Oregon and Gonzaga, two basketball programs you’d think would meet much more often considering their relatively close location to each other, played in Portland Sunday afternoon.
It was Oregon’s sixth quad
one game of the season, and we’re not even into January yet.
Gonzaga defeated the Ducks 91-82. In those six quad one games, Oregon does not have a victory.
I noted on the podcast that after UCLA dismantled the Ducks that Oregon needed to blowout three of their remaining four opponents and, even if it was a loss, compete soundly with Gonzaga.
Blowouts one and two are out of the way, with (hopefully), another on the way this coming weekend.
For the first half, Oregon stayed right with the #7 Bulldogs, leading at several points and never allowing it to become anymore than a two possession game.
It was exactly what I said they needed to do.
Then came the second half.
Within the first few minutes, Gonzaga took control. After that, there was never really a point when you felt they didn’t have control of the game.
Credit the Ducks for not completely rolling over, they faced a 15-point deficit and didn’t allow themselves to get blown out, still keeping it within single digits.
However, the second half looked more like the Ducks we saw since the onset of the Player’s Era Tournament.
That’s concerning.
First half…great.
Second half…not so much.
Does that count as a truly competitive game? I’m really not sure. Again, I have to emphasize that it’s not even January and Altman teams traditionally turn from a choo-choo to a raging locomotive late in the season.
Oregon has played six quad one games. 0-6.
They have, looking at the schedule from this point, at least six more.
Go 3-3 in those games, we got some chatter. Post an actual winning record in them, you’re probably on the fast track to the Big Dance.
Go under .500, you’re not getting in. Go 0-6 again, you’re lucky if you even get an NIT invite.
What we know as of now is that Oregon can, in fact, play some semblance of unified basketball, and they’re able to put away inferior competition.
But all they’ve proven against the “big boys” so far is that they don’t belong on the same playground.
The Ducks could beat Omaha by 50…wouldn’t really matter.
The month of January will tell us basically everything we need to know.
Fingers crossed.
