Oregon @ Washington preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 24, 2019 ) Washington 61, Oregon 56

Matisse Thybulle and Jaylen Nowell are the leading candidates for Pac-12 player of the year, but Washington teammate Noah Dickerson might hold the key to the team’s postseason hopes. Dickerson looks to build on his best performance of the year when the Huskies face visiting Oregon on Saturday in the regular-season finale for both teams.

Dickerson recorded 22 points and 17 rebounds in Wednesday’s 81-76 overtime win over Oregon State as the Huskies likely secured a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011, regardless of what happens at next week’s Pac-12 tourney in Las Vegas. A senior forward from Atlanta, Dickerson averages 12.8 points and 6.9 rebounds but has been overshadowed during conference play by Thybulle and Nowell. Dickerson has played well in six previous matchups against Oregon, which has won three in a row and needs a victory to keep its hopes alive for a first-round bye next week. "We don’t have control over it, so we’ve just got to go play,” coach Dana Altman told reporters. “If it happens, it happens but it doesn’t happen if we don’t win on Saturday. All we need to be focused on is playing well at Washington and find a way to win.”

TV: 10 p.m. ET, ESPN

ABOUT OREGON (18-12, 9-8 Pac-12): Senior forward Paul White had a career-high 21 points and six rebounds in Wednesday’s 72-61 win over Washington State while junior point guard Payton Pritchard added 15 points and seven assists. The Ducks have seen a bump in scoring since freshman center Francis Okoro joined the starting lineup four games ago, averaging 76.8 points during that stretch. Guard Louis King missed the team’s first seven games due to injury but is averaging 14.9 points during conference play and making a late case for Pac-12 freshman of the year.

ABOUT WASHINGTON (24-6, 15-2): The Huskies have 15 wins in conference play for the first time since 1983-84 and appear to have moved on from last week’s stunning defeat to last-place California, which had lost 16 straight games. Nowell averages a team-high 16.3 points on 50.5 percent shooting while Thybulle averages 9.7 points and has 105 steals with 69 blocks. Senior guard David Crisp is averaging 20.3 points over the past three games for the Huskies, who are shooting a league-best 39 percent from 3-point range in Pac-12 play.

TIP-INS

1. Washington holds a 190-115 lead in the series – including a 61-56 win Jan. 24 in Eugene.

2. Oregon is 157-19 under Altman when holding opponents under 70 points.

3. Washington is 15-0 at Alaska Airlines Arena and is the only team in the Pac-12 that has not lost at home this season.

PREDICTION: Washington 72, Oregon 69