The Sweet 16 opponent: Six things to know about Oregon
With sixth-seeded USC preparing for a rematch with seventh-seeded Oregon in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 at 6:45 p.m. Sunday in Indianapolis, here are six things for Trojans fans to know as they reacquaint themselves with the Ducks:
1. HOW OREGON GOT HERE » The Ducks were one of the Pac-12 teams hardest hit by COVID-19, having two shutdowns due to outbreaks on the roster leading to six cancellations or postponements in seven games at the end of January. But Oregon emerged to win 10 of 12 to win the Pac-12 regularseason title.
After a conference semifinal tournament loss to rival Oregon State, the Ducks received a pass to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after a positive
INDIANAPOLIS » Eleventh-seeded UCLA is going to have a new opponent in front of it Sunday as the Bruins take on second-seeded Alabama in the Sweet 16. Here are six things UCLA fans should know about the Crimson Tide ahead of this weekend’s action:
1. HOW THE TIDE GOT HERE » Alabama earned an automatic bid to the Big Dance by winning the SEC tournament, beating LSU 80-79 in the championship game. But the Crimson Tide was a lock to receive an invitation to the NCAA Tournament no matter that outcome after a season in which Alabama went 24-6 and was ranked No. 5 in the final Associated Press poll of the year.
2. LEADING MAN » Herbert Jones earned SEC player of the year and defensive player of the year honors for his senior season with the Crimson Tide. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 11.3 points and 6.5 rebounds while shooting 44.5% from the floor. He also added some range to his game as a senior, shooting 37% on 3-pointers.
3. SUFFOCATING DEFENSE » The Crimson Tide’s success has been in large part due to its defense. Alabama is ranked third nationally in adjusted defense, per KenPom.com. It holds opponents to 69.5 points per game and 40.8% shooting from the floor. But mostly, Alabama is disruptive, causing steals on 11.5% of opponent possessions and blocks on 10.6%.
4. BOMBS AWAY » Alabama attempted more 3-pointers than any other team in college basketball this past season, pulling up from deep 961 times. The Crimson Tide made 35.5% of its attempts from that range, with guard Jahvon Quinerly making 44.2% of his 3s. The Crimson Tide got especially hot from distance in its second-round win over Maryland, making 16 of 33 attempts to win by 19.
5. MAN IN CHARGE » In just his second season as head coach at Alabama, Nate Oats earned SEC coach of the year honors for how he turned the Tide around. In his first season in Tuscaloosa, the Tide went 16-15 and finished ninth in its conference. This year, Alabama won both SEC titles as it improved its win total by 10 games. 6. VULNERABILITY » If there’s one area where Alabama makes itself susceptible, it’s with its 13.9 turnovers per game, ranked 220th nationally. In the Crimson Tide’s six losses, that number goes up to 15.7. Now, Alabama makes up for this by forcing 15.6 turnovers per game, so it still generally comes away as a net positive in this area, but it’s still something UCLA can try to exploit.