West Region Elite Eight Game Breakdown
It’s UO vs OU for a trip to the Final Four! Not many thought Oregon would be in this position at the start of the season, as the Ducks weren’t even ranked to start the year. Oklahoma has been ranked the whole year, and even spent a few weeks at #1.
The Ducks have been cruising coming into this one, as they have won 11 straight games. They dominated 16-seed Holy Cross in the first round, 91-52. Then they slipped past St. Josephs in the second round, beating the Hawks 69-64. Many expected their magical ride to come to an end against Duke, but nope! The Mighty Ducks stormed past the Blue Devils by double digits. Oregon hasn’t been to a Final Four since…1939. The UO faithful have been waiting a long time for another Final Four team, and they are one win away from making it happen. What a job Dana Altman has done.
The Sooners were close with 15-seed Cal State Bakersfield for a while before they pulled away for a 82-68 first round win. Then against VCU, the Sooners appeared to be in trouble before Buddy Hield came to the rescue to deliver OU the win.
I think one thing has been made very clear this tournament: Buddy Hield is the best player in the country. The senior guard has averaged 26.6 PPG thus far in March Madness, including a monstrous 36 point performance to lead the Sooners over VCU in the 2nd round. When he is on, he is ON. However, he has shown inconsistency at times. If the Ducks can find a way to silence Buddy Hield, they will win this game. That should be their main priority. As for Oregon, their best player is a little less popular. Sophomore forward Dillon Brooks can do it all, as he can be a presence down low, but also shoot the three. He leads the Ducks in scoring with 16.8 PPG, and went off against Duke, scoring 22. He may not be a household name like Hield, but he could very well steal the show on Saturday.
I think OU has the most depth and that is why they will win this game. They have great players surrounding Hield like Ryan Spangler, Jordan Woodward and IsaiahCousins. Woodward and Cousins provide more shooting weapons for Oklahoma, and Spangler is a force down low, averaging 10 points and 9 rebounds per game. The Sooners are also more experienced, as they have three seniors and one junior in their starting lineup to counter Oregon’s young backcourt. I expect this one to be close, and Buddy Hield has absolutely taken over in crunch time. Even if you triple-team him, he’s going to find a way to knock down shots. Oregon has had an outstanding season, but Oklahoma will be a little too much for them. But hey, at least they get to watch what could be another OU-Kansas game…
