By Dane Miller, SuperWest Sports
A trip to the Sweet 16 is on the line when Arizona and Oregon face off in Seattle.
The conference affiliations may have changed, but the bad blood between the fanbases remains.
And there has never been more on the line. I preview the Round of 32 game below.
No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 4 Arizona
Sunday, March 23
6:40 pm PT, TBS
East Region, Seattle
Caleb Love was quiet in Arizona’s First-Round matchup against Akron.
A vintage C-Love performance wasn’t needed against the Zips, setting the table for a breakout game against the Ducks.
Avert your eyes, Oregon fans, because a 30-point night might be incoming.
To advance deep in the NCAA Tournament, your best players have to play well. Love cooked UO on their home floor last season when he set a career-high 36 points.
The Ducks got their revenge in the Pac-12 Tournament Semifinal game, however, limiting Love to six points and holding the Wildcats to a season-low 59 points.
Love hasn’t forgotten either game. And neither has Dana Altman.
Who is going to step up and shut Love down this time?
Oregon is deep and talented. Just looking at Altman’s roster, this might be the most talented team he’s had in years.
Jackson Shelstad, Brandon Angel, TJ Bamba, Keeshawn Barthelemy, and Nate Bittle are all elite. The roster is a “who’s who” of former Pac-12 players hand-picked out of the portal with Nike money.
But this Arizona team is different.
In years past, Tommy Lloyd’s focus was almost exclusively on offense. Not this season. The Cats have emphasized defense more than they ever have since Lloyd took over in 2021-22.
Arizona has been inconsistent. But the defensive culture is instilled and the offensive efficiency remains.
For starters, the matchup between Bittle and Tobe Awaka/Henri Veesaar is key. Bittle is playing the best basketball of his career and could single-handedly win the game for Oregon.
Lloyd doesn’t have the perfect defensive matchup for him. Awaka is undersized and Veesaar might not be mobile enough.
If Bittle has an efficient night, Oregon will be in a strong position.
But the matchup between Shelstad and the multiple UA defenders Lloyd will throw at him could decide the game. Jaden Bradley, KJ Lewis, and Love will have their hands full trying to contain him.
How well Arizona defends the pick-and-roll action could be critical. Altman will have the appropriate game plan in place to expose UA’s schematic weaknesses on defense.
If Shelstad’s perimeter and mid-range shots are falling with efficiency, the Ducks might survive and advance.
Miller covers College Basketball and College Football as well as Formula 1 racing as a Senior Writer and Assistant Editor for SuperWest Sports.
