Oregon @ Colorado preview
CU Events Center
Last Meeting ( Feb 2, 2019 ) Oregon 51, Colorado 73
The Pac-12 schedule is getting right to the point in the New Year. No. 6 Oregon and Colorado, separated by only three points atop the conference’s preseason poll, meet Thursday night to tip off conference play as the Ducks visit the Buffaloes.
Oregon, ranked 14th in the preseason poll following last season’s surprise run to the Sweet 16 as a 12th seed, has climbed to sixth after weathering one of the nation’s most challenging schedules so far. The Ducks’ only losses are neutral-site defeats against No. 1 Gonzaga (73-72 in overtime) and North Carolina (78-74), but they also have beaten three other foes who were ranked at the time in Memphis (82-74), Seton Hall (71-69) and Michigan (a 71-70 overtime triumph in Ann Arbor). “We took a big step in the right direction,” Oregon coach Dana Altman said Sunday after his team completed a 5-0 December with a 98-59 rout of visiting Alabama State. “But going on the road for the conference opener … we’re going to have to play a lot better.” Colorado, meanwhile, began December with back-to-back losses at No. 3 Kansas (72-58) and at home against Northern Iowa (79-76) but has since bounced back with a four-game win streak, including a 78-76 overtime victory in Chicago over No. 18 Dayton on Dec. 21.
TIME: 9 p.m. ET. TV: ESPN2
ABOUT OREGON (11-2, 0-0 Pac-12): Four players are averaging double figures for the Ducks, led by do-it-all senior point guard Payton Pritchard (18.5), who’s also contributing a conference-most 6.23 assists and a team-leading 1.8 steals to go along with 4.3 rebounds. Backcourt mate Chris Duarte is averaging 12.3 points and 5.0 rebounds and is the reigning Pac-12 Player of the Week after connecting on 12-of-15 shots to notch a career-high 31 points against Alabama State. Guards Anthony Mathis (10.8 points) and Will Richardson (10.3) round out the double-digit scorers, but forward Shakur Juiston (8.8 points, 6.5 rebounds) has missed five straight games with a leg injury and is unlikely to return this week as he still hasn’t been able to practice.
ABOUT COLORADO (11-2, 0-0): The Buffs counter Pritchard with their own first-team preseason All-Pac-12 first team point guard in junior McKinley Wright, who is leading the team in scoring (12.8) and assists (4.2) while also pulling down 5.2 rebounds. Swingman Tyler Bey (12.5 points, team-leading 9.4 rebounds) and guard D’Shawn Schwartz (11.4 points) also are averaging double figures with 6-8 Evan Battey (9.8) hovering on the precipice. Battey also is pulling down an average of 7.1 rebounds per contest and is one of the primary contributors to the team’s 8.15 rebound margin, which trails only UCLA’s 8.69 mark in the conference.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Colorado leads the series 11-8, including an 8-0 mark in Boulder after a 73-51 romp Feb. 2 in the teams’ only meeting last season.
2. Oregon is shooting a Pac-12-best 49.7 percent from the field, including 41.7 percent from 3-point range (fourth nationally), while Colorado ranks 11th with a 42.3 team field-goal percentage.
3. Only Stanford (15.5) is averaging more turnovers than Colorado (15.1) in the Pac-12.
PREDICTION: Oregon 74, Colorado 72