Hoops Habit
Fansided

5 Teams You Don’t Want To Face In The NCAA Tournament

By Nathan Giese

Jan 10, 2016; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks forward Dillon Brooks (24) falls backward following an officials call against Oregon Ducks at Matthew Knight Arena. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 10, 2016; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks forward Dillon Brooks (24) falls backward following an officials call against Oregon Ducks at Matthew Knight Arena. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 6
Next
Jan 10, 2016; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks guard Tyler Dorsey (5) defends as Stanford Cardinal guard Christian Sanders (1) hold the ball in the first quarter at Matthew Knight Arena. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 10, 2016; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks guard Tyler Dorsey (5) defends as Stanford Cardinal guard Christian Sanders (1) hold the ball in the first quarter at Matthew Knight Arena. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports /

Oregon Ducks

As the Pac-12 continues to sort itself out, there really isn’t a clear favorite. The questions surrounding Arizona are still lingering, even more with the loss of Alonzo Trier for four to six weeks with a broken hand. Utah has talent but shoots itself in the foot too often. UCLA can only get up for a team if they’re nationally ranked and on their home floor, it seems.

Uncertainty around those teams leaves the door open for Oregon to take over the conference, which can very well prepare them for NCAA tournament action.

Spending the first part of the season without Villanova transfer Dylan Ennis and Jordan Bell, the Ducks were expected to struggle a bit until they returned. Instead, they thrived and have, once again, become an offensive power while also being a solid defensive team.

According to KenPom.com, the Ducks rank 26th in adjusted offense and 33rd in adjusted defense. The amazing thing of those numbers is that Oregon is also second in opponents adjusted defense, meaning their schedule has faced the second-toughest collection of defenses in the country.

Only Kansas and Oklahoma have adjusted offensive ratings in the top 30 while having one of the ten most difficult schedules against defenses this season.

Ponder that for a second. Oregon is up there with Kansas and Oklahoma, teams ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, just this past week in terms of keeping up their offense while also facing a daunting defensive schedule.

Having that sort of stretch in the regular season can very well get a team prepared for March, which gives the Ducks the edge over a lot of other teams.

Next: Difficult Country Road