GLENDALE, Ariz. — If the Ducks are to take down the top-seeded Tar Heels on Saturday, it won’t be because they give in and play North Carolina’s bruising brand of basketball. It will be because they stick to what got them here — hot shooting, transition play and defensive communication.
Oregon hasn’t faced a team like North Carolina this year — simply because there isn’t another team like the Tar Heels in the country. They are the top rebounding team in the nation by a wide margin and loaded with strong, lengthy defenders in the post and on the perimeter.
For those searching for a comparable opponent on Oregon’s schedule, look at Arizona. The Wildcats weren’t nearly the rebounding juggernaut that the Tar Heels are, but they rotate a deep group of big men who can defend the post. They also boast several bulky, lockdown guards, just like North Carolina.
During Oregon’s blowout victory against Arizona on Feb. 4, the Ducks pounded the ball inside early and racked up fouls against Arizona’s bigs. They then worked their way out beyond the arc and rained 3-pointers on the Wildcats whenever they kept two big men on the floor.
It’s unreasonable to expect Oregon to shoot 64 percent from 3-point range again, but the Ducks’ performance in that game showed the blueprint of how Oregon can compete with bigger teams.
North Carolina won’t be rolling out a 7-foot, 3-point-raining big man like Arizona had in Lauri Markkanen. Oregon captured a Pac-12 title by playing four-out for much of its conference season, but there really isn’t a team in the Pac-12 that plays the same style of ball as North Carolina.