Jan 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oregon Geese head coach Dana Altman reacts through the first half towards the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion offered by Wescom. Necessary Credit score: Alex Gallardo-Imagn Pictures Oregon and No. 24 Michigan are each in strong form for NCAA Match bids, however there is not a lot else they’ve in widespread proper now coming into Wednesday night time’s Large Ten contest in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Visiting Oregon (16-5, 5-6) is available in reeling, having misplaced three in a row and 4 of its final 5, with the one win in that stretch coming towards one of many league’s worst groups, Washington.
The Geese launched into their two-game highway journey to Michigan (they play at No. 9 Michigan State on Saturday) after dropping a 77-71 dwelling contest to Nebraska on Sunday.
Oregon has fallen from respectable convention contender to a sub-.500 file within the league throughout this icy stretch.
The silver lining is that Oregon had eight Quad 1 wins and a No. 37 NET rating to start this week, so the Geese nonetheless are nicely north of the NCAA tourney bubble.
Nonetheless, Oregon coach Dana Altman is aware of his workforce goes to have to show issues round rapidly, particularly taking part in on the highway towards two of the highest three groups within the Large Ten this week.
“We’ll must battle via it,” he stated. “We have 5 on the highway and 4 at dwelling left. Everyone’s form of bundled up (within the convention race), so it is simply whoever performs nicely in February. We have historically performed nicely in February, however this workforce goes to must determine it out.”
Michigan (16-5, 8-2) is available in feeling significantly better about itself, a winner of two straight following a 66-63 highway triumph at Rutgers on Saturday.
The Wolverines entered Tuesday a sport behind Michigan State for the highest spot within the convention standings and had been No. 17 within the NET rankings.
“We’re nonetheless a piece in progress,” Michigan coach Dusty Could stated. “It is February. We have to have the ability to win when it is not fairly and simply hold transferring ahead. However we won’t get uninterested in the method.”
The sport will characteristic three of one of the best frontcourt gamers within the convention.
Michigan is led by its 7-foot twin towers of Vladislav Goldin (15.6 factors, 6.0 rebounds per sport) and Danny Wolf (12.2 ppg, 10.0 rpg), whereas Oregon is led in scoring and rebounding by 7-footer Nate Bittle (12.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg).
If there was a giant weak point for Michigan this 12 months, it has been turnovers. The Wolverines lead the Large Ten in turnovers at 14.8 per contest, and that may very well be a difficulty towards an Oregon workforce that averages 7.1 steals per sport and is giving up solely 71.0 factors per contest.
Though the groups have been in reverse conferences earlier than this 12 months and are positioned a good distance from one another, there’s a current historical past.
Oregon earned a 71-70 extra time win over Michigan in Ann Arbor in 2019, whereas the Geese additionally defeated Michigan in extra time, 86-83, in extra time final season in Eugene, Ore.
–Discipline Degree Media
