There is almost no room for error this time when the Oregon men’s basketball team faces Arizona State at Matthew Knight Arena on Tuesday night.
With only two games remaining before the start of the Pac-12 tournament, the Ducks are running out of time to play themselves into the NCAA tournament. But lucky for them, the final two games against the Arizona schools have the power to put them in the tournament.
The first of the two games begins Tuesday night for a themed game in which the Oregon students will dress in Mardi Gras attire as they root for their beloved Ducks. The energy from a raucous crowd should greatly benefit the Ducks, as they search for revenge for their two-point loss back in Tempe, Ariz., on Feb. 8.
The last time these two teams met, it was a tale of two half’s. Arizona State jumped all over Oregon and went into halftime leading 43-23 in large part because of Jordan Bachynski, who was unstoppable in the post for the Sun Devils, leading the way with 18 points and five rebounds.
Oregon, and in particular Joseph Young, came out of flying high in the second half as the Ducks used a full-court press to get back into the game. Combined with the extra added ball pressure and Young playing like a man among boys, the Ducks were able take a two-point lead with five minutes left and had the game tied at 68-all with 1:51 to play. However, Bachynski executed a sensational block on Young’s reverse layup at the buzzer to preserve the 74-72 victory.
You can bet Oregon knows what they’re playing for when they take the court. In order to get that victory, the Ducks are going to have too stop Bachynski and Jahii Carson, the Pac-12’s fourth leading scorer at 18.4 points per game.
Carson and Bachynski form a deadly pick-and-roll duo, but if the Ducks can find a way to eliminate that aspect of their game, it could be enough to sway Oregon’s way in the end. Jason Calliste and Damyean Dotson will be given the task of slowing down Carson for the game while Waverly Austin and Ben Carter will have to deal with Bachynski, the Pac-12’s career blocks leader.
Offensively, it’s going to come down to if Oregon can push the ball and get to the free throw line. Young scored 29 points in the second half on Feb. 8 and is the catalyst for Oregon’s offense. When the ball goes through him, the team has a much better flow in its offense and his driving capabilities does a good job of setting up open teammates. The Ducks’ offense lacks when Young gets the ball and everyone just stands around and expects him to do it on his own.
Apart from Young, the other perimeter players are going to have to knock down open three-pointers to bring the ASU defense out more. With the defense extended, perimeter players can drive to the hoop and gets Backynski in a two-on-one opportunity in favor of the Ducks.
Ultimately, though, this is a game pitting teams that both like to get out in the open and push the ball in transition. Neither has the greatest half-court offense, but they both have players who can finish at the rim. The game has a great chance of being close, with free throws possibly playing a major role in the end.

Follow Ryan Kostecka on Twitter @Ryan_Kostecka