The midway point of February is when college basketball teams on or around the bubble start to count the games left. Every game is important, but when the number of games left on the calendar starts to dwindle it becomes even more crucial to take care of business lest you fall into the dreaded NIT field rather than participating in the fun that is March Madness.
No team is as squarely on the bubble as Dana Altman’s Ducks, who are currently listed as the first team out on Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology report.
Fortunately for Oregon, the path forward is a relatively easy one. Oregon closes with five sub-.500 teams in Pac-12 Conference play, giving this team a golden opportunity to take care of business and push their way into the Field of 68.
If they do, they would slightly salvage what has been a disastrous hoops season for the conference of champions. Arizona and UCLA are both on the two line, but no one else from the Pac-12 is currently on the bracket. USC, who lost to Oregon and Oregon State last week, is also on the first four out line, while Utah is among the four next out.
Sending two teams to the big dance, when every other P-5 conference (and the Big East) are sending five or more, is a bad look for a conference looking to save their reputation.
The fact that UCLA and USC are among the best currently is a daunting sign for what could be to come, although at least one potential replacement will add some starpower.
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