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Pac-12 rewind: Oregon rolls, WSU topples Arizona and UCLA staggers as unconventional weekend schedule unfolds

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Pac-12 rewind: Oregon rolls, WSU topples Arizona and UCLA staggers as unconventional weekend schedule unfolds


Recapping the weekend action across the Pac-12 …

Theme of the week I: Schedule change

The third weekend of round-robin play lacked the normal travel pairings. For example, Stanford visited Oregon State and played host to Utah, while Cal was at home against Colorado and on the road against Oregon. Also, Washington played ASU at home and UCLA on the road, but WSU played USC on the road and Arizona at home. The remaining eight weeks of conference play will feature the traditional home-road pairings.

Theme of the week II: Deteriorating outlook

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The Pac-12’s prospects for the NCAA Tournament are growing darker by the week as the wrong teams win, and lose. As of Sunday morning, the conference had just two teams (Arizona and Utah) in the top 40 of the NET rankings — the target range for receiving at-large bids to the NCAAs. Beyond that duo, Oregon and Colorado have the best chance to reach the field. From here, this looks like a three-bid league.

Team of the week: Washington State

The Cougars recorded an impressive weekend sweep with a victory at USC (72-64) on Wednesday and a home upset of Arizona (73-70) on Saturday. It was the Cougars’ first victory over Arizona in … 53 weeks. That’s right, WSU beat Arizona last season, as well — although that upset was in Tucson. (The Wildcats were ranked in the top 10 both times.) The Cougars held Arizona’s high-octane offense to 34.7 percent shooting and its lowest point total of the season.

Team of the season: Oregon

Picked fourth in the preseason media poll, the Ducks (5-0) are alone at the top through three weeks of play. They have a one-game lead on Arizona State — of note: the only head-to-head matchup between the Ducks and Sun Devils this season is in Eugene — and a two-game lead (in the loss column) over Stanford and Arizona. However, the Ducks’ remaining road schedule is rugged. We don’t expect them to control the race from start to finish.

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Player of the week: WSU’s Isaac Jones

The Cougars’ big week would not have been possible without first-rate work from the 6-foot-9 senior, who scored 26 points at USC and 24 against Arizona and combined for 24 rebounds. (He also made 15-of-25 field goal attempts and was 20-of-25 from the foul line.) Jones spent three seasons in junior college, then one year at Idaho before transferring to WSU last spring. He leads the Cougars in scoring (14.8 ppg) and rebounding (8.5 rpg).

Game of the week: Stanford 88, Oregon State 84 (OT)

The Cardinal won twice this week, beginning with a narrow escape in Corvallis in which they rallied from a double-digit deficit in the second half and took a brief lead in the final minute. OSU forced overtime, but a 3-pointer by Stanford’s Brandon Angel in the extra period was decisive. The Cardinal collected its second win of the weekend on Sunday afternoon, with a 79-73 victory over Utah.

Misleading score of the week: WSU 73, Arizona 70

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The result looks worse than it is for Arizona’s resume, and here’s why: Although they played a soft non-conference schedule, the Cougars were well within the top 75 of the NET rankings, thus leaving the defeat as a Quadrant I loss for the Wildcats. Their NET ranking did not budge overnight from the No. 2 position.

Comeback of the week: Cal 82, Colorado 78

The Bears continue to produce surprising results (in a positive fashion) under first-year coach Mark Madsen. Their latest eye-opener: Rallying from a 19-point deficit early in the second half to topple CU. With star guard Jaylon Tyson leading the way (a career-high 30 points), Cal outscored the Buffaloes 51-28 over the final 17 minutes. The Bears have two  wins in six conference games — as many as they produced last season in 20.

Wipeout of the week: Utah 90, UCLA 44

Just when you thought things could not get worse — after a home loss to Cal — the Bruins produced the second-worst loss in school history. Some fans might remember the ‘Maples Massacre,’ a 48-point wipeout at Stanford in 1997. Well, the pummeling in Salt Lake City could have been worse: The Utes led by 49 points with two minutes left, before UCLA trimmed the margin. The Bruins were outscored by 36 points in the second half and out-rebounded 50-28 for the game. “As you get into this and it gets more physical,” coach Mick Cronin said, “we haven’t met that challenge at all.” UCLA beat Washington on Sunday but has lost eight of its last 10.

