The VCU Rams and the Oregon Ducks meet head-on this Saturday in the first round of the 2021 March Madness. Will the Rams score a mild upset? Or will the Ducks score a win and advance to the next round of the NCAA Tournament? Check out our preview of this game below.
VCU is bringing its tenacious defense to March Madness. The Rams are 11th in adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom, as they are allowing just 89.7 points per 100 possessions and are a top-30 team against the 3-point line with teams shooting just 30.5 percent from behind the arc against VCU. The Rams guard the basket well, as it is fifth in the nation in both blocks per game (5.4) and in block percentage (9.6%). On offense, the Rams have a clear-cut go-to guy in Nah’Shon Hayland, who is the current Atlantic 10 Player of the Year. Hayland could prove to be more than a handful for opposing guards in the Big Dance. He is averaging 19.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 37.1 percent from long range.
VCU is 5-4-1 against the spread in its last 10 games.
Oregon had a strong finish to the regular season that it managed to win the Pac-12 regular-season title. While the Ducks failed to take the Pac-12 tournament championship, they are at least finally healthy, going into the Big Dance. Eugene Omuruyi, Chris Duarte, LJ Figueroa, Eric Williams Jr., and Will Richardson each average at least 10.4 points per game, and their hands will all be on deck to loosen up the defense of VCU. Defensively, the Ducks have the potential to cripple the attack of the error-prone VCU. Oregon is 38th in the nation in steal percentage (9.7), while the Rams are turning the ball over 14.6 times per contest. The Rams are also 298th nationally with an 11.5 non-steal turnover percentage. Five Oregon players are also averaging at least 1.0 steals per game, so expect plenty of extra possessions for the Ducks, who are allowing 67.4 points per game this season.
Oregon is 5-1 against the spread in its last six games.
