Oregon @ Seton Hall preview

Two teams looking to position themselves for the NCAA Tournament meet on Wednesday as 10th-ranked Oregon faces No. 13 Seton Hall in a Battle 4 Atlantis quarterfinal matchup in the Bahamas. The Ducks are averaging 80.8 points during their 5-0 start but will be tested by Seton Hall and star guard Myles Powell, who is averaging 22.6 points.

Powell scored 23 points and Jared Rhoden added 10 points and 12 rebounds in last Saturday’s 87-51 victory over Florida A&M as the Pirates won their second straight game following a three-point loss to Michigan State. This week’s tournament – which includes Gonzaga, North Carolina, Alabama, Iowa State and Michigan – could serve as a key showcase for Seton Hall and Powell, the Big East preseason player of the year. “These are big opportunities to show everybody we’re one of the best teams in the country,” Powell told reporters. “We’re battle tested. We’re not going to see anything we haven’t seen already.” The Pirates will start by seeking to slow down Oregon, which has recorded impressive wins over Memphis and Houston and boasts a veteran starting lineup led by seniors Payton Pritchard (19.4 points per game), Anthony Mathis (15) and Shakur Juiston (9.8).

TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2

ABOUT OREGON (5-0): Mathis made five 3-pointers and finished with 18 points in last Friday’s 78-66 victory over Houston while forward Francis Okoro added 12 points and four rebounds. The team’s offense starts with Pritchard, who scored 16 points in the win and is the only player ranked in the Pac-12’s top five in scoring and assists (5.4 per game). “The strength of Oregon’s team is their senior point guard," Houston coach Kelvin Sampson told reporters. “He’s in complete control of every facet of their game. He is a tremendous college point guard. He’s why Oregon is going to be good this year.”

ABOUT SETON HALL (4-1): Senior guard Quincy McKnight had 14 points and five assists in the win over Florida A&M and is averaging 10.8 points and 4.6 assists for the Pirates, who start three seniors and two juniors. Coach Kevin Willard is hoping to see improvement from 6-11 forward Sandro Mamukelashvili, who was benched in the second half against Florida A&M and finished with two points on 1-of-6 shooting in 13 minutes. The Pirates’ imposing frontline includes a pair of 7-2 centers in sophomore Ike Obiagu and senior Romaro Gill, who is averaging 5.6 points and 6.4 rebounds.

TIP-INS

1. The winner faces either No. 7 Gonzaga or Southern Miss in Thursday’s semifinals while the loser plays in the consolation bracket.

2. The teams are meeting for the first time since the first round of the 2000 NCAA Tournament, when Seton Hall posted a 72-71 overtime win in Buffalo, N.Y.

3. Oregon ranks fourth nationally in 3-point field goal percentage defense at 20.5 percent.

PREDICTION: Oregon 78, Seton Hall 72