Oregon Ducks
Pac-12 (28-6, 14-4)
Oregon has put together a surprising 2015-2016 campaign. They were in control of the Pac-12 title race for much of the season and had some impressive road wins along the way. Consistency has been an issue, but this is an Oregon team that many other squads have trouble matching up with thanks to a strong frontcourt.
Big Wins: 11/16 Baylor (74-67), 1/14 at Utah (77-59), 1/28 at Arizona (83-75)
Bad Losses: 12/4 vs UNLV (69-80), 12/12 at Boise State (72-74), 2/13 at Stanford (72-76)
Coach: Dana Altman
Why They Can Surprise:
The leaders of the frontcourt, Dillon Brooks and Elgin Cook, may be undersized, but they are tough. Brooks is the team’s top scorer and can score in a variety of ways. He is most effective using his 6-6, 225 pound frame attacking the basket, but can knock down some three-pointers too. On the year, Brooks is averaging 16.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.2 steals. His toughness makes him difficult for most teams to defend. Cook is a very similar type of player with a 6-6, 205 pound frame. He spends more time in the paint and is not quite as versatile as Brooks, but Cook knows how to score around the basket. The addition of Chris Boucher has given the Ducks a big-time shot blocking threat in the paint. The 6-10 junior college transfer blocks 3.1 shots per game and also leads the team with 7.6 rebounds and adds 12.1 points per game. The Ducks would have been fine in the frontcourt without him, but he adds a different dimension that Brooks and Cook cannot provide. Sophomore Jordan Bell has had to take a backseat to Boucher, but he is still averaging 7.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. Dwayne Benjamin is an experienced 6-7 senior who also sees lots of minutes. He is the big guy who can consistently stretch out the defense with his outside shooting ability.
Why They Can Disappoint:
The backcourt is young, led by freshman Tyler Dorsey and sophomore Casey Benson. Benson has done a great job keeping the turnovers down and Dorsey is the team’s most prolific and efficient long range shooter. Dorsey is a pretty good rebounder for a 6-4 guard too. When Oregon runs into a team that can matchup with them in the frontcourt, they can be in trouble. The Ducks did beat Cal at home early in conference play by a score of 68-65, but when they went to Berkeley, Oregon lost 83-63. The reason was Cal has a big, versatile frontcourt too and was able to outrebound the Ducks. Cal was able to negate the dynamic Oregon frontcourt and that left the game in the hands of the guards, where Oregon’s inexperience became obvious. Dorsey and Benson did great in the turnover battle, but were unable to knock down shots. Meanwhile, Cal’s backcourt was able to score and the blowout ensued.
Probable Starters:
Casey Benson, Sophomore, Guard, 5.8 ppg, 3.0 apg
Tyler Dorsey, Freshman, Guard, 13.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg
Dillon Brooks, Sophomore, Forward, 16.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 3.1 apg
Elgin Cook, Senior, Forward, 14.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 1.5 spg
Chris Boucher, Junior, Forward, 12.1 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 3.1 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Jordan Bell, Sophomore, Forward, 7.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 1.7 bpg
Dwayne Benjamin, Senior, Forward, 8.0 ppg, 3.1 rpg
Kendall Small, Freshman, Guard, 1.7 ppg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 77.9 (62nd in nation, 5th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 68.6 (98, 4)
Field-Goal Percentage: 46.6 (54, 3)
Field-Goal Defense: 42.6 (124, 6)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.7 (201, 8)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 34.0 (208, 9)
Free-Throw Percentage: 72.2 (84, 4)
Rebound Margin: 3.2 (77, 6)
Assists Per Game: 13.7 (142, 6)
Turnovers Per Game: 11.7 (83, 3)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2015 NCAA Second Round win over Oklahoma State
2015 NCAA Third Round loss to Wisconsin
2014 NCAA Second Round win over BYU
2014 NCAA Third Round loss to Wisconsin
2013 NCAA Second Round win over Oklahoma State
2013 NCAA Third Round win over St. Louis
2013 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Louisville
2012 NIT First Round win over LSU
2012 NIT Second Round win over Iowa
2012 NIT Quarterfinal loss to Washington
2011 CBI First Round win over Weber State
2011 CBI Second Round win over Duquesne
2011 CBI Semifinal win over Boise State
2011 CBI Final loss to Creighton
2008 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Mississippi State
2007 NCAA Round of 64 win over Miami-Ohio
2007 NCAA Round of 32 win over Winthrop
2007 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over UNLV
2007 NCAA Regional Final loss to Florida
2004 NIT First round win over Colorado
2004 NIT Second round win over George Mason
2004 NIT Quarterfinal win over Notre Dame
2004 NIT Semifinal loss to Michigan
2003 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Utah
*all team stats through 3/6
