The Oregon and Stanford men’s basketball teams are both off to disappointing starts in conference play. The Ducks have lost two straight after beginning their season 13-0 and are 1-2 against Pac-12 foes. The Cardinal are 0-2 in conference after losing to California and Oregon State and are 9-5 on the season despite a wealth of talent. Their only meeting of the regular season is on Sunday.
The Ducks have continued to put up points and rank third in the NCAA in scoring at 88.9 points per game. Their defensive flaws have been exploited, though. Oregon ranks 298th out of 345 Division I teams and last in the Pac-12 in scoring defense, giving up 77.4 points per game. They’ve allowed 196 points in their last two games, both losses, and are “not very good,” defensively, as head coach Dana Altman so eloquently put it following the 96-83 loss to Cal Thursday night. The inside presence of Tony Woods and Arsalan Kazemi from a season ago has yet to be replaced, evidenced by their terrible defensive rating.
Stanford is average on offense and defense but specialize in shooting and shot-blocking. They nearly match the Ducks in shooting efficiency, converting 48 percent of field goals compared to Oregon’s 49 percent. The Cardinal also make 40.6 percent of three-point field goals, besting Oregon’s 40.4 percent. The second best shot blocking unit in the Pac-12 (5.6 BPG) is led by senior, Josh Huestis who swats 2.36 shots per game. Huestis, Dwight Powell and Stefan Nastic can torture Oregon inside, all shooting at high rate and taking up space.
One clear advantage Oregon has over Stanford is at the free throw line. The Ducks are making 77 percent of their free throws, which is best in the Pac-12 and eighth best in the country. Stanford makes 70.6 percent but has two very reliable free throw shooters in Anthony Brown (81.8 percent) and Chasson Randle (81.4 percent). The Ducks are led at the charity stripe by Jason Calliste (89.3 percent), Johnathan Loyd (86 percent) and Joseph Young (85.6 percent). Stanford commits over 18 fouls per game, which should give Oregon ample opportunities to convert from the line.
Tip off is set for 2 p.m. on Sunday at Matthew Knight Arena.
Follow Madison Guernsey on Twitter @guernseymd