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Depleted roster of the week: USC

The reeling Trojans lost at Colorado without three players who combine for 40 points and 11 rebounds per game: Guards Boogie Ellis and Isaiah Collier and big man Joshua Morgan. Collier will miss at least a month (hand injury); Ellis was sidelined with a bad hamstring; and Morgan sat out because of a respiratory infection. The Trojans have dropped seven of their past 10 and have no chance to make the NCAA Tournament through the at-large pool.

Game of next week: Oregon at Utah (Jan. 21)

The duel in Salt Lake City lost a bit of luster Sunday when the Utes were hit with their third conference loss (at Stanford). But the storyline remains solid on Oregon’s side: The Ducks don’t need to sweep the Mountain trip, but they must avoid getting swept.


*** Send suggestions, comments and tips (confidentiality guaranteed) to pac12hotline@bayareanewsgroup.com or call 408-920-5716

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*** Follow me on Twitter: @WilnerHotline

*** Pac-12 Hotline is not endorsed or sponsored by the Pac-12 Conference, and the views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the Conference.

 

 

 

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Where Oregon Ducks rank in industry recruiting rankings for 2027 class

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Where Oregon Ducks rank in industry recruiting rankings for 2027 class


With the winter evaluation period of high school football recruiting now behind us, we’ve seen some of the top recruiting sites update their rankings over the past few weeks and start to reset their boards for the 2027 class. In February, On3 shifted players around after getting fresh looks at the class, and 247Sports did the same earlier this week.

So with Oregon’s handful of commits getting new ratings, where does the Ducks’ class rank nationally in this cycle?

If you look at sites individually, it looks different, with 247Sports having Oregon sitting at No. 13 in the nation. At Rivals, though, they take the industry ranking, which factors in their own rankings, plus an average from 247Sports and ESPN.

In the industry rankings, Oregon sits at No. 9 in the nation, with five commitments.

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Going into the summer months, the Ducks are in a great spot, leading or among the top schools for a handful of the top prospects in the nation, like 5-star QB Will Mencl or 5-star WR Dakota Guerrant. We will see what movement Oregon can make in the coming months after official visits take place early in the summer.

Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions. 



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New Data Shows Oregon E-Scooter Injuries on the Rise

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New Data Shows Oregon E-Scooter Injuries on the Rise


Data released by the Oregon Health Authority this week suggests Oregonians are getting hurt on electric scooters more every year.

In recent years, according to OHA, an “e-scooter-specific code” was developed for health care tracking purposes.

From 2021 to 2024, annual injury reports under this code from Oregon hospitals and emergency departments jumped from 211 to 418.

And in just the first nine months of 2025, there had been 509 such reports.

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“These injuries are not minor scrapes,” said Dagan Wright, an OHA epidemiologist, in a written statement. “They often involve head injuries, broken bones, and other serious trauma that requires emergency or inpatient care.”

The city of Portland signed contracts with three e-scooter rental companies in 2018, as the transportation craze spread across the country. But e-scooter injury diagnosis codes are relatively new in health care reporting, Wright said in the OHA statement.

“While the overall numbers remain smaller than for other transportation-related injuries, the rapid increase over a short period of time is a clear safety signal,” OHA added.

The agency highlighted the story of Portland e-scooter commuter Daniel Pflieger, who it says was riding a scooter home when he reportedly slid on ice. He bruised several ribs.

Sometimes outcomes are worse. OHA identified 17 deaths linked to electric or motorized scooters since 2018, and seven of those occurred in 2025.

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OHA says that e-bikes raise many similar safety concerns as e-scooters. The first full year for which e-bike injuries were coded for reporting was 2023. State data shows 392 reported e-bike injuries that year, 683 in 2024, and 760 in the first nine months of 2025.

“Injuries involving e-bikes and e-scooters share common risk factors—speed, lack of helmet use, roadway design, and interactions with motor vehicles,” Wright said.

