Basketball Civil War: Preview and Open Thread

After three straight losses in little over a week, the Ducks look to end their losing streak on Sunday against the OSU Beavers. It was a difficult week for Oregon. After losing to Stanford 82-80 last Sunday, the Ducks lost their spot in the AP top 25 basketball rankings.

With six days to practice before the Civil War game, the Ducks have a lot of work to do. After their sloppy play against the Cardinals—UO turned over the ball 15 times against Stanford— the Ducks practices were focused on the fundamentals, specifically tough defense. Their inability to defend and rebound caught up with them. During their losses against Colorado, Cal and Stanford, Oregon has allowed its opponent to shoot at least 52 percent as well as allowing more rebounds.

Compared to the Beavers, the Ducks’ lineup is small. Without the presence of Tony Woods and Arsalan Kazemi, Waverly Austin is the Ducks only true center. Their opponent OSU has a strong front line led by Angus Brandt and Eric Moreland who both tower at 6-foot-10. The Ducks won’t be able to get away with their sub par play.

Oregon is strong offensively. They shoot an average of 49.1 percent. Mike Moser shot 24 points in their matchup against the Cardinals. Joseph Young and Moser lead the team in scoring at 18.8 and 14.6 points per game. Offensively, they can win games but their defense (or lack thereof) is what’s stopping them.

UO faces Oregon State on Sunday to start their three-game road trip in conference play. Tipoff is at 5 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPNU.