Washington Men’s Basketball vs. Oregon: Game Preview & How to Watch

Methods to Watch (and guess)

Date: Wednesday, 2/15/23

Tip-Off Time: 8:00 pm PT

TV: ESPNU

Streaming: Espn.com/reside

Location: Seattle, Washington

DraftKings Betting Line: Washington Huskies +5.5

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Oregon Geese 2022-23 Statistics:

Document: 15-11 (9-6)

Factors For per Sport: 70.7 (177th)

Factors Towards per Sport: 67.0 (ninetieth)

Adjusted Offensive Effectivity: 113.7 (thirty eighth)

Adjusted Defensive Effectivity: 98.7 (sixty fourth)

Power of Schedule: eleventh

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Oregon’s Key Gamers:

G- Will Richardson, Sr. 6’5, 180: 13.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 5.4 apg, 43.9% FG, 33.9% 3pt, 82.1% FT

The fifth yr senior has been the one fixed for Oregon of their injury-filled season as he’s averaging 36 minutes per sport and began each one. His 3-point capturing is the bottom it has been since his true freshman season however enjoying extra level guard he’s at a profession excessive in assists. Final yr Richardson went scoreless in Washington’s rout over the Geese in Seattle however that’s not more likely to occur once more this yr.

G- Keeshawn Barthelemey. 6’2, 175: 8.7 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 2.3 apg, 44.4% FG, 36.4% 3pt, 82.4% FT

The switch from Colorado missed 12 video games in the course of the season however has began to spherical again into kind capturing 42% on 3’s in convention play. Since his return he’s enjoying a sixth man function however is often within the closing lineup as a nicely rounded general guard. You could possibly say rebounding is a weak point however on the whole he’s at the very least common in each different side of his sport.

G- Jermaine Cousinard, Sr. 6’4, 210: 12.9 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.3 apg, 42.2% FG, 35.7% 3pt, 82.2% FT

Cousinard didn’t make his Oregon debut after transferring in from South Carolina till sport 15 for the Geese. He’s capturing a profession excessive from each space of the ground enjoying extra off the ball than he did with the Gamecocks. Unsurprisingly that additionally means he has minimize method down on his turnovers and has been a giant a part of Oregon’s offensive resurgence.

F- Rivaldo Soares, Sr. 6’6, 215: 7.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.6 apg, 37.7% FG, 26.0% 3pt, 83.0% FT

Soares isn’t a lot of a ground stretcher however begins on the 3 earlier than usually shifting to the 4 spot in endgame lineups. There’s not rather a lot in his profile to counsel why he retains beginning however he’s okay with not having the ball fairly often and that’s wanted amongst an Oregon lineup that has plenty of mouths to feed.

C- N’Faly Dante, Sr. 6’11, 230: 13.4 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 1.4 bpg, 62.6% FG, 64.8% FT

The Geese have sufficient bigs that Altman doesn’t play Dante heavy minutes however he’s a dominant pressure whereas on the ground. In Pac-12 play Dante is 1st in offensive and defensive rebounding charge plus third in 2-pt% and fifth in block charge. Put all of it collectively and he and Oumar Ballo are in all probability the 2 opponents for greatest conventional middle within the convention. If he will get Braxton Meah in early foul bother then the Huskies are in for an extended night time.

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The Outlook

It’s a bizarre a part of this Pac-12 schedule that the final two convention groups the Huskies face are their two major rivals they usually are available back-to-back video games. The excellent news for Washington is that they solely need to face Oregon at residence which suggests no journey to the abomination that’s the Geese’ residence courtroom. The unhealthy information is that the Huskies are going through Oregon now that they’re at full energy and displaying indicators of Altman’s regular mid-February magic.

9 completely different Geese have began at the very least 4 video games this season and a tenth had a 10-game stretch enjoying 15+ minutes per sport. That’s an indication of how totally they have been rocked by accidents early within the season together with have occasions with simply 7 complete scholarship gamers out there. Now that everybody is wholesome Altman has began to determine Oregon’s greatest lineups. That has usually concerned shifting 5-star freshman and anticipated lottery decide Kel’el Ware to a reserve function and enjoying extra of Nate Bittle together with a twin towers beginning lineup of Bittle and N’Faly Dante on the similar time.

Oregon is now 6-3 of their final 9 video games with one head scratching loss to Stanford and extra comprehensible ones vs. UCLA and at Arizona. In Pac-12 play solely the Geese at the moment are as much as 2nd in offensive effectivity by advantage of capturing practically 5% higher on 2-pt pictures than 2nd place Arizona at 56% (Washington is sixth at 48.8% in that stat).

They want to have the ability to convert on the hoop as a result of that is an Oregon group surprisingly mild on shooters. Will Richardson is a profession 38% 3-pt shooter however is all the way down to 34% this yr having to play extra level guard. Everybody however Dante averages a number of 3-point makes an attempt per sport however solely Keeshawn Barthelemey shoots higher than Richardson’s 34%. That leads to Oregon capturing even worse from deep than Washington at 303rd nationally.

Oregon is 4th nationally in common peak which is a part of why they’re so efficient inside. The present 8-man rotation goes 6’2, 6’4, 6’5, 6’6, 6’8, 6’11, 7’0, 7’0. Contemplating the quantity of dimension they’ve it’s considerably shocking they’re solely a so-so offensive rebounding group as a complete. However towards Washington’s zone it gained’t be a shock if Dante/Bittle/Ware are capable of rise up third and even 4th possibilities in a single possession.

The weak point for Oregon to this point this season has been their perimeter protection. They rank practically final within the nation in opponent free throw proportion which you would view as an indication of unhealthy luck. I are inclined to view it as an indication that the majority of their fouls come towards opposing guards quite than bigs. There’s an opportunity that Keyon Menifield Jr. can run circles round Oregon’s guards to get open within the midrange however he’ll have bother attempting to take the ball all of the away to the rim.

Opponents shoot simply 46.0% on 2-point makes an attempt towards Oregon which is the thirty fifth greatest mark within the nation. They all the time have at the very least one 7-footer within the sport and oftentimes have a pair of them. Provided that the Huskies are inclined to not often problem opposing bigs down low that in all probability means plenty of contested perimeter appears to be like. It’s technically attainable that Washington has a uncommon scorching capturing night time and are capable of maintain tempo with Oregon however it appears more likely we simply see a brick-laying clinic much like Saturday night time.

The Geese haven’t been a implausible street group this season. They’re 3-3 in convention together with a loss to Stanford. They obtained drubbed by 27 factors at Colorado. Washington’s hope on this sport is just about that Oregon simply doesn’t actually present up able to play and UW makes sufficient early pictures that the group actually will get into it and helps carry them to a victory. For those who’ve watched UW play this yr in any respect you in all probability know {that a} quick begin could be very unlikely.

Prediction

Max’s Document this Yr: 19-7 Straight Up, 14-11-1 Towards The Unfold

Washington Huskies– 61, Oregon Geese- 72