Pac-12 Basketball: Oregon vs. Stanford preview, prediction, TV schedule
By Connor Hope
After a loss to UCLA knocked Oregon off the top spot in the Pac-12 basketball standings, the Ducks have been fighting to regain their slot.
TV Schedule: Saturday, Feb. 25, 4:00 p.m. ET, PAC 12 Network
Arena: Maples Pavilion, Stanford, CA
Prediction: Oregon 77 Stanford 68
As the Pac-12 season comes to a close, the Oregon Ducks find themselves one game out of first place. With two winnable games remaining on their schedule, they have a good shot at capturing a share of the title.
Related Story: Previewing UCLA versus Arizona State
While much of their title odds rely on the outcome of Arizona vs. UCLA, the Ducks must focus on their opponent. Stanford is having a down year but wins never come easy in Palo Alto.
Oregon’s current record is 25-4 (14-2 Pac-12), and the Ducks are a projected 2-seed in the NCAA Tournament. If they pick up a share of first place, they will have the top seed in the conference tournament, winning the tiebreaker with Arizona. However, a second place finish will set up a meeting with a very dangerous UCLA team in the semifinals.
Stanford, on the other hand, is not having a great year. Sitting at 14-12 (6-9 Pac-12), the Cardinal are looking to avenge their 17-point loss to Oregon in Eugene. Winning this game could provide confidence for the team to crawl back to a .500 record in conference play.
This game will be all about the play of Dillon Brooks. For much of the season, the Ducks have only been as good as their junior forward. Look for Dana Altman to draw up plays in order to get Brooks perimeter looks as often as possible.
Next: February Bubble Watch and the Twitter mailbag
At the end of the day, Stanford just does not have the offense firepower required to produce an upset victory. Expect Oregon to run away with this game, moving on to their final game against in-state rival Oregon State.