It’s been a topsy-turvy season for Dana Altman and the Oregon Ducks, but with roughly one month until Selection Sunday this program is on the cusp of being an NCAA Tournament team, at least according to resident ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi.
Lunardi’s latest report has Oregon listed among the first four out, alongside Texas A&M, Florida, and Seton Hall.
Only three Pac-12 schools are inside the Field of 68: Arizona (1 seed) UCLA (2 seed) and USC (10 seed) – although the Trojans were listed in the last four byes category, putting them in the bubble conversation as well.
The Ducks are 14-10 on the season and 8-5 in conference play, sitting in fifth place with only half a game separating them from the Utah Utes in fourth.
The good news for the Ducks is they have two chances coming up to secure marquee victories, as they host USC on Thursday and UCLA on Saturday. Two wins almost certainly puts them on the right side of the bracket – likely knocking USC out – and even a split in those two games helps their case.
Altman’s club closes the Pac-12 regular season with five beatable opponents: first on the road to Washington and Washington State, followed by a road trip to Corvallis and two home games against Cal and Stanford before heading to Vegas for the Pac-12 Tournament.
Oregon is as healthy as they have been all season, and a late push to get back into the big dance is well within reach for this team – who have won three of their last four.
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