Oregon E-Scooter Injuries on the Rise (Source: Oregon Health Authority)

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Oregon women’s basketball playing for March Madness seeding vs. Purdue

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Oregon women’s basketball playing for March Madness seeding vs. Purdue


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At times, the Oregon women’s basketball team has certainly made things much harder on themselves than it needs to be. The team has also produced some miraculous comeback victories, putting itself in position to make women’s March Madness for the second straight season.

March 1, in their final regular season game, the Ducks (20-11, 8-10 Big Ten) finished on the wrong end of yet another tight game to Washington, 70-69. It’s the second time this season Oregon has come back from a double-digit deficit, but ended up losing to the Huskies (20-9, 10-8).

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Those aren’t the only times Oregon has come back from a double-digit deficit, like it did in wins vs. Nebraska and USC. The No. 11-seed Ducks are hoping they won’t need heroics in a Big Ten tournament first-round game against No. 14 Purdue this Wednesday.

Watch Oregon basketball on Peacock

“I think our biggest weakness this year has been our inconsistency,” coach Kelly Graves said, “something we’ve battled all year. The great thing is our kids know, regardless of the score, we’ve got a chance. We’ll make it a game at some point. As a coach, it drives you nuts. Hopefully we can figure it out and play more consistent basketball.”

Oregon’s volatility has seen it earn three double-digit comeback wins this year, but also blow several games in the final moments.

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Against Wisconsin, the Ducks held a 6-point lead with less than a minute remaining, but lost in overtime. Against Illinois, Oregon held a 21-point lead at halftime, blew it in the third quarter, trailed by eight with minutes to play and somehow eked out a win.

That makes UO somewhat of a wild card heading into the conference tournament this week at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

“It’s definitely (been) a rollercoaster,” guard Katie Fiso said. “A lot of highs and a lot of lows. But one thing that I try to see through all games is our grittiness and our toughness. One thing that stays consistent throughout the season is our toughness and our grittiness. The game isn’t over until the last bell rings.”

The Ducks will be taking on a Boilermakers (13-16, 5-13) team that has struggled against most of the top competition in the league, but played Oregon tight in a Feb. 25 Ducks win.

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Graves said when the Ducks went throughout the postgame handshake line after, the Boilermakers felt like their season would end after the regular season. Thanks to some upsets, Purdue is in the Big Ten Tournament as the No. 14 seed.

“We’re playing a team that probably feels like it’s playing with house money,” Graves said. “We’ve got to pick ourselves back up and get it done.”

What channel is Oregon vs. Purdue on today in Big Ten tournament?

Oregon will tip off vs. Purdue on Peacock, with no TV option to watch the game.

Oregon vs. Purdue start time in Big Ten tournament

  • Date: Wednesday, March 4
  • Time: Around 5:30 p.m. PT

Oregon and Purdue will play around 5:30 p.m. PT at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The first game of the day begins at 12:30 p.m. PT, with the next game 25 minutes after the first game ends, and so on. The Ducks play in the third game of the day, so no official tip time is listed.

Oregon women’s basketball schedule 2025-26

Below are the past five games of Oregon’s 2025-26 basketball season. For the full schedule, click here.

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Feb. 15 Washington 51, Oregon 43
Feb. 19 Oregon 80, Nebraska 76
Feb. 22 Indiana 72, Oregon 65
Feb. 25 Oregon 71, Purdue 65
March 1 Washington 70, Oregon 69
March 4 Oregon vs. Purdue (Big Ten tournament)

Purdue women’s basketball schedule 2025-26

Below are the past five games of Purdue’s 2025-26 basketball season. For the full schedule, click here.

Feb. 14 Purdue 72, Rutgers 57
Feb. 19 Iowa 83, Purdue 74
Feb. 22 Maryland 99, Purdue 66
Feb. 25 Oregon 71, Purdue 65
March 1 Purdue 67, Northwestern 62
March 4 Oregon vs. Purdue (Big Ten tournament)

Alec Dietz covers University of Oregon football and women’s basketball for The Register-Guard. You may reach him at adietz@registerguard.com.



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