One of the more surprising selections made this Sunday came with the announcement that the Oregon Ducks would enter the tournament as the highest seed in the West Region of the 2016 bracket. Considered a two seed by most, the Ducks’ ascension to the top seed was likely the product of the their dominating display in the Pac-12 Tournament.
Oregon (14-4 Pac-12, 28-6 overall) features an electric, high-octane offense that always seeks to push the ball up the floor and get to the rim. Without a pure post presence, Oregon attacks the lane, cutting and slashing inside the paint. Beyond attacking inside, the Ducks also identify mismatches, looking to kick the ball out to work their mid-range game while also exposing passing lanes close to the rim.
With four players in the starting rotation averaging point totals in double figures, Oregon has an incredibly balanced game on offense. They have a plethora of shooters who are unafraid to take big shots. The most dynamic player on offense is slashing sophomore forward Dillon Brooks, but the best attribute Oregon has is it can rely on a host of players to generate offense. As a result of this scoring versatility, the Oregon offense is one of the most proficient in the NCAA, boasting a 117.8 efficiency rating this season.
The area the Ducks struggle in the most lies in their porous perimeter shooting. Converting from outside at only a 34 percent clip, the Ducks can turn stagnant when forced to hoist long-range jumpers. Because of their ineptitude from 3-point range, the Ducks shoot from beyond the arc relatively infrequently, but freshman Tyler Dorsey can hit from deep with proficiency when needed.
Speaking of Dorsey, the rookie guard is starting to come into his own and could possibly break out during the tournament. After his play declined in the early stages of conference competition, the 6-foot-4 guard has found a rhythm as of late, dropping an average of 15.8 points over the final five games of the regular season.
The Ducks’ nine victories over the RPI-Top 50 placed second in the country to Kansas, so head coach Dana Altman’s team is certainly battle-tested enough to take down the top teams in the tournament. Their ability to produce offensively makes them as big of a threat as anyone to last into April.
