Kelly Graves: Oregon women’s basketball needs ‘three or four more wins’ to be in NCAA Tournament

With losses in 5 of its final six video games and a season-low NET rating, Oregon is trending within the fallacious path because the common season attracts close to a detailed.

The Geese (14-9, 5-7 Pac-12) have fallen solely out of the AP ballot and are No. 19 in NET, however are 1-7 in opposition to groups within the high 30, with the lone win coming in opposition to USC, which was with out its main scorer on the time.

ESPN dropped Oregon to a 9 seed in its most up-to-date projected NCAA Event bracket and this weekend’s video games in opposition to USC and No. 18 UCLA are going to be crucial for the Geese to maintain their postseason aspirations alive.

“Degree of urgency proper now could be 10 out of 10,” Oregon coach Kelly Graves mentioned. “We all know the place we’re at, we all know what we have to do. I feel we’re nonetheless in place to get some good high quality wins down the stretch. I don’t assume there’s a single recreation left on our schedule that’s not winnable for us; we clearly need to play very well and higher than we’ve got been. I nonetheless assume we’re going to wish three or 4 extra wins to get ourselves into the NCAA Event. We’ve bought to search out them.”

Graves used the match to drive the purpose dwelling to his workforce that it must play with extra urgency and get again to profitable with a view to attain the postseason.

The Trojans and Bruins are every within the NET high 30 and projected NCAA Event groups. Oregon additionally has video games remaining with Arizona and Washington State in addition to cellar dwellers Washington and Cal.

“We’re very determined,” guard Endyia Rogers mentioned. “Coach mentioned it in the present day, that we’re solely assured seven extra video games. We’ve bought to begin profitable some video games in order that we will get ourself over the hump and be prepared come match time.”

Oregon is permitting 70.3 factors per video games in Pac-12 play and opponents are taking pictures 42.3% from the sphere, together with 35.2% from three, all ninth within the convention. Nevertheless, except its 17-point loss to No. 13 Ohio State, UO has not misplaced by greater than 10 factors.

Rogers mentioned the Geese stay assured they’re a postseason workforce.

“We haven’t actually gotten beat by a lot,” Rogers mentioned. “Within the video games that we’ve misplaced it’s not like we’re getting blown out or something; we’re proper there. We are able to compete with anyone, we’ve simply bought to repair the little issues. … It’s ensuring we maximize our alternatives.”