Texas Southern @ Oregon preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 26, 2018 ) Texas Southern 89, Oregon 84

Oregon has lost just four of 86 non-conference games at Matthew Knight Arena since it opened in 2011. One of those losses came last season to Texas Southern whom the 10th-ranked Ducks host again Saturday night.

The Tigers have lost three key starters from that team which finished 24-14 overall and second in the SWAC, including 7-2 center Trayvon Reed who scored 23 points to go with seven rebounds, and guard Jalyn Patterson, who finished with a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds, in the 89-84 upset. But guard John Jones, son of head coach Johnny Jones who had 20 points off the bench in the win, returns as does talented point guard Tyrik Armstrong. However, Oregon, which went on to advance to the Sweet 16 last season, may be even better this season with non-conference wins already over Michigan, Seton Hall and Memphis and the addition on Wednesday of five-star 6-11 center N'Faly Dante who had 11 points, two rebounds and two steals in 14 minutes in his college debut, an 81-48 victory over visiting Montana. "He's a dominant big," Ducks guard Will Richardson told oregonlive.com about Dante. "I know anytime he steps on the court, even if he's not scoring a lot he's going to make a presence felt. Tonight he was scoring, but N'Faly is real athletic for 7-foot. He blocks shots (and) even if he doesn't block it he affects it being down the lane. ... He's going to affect the game no matter what."

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network

ABOUT TEXAS SOUTHERN (3-7): Despite a 32-point outing by Armstrong, the Tigers come in off a 91-73 loss at Nevada on Wednesday. Armstrong, who is shooting 43.5 percent from 3-point range, leads the team in scoring (15.1) and assists (3.7). Forward Yahuza Rasas is second in scoring (9.2) and is also grabbing a team-best 6.8 rebounds per game.

ABOUT OREGON (9-2): Dante, a native of Mali, didn't join the program until last week after reclassifying and garnering his NCAA eligibility last month in time to enroll for the winter term. He will join returning 6-9 forward Francis Okoro, who had a career-highs in points (12) and rebounds (17) against Montana, to give the Ducks another talented and athletic front line to go along with one of the nation's top point guards in Payton Pritchard. Pritchard, the reigning Pac-12 Player of the Week, leads the team in scoring (18.7) and is joined in the backcourt by two talented shooters in New Mexico grad transfer Anthony Mathis (11.1) and junior college transfer Chris Duarte (10.5).

TIP-INS

1. Pritchard is also averaging 6.0 assists per game which ranks second in the Pac-12 and 24th nationally.

2. Dante, who prepped at Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas, was ranked 17th in ESPN's top 60 for the class of 2020 before reclassifying to the class of 2019.

3. Mathis is tied for the Pac-12 lead with 32 made 3-pointers and his 51.6 3-point percentage ranks seventh nationally.

PREDICTION: Oregon 94, Texas Southern 65