Eric Becker @ericbecker__
Oregon Guard Jackson Shelstad #3 (right) points to a teammate while Colorado Guard Javon Ruffin #11 (left) waits for his next move. The University of Oregon Ducks Men's Basketball team was defeated by the University of Colorado Buffaloes 79-75 in a home game at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore., on March 7, 2024. (Eric Becker/Emerald)
The Oregon Ducks earned their spot in March Madness after winning the Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas by earning key victories over the Arizona Wildcats and Colorado Buffaloes. The Ducks’ (23-11, 12-8 Pac-12) efforts earned them a No. 11 seed in the NCAA Tournament, pitting them against the No. 6 seeded South Carolina Gamecocks (26-7, 13-5 SEC).
Oregon is in the Midwest Region of the bracket, which has the Purdue Boilermakers as the No. 1 seed and the Tennessee Volunteers as the No. 2. The Ducks will play their Round of 64 game of the tournament on Thursday, Mar. 21 in Pittsburgh against the Gamecocks. The winner of that game will face the winner of the game between the No. 3 seeded Creighton Blue Jays and the No. 14 seeded Akron Zips.
Oregon was able to sneak its way into March Madness by getting hot at the right time and running the table in Vegas. However, the Ducks will have their work cut out for them against some of the best teams in the country.
South Carolina has been strong all year and is currently ranked No. 15 in the nation.
Joining Oregon from the Pac-12 are the No. 2 seeded Wildcats, the No. 7 seeded Washington State Cougars and the No. 10 seeded Buffaloes.