Talkin’ Tall Firs: Oregon Looks to Get Back to Winning Ways

The Rainbow Warriors (6-2 , 0-1 away) are riding a three-game winning streak while the Ducks (6-2, 4-0 home) have lost two straight against AP Top 10 opponents in the Battle 4 Atlantis. Oregon looks to get back on track and try to finish the rest of the non-conference strong. Hawaii is just a “tune-up” game before the Oregon Ducks will have to travel to Ann Arbor to take on a talented and potential #1 seeded NCAA Tournament team, the Michigan Wolverines. Before that, Dana Altman has his mind focused on beating another team out of the Mountain West (Oregon has already played Fresno State and Boise State this season).

Hawaii Rainbow Warriors

The Bows are trying to win their first Big West Tournament Championship since 2016 and a pair of stars will be leading the way. Eddie Stansberry and Drew Buggs have become the leaders of this team due to their high scoring and passing abilities. Stansberry is the man you go to when you need a bucket. Buggs is the facilitator (leads the team in assists at 5.1 per game) who is looking to get everyone on the floor involved.

Wins - Florida A&M, Pacific, Portland State, New Orleans, San Francisco, Hawaii Pacific

Losses - South Dakota, @ Illinois

KenPom Ranking - #169

Key Numbers:

• 71.3 points per game
• 32.5 rebounds per game
• 14.3 assists per game
• 5.0 blocks per game
• 3.3 steals per game
• 66.0 points allowed per game
• 45.9 field goal percentage

Player to Watch For:

Eddie Stansberry, Senior - 18.8 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 1.6 APG in 37.9 MPG

I had a chance to watch this special player at Riordan High School and City College of San Francisco. Stansberry is shooting the rock at an extremely high clip at all three levels (48.5 FG%, 44.1 3P%, 88.2 FT%). His numbers have steadily increased since his junior campaign. He just looks a lot more comfortable out there on the floor. Altman better have eyes on this guy through the entire 40 minutes as he rarely goes to the bench.

Game Time:

Hawaii @ #13 Oregon - 7:00 PM ET, PAC-12 Network on Saturday, December 7th

Score Prediction: 79-72, Ducks over Rainbow Warriors

Oregon’s offensive power will be just too much for Hawaii in the end. The Rainbow Warriors haven’t had the chance to play a team like the Ducks this season. Hawaii’s three-game winning streak will be coming to an end in this close battle.

*Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area... Follow him on Twitter @a_cravalho