It wasn’t an easy path, but the Oregon Ducks have found their way to the second Final Four appearance in program history. After losing Chris Boucher to a season-ending injury, there were a lot of questions about how far these Ducks could go. Oregon is led by PAC-12 Player of the Year, Dillon Brooks, and Tyler Dorsey. Without the incredible play of Tyler Dorsey, it’s hard to tell if Oregon would be a 2017 Final Four team. Dorsey has led the Ducks in each of the tournament games up to this point.
The biggest advantage Oregon will have is the strength of their starting five. On top of Brooks and Dorsey, the Ducks have Jordan Bell, Dylan Ennis, and Payton Pritchard rounding out the starting five. Jordan Bell has stepped up since Boucher’s injury, putting up averages of 13.2 points per game on 74% shooting and has grabbed 12 rebounds per game also. Dylan Ennis has been a bit inconsistent for most of the season but has had multiple big scoring games. However, Ennis has been a great defender all year, which will be critical against the high-powered UNC offense.
The biggest problems Oregon will be facing are rebounding and depth. It’s not that Oregon can’t rebound, they just happen to be facing the #1 rebounding team in the country. On top of that, the Ducks usually only have six players in their rotation. They have managed to thrive with the limited depth, but UNC will be their toughest challenge yet. The rebounding and the depth of the Tar Heels will be Oregon’s biggest challenge of the year.
For Oregon to advance to the National Championship game, the key will be to limit North Carolina’s second chance opportunities. Also, if Oregon can exploit mismatches on the offensive end, they can make up for the Tar Heels size advantage. The matchup to watch will be PAC-12 Player of the Year versus ACC Player of the Year, Dillon Brooks versus Justin Jackson. This matchup will be crucial for the outcome to turn in their favor. If Oregon can continue their hot play, expect a terrific 2017 Final Four game against UNC.
