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The Washington Huskies will be taking on the Oregon Ducks Thursday night in a heated Pac-12 rivalry.
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The Huskies have posted a 14-4 record so far this season, with a 5-0 conference record. They enter this game winners of seven-straight games, with their most recent victory coming against the California Golden Bears 71-52. The Ducks are 11-7 on the season and 2-3 in conference play. Oregon has lost two of their previous three matchups, with their last game ending in a 78-64 loss to the Arizona State Sun Devils. This will mark the first time these two teams face off this season, and won’t play each other again until early March.
Taking a look at the Pac-12 standings, the Huskies hold the best record in the conference. The Arizona Wildcats are just a half game behind Washington, while the Ducks sit 8thin the conference. Thursday night won’t be an easy one for the Ducks considering the Huskies are a perfect 10-0 at home this season. Oregon has gone just 2-3 on the road this season, but have upset a ranked opponent once this year.
Ducks Suffering Tough Season
It never helps when you lose your best player for the season and Oregon experienced that when Bol Bol suffered a season-ending foot injury. Bol was leading the way for this Ducks team averaging 21 ppg, 9.6 rpg and 2.7 bpg. Those numbers just can’t simply be replaced. Payton Pritchard averages a whopping 34.8 mpg for this team, to go along with 11.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg, and a team-high 4.5 apg. Outside of Pritchard, senior forward Paul White and freshman forward Louis King each contribute 10 points a night. Head coach Dana Altman will look to lead his team to a much-needed win and upset the Huskies in a hostile environment.
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Washington Loves Home Games
Mike Hopkins Huskies have been a threat in the Pac-12 this season, especially at home. This team is led by sophomore guard Jaylen Nowell, who leads the team in scoring with 16.7 ppg. Nowell is a well-rounded player who also contributes 5.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists a night. Senior forward Noah Dickerson is second on the team in scoring with 13.2 ppg and leads the team with 6.7 rpg. Freshman guard David Crisp is averaging 11.2 ppg, and senior guard Matisse Thybulle is a problem on the defense averaging 2.7 stpg. Thybulle ranks 8th best in steals in the entire NCAA.
Pick and Prediction
Both of these team’s matchup fairly well, as far as team statistics go. Washington shoots 46% from the field, 34% from deep, and 71% from the charity stripe. Oregon is shooting 44% from the field, 35% from deep, and 74% from free throw. The Ducks were able to go on the road and defeat the Arizona Wildcats 59-54 last Thursday night. This is a team that has battled through a lot of scrutiny and a major injury to their best player. This certainly shouldn’t be a team that the Huskies take lightly, but a game that we still expect Washington to win given how well they’ve played at home this season.
