Going into Thursday night, the Oregon Ducks were considered as one of the several teams who were just on the outside of the NCAA Tournament looking in, listed by ESPN’s Joe Lunardi as one of the “first four out” in his latest bracketology.
They might hop over to the right side of the bubble after the result on Thursday night.
Oregon dismantled the USC Trojans at home, winning 78-60 and controlling the game from start to finish. Will Richardson had a fantastic game, with 16 points, 9 assists, and 6 rebounds, while N’Faly Dante thrived once again, scoring 17 points with 5 rebounds.
With the two Los Angeles schools — USC and UCLA — in Eugene this week, getting at least one victory is huge for Oregon. If they can find a way to beat the No. 9 Bruins on Saturday, then the Ducks should have no problem getting into the tournament.