For the first time in what feels like a long time, the Oregon Ducks men’s basketball team is cooking with gas. The Ducks are halfway through their season, and they’ve won a handful of games they seemed to have no business winning. I’ll leave it to you to decide whether that’s a good or bad omen for the March Madness hopes.
Either way, Oregon has earned itself a 15-2 record (4-2 conference record), and across the country, people are beginning to take notice. On Thursday, Jeff Borzello released his weekly college basketball power rankings for ESPN and moved the Ducks up to No. 10.
ESPN had the Ducks at No. 13 last week but moved them up this week after a successful Midwest road trip. Last Thursday, Oregon came from behind against Ohio State to win, 73-71, and two days later, the Ducks took down Penn State, 82-81.
“If it seems as if Oregon has consistently won close games this season, it’s not just anecdotal,” Borzello writes in his analysis of Oregon.
Borzello is not wrong. Four of Oregon’s six conference games so far this season were decided by less than five points. Three of those four of those were wins, and one was a two-point loss to UCLA after a desperation three-point attempt banked in for the Bruins.
As Borzello mentions, the Ducks are ranked No. 13 nationally in KenPom‘s “Luck” rating, but it isn’t just luck that’s giving Oregon the advantage in close games. The Ducks’ shooting splits this season have all seen significant upticks from last season. Through its 17 games, Oregon is shooting 48.2% from the field and 36.2% from three, both of which are jumps from last year, and the Ducks shooting is improving as the season progresses.
Oregon has another challenge, and another potential close game, awaiting them on Saturday. After two games out east, the Purdue Boilermakers (ranked No. 17 in ESPN’s power rankings) are making their way to Eugene. In a season that has already seen several tough games, this will be one of Oregon’s toughest, but if the Ducks can come out on top, it will do wonders for their postseason future.
