tuesday’s update, the Ducks are ranked in the “next four out” category of ESPN’s Bracketology in Friday’s update.
USC has had a disappointing season, so it makes sense that a win over the Trojans — despite being on the road — didn’t do much for Oregon’s ranking. The Ducks have several games coming soon that will have a larger impact on their March Madness chances, starting with UCLA on Saturday.
The Bruins of now are not the same team Oregon saw in December. They’ve won four of their last five games, and the only loss was in Tuscon. During that stretch, UCLA has averaged 69.6 points per game and has allowed 63.4 points per game. The Ducks beat the Bruins by just five points earlier this season, and Saturday’s game could be even closer.
One of the most encouraging takeaways from the Ducks’ win over the Trojans was their second-half defense. Excluding the last four minutes, when Oregon allowed an 11-0 USC run, the Ducks defense was superb. Giving up too many points has been the biggest limiting factor for Oregon this year, and if they want to make a push for the tournament, their defense will need to stay strong.
Although Oregon would be ranked much higher in Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology rankings if not for several missteps in the last few weeks, being one of the “next four out” at this point in the season isn’t a bad thing. The Ducks have kept themselves in the mix, and if they can string together some wins to finish the season they’ll be in a good spot.
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