Oregon was recently listed as one of the ‘first four out’ teams on CBS Sports’ NCAA Tournament Bracketology page. Michigan State, Old Dominion and North Carolina State rounded out the constantly changing group.
This is notable because Oregon is now officially on the national radar, a part of the all-important discussion if you will, which is the most important step for a bubble team like the Ducks. Having said that, they aren’t currently on ESPN’s top 50 RPI standings, which does play a factor in deciding the final 64 teams.
With seven games and a do-or-die February 22 date with No. 13 Utah remaining on their schedule, the Ducks (17-7, 7-4 Pac-12), believe it or not, have a shot at making the dance. A lot of this has to do with their recent stretch, where they have won four of their last five conference games.
“We’re pretty much just learning each other,” Dwayne Benjamin said. “Learning to play with each other, learning what we like to do, where we like to get our shots.”
They currently sit behind Arizona (20-3, 8-2 Pac-12) and Utah (18-4, 8-2 Pac-12) in the Pac-12 standings.
The timing couldn’t have been any better for the new look Ducks who have struggled to find their identity following the dismissal of three players last spring. February is as vital a month there is in college basketball and so far, the Ducks look to be headed in the right direction.
“We hope we’re moving in that direction (establishing identity),” Altman said. “That’s what you really try and work on in February: just getting better and eliminating bad possessions. We’ve got to toughen up and take care of business on the road.”
With one final chapter waiting to be written for Altman and his team on the year, the door is creaked open for a last minute scratch-in appearance for the green and yellow.
Oregon’s past two games have shed light on their ability to score the ball, something that has become the basis for their success this season. Whether it be Joseph Young averaging 30.5 points (past two games) or Dwayne Benjamin scoring a season-high 29 points against the Cougars, the Ducks have undoubtedly made their presence known on the offensive end. Moving forward, this will be their golden ticket for better or for worse.
“All of our guys got great confidence in their ability to score and that’s sometimes a curse because you don’t go guard, you don’t rebound,” Altman said. “That’s hurt us.”
It’s going to have to be a positive in this final stretch of games.
As the NCAA committee narrows down their selections, they may have to factor in an Oregon team that is arguably playing their best ball of the year. Still, there is a lot of ball to be played and that means the Ducks aren’t out of the woods yet.
Said Altman: “We’ve got to take more of an identity guarding the ball.”
Two questions stand between Oregon and an NCAA tournament bid: do they have enough quality wins against ranked opponents and can they hold up on defense? With a three-game road trip up next, those questions will be answered quickly.
It may be a long shot for now, but the Ducks are in position to surprise.
“We’ve got to dig in and be a team,” Altman said. “That’s going to be very important for us in these next seven ball games.”
Follow Hayden Kim on Twitter @HayDayKim