No. 17 Utah is already a virtual lock for the national tournament. But that doesn’t mean the Utes are already looking ahead to the Big Dance. In fact, they will be gunning for an even higher seed come Selection Sunday, but they need a strong showing in the Pac-12 tournament to make that happen.
They face the high-octane Oregon Ducks in the tournament semifinals on Friday. Can the Utes exact revenge for an earlier loss in the regular season? Read on as we break down this exhilarating affair.
You can also check out the other Pac-12 Championship Semifinal with our complete preview for UCLA vs. Arizona.
After stumbling toward the end of the regular season (they went 2-3 in the final five games), the Utah Utes found their bearings in their Pac-12 tournament opener. The Utes blew out Stanford 80-56 as Delon Wright led the way with 20 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three blocks.
[sc:NCAAB240banner ]Wright has scored at least 20 points in three of his last six games. One of those games came against Oregon in a 69-58 loss on February 22. Wright went 6-of-9 from the field, including 4-of-7 from downtown. He didn’t receive any support from his teammates as no other Ute finished with more than seven points.
Wright may receive some support this time around. Jordan Loveridge is averaging 13.8 points in his last four games, while Jakob Poeltl has scored a combined 34 points on 13-of-15 shooting in his last two games.
Having their shooters on point against Oregon is crucial for the Utes. Oregon has allowed opponents to shoot 44 percent in its last three games, including 47 percent in its Thursday night game against lowly Colorado.
The total has gone under in the last three games between Utah and Oregon
Betting on the Oregon Ducks
The Oregon Ducks were off to a slow start. They trailed Colorado at half-time in their Pac-12 quarterfinal clash on Thursday. But they exploded in the second to take the game, 93-85.
Joseph Young had 30 points, while Elgin Cook chipped in 20 of his own. Jalil Abdul-Bassit had 15 as he went 5-of-9 from the field, including 3-of-6 from three-point range. Yet, the trio struggled with their shot in their regular season matchup against Utah.
Young, Cook and Bassit combined to shoot just 31 percent from the field, including 18 percent from beyond the arc, in their February 22 victory over the Utes.
If Oregon’s top players still struggle to find their shots against Utah, then they must turn to their defense to stifle the Utes’ attack. Oregon limited the Utes to shoot 37 percent from the field and 28 percent from three in their regular season matchup.
Oregon used possession to milk out the clock against the Utes in the first matchup. They took advantage of 14 turnovers from Utah, while winning the rebound battle 35-31. Maintaining control of the boards will be crucial for the Ducks’ chances of victory, as Utah has been outrebounded in each of its past five losses.
The Ducks have won six of their last seven games against the Utes.
