Quack Fix: Reviewing Week 5 in College Basketball

Basketball Roundup

• No. 24 Oregon (7-2) didn’t play this week, and neither did Alabama (4-3), but the two will tip off at Matthew Knight Arena today at 3 p.m. PT. The game, which will be viewable on ESPNU, will feature a recently-surging offensive team in the Ducks and a defensive-driven team in the Crimson Tide.

"They're very athletic," sophomore guard Tyler Dorsey said of the Crimson Tide. "They have a lot of athletic wings, and we're gonna have a physical game on us. We've got to box out and rebound and be the more physical team.”

• Around the rest of the Pac-12, No. 20 Arizona (8-2) went 2-0 this week with wins over UC Irvine (79-57) and Missouri (79-60). The Wildcats have been lights-out from all over this week, shooting 50 percent from the floor, 51 percent (21-of-41) from downtown and 82 percent from the stripe… Arizona State (6-4) fell to Purdue at the Jimmy V Classic, 97-64, before topping San Diego State on the road, 74-63. The Sun Devils trailed at the half against the Aztecs, but rallied for their fifth halftime comeback under coach Bobby Hurley in his 42 games… Cal (8-2) went 1-1 at the Pearl Harbor Invitational, beating Princeton, 62-51, and losing to Seton Hall 60-57, before handling UC Davis later in the week, 86-61. Freshman point guard Charlie Moore has continued to develop, to the pleasure of coach Cuonzo Martin.

"You have to take care of the ball, especially at the point guard position," Martin said of Moore, who finished with 22 points, four steals and five turnovers against UC Davis. "He makes adjustments because he watches film all the time. He understands it. He's not out there making turnovers just to make them. He's trying to make plays, and as long as he's aggressive that's fine."

• Colorado (7-3) pulled out an impressive upset over No. 13 Xavier, 68-66, before falling at BYU, 79-71. Senior guard Derrick White bailed out the Buffs against Xavier, but couldn’t do the same against BYU, as the team struggled to make shots and grab boards.

"We got our tails kicked on the backboard – that was the key to the game," Colorado coach Tad Boyle said. "We're not there yet mentally . . . that's what's frustrating; this was a winnable game.”

• Oregon State (3-6) didn’t play this week, but will be looking to snap a two-game skid versus Savannah State today at 3 p.m. PT… Stanford (6-3) is in a similar boat as OSU. The Cardinal didn’t play in Week 5 and will be looking to end a two-game losing streak in Week 6 after falling to No. 12 Saint Mary’s and No. 4 Kansas in Week 4… TJ Leaf and Lonzo Ball continue to be the show for No. 2 UCLA (10-0), helping the Bruins to a 102-84 victory over Michigan in their only game this week… Fellow So-Cal school USC (8-0) didn’t play this week, but looks to remain undefeated versus Pepperdine today at 7 p.m. PT…
• Utah (6-2) split this week with a 87-80 win over Utah Valley and a 77-69 loss at No. 13 Xavier. The Utes’ top two scorers, Kyle Kozma and Tyler Rawson, went cold against the Musketeers, as Devon Daniels (19p) and Lorenzo Bonam (18p) led Utah in scoring… Washington (4-4) fell 98-71 at No. 8 Gonzaga in the Huskies’ lone game this week. Freshman Markelle Fultz continues to play well (25p, 10r), but the Huskies continue to stumble, having dropped three straight. Feels like Ben Simmons-LSU all over again… Washington State (5-5) split this week with a 61-48 win versus Idaho and a 70-56 loss at Kansas State.

Football Roundup

• Army beat Navy 21-17 for the first time since 2001 on Saturday, and naturally, chaos ensued.

• Louisville’s Lamar Jackson is your 2016 Heisman Trophy winner, the first in program history.

• This wouldn’t be a proper Quack Fix without mentioning Jim Harbaugh, Oregon’s newest fan.

#HighkeyJumpsForJoy

All Things Ducks

With finals and everything, it was a light week in sports.

• Women’s basketball (7-1) picked up its third straight win, pummeling Portland 81-41 on Friday. Ruthy Hebard clinched a double-double by halftime before finishing the night with 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting and 11 rebounds. Through eight games, Hebard (11.8ppg) is one of three Ducks averaging double figures, as Lexi Bando and Sabrina Ionesco lead Oregon with 13.3 points per contest.