Huskies facing a similarly injury-riddled but potentially dangerous team in Oregon
In the five weeks since Paige Bueckers went down with a knee injury, the No. 10 Uconn Huskies have gone through the growing pains of trying to find their identity without their reigning national player of the year, something that’s largely come into focus with their standout play over their last two games against Butler and Xavier.
Putting it all together against two Big East teams with losing records is one thing. Now, Uconn (9-3, 4-0 Big East) will face its next big test, a nonconference matchup at Oregon (8-5, 2-1 Pac-12), Monday evening.
Oregon, which was ranked as high as No. 9 earlier in the season, is currently unranked and has suffered losses to South Carolina, South Florida, UC Davis, Kansas State and Stanford. But don’t let the record fool you. Like Uconn, the Ducks have dealt with a slew of injuries and COVID-19 issues that have prevented them from seeing how good they can ultimately be.
Nyara Sabally, Te-hina Paopao and Endyia Rogers have all played six games or fewer, and Sedona Prince was recently out two games with a bout of COVID-19. Coach Kelly Graves said Thursday that with so many absences, he’s been pleased with how Sydney Parrish, Maddie Scherr and Ahlise Hurst have stepped up.
Saturday was the first day that Sabally, Paopao, Rogers and Prince all played together, and the results spoke for themselves: The Ducks erased a 17-point deficit and took down No. 7 Arizona in overtime at home.
Graves said last week that the Ducks were mostly focused on preparing for the Arizona game (“[that] game’s more important, because that’s a conference opponent. They’re still a top 10 team.”). Nonetheless, Monday will be “huge” for his Ducks.
“It’s one that everybody has circled right from the start,” Graves said. “It’s kind of unfortunate that neither team will be at our best when that game occurs. They’re injured a little bit, and we’re just coming back from that. So it’s not the game I think a lot of people anticipated when they first put it on the schedule. But nonetheless, it’s still going to be a big game for us, for our fans.”
“I don’t know what to expect from them because I don’t know who exactly is going to be 100%,” Uconn coach Geno Auriemma said Saturday afternoon. “But they’re always good up there. They always shoot the ball great. They’ve got tremendous size. Obviously, they’re one of the best teams in the country when they’re 100%. And if they’re 100% on Monday, it’s going to be really a tough assignment for us. Heck, if they’re 80% Monday it’s going to be tough.”
A win against Uconn, no matter the Huskies’ injury situation, would be massive for a Ducks program looking to re-insert itself into the national discussion.
“I think people have forgotten about us a little bit, and rightfully so,” Graves said. “We haven’t played particularly well, and we don’t have that win-loss record that we would like. But at the same time, now this is an opportunity to kind of put ourselves back in the discussion.”
Here’s what else you need to know about the matchup:
Site: Matthew Knight Arena
Time: 5 p.m.
Series: Uconn leads, 3-1
Last meeting: No. 3 Oregon 74, No. 4 Uconn 56, Feb. 3, 2020, in Storrs.
TV: ESPN2 (Pam Ward, Stephanie White)
Radio: Uconn IMG Sports Network on 97.9 ESPN (Bob Joyce, Debbie Fiske)
Oregon probable starters, sixth man
Te-hina Paopao, G, 5-9, So.; Nyara Sabally, F, 6-5, R-JR.; Sedona Prince, F, 6-7, R-JR.; Endyia Rogers, G, 5-7, Jr.; Sydney Parrish, G, 6-2, So.; Maddie Scherr, G, 5-11, So.
Uconn probable starters, sixth man
Christyn Williams, G, 5-11, Sr.; Olivia Nelson-ododa, F, 6-5, Sr.;
Dorka Juhász, F, 6-5, Gr.; Nika Mühl, G, 5-10, So.; Caroline Ducharme, G, 6-2, Fr.; Aaliyah Edwards, F, 6-3, So.; Evina Westbrook, G, 6-0, R-SR.
The matchup
Uconn’s offense: Ducharme continues to be the Huskies’ most productive player since Bueckers went down (15.8 points per game), but perhaps more critically for this team is that the seniors have stepped up this past week. Williams sports a pair of 19-point outings, and Nelson-ododa also hit double figures two games in a row. Westbrook, who came off the bench the last two games, is being asked to bring an offensive spark when she enters the game.
Uconn’s defense: The Huskies’ strong suit this season, although they’ve upped their energy on that end of the floor to a whole new level the past two games. Uconn is limiting teams to 58.1 points per game on 36.2% shooting. The Huskies will be asked to defend the 3 ball Monday much more than they’ve had to worry about in recent games.
Oregon’s offense: Sabally has only played six games this season, but leads the team with 16.7 points per game, followed by Paopao at 14.8 in four games. Against the Wildcats, that duo combined for 44 points on 25 shots. In all, the Ducks are averaging 74.9 points per game on the season, shooting 45.4% from the field and 38.3% on 3s. Their most prolific 3-point shooters are Hurst (39.7%), Parrish (40.3%), Paopao (38.9%) and Rogers (35.7%).
Oregon’s defense: The Ducks allow 61.5 points per game on 35.9% shooting. Teams like to shoot 3s against them, hitting 31.7%. All of their losses have come when they rebound worse than 52% of misses, but having Sabally and Prince back and healthy helps them control the glass better.
Uconn keys: The Huskies must come out with the defensive intensity they’ve had the last two games; limit self-inflicted wounds on offense and hit 3s; push through any in-game adversity that pops up, and avoid fourth-quarter meltdowns, individually or as a team; dominate the glass.
Players to watch: Though this series was inked before she transferred to Storrs, this is Westbrook’s de facto homecoming game. Will the Salem, Ore., native play with a little extra juice? The Huskies will take any offensive firepower and defensive contributions they can get from her.
About Oregon’s coach: Kelly Graves, who is in his eighth season at the helm in Eugene, is a two-time Pac-12 coach of the year and boasted a 552-225 record as a Division I coach entering 202122, previously making stops at St. Mary’s and Gonzaga. The Ducks have made two Elite Eights and a Final Four (in 2019) during his tenure.
Oregon’s mascot: The Oregon Duck
Famous alumni: Nike co-founder Phil Knight, broadcast journalist Ann Curry, 2020 No. 1 WNBA draft pick Sabrina Ionescu