SLU looks to face winner of second round matchup
Oregon
Despite winning the Pacific 12 tournament, the University of Oregon Ducks (26-8, 12-6 Pac-12) find themselves as a No. 12 seed in the Midwest region. In his third season with the Ducks, head coach Dana Altman was named Pac-12 coach of the year. He moved to Oregon after coaching at Creighton University for 16 seasons.
Oregon’s frontcourt is headed by seniors Carlos Emory (11.0 ppg) and E.J. Singler (11.6 ppg). Singler, the Ducks’ small forward and brother of former Duke University star Kyle Singler, also leads the team in total assists.
Oregon has a balanced offensive attack, with six players averaging more than nine points per game. The Billikens have a similarly balanced attack, with five players averaging more than nine points per game.
Point guard Dominic Artis missed all of February with a foot injury, but has worked his way back into the rotation during March. The Ducks lost three of their final five regular season games, they looked more comfortable in the Pac-12 tournament, beating UCLA 78-69 for the title. While Artis’ impact isn’t seen on the stat sheet (8.5 ppg, 3.4 apg), the explosive point guard is crucial to organizing the Ducks’ offense and creating opportunities for his teammates.
Fellow guards Johnathon Lloyd and Damyean Dotson have the athleticism to match up with Oklahoma State and SLU’s equally talent backcourts, but have struggled to find an offensive rhythm at times. It was Lloyd who led the Ducks to the Pac-12 tournament title though, being named tournament MVP after scoring 19 points in the final from the bench.
“We’re going in with our heads up…and we’re close to home, so hopefully we’ll have some fans out,” Altman said. The Ducks do have the advantage of a relatively short trip from Eugene, Ore. to San Jose, the shortest in SLU’s “pod.”
Oklahoma State
The Oklahoma State University Cowboys (24-8, 13-5 Big 12) are led by freshman Marcus Smart, who leads the team in points and assists (15.4 ppg, 4.2 apg). Smart leads an Oklahoma State backcourt that caused problems for most opponents in the Big 12 this season. If he decides to leave for the NBA after this season, Smart is already considered as a potential top-five pick in the NBA draft. He’s a 6-foot-4 “in-between” guard, with the passing skills of a point guard, but the ability to score with the best in the nation.
The backcourt gets things started for Oklahoma State, but wing players Markel Brown (15.3 ppg) and Le’Bryan Nash (14.1 ppg) provide matchup problems for opponents with their size and versatility, providing big targets for Smart to dish to off the drive.
In addition to leading the Cowboys on the offensive end, Smart has 89 steals (4th in the nation), impacting the game on both ends of the floor. This helped Oklahoma State lead the Big 12 in turnover margin with plus 2.5.
“He presents a lot of problems: defensively, he gets steals that lead to baskets, he can post up, he hits big shots, and he creates opportunities for his teammates,” Oregon coach Dana Altman said of Smart.
Smart’s high school teammate, sixth man Phil Forte, also averages 10.4 points off the bench, providing a little balance to the Cowboy’s offensive attack.
What it means for SLU: If the Billikens manage to get past New Mexico State in the second round, whichever team awaits them in round three will prove a formidable test. Oregon has the balance and athleticism to give the Bills a challenge, while Oklahoma State has the star power to scare any opponent. The Ducks’ balance will remind SLU fans of their own team, as a bench player like Lloyd can come out and lead the team in scoring on any particular night. However, Oklahoma State has multiple players with the firepower and ability to single-handedly takeover a game, leaving the sentence ends here; leaving what?
Pick: The under-seeded Ducks have something to prove, and their balance overwhelms the Cowboys, who have three players that account for 63 percent of their scoring. Oregon wins, 72-67.
